IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND MACHINERY FOR SCOURING WOOL
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lanc, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for tlie Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND MACHINERY FOR SCOURING
WOOL."
A communication from abroad by Auguste Martel-
Delespierre, Machinist, and Henri Rousseau, Wool Merchant, both
of 13, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
-
Scaled the 9th April 1869, and dated the 26th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th October 1868.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND MACHINERY POR
SCOURING WOOL," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to machinery for removing the grease from
wool with the aid of plaster in powder, one arrangement of which is
represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the machine; Figure 2 a front view..

page_text: of the same; Figure 3 shows a plan of one of the drums, the upper part
being removed; Figure 4, a transverse section of same on line 1, 2,
Figure 3; while Figures 5 and 6 show details of the sliding doors
with which each drum is provided. The same letters apply to all the
Figures.
b
A, A, cast-iron or other frames placed about four feet apart; B, drums
or cylinders of about three feet in length, each formed of half cylinders
rivetted together with sliding inlet and outlet ports a, b, Figure 4, the
outlet port being opened by the aid of racks C, C, Figures 5 and 6,
adapted to the curve of the. cylinders; D, pinions having teeth on a
fifth only of their circumference for the purpose of raising the ports b
by the aid of racks C, and allowing them to fall when released from
the teeth; E, shaft on which are keyed the pinions D, D, and bevil
wheel F, the latter being driven by a pinion F¹ keyed at one end of a
shaft G, turning in bearings on the frame; G', toothed wheel, keyed on
the opposite end of shaft G, and gearing with an endless screw H on the
end of shaft H', passing through drum B; I, lever arm, with branch I',
which on being raised by the exit port 6 serves to open port a by the aid
of a bell-crank, lever J and chains, when the exit port again closes;
K, stop placed on shaft E for raising the part I' of arm I for the purpose
of allowing the inlet port a to close in about fifteen seconds after it has
been opened; L, L, spring guides for regulating the fall of exit port 6 in
closing; M, Figures 3 and 4, beater composed of thirty-two teeth
fixed on a cylinder, through which a shaft H' passes and connected
thereto. The teeth of the beater are arranged so as to have six comb
teeth N between them in each row in passing through said comb, although
the teeth of the beater M pass between each tooth of the comb in each
entire revolution of the beater. This arrangement is designed to prevent
the wool from being broken by striking each length or filament with
several teeth at a time. The rotary beater M is intended to perform
about two hundred and twenty-five turns per minute. N, Figures 3 and 4,
comb teeth projecting on the inside of the drum and composed of thirty-
one steel teeth placed in an inclined position in order. that the wool may
slide thereon; O, T-iron bars placed in a recess at the upper part of the
interior of each cylinder, against which bars the wool is projected by
the rapid rotation of the beater, producing sufficient friction to bring
every fibre in contact with the plaster; P, covered hopper at which the
wool is introduced mixed with plaster in powder previous to the opening
of the inlet port of the first cylinder; Q, shoot for uniting the exit

page_text: Several drums.
ACTION OF THE MACHINE.
A portion of the wool to be scoured mixed with plaster in powder is
first placed in hopper P, and shafts E being set in motion by means of
hand gearing from any suitable motor the inlet port a of the first drum
is opened and the wool and plaster enter therein, where they are operated
on by the beater for about forty-eight seconds, after which the exit port b
of said drum opens in the manner herein-before described, and allows the
contents to pass down the shoot Q on to the inlet port of the next drum.
The exit port of the first drum now closes and at same time opens the
inlet port for receiving a fresh quantity of wool. While this is being
operated on in the first drum the previous portion is treated for forty-
eight seconds in the second drum, after which the exit port of said drum
opens and the contents pass into the third drum to be there treated for
forty-eight seconds, but with this difference, that as the lower part is made
in the form of a semicircular sieve the plaster will escape by the action of
the beater, and the draft created thereby into a space provided below the
machine. The exit port of the last drum of the sieves on being opened
discharges the wool on to the screen R, which completely removes the
remaining powdered plaster, and being thus operated on the wool will be
deprived of the grease, the filaments separated, and it will present its
natural whiteness. The several drums act simultaneously in the manner
herein-before described. I reserve the right of modifying the parts for
opening and closing the ports, as also of varying the number of drums if
desired.
O SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 22nd April 1969.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her
special licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my exccutors, 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND MACHINERY FOR SCOURING
WOOL," a communication to me from abroad by Auguste Martel-Delespierre,
Machinist, and Henri Rousseau, Wool Merchant, both of 13, Boulevart
St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Alexander Melville Clark, 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, reference being had to the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention relates to machinery for removing the grease from
wool with the aid of plaster in powder, one arrangement of which
machinery is represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the machine; Figure 2 a front
view of the same; Figure 3 shows a plan of one of the drums, the
upper part being removed; Figure 4 a transverse section of same on
line 1, 2, Figure 3; while Figures 5 and 6 show details of the sliding
door with which each drum is provided. The same letters apply to
all the Figures.

