IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING, SCOURING, AND BLEACHING TEXTILE FABRICS, YARNS, THREADS, TISSUES, AND THE LIKE, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Macaulay-Cruikshank, of 135, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Consulting Engineer and
Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING, SCOURING,
AND BLEACHING TEXTILE FABRICS, YARNS, THREADS, TISSUES, AND THE
LIKE, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR." A communication from
abroad by Veronique Cauzique, of Paris, in the Republic of Franco, Widow.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George
Macaulay-Cruikshank
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November 1880.
GEORGE MACAULAY-CRUIKSHANK, of 135, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING, SCOURING, AND BLEACHING TEXTILE FABRICS,
YARNS, THREADS, TISSUES, AND THE LIKE, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Veronique Cauzique, of Paris, in the
Republic of France, Widow.
This Invention relates to a new or improved method of and apparatus for
cleaning, scouring, and bleaching all textile materials, tissues, yarns, threads, fleece,
wool, and the like, and it consists in the employment of carbonic acid gas, either at
a high or low pressure, and either alone or in combination, as hereinafter mentioned,
to perform these operations. The carbonic acid gas may be conducted direct into
the vessel wherein the operations are performed or the water used may be
saturated with it previous to passing into the vessel.
The cleaning, scouring and bleaching may be effected in various ways, according
to the nature of the articles to be treated. In the first place I shall describe the
operations with reference to such articles as require only to be cleaned and scoured,
and then with reference to those which also require to be bleached.
To clean and scour, the articles may first be saturated or treated with one or
several of the following substances, videlicet :-Potash, soda, black soap, and especially
argillaceous earths of all kinds, alone or combined with other substances, the
employment of the said materials, in combination with carbonic acid gas, being an
integral part of the Invention; or grease may be pressed out of the articles in a dry

page_text: state; or both of the foregoing treatments may be dispensed with, according to the
nature and quality of the articles and the amount of impurities they_contain.
The articles are then placed in a vessel wherein the cleaning and scouring are
carried on by carbonic acid gas, as before set forth, the articles being submitted to
its action for a period in most cases not longer than one hour. A. current of steam
may be admitted, especially in winter, to maintain the water at a moderate and
constant temperature.
When cleaned and scoured the articles are allowed to drip and afterwards
thoroughly rinsed in cold or hot water, either in the same or in another washer.
The articles after being well dripped inay to whiten them be subjected to a weak
bath of black soup previous to being rinsed.
When it is desired also to bleach the articles which have been cleaned and scoured
as aforesaid, after they have been vigorously rinsed and dripped, or dried, they are
placed in a weak bath of chloride of lime, into which, after a short time, a current
of carbonic acid gas is introduced, and the bleaching is continued for a longer or
shorter time, according to the nature of the articles being treated and the strength
of the bath. For coloured articles the bleaching should be completed in a few
hours. White articles should be bleached not longer than one hour, and the bath
should be much weaker than in the former case.
The cleaning, scouring, and bleaching operations may be carried on in close or
open stationery or rotating vessels of any suitable construction, but it it is preferred
to employ a rotating apparatus constructed in accordance with this Invention, and
which consists of a cylinder closed at both ends and mounted on a hollow journal
or spindle, which is perforated and furnished with a series of hollow perforated
arms. The cylinder is furnished with a perforated bottom on which the articles
drip, after being cleaned and scoured, and a safety valve is also provided. The
hollow spindle communicates at one end by a pipe, provided with a stop cock, with
a gasometer wherein the carbonic acid gas is generated, and at its other end with a
steam boiler. The gas and steam pass into the cylinder through the perforations
in the spindle and in the arms, and the articles to be cleaned are introduced into
the cylinder through a manhole door. The washing or rinsing water is admitted
through a separate pipe furnished with a stop cock, and the articles when cleaned,
scoured, and, if desired, bleached, are removed through the manhole of the cylinder
into a truck, and carried away from the apparatus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Georgo Macaulay-Cruikshank in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
- 2nd May 1881.
GEORGE MACAULAY-CRUIKSHANK, of 135, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING, SCOURING, AND BLEACHING TEXTILE FABRICS,
YARNS, THREADS, TISSUES, AND THE LIKE, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Veronique Cauzique, of Paris, in
the Republic of France, Widow.
This Invention relates to a new or improved method of and apparatus for
cleaning, scouring, and bleaching all kinds of textile materials, whether spun,
woven, or in their natural condition, such as yarns and tissues, fabrics of wool and
of silk, dresses and dress stuffs of all kinds, textile fibres of all kinds, greasy fleece
and wool, et cetera, and it consists in the employment of carbonic acid gas, either
at a high or low pressure, and either alone or in combination with the materials
hereinafter mentioned to perform these operations. The carbonic acid gas may be
conducted direct into the vessel wherein the operations are performed, or the water
used may be saturated with it previous to passing into the vessel.
