IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCOURING AND RINSING WCOL
Year: 1871

page_text: in the County of Middlesex, Patent and Registration Agent, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCOURING AND
RINSING WCOL."A communication from abroad by François Joseph
Leroy, of Hodimont, near Verviers, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Mechanical Engineer.
Scaled the 13th October 1871, and dated the 19th April 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brookes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th April 1871.
I, WILLIAM BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent and Registration Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCOURING
AND RINSING WOOL," (a communication to me from abroad from François
Joseph Leroy, of Hodimont, near Verviers, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Mechanical Engineer), to be as follows :—
'
These improvements as communicated to me relate to machinery for
scouring and rinsing wool as a means of removing the grease which it

page_text: herein-after described, by which the scouring and rinsing processes are
rendered more effective.
The scouring machine consists of a tank in which is placed the wool
and hot alkaline liquor used for removing the grease from the said wool.
Within the said tank work a stirring rake and a combined stirring and
extracting rake constructed and actuated as follows:-The said stirring
rake consists of a bar of wood extending nearly across the tank, from
which bar projects downwards a number of prongs or teeth which
dip into the alkaline bath. The said rake is fixed to the lower ends of
two levers, one on each side of the machine, the said levers being jointed
at about the middle of their length to crank arms on a shaft revolving in
bearings in the frame of the machine, and the upper ends of the said
levers are jointed to crank arms on a second shaft placed above and
parallel with the first mentioned shaft. The said crank shafts rotate in
opposite directions, and by their action upon the rack levers they com-
municate to the said rake an oscillating motion combined with a rising
and falling motion, causing the said rake in its forward oscillation to
descend into the liquor and draw forward the wool it contains, and in its
backward oscillation to assume a higher level preparatory to again
dipping into the liquor, thus stirring the bath and causing the wool to
travel forwards to the path of the combined stirring and extracting rake,
which is mounted on the lower ends of two levers jointed each to a
revolving crank arm in a similar manner to the stirring rake levers
herein before described, but the said rake instead of being as the stirring
rake above described rigidly fixed to the lever ends and with its teeth
projecting parallel to the said levers is jointed to its lever ends, and when
used only as a stirrer it is allowed to swing on the ends of the said levers,
but when used for stirring and also for extracting or drawing out the
wool the said rake is turned upon its axis, so that its prongs or teeth
have a slanting position in front of the lever ends, forming an obtuse
angle with the said levers, and it is fixed in position by means of a catch
lever on a horizontal bar capable of motion in brackets on the oscillating
levers, which catch lever is made to engage with and press down a lever
arm or heel projecting behind the joint of the said rake so as to push
forward the prongs of the said rake, a handle on the said horizontal bar
of the catch lever allowing the said catch lever to be disengaged from

page_text: the rake heel when required without stopping any of the working parts
of the machine. In front of the said rake and suspended by arms jointed
to the frame of the machine is a horizontal bar which by its own weight
falls into a perpendicular position. During the forward motion of the
rake its prongs come in contact with the said bar and carry it upon them
to the end of their forward motion, and the effect of the said bar is to
grasp between it and the prongs of the rake the wool brought forward
by the said rake, and by the upward motion of the said rake to push the
wool towards the points of the said prongs or teeth and cause it to fall
off on to an endless apron situated underneath, which endless apron
conducts the said wool to between a pair of pressing rollers which
express the alkaline liquor from the said wool. The wool then passes
on to the periphery of a delivery roller suspended by arms jointed to the
framing. The said delivery roller delivers the said scoured wool outside
the machine, but should the said wool not be sufficiently scoured the
said delivery roller is moved out of the way by its arms being caused to
revolve partially round their axis, and the said roller is fixed at a little
distance from the pressing rollers by a notched lever, one end of which
is jointed to the framing. The wool then on leaving the pressing
rollers falls into the tank and is again operated by the scouring
apparatus.
The action of the said scouring machine is as follows:-The alkaline
liquor and wool having been introduced into the scouring tank the
different parts of the machine are set in motion; the stirring rake draws
on the wool, opens it, and pushes it forward to the teeth of the stirring
and extracting rake, which rake if fixed in its slanting position by the
catch lever above described draws forward the wool, and its teeth coming
in contact with the horizontal hanging bar the wool is held between the
said bar and the said teeth, and is raised above and delivered upon the
endless apron below, which endless apron conducts the wool to between
the pressing rollers, from which it is delivered outside the machine by
the delivery roller; or if the said wool is not sufficiently scoured the said
delivery roller being removed and fixed out of the way it falls back into
the tank, where it returns to the other end of the machine, and the
operation is renewed. The stirring and extracting rake may be made to
act simply as a stirror by dicencering the match laras form it