page_text: A, A, cast-iron or other frames placed about four feet apart; B, drums
or cylinders of about three feet in length, and each formed of half
cylinders rivetted together. Each drum is further provided with
sliding inlet and outlet ports a, b, Figure 4, the outlet port being
opened by the aid of racks, C, C, Figures 5 and 6, adapted to the curve
of the cylinders; D, pinions having teeth on a fifth only of their
circumference for the purpose of raising the ports b by the aid of
racks C, and allowing them again to fall when released from the teeth;
E, shaft on which are keyed the pinions D, D, and bevil wheel F, the
latter being driven by a pinion F¹ keyed at one end of a shaft G turning
in bearings on the frame; G', toothed wheel keyed on the opposite
end of shaft G, and gearing in an endless screw H on the end of
shaft H' passing through drum B; I, lever arm with branch I', which
on being raised by the exit port serves to open port a by the aid of a
bell-crank lever J and chains when the exit port again closes; K, stop
placed on the shaft E for raising the part I' of arm I for the purpose
of allowing the inlet port a to close in about fifteen seconds after it has
been opened; L, L, spring guides for regulating the fall of the exit
port in closing; M, Figures 3 and 4, beater composed of thirty-two
arms fixed on a cylinder through which a shaft H' passes and connected
thereto. The arms of the beater are arranged so as to have six comb
teeth N between each arm in passing through said comb, although the
arms of the beater M enter between each tooth of the comb in each
entire revolution of the beater; this arrangement is designed to prevent
the wool from being broken by striking it with several teeth at a time.
The rotary beater M is intended to perform about two hundred and
twenty-five revolutions per minute. N, Figures 3 and 4, comb teeth
projecting on the inside of the drum and composed of 31 steel teeth
placed in an inclined position in order that the wool may slide thercon ;
O, T-iron bars placed in the recess at the upper part of the interior
of each cylinder against which bars the wool is projected by the rapid
rotation of the beater, producing sufficient friction to bring every
fibre in contact with the plaster; P, covered, hopper at which the wool
is introduced (mixed with plaster in powder) previous to the opening of
the inlet port of the first cylinder; Q, shoot for uniting the exit port
of one drum with the inlet port of the next below; R, sifter formed of
fine wire set in motion by a shaft R' driven at a high speed by means
of a strap and pulley U from shaft E; S, fly wheel keyed on the driving

page_text: Last and C
the several drums.
ACTION OF THE MACHINE.
A portion of the wool to be scoured mixed with plaster in powder
is first placed in hopper P, and shaft E being set in motion by means
of band gearing from any suitable motor, the inlet port a of the first
drum is opened and the wool and plaster enter therein, where they
are operated on by the beater for about forty-eight seconds, after which
the exit port of the said drum opens in the manner herein-before
described, and allows the contents to pass down the shoot Q to the
inlet port of the next drum. The exit port of the first drum now
closes, and at same time opens the inlet port for receiving a fresh
quantity of wool; while this is being operated on in the first drum
the previous portion is treated for forty-eight seconds in the second
drum, after which the exit port of said drum opens, and the contents
pass into the third drum to be there treated for forty-eight seconds,
but with this difference, that as the lower part is made in the form
of a semicircular sieve the plaster will escape by the action of the
beater, and the draft created thereby into a space provided below the
machine. The exit port of the last drum of the series on being opened
discharges the wool onto the screen R, which completely removes the
remaining powdered plaster, and after being thus operated on the wool
will have been deprived of the grease, the fibres separated, and it will
present its natural whiteness: The several drums act simultaneously
and uninterruptedly in the manner herein-before described. I reserve
the right of modifying the parts for opening and closing the ports as
also of varying the number of cylinders if desired. For example, the
racks C and pinions D may be replaced by pivoted arms acting on
levers for raising the ports; in this case the levers I would be dispensed
with, as also the bell cranks J.
Having described the nature of this Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the combination and arrangement of the drums or cylinders having
rotating arms or beaters and fixed teeth as described, said cylinders
being disposed one above the other and opening and closing auto-
matically, by which means the wool (with which is mixed the powdered

page_text: plaster) is scoured by passing through the several cylinders in succes-
sion, the whole arranged to act continuously, substantially in the manner
shown and described.
In witness whereof, I; the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-
ninc.
Witness,
JAMES DAISHI,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)