mprovements in Apparatus for Mercerizing Fabrics and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1899
5th Mar., 1901
Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1899
Tomm Accepted, 5th Mar., 1901
Κυπριν
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
mprovements in Apparatus for Mercerizing Fabrics and the like.
JOHN ROBERTS ECOB, of 81 Brown Street, Methuen, County of Essex, State.
Massachusetts, United States of America, Dyer and Finisher, do hereby
lare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
This invention relates to apparatus for the mercerization of fabrics, and par-
ularly those in which a high lustre is desired. The invention has for its
ject to provide more efficient and satisfactory means than those heretofore
ployed, for preventing or reducing to the minimum the transverse shrinkago
caused by mercerization, and to avoid the use of tentering
the fabric, which
evices, which have been heretofore used for this purpose and which are
ecessarily unsatisfactory and comparatively inefficient in their operation and
njurious to the edge of the fabric.
The invention consists in a mercerizing apparatus comprising a tank or a
lurality of tanks for holding one or more of the liquids employed in mercerizing,
and a connected series of rolls arranged to conduct the fabric in a sinuous course
through said tanks or tanks, the fabric being held in close contact with said rolls
during its passage through the liquid or liquids in said tank or tanks, so that
no part of the fabric under treatment is free to contract laterally.
I prefer to arrange these rolls in upright relation, one above another, to secure
advantages of compactness and a desirable application of their weight to the
material, and it will be found of considerable advantage to gear the rolls together
and drive them positively; but a horizontal or other arrengement of such rolls,
and the use of means other than gravity to maintain them in proper relation
to the material under treament and each other, would not be outside the scope of
the invention.
A very high degree of efficiency may be obtained from an apparatus wherein
the material is led to and fro between, and in the most intimate peripheral
contact with, the respective members of a plurality of adjacent stacks of rolls,
to the squeezing action of which the material is subjected, preferably time after
time, while immersed in the fluid agent, and preferably not released from the
0 tenacious surfaces of the rolls throughout its period of immersion and until
set, or at such a stage that its contractile tendency shall have ceased to be
harmful.
I have devised a convenient form of such an apparatus, and with respect to
the features of broad novelty presented by said apparatus, I desire it to be under-
35 stood that I contemplate their utilization in any field where they may be used
to advantage.
40
The apparatus comprises a receptacle, which may be of any suitable contour
and material and is preferably a rectangular tank, preferably of iron when the
fluid agent is to be an alkali, as caustic soda.
The action of such a solution causes a very marked degree of shrinkage, t
the obviation of which my improvements are directed, and I have adopte
accordingly an arrangement of rolls adapted to yield an extraordinary resistan
The contractile tendency, leaving to the discretion of those skilled in the a

page_text: any variation of the arrangement of said rolls to suit the exigencies of particular
re-agents and materials.
Under the preferred arrangement, the system of rolls includes an upright
series or stack of rolls, which serve also to squeeze the material. There may
be four rolls in the series, these affording three regions of pressure upon the
material as it passes between adjacent rolls of the series.
In passing from one such region to the next, the material will hug the peri-
phery of the roll which it is about to leave, and will thus be held in close
frictional contact with said periphery, the material being positively grasped
between each roll and the next, so that the material while under treatment is
continuously controlled, the control being due to the positive grasp between each
roll and the next, and the frictional contact maintained against the intermediate
peripheral portions of the rolls.
Where it is desirable to prolong the period of immersion in the fluid contained
by the receptacle, an additional series may be provided; and in the instance
now being described, this takes the form of a second upright series extending
parallel with the first series above described, and to effect the convenient transfer
of the material from one to the other of these series I may employ an intermediate
roll located between and in contact with the lowest rolls of the two upright
series, thus insuring perfect continuity in the treatment of the material, a
feature which I have found of great advantage.
The support and actuation of these rolls may be accomplished in any suitable
manner, for example, the rolls may be geared each to its. neighbor, and driven
positively through the medium of the said intermediate roll, from a suitable
source of power.
Guide frames or other suitable means may be provided, to maintain the rolls
in upright relation, and bearing-blocks, or the like may be utilized for the
journals of the rolls, permitting, if desired, freedom of vertical movement, so that
by gravity the respective members of each series will be maintained in tangency
with neighboring rolls, even down to the said intermediate roll, the axle whereof
may find its seat, if desired, in a stationary bearing.
