IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANING WOOL AND SIMILAR FIBRES, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Edward Gardner Colton, of W. P. Thompson and Co.'s
Patent Agency, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANING WOOL AND SIMILAR FIBRES, PART
OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES." A communication from
abroad by Frederick G. Sargent, of Graniteville, Middlesex County, Massa-
chusetts.
Sealed the 4th April 1879, and dated the 12th October 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Edward Gardner Colton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th October 1878.
EDWARD GARDNER COLTON, of W. P. Thompson and Co.'s Patent Agency, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPER-
TAINING TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANING WOOL AND
SIMILAR FIBRES, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES." A com-
munication from abroad by Frederick G. Sargent, of Graniteville, Middlesex
County, Massachusetts.
This Invention relates to that class of machines which consist of a bowl or tank
to contain the washing fluid, carriers, or rakes for advancing the fibre through the
fluid, and elevator apron for delivering the fibre from the fluid, and squeezing rolls
to remove the surplus moisture; and consists in a yielding connection between the
rakes and their driving mechanism; in means for purifying the fluid or liquor; in
means for removing the sedimentary deposit from the bowl; in providing the belt
or apron with a grinding rib or groove; and in other details.
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the machine.
Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4, sectional views on the line y-y, and -, respectively.
Fio 5 a sectional view of the endless bolt or apron

page_text: impurities from the fibre, and the water above the bottom. C, C, C¹, represent the
swinging rakes or carriers, each consisting of several tines or teeth attached to the
lower end of a rod or arm, which is arranged to slide at its upper end through a
pivotted guide block, and mounted at its middle on a driving crank, as usual in this
class of machines. These driving cranks are mounted on the ends of horizontal
shafts sustained in tubular bearings, which bearings are secured at their outer ends
to the side of the frame or bowl, and sustained at their inner ends by means of a
longitudinal bar or plate Q, which latter is sustained in part by depending arms k
bearing on the top of a cross bar h, and of the shaft of a gate J, both shafts extend-
ing from side to side of the bowl. This manner of bracing and sustaining the inner
ends of the bearings i prevents all danger of their being sprung out of position by
the strain on the cranks, and forms one feature of my Invention. The crank shafts
of the rakes are provided at their outer ends with bevelled pinions, which are driven
by corresponding pinions on a longitudinal driving shaft O. The pinions are
connected to the shaft O by devices which will yield and permit the rakes to stop
individually in the event of their meeting with a resistance so great as to endanger
their breakage. This connection may be of any suitable character or construction,
provided it permits the rakes to yield separately under excessive strain, and may be
introduced at any desired point between tho rakes and their driving mechanism.
The Drawing shows two arrangements, one consisting of a clutch b with a bevilled
shoulder to engage with a corresponding shoulder on the driving pinion, and a
spiral spring to hold the two in contact. When the strain exceeds the proper
limit the spring yields, and the two parts of the clutch disengage. The second
arrangement shown consists merely of two frictional plates or collars attached to
the pinion and shaft respectively, and urged together by a spiral spring. The only
requirement is that the rakes shall be driven through or by means of devices which
will permit each rake to stop when, from an excessivo accumulation of fibre, or any
: other reason, it meets with a dangerous resistance. E represents a reciprocating and
-rising-and-falling carrier of substantially the ordinary construction, having a series
of depending teeth, and designed to carry the fibre from the bowl upward over an
inclined plate F to an inclined endless apron or conveyor G, by which it is carried
between two press rolls H, H, which remove the moisture and deliver the fibre from
the machine. In order to permit the more ready escape of the moisture, and to
admit also of the carrier toeth extending below and taking a firm hold upon the
fibre, the inclined plate F is provided on its face with longitudinal ribs &, as clearly
shown in Fig. 2. The endless apron or conveyor G is made of rubber, or rubber
with a canvas lining or backing, and is sustained at its lower end by a special
roller, and at its upper end by the lower roll H, around which it passes, as shown,
thus serving to apply a yielding pressure to the fibre as it passes out between the
rolls. In order to prevent the water which is expressed by the rolls H from washing
⚫the loose fibre backward toward the bowl, a supplemental roll I is mounted above
-the apron or conveyor, as shown. In order that the bowl or body may receive and
hold a large supply of fibre without danger of causing the same to be fed to the
delivery mechanism too rapidly, a gravitating toothed gate J is hung transversely
within the bowl, immediately below the last rake or carrier C¹, and just in advanco
of the delivery mechanism. This gate, under which the fibre must be drawn by the
carrier, serves to hold back the mass or body of fibre, and regulate the amount
which is taken by the carrier at each advance. By adapting the machine to retain
a large body of fibre without increasing the rate of delivery the fibre is permitted
to soak a greater length of time, and is consequently more thoroughly cleansed.
In order to overcome the liability of the upper roll H to carry a portion of the
fibre back over its top an endless rubber apron P may be passed around said roll,
and thence over an elevated apron n, as shown; it being found that the fibre will
fall from the upright face of this apron, and also that other advantages result from
its rise. Either or both of the aprons G, P, may be provided with one or more
internal grinding ribs g, arranged to travel in corresponding grooves in the supporting
.rolls, or in place of the rib on the apron a longitudinal groove may be made therein,

