IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DUNGING, DYEING, SOAPING, AND WASHING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Winward, of Whaley Bridge, in the County
of Derby, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR DUNGING, DYEING, SOAPING, AND WASHING WOVEN FABRICS."
Sealed the 1st October 1878, and dated the 13th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Winward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th April 1878.
ALEXANDER WINWARD, of Whaley Bridge, in the County of Derby. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DUNGING, DYEING, SOAPING, AND WASHING
WOVEN FABRICS."
The object of this Invention is to enable the operations of dunging, dyeing,
soaping, and washing woven fabrics to be performed whilst the said fabrics are in
an open and extended state, instead of whilst they are in the form of a wisp as
heretofore practised, whereby a much clearer and more uniform effect is produced
than has been hitherto obtained by the ordinary method.
The apparatus consists chiefly of a cistern divided into compartments by means
of partitions slightly lower than the sides, and so arranged that the dunging, dyeing,
or soaping liquor can flow from one to the other.
Near the bottom of the cistern is mounted a series of rollers, and upon a frame
above the cistern is a second series of rollers placed intermediate, so that the fabric
can be led over and under the said rollers in a serpentine form. These rollers are
covered with copper, and are not driven by gearing, but revolve merely by the
friction or "pull" of the cloth or fabric passing round them.
Above the cistern and below the upper set of rollers are arranged, at intervals,
groups of rollers which are driven by means of bevil gearing from a longitudinal
shaft, extending the whole length of the apparatus. These rollers are arranged in
alternate groups of three.

page_text: The first group consists of two squeezing rollers and an opening roller. The latter
has a right-handed screw thread cut upon one-half of its length, and a left-handed
screw thread upon its other half, so that as it revolves, it has a constant tendency
to open out the fabric towards the selvedges, and thus to keep it extended
laterally.
The second group consists of twogrollers, resting upon which is a revolving brush
which removes any loose dye or other matter as the fabric passes between it and
the rollers.
The third group is the same as the first, and so on alternately.
The strong liquor is supplied into the third compartment, and flows over the par-
titions into the second and first, from which latter it flows off through an overflow
pipe or tap, so that the cloth or fabric enters the cistern where the liquor is weakest,
and finally leaves it where the liquor is strongest.
In connection with this end of the cistern I arrange the washing cistern, similarly
divided into three or more compartments, and also provided with guide rollers
above and below, and with opening and brushing cylinders, as in the former case, in
addition to which there are in the washing cistern, above the water level, revolving
beaters which act upon both sides of the cloth or fabric and assist the washing
operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by:
the said Alexander Winward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
October 1878.
ALEXANDER WINWARD, of Whaley Bridge, in the County of Derby. "IMPROVE
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DUNGING, DYEING, SOAPING, AND WASHING
WOVEN FABRICS."
The object of this Invention is to enable the operations of dunging, dyeing,
soaping, and washing woven fabrics, to be performed whilst the said fabrics are in
an open and extended state, instead of whilst they are in the form of a wisp or rope
as heretofore practised, whereby a much clearer and more uniform effect is produced
than has hitherto been obtained by the ordinary method.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect; and in order that the same inay be clearly understood, I have
annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing represents in side elevation; and Fig. 2 in
plan view, so much of the general construction and arrangement of the apparatus
as is necessary to illustrate my Invention.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and Fig. 4 a transverse section of the washing end of
the apparatus (drawn to a larger scale) showing more clearly the details of con-
struction.
The dunging, dyeing, or soaping part of apparatus consists chiefly of a cistern
divided into three or more compartments a, b, c, by means of partitions c, d, slightly
lower than the sides, and so arranged that the dunging, dyeing, or soaping liquor
can flow over the partitions d, d, from one compartment to the other.
Near to the bottom of the cistern is mounted a series of rollers e, e, e, and upon
a fraine, above the cistern is a second series of rollers g, g, g, placed interme-
diately, so that the fabric can be led over and under the said rollers in a
serpentine form. These rollers c, e, e, and g, g, g, are made of or covered with
copper, brass, or other suitable material, and are not driven by gearing, but revolve
merely by the friction or "pull" of the cloth or fabric passing round them.
Above the cistern and below (or on a level with) the upper sot of rollers
J., J, are arranged at intervals groups of rollers which are driven by means of
bevil gearing h, h, from a longitudinal shaft i, i, extending the whole length of the
apparatus. These rollers are arranged in alternate groups of two and three.
The first group consists of two squeezing rollers k, l, and a pair of opening
rollers l, l. The latter (see Figs. 3 and 4) are mounted upon a swing lever m, m,
at each end, so that they can be made to give more or less pressure or tension
on the cloth or fabric, and have a right-handed screw thread cut upon one-half
of their length, and left-handed screw thread cut upon the other half of their length,
so that as they revolvo (driven by the spur gearing 8, 8,), and the cloth passes in
contact with them, they have a constant tendency to open out the fabric towards
the selvedges, and thus to keep it extended laterally.
The second group consists of two rollers n, n, upon which is a revolving brush
roller o, o, which removes any loose dye or other matter, as the fabric passes
between it and the rollers n, n. I may hero remark that these revolving brushes
may be used over a single roller, or they may be applied to the cloth without
any roller underneath.
The third group is the same as the first, and the fourth like the second, and so on
alternately.
The strong liquor is supplied to the third compartment a of the cistern, and flows
over the partition & into the second compartment b, and thence over the second
partition d' into the first compartment c, from which latter it flows off through an
overflow pipe or tap, so that the cloth or fabric enters the cistern at the compart-
ment c, where the liquor is weakest, and finally leaves it at the compartment a,
where the liquor is strongest.
In connection with this end of the cistern I arrange the washing cistern p, p, similarly
divided into three or more compartments, and also provided with guide rollers g, g, I,
above, and e, e, e, below, and with squeezing, opening, and brushing cylinders, as in
the former case; in addition to which there are in the washing cistern p, p, above
the water level, revolving beaters q, q, which act upon both sides of the cloth or
fabric, and assist the washing operation, being driven from the same longitudinal
shaft i, i, by means of toothed gearing ", "
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,―
First. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus as herein-before
described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed, whereby I am enabled to per-
form the operation of dunging, dyeing, soaping and washing woven fabrics whilst
they are in an open or extended state, instead of in the form of a wisp or rope, as
heretofore practised.
Secondly. I claim the construction and combination with such apparatus of the
5 double opening rollers, as described.

page_text: And, Thirdly. I claim the application of the revolving brushes in connection with
the dunging, dyeing, and soaping cisterns, and also with the washing cistern.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Winward, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.