The apparatus may include an additional tank for acid, with a protective
cement lining and stacks or series of rolls, which may be similar in form and
arrangement to those already described in the alkali tank.
When it is desired to maintain perfect continuity in contact of the material
with neighboring roll surfaces throughout its period of treatment, one or more
rolls may be placed in position to co-operate with the uppermost roll in the second
series in the alkali tank and with the corresponding roll in the first series in
the acid tank.
"
It will be seen that I have provided a continuous series of rolls arranged to
conduct the material in a sinuous course through the tank or tanks. I mean
by the term " continuous as applied to the series of rolls, that each roll of
the series is adapted to meet or bear upon the sicceeding roll, so that the
material passing in a sinuous course between. the rolls is positively grasped
between each roll and the next, along the meeting lines of the rolls, and is held
in close frictional contact with the intermediate peripheral portions of the rolls,
or those portions of the rolls which support the material between the said meet-
ing lines. The material. is therefore continuously controlled, or held against
lateral shrinkage, during its passage through the tank or tanks, and is not left
free from the described control at any point where shrinkage is liable to occur.
It will readily be apparent that mercerizing apparatus built upon the system
above detailed is extremely flexible, inasmuch as variation may be had
desired, in the number of receptacles, the number of stacks in a receptacle, and
of rolls in a stack, so that from a single pair of rolls operating upon the material
while it is immersed, the series may be extended as desired and found suitable.
The resistance to the contractile tendency, and the squeezing of the material,
will be found to result in a high degree of lustre in the finished product, with
as

page_text: EcoUS
a minimum of attendance necessary, as will be easily understood
co-operation of the instrumentalities of the apparatus, few in number and lending
themselves readily to strength of construction.
While the novel features of my apparatus render it especially applicable to
the treatment of piece goods, nevertheless, it will be found suited to the treat-
ond the like.
Improvements in Apparatus for merceriz
I, JOHN ROBERTS ECOB, of No. 81 Brown Street, Methuen, in the County of
ssex and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Dyer and Finisher.
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
ollowing statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for the mercerization of fabrics, and par-
icularly those in which a high lustre is desired. The invention has for its
object to provide more efficient and satisfactory means than those heretofore
employed, for preventing or reducing to the minimum the transverse shrinkage
of the fabric, which is caused by mercerization, and to avoid the use of tentering
devices, which have been heretofore used for this purpose and which are
necessarily unsatisfactory and comparatively inefficient in their operation and
injurious to the edges of the fabric.
My invention consists in a mercerizing apparatus comprising a tank or a
plurality of tanks for holding one or more of the liquids employed in mercerizing,
and a connected series of rolls arranged to conduct the fabric in a sinuous course
through said tank or tanks, the fabric being held in close contact with said rolls
during its passage through the liquid or liquids in said tank or tanks, so that
no part of the fabric under treatment is free to contract laterally.
I prefer to arrange these rolls in upright relation, one above another, to secure
advantages of compactness, and a desirable application of their weight to the
material, and it will be found of considerable advantage to gear the rolls together
5 and drive them positively; but a horizontal or other arrangement of such rolls,
and the use of means other than gravity to maintain them in proper relation
to the material under treatment and each other, would not be outside the scope of
my invention.
A very high degree of efficiency may be obtained from an apparatus wherein
40 the material is led to and fro between, and in the most intimate peripheral
contact with, the respective members of a plurality of adjacent stacks of rolls,
to the squeezing action of which the material is subjected, preferably time after
time, while immersed in the fluid agent, and preferably not released from the
tenacious surfaces of the rolls throughout its period of immersion and unti
45 set, or at such a stage that its contractile tendency shall have ceased to b
harmful.
I have devised a convenient form of such an apparatus, and with respect t
the features of broad novelty presented by said apparatus, I desire it to be unde
stood that I contemplate their utilization in any field where they may be use
50 to advantage.
The various features of my invention will be illustrated and described fully
accompanying drawings and specification, and pointed out in the claims.

page_text: The drawing illustrates, in vertical longitudinal section, apparatus in the
construction of which my improvements have been embodied.
