IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING OR WASHING AND DYEING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS.”
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Petrie, junior, of Rochdale, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Maker, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING OR WASHING AND DYEING WOOL
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Petrie, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd January 1874.
I, JOHN PETRIE, junior, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING OR WASHING AND
DYEING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
:
My Invention consists, firstly, in a method of giving motion to the
rakes which are employed for conveying the fibrous material from one
end of the trough to the other. For this purpose I mount the rakes

page_text: upon a bar, which runs by means of cross heads and rollers upon ledges
formed on the trough, and to this bar a to-and-fro motion is imparted by
a rack and pinion or other ordinary means. The rakes are capable of
turning upon centres, but are held during their forward motion in a
vertical position, but when they arrive at the end of the space through
which they have to travel they are turned upward and carried back in
that position by the return motion of the said bar. This turning upward
and downward of the said rakes I propose to accomplish by means of a
second sliding bar having a rack, which takes into toothed segments on
the axes of rakes.
Another part of my Invention relates to a method of depriving the
fibrous material of liquor in which it has been treated, and of returning
the said liquor to the trough. For this purpose I use a pair of squeezing
rollers placed in proximity to the trough, and the lower of which is
below or partially below the level of the liquid in the trough, but not
submerged therein. The last rake in the trough delivers the material to
the said rollers by means of any suitable guides or conveying apparatus.
The expressed liquor falls into a receptacle and is conveyed back to the
trough by means of a pump or equivalent apparatus.
For conveying the material after it has been operated upon in the
trough I use an oscillating apparatus consisting of a series of rings or
portions of rings placed side by side upon an axis and oscillating
alternately or in groups first in one direction and then in the other, and
upon their surfaces I form hooks or other projecting parts.
"
My Invention also relates to another arrangement to be used at the
delivery end of the trough, and consists in the adaptation of a fixed grid
or strainer placed above the level of the liquor, and upon which the
material is deposited by the lifting rake or other such apparatus, and
from this grid or strainer the said material may be transferred by a
"vibrating rake or other conveying apparatus.
:
In dyeing fibrous materials I use the trough and other apparatus
connected therewith above described for conveying the said materials
'through the liquor and subsequently treating them as above mentioned,
but in this instance the usual rakes of scouring or washing machines
may also be employed; as it is desirable however in using certain dye a

page_text: stuffs to prevent the access of air I adapt to the trough longitudinal bars
constituting a grating placed below the level of the dyeing liquor, and
between the spaces of which the aforesaid rakes pass as they dip into
the trough, and after they have moved forward rise again through the
said spaces, the object of the grating being to prevent the fibrous
materials from rising to the surface of the liquor, while at the same time
they strip it from the rakes.
I also adapt a cover to the trough to prevent the access of air, which
cover I cause to dip into the liquor so as to seal the ends thereof, but
leaving a space at each end of the trough for the introduction and
removal of the material.
In giving motion to the rakes I place the driving medium outside
the aforesaid casing, and connect it through a stuffing box or similar
similar apparatus, which will exclude air.
In some cases the access of air as is well known is not objectionable,
and then the air-tight provisions are of course not required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Petrie, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PETRIE, junior, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Petrie, junior, Her special license, that I, the said John
Petrie, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others.
as I, the said John Petrie, junior, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should.
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United

page_text: Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
SCOURING OR WASHING AND DYEING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon
the condition, amongst others, that I, the said John Petrie, junior, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Petrie, junior, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to.
say :-
-
My Invention consists firstly in a method of giving motion to the
rakes which are employed for conveying the fibrous materials from one
end of the trough to the other.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents the machine in
longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof. At 1 is the
trough formed with ledges 2 upon which are rollers 3 mounted on axles
projecting from a bar 4. On this bar is a toothed rack 5 in gear with a
wheel 6 mounted on a shaft 7, which also carries a pinion 8 in gear with
a toothed segment 9 formed on a lever 10 which rocks upon a fixed
centre 11. This lever 10 has a rod 12 the other end of which is connected
to a crank 5* upon a shaft which is driven by the motive power in
any convenient manner. At 13 are the rakes which are mounted so as
to be capable of turning on centres 14 carried by brackets 15 which
are attached to the bar 4. Attached to the rakes 13 are toothed
segments 16 taking into racks 17 formed on the under side of a bar 18,
which is capable of sliding in guides 19 attached to the bar 4. To the
bar 18 is jointed at 20 a rod 21 connected at its other end to the arm of
a toothed quadrant 22 capable of turning upon a centre 23 carried by
the bar 4, and on this quadrant are two projecting studs 24, 25. At 26
and 26* are hanging levers suspended from centres 27, 27*, and carrying
at their lower ends toothed racks 28, 28*, upon which are mounted stop
pieces 29, 29*, capable of turning upon centres 30, 30*, in the direction.

