keir - What does it mean?

Noun

The keirs , becks, washing machines, etc., are placed sufficiently low to allow of being fed from the water supply by gravitation, and the outlets placed just sufficiently high to reach the water line of the river a little above its normal flow.

Also fine clothes require longer treatment in the keir in order to secure good penetration by the chemie.

The cloth was singed to remove superfluous fluff by being passed over heated copper plates and then boiled in bleaching keirs with lime or caustic soda.