Improvements in or relating to Vats or like Vessels for Dyeing or Treating Textile Fabrics or Garments.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1893-Accepted; 6th Jan., 1894.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Vats or like Vessels for Dyeing or
Treating Textile Fabrics or Garments.
I, HENRY ASHWELL of Radford Road, Basford, in the Borough of Nottingham,
Dyer and Bleacher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements more especially in vats or like vessels for
dyeing or treating small goods such as socks, hose, half-hose, gloves, shirts, vests,
pants, and the like, and it has for its object firstly, the rapid and easy removal
of such goods from the vat or vessel, and secondly, the stirring up or agitating
of such goods whilst in the vat and during the dyeing or other process.
In carrying out the first part of my invention the vat or vessel may be con-
structed of any suitable material and of any convenient size or shape; the interior
of the vat is preferably fitted with a removable shell or cage provided with a
perforated or openwork bottom, and sides if desirable so that the liquor may
escape when it is raised out of the vat to remove the goods.
The shell or cage is provided preferably with a removable side, end, or door
which may be hinged or otherwise attached and a false bottom carried preferably
by runners so that it will readily slide out of the cage taking the contents
with it.
The false bottom may be moved from the cage on to rails which are preferably
fixed level with the false bottom when the cage is raised, and whilst standing on
these rails the goods may be readily pushed therefrom into barrows or wagons,
the false bottom may then be returned into the cage and the cage lowered into
the vat again.
The cage may be raised from the vat or vessel either by means of a crane,
hydraulic pressure, or other suitable means, assisted if desirable by balance
weights.
In carrying out the second part of my invention I employ a preferably solid
cylinder provided with arms to which a rotary reciprocating motion is imparted,
this cylinder may be lowered into the vat prior to putting in the goods and raised
before the goods are removed. The cylinder is provided at each end with journals
which may be carried in bearings in the bottom of vertical recesses in the ends of
the vat, into which the journals fit when the cylinder is lowered and are retained in
that position by slides fitting into the recesses, and secured by bolts, or the cylinder
may be journalled in bearings carried by slides and may be raised and lowered by
screws or other suitable arrangement.
Motion may be communicated to the cylinder by a spur wheel secured to one
axis of the cylinder, which when in its lower position engages with a spur wheel
secured to the inner end of a shaft which passes through a stuffing box in the
side of the vat and to which shaft motion is imparted by any suitable arrangement.
Before the goods are removed the cylinder may be raised and the bath can then
be conveniently emptied by the arrangement hereinbefore described, or in the
usual manner by using a pole.
Dated this 18th day of February 18032

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Vats or like Vessels for Dyeing or
Treating Textile Fabrics or Garments.
1, HENRY ASHWELL of Radford Road, Basford, in the Borough of Nottingham,
Dyer and Bleacher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements more especially in vats or like vessels
for dyeing or treating small goods such as socks, hose, half-hose, gloves, shirts,
vests, pants and the like and it has for its object, firstly, the rapid and casy
removal of such goods from the vat or vessel, and secondly, the stirring up or
agitating of such goods whilst in the vat and during the dyeing or other process.
It will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation
Figure 2 a plan
Figure 3 a vertical cross section and
Figure 4 a longitudinal section of a vat or vessel constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 5 is a front elevation
Figure 6 a plan and
Figure 7 a vertical cross section showing the inner shell or cage raised and
tilted.
Figure 8 is an elevation showing part of the driving arrangement.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In carrying out this invention the vat or vessel a for containing the dye or other
liquor may be constructed of any suitable material and be fitted with steam pipes
fixed in any convenient positiou, it is also provided at one end with a box m or
extension of the vat to contain the arrangement for actuating the arms or beaters
for agitating the contents of the vat.
Fitting loosely within the vat a is an inner shell or cage into which the goods
to be treated are placed, this shell or cage is provided with a perforated bottom
and if desired with perforated sides or ends, or it may be made wholly or partly
of lattice work or wire netting. It may be weighted to the necessary extent so as
to retain its position when the vat is full of liquor the weight or weights being so
disposed as to assist in righting the cage when it is lowered into the vnt.
The contents of the vat are agitated by preferably radial beaters d carried by
central barrel c secured to a longitudinal shaft c¹ the ends of which pass through
holes or openings in the inner shell or cage b and are journalled in bearings a¹ a³
secured to or formed in the ends of the vat a.
One end of the shaft c' projects through the bearing a into the box m and is
provided at this part with a pinion n¹.
Pivotted at on the end of the box m is a lever n the lower part of which
(see Figure 8) is made in the form of a segmental rack the curve of which is
struck from the axis of r and whose teeth engage with the under side of the
pinion n¹.
The upper end of the lever n may be connected by a connecting rod to a crank,
or crank pin on a disc, secured to a conveniently situated driving shaft. By this
means the lever n is caused to oscillate about its pivot r and by means of the rack
and pinion imparts rotary reciprocating motion to the barrel e and beaters d.
The bearing a¹ is carried at the lower end of a vertical recess in one end of the
vat and the bearing a³ in a vertical slot at the other and the shaft c¹ may be
retained in these bearings by blocks a* (one of which is shown detached from the
machine in Figure 7) which fill up the recess and slot respectively and are secured

