IMPROVED MEANS OF CLEANSING AND PURIFYING WOOL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES FROM GREASE AND OTHER DELETERIOUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Deadman Cox, of Lower Road, Woolwich, in the
County of Kent, Analytical Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS
OF CLEANSING AND PURIFYING WOOL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES FROM GREASE
AND OTHER DELETERIOUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 23rd September 1879, and dated the 26th March 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Samuel Deadman Cox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th March 1879.
"
SAMUEL DEADMAN Cox, of Lower Road, Woolwich, in the County of Kent,
Analytical Chemist. IMPROVED MEANS OF CLEANSING AND PURIFYING WOOL AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES FROM GREASE AND OTHER DELETERIOUS SUBSTANCES."
My said Invention relates to the extraction and removal from wool and similar
substances of the grease, oil, or potash contained therein, it being well known that
the same must be entirely removed or extracted before the wool can be dyed the
colors required by the manufacturers, and it being well known that by the present.
method of scouring the wool is more or less injured in the process by the apparatus
or means employed for this purpose.
To effect in a practically available manner the removal of all grease, potash, and
other foreign substances contained in the wool in its raw state I saturate the wool
with bisulphide of carbon, and recover the bisulphide of carbon back again at a
very low temperature, thus avoiding any possible injury to the wool caused by:
excessive heat.
The Invention consists of an iron cylinder, preferably of wrought iron, and with
a perforated false bottom and moveable inside top for pressing the wool firmly
down. The outside top or cover is made of the same material, with a male joint
made to fit a female joint constructed on the upper side of the cylinder flange, an
outer casing of iron containing water to be heated to the required temperature by
a steam pipe communicating with the lower part of the said casing. Attached to
the upper part of the said cylinder is an iron pipe connected with a worm con-
denser, and is provided with a glass tube, through which glass tube communication

page_text: is established with a principal vacuum chamber. This principal vacuum chamber
is connected by a pipe with tap to a second vacuum chamber, from whence the
bisulphide of carbon may be drawn off at any time without disturbing the vacuum
in any other part of the apparatus. For working this apparatus and for the
purpose of creating the vacuum an air pump is used.
The potash and other foreign matters are removed from the wool by water in
the usual manner. The foregoing is a description of the nature and general con-
struction of the said Invention; and in order to particularly describe in what
manner the said Invention is to be utilized and put in practical operation I will
now proceed to describe the construction of my apparatus by reference to the
Drawings which accompanies these presents, by the letters and figures placed
thereon and herein referred to (that is to say)
L
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
A is the cylinder; B is the false bottom; C is the moveable top; D is the cover
with male joint round the outside rim; E is the flange on top of cylinder made
with female joint; F is the outer casing for the heated water; M is the water
guage; N is the thermometer for water casing; O, the wet steam pipe with per-
forated ring; P, the dry steam pipe for vaporizing the carbon; R, the steam pipe
for heating the water casing; G is the pipe connecting with the condenser; H is
the tube connecting the condenser with the principal vacuum chamber I; K is the
secondary vacuum pan; L is the pipe connected with the air pump.
The modus operandi of this apparatus, as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, is as follows:-Fill the chamber marked A with the wool or other
substance to be cleansed, and compress the same by means of a screw or other
arrangement pressing on the moveable top C; when the cylinder is well filled
fasten down the top C in its place by means of a slot or other suitable fastening;
the cover D is then placed on the cylinder & fastened by bolts, and made effectually
air tight by means of suitable packing in the female joint in flange E; the bi-sul-
phide is then introduced in the bottom of the cylinder A through inlet pipe W,
and vaporized by means of dry steam entering through pipe P, causing the vapour of
the bisulphide to thoroughly permeate and saturate the substances in the cylin-
der A; the carbon may then be allowed to run more freely until it passes over tho
false. top C, and out at tap No. 1 into a suitable receiver, until all the grease is
extracted. This can be ascertained by the glass test tube 2 attached to the pipe
in connection with tap No. 1; the tap No. 1 is then shut off and the surplus carbon
in the wool allowed to run off in the reservoir through tap 3. Tap No. 4 is now
opened and the vacuum pump set in motion, and in a few minutes the pressure of
the atmosphere within the entire apparatus will be reduced from 15 pounds to
one pound per square inch, as will be shewn by the vacuum guage placed on vacuum
pan I.
'
When the thermometer in the cylinder rises to eighty or ninety degrees Fahrenheit
vaporization of the bisulphide of carbon commences, and the distilled carbon is
seen passing down through the glass tube H, filling the receiver K; the inlet tap 5
is then closed, and the carbon may be from time to time be drawn off at 6. When'
all the carbon is distilled the steam is shut off, the action of the air pump stopped,
and the atmosphere admitted into the apparatus. The wool can then be taken out,
and will be perfectly free, from grease.
The potash is removed from the wool by rinsing in cold water in the usual
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said In-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed and put in practice, I
hereby declare that I claim as the Invention secured by the said Letters Patent,-
1st. The means and apparatus for distilling the carbon in vacuo, hereinbefore set
forth; by which means large quantities of wool may be cleaned at a low tempe-

page_text: rature, and without injury to the staple of the wool, or in felting the same during
the process of cleansing, such cleansing being effected at a much less expense than
heretofore.
2nd. And specially the combination of apparatus comprising as important con-
stituents the cylinder with the various arrangements connected therewith, as shewn
and described herein, and the glass tube connection with the principle vacuum
receiver and the second vacuum receiver, as herein before mentioned.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Deadman Cox, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness to the signature of
Samuel Deadman Cox :
THOMAS WILLIAMS,
110, Cannon Street,
London, E.C.
SAM DDM. COX. (LS.)