Roll-boiling apparatusThe apparatus which he proposes to employ for carrying on his improved process, is shown in the accompanying drawing.Fig.1228.is a front view of the apparatus, complete, and in working order;fig.1229.is a section, taken transversely through the middle of the machine, in the direction offig.1230.; andfig.1230.is an end view of the same;a,a,a, is a vessel or tank, made of iron or wood, or any other suitable material: sloping at the back and front, and perpendicular at the ends. Thistank must be sufficiently large to admit of half the diameter of the cylinder or drumb,b,b, being immersed into it, which drum is about four feet diameter, and about six feet long, or something more than the width of the piece of cloth intended to be operated upon. This cylinder or drumb,b, is constructed by combining segments of wood cut radially on their edges, secured by screw-bolts to the rims of the iron wheels, having arms, with an axle passing through the middle.The cylinder or drum being thus formed, rendered smooth on its periphery, and mounted upon its axle in the tank, the piece of cloth is wound upon it as tightly as possible, which is done by placing it in a heap upon a stool, as atc,fig.1229., passing its end over and between the tension-rollersd,e, and then securing it to the drum, the cloth is progressively drawn from the heap, between the tension-rollers, which are confined by a pall and ratchet, on to the periphery of the drum, by causing the drum to revolve upon its axis, until the whole piece of cloth is tightly wound upon the drum; it is then bound round with canvas or other wrappers, to keep it secure.If the tank has not been previously charged with clean and pure water, it is now filled to the brim, as shown atfig.1229., and opening the stopcock of the pipef, which leads from a boiler, the steam is allowed to blow through the pipe, and discharge itself at the lower end, by which means the temperature of the water is raised in the tank to about 170° Fahr. Before the temperature of the water has got up, the drum is set in slow rotatory motion, in order that the cloth may be uniformly heated throughout; the drum making about one rotation per minute. The cloth, by immersion in the hot water, and passing through the cold air, in succession, for the space of about eight hours, gets a smooth soft face, the texture not being rendered harsh, or otherwise injured, as is frequently the case by roll-boiling.Uniform rotatory motion to the drum is shown infig.1228., in whichgis an endless screw or worm, placed horizontally, and driven by a steam-engine or any other first mover employed in the factory. This endless screw takes into the teeth of, and drives, the vertical wheelh, upon the axle of which the coupling-boxi,i, is fixed, and, consequently, continually revolves with it. At the end of the shaft of the drum, a pair of sliding clutchesk,k, are mounted, which, when projected forward, as shown by dots infig.1228., produce the coupling or locking of the drum-shaft to the driving wheel, by which the drum is put in motion; but on withdrawing the clutchesk,k, from the coupling-boxi,i, as in the figure, the drum immediately stands still.After operating upon the cloth in the way described, by passing it through hot water for the space of time required, the hot water is to be withdrawn by a cock at the bottom, or otherwise, and cold water introduced into the tank in its stead; in which cold water the cloth is to be continued turning, in the manner above described, for the space of twenty-four hours, which will perfectly fix the lustre that the face of the cloth has acquired by its immersion in the hot water, and leave the pile or nap, to the touch, in a soft silky state.In the cold-water operation he sometimes employs a heavy pressing rollerl, which, being mounted in slots in the frame or standard, revolve with the large drum, rolling over the back of the cloth as it goes round. This roller may be made to act upon thecloth with any required pressure, by depressing the screwsm,m, or by the employment of weighted levers, if that should be thought necessary.Pressingis the last finish of cloth to give it a smooth level surface. The piece is folded backwards and forwards in yard lengths, so as to form a thick package on the board of a screw or hydraulic press. Between every fold sheets of glazed paper are placed to prevent the contiguous surfaces of cloth from coming into contact; and at the end of every twenty yards, three hot iron plates are inserted between the folds, the plates being laid side by side, so as to occupy the whole surface of the folds. Thin sheets of iron not heated are also inserted above and below the hot plates to moderate the heat. When the packs of cloth are properly folded, and piled in sufficient number in the press, they are subjected to a severe compression, and left under its influence till the plates get cold. The cloth is now taken out and folded again, so that the creases of the former folds may come opposite to the flat faces of the paper, and be removed by a second pressure. In finishing superfine cloths, however, a very slight pressure is given with iron plates but moderately warmed. The satiny lustre and smoothness given by strong compression with much heat is objectionable, as it renders the surface apt to become spotted and disfigured by rain.
