Process and Apparatus for Mercerising Cotton in the Form of Hanks.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Process and Apparatus for Mercerising Cotton in the Form of Hanks.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad
by the Firm of Joh. Kleinewefers Söhne, of the Engine Works, Crefeld, Prussia,)
to be as follows:-
"
:-
The utilisation of the commonly known mercerising process for treating cotton
fibres has only become important for practice since a process and means have.
become known for avoiding or for removing the considerable shrinking resulting
from the mercerising process.
The shrinking is avoided at present either by mercerising the cotton in a
highly stretched condition and by washing it out while maintaining this high
tension, until the inner tension of the fibre has completely ceased, or by mer-
cerising the cotton in a loose condition, and then stretching the fibre again to its
natural length, and washing it out in this condition until the tension of the
fibre has completely ceased. In doing so, however, the cotton fibre is strained to
such an extent, that very often a rupture of the fibre will occur, so that the
economical effect of the process is affected in a very prejudicial manner.
The new process hereinafter described permits of the carrying out of the.
mercerising process of cotton in the form of hanks while avoiding the shrinking
of the same, and without requiring the above mentioned detrimental high tension
of the material produced by mechanical means during the mercerising process,
and in particular during the subsequent washing process.
This process consists in forcing the lye used for mercerising the material, by
means of centrifugal action through the non-stretched cotton hanks while these
are rotated; by the same action the threads are rinsed and dried after the supply
of lye has ceased, and at the same time any material shrinking of the fibres in
the longitudinal direction, such as takes place in the ordinarily used methods of
mercerising non-stretched threads, or threads not stretched anew, is avoided.
The advantages of this process will, in particular, be readily understood in carry-
ing out the mercerising process according to this method in a suitably constructed
machine such as is hereinafter described and shewn in longitudinal section at
Fig. 1 and part end view at Fig. 2 on the accompanying drawing.
The cotton in the form of hanks is placed in a loose condition round a suitably
constructed drum of a horizontally or vertically arranged centrifugal machine.
The casing A of the centrifugal machine is made either of perforated sheet metal
or it is made of grid form as illustrated in the drawing. Or this casing may be
constructed also in any other suitable manner, provided its whole circumference
be so that liquor can easily pass through. For feeding the liquor, the shaft of
this centrifugal machine may be hollow and also perforated. The liquor is
supplied from a reservoir during the working of the machine.
The centrifugal machine may also be constructed, as shewn in the drawing,

page_text: in such a manner that it is supported only on one end and that consequently the
other end of the grid casing A is unsupported.
In this case it is left to the discretion of the operator to feed lye and rinsing
water by means of peculiar supply pipes C from the free end into the apparatus,
so that the boring out of the shaft B is dispensed with.
The centrifugal machine is enclosed by a protecting case D which collects all
the liquor expelled from the drum and leads it into a receiver.
When the centrifugal machine is supported in such a manner only at one end,
two apparatus may easily be coupled one to the other, which construction is
illustrated in the drawing. The apparatus I at the left hand is shewn in section,
and the apparatus II at the right hand partially in elevation. B is the shaft
common to both, and in the middle thereof there is mounted the driving pulley
(not shewn in the drawing) for the two apparatus.
The drum A of the apparatus, which may be of any desired width, has a large
number of cotton hanks arranged one beside the other upon it, so that the threads form
a loosely stretched covering, and it is then put in rotation at a speed suitable for
the thread and for the process. The alkaline lye is then supplied in one of the
above described modes, and, by the centrifugal action, is uniformly distributed
over the whole surface of the drum, and owing to the perforation &c. of the latter
it is then forced through the covering of hanks of cotton fibre.
The action of the lye on the fibre is the most perfect imaginable after an extra-
ordinarily short time, as the single fibres of the hanks are not only in direct ex-
ternal contact with the lye, but owing to the centrifugal action, they are com-
pletely penetrated by the particles of the liquor.
