Improvements in Apparatus for Washing, Soaping, Dyeing, and Dunging Woven Fabrics.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1887
Complete Leif, 6th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 8th Nov., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing, Soaping, Dyeing, and
Dunging Woven Fabrics.
I WILLIAM BIRCH of Milton Street Iron Works Lower Broughton Manchester in
the County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows :―
The object of this invention is to construct an open soaping machine (applicable
also for other similar purposes) in such a way as to enable the fabric to be inspected
more easily during the operation and to be threaded through the machine without
emptying the vats and without the workman getting into the same as usual, and to
economize water, soap, and other materials used in such processes, and when necessary
to occupy much less floor space than usual.
I construct the apparatus of a suitable number of cisterns or vats (preferably of
cast iron) very much shallower than usual, and I either arrange them all in a straight
line or otherwise upon the floor as usual, or I erect them in two or more tiers, one
above the other upon pillars, so as to make a more compact machine and to occupy
very much less floor space.
The vats are very little deeper than the diameter of the bottom rollers, so that they
do not require so much depth of liquid, as according to my invention I only propose
that the liquid shall cover the top of the rollers by an inch or two.
The top rollers are mounted upon bearings attached to the pillars some distance
(say about four feet or more) above the top of the tanks, so that as the fabric passes
out of the liquid up to the top rollers it carries with it a film of liquid on both sides,
which is always running down as the cloth rises, and by the time it has passed over
the top roller it has parted with a considerable amount of its moisture, and is in a
condition to absorb fresh liquid.
By these means I obtain as good a washing effect as by the use of deep tanks with
the top rollers close above the top of the tank as usual; and in consequence of the
sides between the pillars being open, the cloth is at all times accessible and visible,
and when requisite it can be threaded through the rollers from the outside without
emptying the tanks.

page_text: The clean water or liquid is admitted into the last tank of the series, and the tanks are
provided with overflows or valves, by which it flows from one tank to the next in the
opposite direction to the passage of the cloth, so that the water or liquid becomes
gradually purer as the cloth passes through the tanks, as it is drawn through by means
of drawing rollers provided for that purpose.
In order to maintain a suitable tension upon the fabric and to remove superfluous
water or other liquid therefrom as the said fabric is passed from the apparatus (or from
one tank to another if different liquors are used in the tank of one series) I employ the
following means.
At each end of the last tank of the apparatus (or at each end of the one immediately
preceding a change of liquor) I arrange a pair of drawing rollers between which the
cloth passes and I drive the lower of the first pair of these rollers by any convenient
means, and the lower roller of the second pair from the first named roller by means of
a strap and conical pulleys reversed on their respective shafts so that the second roller
is driven quicker or slower according to the position of the strap on the said pulleys.
This position is regulated automatically by a strap fork connected by suitable levers
to a shaft stretching across the tank, and at or near each end of this shaft I mount
arms or levers forming the bearings for a roller which rests by its own weight against
the fabric, before it reaches the second pair of rollers above named; and thus if the
first pair of rollers delivers the said fabric too quickly and it becomes slack the
regulating roller will fall, and by means of its lever bearings, shaft, levers, and strap-
fork move the strap and accelerate the speed of the second pair of rollers until the
cloth has arrived at the correct tension. On the other hand should the second pair of
rollers be pulling too hard the cloth will tighten and raise the regulating roller and
thus move the strap in the reverse direction and reduce the speed of the said pair of
rollers.
Dated this 5th day of Janua1007
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Washing, Soaping, Dyeing, and
Dunging Woven Fabrics.
1 WILLIAM BIROH of Milton Street Iron Works Lower Broughton Manchester in
the County of Lancaster Engineer 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 :—
The object of this invention is to construct an open soaping machine (applicable also
for other similar purposes) in such a way as to enable the fabric to be inspected more
easily during the operation, and to be threaded through the machine without emptying
the vats, and without the workman getting into the same, as usual, and to economize
water, soap, and other materials used in such processes and when necessary to occupy
much less floor space, than usual.
The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the
annexed two sheets of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1. on Sheet 1. of the drawings is a sectional elevation of a portion of the
machine showing three vats of the same. Fig. 2 (Sheet 2) is a similar view of the
last tank and its appliances, and Fig. 3. a partial and end view of the same (also partly
in section.)
