AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE DYEING OF SILKEN FABRICS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to André Lyon, of No. 24, Rue du 4 Septembre, in the City
of Paris, in the Department of the Seine, and Republic of France, Merchant,
for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE
DYEING OF SILKEN FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said André Lyon at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th April 1880.
"
ANDRÉ LYON, of No. 24, Rue du 4 Septembre, in the City of Paris, in the
Departament of the Seine, and Republic of France, Merchant. "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE DYEING OF SILKEN FABRICS."
This Invention relates to an apparatus intended for use in the dyeing of silken
fabrics or stuffs.
This apparatus with variable traction and movable pins keeps the silken fabric
in a perpendicular state and in motion during the operation of immersion, and
thereby prevents the fabric being rumpled or damage.
This apparatus is composed of two racks supported parallelly and horizontally by
one or more cross pieces, varying in length according to requirement, as shown on
the accompanying sheet of Drawing.
A mortice is made in each tooth of the rack, into which the fabric is introduced
before securing it with the pin A, so that it is almost free on a kind of cap B.
To stretch the fabric to be dyed, one of its angles is secured to one of the teeth
of the rack, and it is spread out until it meets two of the front of the parallel rack
to which it is pinned without squeezing; it is then brought back to two other teeth
of the first rack to be pinned in the same way, and so on until the piece is entirely
stretched.
The fabric is thence forth suspended in the rack or stretching apparatus in a
vertical position. Small weights (of lead, glass, or other material) are then fixed
at certain distances apart by means of a thread or wire passed into holes made in
them for this purpose, these weights being fixed to each of the folds formed by the
return of the fabric secured upon each of the teeth of the rack.
I have adopted a rack of variable length with a head or mortice at top, so that
by putting two racks upon a wooden bar E of rectangular section, and tightening

page_text: up the screws G, they take a horizontal position parallel to each other, that is to
say, favorable to the stretching or spreading out of the fabric to be dyed.
These racks are set up in the same way as a beam compass, may slide upon the
wooden bar, and be removed at pleasure for cleaning.
The wooden bars or beams E are long enough to rest upon the vats H during the
operation of dyeing; they are laid upon the hooks placed above the vats for
draining, and outside for operating the stretching or spreading out.
The fabric drawn by the small weights preserves this moveable perpendicular
condition, which it will continue to possess when it is to be plunged into the dyeing
baths.
During the immersion-the-shrinking of the fabric is compensated in one direction
by the regular action of the small weights below, and in the other by the means of
shifting the distance between the racks, that is to say, by the shortening of the
sliding crosspieces or supports.
There is no deterioration of the fabric, which is never soiled, spotted, or rumpled ;
a few pins only are sacrificed.
The greatest facility is given for cleaning the apparatus, which may serve for all
colours.
The distance between the racks may be varied by the aid of slides, nuts, screws,
springs, chains and weights, or otherwise.
The apparatus may be held by hand or by any known means of suspension,
rolling or pivoting cranes, tackle and pulleys, or other mechanism which will keep
the racks at a proper-height-for-the-stretching or spreading out of the fabric, serve
for moving it about, and for immersing and agitating it in one or more vats, and
so on.
When all the dyeing operations are over, the entire piece is taken by hand in its
folds and the pins withdrawn, which operation occupies only a few seconds, and the
pins are replaced if any oxydation should have made them unserviceable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said André Lyon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th October
1880.
ANDRÉ LYON, of 24, Rue du 4 Septembro, in the City of Paris, in the
Department of the Seine, and Republic of France, Merchant. "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE DYEING OF SILKEN FABRICS."
My Invention relates to an arrangement of adjustable tenter or dipping frame
for use in dyeing silk fabrics, whereby perfect evennoss of color is obtained.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I will proceed to
describo it with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 shows
a plan of the improved adjustable dipping frame, and Figure 2 an end view of
samo. Figure 3 shows the frame in position upon the dye vat, while Figure 4
shows different views of the means of attaching the fabric to the frame. The same
letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
In the ordinary mode of dyeing silk fabrics, the fabric being fixed on pins or
hooks, is stretched unequally. at different parts, besides which, owing to the
shrinking of the fabric after its immersion in the vat, the fibres are subjected to
excessive tension, which prevents the uniform penetration of the dye.
These defects, as well as the oxidation of the hooks, and spotting and other
blemishes on the fabric, are entirely avoided by using the improved dipping frame
of my Invention. It consists of two horizontal bars a, a, fixed parallel to each
other upon one or more cross bars b, b, by sockets c and set screws d, as shown.
The bars a, a, are each provided with a row of teeth e having a slit fat the end in
which the fabric g is inserted and secured by a pin passed through holes in the
end of each tooth e, as shown, there being a number of these holes to permit the
ready insertion of the pin, which assumes an inclined position as shown. The
fabric being suspended freely from this frame during its immersion in the vat, all
Liability of crumpling and injuring it is avoided.
In order to suspend the fabric g one of its corners is inserted in a tooth of the
frame, and it is then taken across to two teeth of the opposite frame in which it is
loosely pinned; it is then returned to two other teeth of the first frame, where it is
secured in like manner, and so on, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5; or
instead of being attached to two consecutive teeth of the same frame it may be
attached to a single tooth of each frame alternately, as in Figure 6, until the whole
of the piece is thus suspended vertically in the frame, whereupon small weights of
lead, glass, or other material are attached by a wire passing through holes made in
the said weights to the bottom edge of the fabric at each fold. The fabric thus
suspended is kept by the weights always at the same tension while in the vat. The
shrinking of the fabric in one direction is permitted by the weights, while it may
bo regulated in the other direction by varying the distance between the tentering
bars, which may be shifted upon the cross bars by simply loosening screws d.
The dyeing is rendered more perfect by this means, and I therefore claim all
I also reserve the
apparatus arranged on this principle, though of different form.
right to regulate the distance between the tenter bars by the use of slides, screws,
springs, or chains and weights.
The apparatus may be held in the hand or suspended by any known means, such
as a travelling or other crane or tackle, both whilst attaching the fabric and for
transferring, dipping, and agitating it in one or more vats, &c. After the several
dyeing operations have been completed, the fabric is held by the folds, and the pins
quickly removed.
Shades of great regularity are in this manner obtained. The dipping frame
which rests upon the vat j, as shown in Figure 3, may also serve for stretching and
drying the fabric, which need not therefore be handled.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The adjustable tenter or dipping frame consisting of a pair of toothed bars
capable of being fixed at various distances apart, and from which the fabric to be
dyed is suspended, as herein before described for the purpose specified.
2nd. In a tenter or dipping frame constructed of adjustable toothed bars as
described, the teeth provided with slits and perforations for attaching the fabric by
means of pins, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
3rd. The combination with a tenter or dipping frame constructed of two adjustable 1
toothed bars, and with the fabric suspended therefrom as described, of small weights
attached to the bottom edges of the fabric for maintaining-it-at-a-uniformi-tension,
substantially as described.
In witness whercof, I, the said André Lyon, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord, One 1
thousand eight hundred and eighty.