A Novel Process of Dyeing Wool and other Textile Materials in Spools or Bobbins and other Forms and Apparatus in Connection therewith.
Year: 1886

page_text: A Novel Process of Dyeing Wool and other Textile Materials in
Spools or Bobbins and other Forms and Apparatus in
Connection therewith.
"
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE of No 11 Wellington Street Strand London in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication from abroad by Jules Bertrand of Tourcoing Departement du
Nord France, Mechanician) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The new process the subject of this Invention has more particularly for object to
effect the dyeing of wool in bobbins or spools, but it may also be applied to the
dyeing of all textile materials in any form; hanks or skeins, flocks, tufts, noils,
cops, woven fabrics, etc, etc.
Its essential characteristics are:
The dyeing takes place under the pressure due to the height of the column of
tinctorial or dyeing liquid above the materials under treatment, which pressure is
uniform in every part of the receiver, so as to ensure equal and perfect penetration
of all the spools. The liquid arrives sometimes above sometimes below the spools
and preferably with intervals of rest during which it remains charged. The spools
are kept in place during the operation but without being compressed, on the
contrary they may rise a little and swell out freely. The apparatus is so constructed,
that the liquid circulates methodically and changes its direction at the desired
moment by a simple play of cocks.
The manner of applying my invention will be readily understood by reference to
the annexed drawings, representing the apparatuses which I will now proceed to
describe

page_text: A is a metal cylinder lined interiorly, if necessary, with a material that cannot
be attacked, and presenting on its inner circumference concave parts B in which
lodge the spools.
It is provided with a double perforated bottom C and a tight fitting lid or
cover D.
The spools E of the lower row are placed commencing with those of the circum-
ference; then the wooden supports 6 of triangular section, which pass slightly
beyond the upper level of the spools, and after having put in the middle spool the
whole is covered with the perforated bottom F which rests upon the supports b.
The second and third row of bobbins are arranged in the same way, care being
taken always to interpose a perforated bottom F F. The perforated bottom Fil
having reached the level of the concave parts B upon which it rests, there is placed
on this bottom F a stop piece to keep the spools from rising in case the working
is from beneath. After which the cover D is put on and firmly fixed.
The tinctorial or dyeing liquor is prepared on the upper floor, in a vat or
trough G, where it is heated to any desired degree by a steam pipe I joined to the
general conduit H. The apparatuses are connected with each other by piping in
the following manner :-
From the bottom of the vat or trough G, starts the pipe K which divides into
two branches going, the one M to the upper part of the receiver A, the other N to
the lower part of this receiver.
From the reservoir L, hermetically closed and also placed on the upper floor
atarts the pipe P, which also divides into two branches M¹ and Ni ending
respectively at the upper and at the lower part of the receiver A.
The pipes M and M, N and N¹ are each provided with a clack valve R and R',
S and. S¹. A branch puts the pipe P in communication with the top of the
vat G-T is the emptying cock.
The operation is effected in the following manner Suppose the cylinder A to
be furnished with its spools and closed; the valves R and S¹ are open, the
valves R¹ and S are, closed. The valve J at the bottom of the vessel G is raised';
the dyeing liquid descends in the pipe K and, by the branch M penetrates into the
receiver A, at its upper part, descends through the spools, passes in the pipe N¹
and rises, by the pipe P into the vessel L and in the pipe until the level is
established in L, Q and G. The pressure in the cylinder A is determined by the
height of the column of liquid above this cylinder; being uniform in every
direction it ensures the regular and perfect penetration of the spools and powerfully
contributes to fix the dyeing matter on the textile fibre. The whole is left at rest
for a certain time (twenty minutes for example) variable. according to circumstances,
after which a jet of steam arriving at the top of the closed vessel L drives the
liquid from this vessel and sends it by the pipe Q into the vat G.
The entrance of steam is cut off, and that which is contained in the closed
vessel L expands and escapes by the tube V. The cocks R and Sare closed, the
cocks R and S are opened; the valve J always remains open after the operation
has commenced.
*
9
The liquid descends in the pipe K and arrives by the pipe N at the lower part
of the receiver A which it. traverses from bottom to top, to rise, by the pipes M!
and P into the vessel L and pipe where it attains the same level as that in the
vat G.
The pressure of steam in the vessel L cannot act upon the clack valves of the.
working cocks; that is to say R S¹ or R S which close automatically.
A fresh arrival of steam drives the liquid from L into the vat G (after a period
of rest under pressure) and the same operations may be reproduced several times
by changing each time the direction of the flow of the liquid through the
receiver A.
1 I
+
The cock admitting steam into the closed vessel L is generally worked by hand
but it may also be actuated automatically by mechanical means, as I have repre-
Bented it on the drawing (Figs 1 and 3). For this purpose the key or plug 7 of