To enable my improvements in the art of mercerizing to be understood readily
and thoroughly, I have selected for illustration in connection with the following
description, an apparatus constituting one convenient form of apparatus embody-
ing my invention, and which presents certain improvements of construction to
which reference will be made more at length hereinafter.
a represents a receptacle, which may be of any suitable contour and material
and is here shown as a rectangular tank, preferably of iron when the fluid agent b
is to be an alkali, as caustic soda.
The action of such a solution causes a very marked degree of shrinkage, to
the obviation of which my improvements are directed, and I have illustrated
accordingly an arrangement of rolls adapted to yield an extraordinary resistance
to the contractile tendency, leaving to the discretion of those skilled in the art
any variation of the arrangement of said rolls. to suit the exigencies of particular
re-agents and materials.
:
As here shown, the system of rolls includes a plurality of rolls c, which serve
also to squeeze the material, and are arranged in upright series, to the number
of four to suit the proportions of the tank illustrated, and affording three regions
of pressure upon the material d as it passes between adjacent rolls of the series.
In passing from one such region to the next, the material will hug the peri-
phery of the roll which it is about to leave, and will thus be held in close
frictional contact with said periphery, the material being positively grasped
between each roll and the next, so that the material while under treatment is
continuously controlled, the control being due to the positive grasp between each
roll and the next, and the frictional contact maintained against the intermediate
peripheral portions of the rolls.
Where it is desirable to prolong the period of immersion in the fluid contained
by the receptacle, an additional series may be provided; and in the instance
illustrated, this takes the form of another upright series composed of rolls e,
and to effect the convenient transfer of the material from one to the other of
these series I have shown a roll f intermediate and preferably tangent, through
the material, to the respective lowest rolls ce, thus insuring perfect continuity
in the treatment of the material, a. feature which I have found of great advantage.
The support and actuation of these rolls may be accomplished in any suitable
manner, and as one convenient arrangement I have shown the rolls as geared
each to its neighbor, as at g, and driven positively through the medium of the
roll from a suitable source of power, not shown.
Guide frames or other suitable means h may be provided, to maintain the
rolls in upright relation, and bearing-blocks or the like i may be utilized for
the journals of the rolls, permitting, if desired, freedom of vertical move-
ment, so that by gravity the respective members of each series will be maintained
in tangency with neighboring rolls, even down to the roll f, the axle k whereof
may find its seat, if desired, in a stationary bearing m.
For the sake of illustrating the flexibility of my improvement in the art of
mercerizing, may be considered as a tank for acid o, with a protective cement
lining p and stacks of rolls gr, which for the sake of convenience in illustration
have been shown as similar in form and arrangement to those already described.
When it is desired to maintain perfect continuity in contact of the material
with neighboring roll surfaces throughout its period of treatment, one or more
rolls may be placed in position to co-operate with the uppermost rolls in the
series c and respectively.
"
It will be seen that I have provided a continuous series of 1olls arranged to
conduct the material in a sinuous course through the tank or tanks. I mean
by the term continuous as applied to the series of rolls, that each roll of
the series is adapted to meet or bear upon the succeeding roll, so that the
material passing in a sinuous course between the rolls is positively grasped

page_text: Ecob's
een each roll and the next, along the meeting mes
as
lose frictional contact with the intermediate peripheral portions of
hose portions of the rolls which support the material between the said meet-
lines. The material is therefore continuously controlled, or held against
ral shrinkage, during its passage through the tank or tanks, and is not left
e from the described control at any point where shrinkage is liable to occur.
It will be readily apparent that mercerizing apparatus built upon the system
ove detailed is extremely flexible, inasmuch as variation may be had
sired, in the number of receptacles, the number of stacks in a receptacle, and
rolls in a stack, so that from a single pair of rolls operating upon the material
hile it is immersed, the series may be extended as desired and found suitable.
The resistance to the contractile tendency, and the squeezing of the material,
ill be found to result in a high degree of lustre in the finished product, with
minimum of attendance necessary, as will be easily understood from the close
o-operation of the instrumentalities of the apparatus, few in number and lending
hemselves readily to strength of construction.
While the novel features of my apparatus render it especially applicable to
the treatment of piece goods, nevertheless it will be found suited to the treat-
ment of warp and the like.
