IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING FABRICS COMPOSED OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FIBRES
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 11th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th Apr., 1887.
Animal and Vegetable Fibres.
I, JOSEPH WALKER, of Crackenedge Lane, Dewsbury, Yorkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CARBONIZING FABRICS COMPOSED OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FIBRES" to be as follows:-
My invention refers to means to be employed for carbonizing rags and other like
fabrics, which is done by the employment of certain acids formed into a vapour by
means of a stove or other like heating apparatus.
In carrying out my invention I employ a casing and place therein a cage
divided into four or other suitable number of compartments. This cage is provided
with a suitable horizontal axis and is caused to oscillate backwards and forwards
within the casing by means of a mangle wheel arrangement or other well known
mechanical appliances for giving an oscillatory rotary motion.
The casing is provided with suitable inlet and outlet doors, and the fabrics or fibres
to be operated upon are placed into one compartment of the cage and then into the
others, until all are filled, the carbonizing gases are afterwards introduced into the
cage and the machine set in motion, the oscillatory action thereof giving the fabrics a
thorough shaking, at all times preventing them laying "en masse," consequently they
receive the action of the gases upon all parts.
When the fabrics have been sufficiently carbonized the outlet door is opened and.
each compartment of the cage is emptied onto the ground or a suitable receptacle
placed to receive them. In order to assist the escape of the gases from the cage, a
steam pipe is introduced into the pipe or chimney through which the gases escape, by
which means an updraught is produced which greatly facilitates the exit of the gases
from the cage.
Dated this 92rd day of October 1886

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Carbonizing Fabrics Composed of
Animal and Vegetable Fibres.
I, JOSEPH WALKER, of Crackenedge Lane, Dewsbury, Yorkshire, 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:
My invention refers to means to be employed for carbonizing rags and other like a
fabrics, which is done by the employment of certain acids formed into a vapour by
means of a stove or other like heating apparatus.
In carrying out my invention I employ a casing and place therein a cage divided
into four or other suitable number of compartments. This cage is provided with a
suitable axis and is caused to oscillate backwards and forwards within the casing by
means of a mangle-wheel arrangement or other well known mechanical appliances for
giving an oscillatory rotary motion.
The casing is provided with suitable inlet and outlet doors, and the fabrics or fibres
to be operated upon, are placed into one compartment of the cage, and then into the
others, until all are filled, the carbonizing gases are afterwards introduced into the
cage, and the machine set in-motion the oscillatory action thereof giving the fabrics
a thorough shaking, at all times preventing them lying "en masse," consequently they
receive the action of the gases upon all parts.
When the fabrics have been sufficiently carbonized the outlet door is opened, and
each compartment of the cage is emptied onto the ground, or a suitable receptacle
placed to receive them. In order to assist the escape of the gases from the cage, a
steam pipe is introduced into the pipe or chimney through which the gases escape, by
which means an updraught is produced which greatly facilitates the exit of the gases
from the cage.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood reference is made to the
accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein Fig. 1. is end elevation shewing the
mechanism I employ for imparting an oscillatory rotary motion to the carbonizing
cage, and Fig. 2. is a cross section of the machine. A is the outer casing in. which
the machine is placed, such casing having a door at B, for the introduction of the
fabrics to be carbonized, and an outlet door at C where the fabrics are removed after
having been treated. The machine is composed of a stationary chamber D, in which
is mounted, on suitable bearings, a rotary cage E, composed of four arms a, radiating
from the centre, attached by bolts or other means to plates or discs b, the several
arms a and discs b, being connected together by a number of rods c, placed hori-
zontally, the ends of the arms a, carrying forks or projections d, for lifting the fabrics
and carrying them about the chamber, as the said arms oscillate within the chamber.
The chamber D has an opening made in it at D' for the purpose of removing the
fabrics such opening being covered by a door D² which can be removed when

page_text: necessary and when commencing to operate upon the fabrics the curved rod E¹ which
is hinged at e, is lifted some little distance so that the lid or cover F can be pushed
upwards by the attendant, into the position as shewn in dotted lines, so as to uncover
the opening in the chamber D, and the corner piece f, catching into the sneck g,
made in the curved rod E' for the purpose of holding the cover F, until the fabrics
have been placed into the four divisions within the chamber, which when done the lid
is closed and the machine is set in motion for the purpose of agitating the fabrics in
their respective divisions.
In order to give the cage, which is composed of the arms a and rods e, an
oscillatory rotary motion, I employ a peculiar arrangement of mechanism shewn in
elevation, Fig. 1. and partly in section Fig. 3, where G is a driving shaft carrying a
fast pulley H, and two loose pulleys I and J, and also a worm K in gear with a worm
wheel L fixed on the central shaft of the cage, on which shaft is also placed loosely a
lever arm M, the lower end thereof being connected to a horizontal strap guide N,
supporting strap forks O and P, for guiding the straps Q and R. When either of
the driving straps are on the fast pulley H, the worm K drives the wheel L, until a
stud projecting from one arm of the said wheel comes into contact with the upper
end of the lever M, when the strap guide N is moved horizontally, in such manner as
to move one driving strap off the fast pulley, and the other driving strap, which is
running in an opposite direction, on to the fast pulley, whereby the motion of the
driving shaft G is reversed, causing the rotary motion of the worm wheel L, and
consequently the cage to be reversed, until the stud comes into contact with the
bottom of the lever M, causing the strap guide N to return, so as to remove the
driving belt, and place the other one on to the fast pulley, when the rotary motion of
the shaft, wheel, and cage will be again reversed, and this goes on every time the
stud 1, comes into contact with the extremity of each end of the lever M, consequently
an oscillatory rotary motion is imparted to the cage, for the purpose of freely agitating
the fabrics placed therein. A lever arm R, connected by rod S, to the bottom of the
lever M, is also employed to ensure the forward motion in either direction, of the
strap guide, when once the said lever arm R' is thrown out of its vertical position by
the movement of the lever M, the counter-balance weight T on the top of arm R¹,
materially assisting the said arm to overbalance.
The carbonizing gases are generated in any suitable description of stove, and are
introduced into the chamber D, by means of one or more pipes U, see Fig. 2. such
said gases passing out therefrom, through the pipe or chimney V, the upward draught
in the chimney being increased, so as to assist the escape of gases by means of steam
passing through the valve and pipe W. As it is necessary to keep the chamber
warm, an arrangement of pipes X are employed at the bottom of the apparatus.
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 :-
Firstly In combination with a carbonization machine the mechanism illustrated
in Fig. 1 for imparting an oscillatory motion to the rotary cage E.
Secondly-A carbonizing rotary cage such as E composed of horizontal rods c and
discs b, substantially as shewn and described.
Thirdly-The use of steam in the chimney V for increasing the upward draught
in such chimney.
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