IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRYING TISSUES, FELTS, THREADS, AND TEXTILE MATERIALS, AND FOR DESTROYING AT THE SAME TIME, IF NECESSARY, ANY VEGETABLE MATTER WHICH MAY BE CONTAINED IN THE FIBROUS ANIMAL MATERIAL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Théophile Moison, Engineer, of 13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRYING
TISSUES, FELTS, THREADS, AND TEXTILE MATERIALS, AND FOR DESTROYING AT
THE SAME TIME, IF NECESSARY, ANY VEGETABLE MATTER WHICH MAY BE
CONTAINED IN THE FIBROUS ANIMAL MATERIAL,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Théophile Moison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1874.
I, THEOPHILE MOISON, Engineer, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, do
" IMPROVEMENTS IN
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
MACHINES FOR DRYING TISSUES, FELTS, THREADS, AND TEXTILE MATERIALS, AND
FOR DESTROYING AT THE SAME TIME, IF NECESSARY, ANY VEGETABLE MATTER WHICH
MAY BE CONTAINED IN THE FIBROUS ANIMAL MATERIAL," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist.
-

page_text: a series of angular cells or compartments radiating to the centre. I close
one end of said cylinder hermetically with a full plate and the other
end with a similar plate through which I make a series of apertures
arranged in a circle one of which opening into each compartment and
which serve for the introduction of a current of hot air for the purpose
of drying tissues and other materials as aforesaid.
Secondly. In the means of introducing the said hot air into a certain
number of compartments for this purpose whilst the said cylinder is
rotating. I cover the said apertures with a circular stationary hollow
plate into which the hot air is introduced, the hollowed part being of such
a form that it only establishes a communication with a given number
of cells, whilst the remainder of the circle being solid closes the balance
of said apertures, thus rotary motion being imparted to the cylinder this
hollow plate or distributor will constantly admit the hot air to a given
number of cells whilst it intercepts its passage to the remainder of
said cells.
Thirdly. In the adaptation on the same plate with this machine of
a reciprocating pump or any other appropriate machine of the same
nature in connection with a heating apparatus for the purpose of
creating the requisite amount of air at the requisite pressure, and of
heating the same in its passage to the drying cylinder.
Fourthly. In a novel means of stretching the tissue automatically in
the direction of its width previous to passing the same on the points of
the drying cylinder. For this purpose I cause the tissue to pass over a
smaller cylinder equally provided with the points on its outer extremity,
such points being inserted into small sliding bars arranged round the
circumference in the direction of the axis of the cylinder. The
extremites of these sliding bars remain during their rotation in contact
with a fixed curvilinear cam of such a shape as to impart to them
sliding motion which is regulated in such a manner that on the tissue
being inserted on the same the corresponding points are approached
towards one another to their utmost limit whilst by the rotation of the
said small cylinder they are gradually separated, thus stretching the
tissue until the same is brought in contact with the points of the drying.
cylinder to which it is transferred in its dilated state.
Fifthly. In a novel manner of adjusting the working length of the
drying cylinder to the width of the tissue to be dried, for which purpose:

page_text: I apply to one end of said cylinder a sliding concentric tube of such a
diameter as to pass over the drying cylinder, the points for holding one
edge of the tissue being attached to the said sliding tube.
Sixthly. For the purpose of destroying during the process of drying
effected in my machine any vegetable matter contained in fibrous
animal matter undergoing the operation of drying. I impregnate the
material with a solution of water, acidulated preferably with sulphuric
acid; the concentration of this acid produced by the drying operation
gives rise to a chemical reaction, having for effect the destruction of said
vegetable matter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Théophile Moison in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THÉOPHILE
MOISON, Engineer, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Théophile Moison, Her
special license that I, the said Théophile Moison, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Théophile Moison,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRYING TISSUES, FELTS, THREADS, AND
TEXTILE MATERIALS, AND FOR DESTROYING AT THE SAME TIME, IF NECESSARY, ANY
VEGETABLE MATTER WHICH MAY BE CONTAINED IN THE FIBROUS ANIMAL MATERIAL,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Théophile Moison,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing, under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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
""