page_text: of the arrows, but prevented from turning in the other direction by stops
projecting from the racks.
According to the position of the parts as shewn the crank pin 5* is
moving in the direction of the arrow, and is thrusting the bar 4 towards
the right-hand of the machine, and this movement by carrying forward
the centre 23¹ of the quadrant 22 also causes the bar 18 to travel in the
same direction, so that the two bars 4, 18, and rakes 13 move bodily in
the same direction, the said rakes conveying forward the material from the
feed end A to the delivery end B. A continuance of this movement will
bring the pin 24 in contact with the top of the stop 29, but as it can
only turn in the direction of the arrow it will be pushed forward, and
the levers 26 will be caused to turn upon their centres 27 until their
motion is arrested by their projecting parts 30 arriving in contact with
their brackets, and the quadrant 22 being then in gear with the rack 28
(now immoveable), the said quadrant will be turned in the direction of
the arrow and the bar 18 will therefore be caused to slide independently
in the direction of the arrow, and by means of the racks 17 acting on the
quadrants 16 turn the rakes upward into a horizontal position or nearly
so ready for a return motion. During the forward motion of the rakes
above described they are prevented from turning upward through the
resistance they meet with by the arm of the quadrant 22 being somewhat
below the centre 23, and resting upon a stop 31 projection from the
bar 4.
The rakes being now in their elevated position the crank 5* will
commence moving the bar 4 and rakes thereon backward, and the arm
of the quadrant 22 being then a little below the centre and resting on
the pin 32, the said rakes will be prevented from falling. As this
backward movement takes place the pin 25 (which is then at the
bottom) will arrive against the catch 29, but as it is free to turn in the
direction of the arrow, the said pin will simply pass over it.
On a
further backward movement taking place the said pin 25 will arrive in
contact with the other catch 29*, which as before-mentioned can only
turn in the direction of its arrow, and then the same effect will take place
as that described in reference to the catch 29, excepting that the motion
will be reversed, for in this case when the levers 26* have been stopped
by the parts 33, the quadrant 22 by gearing with the rack 28* will be
turned in the direction contrary to that of the arrow so as to cause the

page_text: bar 18 to slide backward and bring the rakes into the position shewn,
and then the crank 5* will again traverse them forward. An intermediate
rake is omitted for the purpose of avoiding confusion in the Drawing,
any desired number may be connected to the two bars 4, 18.
but
The material may be fed at the end A of the trough and lifted at B
by hand, or by any of those mechanical arrangements commonly in use.
Thus far I have described the machine as it may be used for ordinary
scouring or washing purposes, but when used for dyeing, and when it is
desirable to exclude air from the material during the operation, as in the
cases of using indigo and certain hydrosulphites similar to those dye
stuffs described by Paul Schutzenbergen and Felix de Lalande, under a
Patent granted to them, dated December Thirteenth, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one, No. 3377. I apply certain additions
which I now proceed to describe, referring still to Figs. 1 and 2. At 35
is a wooden casing or cover dipping into the trough below the level of
the dyeing liquor and resting on brackets, and across the bottom thereof
is a grating 36, the spaces and bars thereof extending longitudinally.
Through these spaces the rakes 13 pass when they are turned downward,
as above described, and when they are turned upward the grating serves
to strip the material from them and to keep it constantly submerged.
By inspecting Fig. 2 it will be seen that the sides of the cover are
formed by the metal parts 37 to which the end pieces 35 are made to fit,
and upon the top is a cover 38 for the toothed wheel 6, when therefore
the material is submerged at A it passes to a part of the trough which is
substantially sealed, and it is therefore protected from the action of air.
When it emerges at B the dyeing operation is completed, and it is then
lifted by any of the methods now in use in washing machines and
submitted to squeazing rollers or other such apparatus. In reference
to this part of my Invention relating to dyeing I do not linit myself to
the use of the rakeing apparatus above described, as other arrangements
now in use for that purpose may be employed.
When the machine is used for washing or scouring only the above
described casing or cover is not of course necessary.
Another part of my Invention relates to a method of depriving the
fibrous material of liquor in which it has been treated, and of returning
the said liquor if desired to the trough. For this purpose I use a pair of

