Patent GB-190810951-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in, and Apparatus for, Cleaning Wool
Inventor: SHUMAN FRANK
Filed: 1908-05-20
Granted: 1909-02-04
Abstract: 10,951. Shuman, F., and Shuman, C. May 20. Washing.-Wool is cleansed by treating it first with a solvent of grease, then washing it with relatively cool water, and then with water hot enough to vaporize the contained solvent. The wool is carried through the apparatus between two endless aprons 4, 5 of wire-cloth, perforated sheet-metal, &c., the lower 5 being supported by rollers 23. The wool is carried first throush one closed tank 1 the lower part of which is divided into compartments 10, 11, 12, 13 by partitions 9. Fresh solvent, such as naphtha, either cold or heated, is sprayed on to the travelling mass of wool from a pipe 31, and, passing through it, falls into one of the compartments 12 beneath, whence it is pumped up through a pipe 21, 20 and falls into a perforated tray 19, which can run longitudinally over the tank on rails 28, whence it again flows into the com partment 12. As the level of the solvent rises in the compartment, however, the tray is moved along so far, by the action of a float 30 in the compartment 11 and a connecting-rod 29, that so much of the solvent runs through the wool into the adjacent compartment 11, as is running into the firstdescribed compartment 12 from the pipe 31 and from the adjacent compartment 13 on the other side. Similarly a normal level is preserved in the first adjacent compartment 11. The level in the first compartment, which contains the solvent most highly charged with grease, is fixed by the position of an overflow-pipe 33. From the first tank 1 the wool is carried through a closed neck 3 to a second tank 2, wherein it is treated with water in the same manner as with solvent in the first tank. Before this, however, the wool has the greater quantity of solvent expressed by the action of squeeze rolls 25, passes under the action of wash water from a fixed tray 19 above the last compartment 13 of the first tank 1 (the water being drawn from the first compartment 15 at the second tank 2), and is again squeezed by rolls 26 which express most of the water and solvent remaining. The solvent, being specifically lighter than the water, floats thereon and overflows in the next compartment 12. The aqueous solution of potash salts is discharged from the lower part of the compartment 13 by means of a pipe 34. The water in the compartments 15,16,17 of the second tank 2 is heated by steam from a pipe 36 or otherwise. Preferably that contained in each successive compartment is heated to a successively higher temperature, so that the water both washes the potash salts out of the wool and vaporizes any remaining solvent, which passes off through a pipe 35 to a suitable condenser. A final pair of squeeze - rollers 27 expresses most of the wash water, so that the cleaned wool is discharged relatively dry. Flexible lips 7 are secured to the receiving and delivery ends of the tanks to maintain relation by tight joints at the points of entrance and exit of the aprons 4, 5 and wool and to prevent the escape of gases or vapours from the tanks. In a modification. the wool may be passed through a quiescent body or bodies of water, as by deflecting the course of the endless carrier-belts in the water compartments 13, 15, 16, 17, or otherwise.