page_text: ment of the cylinder. The two heads may if requisite be united by tye
bars.
In order to feed and distribute the hot air in the compartments of the
cylinder A I adapt externally in contact with the head 1ª a distributing
plate 7, which is mounted on the shaft 4, and pushed against the head
by springs 8, 8. The hot air is fed into the distributor by the pipe 9,
and it enters the cylinder A by the opening 10, which remains constantly
in communication with a certain number of the upper compartments,
say rather more than half the circumference, whilst a full part 11 inter-
cepts the passage of the hot air in the other compartments situated
below. Under these circumstances, if the cylinder A is rotated, the
hot air will penetrate into each of the upper compartments, and will
pass out of the circumference of cylinder through the tissue, which will
be thus completely dried; the lower part of the cylinder, the compart-
ments of which are not covered with tissue, are not fed with the
hot air.
The stream of hot air may be created in any appropriate manner, and
the machinery for this purpose may be placed and driven as most advisable.
The same applies to the apparatus for heating the said air; however I
prefer for this purpose the arrangement indicated at Figures 1 and 3,
Sheet 1, in which B is the blower, composed of two rotating pistons
drawing in cold air by the opening 12, and forcing it out directly in the
heater C, which consists in a metallic case charged with tubes, a steam
inlet being placed at 13, and an outlet for condensation at 14. The air
driven through the tubes is heated by their contact with the steam,
passes through the pipe 9, and from thence, enters the cylinder A, as
above explained.
The majority of tissues to be dried require to be first stretched in the
direction of their width, which operation is effected in a self-acting
manner on the machine and whilst it is at work by means of a double
series of pin bars 15, one of which is placed on the extremity 1ª of the
cylinder A and the other on the inner extremity of the sliding tube D,
and of a pair of circular brushes 16 made of bristles, as shewn in
Figures 3 and 4, or a simple roller covered with a yielding material,
such as coarse cloth. These bars, which are shewn full size in Figures
1 and 2, plate 2, consist each in a metallic rod 15 provided at one
extremity with a pin 17 for the purpose of penetrating in the tissue, and

page_text: of a lug 18 at its other extremity, by means of which it is moved at the
proper moment in one direction towards the selvages of the tissue, and
in the other direction in order to stretch the same whilst it is being
dried, besides which each bar is provided at its front end with a little
plate 19, denominated feeler, attached to a wire 20, the other extremity
of which is jointed to a pawl 21, articulated on a lug 22, rivetted to the
bar 15, the point of which enters at the requisite moment one of the
teeth of the stationary rack 61.
Just as the tissue is driven on the pins 17 by their passage under the
brushes or rollers 16 the bars, by the contact of their lugs 18 with the
inclined planes 23, have been advanced into the position indicated at
Figure 1, and immediately afterwards the cylinder A, continuing its
rotation, the lugs 18 abandon the inclined planes 23 and pass behind
those 24, which bring them rapidly back to the original position, thereby
stretching the tissue, and they are maintained in this position by the
concentric cam 25 until they arrive at their starting point, where the
same action takes place, and so on, but as the pawl 21 is geared into one
of the teeth of the rack 61 before the bar can be advanced it has to be
disengaged, which I effect by means of the small protuberance 64,
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 2, it follows that as the tissue is attached to the
pins it is constantly stretched and maintained stretched on the cylinder
until it abandons the machine in a thoroughly dried state.
In order to diminish the friction of the lugs 18 against the concentric
cams 25 I suppress the greater part of the latter and make use of the
pawl 21 to maintain the bar 15; for this purpose I place at the point
where the lug abandons the cam 25 a small projection, which pushes the
bar sufficiently inwards for the point of the pawl to enter one of the teeth
of the stationary rack 61.
The selvages of the tissues operated on are also generally irregular in
order to ensure that the pins always penetrate the same at the required
distance, and that the said selvages are not turned over I employ in the
following manner the above-mentioned parts 19, 20, 21, 22, 61, as well
as the inclined arm 23 hung and balanced at 62. Directly the feeler 19
touches the selvage during the advance of the bar 15 it is pushed back
by the selvage until the point of the pawl 21 enters one of the teeth of
the stationary rack 61, it follows then that as the said arm cannot
advance the bar any further towards the tissue it yields itself by turning

