IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, OPENING, AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND WASHING YARNS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McNaught and William McNaught, junior,
both of St. George's Foundry, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR WASHING, OPENING, AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS, AND WASHING YARNS."
Sealed the 4th April 1871, and dated the 21st October 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McNaught and
William McNaught at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 21st October 1870.
We, JOHN McNaught and WILLIAM MCNAUght, junior, both of St.
George's Foundry, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, OPENING, AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND WASHING YARNS," to be as follows:-
Firstly. Our improvements relate to the mechanism for actuating
t he rakes or harrows used in our improved wool washing machines,

page_text: and consist in transmitting to-and-fro motion from the driving crank to
the rake or harrow by a connecting rod combined with cams for giving
the lifting movement.
Secondly. Our improvements relate to a method of actuating and
balancing the swing rakes or forks of wool, washing machines, and
consist in driving the cross crank shafts by a longitudinal shaft and
skew gearing, and in placing the fly or balanced wheel and skew bevel
on the extreme end of each cross crank shaft and outside of the
longitudinal shaft.
Thirdly. Our improvements relate to arrangements for cleaning out
the sediment or mud which sinks and accumulates below the false
bottom of wool washing machines without having to remove the plates
forming such bottom, and they consist in using a frame having rakes
or teeth to which end movement is given to agitate the mud while water
is passing through. Endless chain rakes or rotary screws or agitators
may be substituted for the reciprocating frame.
Fourthly. Our improvements relate to arrangements for giving the
wool more time to steep before passing to the washing mechanism, and
consist of an addition to or an elongation of the ordinary washing trough,
with a false or other suitable bottom higher than that of the ordinary
washing trough. The wool or other material is fed in by an endless
lattice, and is passed slowly forward by a reciprocating rake or harrow,
and before coming to the washing trough proper the wool or fibre may
pass through a pair of squeezing rollers partly immersed in the fluid.
Our improvements under this head also consist in the use of distinct
steeping troughs in combination with washing machines, which troughs
may be made single or double with a false bottom, and with a toothed
drum or other mechanism for lifting the wool from the trough at one
end, and with a false end actuated by screws or rakes or endless
tines, or other mechanism for pushing the wool forward from one to the
other end of the trough. These single or double troughs are arranged
side by side upon wheels and rails so as to be moved sideways, so that
when the steeped wool has been discharged from one trough on to the
feeder of the washing machine the other trough that contains the wool
which has been steeping may be brought opposite the feeder of the
washing machine, while the trough which has been pushed to one side
away from the front of the washing machine may have a fresh supply of
liquor and wool placed in it to steep to be ready by the time the other

page_text: trough is emptied, the delivery of the wool from the troughs to the
washing machine being effected entirely by self-acting mechanism, thus
dispensing with manual labor except for placing the wool in the
troughs and moving them sideways when all the steeped wool has been
delivered from the trough to the washing machine.
Fifthly. Our improvements consist in opening wool as it comes from
the squeezing rollers of the washing machine before it is dryed, by
combining a willow or pair of feed rollers and toothed cylinder or like
mechanism with the washing machine; or the wool may be conveyed
directly by an endless apron or feeder or other mechanism to an ordinary
willow or like machine arranged to work in connection with the washing
machine.
Sixthly. Our improvements relate to arrangements and mechanism
for drying wool and other fibrous materials, and consist in a chamber or
box having a series of tables or floors, one above the other, formed of
wirework or perforated plate. The material to be dried is fed to the
upper table or floor by an endless lattice, and it is dragged along by a
reciprocating rake or harrow equal to the table in length until it arrives
at one end of the table or floor, when it falls upon the table or floor
below, and is raked in the opposite direction until it falls on the next
table or floor below, and so on. Cold or hot air is drawn or propelled in
at the lower floor of the chamber and leaves at the upper floor. The
air is heated by passing between a series of steam-heated tubes. The fan
used for exhausting the air from the drying chamber is formed by a disc
on a rotating shaft; this disc has screw blades secured upon its face that
work close to a stationary surface having a hole for the air to pass to
the fan concentric with the axis of the shaft, the stationary surface also
having fixed screw blades applied. The rotating disc must be made of
much larger diameter than the central orifice for the admission of the
air to the fan.
Seventhly. Our improvements relate to mechanism and arrangements
for washing or sizing warps or yarns in the hank, and consist of a long
trough or vessel partly filled with water or other washing liquid; and
over this trough there are one, two, or more shafts or rollers passing
lengthway of the trough. We prefer two shafts or rollers, and a third
roller or screw resting between the two shafts or rollers, and receiving
rotating motion by contact with the two shafts. The hanks to be washed
are placed upon the end of the screw or roller, which may have either a

