A New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Rendering Textile Fabrics Waterproof or Water-repellent.
Year: 1887

page_text: A New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Rendering Textile
Fabrics Waterproof or Water-repellent.
I, THOMAS FERNeley Wiley, of Cravenette Works, Moss Street, Bradford, in
the County of York do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows;--
This invention relates to a new process or method of and apparatus for rendering
textile fabrics waterproof or water-repellent and it consists in applying the water-
proofing agents or substances to the fabrics in a molten or melted state without
solvent which in most cases besides detracting from the waterproofing properties of
the substances or compositions thus applied are costly or difficult in manipulation,
often disturb the dyes, have a detrimental effect on the handle of the fabrics and
impart to them an unpleasant odour.
I employ stearine, ozokerite, spermaceti, paraffin wax, bees wax, Japanese wax, or
any other waterproofing substance or composition having a melting point below what
would damage the fabrics, and apply them preferably in one of the following ways.
A trough containing the waterproofing substance is fixed at the end of a common
cylinder drying machine so as to enable the first cylinder to revolve therein the heat
of which melts the waterproofing substance, its periphery is therefore covered with
such substance. The fabrics to be operated upon are carried upon a reel supported
by standards on the end of the machine and such standards also support tension bars
and a top roller adapted to guide the fabrics at a suitable tension between the top of
the said end cylinder and a roller, preferably of small diameter and covered with
pliable material, arranged to press the fabrics against such cylinder thus depositing
or wiping off the waterproofing substance carried thereby on to said fabrics which
absorb it as they pass through the drying machine.
Theamount of waterproofing substance thus depositeduponthe fabrics is determined
by the speed at which the fabrics are drawn into the machine relative to the speed at
which the cylinder revolves in the waterproofing substance and to regulate this the
said cylinder is connected by change gearing to the mechanism driving the machine
or it is driven by independent means.

page_text: Another method of applying waterproofing substances in the molten state consists
in spraying them over the fabrics by the use of a steam or hot air blast preferably
used in conjunction with a cylinder drying machine provided with a reel and tension
bars similar to those above described to hold and guide said fabrics into said
machine.
For this purpose the waterproofing substances are fed into a horizontal pipe
preferably enclosed in a steam jacket or resting upon a steam chest as a heating
medium and fed from a suitable receptacle containing a supply of such substance.
The said pipe is provided with a series of nozzles each of which is arranged in
connection with a steam or hot air nozzle fed under pressure and adapted to draw the
melted waterproofing substance from said pipe through the nozzles fitted therein in
the form of spray and thus uniformly deposit it upon the fabrics as they are fed into
the drying machine. The speed at which such fabrics are drawn into the machine
regulates the amount of waterproofing substance thus deposited thereon, or such
amount may be regulated by altering the pressure of the steam or hot air blast.
In order to prevent the expansion caused by the heated state of the apparatus
disarranging the relative positions of the blast and supply nozzlesproducing the spray
each pair of nozzles forming the separate sprays are rigidly connected together and
are preferably attached to their feed pipes by suitable unions so as to be readily
removed for cleaning and other purposes.
Asteam blast is preferably used when the vapour thus producedhas no detrimental
effect upon the fabrics, otherwise a hot air blast is preferably used which to insure
regular pressure is produced with an air compressor, the current of air being heated
by enclosing the conduct pipes in steam jackets.
It is obvious that independent machines may be constructed to apply. waterproofing
substances inthe molten state onsimilar principles tothe arrangementsabovedescribed
and heat afterwards applied to the fabrics in any convenient manner to cause the
fibres thereof to absorb the substances thus deposited. And also that gas or other
suitable heating medium may be used, but as the substances are in many cases highly
inflammable steam is preferably employed whenever practicable.
Dated this 16th day of November 1887.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Rendering Textile
Fabrics Waterproof or Water-repellent.
I, THOMAS FERNELEY WILEY, of Cravenette Works, Moss Street, Bradford in the
County of York, Waterproofer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
inwhat mannerthe same is to be performed, to be particularlydescribedandascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the means or method of and apparatus
for rendering textile fabrics waterproof or water-repellent and it consists in applying
the waterproofing agents or substances in a molten or melted state without solvents
which in most cases besides detracting from the waterproofing properties of the
substance or composition dissolved therein are costly and difficult as well as dangerous
in manipulation, often disturb the dyes, have a detrimental effect on the handle of the
fabrics and impart to them an unpleasant odour.
I employ stearine, ozokerite, paraffin wax, bees wax, Japanese wax, or any other
waterproofing substance or composition having a melting point below what would
damage the fabrics and apply them preferably by one of the methods afterwards
described. After the waterproofing substances have been applied to the fabrics the
process is completed by subjecting the fabrics to a sufficient heat to thoroughly melt
or liquify. the waterproofing substances previously applied sufficiently to cause them
to be absorbed by or to coat the fibres.
In order to fully describe my invention reference is to be had to the accompanying
drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.
Figure 1,is a longitudinal section of the feed end of a cylinder drying machine with
the apparatus for applying the waterproofing substance arranged thereon. Figure 2,
is a plain view of the same.
Figure 3, is a similar longitudinal section of the end of a cylinder drying machine
as well as the apparatus for applying the molten substance to the fabric in the form
of spray.
Figure 4, is a sectional plan of the spray producer.
Referring firstly to figures 1 and 2: A trough 1 containing the waterproofing
substance is fixed between the frames 2 of the cylinder drying machine A and the
first of the heated cylinders 3 revolving therein melts said substance and its periphery
is therefore coated with it. The fabrics C to be operated upon are carried on the reel
or beam B mounted in bearings 20 formed in the standard 4 fixed on the end of each
frame 2, such standards also support tension bars 21 and a top roller 5 The fabrics
are drawn from the reel B round the tension bars 21 over the top roller 5 and between
the cylinder 3 and the roller 6. The roller 6 is arranged to press the fabrics against

