AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE FOR WETTING OR DAMPING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
56
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
'AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE FOR WETTING OR DAMPING WOVEN
FABRICS." A communication from abroad by Eugène Fromm, of Mulhouse,
Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st April 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE FOR
WETTING OR DAMPING WOVEN FABRICS." [A communication from abroad by
Eugène Fromm, of Mulhouse, Germany.]
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus or machine for effecting the
wetting or damping of woven fabrics to facilitate the operations of printing upon
or dressing or finishing such fabrics, which apparatus is constructed and arranged
in such a manner as to cause an extremely fine division of the water, and to project
it quite uniformly over the whole of the surface of the fabrics operated upon.
The said improved apparatus possesses the advantage of being very durable, and
works in a regular or uninterrupted manner, whilst the machines heretofore used
for the purpose for which this apparatus is designed require to be frequently
replaced, and have moreover the great disadvantage that they wet the fabrics
irregularly, which is an important defect.
The apparatus constructed according to this Invention provides means for
obtaining a much more perfect result, and in a manner much more simple and loss
expensive than any of the apparatus heretofore employed which have usually been
made either with brushes revolving at a great speed and tangentially to the surface
of the water in a reservoir, the water being thrown upon the fabric by the
centrifugal action of the brush; or the apparatus have been so constructed as to
cause the water to bo finely separated by means of compressed air, which by its
contact divides the water at the moment when the latter escapes as spray from
perforated tubes which carry it into the apparatus.
According to the present Invention, I employ a cylinder or drum to which a
rapid rotatory motion is imparted, and which is arranged horizontally within a

page_text: water-chamber, the water being always maintained at one level; this drum is
provided on its periphery with very small perforated metal scoops or troughs, 50
arranged that they remove from the surface of the liquid a thin layer or slice of
water, which is at first held in the scoop and is then projected by centrifugal force
through holes provided on its outer face; the water so divided passes to a silk
sieve, which has the effect of separating or dividing the water into extremely fino
particles or spray, in which condition it falls upon the fabric, which is arranged to
travel under the said apparatus. A screen is provided to regulato as desired the
thickness of the zone of spray coming from the apparatus.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, I make the said drum of copper or
other suitable metal. This drum is provided upon its periphery with six of tho
said scoops or troughs, which are formed of copper sheets bent in such a manner as
to leave a space-of-about-ono-millimetre between them and the exterior surface of
the drum, the said scoops being furnished with three rows of some very fino fabric.
The drum, which is fixed to its shaft by means of two discs, is maintained above the
water in a water-chamber by means of two supports (adjustablo vertically by a
screw) in such a manner that the scoops remove at each sixth part of a revolution
a thin portion of water corresponding to the opening of the said scoops. The said
chamber which contains the water is closed at its upper part by a hinged cover.
At the lower part of the chamber there is a gutter designed to receive the water
which drops upon the side of the said chamber, also the overflow water.
from the chamber, and this water is thereby conveyed outside through a small tubo
in its centre. There is a small iuclined piece or strip placed above the ger, to
prevent the projected liquid from turning around the latter and falling in drops
upon the fabric as it travels. On the front part of the apparatus I provide a
wooden frame, whoso opening is furnished with a very fine silk sieve (herein before
mentioned). Within this sieve there is a movable screen or plate made of copper,
which provides for regulating the opening through which the finely divided water
or spray passes; this plate is bent back at its lower part in such a manner as to
form a gutter to retain the water thrown against the plate, and which falls back
into the receptacle at each end of the gutter. The regulation of this plate is
effected by means of two straps or bands to which it is attached, and which pass
over two small pulleys fixed on a shaft, and it is only necessary to turn the latter
in one direction or the other by means of a wheel at one end of the shaft, in order
to cause the plato to rise or fall, the plate being maintained in the required position
by nieans of a screw provided on one of the supports carrying the shaft.
The water enters the chamber through a pipe, at the upper part of which there
is a funnel, and the overflow or water in excess passes away continually through
openings provided in the chamber, so that a uniform level is constantly maintained
in a very simple manner.
I arrange within the chamber a plate, designed to prevent any part of the water
being thrown uselessly against the cover.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
October 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE FOR
WETTING OR DAMPING WOVEN FABRICS," A communication from abroad by
Eugène Fromm, of Mulhouse, Germany.
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus or machine for effecting the
wetting or damping of woven fabrics to facilitate the operation of printing upon
and dressing or finishing such fabrics, which apparatus is constructed and arranged
in such a manner as to cause an extremely fine division of the water, and to
project it quite uniformly on the whole of the surface of the fabrics operated
upon.
The said improved apparatus possesses the advantage of being very durable, and
works in a regular and uninterrupted manner, whereas the machines heretofore
used for the purpose for which this apparatus is designed require to be frequently
replaced, and have moreover the great disadvantage that they wet the fabrics
irregularly.