page_text: continuous or backward and forward motion, the latter greater than the
former, so that the hanks will be made to pass through the liquid by
the rotation of the screw or roller, and will also be traversed at the same
time in the lengthway of the trough until they are brought over an
endless lattice, which will take them from the end of the screw or roller
and carry them forward to a pair of squeezing rollers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John McNaught and William McNaught in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th April 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JoHN
MCNAUGHT and WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, junior, both of Saint George's
Foundry, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John McNaught and William
McNaught, junior, Her special license that we, the said John McNaught
and William McNaught, junior, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John McNaught and William
M'Naught, junior, our 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, OPENING,
AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND WASHING YARNS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John McNaught and
William McNaught, junior, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals (or under the hand and seal of one of us), 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John McNaught and William
McNaught, junior, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say :-
Firstly. Our improvements relate to mechanism for actuating the
rakes or harrows used in our improved wool washing and other machines,
which harrows have hitherto been raised and lowered by cams, and
drawn backwards and forwards by a crank working in a slide at a right
angle to the plane of the harrow, and our improvements consist in trans-
mitting to-and-fro motion from the driving crank to the rake or harrow
by a connecting rod (instead of the slide) combined with cams for giving
the lifting movement. This improvement is illustrated in Fig. 1, a partial
longitudinal section, Fig. 2 an end section, and Fig. 6 a longitudinal
section, which views will be more particularly described herein-after. A
stand or bracket a is secured to the upper side of the harrow b, to the
top of which a connecting rod c is jointed, the other end of which is
actuated by the crank d, the harrow being raised and lowered by the
cams e on the shafts ƒ and f¹.
Secondly. Our improvements relate to a method of actuating and
balancing the swing rakes or forks of wool washing machines, and
consist in driving the cross crank shafts by a longitudinal shaft and skew
geering (in place of radial wheels hitherto used), and in placing a fly or
balanced wheel and skew bevil on the extreme end of each cross crank
shaft and outside the longitudinal shaft. This improvement is illustrated
by Fig. 3, a side elevation partly in section, and Fig. 4 a cross sectional
elevation of a wool washing machine. a, longitudinal shaft which passes
either under or over the cross shafts 6 that carry the cranks. The
longitudinal shaft a has skew bevils a¹ upon it, each of which drives a
skew bevil upon the outside end of each crank shaft b, the teeth of
which skew wheel are cast upon a rim 6' which contains an an annular
space in which a weight is fastened that not only balances the crank 62
and rake 63 at the other end of the shaft, but equalizes the weight upon
its two bearings.
Thirdly. Our improvements relate to arrangements for cleaning out
the sediment or mud which sinks and accumulates below the false
bottom of wool washing machines without having to remove the plates