page_text: the cylinder 3 thus depositingthe melted waterproofingsubstance carried therebyupon
said fabrics which absorb it as they pass through the drying machine.
The amount of waterproofing substance thus deposited upon the fabrics depends on
the speed at whichthe cylinder 3 revolves relative to the speed of the fabrics are drawn
into the drying machine. To regulate this a wheel 7 is mounted upon the shaft of the
drying cylinder 3 connected by the wheels 8 and 9 to the spur wheel 10 on the shaft
of the cylinder 11. The wheels 7 and 8 are change wheels and the latter is mounted
on a stud fixed in the slot 12 of the arm 13 turning on the stud 14, on which the
wheel 9 is mounted, and fixed by the bolts 15 passing through slots 16, thus to alter
the speed of the cylinder 3 wheels of different relative size are substituted for 7
and 8.
Another method of applying waterproofing substances in the molten state consists
in spraying them over the fabrics by the use of a hot blast preferably used in conjunc
tion with a cylinder drying machine and provided with a reel and tension bars to hold
and guide such fabrics into said machine.
Referring to figures 3 and 4 the waterproofingsubstances are placedin the trough A¹
enclosed by a steam jacket B₁ provided for the purpose of melting the substance
contained in A' and keeping it in a molten state. An air blast is preferably used
supplied by an air compressor and heated in its passage through the heatingapparatus
fixed on the side frames C₁ which also support the trough A the reel or beam B, the
adjustable tension bars 21, and the roller 6; guiding the fabrics C on to the roller 5
carried by the standard 4 mounted on each frame 2 of the drying machine. The
fabrics then pass in front of the spraying apparatus and into the drying machine.
The said heating apparatus consists of a cylindrical chamber D preferably supplied
with air from the conduit pipe of the air compressor at the three points E, E, E,so as
to maintain an equal pressure therein. Steam chests F provided at each end of D
are placed in communication with each other by the tubes G which pass through
plates H packed between the connecting flanges J of the chamber D and the steam
chest F. Suitable steam pipes are connected to the steam chests F to pass a supply
of steam through the tubes G so as to sufficiently heat the air forced by the said
compressor into the chamberDand prevents it congealing the waterproofing substance
when the spray is formed. Steam is also supplied in a suitable manner to the steam
jacket B. A series of spray producers are screwed into the side of the cylinder D by
means of their air tubes K, and their supply tubes L are rigidly attached to such
air tubes and dip down into the molten substance contained in the trough A¹: It is
obvious that as soon as the air blast is turned on the waterproofing substance will be
drawn from the trough A and uniformly deposited upon the fabrics C in the form of
spray as they pass through the cylinder drying machine. A sheet metal guard N is
fixed between the standards 4 to catch any of the spray passing the edge of the
fabric.
The speed at which the fabrics are drawn into the drying machine regulates the
amount of waterproofing substance thus deposited thereon, or such amount may be
regulated by altering the pressure of the blast.
It is obvious that independent machines may be constructed to apply the water-
proofing substances in the molten state on similar principles to the arrangement above
described and heat afterwards applied tothe fabrics in anyconvenient manner to cause
the fibres thereof to absorb or become coated with the substance previously deposited.
And also that gas or other suitable heating medium may be used, but as the said
substances are in many cases highly inflammable, steam is preferably employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
declare what I
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
claim is;
1. Theprocess of rendering textile fabrics waterproof or water-repellent, consisting
of the application of waterproofing agents, substances or compounds in the molten
or melted state without solvents, and subjecting such fabrics to sufficient heat to cause
them to absorb and their fibres to be coated with the agent, substance or compound

page_text: thus applied, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
specified.
2. The apparatus herein described with reference to figure 1, and 2, for applying
waterproofing substances in the molten state to textile fabrics substantially as herein
shown and described, and for the purpose specified.
3. The apparatus for applying waterproofing substances to textile fabrics in the
molten state in the form of spray, substantially as herein shown and described, and for
the purpose specified.
1000
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.