An Improved Machine for Dyeing, Scouring, Bleaching, Sizing, Carbonizing, and Drying.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan.. 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Dyeing, Scouring, Bleaching, Sizing,
Carbonizing, and Drying.
We EXLEY WOODCOCK Senior, Dyer, NELSON OATES WOODCOCK, Dyer,
and EXLEY WOODCOCK, Junior, Student, all of Hillhouse, Huddersfield, in
the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved machine for performing the combined
operations of dyeing indigo or colours, scouring, bleaching, sizing, carbonizing and
drying. The said improved machine is applicable for treating tops, slubbings,
wool, worsted wool, alpaca wool, or cloth made from these materials, and cotton
or hemp in the loose or manufactured state, also warps, yarn and the like.
According to our said invention we provide a long trough or tank usually built
of timber and having a number of compartments or sections each for containing its
appropriate liquor.
Above the division wall between each two sections or compartments and elsewhere
if necessary as for instance above the rear end wall of the tank we provide nipping
or squeezing rollers. These rollers are made of metal or india-rubber or one in
each pair of metal and the other of india-rubber, and may be either smooth or fluted.
They are mounted in bearings provided in suitable standards fixed on the tank
sides, and one of the rollers of each pair preferably the upper one is made adjustable
towards and from the other roller. To the bearing block of the movable rollers
we apply india-rubber springs or buffers in combination with screws for pressing
upon the said rubber for the purpose of squeezing the rollers together.
preferably enclose the rubber in a tubular or like casing to protect it from the
action of the liquor and so preserve its elasticity intact for a considerable time.
This arrangement of buffers allows of very nice adjustment of the pressure on the
rollers and is specially advantageous when dealing with delicate fibres. Guides are
provided to conduct back to its proper compartment the liquor squeezed out of the
material as it passes through the squeezing rollers.
We
In each compartment I place one or more adjustable rollers carried by bearing
blocks adapted to slide up and down in vertical guides provided for the purpose.
Each said bearing block is formed with a screw-threaded eye in which works a
screwed spindle geared by suitable gear wheels with a common longitudinal shaft
extending the whole length of the tank. One such shaft is provided on each side
the tank, and the two shafts are preferably geared together so that they can both
be rotated together by a common source of power. By rotating these shafts the
aforesaid rollers in the various compartments are either raised or lowered, so that .
any material passing down into the liquor and underneath the said rollers will be
compelled to pass through more or less liquor according to the depth at which the
rollers are set. In this manner the shade imparted to the material may be very
accurately adjusted.
At the front end of the tank, guide eyes or guide rollers are provided for
conducting the material to the first compartment.
At the rear end of the tank we provide the devices for carbonizing and drying
the materials.
The said drying and carbonizing apparatus comprises a series of comparatively
large copper or other suitable hollow rolls heated by steam or hot air, and another
series of smaller pipes contained in a box. The material on leaving the tank is
passed over and under the several rolls in both series, and steam or hot air is at the
same time blown through the large rolls and through the box. The fibres are thus

page_text: completely dried and they are thereby restored to as nearly as possible their
original condition.
The operation of our improved machine is as follows:-Suppose for example it is
desired to scour and dye with indigo a quantity of tops. We have a tank composed
of say six compartments containing respectively soap liquor, hot water, indigo dye
liquor, boiling water acidified, hot water, and cold water. The tops are passed
through the guide eyes to the first compartment and under the adjustable roller
which regulates the depth to which the tops shall be immersed, thereby becoming
saturated with the soap liquor; then they are conducted through the squeezing
rollers between the first and second compartments which rollers squeeze out
superfluous liquor; the tops then pass into the water in the second compartment
and are washed. In the next tank the tops are dyed, and subsequently they are
washed, the process of immersion in the liquor of the several compartments and
subsequent squeezing before passing to the next compartment being continued
until the end of the tank is reached, when the tops pass through the drying
apparatus and the operation is thus completed.
The machine possesses many advantages over other machines heretofore in use;
for example it enables the work to be done with less labour and the colours
produced are more even than heretofore; the finished material is also undamaged
and quite as good as when in the white or bleached condition. More work can
also be done in this machine.
Dated this 6th day of January 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Dyeing, Scouring, Bleaching, Sizing,
Carbonizing, and Drying.
