IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BOWKING, BLEACHING, AND CLEANSING THE FARRICS AND FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Smith, of Cheetham, in the City of Man-
chester, Bleacher, Dyer, and Finisher, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BOWKING, BLEACHING, AND CLEANSING
THE FARRICS AND FIBROUS MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd August
1867.
I, JOHN SMITH, of Cheetham, in the City of Manchester, Bleacher, Dyer,
and Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BOWKING, BLEACHING, AND CLEANSING
TEXTILE FABRICS AND FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:
My Invention consists in an improved method of promoting the circulation
in kiers for bleaching, and scouring, and is particularly adapted for bleaching
flax in the raw state, flax yarns, and linen fabrics, but it may be applied for,
other textile fabrics and fibrous materials.
In performing, my Invention I make use of a closed vessel or kier furnished
as usual-with-a-grid-on-which the fabrics-or-fibrous materials are placed, the
upper and lower ends of the kier are connected by an external pipe to which
an apparatus is applied for heating the bleaching liquid contained in the pipe

page_text: to a higher temperature than that in the kier in order to produce a constan
circulation through the kier.
The heating apparatus I prefer to use consists of an annular tube forming
part of the pipe connecting the upper and lower ends of the kier, within
which annular tube is introduced a perforated gas pipe so arranged as to
apply the oxyhydrogen gas flame as the heating medium, but I do not
limit myself to the use of gas for heating the bleaching liquid, as superheated
steam or any external source of heat directly applied to the connecting pipe
.or.to.a vessel containing the bleaching liquid may be used,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, -I, JOHN
SMITH, of Cheetham, in the City of Manchester, Bleacher, Dyer, and Finisher,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Smith, Her special license that I, the said John Smith, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Smith, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
BOWKING, BLEACHING, AND CLEANSING FABRICS AND FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Smith, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the sanie 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.
13
NOW KNOW YE, that: 1, the said Jolin Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):
My Invention consists in an improved method of promoting the circulation
kiers for bleaching and scouring, and is particularly adapted for bleaching
flâx in the raw state, flax yarns, and linen fabrics, but it may be applied for
other textile fabrics and fibrous materials.
:
>
In performing my Invention I make use of a closed vessel or kier furnished
as usual with a grid on which the fabrics or fibrous materials are
placed the
upper and lower ends of the kier are connected by an external pipe to which
an apparatus is applied for heating the bleaching liquid contained in the pipe
to a higher temperature than that in the kier in order to produce a
constant circulation through the kier. The heating apparatus I prefer
to use consists of an annular tube forming part of the pipe connecting
the upper and lower ends of the kier, within which annular tube is introduced
a perforated gas pipe so arranged as to apply the oxyhydrogen gas flame
as the beating medium, but I do not intend to liinit myself to the use of gas
for heating the bleaching liquid, as superheated steam or any external source
of heat directly applied to the connecting pipe or to a vessel containing the
bleaching liquid may be used.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Drawing, which
represents a vertical section of my improved machinery or apparatus.
a is the casing of the kier, which is closed above and below; b is the usual
grid, on which the fabrics or fibrous materials to be operated' upon are placed,
the kier being charged through the man-hole c, as now customary. The
upper and lower ends of the kier are connected by the external pipes in the
following manner: The pipe d is, connected to the top of the kier and to
the vertical pipe e, to the lower end of which is jointed the horizontal pipe f
containing the beating apparatus, 'and h is another horizontal pipe connecting
the pipe f to the lower end of the kier.
4
The heating apparatus' which I prefer to employ, although I do not intend
To liinit myself thereto, consists of an inner perforated pipe i, a second
perforated pipe, and a copper or other tuberk, as shewn in the Drawing and
as fully described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to William
Mather, on the 12th day of October 1865, No. 2636: The taps and k¹;
are to admit ordinary illuminating.or other inflammable
gas and atmospheric
air_which_combine:and-in-burning produce the oxyhydrogen gas flame which-
heats the liquid in the pipes d, e, f, and g, and the tap is to admit air under
pressure to support the combustion of the gas passing through the perforations

page_text: or burners in the pipe j, both the taps and are united to a pipe connected
to a fan or other apparatus for giving the requisite pressure to the air. The
products of combustion from the heating apparatus are conveyed up the
pipeplaced within the pipe e, and. are discharged into the atmospheres
the upper end of the pipe e is closed by the 'lid e', and near it are the pressure
gauge and the safety e. In the upper part of the kier is placed the
liquor tap m, and to the end of the lower pipe h is connected the blow-off
tap n.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The kier having been charged with the
flax or other fibrous materials or textile fabrics to be operated upon, and the lid
of the man-hole c secured, the tap m is opened to admit the requisite quantity
of bleaching or other liquor, which penetrates through the fabrics.or fibrous
materials, passes through the bottom of the kier, and through the pipes h
and f, and ascends in the pipe e to the level of the liquor in the kier; the gas
in the heating apparatus is then ignited, and when the temperature of the
liquor in the pipe f increases, it will by a well-known law ascend in the pipe e
and descend through the kier containing the fabrics or fibrous materials. By
this means a constant circulation is kept up as long as may be required to
perform the process of bleaching or scouring, and the temperature of the
liquor can be regulated with great accuracy by varying the relative proportion
of air and gas passing through the taps, j', and '. I wish to observe that
instead of using the oxyhydrogen gas flame as the heating, medium for
causing the circulation of the fluid in the pipes superheated steam or other
external source of heat may be applied to the pipes, or the bleaching or
ather liquor may be heated in a vessel connected to the circulating pipes..
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a
convenient manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim, the
improved machinery and apparatus described for promoting the circulation of
liquid through kiers for bowking, bleaching, and cleansing textile fabrics and
fibrous materials.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN SMITH. (L.S.)