page_text: of a tank of running water in which the wool is subjected to the stirring
action of two stirring rakes, one working in front of the other, the levers
carrying the said rakes are jointed in the middle of their length to crank
arms on revolving shafts, and the upper ends of the said levers slide in
sockets jointed to the framing above the said shafts. The action of
the said stirring rakes herein-before described in connected with the
scouring machine. When the wool is sufficiently rinsed it is delivered
out of the machine by means of an extracting rake working in a channel
formed in the tank; the said rake is fixed to a bar of iron, the ends of
which bar are carried by two slides capable of sliding along bars, forming
an inclined plane of similar inclination to the slanting channel along
which the wool is to be moved. The said iron bar is fixed to and worked
by two connecting rods, one on each side of the said bar, the rear ends of
the said connecting rods being jointed to crank arms upon a revolving
shaft, and by the revolutions of the said crank shaft the said rake is
pushed along the slanting channel and pushes before it the wool, which
then falls out of the machine into a vessel in which it is allowed to drip.
In its backward movement the rake, owing to the position assumed by
the connecting rods and crank arms during that portion of the re
lution of the crank shaft, forms an acute angle with the inclined slide
bars, and passes over the wool in the inclined channel preparatory to
again descending into the delivery channel on the commencement of
another revolution of the said crank shaft.
Extracting rakes constructed as lierein-before described are applicable
for extracting wool from scouring and rinsing machines of ordinary
construction, and unprovided with a travelling apron and pressing
rollers. The slide bars along which the rake carriers slide may be
formed to rise vertically and then slant off, so that the rake will first lift
the wool vertically from the bottom of the tank, and drop it on an
endless apron or other receiver. In this case the sliding carriers of the
rake may be replaced by grooved rollers which will more readily travel
over the vertical and inclined guide bars.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Brookes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, London, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent and Registration Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Brookes, Her special licence
that I, the said William Brookes, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Brookes, 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 FOR SCOURING AND RINSING WOOL," a communication to me from
abroad by François Joseph Leroy, of Hodimont, near Verviers, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanical Engineer, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Brookes, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Brookes, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
These improvements, as communicated to me, relate to machinery
for scouring and rinsing wool, as a means of removing the grease which
it retains from the sheep, and they consist in the use of stirring rakes
and extracting or drawing out rakes, and apparatus combined therewith,

page_text: as herein-after described, by which the scouring and rinsing processes
are rendered more effective,
The scouring machine consists of a tank, in which is placed the wool
and hot alkaline liquor used for removing the grease from the said wool.
Within the said tank work a stirring rake and a combined stirring and
extracting rake, constructed and actuated as follows:-The said stirring
rake consists of a bar of wood extending nearly across the tank, from
which bar project downwards a number of prongs or teeth which dip
into the alkaline bath, the said rake is fixed to the lower ends of two
levers, one on each side of the machine, the said levers being jointed at
about the middle of their length to crank arms on a shaft revolving
in bearings in the frame of the machine, and the upper ends of the
said levors are jointed to crank armis on a second shaft placed abavo
and parallel with the first mentioned shaft. The said crank shafts rotato
in opposite directions, and by their action upon the rack levers they
communicate to the said rake an oscillating motion combined with a
rising and falling motion, causing the said rake in its forward oscillation
to descend into the liquor and draw forward the wool it contains, and in
its backward oscillation to assume a higher level preparatory to again
dipping into the liquor, thus stirring the bath and causing the woul
to travel forwards to the bath of the combined stirring and extracting
rake, which is mounted on the lower ends of two levers, jointed each
to a revolving crank arm in a similar manner to the stirring rake levers
berein-before described, but the said rake instead of being, as the stirring
rake above described, rigidly fixed to the lever ends, and with its teeth
projecting parallel to tho said levers is jointed to its lever ends, and
when used only as a stirrer it is allowed to swing on the ends of tho said
levers, but when used for stirring and also for extracting or drawing out
the wool the said rake is turned upon its axis, so that its prongs or
teeth have a slanting position in front of the lever ends, forming an
obtuse angle with the said levers, and it is fixed in position by means
of a catch lever on a horizontal bar capable of motion in brackets on
the oscillating levers, which catch lever is made to engage with and
press down a lever arm or heel projecting behind the joint of the said
rake, so as to push forward the prongs of the said rake, a handle on
the said horizontal bar of the catch lever allowing the said catch lever
to be disengaged from the rake heel when requirod without stopping
any of the working parts of the machine. In front of the said rako
and suspended by arms jointed to the frame of the machine is a

