and Bleaching of Fibres, Fibrous Materials, and Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept.. 1887
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 24th Aug., 188
and Bleaching of Fibres, Fibrous Materials, and Textile Fabrics.
We MILES ASHWORTH, of Falinge Road, Rochdale, Cotton Waste Merchant, and
ROBERT WILD, of 3 Carlisle Street, Littleborough, Mechanical Engineer, both in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The novelty of our improved invention in Apparatus or Machinery for Washing,
Scouring and Bleaching of Fibres, Fibrous Materials and Textile Fabrics; or such
like as Cotton, Wool, Silk, Flax, Hemp, Jute, Rhca-Ramie, Esparto and China
Grasses, Yucca, Rags and other fibres, or fibrous materials; consists of a series of
vessels, or of one vessel; divided into a series of compartments; for containing the
liquid or liquids, necessary for the process of Washing, Scouring and Bleaching of
Fibres, Fibrous Materials and Textile Fabrics.
The vessel or vessels may be made of any suitable material or materials.
On or over each of the said vessel, vessels or compartiments, we mount or fix one
or more pairs of press bowls, rollers or pullies, for the object and purpose of con-
veying the fibres, fibrous materials and one or more pieces of Textile Fabrics or of
Textile Materials, simultaneously as may be desired, or otherwise, through the
various required processes for Washing, Scouring and Bleaching.
In conjunction with the said press bowls, rollers, or pullies we also provide an
arrangement of one or more endless travelling belts, aprons or lathe creepers, working
upon rollers provided for the purpose and contained in the beforementioned vessel,
vessels or compartment or compartments and which are fixed and work in an
horizontal position in the said compartment or compartiments, and working in con-
junction with the same, there is one placed or fixed at an incline or angle, for the
object and purpose of carrying or conveying the filres, fibrous materials or Textile
fabrics from the liquid or liquids contained in the compartment or compartments to the
beforementioned press bowls, rollers or pullies, through which the fibrous materials

page_text: pass, and are subjected thereby to compression, so as to expel any impurities con-
tained in the fibres, fibrous materials or Textile fabrics, undergoing the process of
Washing, Scouring and Bleaching.
The said endless travelling lathe creepers, contain metallic teeth or pegs, or spikes,
of various degrees of fineness as may be desired; the object and purpose of the said
metallic teeth, pegs or spikes, being for the purpose of catching hold of and carrying
forward the fibres, or fibrous materials to and fro through the liquid or liquids con-
tained in the compartment or compartments beforementioned, and thence up to the
said press bowls, rollers or pullies.
In conjunction with and upon the said endless travelling lathe creepers, works an
endless travelling apron or cloth, for the object and purpose of carrying forward, and
thereafter detaching the fibres or fibrous materials from of the said metallic teeth,
pegs or spikes contained in the said endless travelling lathe creepers, herein before-
mentioned.
The said endless travelling lathe creepers and endless travelling apron or cloths
may be made of any suitable material or materials.
We also provide suitable outlets to the said compartment or compartiments for the
withdrawal of the said liquid or liquids, by suitable ordinary means, such as a pump
and pipe connections or otherwise, so that the liquid or liquids can or may be re-used
again, as may be required.
The said compartment or compartments are each provided with the requisite
pipeing and connections for the supplying of clean water and steam, and the Chemical
solutions required.
We also provide at the intake or feeding end of the Apparatus or Machine an
endless travelling lathe creeper of the ordinary construction, as at present is employed
with cotton openers.
When dealing with Woven or Spun Textile fabrics such as pieces or warps and
other like goods, then in place of the said endless travelling lathe creepers, containing
the metallic teeth, pegs or spikes; we provide one or more flanged pullies, bowls or
rollers, for the Woven or Spun Textile fabrics or goods to pass over and under,
through their process of undergoing Washing, Scouring and Bleaching; the said
flanged pullies, bowls or rollers being secured in position upon suitable shafts
provided for same, and which in their turn are driven by suitable driving gear, and so
arranged, that one or more pieces can or may pass simultaneously through the
Machine or Machines, as may be desired.
In carrying out our Invention, the Fibres, Fibrous materials and Textile fabrics or
materials, are first spread upon the lattice or lathe creeper at the intake or feeding
end of the Machine, which carries the materials forward and thereafter pass through
a pair of fluted feed rollers or otherwise, which in their turn feed and pass the fibrous
materials into the compartment or compartments containing the liquid or liquids and
the beforementioned endless travelling lattice or lathe creepers, having the metallic
teeth, pegs or spikes and the endless travelling apron or cloths in conjunction there-
with the fibrous materials are thereafter passed to and fro in the compartment con-
taining the liquid or liquids, and thereafter carried forward by the inclined endless
travelling lathe creeper, to the press bowls, rollers or pullies, through which the fibrous
materials pass, so as to be uniformly pressed thereby.
;
The fibres, fibrous materials and textile fabrics, thereafter pass through one or more
similar compartments and press bowls, rollers or pullies as the first compartment and
endless travelling lathe creepers containing the metallic teeth, pegs or spikes, and
press bowls, rollers and pullies; and which are fitted up similar to the first part
herein mentioned.
In carrying out our Invention when dealing with Woven and Spun Textile fabrics
or goods, such as pieces and the like, we dispense with the lattice or endless travelling
lathe creeper at the feeding or intake end of the machine, and also with the various
endless travelling lathe creepers, contained in the compartment or compartments con-
taining the liquid or liquids for Washing, Scouring and Bleaching; and in place of
the endless travelling lathe creeper at the intake or feeding end of the machine, we