As soon as the liquor has been forced through the fibre covering it is expelled
by the centrifugal action from the material and the latter is dried. The effect
of this treatment is a very peculiar one, as during and after the mercerising pro-
cess no appreciable shrinking of the hanks takes place, so that the hanks can be
loosely removed from the drum.
A mechanical tension of the thread and, in consequence thereof, a rupture of
the latter is absolutely excluded in this process, while in the mercerising pro-
cesses hitherto used by stretching the thread by means of rolls &c. the fibre was
frequently broken.
Also in economical respect, the new process offers an essential advantage, as
the threads treated with lyes can also be rinsed in the same machine.
In the construction with the hollow supply shaft a three-way cock insertal in
the supply pipe is sufficient for introducing, after the supply of the lye has been
shut off, the rinsing water which is discharged from the receiver below the
stationary outer casing through special escape-ports. The same machine serves
therefore for treating the material with lye, for rinsing, and for drying it by
centrifugal action, while the lye and rinsing-water are separately fed and separately
discharged.
In Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing there is shewn the manner in which
the feeding of the liquor takes place in the construction illustrated in the drawing.
C and C are the supply pipes respectively for the lye and for the rinsing water,
which are in communication with the perforated supply pipe C, and according
as the one pipe or the other is opened, the corresponding liquor will enter the
apparatus.
The employment of the characterised centrifugal machine in the mercerising
process offers moreover the important advantage, that the workman does not
come in contact with the strong lye. The workman has only to place the hanks
to be treated round the drum and to remove therefrom the hanks dried by centri-
fugal action, so that injuries such as actually occur very frequently in working
with open vats, are avoided.
Dated this 18th day of March 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Process and Apparatus for Mercerising Cotton in the Form of Hanks.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad
by the Firm of Joh. Kleinewefers Söhne, of the Engine Works, Crefeld, Prussia,)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
**
The utilisation of the commonly known mercerising process for treating cotton
fibres has only become important for practice since a process and means have
become known for avoiding or for removing the considerable shrinking resulting
from the mercerising process.
The shrinking is avoided at present either by mercerising the cotton in a
highly stretched condition and by washing it out while maintaining this high
tension, until the inner tension of the fibre has completely ceased, or by mer-
cerising the cotton in a loose condition, and then stretching the fibre again to its
natural length, and washing it out in this condition until the tension of the
fibre has completely ceased. In doing so, however, the cotton fibre is strained to
such an extent, that very often a rupture of the fibre will occur, so that the
economical effect of the process is affected in a very prejudicial manner.
The new process hereinafter described permits of the carrying out of the
mercerising process of cotton in the form of hanks, while avoiding the shrinking
of the same, and without requiring the above mentioned detrimental high tension
of the material produced by mechanical means during the mercerising process,
and in particular during the subsequent washing process.
This process consists in forcing the lye used for mercerising the material, by
means of centrifugal action through the non-strained cotton hanks while these
are rotated; by the same action the threads are rinsed and dried after the supply
of lye has ceased, and at the same time any material shrinking of the fibres in
the longitudinal direction, such as takes place in the ordinarily used methods of
mercerising non-stretched threads, or threads not stretched anew, is avoided.
The advantages of this process will, in particular, be readily understood in carry-
ing out the mercerising process according to this method in a suitably constructed
machine such as is hereinafter described and shewn in longitudinal section at
Figure 1 and part end view at Figure 2 on the drawing accompanying the
provisional specification.
The cotton in the form of hanks is placed in a loose condition round a suitably
constructed drum of a horizontally or vertically arranged centrifugal machine.
The circumference A of the centrifugal machine is made either of perforated sheet
metal or it is made of grid form as illustrated in the drawing. Or this casing may be
constructed also in any other suitable manner, provided its whole circumference
be such that liquor can easily pass through. For feeding the liquor, the shaft of
this centrifugal machine may be hollow and also perforated. The liquor is
supplied from a reservoir during the working of the machine.
The centrifugal machine may also be constructed, as shewn in the drawing,
in such a manner that it is supported only on one end and that consequently the
other end of the grid casing A is unsupported.
