IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING OR WASHING WOOL OR OTHER FIBRES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Shaw Nichols, of Globe Mills, Manning-
ham, Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING OR
WASHING WOOL OR OTHER FIBRES."
Sealed the 7th April 1876, and dated the 6th December 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Shaw Nichols
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th December 1875.
I, WILLIAM SHAW NICHOLS, of Globe Mills, Manningham, Bradford,
in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
SCOURING OR WASHING WOOL OR OTHER FIBRES," to be as follows, that is to
say:-
My Invention relates to that part of scouring and washing machines
for delivering wool or other fibres from the trough or bowl to the
compressing rollers. For this purpose I fit the bottom compressing
roller in the trough or bowl and the liquor leaving the top of the roller
out of the liquor but a few inches, or the roller can be immersed in the

page_text: liquid; also the bottom compressing roller can be fitted outside the
trough or bowl, but low. The front and sides of the trough are cut
away for the delivery of the wool or fibres compressed, the front and
sides are made with flanges and recesses, in which is placed packing to
prevent the escape of much liquor and suds. On the top of the bottom
roller is fitted a top compressing roller; these rollers are actuated by
gear in the usual manner; the trough or bowl is made with a partition
for catching the liquor from the rollers and collecting the dirt. The
bottom compressing roller being fitted so low allows the liquid to carry
the wool or fibres brought to the rollers by the lifting fork to the com-
pressing rollers, enabling the wool or fibres to retain as much liquor
and suds as possible when entering the compressing rollers; by these
means I dispense with all lifting apparatus and gear, and all machinery
heretofore in use between the lifting fork and the rollers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Shaw Nichols in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SHAW NICHOLS, of Globe Mills, Manningham, Bradford, in the County
of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Shaw Nichols, Her
special licence, that I, the said William Shaw Nichols, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Shaw
Nichols, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING OR
WASHING WOOL OR OTHER FIBRES," upon the condition (amongst others)

page_text: that I, the said William Shaw Nichols, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
1
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Shaw Nichols, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
:--
to say:-
This Invention relates to that part of scouring and washing machines
for delivering wool or other fibres from the trough or bowl to the com-
pressing rollers. For this purpose I fit the bottom compressing roller
in the trough or bowl, and so as to be partly in the liquor, leaving the
top of the roller only a few inches out of the liquor, or the roller may
be wholly immersed in the liquid; also the bottom compressing roller
may be fitted outside the trough or bowl, but low. The front and sides
of the trough are cut away for the delivery of the compressed wool or
fibres, the front and sides are made with flanges and recesses, in which
is placed packing to prevent the escape of much liquor and suds. On
the top of the bottom roller is fitted a top compressing roller, these
rollers are actuated by gear in the usual manner; the trough or bowl
is made with a partition for catching the liquor from the rollers and
collecting the dirt. The bottom compressing roller being fitted so low
allows the liquid to carry the wool or fibres brought to the rollers by
the lifting fork to the compressing rollers, allowing as much liquor and
suds as possible to be retained in the wool or fibres when entering
the compressing rollers; by these means I dispense with all lifting
apparatus and gear, and all machinery heretofore in use between the
lifting fork and the rollers.
But in order to enable my improvements to be better understood I
will proceed to describe the same by reference to the accompanying
Drawing, in which,―
Figure 1 represents a sectional side view of part of an ordinary

page_text: the trough, and with rakes or forks for lifting the wool or fibres to the
compressing rollers.
Figure 2 represents a sectional side view of part of an ordinary
washing trough with compressing rollers fitted inside the trough.
Similar letters of reference are used in the Figures to represent similar
parts.
In an ordinary washing trough or bowl A with a false or other
suitable bottom B, is fitted the bottom compressing roller C, this
roller in Figure 1 is fitted partly outside the trough, leaving only part
of the top immersed in the liquid D; the roller C is fitted very low in
the trough, leaving the top only an inch or two out of the liquor, or
the liquor can cover the top of the roller. The front and sides of the
trough are fitted with packing E, by preference of leather, and having
a guard F of iron fitted on the leather to secure it in position, the
packing prevents the escape of much liquor and suds.
The compressing roller C, shewn in Figure 2, is fitted inside the
trough A, and partly immersed in the liquid D, and the front and sides
of the trough are also fitted with leather packing E fitted with iron
guards F to keep the leather in position, preventing the escape of much
liquor and suds. The bottom compressing roller may be fitted inside
the trough and immersed in the liquor. On the top of the bottom
compressing roller C is fitted a top compressing roller G, the rollers
are actuated by gear in the usual manner; a partition may be employed,
fitted in the trough, to catch the liquor from the rollers and collect
the dirt. The bottom compressing roller being fitted so low in the
trough A allows the liquid to carry the wool or fibres brought to the
rollers by the lifting fork H to the compressing rollers C and G, allowing
as much liquor and suds as possible to be retained in the wool or fibres
when entering the compressing rollers, producing better washed wool
or fibres; by these means I dispense with all lifting apparatus and gear,
brats, and aprons, and all machinery heretofore in use fitted between
the lifting fork and compressing rollers.
I can employ compressing rollers having bottom rollers fitted low in
the troughs, and partly or wholly immersed in the liquid, as herein-
before described for hand wool-washing machines, that is to say, for
hand forks as well as for mechanical forks.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
make no claim to any of the parts taken separately, but what I
do claim is, the mode of fitting the bottom compressing roller low
in the trough, and partly or wholly immersed in the liquor, allowing
the liquid to carry the wool or fibres to the compressing rollers, and
allowing as much liquor and suds as possible to be retained in the fibres
when entering the rollers, producing better washed wool or fibres and
dispensing with brats and aprons, and all lifting apparatus heretofore
in use, substantially as herein-before described and represented in
the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Shaw Nichols, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
15
Witness,
WILLIAM SHAW NICHOLS. (L.S.)
WALTER JAS. TURNER, C. E.,
Patent Agent,
Bradford.