page_text: forming such bottom, and they consist in using a frame having rakes or
teeth to which end movement is given to agitate the mud while water is
passing through. Endless chain rakes or rotatory screws or agitators
may be substituted for the reciprocating frame. This improvement is
illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4. C is a frame, the sides of which are of the
same depth as the cavity below the false bottom, and a little shorter
than its length, and this frame has a series of cross rods C' secured in it.
Above the rods and within the first-named frame there is another
frame da little shorter than it, and in this inner frame a series of
prongs or scrapes e are suspended from or jointed to cross rods secured
in the frame. This inner frame is connected to a rod that passes
through a stuffing box d², and the end of the rod is screwed to screw
through a nut in the boss of a bevil wheel d³, having its bearing on a
bracket d' secured to the bottom of the trough, and this bevil is driven
by another bevil upon the lower end of a vertical shaft do, having a
handle at its upper end. By turning the handle one way the inner
frame d is slided back until its end comes against the end of the outer
frame C, and this movement will have caused the jointed prongs or
scrapers e to assume the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 3, the
continued rotation of the screw nut in the same direction will then slide
back both the inner and outer frames, the reversing of the rotation of
the screw nut will cause the inner frame to move back alone until the
prongs assume the position shown in full line in Fig. 3, when both
frames will move together, and the mud will be scraped or agitated.
These backward and forward movements are repeated while water is
flowing in at the pipe (f) and carrying away the detached mud at the
outlet g, both inlet and outlet being closed when the machine is in use
for washing wool. For heavy clayey mud the prongs may be made in
section like a double ploughshare, as shewn by the enlarged detached
section Fig. 4*. In place of the reciprocating frame a series of longi-
tudinal shafts may be used placed parallel to each other, and at a little
more than half the depth of the cavity asunder, the end of each shaft
coming through a stuffing box or water-tight joint at the end of the
trough, and being geered together by spur wheels, so as to be all rotated
if desired in the same direction. Each shaft has a series of teeth or
screw propellers at intervals, the teeth or propellors on one shaft coming
opposite the spaces between those on the adjoining shaft or shafts, so
that as they rotate the mud will be lifted, agitated, and broken up so as
to be carried away by the flowing water.

page_text: Fourthly. Our improvements relate to arrangements for giving the
wool more time to steep before passing to the washing mechanism, and
consist of an addition to or an elongation of the ordinary washing
trough with a false or other suitable bottom higher than that of the
ordinary washing trough. The wool or other material is fed in by an
endless lattice, and is passed slowly forward by a reciprocating rake or
harrow or endless chain of teeth, or other suitable mechanism, and before
coming to the washing trough proper the wool or fibre may pass, if
required, through a pair of squeezing rollers partly immersed in the
fluid. This is illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2, where g is the feeding. lattice
at the end of the steeping trough h, which is placed so as to form a
prolongation of the ordinary washing trough (i) provided with a revolving
immerser (k). The wool is spread upon the lattice and may be dragged
from the lattice and immersed in the steeping trough by bent teeth at
the end of the harrow frame (b), as shown, which is worked as herein-
before described to pass the wool slowly forward. The lattice g is
worked by a ratchet wheel and an oscillating pawl connected with the
harrow frame, or an excentric on or a crank pin in the end of the
shaft f. The circulation of the water is effected by means of the pipe
and channel . Instead of the harrow shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 two
harrows may be used and worked, as illustrated by Fig. 7, a longitudinal
elevation in section, and Fig. 8 a cross sectional elevation. The cross
bars 6 carrying the prongs b' are fixed at one end to a frame b², from
which they project, there being two frames 62 having harrows, and the
bars 6 project from opposite sides nearly across the trough. The two
frames carrying the prongs are raised and lowered by the cams e, and
are pulled backwards and forwards by cranks d and connecting rods C,
as herein-before described in reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 6. Whilst the
harrow which is down in the liquor is advancing and carrying the wool
forward the other harrow is raised and carried backward, after which it
is lowered down, its prongs falling between the prongs in the harrow
which is down, this harrow being then in the act of lifting previous to
making the back movement, and so on, and by this means the wool is
carried forward nearly continuously. There are flanges e¹ on the cams e
which prevent the frames 62 from canting over by the overhanging
weight of the projecting bars 6 that carry the prongs, the lower portion
of each frame being in contact with a plane surface 63 on the upright
part of the framing. The cam shafts ƒ are carried in suitable bearings,
and are each rotated by a worm f' and worm wheel f³, and suitable