page_text: horizontal bar, which by its own weight falls into a perpendicular
position. During the forward motion of the rake its prongs come in
contact with the said bar and carry it upon them to the end of their
forward motion, and the effect of the said bar is to grasp between it
and the prongs of the rake the wool brought forward by the said rake,
and by the upward motion of the said rake to push the wool towards
the points of the said prongs or teeth and cause it to fall off on to an
endless apron situated underneath, which endless apron conducts the said
wool to between a pair of pressing rollers, which express the alkaline
liquor from the said wool, the wool then passes on to the periphery
of a delivery roller suspended by arms jointed to the framing, the said
delivery roller delivers the said scoured wool outside the machine, but
should the said wool not be sufficiently scoured the said delivery roller
is moved out of the way by its arms being caused to revolve partially
round their axis, and the said roller is fixed at a little distance from
the pressing rollers by a notched lever, one end of which is jointed to
the framing. The wool then on leaving the pressing rollers falls into
the tank and is again operated by the scouring apparatus.
The rinsing machine consists of a tank of running water, in which
the wool is subjected to the stirring action of two stirring rakes, one
working in front of the other, tlie levers carrying the said rakes are
jointed in the middle of their length to crank arms on revolving shafts,
and the upper ends of the said levers slide in sockets jointed to the
framing above the said shafts.
The action of the said stirring rakes is similar to that of the stirring
rakes herein-before described in connection with the scouring machine!
When the wool is sufficiently rinsed it is delivered out of the machine
by means of an extracting rake working in a channel formed in the
tank, the said rake is fixed to a bar of iron, the ends of which bar are
carried by two slides capable of sliding along bars, forming an inclined
plane of similar inclination to the slanting channel, along which the
wool is moved. The said iron bar is fixed to and worked by two
connecting rods, onc on each side of the said bar, the rear ends of the
said connecting rods being jointed to crank arms upon a revolving
shaſt, and by the revolutions of the said crank shaft the said rake is
pushed along the slanting channel and pushes before it the wool which
then falls out of the machine into a vessel, in which it is allowed to
drip. In its backward movement the rake, owing to the position'

page_text: assumed by the connecting rods and crank arms during that portion
of the revolution of the crank shafts forins an acute angle with the
inclined slide bars and passes over the wool in the inclined channel
preparatory to again descending into the delivery channel on the
commencement of another revolution of the said crank shaft.
Extracting rakes constructed as herein-beforç described are applicable
for extracting wool from scouring and rinsing machines of ordinary
construction and unprovided with a travelling apron and pressing rollers.
The slide bars along which the mke carriers slide may be formed to
rise vertically and then slant off so that the rake will first lift the
wool vertically from the bottom of the tank and drop it on an endless
apron or other receiver. In this case the sliding carriers of the rake
may be replaced by grooved rollers, which will moro readily travel over
the vertical and inclined guide bars.
But that the Invention, as communicated to me, may be fully under-
stood. I will by the aid of the accompanying Drawings wrogood to
Figure 1 is a side clevation of a scouring machine constructed
according to this Invention. Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
In Figure 2 similar parts are marked with the same letters of reference
as in Figure 1.
A is a scouring tank provided with a double bottom, in the lower
surface of which is a valve B for the outlet of the liquor, C is the main
shaft of the machine supported by a suitable frame. Upon the said
shaft C are three pulleys D, D, and D', the pulleys D, D, being a loose
and fast pulley, the latter receiving motion by means of a belt from any
suitable motive power. Upon the said shaft C is also a toothed wheel F
which wheel F communicates motion to the shafts or axes E, E, E', E',
by means of the six toothed wheels F, F, F, F, F, F. Within the tank A
work a stirring rake G, and a combined stirring and extracting rake G¹.
The said stirring rake consists of a bar of wood & extending nearly
across the tank A, from which bar G project downwards a number of
prongs or teeth g, g, which dip into the alkaline bath contained in the
tank A, the said rake G is affixed to the lower ends of two levers H, H,
one on each side of the machine. The said levers are jointed at about