We, EXLEY WOODCOCK, Senior, Dyer, NELSON OATES WOODCOCK, Dyer,
and EXLEY WOODCOCK, Junior, Student, all of Hillhouse, Huddersfield, in the
County of York do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to an improved machine for performing the combined
operations of dyeing indigo, black or colours, scouring, bleaching, sizing
carbonizing and drying. The said improved machine is applicable for treating
tops, silk, slubbings, jute, wool, worsted wool, alpaca wool, or cloth made from
these materials, and cotton or hemp in the loose or manufactured state, also warps,
yarn and the like. It is also applicable for waterproofing.
Our said improved machine comprises a long tank which may be divided into
several compartments for containing the various cleansing bleaching and dyeing or
other liquors used, through which the material to be treated is successively passed,
and squeezing rollers between each two adjacent compartments for squeezing the
liquor from out of the material as the latter passes from one compartment to the
next, in combination with a drying machine and in some instances with an
oxidizing frame above the tank and cooler beneath the same.
In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one convenient form of
apparatus, constructed according to our invention.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the scouring and dyeing vat, also elevation
of the oxidizing frame, and showing in section a cistern hereinafter described.
Figure 2 is a plan of one of the compartments of the vat.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the drying machine hereinafter described, and
Figure 4 is a section of the blowing box hereinafter described.
A is a long trough or tank which may be conveniently built up of wood or metal

page_text: and which is divided by partitions A' into several compartments for containing the
different required liquors. In the tank shown there are five compartments which
may contain respectively for example for dyeing indigo, soap liquor, hot water
indigo dye liquor, boiling water acidified, and hot water. We e may however have
fewer or more compartments than five. The said compartments are preferably
lined with glazed brick or tiles to preserve the same and to prevent contamina-
tion of the dyeing liquors.
Above each partition A¹ is mounted a pair of adjustable squeezing rollers B
carried by suitable brackets B¹ mounted on the sides of the tank. The screw and
buffer arrangement for adjusting the pressure of the rollers is preferably con-
structed in the manner described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 283
A.D. 1892 granted to us in combination with metal, or metal and rubber, or com-
position springs. This arrangement allows of very nice adjustment of the
pressure and is especially advantageous when dealing with delicate fibres. The
squeezing rollers may be made of metal or wood covered with india-rubber, hemp,
slubbings or other soft material, or one only of each pair of rollers may in some
cases be covered as described. The rollers may be either smooth or fluted. Below
the rollers are provided troughs B2 for conducting back to its proper compartment
the liquor which is squeezed out of the material under treatment by the rollers.
C, C are rollers preferably made of wood and supported in bearing blocks C¹, C¹
(shown only in the centre compartment) which are adapted to slide vertically
between guides C', C' fixed to the sides of the tank. One or more such rollers is
or are provided in each compartment. Each bearing block C¹ is formed with an
internally screw-threaded projection or nut through which works a screw spindle D
supported in bearings D¹. E, E are driving shafts mounted in suitable bearings
one on each side of the tank and gearing by bevel gears E', E' and spur gears
with the screw spindles D. E' is a cross shaft connecting the two side shafts E, E
through which the said side shafts are driven. The cross shaft E² may be driven
by a belt and pulley or by a crank handle, and when rotated it serves to simul-
taneously raise or lower the rollers C, C in the several compartments and thereby
regulate the depth to which the material shall be immersed in the liquor as
hereinafter explained. When the tank is used for dyeing only it will in general
have but one compartment, but the material may be caused to travel several times
through the compartment by arranging therein two or more pairs of top and
bottom guide roilers. So also when there are several compartments we sometimes
provide the same with guide rollers to conduct the material twice or oftener
through each compartment. In the bottom of the dye vat or compartment we
provide a rotary stirrer F for the purpose in the case of colour dyeing of
agitating the dye liquor and preventing the settling of sediment or colouring
matter, thus improving the strength of the liquor throughout. When dyeing
indigo the stirrer is used to stir up the liquor first after which the liquor is allowed
to settle. F' is a covering constructed of open meshwork enclosing the stirrer to
prevent the material which is being dyed from coming in contact therewith.
G is a framework supported in any convenient position as for instance above
the tank A. G¹, G are rollers of metal or wood, suspended in bearings in the
said framework, the whole forming what we term an oxidizing frame its object
being to spread the cloth to the atmosphere to allow of the required oxidization
of the dye especially when dyeing indigo. The dyed material as it issues from the
tank is passed around the said rollers as indicated in the drawing.
