Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Printing and Tinting Thread, Yarn, Rovings, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1893-Accepted, 1st July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JULES FLORIN-LECLERCQ, of 9, Rue de Florence,
Paris, in the French Republic, Engineer.]
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Printing and
Tinting Thread, Yarn, Rovings, and the like.
I, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS of 70 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the method of and apparatus for printing or tinting
textile threads yarns rovings and the like of all kinds, and its object is to effect the
printing or tinting continuously with or without the superposition of colour upon
the threads yarn rovings or the like (hereinafter called the threads) whilst a
number of them are passing through the apparatus side by side in a kind of sheet.
The formation of this sheet, which resembles the warp of a loom, may be effected in
various known ways and need not therefore be described more fully than hereinafter
appears.
According to this invention, the threads are printed or tinted separately, since
each thread is isolated by a small space from its neighbours, are afterwards dried,
and finally wound upon bobbins reels swifts or beams as may be desired. It will
be evident that a large number of threads of indefinite length may be simultaneously
operated on continuously and that the operation will therefore be much more
expeditious and economical than at present.
The effect of this invention is to radically change the existing methods of
printing and tinting, which has hitherto been generally effected by hand upon the
spread-out threads wound in skeins or hanks by means of channeled plates or
rollers. As the spreading out of the threads is by this practice very imperfect,
there results a marking of the product where threads cross each other or are super-
imposed. Also, owing to the great care required in the manipulation, and the
necessity for a separate drying, the process is a very slow one, particularly when
two or more colours have to be superimposed. These defects are obviated entirely
by these improvements.
The accompanying drawings illustrate in what manner this invention may be
carried into practical effect and will be hereinafter referred to.
In the figure, which diagrammatically represents a sectional side view, the
threads A to be printed arrive at the two rollers B B¹ which are arranged one
above the other. From these rollers they pass through the reed C by which they
are separated one from the other and formed into a sheet the course of which
through the apparatus is indicated by the thick broken line. After leaving the
reed, the sheet passes between the impression cylinders D D', E E¹, H H', P P¹.
In the drawing four pairs of these cylinders are shewn, but as many or as few of
such cylinders may be constructed and employed as may be required, the number
being governed by the number of colours or printings desired. Each pair of
impression cylinders consists of a hard channeled roller and a hard or soft printing
roller, and the threads receive from each pair an impression of colour which may
or may not be different for each pair and may or may not be separated from the
preceding impression by a blank. A large number of combinations of effects may
be obtained by printing colours one above the other on the threads, these super-
imposed colours being printed on the threads by successive pairs of rollers during
a single passage of the threads.
After leaving the impression cylinder or the last of the impression cylinders, the
sheet of threads is led upon and around one or more drying cylinders I, internally

page_text: supplied with hot air, and having their cylindrical surfaces perforated. The drying
cylinder or cylinders have a surface motion in the direction of travel of the threads
and tend to carry them along, inducing the immediate drying during their passage.
From the drying cylinder the threads pass over the rollers JJJJ and through
a first reed K, to be afterwards separated by the secondary reeds M M¹ M" Min
which are arranged in such a manner that each thread or series of threads may be
separated from its neighbouring threads. From the dividing reeds the separated
threads are led over the guide rollers N N¹ N" N₁ to which an alternating
reciprocal motion in the direction of their axes may be imparted. The threads, as
illustrated by the drawings are ultimately wound upon the reels 001 00
which are driven by frictional contact between the friction wheels S R, S' R',
SR, SR, driven by a belt from the pulley U which receives its motion
from the machine through the horizontal shaft X and the mitre wheels V V₁.
Any known system of winding may be employed as may be determined by the
conditions in each case, and as hereinbefore set forth, the winding may be effected
on bobbins wheels swifts or beams. Similarly, any system of regulating the speed
as may be determined by the tension of the threads themselves, may be employed.
If it be desired to print rovings in and by the apparatus there may or may not be
combined therewith a gill-box.
Ink or colour is supplied to the printing cylinders from the inking rollers D" E"
HP, which are mounted to rotate in the colour troughs Z and in contact with
the lower printing cylinders.
As shewn by the drawings, the printing cylinders are so arranged that the sheet
travels between them in a straight line, but they may, if desired, be so arranged
that the sheet will take a curved or sinuous course. The channels in the cylinders
may be of any suitable dimensions, and the rollers are mounted in adjustable
bearings in the usual manner so as to be capable of being brought nearer or further
from each other. They may also be replaced by rollers engraved in intaglio or in
relief such as are employed in printing cloth, and they may also be provided with
any necessary accessories such as scrapers and the like."
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. The hereinbefore described method of printing textile rovings yarns and
threads which consists in arranging them in a sheet, passing the sheet between
impression rollers and thence over a drying cylinder or cylinders, and finally
winding them upon reels bobbins swifts beams or the like, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. Apparatus for printing or tinting textile rovings yarns and threads con-
tinuously, constructed arranged and operated substantially as herein before described
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
3. In a machine for printing and tinting textile rovings yarns and threads, the
combination and arrangement with a pair of rollers B B₁ of a reed C, one or more
pairs of impression rollers, a drying cylinder or cylinders, and guide rollers J,
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawing.
4. In a machine for printing and tinting textile rovings yarns and threads, the
combination and arrangement with a pair of rollers B B', of a reed C, one or more
pairs of impression rollers, a drying cylinder or cylinders, guide rollers J, and
primary and dividing reeds K M, substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
5. In apparatus for printing and tinting textile rovings yarns and threads, the
combination and arrangement with a primary reed K, of dividing reeds M, guide
rollers N, and devices such as reels bobbins swifts or beams on which the threads
are wound, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.

page_text: 6. In apparatus for printing and tinting textile rovings yarns and threads, the
combination and arrangement of a hard channeled printing roller with a hard or
soft roller and an inking roller, substantially as described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of Max AD 1902
WILLIAM E. HEYS.