page_text: the middle of their length to crank arms I, I, on the lower shaft E, and
the upper ends of the said levers H are jointed to crank arms I', I', on
the upper shaft E. The said shafts E, E, rotate in opposite directions
as indicated by the arrows, and by their action upon the rake levers
I, I, they communicate to the rake G an oscillating motion combined
with a rising and falling motion causing the said rake in its forward
motion to descend into the liquor and draw forward and turn over the
wool it contains, and in its backward motion to assume a higher level
preparatory to again dipping into the liquor, thus stirring the bath and
causing the wool to travel forwards to the path of the combined stirring
and extracting rake G', which rake G¹ is jointed to the bar or axis K
affixed to the lower ends of two levers H, H', the said levers H', H¹,
being jointed to the revolving crank arms J, J', on the shafts E', E', in
like manner as the levers H, H, above described. When the rake G¹
is used only as a stirrer it is allowed to swing on the ends of the levers
H, H, as shown by the dotted lines at G, but when used for stirring
and also for drawing out or extracting the wool the rake is fixed in
position so as to project slightly in front of the levers H', H', as shown
in the Drawings, by means of a catch lever L on a horizontal bar M
capable of rotating in bearings on the levers H¹, H¹. The said catch
lever L is made to engage with and depress a lever arm or heel L'
projecting behind the rake G' so as to push forwards the prongs of the
said rake, a handle N on the bar M allowing the said catch lever L to be
disengaged from the heel L' of the rake G', or made to engage there-
with when required without stopping any of the working parts of the
machine. In front of the said rake G¹ is a horizontal bar O suspended
by arms jointed to the frame of the machine at O¹ the said bar O by its
own weight falls into a perpendicular position as indicated by the dotted
lines at O, but during the forward motion of the rake Gits prongs.
come in contact with the said bar O and carry it upon them to tho
end of their forward motion, the effect produced thereby being to grasp.
between the prongs of the rake G₁ and the bar O the wool brought.
forward by the said rake, and by the upward motion of the said rake to
push the wool towards the ends of the prongs and cause it to fall off on
to an endless apron T, which endless apron conducts the wool to between
a pair of pressing rollers P, P, which express the alkaline liquor from
the wool. On the axis of the lower pressing roller P is affixed a toothed
wheel Q which receives motion through the toothed pinion Q' from the
axis S, the said axis S having upon it a fast and loose pulley.D², D³,

page_text: driven by means of a belt from the fast pulley D' upon the shaft C.
The upper pressing roller P is pressed upon the lower roller P by the
springs R, R, acting upon its axis. U is a delivery roller suspended
by arms V jointed to the framing. The said delivery roller U may be
moved out of the way when required and fixed at a little distance from
the pressing rollers P by means of the notched bars W, one end of cach
of which bars is jointed to the frame.
The action of the said scouring machine is as follows:-The scouring
tank A having beon filled up to about Z with hot alkalino liquor, the
required quantity of wool to be scoured is thrown into the tank at Y,
the different parts of the machine are set in motion as indicated by the
arrows. The stirring rake G draws on the wool, opens it, and pushes it
forward to the teeth of the stirring and extracting rake G', which rake
if fixed in position as shown in the Drawing by the catch lever L
engaging with the heel L' of the said rake draws forward the wool,
the points of its prongs or teeth describing the curved figure indicated
in dotted lines at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. In its forward motion 5, 6, 1, the said
rake comes in contact with the horizontal hanging bar O, and with it
holds the wool and raises it above the endless apron T, and the bar O
sliding along the teeth of the said rake causes the wool to fall upon the
said apron T by which it is conducted to between the pressing rollers
P, P, which express the alkaline liquor from the wool and crush any
hard substances it may contain. From the pressing rollers P, P, tho
wool passes on to the delivery roller U which is held close to the
roller P as shewn in Figure 1, delivers it outside the machine, or if the
said wool should not have been sufficiently scoured the said delivery
roller U is removed and fixed out of the way by means of the notched
bars W as indicated by the dotted lines at Figure 1, the wool then falls
from the pressing rollers into the tank A where it returns to the other
end of the machine and the operation is renewed. The stirring and
extracting rake G' may be made to act simply as a stirrer by disengaging
the catch lever L from the heel L' of the rako G', which rake will then
hang from the levers H', H', and stir and turn over the wool without
lifting it on to the endless apron T, and when the wool is sufficiently
scoured the catch lever L is made to engage with the heel L' of the
rake G¹ without its being necessary to stop any part of the machine, and
by raising the levers W the delivery roller U will fall into position close
to the pressing roller P from which it receives rotary motion through