The apparatus constructed according to this Invention provides means for
obtaining the desired result more effectually, and in a more simple and less
expensive manner than any of the apparatus heretofore employed, which have
usually been made either with brushes revolving at a great speed and tangentially
to the surface of the water in a reservoir, the water being thrown upon the fabric
by the centrifugal action of the brush; or such apparatus have been so constructed
as to cause the water to be finely divided by ineans of compressed air, which by
its contact divides the water at the moment when the latter cscapes as spray from
perforated tubes which carry it into the apparatus.
According to the present Invention, I employ a cylinder or drum to which a
rapid rotatory motion is imparted, and which is arranged horizontally within a
water-chamber, the water being always maintained at one level; this drum is
provided on its periphery with very small perforated metal scoops or troughs so
arranged that they remove from the surface of the liquid a thin film or slice, which
is at first held in the scoops and is then projected by centrifugal force through
holes provided on their outer face; the water so divided passes to a silk sieve,
which has the effect of dividing the water into extremely fine particles or spray,
and when thus divided it falls upon the fabric which is arranged to travel under
the said apparatus. A screen is provided to regulate as desired the width of the
zone of spray coming from the apparatus.
The apparatus constructed according to my Invention is represented in the
accompanying Drawing, in which,―
Figure 1 is a transverse section.
Figure 2 is a front elevation, and
Figure 3 is a plan of the said apparatus with the cover removed.
As will be seen by referring to the Drawing, my apparatus consists substantially
of a drum or cylinder A, which I make of copper or other metal or any suitable
material; this drum or cylinder serves to finely divide the water, and it turns or
rotates with great velocity. The said cylinder is provided on its periphery with
six small scoops or troughs a, a, preferably formed of strips of copper, and so
arranged as to leave a slight space between them and the outer surface of the
drum, and they are provided throughout their entire length with three rows of
very fine gauze.
The drum or cylinder A is fixed upon its shaft by two discs b, b, or by other
convenient incans, and upon one end of the said shaft I fix a pulley A' for rotating

page_text: the drum or cylinder by means of any suitable motor, or I actuate the cylinder in
any other suitable manner.
The said cylinder is supported above the level of the water in the chamber C
by two supports or bearings i, i, which are capable of vertical adjustment by means
of screws, i, in such manner that the strips upon the cylinder will take off at
each sixth of a revolution a film of water corresponding to the aperture of the
scoops or troughs.
The upper part of the chamber C which contains the water or other liquid is
closed by a hinged lid or cover C₁; the said chamber is provided on its lower front
part with a trough or gutter d, which receives the water that drops from the side
of the said chamber and also the overflow water from the chamber, and this gutter
d.conveys the water to any convenient place through a small tube or pipe preferably
fixed at its centre. I also provide-an-inclined strip or board & placed above the
aforesaid gutter d to prevent the passing of the overflow water beyond-the-aforesaid
gutter and upon the fabric travelling under the apparatus.
On the front part of the apparatus is arranged a wooden frame E, the opening
of which is furnished with a very fine silk or gauze sieve D.
Inside this sieve or gauzo portion I arrange a movable screen or plate B,
preferably made of sheet copper, to provide for regulating the opening through
which the finely divided water is thrown or passes. The said screen or plate is
curved at its lower part in such a manner as to form a gutter B' which retains
the water thrown against this screen or plate, and this water returns to the
chamber C at each end of the aforesaid gutter.
The plate B is regulated by means of straps or bands B³ to which it is attached,
and which pass over two pulleys h, h, fixed on the shaft h, and it is only necessary
to turn this shaft in one direction or in the other by means of the hand wheel hª
on one end thereof to cause the plate B to rise or to descend, and the said plate may
bo maintained in the position it is to occupy by means of a set screw provided in
one of the bearings of the shaft h', or by other convenient means.
The water is introduced into the chamber C by means of a tube g surmounted
by a funnel g', and the surplus or overflow water continually escapes by the
apertures f, f, and thus I maintain a perfectly uniform and constant level in tho
apparatus in a very simple manner.
I provide in the interior of the chamber C a plate or board e, e, which prevents
any of the water thrown off by the drum from striking the cover C¹.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to mo by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. In an apparatus for damping woven or textile fabrics preparatory to
printing upon or finishing or dressing the same, a revolving drum provided on its
periphery with narrow perforated troughs for subdividing the liquid to be thrown
upon the fabrics, and arranged in combination with a screen or sieve of fine silk-
gauze which further subdivides the water, substantially as set forth and for the
purpose specified.
Second. An apparatus for damping woven fabrics, constructed substantially
as shown in the accompanying Drawings, and operating as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand night hundred and sighty