H, H are feeding rollers driven by suitable gearing and which serve to feed or
advance the material to be treated. Power is taken from these rollers to drive
the stirrer and to actuate a vibrating arm H' which serves to fold the cloth in a
well known manner.
Beneath the tank A we prefer to construct a cistern I for containing cold water
designed to cool the dyed material, or hot water to wash said material as it comes
from the oxidizing frame. I¹ is a movable screen for supporting the dyed material

page_text: in the cistern. In some cases the cistern will contain no water, it being then used
merely as a receptacle for receiving the dyed cloth for example and maintaining it
the full width before it passes on to the drying machine hereinafter described.
K, K are nipping or squeezing rollers made of metal or wood and covered with
rubber or composition. The object of these rollers is to deliver the dyed material
to the drying machine and to thoroughly squeeze out the water from the said
material before passing it to the drying machine and, in the case of cloth, to present
the same to the drying machine in a flat or straight condition. The said rollers
may be formed with spiral grooves starting from the middle and extending towards
each end thereof for the purpose of stretching the cloth as it passes therethrough.
The drying and carbonizing machine consists of a number of hollow cylinders L, L
made of copper or other suitable metal supported in suitable bearings mounted on
side frames L', L' and heated internally by steam or hot air which is passed
thereinto by pipes leading through the axles of the said cylinders. The cloth or
other material coming from the cooling cistern is passed over and under the several
cylinders and is thereby thoroughly dried.
The cold air drying machine Figure 4 comprises a box M having a fan or
blower M¹ mounted in one end thereof, and a number of perforations provided in
the other end thereof. The material on leaving the drying cylinders L are
conducted into and through the box M over and under guide rollers or rods M² and
is therein subjected to the cooling effect of the air which is drawn or forced
through the box by the fan. The dyed material is by this means restored to
substantially the same condition as before dyeing.
The operation of our improved machine is as follows:-The cloth or other
material to be treated is passed over guide rods or rollers, or in the case of warps
or tops taken from a suitable ball stand which runs on rollers and conducted
through a guide eye, and into the first compartment of the tank, under the roller C
in said compartment, and then through the squeezing rollers between the first and
second compartments; it then passes under the roller in the second compartment
and so on through all the compartments, finally emerging at the other end of the
tank. During its passage through the several compartments of the tank the
material is cleansed, bleached, sized and dyed. As before stated the material may
be passed over or around several guide rollers in each compartment so as to pass
through more liquor. It is next conducted around the rollers of the oxidizing
frame, then through the feeding rollers and thence into the cooler where it is
allowed to rest at full width without being creased until sufficiently cooled. It
then passes through the opening rollers K, K and thence to the drying machines
which thoroughly dry the material and finish the series of operations. When
dyeing tops, the material after being dried as above described is passed through a
gill box such as used by worsted spinners. For warps and yarn we provide a
suitable balling machine for making the same into balls. Piece goods are folded
in a cutter in the usual manner after being dried. In some instances the material
is passed twice or oftener through the dyeing tank, or oxidizer, or both, before
being dried.
The adjustable rollers C in the several compartments serve to
regulate the depth to which the material shall be immersed in the liquor, that is to
say the amount of liquor through which the material shall pass. By this means,
the shade imparted to the material may be very accurately adjusted. For dyeing
tops, slubbings, slivers or the like we prefer to provide an endless apron made of
felt, cotton, canvas or the like arranged to pass through the entire vat and
oxidizing frame and form a support for the materials to be dyed. The apron may
be kept stretched laterally by a chain at each side thereof which runs over sprocket
wheels and guide rollers, and to which the apron is connected by tenter hooks,
clasps, or the like. The above described machine is very advantageous inasmuch
as it enables the work to be done with less labour than heretofore. Moreover
more work can be done with this machine, and the finished material is turned out
quite as good as it was in the white or unbleached condition.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A combined cleansing or scouring and dyeing tank, with or without sizing and
bleaching compartments, having squeezing rollers between each two adjacent com-
partments, and adjustable rollers for regulating the depth to which the material
shall be immersed in the liquors, for the purpose specified.
2. The means for regulating the depth to which the material is immersed in the
various liquors, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
3. The combination of the cleansing, dyeing sizing and bleaching tank and
drying machines, substantially as described.
4. The combination, with the herein described compound dyeing tank, of the
oxidizing frame, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
5. The combination, with the herein described compound dyeing tank, of the
cooling or washing cistern, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
6. The combined apparatus constructed substantially as herein described with
reference to the drawings, and operating as, and for the purpose, specified.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.