page_text: gearing, as shewn in Fig. 8. Our improvements under this head also
consist in the use of distinct steeping troughs in combination with washing
machines, which troughs may be made either single or double with a
false bottom, and with a toothed drum or other mechanisn for lifting the
wool from the trough at one end, and with a false end actuated by
screws or other means, or rakes, or endless tines, or other mechanism for
pushing the wool forward from one end to the other end of the trough.
These single or double troughs are arranged side by side upon wheels
and rails so as to be easily moved sideways, so that when the steeped
wool has been discharged from one trough on to the feeder of the
washing machine the other trough that contains the wool which has
been steeping may be brought opposite the feeder of the washing
machine, while the trough which has been pushed to one side away from
the front of the washing machine may have a fresh supply of liquor and
wool placed in it to steep to be ready by the time the other trough is
emptied, or the fresh wool (as we prefer) may be placed in the trough
at the time and in the act of discharging the previously steeped wool.
It will thus be seen that the delivery of the wool from the steeping
trough or troughs is entirely effected by self-acting mechanism, manual
labour being dispensed with, except for feeding the wool or placing it in
the steeping troughs, and moving them sideways when all the steeped
wool has been delivered from the trough to the washing machine.
This modification of our improvements for steeping is illustrated on
Sheet 2, by Fig. 14, a longitudinal section, and Fig. 15, a plan view.
h is a double trough, that is, a wide trough with a partition in its centre
dividing it from end to end; it has a false bottom h¹, and is mounted
upon wheels that run on rails h³ that may be turned up at the ends
to limit the movement of the trough in each direction. One pair of the
wheels h² is secured upon a shaft h³, as shewn, and this shaft has a
worm wheel h³ upon it that gears with a worm secured upon a vertical
shaft having bearings on the side of the trough, which shaft has a
handle h' at its upper end, by turning which the trough can be moved to
and fro as required upon the rails h³; m are four pillars which carry a
frame beam m¹. To the pillars at the feeding end the mechanism of the
feeding apron or lattice g is attached as shewn. To each side of the
beam m¹ two slotted hangers m² are secured, and between the hangers
are fitted two side plates n connected by cross bars n¹. At one end
bearings are formed in these side plates for a cross shaft p, the ends of

page_text: which pass through the slots in the two opposite hangers at that end,
and on this shaft p, so as to rotate close to the side plates, two hexagonal
pulleys p² are secured. Similar pulleys p² are placed at the opposite
ends of the two side plates, but each of these pulleys rotates on a stud
fixed in the plate, or on a short shaft p¹ having bearings on the side
plates. Two endless jointed chains 9 work upon the said hexagonal
pulleys, and the joint between each alternate link is formed by the ends
of a bar q¹ passing across between the two chains, and in these bars
prongs q² are secured for acting upon the material in the steeping
trough. Each bar q¹ at one or both ends has a projecting tail part q³
to come close to the side plates n, and this tail part and the links
of the chains pass along grooves in the side plates which support the
chain, and keep the prongs in the vertical position when propelling
the material along the trough, but at the delivery end of the trough the
lower side of the groove comes to an end, and the upper side is curved
to act upon the tail part of q³, so as to cause the points of the prongs to
describe a curve with which the bottom of the trough is made to agree.
After the tail part q³ has escaped from the curved side of the rib forming
one side of the groove at its termination the prongs assume and hang in
the vertical position, and the tail part will enter the opened end of the
groove for the upper side of the chain and will pass along in this groove,
the prongs keeping the vertical position, as shewn in dotted line, till
they arrive nearly at the other end, when they will come in contact with
a cross bar between the two side plates n, and as the lower side of the
ribs forming the groove in the side plates is cut away in this part the
prongs are turned nearly into the horizontal position, when the tail
part q³ comes against a curve forming a continuation of the lower side
of the groove which turns the prongs point upwards, and the outside
rib of the groove being continued round the hexagonal pulleys it causes
the prongs to maintain the radial position in passing round to the lower
side of the pulleys, and in descending they immerse the wool as they
pass between the fixed prongs & carried by the trough h, which prongs
prevent the wool from advancing before it is immersed. The side
plates and connected parts are suspended by four links t, two of
which are shewn by peculiar dotted centre lines in Figure 14. Each
suspending link is jointed with an arm (¹) from a shaft (2), there being
two shafts (2) having bearings on the beams m³, and two arms on each
shaft. The two shafts are connected by a rod 13 jointed to an arm t
on each shaft. On the shaft 2 nearest the feeding end there is a worm
*

