IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING YARNS AND WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Symington, of Kettle, in the County of Fife,
North Britain, Watchmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DRYING YARNS AND WOVEN FABRICS."
Sealed the 10th March 1857, and dated the 14th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Symington at.
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th November 1856.
I, ANDREW SYMINGTON, of Kettle, in the County of Fife, North Britain,
Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING YARNS AND WOVEN FABRICS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements of
apparatus for drying yarns and woven fabrics, or other similar substances,
whereby such substances are rapidly dried, without being creased or injured in
any way.
According to one arrangement of apparatus for drying yarns, it is proposed
to employ a number of rollers, arranged to bear at each extremity upon two
inclines in the upper part of a drying chamber, the central portion of the
rollers having the spindles of wet yarn spread over them. These spindles
of yarn are held in a state of tension by means of other rollers, which are sus-
pended in the hanks or spindles, and are of sufficient weight to keep the yarn
stretched, the yarn hanging in a perpendicular direction. A current of hot air

page_text: is directed into one side or end of the drying chamber, and escapes by the
opposite side or end, and in its passage effectually dries the yarn. As fast as
each roller of yarn is dried it is removed through a door at the lower end
of the inclines, whereupon the rest of the rollers descend by their own gravity
to fill up the space left by the withdrawal of the last roller; and this descent
of the rollers, which causes them to rotate, imparts a travelling motion to the
hanks or spindles of yarn passed over them, and thereby prevents them from
becoming creased or marked by the action of the suspended stretcher rollers.
As fast as a roller is withdrawn at one end of the chamber a fresh one with
wet yarn is introduced at the other, the process of drying being continuous.
In place of putting the rollers on inclined surfaces or rails, they may be
carried on horizontal bearing surfaces, and made to travel or roll along it by
means of an endless chain or belt, which is passed over them, or by any other
convenient arrangement of mechanism actuated by hand or by power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Andrew Symington in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
SYMINGTON, of Kettle, in the County of Fife, North Britain, Watchmaker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight, hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Andrew Symington, Her special license that I, the said Andrew Syming-
ton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Andrew Symington, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during tho term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,.
use, oxerciso, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING YARNS AND WOVEN FABRICS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Andrew Symington, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of tho 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.

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Symington, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say -
My said Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements
of apparatus for drying yarns and woven fabrics, or other similar substances,
whereby such substances are rapidly dried without being creased or injured in
any way.
According to one arrangement of apparatus for drying yarns it is proposed
to employ a number of rollers, arranged to bear at each extremity upon two
inclines in the upper part of a drying chamber, the central portion of the
rollers having the spindles of wet yarn spread over them. These spindles
of yarn are held in a state of tension by means of other rollers, which are sus-
pended in the hanks, and are of sufficient weight to keep the yarn stretched,
the yarn hanging in a perpendicular direction. A current of hot air is
directed into one side or end of the drying chamber, and escapes by the
opposite side or end, and in its passage effectually dries the yarn.
As fast as
each roller of yarn is dried it is removed through a door at the lower end
of the inclines, whereupon the rest of the rollers descend by their own gravity
to fill up the space left by the withdrawal of the last roller; and this descent
of the rollers, which causes them to rotate, imparts a travelling motion to the
hanks of yarn passed over them, and thereby prevents them from becoming
creased or marked by the action of the suspended stretcher rollers. As fast as
a roller is withdrawn at one end of the chamber a fresh one with wet yarn is
introduced at the other, the process of drying being continuous.
In place of putting the rollers on inclined surfaces or rails they may be
carried on horizontal bearing surfaces, and made to travel or roll along it
by means of an endless chain or belt, which is passed over them, or by any
other convenient arrangement of mechanism actuated by hand or by power.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more fully to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall refer to
the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section, and
Figure 2 a transverse section, of one form of the apparatus.
A is a drying chamber, fitted at the top with hinged lids B, B, and at
bottom with pipes C, C, for admitting hot air, which is evenly dispersed

page_text: through the chamber by passing through perforated plates D, D. The
yarn is suspended in hanks over the rollers E, E, and is held in a state
of tension either by the weight of lower rollers F, F, hung in the loops
of the hanks, or by an arrangement, such as is shown in Figure 3, where
Frepresents a light frame, suspended from the ends of the upper roller E,
and having slots at its lower part in which the ends of the lower roller
Fare free to move; and F" are springs, drawing down these ends so as to
strain the yarns hung from the upper roller E. Each of the upper rollers E
has at each end a flanged pulley G; bearing on two inclined rails H, II,
extending along the sides of the chamber.
upper rollers E is fitted a loose sheave I,
keep the several rollers apart, so that the
against those on the neighbouring ones.
fitted two frames K & L, made to slide transversely on rollers M, M', through
slots provided in the sides of the chamber.
Also at each end of each of the
of sufficiently large diameter to
yarns on one roller may not rub
Near the ends of the chamber aro
. I will now describe the mode of using the apparatus:-Supposing the drying
chamber A to be full of rollers containing banks of yarn, and that it is requisito
to remove the lowest roller E' (Fig. 1), which rests upon two short ledges or
portions of rails N fixed to the frame, having small stops O at their extremetics
to prevent the roller from running off them. Before withdrawing the frame L
containing the roller Ea small catch P, fitted to any convenient portion of the
drying chamber, is turned or adjusted in such a manner as to prevent the
descent along the inclined rails of the roller E" next the one to be removed,
and of all above it. The frame L is now pulled out, drawing with it the roller
E', which may be removed; and as this frame is made double, and carries a
second set of short ledges or rails, the withdrawal of one side carrying tho
roller introduces the other or empty side into the drying chamber; and when
its ledges come into such a position as to form continuations of the rails H, the
catch P is turned back, so far as to releaso the rollers on the inclined rails and
allow them to descend until the lowest of the series enters the vacant space in
the frame L, and is arrested by the stop O. A corresponding vacancy is thus
formed at the upper end of the rails, which is filled up by the introduction of a
fresh roller, by pushing in one half of the frame K, which has been previously
charged with a roller, the empty half protruding outside in readiness for
another roller when required. A small catch Q is fitted to the frame K for the
purpose of holding the roller upon it during its insertion into the drying
chamber; and this catch is turned back out of the way when the roller is iu
its proper position in the chamber, so as to leave it free to descend the inclined
rails on the withdrawal of the bottom roller of the series.

page_text: The rotation of the rollers as they descend the inclined rails constantly shifts
the yarns, and thus prevents them from creasing at the parts where they are
suspended.
In place of the rollers revolving, they may be placed on loose spindles
or axles, which carry the flanged pullies G, so that as they descend the rollers
will not revolve, but merely the spindle inside, thus holding the yarn stationary
on the rollers.
Although I have shewn an apparatus fitted with inclined rails, for the
purpose of allowing the rollers to descend by their own gravity, I do not confine
myself to that particular arrangement, as the rollers may be made to travel
through the drying chamber, and thereby constantly shift the yarns by placing
them on horizontal rails, and using an endless chain or other suitable
mechanical contrivance acting on the extremity of the rollers, for the purpose
of causing them to travel along the chamber.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the general constructions
and arrangements of apparatus for drying yarns and woven fabrics, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Symington, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
ANDREW SYMINGTON. (LS.)