IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING, WASHING, AND CLEANSING TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Knight, of Woodhouse Mills, near Rochdale,
in the County of Lancaster, Bleacher and Finisher, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING, WASHING, AND
CLEANSING TEXTILE
FABRICS,"
.
Sealed the 5th October 1858, and dated the 14th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Knight at the
-Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
April 1858..
I, JOHN KNIGHT, of Woodhouse Mills, near Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Bleacher and Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING,
WASHING, AND CLEANSING TEXTILE FABRICS," to be as follows:-
My improvements are made upon machinery or apparatus for which
Letters Patent were granted to Samuel Knight, of Spotland, near Rochdale
aforesaid, for "Certain Improvements in Machinery orApparatus forScouring,
Washing, Cleansing, and other similar Purposes," dated the 3rd day of
March, A.D. 1845. This machinery or apparatus consists of two oblong
chambers formed at each end of a cylinder mounted on an axis, on which it
is rotated, these oblong chambers at one end of the cylinder being placed at
right angles. to those at the other end of the cylinder, so that it will be as

page_text: nearly balanced as possible when the goods are placed in the aforesaid
chambers. During the rotation of the cylinder, steam and hot or cold water
can be admitted at the axis (which is hollow) into the aforesaid chambers.
Now, my improvements consist, firstly, in making the sides of the said
chambers fluted or corrugated, so as to give a certain amount of rubbing
action upon the goods operated upon when they fall from one end of the said
chambers to the other end as the cylinder is rotated.
Secondly, in certain improved arrangements for securing and closing the
openings through which fabrics are placed in and withdrawn from the said
chambers, so as to render them steam-tight, which arrangements consist in
making the doors to slide in grooves or move on a centre, so that the internal
pressure will press the doors when covering the openings against the sides of
the grooves, thus making a tight joint; the greater the pressure and tighter
the joint will be.
Thirdly, in arrangements by which a determined measure of washing liquor
may be admitted into the said chambers of the cylinder for each lot of goods
operated upon. This is accomplished by vessels forming the measure for the
liquor having valves, which, when moved in one direction, will allow the
liquor from a cistern to flow in, and when moved in the opposite direction
will allow it to pass out into the said chambers of the cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Knight in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
KNIGHT, of Woodhouse Mills, near Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Bleacher and Finisher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight,in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Knight, Her especial license that I, the said John Knight,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Knight, 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING, WASHING, AND CLEANSING TEXTI
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that 'I, 'the said John Knight,
by' an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should partic
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 John Knight, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
My improvements are made upon machinery or apparatus for which Letters
Patent were granted to Samuel Knight, of Spotland, near Rochdale afore-
said, for "Certain Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Scouring,
Washing, Cleansing, and other similar Purposes," dated the Third day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
This machinery or apparatus consists of two oblong chambers formed at each
end of a cylinder mounted on an axis on which it is rotated, these oblong
chambers at one end of the cylinder being placed at right angles to those at
the other end of the cylinder, so that it will be as nearly balanced as possible
when the fabrics to be operated upon are placed in the aforesaid chambers.
During the rotation of the cylinder, steam and hot or cold water can be
admitted at the axis (which is hollow) into the aforesaid chambers.
Now, my improvements consist, firstly, in making the sides of the said
chambers fluted or corrugated, so as to give a certain amount of rubbing
action upon the fabrics to be operated upon when they fall (as they do) from
one end of the said chambers to the other end as the cylinder is rotated.
Secondly, in certain improved arrangements for securing and closing the
openings through which fabrics are placed in and withdrawn from the said
chanıbers, so as to render them steam-tight, which arrangements consist in
making the doors slide in grooves or move on a centre, so that the internal
pressure will press them, when covering the openings, against the sides of the
grooves, thus making a tight joint; the greater the pressure and the tighter
the joint will be.
Thirdly, in arrangements by which a determined measure of washing liquor
may be admitted into the said chambers of the cylinder for each lot of fabrics
operated upon. This is accomplished by a vessel or by vessels forming the
measure for the liquor, which are connected with an arrangement of cocks or