page_text: pass the pieces or goods through a frame containing pot eye-holes, and thence over a
guide roller or rollers; thence conveyed downwards and passed under a similar guide
roller contained in the compartment or compartments, and thence passed to and from
the flanged pullies herein beforementioned, and which are used and employed when
not useing the said endless travelling lathe creepers, containing the metallic teeth,
pegs or spikes; the materials or pieces of textile fabrics, thereafter pass through a
pair of press bowls, rollers or pullies, so as to be more uniformly pressed thereby as
before expressed herein, and passed thereafter through one or more compartments and
press bowls, as the first one herein described, which contain the Washing, Scouring
and Bleaching liquid or liquids, and which are fitted up similarly to the first com-
partment, so far as relates to being provided with guide rollers, press bowls, endless
travelling lathe creepers.
The said Apparatus or Machine, can be made and constructed with as many com-
partments, endless travelling lathe creepers, flanged pullies and press bowls, rollers or
pullies as may be found requisite.
By the said Apparatus or Machinery, we accomplish great saving in time, cost and
labour, in the processes of Washing, Scouring and Bleaching of Fibres, Fibrous
Materials and Textile Fabrics.

page_text: improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for Washing, Scouring,
and Bleaching of Fibres, Fibrous Materials, and Textile Fabrics.
We MILES ASHWORTH of Falinge Road Rochdale Cotton Waste Merchant and
ROBERT WILD of 3 Carlisle Street, Littleborough, Mechanical Engineer, both in the
County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
Our improved Apparatus or Machinery for Washing, Scouring and Bleaching of
Fibres, Fibrous Materials and Textile Fabrics or such like as Cotton, Wool, Silk,
Flax, Hemp, Jute, Rhea, Ramie, Esparto and China Grasses, Yucca, Rags and other
fibres or fibrous materials is illustrated on the accompanying drawings and consists of
a series of vessels or of one vessel divided into a series of compartments for
containing the liquid or liquids necessary for the said processes of washing, scouring
and bleaching of Fibres, Fibrous Materials and Textile Fabrics.
This vessel may be made of wood or of any suitable material or materials as
illustrated in longitudinal section in Fig. 1 of the annexed drawing.
On or over each of the compartments a, a¹ and a² we mount or fix one or more
pairs of press bowls, rollers or pullies bb for the purpose of conveying the fibres,
fibrous materials or one or more lengths or pieces of textile fabrics or textile materials
simultaneously or otherwise as may be desired through the various compartments
required in the processes of Washing, Scouring and Bleaching.
In conjunction with the said press bowls, rollers or pullies and in each of the said
compartments we also provide one or more sets of travelling lath creepers c working
upon rollers d d which are fixed and work as illustrated in an horizontal position in
the lower part of the said compartment or compartments and working in conjunction
with the said horizontal lath creepers c are one or more similar lath creepers c¹ placed
or fixed at an incline or angle as illustrated for the purpose of carrying or conveying
the fibres, fibrous materials or textile fabrics from the liquid or liquids contained in
the several compartments up to the before mentioned press bowls, rollers or pullies
through which the fibrous materials then pass and are subjected thereby to compression
so as to expel any impurities contained in the same.
The said endless travelling lath crepers c and c¹ are provided with metallic teeth,
or pegs or spikes of various degress of fineness as may be desired for the purposo of
catching hold of and so effectually carrying forward the fibres or fibrous materials to
and fro through the liquid or liquids contained in the several compartments before-
mentioned and thence up to the said press bowls, rollers or pullies.
In conjunction with and upon the outside of each of the said endless travelling
lath creepers works an endless travelling apron or cloth e and through the surface of
which the aforesaid teeth, pegs or spikes project for the purpose of carrying forward
and thereafter détaching the fibres or fibrous materials from off the said metallic teeth,
pegs or spikes.