In this case it is left to the discretion of the operator to feed lye and rinsing
water by means of peculiar supply pipes C from the free end into the apparatus,
so that the boring out of the shaft B is dispensed with.
The centrifugal machine is enclosed by a protecting case D which collects all
the liquor expelled from the drum and leads it into a receiver.

page_text: When the centrifugal machine is supported in such a manner only at one end,
two apparatus may easily be coupled one to the other, which construction is
illustrated in the drawing. The apparatus I at the left hand is shewn in section,
and the apparatus II at the right hand partially in elevation. B is the shaft
common to both, and in the middle thereof there is mounted the driving pulley..
(not shewn in the drawing) for the two apparatus.
The drum A. of the apparatus, which may be of any desired width, has a large
number of cotton hanks arranged one beside the other upon it, so that the threads form
á loose covering, and it is then put in rotation at a speed suitable for
the thread and for the process. The alkaline lye is then supplied in one of the
above described modes, and, by the centrifugal action, is uniformly distributed
over the whole surface of the drum, and owing to the perforation &c. of the latter
it is then forced through the covering of hanks of cotton fibre.
r
The action of the lye on the fibre is the most perfect imaginable after an extra-
ordinarily short time, as the single fibres of the hanks are not only in direct ex-
ternal contact with the lye, but, owing to the centrifugal action, they are com-
pletely penetrated by the particles of the liquor.
As soon as the liquor has been forced through the fibre covering, it is expelled
by the centrifugal action from the material and the latter is dried. The effect
of this treatment is a very peculiar one, as during and after the mercerising pro-
cess no appreciable shrinking of the hanks takes place, so that the hanks can be
loosely removed from the drum.
A mechanical tension of the thread, and, in consequence thereof, a rupture of
the latter is absolutely excluded in this process, while in the mercerising pro-
cesses hitherto used by stretching the thread by means of rolls &c. the fibre was
frequently broken.
Also, in economical respect, the new process offers an essential advantage, as
the threads treated with lyes can also be rinsed in the same machine.
In the construction with the hollow supply shaft a three-way cock inserted in
the supply pipe is sufficient for introducing, after the supply of the lye has been
shut off, the rinsing water which is discharged from the receiver below the
stationary outer casing through special escape-ports. The same machine serves
therefore for treating the material with lye, for rinsing, and for drying it by
centrifugal action, while the lye and rinsing-water are separately fed and separately
discharged.
In Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing there is shewn the manner in which
the feeding of the liquor takes place in the construction illustrated in the drawing.
C1 and C are the supply pipes respectively for the lye and for the rinsing water,
which are in communication with the perforated supply pipe C, and according
as the one pipe or the other is opened, the corresponding liquor will enter the
apparatus.
The employment of the characterised centrifugal machine in the mercerising
process offers moreover the important advantage, that the workman does not
come in contact with the strong Iye. The workman has only to place the hanks
to be treated round the drum and to remove therefrom the hanks dried by centri-
fugal action, so that injuries such as actually occur very frequently in working
with open vats, are avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A process for mercerising cotton fibres in the form of hanks by forcing the
mercerising liquor by centrifugal action through the hanks put in revolution in
a non-strained condition, substantially as described.
2. For carrying out the process referred to in the first claim, a centrifugal
apparatus having a drum with perforated or grid like circumference round which
the banks of yarn are laid and into whose interior the mercerising and washing

page_text: liquids are introduced, so as, in being thrown outward by centrifugal action, to
penetrate through the hanks of yarn substantially as described.
3. In centrifugal apparatus such as is referred to in the second claim, the com-
bination with a horizontal shaft B, of two centrifugal drums A mounted on the
ends thereof and adapted to receive the hanks of yarn, on their outer circumference,
casings D surrounding the said drums, and perforated pipes Centering the said
casings and centrifugal drums for supplying the mercerising and washing liquids,
substantially as described.
- נ.י.ת
1007
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.