IMPROVE- MENTS IN BLEACHING, WASHING, CLEANSING, AND DRYING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wallace, junior, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BLEACHING, WASHING, CLEANSING, AND DRYING TEXTILE FABRICS
AND MATERIALS."
Sealed the 25th April 1856, and dated the 3rd March 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wallace at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1856.
I, JAMES WALLACE, junior, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING, WASHING, CLEANSING, AND DRYING TEXTILE
FABRICS AND MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the extension of the operations and the improve-
ment of the practical effect of what is technically known as the "hydro-
extractor," or centrifugal drying and separating apparatus, so that such
machinery or apparatus may be made more effectively available for the
purposes of the bleacher, finisher, and manufacturer than at present.
According to this. Invention, the centrifugal apparatus, which ordinarily
consists of a cage or chamber of some permeable material mounted on. the

page_text: upper end of a vertical spindle, is applied so as to be available for bleaching,
cleansing, and drying various classes of goods. Steam or heated water is passed
into the chamber through a tubular shaft, so as to mingle with the goods
therein, and with the chemical and other ingredients employed in the process.
The steam supplied to aid the operations is conveyed into the chamber, by
preference, through the tubular shaft, but it may be admitted from the outside
and directed against the rotating permeable wall of the chamber. Or, further,
it may be admitted over the top of the chamber wall by a pipe passing into
the central opening for the passage through of the goods. An apparatus of
this kind may obviously be arranged to operate with great effect upon textile
fabrics and materials, as the bleaching and cleansing ingredients and the steam
may be passed most rapidly and forcibly amongst and through the goods in
the rotating chamber by the centrifugal force due to the rapid rotatory action
of the chamber. As the ingredients and fluid matters are thrown off, and
through the sides of the chamber, they are returned again and again to the
goods until the desired effect is produced. The centrifugal apparatus applied
in this way rotate either upon a vertical spindle or upon a spindle more or less
inclined to the vertical line. Instead of a centrifugal cleanser and bleacher of
this kind, a modified form of "dash wheel" may be employed, that is to say,
a dash wheel chamber supported in bearings on one side only, and revolving
upon a horizontal or inclined spindle. The wheel chamber, in this case,
overhangs its bearings, so that the front side where the attendant stands is
quite free and open to his operations, and the goods may be deposited in the
rotating chamber whilst the motion goes on, as there is nothing in the way of
access by the central opening for the deposit and removal of the goods. The
clash wheel may be fitted up with any number of divisions, and it may either
be a permeable or impermeable chamber, just as the fluid matters employed
in the treatment of the goods are or are not required to pass through the
sides of the chamber.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Wallace, junior, Her special license that I, the said
James Wallace, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Wallace, junior, my executors, administrators,
or 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING, WASHING, CLEANSING, AND DRYING
TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Wallace, 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 James Wallace, junior, do bereby
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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to the extension of the operations, and the
improvement of the practical effect of what is technically known as the
"hydro-extractor," or centrifugal drying and separating apparatus, so that
such machinery or apparatus may be made more effectively available for tho
purposes of the bleacher, finisher, and manufacturer than at present.
According to this Invention, the centrifugal apparatus, which ordinarily
consists of a cage or chamber of some permeable material mounted upon a
vertical spindle, is applied so as to be available for bleaching, cleansing, and
drying various classes of goods. Steam or heated water is passed into the
chamber through a tubular shaft, so as to mingle with the goods therein, and
with the chemical and other ingredients employed in the process. The steam
supplied to aid the operations is conveyed into the chamber, by preference,
through the tubular shaft, but it may be admitted from the outside and
directed against the rotating permeable wall of the chamber. Or further, it
may be admitted over the top of the chamber wall by a pipe passing into the

page_text: central opening for the introduction of the goods. An apparatus of this kind
may obviously be arranged to operate with great effect upon textile fabrics and
materials, as the bleaching and cleansing ingredients and the steam may be
passed most rapidly and forcibly amongst and through the goods in the rotating
chamber by the centrifugal force due to the rapid rotatory action of the
chamber. As the ingredients and fluid matters are thrown off and through
the sides of the chamber, they are returned again and again to the goods until
the desired effect is produced. The centrifugal apparatus, applied in this way,
may rotate either upon a vertical spindle or upon a spindle more or less
inclined to the vertical line. Instead of a centrifugal cleanser and bleacher of
the kind, a modified form of "dash wheel" may be employed, that is to say, a
dash wheel chamber supported in bearings on one side only, and revolving upon
a horizontal or inclined spindle. The wheel chamber in this case overhangs
its bearings, so that the front side where the attendant stands is quite free and
open to his operations, and the goods may be deposited in the rotating chamber
whilst the motion goes on, as there is nothing in the way of access by the
central opening for the deposit and removal of the goods. The dash wheel
may be fitted up with any number of divisions, and it may either be a
permeable or impermeable chamber, just as the fluid matters employed in the
treatment of the goods are or are not required to pass through the sides of the
chamber.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended, and shall now proceed to describe, a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings, the two Figures on which Sheet represent an arrangement of
centrifugal apparatus for carrying out my said Invention.
.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a vertical section of the apparatus,
with portions of the details in front elevation, whilst Figure 2 is a side elevation
of the machine as complete.
The apparatus represented in the Drawings resembles in its general
arrangement and construction the machine known as the "hydro-extractor"
for drying goods by the application of centrifugal force. This apparatus
.consists of a cylindrical casing or receptacle A, mounted upon a vertical
spindle or shaft B, and placed inside a cylindrical chamber or vessel C.
The casing or receptacle A consists of wirework attached to metal ribs and
framing, and is permeable for the passage through it of fluids. The shaft. B
is connected by a coupling D to a short shaft E above, and in a line with
it and carried in upper and lower collar bearings F, G, upon the arched
frame standard H, bolted down upon the vessel C. The coupling D is

page_text: introduced to allow of a limited degree of angular movement in the shaft B,
the footstep bearing I of which is made moveable for the same purpose, as is
well understood by the makers and users of hydro-extractors. The shaft E
carries a pulley J, capable of moving vertically upon it, but fitted with a groove
and feather, being lifted up or down, as required, by means of a forked lever
K. The circumferential surface of the pulley J is in contact with the surface
of a large disc L, by which it is driven, this disc being fast on a short hori-
zontal shaft M, carried in bearings upon the framing standards H. The shaft
M carries fast and loose pulleys N to receive a driving strap from an over-head
shaft, the strap being shifted by means of the forked bell crank lever O. A
bracket P is bolted to the back of the framing to receive a screw spindle Q, by
means of which the shaft M is pressed forward, so as to hold the disc L in
close driving contact with the pulley J. This pulley is made moveable on its
shaft E, in order to vary the speed of the casing or receptacle, the speed being
reduced or increased accordingly as the pulley J is shifted nearer to or further
from the centre of the disc L.
Thus far I have described such parts of the delineated apparatus as are
common to the ordinary hydro-extractors, and I shall now proceed to show
in what manner the apparatus is arranged for carrying out my present
Invention.
The lower portion of the shaft E is made hollow, and the lower bearing G
takes the form of a hollow stuffing box joint, communicating with the pipe R,
the shaft E being formed with apertures communicating with the hollow
stuffing box joint. The shaft B is likewise made hollow, and a metallic thimble
or a flexible coupling piece S is inserted at the coupling D. The lower portion
of the shaft B is formed with apertures for the egress of fluids from the central
passage. The steam or other fluid introduced the pipe R, and through the
tubular shaft B, issues from the latter into a space enclosed by a perforated
casing T, and within the receptacle A, and from this casing it issues amongst
the goods or articles to be operated upon. Branch pipes U are also fitted to
the tubular shaft B, to convey the steam or other fluid to perforated pipes V,
encircling the receptacle. By these means the steam or whatever fluid is
introduced into the apparatus is made to pass in amongst and through the
goods or articles being operated upon. Arrangements are also made for
introducing water or other liquids, or even steam, into the receptacle A by.
means of a pipe W, the mouth of which is curved down into the open space
in the receptacle. A cover X is fitted to the top of the vessel C, to prevent
the escape of steam and vapours, and this cover is formed with a hinged door

page_text: for the introduction and removal of the goods. The liquids which are passed
into the receptacle A amongst the goods find their way through the permeable.
sides thereof, being forced through by the centrifugal force induced by the
rapid rotatory motion communicated to the receptacle.. These liquids are
caught by the vessel C,.whence they are drawn off by a passage Y, and they
may be passed through the apparatus, and through the goods over and over
again, being re-introduced into the apparatus by either or both of the pipes
R, W.. When the goods are sufficiently acted upon by the steam and liquids,
they may be dried. before removal from the machine by discontinuing the
introduction of steam or liquids, and keeping up the rotation of the apparatus,
until the centrifugal action carries off all the moisture out of the goods, as in
an ordinary hydro-extractor.
In the Drawings hereunto attached, I have shown the arrangement of
apparatus which I consider best adapted for the purposes of my Invention, but
it will be obvious that the said Invention is applicable to various kinds of
centrifugal apparatus.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and. the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the
principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the application and use of centrifugal drying apparatus technically
termed.hydro-extractors" when suitably modified, as herein-before described,
for the combined operations of bleaching, washing, or cleansing and drying
textile fabrics and materials.
Second, the application and use in centrifugal apparatus, such as what are
technically termed "hydro-extractors," of steam, either alone or in combination
with water or bleaching agents, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of. modifying centrifugal drying apparatus,.
technically termed "hydro-extractors," so as to answer for bleaching, washing,
or cleansing, as well as for. drying textile fabrics and materials, by providing
pipes, passages, or apparatus for the introduction into such centrifugal appa-
ratus of steam; either alone or in combination with other fluids or bleaching
agents, as herein-before described..
Fourth, the system or mode of fitting up dash wheels or rotating chambers

page_text: for use in bleaching, washing, or cleansing textile fabrics and materials upon
horizontal or inclined spindles, in such a manner that they overhang their
bearings, or have bearings only on one side, so as to be more accessible to the
attendants, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wallace, junior, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
JAS. WALLACE, JR. (L.S.)