page_text: The
the cock, carries exteriorly a helicoidal pinion p, gearing with a screw v.
axle of this screw carries a pully g, which is driven by a band, in an intermittent
manner, at intervals regulated beforehand. Upon the part of the shaft of the plug
opposite to the pinion p is an opposing spring s which closes the cock at the
moment that the band ceases to move the pulley g.
Another arrangement would consist in the use upon the toothed wheel, worked
by the screw v, of a cam which at the proper moment, would strike against the
tail of an elbowed lever connected to the axle of the cock for admission of steam.
An opposing spring would close the cock directly the cam escaped from the lever.
The apparatus which I have above described is not only suitable for the actual
operation of dyeing; it also permits effecting without disturbing the spools, all the
necessary operations, such as; scouring galling, washing or rinsing, fixing, etc.
All that is required is to employ several vats G¹ G etc at the side of the vat G.
Fig. 1 shows two vats only but it is clear that there may be any number.
The pipes O and U permit the withdrawal of the liquids and their introduction
into one or other of the vats.
The arrangement of the receiver A, as I have just described it, suits perfectly
whenever the dye is very fluid or that the dyeing matter separates with difficulty
from the water of dissolution (in dyeing black for example); but when the dyeing
products are thicker, more difficult to guide or simply in suspension in the water,
the superposed rows of spools serve as filter, and it may happen that the dyeing
matter deposits in greater quantity upon the spools of the furthest rows.
To obviate this defect I use a form of receiver shown Figure 4 Sheet I. In this
model, there is only one row of spools, but the diameter of the apparatus is con-
siderably increased, in order that it may contain a largish quantity of material to
be dyed.
The perforated bottom F" which keeps the spools in place, without pressing
them, is strengthened by iron pieces f having lugs or projections and attached to
the upper cover D in such manner that this cover and the perforated bottom are
removeu together.
This perforated bottom F" is cut out as shown Fig. 2 and follows the spools in
their piling until it meets the supports d.
Springs bearing on the cover press upon this perforated bottom and keep it from
lifting in the working from below upward.
Two parts m and n respectively cut out of the cover D and the bottom F",
and united by the piece t permit the uncovering and inspection of the spool
placed opposite, to ascertain by this sample whether the operation is proceeding
satisfactorily. The working with this receiver is however identical with that which
I have described in reference to Figa 1. 2 and 3 of the drawing. It may happen
that certain manufacturers have not a first floor in their factory and are therefore
desirous of setting up the complete apparatus upon the ground floor. In view of
this I have modified the above described arrangement, and arranged the several
parts of the apparatus in the manner shown Sheet II of the accompanying
drawings.
I use preferably, the receiver with a single row of spools as described in reference
to Fig. 4 Sheet I. The vata G, G¹, G¹¹ etc remain the same, as also the closed
vessel L, which is only sunk to a certain extent under ground, in order that the
steam-cock may be within reach of the workman. I add a tube-reservoir X
intended to give the pressure of the liquid column above the receiver A.
The drawing shows clearly the working of the apparatus; the dyeing liquid
descends from the vat G by the pipe K, uplifts the clack valve a and fills the closed
vessel L, it is then driven by a jet of steam through the pipe Y into the tube
reservoir X; from thence it passes through the receiver A, either from the top
downward entering at R and issuing by S¹, or from bottom upward entering by R¹
and issuing by S, establishes its level in X and in Q and flows out naturally by
the pipe b¹.

page_text: The pipe 6 serves for running off the liquid which it is desired to retake into
the receiver A (case of stoppage), by opening the cock Z, closing the cocks T T'
the liquid which arrives in L from the receiver A is sent back by b into the vat G.
The cock Z is always closed during the working, it only serves for emptying the
receiver A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. The novel process of dyeing textile materials under every form, but more
particularly wool in spools or bobbins, which consists in submitting these matters
in a closed vessel to the action of a bath of dye, under a pressure obtained by the
height of the tinctorial or dyeing liquid itself above the receiver; in causing the
passage of the liquid several times through the materials, alternately downward
and upward with intervals of rest under pressure, substantially as above described
and with the aid of the apparatus represented on the annexed drawings.
2. For the application of such a process of dyeing, the construction of the
receiver A containing the bobbins or spools and its combination with the vats G
GG etc, the closed vessel L and the piping establishing communication between
the various parts of the apparatus, substantially as above described in reference
to Figures 1. 2 and 3 sheet I of the drawings.
3. For the application of such a process of dyeing, the construction of the
receiver A inclosing a single row of spools or bobbins, substantially as described in
reference to Fig. 4 Sheet I of the drawings.
.
4. For the application of such a process of dyeing, the combination with the
receiver A, the vats G, the closed vessel L and the connecting piping, of a tube-
reservoir X in which the tinctorial or dyeing liquid is raised, for the purpose of
producing a suitable pressure in the receiver A, substantially as described in
reference to Figures 1 and 2 of Sheet II of the drawings.
Dated this Twenty third day of June 1886