page_text: suitable gearing, as shewn, and the wool instead of falling back into the
tank will be delivered outside the machine.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a rinsing machine constructed according
to this Invention. Figure 4 is a plan view of the same.
The same
letters of reference indicate like parts in both these Figures.
A is a sheet-iron rinsing tank provided with a perforated false bottom;
upon each side of the said tank A projects a short axis, upon which axes
rotate the toothed wheels B, B; C, C, are two toothed pinions upon the
shaft E', giving motion to the wheels B, B. Upon the shaft E¹ are
mounted the fixed and loose pulleys E, E, receiving motion from any
suitable mover. F, F, are two connecting rods jointed at one end to
crank arms B', B', projecting from the toothed wheels B, B, and at their
other ends the said connecting rods F, F, and secured to each end of a
horizontal bar H', to which bar H' is affixed the extracting rake H.
X, X, are two inclined planes attached to the sides of the tank A. I, I,
are slides supporting the rake bar H' upon the inclined planes X, X,
and capable of sliding up and down the said inclined planes. G, G¹, are
two stirring rakes, one working in front of the other. The levers carrying
the said rakes are jointed in the middle of their length to crank arms
K', K¹, K', K', on revolving shafts K, K. The shaft K of the rake G
receives rotary motion from a pulley acting upon one of the two
pulleys D, D, and a belt on the pulley D' gives rotary motion to the
pulley D' and shaft K actuating the rake G³.
The action of the said rinsing machine is as follows:-The tank is
filled up to Z with cold water. The water is maintained constantly at
the same level and is constantly renewed from a continuous jet playing
into the tank, and the surplus water runs out by a lateral pipe in com-
munication with the false bottom in the usual manner. The wool to be
rinsed is thrown into the tank at a. The stirring rakes G, G', are then
set in motion, the rake G draws on the wool, opens it, and conducts it
to the rake G' which operates in like manner to the rake G. The move-
ment of the water causes the wool to sink to the bottom of the tank
from whence it rises to the surface again at a to be operated upon again
by the rakes G, G¹. When the rinsing operation is completed the ex-
tracting rake H is put in motion by means of the fast pulley E, which
gives motion to the pinions C and wheels B, and to the connecting rods
F, F. Each revolution of the wheels B causes the extracting rake H
to move up and down the inclined planes X, X; when moving up the
•

page_text: said inclined planes the teeth of the said rake describe the curve
indicated by the dotted line 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, pushing before them the
wool along the inclined surface of the false bottom of the tank indicated
in dotted lines. When the teeth of the said rake have reached the
points 4, 5, 6, the wool falls over into an iron receiver Y in which it is
allowed to drip. When the rake H returns down the inclined planes
X, X, the teeth of the said rake describe the curved line 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
when they again move upwards with a fresh supply of wool which also
falls into the receiver Y, and the operation is renewed till all the wool
is extracted from the tank A.
Extracting rakes constructed as herein-before described and repre-
sented in Figures 3 and 4, are applicable for extracting wool from
scouring and rinsing machines of ordinary construction and unprovided
with a travelling apron and pressing rollers. The slide bars along
which the rake carriers slide may be formed to rise vertically and then
slant off, as represented at X', Figure 5, so that the rake will first lift
the wool vertically from the bottom of the tank and place it on an
endless apron or other receiver. In this case the sliding carriers I, I, of
the rake may be replaced by grooved rollers, as shown at Figure 5, which
will more readily travel over the vertical and inclined guide bars X'.
Having now described the nature of this Invention as communicated
to me, and means for carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, as the same
may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of the
Invention, but what I claim is,-
First. The improvements in scouring machines herein-before described
and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say, the application thereto of a combined stirring and extracting
rake G¹, which rake without its being necessary to stop any part of the
machine may be made to act either as a stirring rake to draw forward,
turn over,
and open the wool in the alkalino bath, or to extract the
said wool from the tank, substantially as described and represented.
Secondly. The application to scouring machines of a delivery roller U
constructed and arranged, so that it may be secured in position to
deliver the wool outside the machine, or may be moved and secured
out of the way, so as to allow of the wool falling back into the scouring
tank as required without its being necessary for its adjustment in either

page_text: of these positions to stop any other parts of the machine, substantially
as hercin-before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The application to rinsing machines and to scouring
machines, of an extracting rake, constructed and actuated substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 3, 4, and 5, of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Brookes, have hercunto
set my hand and scal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.