Roll-boiling apparatus
The apparatus which he proposes to employ for carrying on his improved process, is shown in the accompanying drawing.Fig.1228.is a front view of the apparatus, complete, and in working order;fig.1229.is a section, taken transversely through the middle of the machine, in the direction offig.1230.; andfig.1230.is an end view of the same;a,a,a, is a vessel or tank, made of iron or wood, or any other suitable material: sloping at the back and front, and perpendicular at the ends. Thistank must be sufficiently large to admit of half the diameter of the cylinder or drumb,b,b, being immersed into it, which drum is about four feet diameter, and about six feet long, or something more than the width of the piece of cloth intended to be operated upon. This cylinder or drumb,b, is constructed by combining segments of wood cut radially on their edges, secured by screw-bolts to the rims of the iron wheels, having arms, with an axle passing through the middle.
The cylinder or drum being thus formed, rendered smooth on its periphery, and mounted upon its axle in the tank, the piece of cloth is wound upon it as tightly as possible, which is done by placing it in a heap upon a stool, as atc,fig.1229., passing its end over and between the tension-rollersd,e, and then securing it to the drum, the cloth is progressively drawn from the heap, between the tension-rollers, which are confined by a pall and ratchet, on to the periphery of the drum, by causing the drum to revolve upon its axis, until the whole piece of cloth is tightly wound upon the drum; it is then bound round with canvas or other wrappers, to keep it secure.
If the tank has not been previously charged with clean and pure water, it is now filled to the brim, as shown atfig.1229., and opening the stopcock of the pipef, which leads from a boiler, the steam is allowed to blow through the pipe, and discharge itself at the lower end, by which means the temperature of the water is raised in the tank to about 170° Fahr. Before the temperature of the water has got up, the drum is set in slow rotatory motion, in order that the cloth may be uniformly heated throughout; the drum making about one rotation per minute. The cloth, by immersion in the hot water, and passing through the cold air, in succession, for the space of about eight hours, gets a smooth soft face, the texture not being rendered harsh, or otherwise injured, as is frequently the case by roll-boiling.
Uniform rotatory motion to the drum is shown infig.1228., in whichgis an endless screw or worm, placed horizontally, and driven by a steam-engine or any other first mover employed in the factory. This endless screw takes into the teeth of, and drives, the vertical wheelh, upon the axle of which the coupling-boxi,i, is fixed, and, consequently, continually revolves with it. At the end of the shaft of the drum, a pair of sliding clutchesk,k, are mounted, which, when projected forward, as shown by dots infig.1228., produce the coupling or locking of the drum-shaft to the driving wheel, by which the drum is put in motion; but on withdrawing the clutchesk,k, from the coupling-boxi,i, as in the figure, the drum immediately stands still.
After operating upon the cloth in the way described, by passing it through hot water for the space of time required, the hot water is to be withdrawn by a cock at the bottom, or otherwise, and cold water introduced into the tank in its stead; in which cold water the cloth is to be continued turning, in the manner above described, for the space of twenty-four hours, which will perfectly fix the lustre that the face of the cloth has acquired by its immersion in the hot water, and leave the pile or nap, to the touch, in a soft silky state.
In the cold-water operation he sometimes employs a heavy pressing rollerl, which, being mounted in slots in the frame or standard, revolve with the large drum, rolling over the back of the cloth as it goes round. This roller may be made to act upon thecloth with any required pressure, by depressing the screwsm,m, or by the employment of weighted levers, if that should be thought necessary.
Pressingis the last finish of cloth to give it a smooth level surface. The piece is folded backwards and forwards in yard lengths, so as to form a thick package on the board of a screw or hydraulic press. Between every fold sheets of glazed paper are placed to prevent the contiguous surfaces of cloth from coming into contact; and at the end of every twenty yards, three hot iron plates are inserted between the folds, the plates being laid side by side, so as to occupy the whole surface of the folds. Thin sheets of iron not heated are also inserted above and below the hot plates to moderate the heat. When the packs of cloth are properly folded, and piled in sufficient number in the press, they are subjected to a severe compression, and left under its influence till the plates get cold. The cloth is now taken out and folded again, so that the creases of the former folds may come opposite to the flat faces of the paper, and be removed by a second pressure. In finishing superfine cloths, however, a very slight pressure is given with iron plates but moderately warmed. The satiny lustre and smoothness given by strong compression with much heat is objectionable, as it renders the surface apt to become spotted and disfigured by rain.