page_text: valves that are opened to allow, the liquid to flow from a cistern or cisterns
into the measure or measures, which will operate to shut the cocks or valves.
when the required quantity has been admitted into the measure or measures,
and then allow the liquor to pass out of the measure or measures into the
chambers of the cylinder.
The preceding description of my Invention will be more particularly
explained by the accompanying Drawing, by which my improvements are
delineated.
Fig. 1 is an end view of the machinery or apparatus to which my improve-
ments are applied, partly in section; and Fig. 2 is a longitudina! or side
section of the same. The cylinder a is sunk partly in a well or hole in the
floor; the cylinder is carried by a hollow axis b, having perforations by which
steam or liquid passes from the axis, which rotates in bearings fixed on two
blocks. The outside of the cylinder (a) carries a toothed rim c, which gears
with a pinion c'on a shaft c³,this pinion being loose on the shaft and connected
with a clutch box, so that the rotation of the cylinder (a) can be stopped or
started at pleasure. The oblong chambers a' are at right angles to each other,
and each occupy half the length of the cylinder (a), being separated by a
perforated division a³.
My first improvement (as before stated) consists in making the sides (as) of
the chambers (a¹) fluted or corrugated; as shewn.
My second improvement consists in the mode of closing the openings
through which fabrics are introduced and withdrawn from the chambers (a¹).
In the example shewn, d is a frame of metal secured at the end of the
cylinder (a), opposite the chambers (a¹); it has grooves in which a metallic
door d' can slide. When this door is slided one way it uncovers the
opening to cne chamber (a¹), and when slided the other way the opening
to the other chamber (a¹), da being the handle by which it is moved. A
catch d³ is jointed to the frame (d), which euters a hollow formed in the door
(d) to keep it in its place, and to hold it up when the opening to the lower
chamber is to be uncovered. The catch d³ is held in its place so as not to
move too readily or by accident by a spring d'. A door and frame of wood
may be substituted instead of metal, arranged and acting upon the same
principle. A front view of the sliding door (d) is seen in Fig. 1, and a
longitudinal and cross sectional view is shewn in Fig. 2.
The apparatus for supplying steam and hot or cold water and washing liquor,
forming my third improvement, is also shewn applied in Fig. 2, but will be
better understood by examining Figs. 3, 4, and 5, and by the following
explanation thereof:-Fig. 3 is a front view, shewing the measuring cylinder

page_text: partly in section; Fig. 4, a plan view, and Fig. 5, a detached plan view of the
catches and frame. e is a pipe, which is connected with the hollow rotating
axis (b) of the cylinder, by means of a stuffing-box arrangement of any
ordinary construction. This pipe (e) is jointed with one (f) of two pipes and
g cast together on the same base, fixed in a vertical position to the pedestal
plate, as shewn in Fig. 2. To the upper end of this pipe fa two-way cock is
jointed, and steam or hot or cold water passes through this cock from a
pipe f jointed to it, and washing liquid from a pipe f³ also jointed with it.
The latter pipe(f³)is also jointed with another two-way cock (g'), jointed to and
carried by the second pipe (g) cast on the same base with the pipef. The
pipe g supports the vessel h employed to measure the washing liquid, and it
also forms the communication between the measuring vessel h and the cock g¹.
The liquid to be supplied to the measuring vessel h comes from a cistern
higher than the measuring vessel through a pipe g² passing into and through
the cock g'. The measuring vessel is a cylinder with a wood piston or
plunger h' in it, which may be packed by means of a round elastic ring h²,
similar to that known as "rolling packing," the elastic ring (2) being rolled
upon the piston h, and against the inside of the cylinder, h by the motion
imparted to the piston. The plunger or piston (h) has a rod, h³ secured it,
which passes through a guide formed by a bent piece (4) secured to the sides
of the cylinder h, and two collars h³ and ho are placed on this rod (h³), which
can be adjusted upon it by set screws to any required position. These collars.
(hs and h), by the movement of the piston (h), will be brought against the
weighted end of a lever h', the fulcrum of which is carried on a rod 8 fixed to
the side of the measuring cylinder (h). Each of the two-way cocks (f) and g¹)
is turned by a lever f* and g, which has a weight (f or g), fixed upon it,
which weight is sufficient when allowed to act to turn the cock. Each lever
(for g) has an arm (f, g) from it, which, when in the position shown in
the Drawing, is caught and held by a catch (f", 9"), which is centred on, a,
stud (3,8,) carried by a frame i secured to the pedestal plate...When these
catches (f, g,) are pulled out of the way by collars 0, ",,on a rod ho jointed
with the lever h at one end, and working through a guide fixed in the frame i
at the other end, the levers f4, 94, are at liberty, and the weights fg, upon₁₁
them will descend from the position in which they are shown to one vertically
below the cocks, turning the plugs of the cocks by their descent, the movement.
of the levers f4,94, beyond this position being prevented by brackets,², fixed
to the frame i, against which the ends of the levers f, g, come. The cocks
shewn are supposed to be such as have a hollow plug open at the end, and one
hole in the side of the plug, which by turning one-fourth round willcomeopposite

