IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND BEATING ALL KINDS OF THREADS, AND IN COMBINING APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Dulac, of Lille, in the Department of
Le Nord, in the French Empire, Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND BEATING ALL KINDS OF THREADS, AND IN
COMBINING APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE."
Sealed the 5th January 1869, and dated the 22nd July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Dulac at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd July 1868.
I, LOUIS DULAC, of Lille, in the Department of Le Nord, in the
French Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND BEATING ALL KINDS OF THREADS,
AND IN COMBINING APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved machinery or apparatus for
effecting the simultaneous drying and beating of flax, hemp, cotton, wool,
and other threads in hanks.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shows a vertical elevation of
the machinery of my Invention, and Figure 2 a front view of same.

page_text: The same letters apply to both Figures, the hanks being represented in
blue lines.
The machine is composed of a central horizontal shaft a of wood
or metal carrying circular plates or discs from which radiate a number of
arms 6 of wood or metal. Each disc carries an equal number of arms, on
which latter are placed the bars c in a parallel position to the shaft a.
These bars c form a series of pallets corresponding to the number of the
arms 6 around the central shaft a, leaving an open space between them
and the shaft. The shaft a is mounted at each end in framing d, d,
forming air chambers in communication with the centre of the machine.
It is well known that there are four modes of drying threads, viz.,
1st, by centrifugal force; 2ndly, by a vacuum or rarefaction of the air;
3rdly, by a current of air; 4thly, by heat; and I combine the whole of
these in the machinery of my Invention. Thus the centrifugal force
produced by the rotation of the machine will discharge the moisture
from the centre towards the circumference. The air also being by the
centrifugal force driven towards the circumference will further serve to
produce the rarefaction suited for extracting the moisture. This rare-
faction may be increased or diminished by means of a door f the opening
of which is regulated according to the amount of air to be admitted into
the chamber d, d. In this manner a permanent current of rarefied air
is produced in the chambers at the centre of the machine, and from the
centre to the circumference for carrying off the moisture extracted by
the rarefaction of the air. The combination of these three principles
will suffice to produce the drying action desired, but when the atmo-
sphere is damp and cold, heat is employed as a fourth agent, for which
purpose the air chambers d, d, are placed in communication with a
source of heat. The hanks besides being dried in the manner described
may also be beaten or shaken at same time. This latter operation
is effected by the motion of one of two rods g, g', on which each hank is
placed. One of these rods g (the one nearest the centre of the machine)
is fixed, and the other g¹ which is supported by a hinge joint h falls
towards the centre when it reaches the top in the rotary motion of the
machine, and after performing half a revolution the rod g¹ falls outwards.
The rods g¹ in this manner are caused to recede from and approach the
centre rods g at
revolution of the machine and "beat" the hanks
every
carried thereon.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Louis Dulac in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 6th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LOUIS
DULAC, of Lille, in the Department of Le Nord, in the French Empire,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Louis Dulac, Her special licence
that I, the said Louis Dulac, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Louis Dulac, 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 DRYING AND BEATING
ALL KINDS OF THREADS, AND IN COMBINING APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Louis Dulac, 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 Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Louis Dulac, 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 Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
:-
My Invention relates to improved machinery or apparatus for effecting
the simultaneous during and heatin

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shows a vertical elevation of
the machinery of my Invention, and Figure 2 a front view of same.
The same letters apply to both Figures, the hanks being represented in
blue lines.
The machine is composed of a central horizontal shaft a of wood or
metal carrying circular plates or discs from which radiate a number of
arms of wood or metal. Each disc carries an equal number of arms, on
which latter are placed the bars c in a parallel position to the shaft a.
These bars form a series of pallets corresponding in number to the
arms 6 around the central shaft a, leaving an open space between them
and the shaft. The shaft a is mounted at each end in framing d, d,
forming air chambers in communication with the centre of the
machine.
It is well known that there are four modes of drying threads, 1st, by
centrifugal force; 2ndly, by a vacuum or rarefaction of the air; 3rdly,
by a current of air; 4thly, by heat; and I combine the whole of these in
the machinery of my Invention. Thus the centrifugal force produced
by the rotation of the machine will discharge the moisture from the
centre towards the circumference. The air also being by the centrifugal
force driven towards the circumference will further serve to produce the
rarefaction suited for extracting the moisture. This rarefaction may be
increased or diminished by means of doors f, the opening of which
is regulated according to the amount of air to be admitted into the
chambers d, d. In this manner a permanent current of rarefied air is
produced at the centre of the machine, and passing from the centre to
the circumference for carrying off the moisture extracted by the rare-
faction of the air. The combination of these three principles will suffice
to produce the drying action desired, but when the atmosphere is damp
and cold, heat is employed as a fourth agent, for which purpose the air
chambers d, d, are placed in communication with a source of heat. The
hanks besides being dried in the manner described may also be "beaten "
or shaken at same time. This latter operation is effected by the motion
of one of two rods or bars g, g', on which each hank is placed. One of
these rods g (the one nearest the centre of the machine) is fixed, and the
other g' which is supported by a hinge joint h falls towards the centre
when it reaches the top in the rotary motion of the machine, and after
performing half a revolution the rod g¹ falls outwards. The rods g' in
this manner are caused to recede from and approach the centre rods

page_text: at every revolution of the machine and so beat the hanks carried
thereon.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as improvements in
drying and beating hanks of thread, and in machinery for the same, to be
secured by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The arrangement of rotary machine illustrated in the Drawings
provided with radial arms for carrying the hanks, the axis of which
machine turns in bearings formed by the air chambers d, d, whereby
I obtain by the action of centrifugal force, 1st, the discharge of all the
moisture in the threads at the circumference of the machine; 2ndly, a
vacuum or rarefaction of the air; and, 3rdly, a current of air which may
be heated if desired, all as herein-before described.
Secondly. I claim hinging one of each pair of rods or bars g, g¹, so as
to effect the beating or shaking of the threads simultaneously with their
drying during the rotation of the machine, substantially in the manner
shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Dulac, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.