IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, SCOURING, AND DYEING YARNS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Collins, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, SCOURING, AND DYEING YARNS."
Sealed the 8th March 1878, and dated the 11th September 1877.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Collins at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th September 1877.
JOHN COLLINS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, SCOURING, AND
DYEING YARNS."
This Invention has reference to the washing, scouring, dyeing, and stretching of
yarns in the hank, and in new or improved arrangements or parts of the mechanism
employed therefor, and which performs a greater amount of work and in a superior
manner to that heretofore effected by hank yarn treating machines.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention consist in erecting a frame up the
centre of the water box, tank, or cistern, with a series of transverse stationary
spindles revolving in journal bearings in the frame some distance above the cistern,
with square or other wooden barrels projecting out over and towards the sides
thereof for receiving the hanks, with corresponding spindles or axes below, having
similar loose revolving rollers on them, rising and falling in guides under the upper
rollers, for working in and resting on the lower ends or loops of the hanks placed
or hung on the upper actuating rollers, all substantially as in some existing arrange-
ments of hank yarn washing and dyeing machines, the lower spindles and rollers
being raised when the banks are to be placed over them, and lowered and let go
when the hank is placed over the rollers by levers or foot treadles and a spindle to
each, working up through a stuffing box in the bottom of the cistern, so that the
weight of the lower spindles and rollers rests on the hauks to stretch them while
running over them within the water or dye of the cistern.
The main or essential improvements consist in turning the upper driving spindles
and rollers which actuate the hanks for a considerable time or a number of revo-

page_text: lutions, first in the one direction and then in the other, which has the effect of
loosening the hanks and opening or disengaging the threads from each other, so that
they are quicker and more easily cleaned or saturated with the cleansing liquids or
dyes, with much less friction or twisting and straining effect than usual, which is
found so injurious to the yarns. This reversing action is effected by a central
longitudinal spindle revolving in journal bearings in the said central frame, close
over the transverse spindles of the upper hank driving rollers, so as to drive each of
these spindles by a skew bevel wheel on the longitudinal shaft and pinion on the
spindle. This longitudinal shaft is turned in either direction, as stated, by a bevel
wheel at its one end, through one or other of two bevel wheels working in it, and
revolving loose on the first motion transverse driving shaft, according as either of
these loose wheels are put into gear with the shaft by a sliding coupling between
them, and tilting fork lever carried on a fixed stud above, or in front of the trans-
verse driving shaft, which is carried in bearings projecting up from the end of the
dye cistern, and actuated always in the one direction by a belt from any adjacent
motive shaft passed over fast and loose pulleys on its one end.
The reversing action is effected by a tilting bell-crank lever, with the tilting
weight on its vertical arm (which reverses the fork lever of the coupling) by the
horizontal arm thrown up or down by a lateral stud in a spur wheel revolving
loose on a fixed centre secured to the frame carrying the other journal bearings of
the transverse shaft and gearing, this wheel gearing into a pinion on on a hollow or
tubular spindle revolving on this end of the transverse spindle by the action of the
contiguous loose bevel pinion secured on its other end; the central longitudinal
shaft thus being reversed each time the lateral pin in the spur wheel comes round
to raise or lower the tilting bell-crank lever, which reverses the central coupling into
one or other of its driving bevel wheels, the difference in the proportionate sizes of
the spur wheel and pinion determining the time the central shaft and transverse
shafts and hanks on them will be turned in either direction suited for the particular
yarn under treatment.
It is to be understood, however, that other equivalent means or mechanism might
be used for producing the said reversing action of the upper transverse hank driving
rollers

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Collins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th March
1878.
JOHN COLLINS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, SCOURING, AND
DYEING YARNS."
My said Invention has reference to the washing, scouring, dyeing, and stretching
of yarns in the hanks, and to new or improved arrangements or parts of the
mechanism employed therefor, and which performs a greater amount of work and
in a superior manner to that heretofore effected by hank yarn treating machines.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention
and of constructing the improved mechanism may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
which I have hereunto appended for that purpose, the same reference letters and
numerals indicating the same or like parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a longitudinal and a transverse vertical section,
taken on the lines 1 - - 1 and 2-2 in Figure 3, which is a plan corresponding to
Figure 1, all of a new or improved hank yarn treating, washing, scouring, dyeing.
or stretching machine, constructed in accordance with and illustrative of one modifi-
cation of my Invention.
Figure 4 shows an end elevation of the driving and reversing gearing as separate
or detached from the machine shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 4 the improvements of this Invention consist in
erecting a rectangular or other supporting frame A, up the centre of the water or
liquid box, tank, or cistern B, containing the liquid or dye in which the hank yarn
a is to be treated. This frame A carries a series of transverse spindles C, revolving
in stationary journal bearings C¹ secured on it, on each side, in the centre, and near
the top of the cistern B, with revolving wooden barrels or rollers C", preferably
square or of other polygonal shape, with end flanges, projecting above or over the
liquid part of the two sides thereof, so as to receive, carry, and turn the hanks of
yarn a, with corresponding or similar round or polygonal barrels or rollers c¹¹,
preferably revolving loosely on the spindles or axes c below, each sliding or rising
and falling vertically in parallel guides A¹, secured under the upper frame A and
barrels C, so that the rollers cl work within and rest on the loops of the banks a,
first placed or hung on the upper actuating barrels or rollers C, while the under
rollers c¹¹ are raised, all substantially so far much as in some other existing arrange-
ments of hank yarn washing and dyeing machines.
The transverse spindles c of each pair of lower rollers care carried in a bearing
cross head c', on the upper end of a vertical spindle or rod d, working down and out
through a stuffing box d¹ in the bottom centre line of the cistern B, and so con-
nected at its lower end to a weighted treadle lever d¹¹, d, as to be raised while the
hanks are being placed on the rollers C¹¹, c¹¹, as stated, and then lowered by the
lever or foot treadles and a spindle to each to let the rollers c¹¹ rest and revolve
within the hanks a, with the whole weight of the rollers c¹ and that of their
spindles c, and weighted lever d", d², resting on the hanks a to stretch them while
running over them, within the water or dye b, in the cistern B, all as seen particu-
larly in Figure 2.
The main or essential improvements in the arrangement consist in turning the
upper driving spindles C and their rollers C₁, which actuate the hanks a for a
considerable time, or a number of revolutions, first in the one direction and then in
the other, which has the effect of loosening the hanks and opening or disengaging
the threads from each other, so that they are more quickly and easily cleansed,
stretched, and saturated with the cleansing liquids or dyes with much less friction,
or twisting, drawing, or straining effect within the hanks than usual, which is

