CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF SIZING PAPER, YARNS, AND WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Boaler, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF SIZING PAPER, YARNS, AND WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."-A communication from abroad
by John Adams Rhodes, of Providence, Rhode Island, United States
of America.
Sealed the 24th June 1862, and dated the 20th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Boaler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th January 1862.
I. WILLIAM BOALER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHOD OF SIZING PAPER, YARNS, AND WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," a communication to me from abroad by
John Adams Rhodes, of Providence, Rhode Islands, United States of America,)
to be as follows:-
In the operation of sizing yarns as now generally practised the yarn to be
sized is placed upon yarn beams, from which it is unwound and passes through
guides over guide rollers and thence into and through the "sizing" contained
in a vessel or receptacle, thence under the size roller and between the latter
and the dry roller. then over the steam drying cylinder through guides and
under guide rollers on to the yarn beam at the other end of the machine. In
sizing paper or woven fabrics a similar system of rollers is employed in con-
nection with a vessel or receptacle for the "sizing". or. starch, the drying being
Price 8d 1

page_text: usually a separate operation. The sizing" ordinarily employed is composed
of equal parts of wheat or potato starch with a proportion of British gum, the
materials being compounded by boiling with steam or otherwise, and the
"sizing" thus formed is supplied to the vessel or receptacle (above alluded to)
from time to time as required. In the use of this sizing compound difficulty
is experienced in making-different batches of "sizing" of the same consistency
and in varying the consistency of the same at will so as to produce uniform
sizing of the yarn or goods from day to day or to suit different qualities of
material. To obviate these and other difficulties, and to size the paper, yarn,
or cloth more evenly and effectually with a saving of the sizing material, is
the object of the present Invention.
The Invention consists in the employment of steam in combination with
pure starch or other sizing material directly upon the paper, yarn, or cloth in
the sizing vessel or receptacle or upon the surface of the sizing roller or its
equivalent in the manner herein-after described. In carrying out this Inven-
tion a steam pipe is arranged in connection with a sizing vessel or receptacle,
the said pipe extending lengthwise of the vessel near to the edge of the same
and having a number of branch pipes communicating therefrom into a second
vessel or receptacle, and provided with a vacuum valve and an escape cock,
together with a suitable induction valve for regulating the supply of steam' to
the receptacle. The steam is ejected directly upon the paper, yarn, or cloth
from beneath the surface of the sizing in the receptacle through perforations
in the end of the branch pipes and a slit cut in the end of each or formed by
flattening the same, the said perforations or slits having the effect of distri-
buting the steam and "sizing" together equally upon the paper, yarn, or cloth
throughout the entire length of the receptacle and to keep the sizing liquid in
a state of constant agitation and at a temperature at or above the boiling
point in contact with the paper, yarn, or cloth, the result being that the starch
or "sizing" is thinned by the condensation of the steam, and following or
accompanying the same, penetrates the paper, yarn, or cloth to its inmost fibre,
laying the fibres compactly together and producing an evenness and flexibility
unattainable by the ordinary process of sizing, the "sizing" being thus made
to penetrate through the paper, yarn, or cloth, instead of merely coating it in
the ordinary way. By using steam in combination with pure starch or other
sizing material in the receptacle the paper, yarn or cloth may be made to take
up a greater or less quantity of the "sizing" by ejecting the steam more or
less directly upon the said paper, yarn, or cloth, the former result being
produced when the steam is ejected less directly thereupon; and it is this
peculiarity of the Invention which distinguishes it from the use of boiling

page_text: starch or "sizing" or that which has been boiled in a separate vessel, it being
insufficient that the starch or "sizing" is simply boiled in the receptacle, or
that it is applied to the paper, yarn, or cloth boiling hot, the steam must be
ejected directly upon the material or fabric carrying with it the diluted or
finer particles of the starch or "sizing" in order to produce the required
result. Another and most important result is obtained by using steam in com-
bination with starch or other sizing material in the manner described. So
thoroughly is the starch or "sizing" agitated and worked in the receptacle that
it becomes entirely disintegrated, so that every particle of starch is used, and
with such a degree of economy as to result in a saving of nearly four-fifths in
the consumption of the sizing material. The steam is ejected from the branch
pipes more or less directly upon the paper, yarn, or cloth by raising or
depressing the perforated ends of the pipes with respect to the roller or other
surface over which the material or fabric passes, and by increasing or dimi-
nishing the supply of steam by means of the induction valve.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Boaler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
. 16th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BOALER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Boaler, Her special license that I, the said William
Boaler, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Boaler, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF SIZING PAPER, YARNS. AND WOVEN FABRICS, AND
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," (a communication to me
from abroad by John Adam Rhodes, of Providence, Rhode Island, United
States of America), upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said