page_text: o one or the other of the openings communicating with pipes:(f2, 3, or g2, g³)
with which the cock is connected. When the weight of the lever 4 is directly
under the cock f³, the communication with the pipe f³ is open but that with
the pipe f³ is shut, and vice versa when the weighted lever is in the position
shown in the Drawings. When the weight of the lever g4 is vertically below
the cock g¹, the communication with the pipe g2 is closed, and that with the
pipe f³ is open, and vice versâ when the lever is in the position in which it is
shown in the Drawings. Now, when the machine is to be stopped to remove
the fabrics operated upon, the attendant shuts off the steam by li fting up the
weighted lever (4) into the position in which it is shewn in Fig. 3, till the
arm fo from it is taken hold of by the catch (f); then when the machine is
to be started again after the next lot of fabric to be operated upon has been
placed in the chambers, the attendant lifts the weighted lever g4 into the
position shown in Fig. 3, which allows the washing liquid to pass from the
pipe g2 through the plug of the cock (g¹) into the measuring vessel (h). Its
entrance into this vessel causes the piston or plunger (¹) to rise, and when' a
sufficient quantity has entered, the collar (5) o on the rod (3) comes in contact
with the weighted end of the lever 7; this causes the rod to descend, and
the collar upon it to press down the tail of the catch g', which thus
liberate's the lever g4, and allows the weight to descend and turn the cock g¹,
shutting off the supply of washing liquid, and opening the passage for it to
escape from the measuring vessel h back through the plug and along the pipe
fs through the cock f¹, and down the pipe f, to the cylinder (a). That
movement of the rod he which acts upon the catch g' also acts on the catch f",
and lifts it so that the lever f' moves slightly till it comes against the end of
the second catcli As the liquid leaves the measuring vessel (h), the piston
(¹) descends, and by the time it has arrived at the bottom, the collar hⓇ ou
the rod will have moved the lever ' to cause the rod nº to ascend, and the
collar hupon it to come against and lift the tail of the catch f9, which will
liberate the lever f, when the weight will descend and turn the cock f', closing
the communication with the measuring vessel h, and opening that with the
steam pipe f.The object of the two catches f' and fo for the lever f* will
now be seen. As long as the piston h¹ is at the bottom of its cylinder h, the
catch will be prevented from taking hold of the arm (f) of the lever fª,
when it is turned to the position in which this can take place, therefore
another catch fis used, which is a little longer than fo, so that whenthe rod
he ascends, the oatch f° can take its position ready to obstruct the movement
of the lever still the time required. The catches f', f, and g', are weighted
or balanced solas to rest when not acted upon respectively against the pins 2³ 2,

page_text: and is, fixed in the frame i. The lever is weighted or balanced so as to
maintain an horizontal position when not acted upon by the collars h³, ho, on
the rods. The quantity of liquid admitted into the measuring cylinder can
be regulated by adjusting the position of the collar h" on the rod h³, as will be
readily understood, and instead of the piston or plunger h¹ a float may be
substituted, having sufficient power to overcome the friction on the catches
f', f, and g.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which it may be carried into effect, and wish it to be understood
that I claim as my Invention the several improvements herein-before described
when used in combination with machinery or apparatus for scouring, washing,
or cleansing textile fabrics formed by a cylinder rotating on an axis, and
having chambers substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Knight, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JNO KNIGHT. (L.S.)