Having thus fully disclosed my improvements in the art of mercerizing, and
suitable apparatus for carrying the same into effect, it will be understood that
I do not limit myself to the exact means illustrated, nor, with respect to the
novel features of the apparatus, to the exact materials nor construction detailed,
nor in general otherwise than as set forth in the claims.
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. Mercerizing apparatus comprising a tank, and a continuous series of rolls
arranged to conduct the fabric in a sinuous course through the tank, the fabric
30 being held continuously in close contact with the rolls during its passage through
the mercerizing liquid, whereby shrinkage of the fabric is prevented.
2. Mercerizing apparatus comprising a tank, and a continuous series of rolls
arranged to conduct the fabric in a sinuous course. through the tank, the fabric
being held against shrinkage during its passage through the mercerizing liquid
35 by the positive grasp maintained on it by the meeting portions of the rolls, and
by frictional contact maintained between it and the intermediate periphera
portions of the rolls.
3. Mercerizing apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks, and a connecto
series of rolls arranged to conduct the fabric in a sinuous course through t
40 tanks successively, the fabric being held continuously in close contact with t
rolls during its passage through each tank and in its passage from tank to tan
4. Mercerizing apparatus comprising a tank, and a continuous series of ro
arranged to conduct the fabric in a sinuous course through the tank, the fab
being held continuously in close contact with the rolls during its passage throu
tank for the mercerizing fluid
45 the mercerizing liquid, said rolls being geared together and driven positive
5. Mercerizing apparatus, comprising a
plurality of stacks of contact rolls located in said tank, a roll located within
tank and contacting with each of the lowermost rolls of adjacent stacks,
means for rotating the several rolls whereby the fabric is in continuous con
50 with the rolls from the moment it enters until the moment it leaves
mercerizing fluid.
6. Mercerizing apparatus, comprising a tank for the mercerizing fluid
adjacent tank for the reception of another fluid, a plurality of stacks, of
tacting rolls located in each of the said tanks, rolls located within each of
55 tanks and contacting with the lowermost rolls of adjacent stacks in ea
said tanks, a roll located between said tanks and contacting with the uppe

page_text: rolls of adjacent stacks of the respective tanks, and means for driving the several
rolls whereby the fabric from the moment it enters the mercerizing fluid until
the moment when the whole process is completed is in continuous contact with
the surface of the rolls.
37
7. Mercerizing apparatus, comprising a tank or tanks, a plurality of vertically
arranged stacks of rolls located in said tank or tanks, rolls contacting with
adjacent stacks where by a continuous series of contacting rolls is formed, bearing
blocks for the shafts of the rolls forming the respective stacks guide frames in
which said bearing blocks are mounted to slide vertically, and means for rotating
the several rolls whereby the fabric during its passage through the apparatus
is kept in continuous contact with the roll surfaces, and is nipped at intervals
with great pressure between the rolls.
8. Mercerizing apparatus comprising a tank, a series of contact rolls of sub-
stantially equal diameter (as illustrated by the drawings) located within said
tank, whereby one fabric is kept in continuous contact with the surface of the
rolls during its immersion in the tank.
9. Mercerizing apparatus, comprising a tank, a series of contact rolls located
within the said tank, certain of said rolls being arranged to form a plurality of
vertical stacks, bearing blocks for the journals of the rolls arranged in stacks
guideways in which said bearing blocks are fitted to slide, whereby the fabric
in its passage through the tank is kept in continuous contact with the surface of
the rolls and squeezed at frequent intervals with great pressure.
10. Mercerizing apparatus comprising a vat, and a rotatable roll c or q to
sustain the fabric while it is entering the mercerizing fluid and other rolls c or q
to sustain said fabric continuously throughout its passage through the merceriz-
ing fluid.
11. Mercerizing apparatus comprising a vat containing a series of tangent
rolls to be rotated in the mercerizing fluid, and continuously support a fabric
from selvage to selvage throughout the travel of said fabric through the said
fluid.
12. Mercerizing apparatus comprising a vat containing a series of tangent
rolls to be rotated in the mercerizing fluid in said vat, said rolls being rotated
positively to feed the material through said fluid, said rolls maintaining con-
tinuous contact with said material while in said fluid.
Dated this 4th day of September 1900.
JOHN R. ECOB
Per Samuel Hey
Agent.