Yarns.—Yarn in the cop form is best washed in the machine in which it is dyed.
Yarns in Hanks.—A very common form of washing machine is shown in Fig. 32. As will be seen it consists of a wooden vat, over which are arranged a series of revolving reels on which the hanks are hung. The hanks are kept in motion through the water, and so every part of the yarn is thoroughly washed. Guides keep the hanks of yarn separate and prevent any entanglement one with another. A pipe delivers constantly a current of clean water, while another pipe carries away the used water. Motion is given to the reels in this case by a donkey engine attached to the machine, but it may also be driven by a belt from the main driving shaft of the works. This machine is very effective.
FIG. 33.—Dye-house Washing Machine.
Piece Goods.—Piece goods are mostly washed in machines,
of which two broad types may be recognised; first, those where the pieces are dealt with in the form of ropes in a twisted form, and, second, those where the pieces are washed open. There are some machines in which the cloths may be treated either in the open or rope form as may be thought most desirable.
FIG. 34.—Cloth-washing Machine.
Fig. 33 represents a fairly well-known machine, made by Messrs. Mather & Platt, in which the pieces are treated in a rope-like form. It consists of a trough in which a constant current of water is maintained. At one end of this trough is a square beating roller, at the other a wooden lattice roller. Above the square beater, and out of the trough, are a pair of rollers whose purpose is to draw the cloth through the machine and also partly to act as squeezing rollers. As will be seen the cloth is threaded in rope form spirally round the rollers, passing in at one end and out at the other, pegs in a guide rail serving to keep the various portions separate. The square beater in its revolutions has a beating action on the cloth tending to more effectual washing. The lattice roller is simply a guide roller.