16,329. Kershaw, J., and Cole, J. T. Aug. 1. Dyeing. - Wool, slubbings, yarn, and other fibrous materials are dyed, mordanted, and similarly treated with liquids in a machine which repeatedly compresses or squeezes the material in the vat, when saturated, and allows it to open out after each compression. The material to be treated is placed evenly on a false bottom 2, Fig. 1, preferably made in sections 3, more or less up to a grid or lattice top 90, preferably made in two or more sections 92 and provided with hinged pieces or ends 93 secured to flanges 94 at the sides of the vat 5. The false bottom 2 is raised slowly and lowered rapidly by the action of a driving-shaft 30, journaled on supports 32 and gearing with a longitudinal shaft 20 through mechanism carried by a crossstay 24. This mechanism controls the rotational direction and speed of the shaft 20, which carries worms 17 in gear with right and left handed wormwheels 16 secured to two cross-shafts 10. The shafts 10 have chain-wheels 9 fixed to their ends, one over each corner of the vat 5, and each carrying a chain 8 secured to a vertical rod 7 itself secured to a corner of the false bottom 2. The driving- shaft 30, Figs. 4 and 5, drives the longitudinal shaft 20 through a bevel-gear 36, 37 and a short shaft 35 carrying two loose spur-wheels 38, 39, between which a clutch 40 slides on a feather-key. According to which of these two wheels is engaged by the clutch 40, the longitudinal shaft 20 is driven quickly through the spur-wheel 25 in engagement with the second 39 of the two loose wheels, or slowly in the opposite sense from the first loose wheel 38 through change-wheels 41, 45. The clutch 40 is thrown into gear with either of its coacting wheels 38, 39 by the fall of a weighted lever 50, the lower end 53 of which has a slot 54 through which passes a pin 55 secured to a forked or rounded piece 56, fitting a recess 57 in the clutch and capable of sliding on a short shaft 58. Through a slot 60 in the upper arm of the lever 50 passes a rod 61, having an adjustable collar 62, 63 on each side of the lever and its ends fastened to the ends of a chain 64 passing over a sprocket-wheel 65 on the nearer cross-shaft 10 and over a guide-wheel 66. When either collar contacts with the lever, it throws the lever over from one side to the other. Mechanism for allowing the false bottom 2 to dwell at the bottom of the vat 5 comprises a vertical rod 68 adjustably secured to an horizontal plate 69 pivoted at 70<a> to a bracket 70, itself secured to a vertically-sliding feathered rod 71. The clutch 40 carries a collar 80, which when the clutch is thrown out of gear with the quick-drive loose spur-wheels 39, contacts with the vertical rod 68. This forces the other end 72 of the plate 69, suitably shaped for the purpose, into contact with a constantly rotating buttress thread 73, against the tension of a spring 81. Accordingly the buttress thread raises the bracket 70 and other parts attached thereto, including the vertical rod 68, until the lower end of the latter is lifted out of the way of the collar 80, whereupon the clutch 40 is thrown into gear with the slow-drive loose spur-wheel 38, the false bottom 2 being thus slowly raised. During this motion the vertical rod 68 rests on the periphery of the collar 80, and falls again when the clutch is again thrown into gear with the quick-motion spur-wheel 39, a counterweight and the necessary fittings being provided to prevent sho:k.