page_text: on its centre 62 until the lug 18 has passed to the end of it; and on
the lug meeting the second inclined plane 24 the bar is drawn back and
stretches the tissue as required, and as above described. This arrange-
ment has also the desirable effect of imparting to the tissue on leaving
the machine perfectly straight and regular selvages.
If preferred I replace the pins and concomitant parts above mentioned
by the nippers, Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 2, which consist in a lower
jaw 26 terminating the inner end of the bar 15 and an upper jaw 27
hinged at 28 on the said bar at the proper moment of the rotation of
the cylinder A. These bars are advanced by the lug 18, as in the above-
described arrangement, and at that moment the extremity 27* of the
upper jaw comes in contact with the inclined plane 29, which raising
this said extremity closes the jaws on the selvage of the stuff, and at the
same moment a smaller inclined plano 30 raises the key 31, which it
lifts under the projection 32, and thus maintains the nipper closed.
After that the lug 18 pushed back by an inclined plane similar
to 24. draws back the nipper, thus stretching the tissue. These bars
with the nipper are maintained in this latter position whilst the tissue is
being dried, as above described, but with this difference nevertheless
that just before the dry tissue leaves the cylinder the nippers are opened
by an inclined plane and then drawn back sufficiently to clear the
selvage of the tissue. This action of the several parts is continued
until the entire piece of tissue has been passed through the machine.
As the widths of the stuffs to be dried in the machine will naturally
vary I have adapted the machine to these different widths by the
adjunction of a sliding tube D which can be passed over one extremity
of the cylinder A by simply rotating the handle 33, and as the pin
bars 15, the cams 23, 24, and 25, as well as the brushes 16 are
attached to the said sliding tube D, it follows that these essential parts
will also travel with it and will constantly occupy the requisite positions
in order to act on the selvages whatever the width of the tissue may
be.
In Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, the sliding tube D is shown drawn back
uncovering the cylinder A to its utmost limit; this tube D turns with
the cylinder and is supported at one end on the said cylinder and at the
other on the shaft 4 by its boss 34, on which is fitted loosely a large
plate 35, which is kept in place by the nut 36. This plate is provided

page_text: also with two tapped bosses 37, in which are passed the screws 38
rotating in bearings 39 cast with the frame 6, and provided externally
with pinions 40 gearing in a spur wheel 41 running loose on the
external extremity of the shaft 4, consequently by the aid of these parts
the tube can be pushed on the cylinder or drawn from the same by a
simply rotating the handle 33.
If preferred I suppress the spur wheel 41 and connect the two
pinions 40 by means of an endless chain. The internal extremities of
the screws turn in the bearings 42, which are cast with the double
lever 43 keyed on the stationary shaft 44, whilst its outer extremities 1
are provided with bosses sliding on the rods 45. A certain number of
similar rods 46 also start from the plate 35 and serve to maintain in
their places the cams or arms 23, 24, and 25, which impart the to-and-
fro motion to the pin bars as well as the brushes 16.
An ordinary packing is inserted in the groove 60 of the head 1 in 1
order to prevent the air from escaping at the part where the sliding
tube rides over cylinder.
If instead of blowing the air through the machine suction is preferred
the stream must be reversed and will therefore penetrate at the surface
of the cylinder corresponding with the compartments in communication 2
with the distributor, which acts as an escapement valve. The heating
apparatus is in this case placed over the cylinder, of which it covers
about one-half of the circumference, and it is brought as near the
surface thereof as convenient in practice.
To dry thread and textile materials I make use of the arrangement 2
shown in Figure 6, Sheet 2, in which I employ an endless apron 64
passed over rollers 65, and travelling in the direction of the arrow. In
this case the distributor must be arranged to feed the lower com-
partments of the cylinder A.
The machine is driven by a strap passed over the pulley 47, by the 3
two pinions 48 of the blower; by the friction pulley 49 which rotates
the horizontal plate 50 at any required speed according to the position
of the friction pulley which is worked by the hand wheel 51, by the
worm 52 keyed on the same vertical shaft 53 as the plate 50, and which
gears in the worm wheel 54 keyed on the main shaft 4 of the machine. 3
The tissue to be dried is rolled on the cylinder 55, and this cylinder is
mounted in the open bearings 56 of the side frame 6 and its extremity

page_text: warm the current thus produced, and which is then directed into the
distributor as above described.
Fourthly. The construction and working of the sliding pin bars and
their accessory parts to stretch the tissue on the cylinder itself before
drying it, or their mechanical equivalents.
Fifthly. The construction and working of the sliding tube D for
adjusting the machine to the different widths of tissue to be tried.
And, Sixthly. The utilisation in my machine of the well known pro-
cess for destroying vegetable matter contained in tissues of animal
matter by means of an acidulated solution, whereby this destruction is 1
effected simultaneously with the drying, as above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Théophile Moison, havo hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witnesses,
D. H. BRANDON,
Engineer,
13, Rue Gaillon,
P. PARBURY,
Paris.
13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris.
T. MOISON. (L.S.)