IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS USED FOR BLEACHING COTTON OR OTHER YARNS, COPS, OR CLOTH."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Edward Bennett, of Birch Vale Works, near
Stockport, in the County of Derby, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS USED FOR BLEACHING COTTON OR
OTHER YARNS, COPS, OR CLOTH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Edward Bennett at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th January 1880.
«
CHARLES EDWARD BENNETT, of Birch Vale Works, near Stockport, in the County
of Derby.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS USED FOR
BLEACHING COTTON OR OTHER YARNS, COPS, OR CLOTH."
"
This Invention relates to the bleaching of cotton or other yarns, cops, or cloth, by
means of low pressure steam in an open kier or vessel, and the principal advantages
of the improved construction of apparatus are that the whole process of bleaching,
chemicing," "souring," and watering can be performed without disturbing the
contents of the kier, whereas in an ordinary kier after bleaching (that is, "ashing"
or "liming") the contents have to be taken out to be "chemiced" and soured,"
and then placed again in the kier if required to be bleached a second time, causing
an extra expenditure of labor and time; and the contents of the kier (whether
yarns, cops, or cloth) not requiring to be disturbed are kept in one position during
the whole time, so that they are not liable to become disarranged or broken, and
this is more especially important in bleaching cops.
I employ an open kier or vessel made of wood or other suitable material, which
is supported upon pillars, or otherwise, and is provided with a perforated false
bottom. From the centre of the bottom of the kier, below the false bottom, a pipe
leads to a waste tap above which are two branch pipes, one leading to the "chemic
and "sour" wells, and the other to a closed receiver placed outside the kier; both
these branch pipes are provided with stop taps.
"
To the bottom of the receiver is connected a steam pipe (provided also with a
stop tap), and the end of this steam pipe projects upwards and is carried into the
open mouth of a conical tube, the upper end of which passes upwards through the
top of the receiver, where it is bent over and terminates in an open mouth above
the centre of the open kier, where it is provided with a disc or "spreader" for
distributing the liquor over the goods.
Above the kier there is also a water pipe furnished with a stop tap.
At the side of the kier furthest from the receiver are the "chemic" and "
sour
"

page_text: wells, each provided with a pump and a wooden trough leading into the top of the
kier.
The branch pipe before mentioned (leading from the bottom of the kier) may be
provided at the end with a piece of elastic tubing, so that it can be made to com-
municate either with the "chemic" or the " sour well, as may be required, or two
pipes and two taps may be employed for this purpose if preferred.
"
The method of using this apparatus is as follows:-All taps being closed, and the
yarn, cops, or cloth being placed in the kier, the water tap is first opened and the
kier filled with water to the desired level. The water tap is then closed, and the
necessary quantity of bleaching liquor or powder is added. The steam tap and
that of the pipe communicating between the bottom of the kier and the receiver
are now opened; the liquor will then commence running from the bottom of the
kier into the receiver, and the low pressure steam will force the liquor up the conical
pipe, which distributes it over the top of the kier, and thus a constant circulation
of the liquor through the goods in the kier will be kept up.
When this bleaching process has been working long enough then the two last
mentioned taps must be closed, and the waste tap be opened so as to let the liquor
out of the kier. The water tap is now opened again and the goods are "showered
with water, after which the water and waste taps are to be closed, and the tap
in the branch pipe leading from the kier to the "chemic" well is to be opened.
The "chemic" pump is now set to work, and will cause a continuous circulation
of the "chemic" liquor through the goods in the kier, and when this " chemicing"
process has been carried on long enough the pump is to be stopped and the liquor
will flow off into the "chemic" well. The tap in the branch pipe is then closed, and
the water and waste taps are to be opened, and the goods "showered" again with
water as before.
All the taps are then to be closed with the exception of that communicating from
the bottom of the kier to the "sour" well. The "sours" pump is now set to work,
which will keep up a continuous flow of "sours," and when worked long enough
the action of the pump is to be stopped and the liquor run off into the "
well.
'
'
sour
"
The tap of the branch pipe is then to be closed, and the goods "showered" with
water as before. If it is necessary to bleach a second time or oftener the same
process can be repeated as many times as required without disturbing the contents
of the kier.
"
I may here observe that although I recommend a receiver as the best means of
injecting the liquor into the kier, on account of its having no pipes inside the kier
for the "chemic" or "sours to act upon, it is not absolutely necessary to employ
a receiver, as the liquor may be thrown from the false bottom direct up a conical
pipe in the centre of the kier by means of a steam pipe entering the mouth of the
conical pipe, as in the receiver, or as is done in an ordinary iron kier, but in this
case such steam pipe and conical pipe would have to be either made of lead or else
be protected by a casing of wood or some suitable composition which would resist
the action of the "chemic" and "sours."

