IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DYEING PIECE GOODS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Fox and Charles Henry Fox, of the
Firm of Fox, Brothers, & Co., Wellington, in the County of
Somerset, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
DYEING PIECE GOODS."
Sealed the 17th October 1874, and dated the 15th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Fox and
Charles Henry Fox at the Office of the Commissioners of Patent,
with their Petition, on the 15th August 1878.
We, THOMAS Fox and CHARLES HENRY Fox, of the Firm of Fox,
Brothers, & Co., Wellington, in the County of Somerset, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR DYEING PIECH Goods," to be as follows:—
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
dyeing piece goods. For this purpose we employ a vessel or vat of
wood, stone, or iron, about 20 feet long by 7 feet wide by 7 feet
deep, more or less. This vat is fitted up inside with a series of hori-

page_text: zontal rollers fixed in pairs one above another at a convenient distance
apart; the lower tier work in movable bearings slipped into dovetail
grooves. Upon some of the rollers of the upper tier rest heavier rollers,
which are kept in place and caused to exercise a moderate pressure by
springs or elastic bands.
The pieces to be dyed are passed round the first-named rollers up
and down in a zig-zag course, and finally, when they emerge from
the vat through a pair of powerful pressing rollers which draw the
cloth through the vat and express all [free liquor; from them the cloth
passes over a pair of light rollers which lead it into a convenient
receptacle.
.
The act of drawing the cloth through the vat is assisted by the
heavier rollers already mentioned, which are driven by-gear from the
lower pressing roller, so. that the speed of the former is dependent
on and exactly regulated by the latter.
The speed of the pressing rollers is regulated by a system of opposite
conical pulleys. The driving shaft has also a countershaft driven by
the same system of conical pulleys, so that by the union of these powers
of variation the workman may in a few seconds alter his speed to any
extent that may be desired, and so pass from the darkest to the lightest
shades, or vice versa, the shade being dependent on the time that the
fabric remains in the vat.
The vessel and apparatus may be worked either as a copperas vat
for cotton goods, or an indigo vat for woollen goods. In the latter
case it may be heated by steam pipes placed around the inside at a
convenient depth. In either case the sediment is stirred whenever
necessary by suitable apparatus fixed to the bottom of the vessel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Fox and Charles Henry Fox in the Great-
Seal Patent Office on the 13th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL. COME, we, Thomas
Fox and CHARLES HENRY Fox, of the Firm of Fox, Brothers,. & Co.,
Wellington, in the County of Somerset, send greeting.
8

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of August, in the:
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Fox and Charles Henry.
Fox, Her special license that we, the said Thomas Fox and Charles.
Henry Fox, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Thomas Fox and Charles Henry Fox, our 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR DYEING PIECE GOODS," upon the condition (amongst others).
5 that we, the said Thomas Fox and Charles Henry Fox, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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
0 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 we, the said Thomas Fox and Charles Henry
Fox, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
5 ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
·
This Invention consists of a vessel or vat of any suitable dimensions
fitted up with any number of horizontal rollers working below the
surface of the dye liquor, and fixed in pairs-one above another at a.
convenient distance apart, of these there may be one or more series.
0 The pieces to be dyed are passed over and under these rollers at full
width, and finally brought through a pair of pressure rollers which
express the liquor. From thence they may pass over a roller into a
receptacle, or be folded by a cuttling machine. These pressure rollers
are driven at any required speed, varied by means of speed pulleys,.
5 change wheels, or other contrivance to any extent that may be necessary,
and from them motion is communicated to one or more of the horizontal
rollers first mentioned, or to other rollers resting on and driving these;"

page_text: by this means the cloth is caused to pass at full width continuously
through the vat or vessel at any desired speed.
By using a countershaft for the first driving fitted with a similar
system of speed pulleys, the speed may be varied indefinitely. The
vat may be preceded by a trough containing water or other liquid
with a roller fixed near the bottom under which the cloth is passed,
entering the vat through a pair of pressure rollers in a moistened
state.
This Invention is especially adapted for indigo dycing as applied
to cotton or woollen goods, but may be used for many other colours.
For dyeing indigo on woollen goods the vat may be heated by steam,
and in all cases where necessary the sediments may be stirred by the
introduction of stirring apparatus, such as is described in the Specifi-
cation of a Patent granted to John Olroyd and Joshua Woodcock, on
the 6th day of May 1871, No. 1229, or by any other mechanical means
that may be found preferable.
With regard to dyeing indigo blue it will be seen that the speed can
be varied according to the strength or state of the liquor, the shade of
colour required, or the number of pieces to be dyed.
By arranging a continuous admission of dye matter this machine may
be used for some colours as a continuous process.
Where boiling has to be effected it may be done by the application of
steam or fire in any suitable manner.
In order that this Invention may be clearly understood, we herein
refer to accompanying Sheets of Drawings, which shew this principle
carried out in various ways, as may best suit the requirements of the
pieces to be dyed.
Plate 1, Figure 1, is the plan, and Figure 2, the side elevation of a
vat in which the cloth is passed through the liquor over a series of hori-
zontal rollers passing out through narrow pressure rollers, and assisted
in its progress by three additional driving rollers. A is the vat; B,
the cloth; C, the upper tier; and D, the lower tier of horizontal rollers
over which the cloth passes at full width, as shown by the dotted line.
The lower tier D may be placed at any suitable depth below the surface
of the liquor, those in the Drawing are placed conveniently for wood a

page_text: vate, but where there is little or no sediment they may be placed lower.
F, G, are the final pressure rollers of which the under roller is driven.
by the speed pulleys H, which communicate their motion to the driving
rollers K, K², K, which resting upon pairs of the horizontal rollers O
cause the cloth to pass continuously forward. These driving rollers are
held in place and caused to exercise pressure either by elastic bands, as
at K, K, or by a spring, as at K¹; M, N, are a pair of clearing rollers
by which the cloth is carried to a convenient receptacle.
Plate 2, Figure III., is the plan, and Figure IV., the elevation of a
machine of the same principle, but shewing other modes by which the
process may be carried out; or by any modification of these with those
shewn in Figures I. and II.
In Figures III. and IV. a wetting trough precedes the dye vat, a
double series of horizontal rollers enables two distinct sets of pieces to
be passed at the same time through the liquor and pressure rollers of
the same width as the vat, bring out the cloth at its full breadth, so as
to be easily folded by a cuttling machine.
Referring to Plate II., O is the trough for moistening the pieces
B, B', as they pass at full width under the roller P, and between the
pressure rollers R, S, into the vat A; 0, 0¹, D, D¹, shew the double
series of rollers which enable the two distinct lines of pieces to be
carried separately through the vat, as shewn by the two sets of dotted.
lines; T is a roller driven from the speed pulley H to assist the
progress of the cloth through the vat; Y, W, are the full width
pressure rollers through which it passes open, and is folded by the
outtling machine Z.
Having now described the nature of the Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that
we do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described and
illustrated, as the same- may be varied without departing from the
nature of our Invention, but we claim as our Invention, the improved
apparatus for piece dyeing, as herein-before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, a vat or vessel with
numerous horizontal rollers so arranged that the piece or pieces of
cloth or other material are caused to travel over the series at full width
at such variable speeds as may be necessary to produce the shades
required, and are withdrawn from the vat between pressure rollers

page_text: which are caused to travel at the same surface speed as the carrying
rollers, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Fox and Charles. Henry.
Fox, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four.