page_text: found to be injurious to the yarns, as heretofore treated, when revolving in one
direction only. This new or improved reverse action or turning of the upper roller
C, C, and hanks a is effected by the central longitudinal spindle D, revolving in
journal bearing blocks D', secured at the ends and centre of the frame A and cistern
B, close over the whole set of transverse spindles C, so as to drive each of these by
a skew bevel pinion D" on it, gearing into a corresponding skew bevel wheel D
and revolving loosely on the longitudinal shaft D, and engaged and disengaged by a
catch or friction clutch box D³, and shifting hand lever DII at the back of each
bevel wheel D. This longitudinal shaft D is turned in either direction as stated by
the bevel wheel E, keyed on its overhanging end through and according to which-
ever of the two corresponding bevel wheels E¹ or El gearing into it is put in
motion, these wheels revolving loosely on the first-motion transverse driving shaft F,
mounted in bush bearings F', on the front of the strong cast-iron carrying bracket
F1 secured to the end of the cistern B.
One or other of these loose wheels, E¹ or E¹¹, is put into gear with the shaft F, by
the sliding clutch, or it might be a friction coupling E, mounted on the shaft F,
with a feather and groove between them, and by corresponding coupling boxes on
the inner faces of the wheels. The coupling E2 is reciprocated to and fro by the
vertical fork lever e and tilting weighted lever f, f¹, mounted and carried on a fixed
stud e¹ in the bracket F", in front of and above the centre of the coupling E2 and
transverse driving shaft F, which is actuated always in one direction by a belt F
passed over the fast and loose pulleys F2 on its one end from any adjacent motive-
power shaft; the belt being shifted and fixed to start or stop the machine by the
sliding fork F3, as desired, the arrows in sharp lines indicating the direction of
motion of the parts in the position shown, and the dotted arrows the opposite motion
of the parts which are reversed.
The reversing of the fork lever e, which actuates the coupling E2 by its lower arm,
is primarily effected by the tilting bell-crank or three-armed lever ff, having a
tilting weight fll on its top vertical arm, which works in a segmental slot eli in
.reversing the fork lever e, and by a segment with catches or pins at f2, in its lower
arm taking over and striking the forked arme of the coupling lever, actuated in
either direction by its lateral or horizontal arm f', thrown up or down by a lateral
stud g, in a large spur wheel G, revolving loosely on a fixed centre or stud G¹¹,
secured to the bracket or frame F" carrying the journal bearings F1 of the trans-
verse driving shaft F. This wheel G gears into a correspondingly pitched pinion G¹,
fixed on the hollow or tubular spindle G², mounted and revolving loosely on the
one end of the shaft F, with and actuated by the contiguous loose bevel pinion E¹¹,
keyed on its other end, so as to be reversed through the pinion G', reversing the
stud wheel G,g, at the same time as the central longitudinal spindle or shaft D, each
time the lateral reversing stud or pin in the spur wheel G comes round to raise
or depress the horizontal arm fl of the tilting three-armed lever f,f,f", which
reverses the fork lever e, e, and its central coupling E2, into one or other of its trans-
mitting intermediate bevel wheels E¹ or E¹¹.
The difference in the proportionate sizes of the spur wheel G and pinion G₁ deter-
mines the time the central shaft D and transverse shafts C and barrels C¹¹, and
hanks a on them, will be turned in either direction, suited for the particular yarn
under treatment, or when less than a full term of the wheel G is desired, a second
stud g might be fixed in its side to reverse the lever f, f¹, f" sooner.
It is to be understood that other or equivalent means or reversing mechanism
might be used for producing the said new or improved reversing action of the
upper transverse driving spindles C, or their hank yarn carrying and actuating
rollers C, than the arrangement described, and which forms the essential feature
or essence of my Invention, and gives the advantages desiderated or sought for and
found by me.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and therefore

page_text: claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
First. The general construction or combination of the parts of hank yarn washing,
scouring, dyeing, or stretching machines, in which the hanks are run alternately
for a short time in opposite directions during their treatment, all substantially as
herein-before described in reference to, and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or
any mere modification thereof.
Second. The giving of a reverse motion for a short time in opposite directions to
the driving barrels and hanks of yarn, in hank yarn washing, scouring, dyeing, and
stretching machines, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Collins, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
JOHN BROWN,
Patent Agent,
96, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
JOHN COLLINS. (L.S.)