Improvements in the Method of and Means for Imparting a Silky Lustre to Fabrics having a Vegetable Origin.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1899
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Imparting a Silky
Lustre to Fabrics having a Vegetable Origin. -
I, ARTHUR ASHWORTH, of the Fernhill Chemical Works, Bury, in the County
of Lancaster, Chemical Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
-
It is now well known that a silky lustre may be imparted to cotton goods as well
as to other textile materials and fabrics having a vegetable origin, if they are
stretched during mercerisation or immediately after mercerisation, and are kept
in the stretched condition until the mercerising liquor has been removed from the
material, or has been neutralised on rendered inoperative for mercerisation.
In carrying out my present invention I produce the silky lustre on cloths in the
following manner and substantially by the means hereinafter described. I may
proceed in various ways, but will describe the method which I have hitherto found
more convenient in practice. The cloth is first passed under a roller in a tank
containing the caustic soda solution. After being submerged in the solution, the
cloth passes through mangle rollers to stretching rollers which stretch the cloth
in a direction at right angles with the selvedges. Thence the cloth is passed, still
in the stretched condition, if desired, to the chamber or part of the apparatus where
the caustic solution still in the cloth can be washed out, neutralised or rendered in-
operative. The stretching rollers are constructed with a larger diameter at their ends
than near the centre; that is to say they taper towards the middle where the diameter
is smallest. In use the cloth is opened out over the stretching rollers and put into
tension. Each selvedge then tends to ride up to the larger diameter of the roller
and transverse stretching is produced. There may be as many of these rollers as
may be necessary and as may be determined by the work to be done.
The cloth may alternatively be passed into the mercerising bath over stretching
rollers, and other obvious modifications may be made.
The stretching rollers may have their surfaces either plain or serrated or corru-
gated.
Dated this 25th day of March A.D. 1898.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Imparting a Silky
Lustre to Fabrics having a Vegetable Origin.
I, ARTHUR ASHWORTHI, of the Fernhill Chemical Works, Bury, in the County
of Lancaster, Chemical Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
[Duind S77

page_text: tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement; —
It is now well known that a silky lustre may be imparted to cotton goods as well
as to some other textile materials and fabrics having a vegetable origin, if the goods
are mercerised and stretched during or immediately after mercerisation and are kept
in the stretched condition until the mercerising liquor has been removed from the
material or has been neutralised or rendered inoperative for mercerisation.
In carrying out my present invention I produce the silky lustre upon suitable
cloths in the manner and substantially by the means hereinafter described with
reference to the accompanying drawings. In these drawings,
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the machine which I may employ
for the purpose of my invention. Details of this machine are separately drawn to
a larger scafe in Figure 2, which illustrates a longitudinal section of the mercerising
tank Figure 3, which shews a front view of a pair of the coned rollers; and
Figures 4 and 5, which represent respectively a plan and side view of the same
rollers.
At that end of the machine at which the cloth C is entered, there is a mercerising
tank M which is supplied when in use with a strong cold solution of caustic soda.
In this tank there is suspended a cylindrical roller A, which may be raised out of
the solution by means of the handle B. Provision may be made for holding this
handle in its lowest position, when the roller is out of use. The cloth is guided
into and out of the tank by means of the guide rollers r, r, from the last of which
it passes to and between the nipping or squeezing rollers R R, the upper roller
being adjustable so that the pressure may be regulated at will. Beyond the
rollers RR, there is arranged a series of stretching rollers S S, which series is
divided into sections separated by additional pairs of nipping rollers R1, R2, R³,
with a final pair of such rollers R. It is to be understood that the number of
stretching rollers, and consequently the number of sections and of nipping rollers
may be varied according to the character of the work to be done in the machine,
the maximum number required for ordinary work, according to my present ex-
perience being about 24 stretching rollers in sections, each containing six or eight
of the rollers.
The stretching rollers, separately shewn by Figures 3, 4, and 5, are constructed
with a larger diameter at their outer ends than near the centre line of the machine
that is to say, they taper toward the middle of the machine where their diameter is
smallest. In each section, the axes of these rollers are inclined in the direction of
the travel of the cloth, and they may all also incline upwards as indicated by
Figures 3, 4, and 5. But in the section or sections nearer to the end of the
machine, alternative pairs of axes may be inclined downwards as hereinafter
referred to. Between each of the pairs of stretching rollers S, there may be arranged
a carrier roller T which may, if desired, be positively driven, and the spindle of
which may be carried in brackets t, (Figure 5), adjustable upon the fixed transverse
shaft G, upon which shaft also are fixed the brackets H, H1, H2, which carry the
spindles of the stretching rollers S. In the end section or in the end sections, or
in all the sections if thought desirable, the carrier rollers T may be dispensed with,
by arranging that the axes of the pairs of stretching rollers shall be inclined
alternately above and below the horizontal plane as indicated by the diagram
Figure 6. With this arrangement in the spraying sections, the cloth when passing
under the rollers which have their axes inclined downwards, forms a kind of local
trough which retains some of the washing water until it is forced through the cloth
by contact with the rollers. The washing in the sections may thereby be made
more effective. This washing is accomplished in the end section or sections by
means of the transverse perforated pipes D D, connected with a water service.
At the end of the machine, two tanks F, are shewn, although one only, or
in some cases none, may be employed. In each of these tanks there is a series
of guide rollers 9 g, under and over which the cloth passes in order that it may