page_text: William Boaler, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Boaler, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say);-
In the operation of sizing yarns as now generally practised the yarn to be
sized is placed upon yarn beams, from which it is unwound and passes through
guides, over guide rollers, and thence into and through the "sizing," contained
in a vessel or receptacle, thence under the size roller and between the latter
and the dry roller, then over the steam drying cylinder, through guides and
under guide rollers, on to the yarn beam at the other end of the machine. In
sizing paper or woven fabrics, a similar system of rollers is employed in con-
nection with a vessel or receptacle for the "sizing" or starch, the drying
being usually a separate operation. The sizing ordinarily employed, is
composed of equal parts of wheat or potato starch, with a proportion of
British gum, the materials being compounded by boiling with steam or other-
wise, and the "sizing" thus formed, is supplied to the vessel or receptacle
(above alluded to) from time to time as required. In the use of this sizing
compound, difficulty is experienced in making different batches of "sizing" of
the same consistency, and in varying the consistency of the same at will, so as
to produce uniform sizing of the yarns or goods from day to day, or to suit
different qualities of material. To obviate these and other difficulties, and
to size the paper, yarn, or cloth, more evenly and effectually, with a saving
of the sizing material, is the object of the present Invention.
The Invention consists in the employment of steam, in combination with
pure starch or other sizing material directly upon the paper, yarn, or cloth
in the sizing vessel or receptacle, or upon the surface of the sizing roller or its
equivalent, in the manner herein-after described.
In carrying out this Invention, a steam pipe is arranged in connection with
a sizing vessel or receptacle, the said pipe extending lengthwise of the vessel
near to the edge of the same, and having a number of branch pipes communi-
cating therefrom into the vessel or receptacle, and provided with a vacuum
valve, and an escape cock together with a suitable induction valve for
The steam is ejected
regulating the supply of steam to the receptacle.
directly upon the paper, yarn, or cloth, from beneath the surface of the sizing

page_text: in the receptacle through perforations in the ends of the branch pipes, or a slit
cut in the end of each, or formed by flattening the same; the said perforations
or slits having the effect of distributing the steam and "sizing" together
equally upon the paper, yarn, or cloth. throughout the entire length of the
receptacle, and to keep the sizing liquid in a state of constant agitation, and
at a temperature at or above the boiling point in contact with the paper, yarn,
or cloth, the result being that the starch or sizing is thinned by the condensa-
tion of the steam and following or accompanying the same penetrates the
paper, yarn, or cloth to its inmost fibre, laying the fibres compactly together.
and producing an evenness and flexibility unattainable by the ordinary process
of sizing, the "sizing" being thus made to penetrate through the paper, yarn.
or cloth, instead of merely coating it in the ordinary way. By using steam in
combination with pure starch, or other sizing material in the receptacle, the
paper, yarn, or cloth, may be made to take up a greater or less quantity of the
sizing," by ejecting the steam more or less directly, upon the said paper.
yarn or cloth, the former result being produced when the steam is ejected
less directly thereupon, and it is this peculiarity of the Invention which distin-
guishes it from the use of boiling starch or "sizing," or that which has been
boiled in a separate vessel, it being insufficient that the starch or sizing" is
simply boiled in the receptacle, or that it is applied to the paper, yarn, or
cloth boiling hot, the steam must be ejected directly upon the material or
fabric carrying with it the diluted or finer particles of the starch or
sizing"
in order to produce the required result. Another and most important result
is obtained by using steam in combination with starch or other sizing material
in the manner described. So thoroughly is the starch or "sizing" agitated
and worked in the receptacle, that it becomes entirely disintegrated so that
every particle of starch is used and with such a degree of economy as to result
" material.
in a saving of nearly four-fifths in the consumption of the "sizing
The steam is ejected from. the branch pipes, more or less directly upon the
16
paper, yarn, or cloth, by raising or depressing the perforated ends of the pipes
with respect to the roller or other surface, over which the material or fabric
passes, and by increasing or diminishing the supply of steam by means of the
induction valve.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale
of about seven-eighths of an inch to a foot, and having similar letters of
reference marked upon corresponding parts of the mechanism in the various
Figures.
Fig. 1 is an end view of the improved machine, shewing the branch pipes

page_text: to conduct the steam to the sizing vessels, and also the direction of the yarn,
(shewn in red,) as under operation; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3
being a detached view, shewn in section of the sizing trough or vessel and
small steam pipes; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 5 is a
detached view of the.vacuum valve..
In Fig. 1, a, a, is the framing of the machine, in which, are supported the
yarn rollers b, b, (two being here shewn as example.) after passing through
the reeds or dividers. c. c. the yarn. passes under and between the rollers d, d,
the lower one running in the size troughs. c, e, and herein the yarn becomes
thoroughly permeated and saturated with size by the direct action of the steam
upon the yarn, which is introduced into the troughs e, e, by, means of. the
jets f. f. from the steam pipes g. g. The steam keeps the sizing material. in a
state of continual agitation, and at the required temperature; by this means
the starch or sizing material is caused to intermix with, and accompany the
steam ejected upon the yarns or paper, and thus to effect its thorough saturation
instead of sizing the surface only as when boiling sizing material is used with-
out the jets of steam. After the yarn or paper is thus sized, it passes over the
drying pipes g, g, to the finished beam h.
.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect. I wish it to be dis-
tinctly understood, that I do not claim the use of steam for boiling the sizing
material, but I claim the direct action of steam on the material under operation
in combination with any description of sizing material, in the sizing of yarns,
paper, or woven fabrics, for the purpose of effecting the thorough saturation
thereof, as herein-before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Draw-
ings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Boaler, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
WILLIAM BOALER. (L.S.)