144

BLEACHING.

farther use in this operation; hut, were the goods to be instantly taken out of theltieve, and carried to be washed in the dash-wheel while hot, a certain portion of thecoloring matter would be again fixed into them, which is extremely difficult toeradicate. In order to prevent this, the most approved bleachers run warm water uponthe cloth as soon as the impure ley is run off: this combines with and carries off' partof the remaining imparities. A stream of water is then allowed to run upon the clothin the kieve, until it comes off' almost transparent. The goods are now to be takento the wash stocks, or to the dash-wheel, to be further cleaned, with the greatest

efficacy.

The improved mode of bowking was the invention of Mr. John Laurie, a native ofGlasgow . It is now practised by many bleachers in Lancashire , some on more perfectplans than others; but we shall give the description of the kind of apparatus approvedof by those whose experience and skill have rendered them the most competentjudges.

d is the wooden kieve

In Jig. 122,

, or kier, containing the cloth; c E F drepresents the cast-iron boiler; g g, thepump; g k, the pipe of communicationbetween the kieve and the boiler. Thispipe has a valve on each of its extremities;that on the upper extremity, when shut,prevents the ley from running into theboiler, and is regulated by the attendantby means of the rod and handle g B.The valve at K admits the ley; but, open-ing inwards, it prevents the steam fromescaping through the pipe g K. Theboiler has a steam-tight iron cover, g l ;and at c d, in the kieve, is a woodengrating, a small distance above the coverof the boiler.

At m o is a broad plate of metal, inorder to spread the ley over the cloth.It is hardly necessary to say that theboiler has a furnace, as usual, for similarpurposes.

While the ley is at a low temperature,the pump is worked by the mill or steam-engine. When it is sufficiently heated, the elasticity of the steam forces it up throughthe valves of the pump, in which case it is disjoined from the moving power.

N p is a copper spout, which is removed at the time of taking the cloth out of thekieve.

The boilers A, Jig. 123, used in bleaching, are of the common form, having a stop-

The efficacy of Laurie’s bowking apparatus is remarkable. While the heat isgradually rising, a current of fresh ley is constantly presented to the different surfacesfor saturating the goods, so as to increase its detersive powers. Besides, the manner i

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