page_text: be thoroughly treated by the liquid contained in the tank. At the issuing end
of each tank there is arranged another pair of nipping rollers R R. When both
tanks are used, the first, E, may be supplied with acidulated water to neutralise
any soda still left in the cloth which reaches it from the machine, and the tank F
may be supplied with plain water.
Shallow troughs, supported by the framing I of the machine may be arranged
below the stretching rollers S, with suitable outlets to convey liquid therefrom to
appropriate receivers. These troughs catch and collect any liquid dropping from
the cloth.
The several sections constituting the series of stretching rollers, instead of being
arranged in a single horizontal range, may, where floor space is valuable, be
arranged one above the other in parallel horizontal series or they may be arranged
with all the rollers in each section in about a vertical plane and with the sections
parallel so as to form parallel vertical series. Or, they may be otherwise arranged
as may be more convenient to suit the local conditions of use.
The travel of the cloth through the machine is brought about by means of the
several pairs of nipping rollers It, R", the lower roller of each pair being of the same
diameter and being positively driven for example by means of bevel gearing from
a rotating shaft extending the whole length of the machine and carried by brackets
on the machine frame.
All the rollers with which the cloth comes into contact may be made of iron,
well coated with gutta-percha or analogous material which will resist the action
of the liquids which may come into contact with it.
In the case of the first pair of nipping or mangle rollers R, where the lower
roller is always wet with the soda solution or protected by the soda, the lower roller
may be uncoated.
The cloth is led into the machine under the roller in the mercerising tank M,
where it becomes thoroughly saturated with the mercerising liquor. Thence it is
drawn by the nipping rollers R, which press out excess of liquid, and deliver it to
the first of the stretching rollers S whence it passes over other stretching rollers to the
second pair of nipping rollers R' which deliver it to the stretching rollers in the
second section. In like manner the cloth passes through all the sections and
finally, through the tanks E F', being continuously pulled in a longitudinal direction
by the nipping rollers and in a transverse direction by the action of the stretching
rollers. The essential condition that the tension of the cloth must be maintained
until the action of the caustic soda is finished, or until the caustic soda is neutral-
ised, washed away or otherwise rendered inactive is thus fulfilled. When the
washing away of the caustic soda in the machine is required before the cloth reaches
the tank E, this may be ensured by spraying water through the pipes D D as herein-
before described.
When the cloth leaves the last pair of nipping rollers it may either be conducted
direct to a drying apparatus, or to the pendulum motion J, by means of which it
may be folded upon a trolley K, for removal.
The nipping rollers in addition to having the upper rollers adjustable may have
them also forced into contact by weighted levers as indicated by Figures 1, and 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what. I
claim is:-
4
1. An apparatus for imparting a silky lustre to woven fabrics by the aid of
mercerisation, constructed arranged and operating substantially as herein before
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. The hereinbefore described process for imparting a silky lustre to fabrics,
which consists in passing the fabric through a mercerising bath, then between
nipping rollers and through successive series of conical stretching and of nipping
rollers, in washing the fabric while passing over the latter stretching rollers, and

page_text: in finally passing the fabric through a washing bath or baths, substantially as
and by the means set forth.
3. In an apparatus for imparting a silky lustre to woven fabrics by the aid of
mercerisation, the combination with a series of conical stretching rollers divided
into sections, of a pair of nipping rollers at the commencement of the first section
and at the end of each section, and carrier rollers between the stretching rollers,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described, and as illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
4. In an apparatus for imparting a silky lustre to woven fabrics by the aid of
mercerisation, and in which apparatus a series of conical stretching rollers is used,
arranging the axes of these rollers or some of them to incline alternately above and
below the horizontal plane, substantially as herein before described and as illus-
trated by Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of January D 1800