page_text: by bolts a; or, if preferred, levers may be employed for retaining the shaft in
the bearings.
The bottom of the inner shell or cage b may be of the shape shown, or it may be
a semi-circle or approximating to that shape. The shape of the inner part of the
bottom of the vat a may also be made to more nearly approach that of the inner
shell b by filling up the corners so as to reduce the amount of liquor absolutely
required for the process.
When commencing work the inner shell or cage b containing the goods is placed
in the vat a containing the liquor and the shaft c secured in its bearings and the
driving shaft started. When the process is complete the motion is stopped and the
shaft released by removing the blocks a³. The inner shell or cage 6 is then
lifted by means of a crane or other suitable lifting arrangement connected to the
upper ends of links k the lower ends of which are pivotted at k' on the outer side
of the ends of the cage b.
As the cage brises carrying with it the shaft c', barrel c, beaters d and the
goods which have been treated, it will remain upright until it begins to clear the
vat a when it will tilt over, this it can only do to one side as it is stopped from
tilting on the other side partly by the guides e secured to the vat a but chiefly by
the lifting links which are cranked at so as to form a recess to receive the ends
of the shaft cl when raising the cage vertically.
As the cage b clears the vat it is moved in the direction in which it turns so as
to bring the ends of the shaft on to the supports or guides g. The faces of these
supports or guides are protected by iron plates g¹ the outer ends of which are
turned up to form stops to prevent the cage travelling too far.
As soon as the ends of the shaft. reach the stops g the lifting may be continued
and the cage 6 be tilted sufficiently to empty the goods into a waggon or barrow
placed at the side to receive them.
In order to prevent the cage 6 when tilted, from swinging back over the vat,
stops to are secured to the ends of the cage b which stops engage with the one side
or wall of the vat.
To facilitate the return of the cage bit is first partially returned to its upright
position and the slides y which project above the side or wall of the vat, are pushed
inwards towards each other, until they engage with the stops to on the cage which
may then be lowered into the vat by the crane without any difficulty. If preferable
the slides y may be arranged to slide vertically instead of horizontally as in the
example illustrated.
As an alternative the cage & may be formed with a removable side, end, or door
which may be hinged or otherwise attached, or a false bottom working preferably
on a slide so that when the cage is raised the bottom may be withdrawn and the
goods allowed to fall into a barrow or waggon placed underneath. The false
bottom may be then returned to its normal position and the cage returned to
the vat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The employment in connection with vats or like vessels for dyeing or treating
goods of an inner open work or perforated shell or cage such as 6 for raising the
goods out of the vat and tipping them substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with a vat or like vessel for dyeing or treating goods of a
cage or shell such as b operating substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with a vat or like vessel for dyeing or treating goods of a
cage or shell such as band beaters such as d substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a vat or like vessel for dyeing or treating goods the combination with

page_text: beaters d of a shaft c¹ pinion n' and segmental toothed lever such as n substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a vat or like vessel for dyeing or treating goods the combination with an
inner shell or cage such as 6 of links k pivotted below the centre of gravity of the
cage substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
6. The combination with a vat or like vessel for dyeing or treating goods and
an inner shell or cage 6 of supports or guides such as g stops w guides e and
adjustable slides such as y substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete vat or
vessel for dyeing or treating goods substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this Seventeenth dex of Novemb-1000
HENRY ASHWELL.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.