The cleaning, scouring, and bleaching may be effected in various ways, according
to the nature of the materials to be treated. In the first place I shall describe the
operations with reference to such articles as require only to be cleaned and scoured,
and then with reference to those which also require to be bleached.
In the first case the operation may be performed in two ways. Firstly, the
materials may be saturated or treated with one or several of the substances herein-
after inentioned, or grease may be pressed out of the articles in a dry state, or both
of the foregoing treatments may be dispensed with, according to the nature and
quality of the articles being treated, and the amount of impurities they contain.
The articles are then placed in the vessel wherein the cleaning and scouring are
carried on, water saturated with carbonic acid gas being conducted into the said
vessel. The articles are submitted to the action of the gas for a longer or shorter
period, according to the amount of impurities to be removed; in most cases an hour
will be found sufficient. Into this cold bath a current of steam is or may be
admitted, especially in winter, to maintain the water at a moderate and constant
temperature.
When cleaned and scoured the articles are allowed to drip and afterwards
thoroughly washed or rinsed in cold or hot water, either in the same washer (if it
is capable of rotation) or in another apparatus of any suitable construction capable
of washing or rinsing the articles energetically. If the articles are black or of a
deep shade the washing or scouring is then complete; if white or of a light colour,
and if it is desired to bleach them, they are after being well dripped subjected to a
weak bath of black soap previous to being rinsed.
Under the second method of operation the woolen fabrics are prepared in the
same manner, except the pressing. In the preparation, washing, scouring, and
bleaching of dresses and dress stuffs of all kinds, of fabrics or tissues, of yarns, of
cottons, of tow, hemp, or flax, of all threads, and of all textiles, I prepare or compose
in the receptacle or vessel a bath, saturated with one or more products, such as the
refractory earths, the alkalis or other equivalent materials. I then introduce a
current of carbonic acid gas, or of water saturated with that gas. I then pass in
a current of steam, which should vigorously wash the articles in the lie. Three to
four hours is sufficient for the operation when properly conducted; or I may employ
the carbonic acid gas only, or the current of steam, especially when it is desired
that the articles shall be subsequently bleached. I then wash or rinse vigorously
in clean water, and drip. The materials which I employ in the bath are potash
soda, black soap, or their equivalents, and especially clayey earths of all kinds,

page_text: alone or in combination with other products, their combined employment with that
of carbonic acid gas being an integral part of the said Invention.
The operation may be carried on in close or open vessels of any suitable
construction, made either of wood or of metal, and either stationary or rotating,
according as pressures of carbonic acid gas, or of steam, is or is not employed, and
also according to the articles to be treated. As pressure however is preferable, and
as rotation of the vessel gives a much more economic result, it is preferred to
employ the rotating apparatus represented on the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a transverse section of the
apparatus, which consists of a hollow journal or spindle 1, perforated with a series
of holes, and formed or furnished with a number of hollow perforated arms. By
theso perforations in the journal, and in the arms, the carbonic acid gas, or water
saturated with the said gas, is distributed within the rotating apparatus, which is
composed of a cylinder 2, closed at both ends, and into which the articles to bo
treated are introduced through a manhole door 3. The cylinder is also provided
with a safety valve 4, and with a pipe 5, provided with a stop cock, for the inlet of
the washing or rinsing water when required. In the cylinder a false perforated
bottom G is placed, which serves as a platform on which the articles rest to drip
when the rotation of the cylinder 2 has been stopped at the termination of the
cleaning, scouring, and, if desired, bleaching operations.
The hollow journal 1 communicates at one end by a pipe 7, provided with a stop
cock or valve 11, with a gasometer 10, wherein the carbonic acid gas is generated,
and at its other end by a pipe 8, with a steam boiler from which, when desired,
steam is introduced into the cylinder through the stop cock or valve 12, Figure 1.
The articles when cleaned, scoured, and, if desired, bleached, are or may be removed
from the rotating cylinder through the manhole 3 on to a truck 9, by which they
are carried away from the apparatus, the said truck being provided with a
perforated bottom to allow the articles to drip.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner, in or under which the same is or may
be used, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I would observe in
conclusion that what is considered 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 employment in the washing, scouring, and bleaching of all textile
materials, whether in the condition of fabrics, tissues, yarns, or threads, or in their
natural or raw state, of carbonic acid gas, alone or in combination with one.or
more or all of the products herein before mentioned, or their equivalents, the said
gas being used in a free state, or in a state of solution, more or less saturated with
pure water, or with water more or less charged with one or more or all of the
products herein before specified.
Second. The rotating apparatus, herein before described and shown on the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto appended, having a false perforated bottom, and into which
the carbonic acid gas, free or in solution, is introduced through a hollow and
perforated journal, provided with perforated arms, the said journal and arms also
serving for the introduction of steam when necessary, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Macaulay-Cruikshank, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord