A Machine for use in Mercerising Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for use in Mercerising Textile Fabrics.
We, S. SCHWABE and COMPANY LIMITED, of 41, George Street, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Calico Printers, and ROBIN BORAL, Chemist, and
ALFRED KYMER, Foreman Mechanie, both of Rhodes Works, Middleton, near
Manchester, aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention consists of a machine for use in mercerising textile fabrics, our
object being to avoid shrinkage of the cloth and to save labour, time and
expense in carrying out the mercerising process.
The chief and most essential feature of the machine is that immediately after
the cloth has been saturated with tlie mercerising liquid it is brought into con-
tact with the surface of squeezing rollers whence it passes immediately and with-
out losing contact on to the surface of a bowl and is never out of contact with the
surface of a bowl or roller until the mercerising process has been completed
and the cloth washed and the mercerising agent diluted to such an extent that
no further shrinkage can possibly take place.
We accomplish this object by constructing a machine substantially as illus-
trated in the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side sectional elevation of the machine and Figure 2 a plan view
of the same with some of the parts omitted for the sake of clearness.
In these views,-1 denotes the frame of the machine, and 2 the cloth to be
mercerised which is led into the machine and passes under a guide roller 3 over
any suitable form of expander 4 by which the cloth is stretched and expanded
to its full width.
From the expander 4 the cloth passes into a trough 5, containing the caustic
alkali or other mercerising agent, being led under a guide roller and passing
between the nip of a pair of squeezing rollers 7 and 8 of which the lower roller
is made of iron or other suitable material and is driven positively while the upper
roller 8 is preferably coated with india rubber but may be of any other suitable
material and is driven by frictional contact only. The upper roller 8 is loaded
with weighted levers as shown or springs if preferred.
From the squeezing rollers the cloth passes immediately over an india rubber
coated or wooden or other suitable bowl 9, then under an iron or other suitable
roller 10, and so on alternately over a bowl 9 and under a roller 10.
After travelling over say three bowls 9 and under three rollers 10 the cloth
is washed whilst travelling over the remaining bowls 9 and rollers 10 by means
of water discharged upon it from a series of spurt pipes 11 fed by a supply pipe 12
controlled by a series of taps 13.
It will be observed that the cloth immediately it has been impregnated with
the mercerising liquid is brought into contact with the surface of the squeezing
rollers 7 and 8 and then passes on to the series of bowls 9 and rollers 10 and
never leaves the surface of a bowl or roller until the mercerising process has been

page_text: completed and thereafter the mercerising agent has been diluted to such an
extent that no further shrinkage can possibly occur.
From the last roller 10 the cloth is led away to be dried and batched or further
treated and finished in any manner desired.
The rollers 10 are all driven positively by means of bevel gears 14 on their
axles and bevel gears 15 on a shaft 16 driven by a bevel gear 17 from a bevel
gear 18 on the driving shaft 19 or it may be by any other convenient and suit-
able arrangement of driving gear.
The bowls 9 are preferably weighted by levers and weights as shown, are sup-
ported in open or slotted bearings 20 carried by the frame work, and are driven
by frictional contact only.
We have shown and described a series of six bowls 9 and six rollers 10 but it
will be readily understood that we do not intend to limit ourselves to this or
any other number as the same may be increased or diminished and the arrange-
ment may be varied as found advantageous or desirable so long as sufficient
time is allowed for the mercerising agent to complete its action on the cloth and
for the efficient washing of the same subsequently, and so long as the cloth is
not allowed to leave the surface of a bowl or roller until the mercerising and
washing processes are completed.
Also instead of the spurt pipes 11 we may employ any other suitable means
for washing the cloth whilst stretched upon the bowls 9 and rollers 10.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A machine for use in mercerising textile fabrics said machine consisting
in its essential features of the following parts in combination, means for guiding
the cloth into, through and out of the machine, an expander for opening out
the e.oth, a trough or equivalent means for applying the mercerising liquid.
squeezing rollers for reoving the surplus liquit. a series of rollers driven
positively, a series of bowls driven preferably by frictional contact only, and means
for washing the cloth the parts being so combined and arranged that the cloth
after treatinent with the mercerising liquid and during washing is never our
of cont. et with the surface of a bowl or roller until it leaves the machine sub-
stantially as herein set forth.
2. The combination and general arrangement of parts constituting a machine
for use in mercerising textile fabrics substantially as herein described and as
illustrated by the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Dated this 16th day of January 1899.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants, 17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.