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Edward Bennett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1880.
CHARLES EDWARD BENNETT, of Birch Vale Works, near Stockport, in the County
of Derby.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS USED FOR
BLEACHING COTTON OR OTHER YARNS, COPS, OR CLOTH."
"
"
"
This Invention relates to the bleaching of cotton or other yarns, cops, or cloth in
an open kier or vessel, and the principal advantages of the improved construction
of apparatus are that the whole process of bleaching, viz., "ashing or "liming,"
chemicing," "souring," soaping, and watering, can be performed without disturbing
the contents of the kier, whereas in an ordinary kier after bleaching (that is,
ashing" or "liming") the contents have to be taken out to be "chemiced" and "
soured," and then placed again in the kier if required to be bleached a second
time, causing an extra expenditure of labor and time; and the contents of the kier
(whether yarns, cops, or cloth) not requiring to be disturbed are kept in one position
during the whole time, so that they are not liable to become disarranged or broken,
and this is more especially important in bleaching cops.
"
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a partial sectional Drawing illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof :-
-
"
I employ an open kier or vessel a, a, made of wood or other suitable material,
which is supported upon pillars or otherwise, and is provided with a perforated
false bottom at b, b. From the centre of the bottom of the kier, below the false
bottom, a pipe c, c, leads to a waste tap d, d, above which are two branch pipes e, e',
one leading to the "chemic" well f, f, and sour wells g, g, and the other to a
closed receiver h, h, outside the kier a, a; both these branch pipes are provided
with stop taps i, i¹. To the bottom of the receiver h, h, is connected a steam pipe
k, k, (provided also with a stop tap 1) and the end of this steam pipe projects
upwards and is carried into the open mouth of a conical tube m, m, the upper end
of which passes upwards through the top of the receiver h, h, where it is bent over
and terminates in an open mouth at n above the centre of the open "kier" a, a,
where it is provided with a disc or "spreader" o for distributing the liquor over
the goods.
Above the kier there is also a water pipe p furnished with a stop tap q.
"
At the side of the kier a, a, furthest from the receiver are the "chemic and
Bour" wells ff, and g, g, each provided with a pump r, r, and a wooden trough
3, 8, leading into the top of the kier.
The branch pipe e before mentioned (leading from the bottom of the kier) may be
provided at the end with a piece of elastic tubing t, t, so that it can be made to com-
municate either with the "chemic" or the "sour" well f, f, or g, g, as may be required,
or two pipes and two taps may be employed for this purpose if preferred. The
method of using this apparatus is as follows:-All the taps being closed, and the
yarn, cops, or cloth being placed in the kier a, a, the water tap q is first opened and
he kier filled with water to the desired level. The water tap q is then closed, and
he necessary quantity of bleaching liquor or powder is added. The steam tap

page_text: and that of the pipe e' communicating between the bottom of the kier a, a, and the
receiver h, h, are now opened. The liquor will then commence running from the
bottom of the kier into the receiver h, h, and the steam will force the liquor up the
conical pipe m, m, which distributes it over the top of the kier a, a, and thus a
constant circulation of the liquor through the goods in the kier will be kept up.
When the bleaching process has been working long enough then the two last
mentioned taps, I and i, must be closed and the waste tap d be opened, so as to let
the liquor out of the kier. The water tap q is now opened again, and the goods are
"showered" with water, after which the water and waste taps q and d are to be
closed and the tap i in the branch pipe e leading from the kier to the "
well ff, is to be opened.
tr
chemic".
The "chemic" pump r, r, is now set to work and will cause a continuous circu-
lation of the "chemic" liquor through the goods in the kier a, a, and when this
chemicing" process has been carried on long enough the pump r, r, is to be stopped
and the liquor will flow off into the “chemic” well ƒ, f. The tap i in the branch
pipe e is then closed, and the water and waste taps g and d are to be opened and
the goods "showered" again with water as before.
"
All the taps are then to be closed with the exception of that communicating from
the bottom of the kier to the "sour" well 9. 9. The " sours pump is now set
to work, which will keep up a continuous flow of "sours," and when worked long
enough the action of the pump is to be stopped and the liquor run off into the
sour
"well
9, 9:
"
The tap of the branch pipe e is then to be closed and the goods " showered
with water as before, after which the water tap q is to be closed and the yarn
allowed to drain. The waste tap d is then to be closed and the water tap q opened
to fill the kier to the desired level; then close the water tap q and add the neces-
sary quantity of soap. The steam tap 1 and the tap i communicating between the
bottom of the kier a, a, and the receiver h, h, is then to be opened and the soap
liquor will commence running from the bottom of the kier a, a, into the receiver
h, h. The steam will force the liquor up the conical pipe m, m, which distributes
it over the top of the kier a, a, and thus a constant circulation of the liquor through
the goods will be kept up, and when this has worked long enough the two last
mentioned taps (l and ¹) must be closed and the waste tap be opened so as to let
the liquor out of the kier. The water tap 9 is now to be opened again, and the
goods are showered with water as before, or they may be washed by hand if
preferred.
If it is necessary to bleach a second time or oftener the same process can be
repeated as many times as required without disturbing the contents of the
kier.
«
"
I may here observe that although I recommend a receiver as the best means of
injecting the liquor into the kier on account of its having no pipes inside the kier
for the "chemic" or sours to act upon, it is not absolutely necessary to employ
a receiver, as the liquor may be thrown from the false bottom direct up a conical
pipe in the centre of the kier by means of a steam pipe entering the mouth of the
conical pipe, as in the receiver, or as is done in an ordinary iron kier, but in this
case such steam pipe and conical pipe would have to be either made of lead or else
be protected by a casing of wood or some suitable composition which would resist
the action of the "chemic" and "sours."
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention the peculiar con-
struction and combination of the kier and other apparatus, as before described,
whereby I am enabled to carry on the whole process of bleaching, viz., liming or
ashing, chemicing, souring, watering, soaping, and washing, without removing the

page_text: yarn, cops, or cloth from the kier, or otherwise disturbing the same, or any mere
modification or imitation thereof, constructed and operating in substantially the
same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, J, the said Charles Edward Bennett, have hereunto set
any hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
CHARLES E. BENNETT. (L.S.)