page_text: squeezing rollers placed in proximity to the trough, but the lower of
which is below or partly below the level of the liquor in the trough but
not submerged therein, and the expressed liquor is conveyed back to the
trough by means of a pump or equivalent apparatus. This part of my
Invention is shewn at Fig. 4, in which 40 is a portion of the trough, and
at 41, 42, two squeezing rollers to which the material is delivered as
usual by the last rake 43 or by equivalent apparatus. According
however to my Invention the lower roller 42 is situate in part below the
level 44 of the liquid. As the said liquid is expressed it falls outside the
trough on to a grid 45, and from thence passes into a cistern 46, from
whence it may be elevated by a pump 47 worked by any suitable moving
part and returned to the cistern through a pipe 48. This arrangement
may be used for washing or scouring or dyeing purposes, and if for the
latter a cover similar to that shewn at Figs. 1 and 2 may be adapted.
By this improvement the delivery of the material to the squeezing
rollers is facilitated as it has not to be raised so high as is necessary in
the ordinary arrangements. When it is not required to return the
liquid to the trough the pump may be stopped and a valve 50 opened to
allow it to escape.
( Fig. 4 also shews another part of my Invention. At 51 is a fixed
grid or strainer carried at one end by a support 52 and resting on the
top of the trough at its other end. The material is lifted on to this
strainer by the rake 43 or by other known conveying apparatus, and is
then transferred to the rollers 41, 42, by a rake suitably arranged for
that purpose; but I have shewn the method I adopt. At 53 is a rake
extending across the width of the strainer and carried by a rod 54, the
upper end of which has a roller resting upon an incline 55. Upon the
rod 54 is a sliding collar 56 connected by a crank to a toothed wheel 57,
and at 58 is another sliding collar connected by a crank to another
toothed wheel 59, the two being geared together by a pinion 60 on the
axis of the pulley 61. Above the sliding collar 56 is a fixed flange 62.
As the two wheels 57, 59, revolve in the direction of the arrows the
sliding collars move forward the rake guided by the incline 55, but
when they are moving it backwards the collar 56 coming against the
fixed flange 62 lifts it so that the rake moves as shewn by the dotted
lines O.

page_text: series of bars 65 provided with projections, as shewn at Fig. 5, and on
the under side of these bars are formed gutters 66, as shewn at end
view, Fig. 6.
Another part of my Invention relates to apparatus for conveying the
material after it has been operated upon in the trough. This is shewn
at Figs. 7 and 8. At 67 is a shaft to which a vibratory motion is given
through a crank pin 68, or by other suitable means. Upon this shaft
are bosses 69 mounted fast and provided with arms 70 which carry
rings 71 having ratched formed teeth 72 thereon. Upon the bosses 69
are mounted loosely other bosses 73 provided with arms 74 which carry
rings 75 and ratchet teeth 76, the series being connected together by a
rod 77 passing through the arms 74 and carried by two discs 78 loose
upon the shaft 67. The rod 77 has a crank pin 79 by means of which
a vibratory movement may be imparted. By these means two sets of
vibrating teeth are provided, and the cranks 68, 79, are so driven that
when one set is moving in a certain direction the other is moving in the
opposite direction.
The apparatus is placed in the trough, as shewn in the diagram,
Fig. 9, and motion being given to the rings, as above described, the
teeth which are moving downward slip under the material, while those
which are moving upward convey the said material out of the trough,
and it may then be removed from the smooth parts of the rings by
a brat 80, by rollers, or other suitable apparatus, and delivered to
squeezing rollers.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire
it to be understood that I claim as secured to me under the above in
part recited Letters Patent and for the purposes above set forth,-
Firstly. Mounting the rakes (Figs. 1, 2, 3,) upon a bar or frame
running upon parallel guides, and causing the said rakes to turn upward a
out of the fluid on their backward movement.
Secondly. (Fig. 4) Placing the lower squeezing roller below or partly
below the level of the liquid in the trough, and returning the said liquid.
to the trough, when desired, by a pump or other elevator.

page_text: Fourthly. The use of the vibrating circular series of teeth 72, 76.
Fifthly. In reference to dyeing only, the use of rakes passing through
e spaces of a grating and also the cover 35,
38.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Petrie, junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.