page_text: Ine said endless travelling lath creepers and endless travelling apron or cloth may
be made of any suitable material or materials.
We also provide suitable outlets to the said compartment or compartments for the
withdrawal of the liquid or liquids by suitable ordinary means such as a pump and
pipe connections or otherwise so that the liquid or liquids can or may be re-used again
as may be required.
The said compartment or compartments are each provided with the requisite piping
and connections for the supplying of clean water and steam and the Chemical
solutions required.
We also provide at the intake or feeding end of the apparatus or machine an
endless travelling lath creeper f of the ordinary construction for instance as at present
employed in cotton openers.
In Fig. 2 of the annexed drawing we illustrate a modification of our invention in
which the same letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts as in Fig. 1,
and in which the lath creepers are substituted by one or more endless travelling belts
or double aprons g and carried by their respective horizontal rollers i and j and
which belts may be composed of canvas, woven copper wire or other suitable material
which will not be injuriously affected by the acid or other solution employed.
When dealing with woven or spun textile fabrics such as continuous pieces or warps
and other like goods we employ the arrangement illustrated by side sectional view
Fig. 3 and by plan view Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawing. In this case in place
of employing the aforesaid endless travelling lath creepers containing the metallic
teeth, pegs or spikes we provide one or more flanged or grooved pullies, bowls or
rollers for the woven or spun textile fabrics or goods to pass over and under in
undergoing their processes of Washing, Scouring and Bleaching, the said flanged or
grooved pullies, bowls or rollers being secured upon suitable shafts or bearings
provided for same and which in their turn are driven by suitable driving gear and so
arranged that one or more pieces can or may pass simultaneously through the machine
or machines as may be desired.
a and
In carrying out our invention and with the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 the fibres,
fibrous materials and textile fabrics or materials are first spread upon the lattice or
lath creeper fat the intake or feeding end of the machine and are thereby carried
forward in the direction of the arrow beneath a feed roller which leads such material
down on to the horizontal lath creeper c contained in the first compartment
which is travelling in the direction of the arrow. Upon arriving at the other end of
such compartment the said materials are lifted on to the first inclined lath creeper c¹
and thence carried on to the second inclined lath creeper in the direction of the
arrows and are so passed to and fro through the liquid contained in such compart-
ment until they finally reach the press bowls-rollers or pullies b b.
In passing through these bowls bb the materials become uniformly pressed and are
thence led through the pair of guide rollers m into the next compartment a¹ where
the same operation is repeated and so on through the several compartments until the
materials finally emerge from the machine and are received upon the delivery
lattice o.
In employing the machine illustrated in Fig. 2 the fibres or fibrous materials are
first spread upon the travelling apron h at the intake or feeding end of the machine
and are thereby carried forward in the direction of the arrow until such materials
become gripped between the two travelling belts or double aprons g and h and are
thereby carried forward in the direction of the arrows through the several compart-
ments and through their respective press bowls bb in a similar manner to that
herein before described in reference to Fig. 1.
In carrying out our invention when dealing with woven and spun textile fabrics or
goods such as continuous lengths or pieces and the like we dispense with the lattice or
endless travelling lath creeper at the feeding or intake end of the machine and also
with the various endless travelling lath creepers contained in the compartment or
compartments containing the liquid or liquids for Washing, Scouring and Bleaching
and in place of the endless travelling lath creeper we pass the pieces or goods as

page_text: ""
indicated by the lotter p through a frame q containing pot eye holes and thence over a
guide roller or winch thence downwards again and under a guide roller s contained
in the first compartment or compartments. The pieces or goods p are then passed to
and fro around the flanged pulleys k in the direction of the arrows and finally pass
through a pair of press bowls, rollers or pullies bb so as to be more uniformly
pressed thereby before entering the next compartment which is similarly fitted with
flanged pulleys and press bowls and in which the same operation is repeated and so
on through the series of compartments which contain the Washing, Scouring and
Bleaching liquid or liquids.
It will be observed that after passing through the press bowls and before entering
the next compartment we prefer to carry the material round a pair of winches t t and
through a pot eye hole u this arrangement serving to keep the material properly
distended the overplus resting in the hox.
The said apparatus or machine can be made and constructed with as many compart-
ments, endless travelling lath creepers, flanged pullies and press bowls rollers or pullies
as may be found requisite.
By the said apparatus or machinery we accomplish great saving in time, cost and
labour in the processes of washing, scouring and bleaching of fibres, fibrous materials
and textile fabrics.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our said
invention and in what manner the same may be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1st. The improved combination and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for
washing, scouring and bleaching fibres, fibrous materials and textile fabrics substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In apparatus for washing, scouring and bleaching fibres and fibrous materials
the employment of a series of vessels or compartments each containing an endless
travelling belt (or double apron) or lath creepers working in conjunction with a pair
of press bowls, rollers or pullies and all mounted and operating substantially as and
for the purpose herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In apparatus for washing, scouring and bleaching continuous lengths of
textile fabrics the employment of a series of vessels or compartments each fitted with
flanged or grooved pulleys and with a pair of press bowls, rollers or pulleys all
arranged and mounted substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
4th. The improved lath-creeper furnished with metallic teeth, pegs or spikes working
in conjunction with an endless apron for conveying fibres or fibrous materials in the
process of washing, scouring or bleaching textile fibres or fibrous materials substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of June 1888