page_text: and the rolls provided with flanges to run within said grooves and guide the apron.
The guiding rib or groove may be arranged in the middle, at one edge, or at any
intermediate point in the apron. It should be made narrow, and preferably of a
V form in cross section. In some instances two or more guides may be used with
advantage on one apron, but when the apron is of elastic material and subject to
pressure, a single guide should be used, in order that there may be no hindrance to
the lateral expansion and contraction of the apron, and that it may not be caused
to wrinkle or buckle up: The guiding rib may be moulded upon and in one piece
with the belt or apron, or attached thereto, and it may be made continuous or in
short sections slightly separated from each other at their ends. While this method
of guiding belts or aprons is more. particularly designed for use in wool-washing
machines; it is manifest that it may be used in connection with conveyor belts and
aprons, and driving belts for all purposes, and in connection with all. classes of.
machinery.
As a means of limiting the height of the fluid in the bowl and discharging the
sediment and heavy impurities from its bottom, I employ in the bowl an open
overflow chamber S, having a discharge pipe u, which extends through the bottom
of the bowl, and an inlet pipe t, which extends downward within the bowl nearly
to its bottom. When the water or other liquid rises above the proper level it flows
over the top of the chamber S, and escapes through the pipe u, but so long as the
level is kept below the top of the chamber S, and fresh water is introduced into the
bowl, the heavy foul water containing the impurities removed from the fibre will
ascend from the bottom of the bowl through the pipe t, and escape through the
pipe u
For the purpose of purifying the wash liquor within the machine, and permitting
its use for a greater length of time than usual, I arrange at one side of the machine
a filtering chamber M provided with a rotary pump P, K, by means of which the
fluid is drawn from the bottom of the bowl, passed through the filter, and delivered
thence into the top of the bowl. The filter may be of any ordinary or suitable
character, with or without a filling of porous or absorbent material. In the form of
device represented in the Drawing, most clearly shown in Fig. 3, a series of vertical
partitions are arranged in the filter body in such manner that the fluid is compelled
to pass upward and downward, over and under them, whereby a deposit of the
foreign matters in the filter body is secured. A screen d is also secured in the filter
in advance of the outlet, to retain all coarse impurities. While it is preferred to
employ the form of pump shown, any other form may be used to effect the passage
of the fluid through the filter.
Having described my Invention, what I claim is,-
1. In a wool-washing machine one or more rakes or carriers having a yielding
connection with the driving mechanism substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. In a wool-washing machine the driving shaft O, having the rake-operating
pinions connected thereto by yielding couplings or clutches substantially as shown.
3. In a wool-washing machine a carrier rake constructed and adapted to yield
when the strain thereon exceeds a given limit.
4. In a wool-washing machine, a filter, and a pump or equivalent device arranged
to exhaust the fluid from the bowl or body, purify it, and return it thereto, sub-
stantially as shown.
5. In a wool-washing machine an overflow or discharge constructed substantially
as described and shown, so as to maintain the fluid at a given height, and deliver
the overflow directly from the bottom of the bowl or body.
6. The open chamber S, provided with the pipes t, u, and arranged as shown and
described.
7. In combination with the endless apron G and rolls H, the roll I, arranged as
and for the purpose described.
8. In combination with the upper press roll H the elevator roll M, and the upright
bolt or apron P.

page_text: 9. In a wool-washing machine the combination of the inclined plate F, the
elevator ribs thereon, and a reciprocating toothed carrier T.
10. In combination with the press rolls the endless elastic apron having a guiding
rib arranged to run within a groove in one of said rolls.
11. An endless belt or apron provided with a longitudinal internal rib or groove
arranged to operate in connection with a corresponding groove or rib on a sup-
porting or driving roll or wheel, substantially as described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Gardner Colton, has hereunto set his
hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight,
Witness,
JOHN C. O'BRIEN,
Clerk to the said
W. P. Thompson and Co.
E. GARDNER COLTON. (LS.)