I construct the apparatus of a suitable number of cisterns or vats a, a (preferably
of cast iron) very much shallower than usual and I arrange them all in a straight line
or otherwise upon the floor as usual (as shown on the drawings) or if preferred I erect
them in two or more tiers one above the other upon pillars so as to make a more
compact machine, and to occupy very much less floor space.
The vats a, a are very little deeper than the diameter of the bottom rollers b, b so
that they do not require so much depth of liquid as according to my invention I
only propose that the liquid shall cover the top of the rollers b, by an inch or two.
The top rollers c, c are mounted upon bearings attached to the pillars d, d some
distance (say about four feet or more) above the top of the tanks a, a so that as the
fabric represented by the dotted line, passes out of the liquid up to the top rollers c, c
it carries with it a film of liquid on both sides, which is always running down as the
cloth rises, and by the time that it has passed over the top roller c, c it has parted
with a considerable amount of its moisture and is in a condition to absorb fresh
liquid.
By these means I obtain as good a washing effect as by the use of deep tanks with
the top rollers close above the top of the tank as usual: and in consequence of the
sides between the pillars d, d being open, the cloth is at all times accessible and visible,
and when requisite it can be threaded through the rollers from the outside without
emptying the tanks.
Clean water or liquid is admitted into the last tank a", a" (see Fig. 2) and into
the tank a', a' clean soap or other liquor; and the tanks a, a and a¹, a are provided
with overflows as shown at e, e Fig. 1. or with valves, by which the liquid flows

page_text: from one tank to the next in the opposite direction to the passage of the cloth, so that
as the cloth passes through the tanks being drawn through by means of the drawing
rollers provided for that purpose, it comes into purer liquid in each tank as it
passes.
In order to maintain a suitable tension upon the fabric and to remove superfluous
water or other liquid therefrom, as the said fabric is passed from the apparatus (or
from one tank to another if different liquids are used in the tanks of one series) I
employ the following means as illustrated by Figs. 2 and 3.
At each end of the last tank a", a", of the apparatus (or at each end of the one
immediately preceding a change of liquor (I arrange a pair of squeezing or nipping
rollers, and ", " between which the cloth passes and I drive the lower one
of the first pair of rollers f¹, f¹ by any convenient means and the lower roller of the
second pair," I drive from the first named roller by means of an endless strap
or belt
9, 9 passing round pulleys h, h. These pulleys are slightly conical and are
reversed upon their respective shafts so that the second roller ", " is driven quicker
or slower according to the position of the strap g, g on the said pulleys h, h.
This position is regulated by a strap fork i, i which is connected by links k, k¹ and
a lever 1, and shaft l, to a shaft m, m stretching across the tank and at each end
of this shaft m, m I mount levers or arms a, n forming the bearings for a roller o, o
(see Fig. 2) which rests by its own weight upon the fabric before it reaches the
second pair of rollers f", f, and thus if the first pair of rollers f¹, f¹ delivers the
said fabric too quickly, and it becomes slack the regulating roller o, o will fall and by
means of the levers n, n shaft m, m lever 1, 2 and links k, k¹ will move the strap
fork i, i and strap g, g so as to accelerate the speed of the second pair of rollers f", ƒ
until the cloth has arrived at the correct tension.
On the other hand should the second pair of rollers ", " be pulling too hard
the cloth will tighten and raise the regulating roller o, o and thus move the strap g, g
in the reverse direction and reduce the speed of the said pair of rollers fu
P, P are angular guides for keeping the cloth in a central position and q, q are right
and left scrolled rollers for keeping the same distended transversely.
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 :-
:-
First. The construction of apparatus for washing soaping, dyeing and dunging
woven fabrics, with shallow tanks, and with the top rollers carried upon pillars some
distance above the same so as to allow of convenient access to the cloth and to the
bottom rollers substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before particu-
larly set forth and illustrated by the drawings annexed, and
Secondly. I claim the combination in such or similar machines of a regulating
roller (supported by the cloth between two pairs of squeezing or nipping rollers) with
a strap fork acting upon an endless strap or band passing round two conical pulleys
on the axles of the said rollers in such a way that the rising or falling of the
regulating roller due to the undue tension or slackness of the cloth shall move the
strap upon the conical pullies in such a way as to correct the fault, and thus keep
the cloth automatically always at the required tension, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.