page_text: wheel, which gears with a worm on an inclined shaft to, having a hand
wheel at the front end, by turning which the side plates n can be
raised and lowered. Upon the end of the shaft p there is a worm
wheel p³, which gears with a worm p* placed between jaws upon one
of the side plates n, and upon a square vertical shaft p³, upon which
it can slide up and down freely while being rotated thereby. This
shaft p has a bearing secured to the side of the beam m¹, and is
driven by a bevil wheel which gears with one on a horizontal shaft p
having bearings secured to the beams. This shaft has fast and loose
driving pulleys upon it, and from it the endless apron or lattice g may
be driven by a shaft and any suitable gearing. The delivery end of the
troughs are inclined to meet a corresponding incline u carried by
brackets from the two pillars m at that end, and upon this incline
a rake or harrow b works, similar to that herein-before described in
reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The bars carrying the prongs or teeth of
this rake or harrow can pass in their downward movement between the
prongs carried by the endless chains. The material dragged up by the
harrow 6 is passed over transmitting rollers to ordinary squeezing
rollers x, and delivered by them to a lattice y, or conveying rollers,
which carry it to the washing machine. The liquor from the squeezing
rollers x is received by a trough a³, which conveys it to a projection ³
from the steeping trough, that also serves to catch the liquor which may
escape through the junction space between the steeping trough and the
fixed incline u carried by the pillars.
The manner of using the machine is as follows:-Suppose that division
of the trough opposite the squeezing rollers is filled with wool already
steeped, then the endless chains are set in motion to slowly pass it along
the trough, at the same time wool is fed in by the lattice 9 until the
chain has moved a distance equal to the length between the pulleys p²,
then it is stopped, and the sides n and connected parts are lifted by
turning the handle until the points of the prongs are just above the
partition between the troughs, then the trough is moved sideways by
turning the handle 7 to bring the other division of the trough opposite
the feeding lattice and squeezing rollers; then the endless chain and
prongs are lowered by the handle t, and the lattice and endless chains
are again set in motion, and so on. The wool fed into one division is
allowed to steep while that which has been steeping in the other division
is being discharged; and the feeding and discharging of the wool is

page_text: simultaneous. Prougs may be secured to the shaft p, as shewn by the
curved dotted lines p*, to assist in immersing the wool, these prongs
passing between the fixed prongs 8. In place of the endless chains and
prongs harrows may be used, as herein-before described in reference to
Figs. 1, 2, 7, and 8, arranged and with provision for lifting them when
the trough is to be moved from one division to another. The troughs
may be also made with divisions to turn upon a centre, so as to be
brought opposite or under the mechanism in succession.
Fifthly. Our improvements consist in opening wool as it comes from
the squeezing rollers of the washing machine before it is dried by
combining a willow or a pair of feed rollers and toothed cylinder or like
mechanism with a washing machine, or the wool may be conveyed
directly by an endless apron or feeder or other mechanism to an ordinary
willow or like machine, arranged to work in connection with the washing
machine. Fig. 5, a partial sectional elevation, illustrates this part of
our Invention; m is part of an ordinary washing machine trough; m²,
the incline up which the wool is usually dragged from the trough; n,
the ordinary squeezing rollers; p, three rollers between two of which
that are fluted the wool passes from the squeezing rollers to be acted
upon by the teeth of the cylinder q, and then thrown out from the
outlet from the casing r. The cylinder q is driven by a pinion
which gears into an interal wheel that is keyed upon the boss of a pinion
which drives the main spur wheel on the end of the shaft of the bottom
squeezing roller, the pitch lines of these wheels being shewn in dotted
lines. But the toothed cylinder q may be driven directly by a belt and
pulleys if desired.
Sixthly. Our improvements relate to arrangements and mechanism
for drying wool and other fibrous materials, and consists in a chamber
or box having a series of tables or floors one above the other, formed of
wirework or perforated plate. The material to be dried is fed to the
upper table or floor by an endless lattice or otherwise, and it is dragged
along by a reciprocating rake or harrow, nearly equal to the table in
length, until it arrives at one end of the table or floor, when it falls upon
the table or floor below and is raked in the opposite direction until it
falls on the next table or floor below, and so on, cold or hot air is drawn
out at the upper floor and admitted at the lower floor, or forced in at
the lower floor and allowed to escape at the upper floor of the chamber
or box.
The air is heated by passing between a series of steam heated

page_text: tubes tubes or by other means. The above described improvements under
this head are illustrated by Fig. 6, which is shewn in connection with
the arrangements shewn by Fig. 5, but may be used detached therefrom.
s is a box or chamber; tis-an inclined endless lattice for conveying the
wool (from the outlet of the willow if required) to a short horizontal
lattice by which it is carried under a roller u having vanes upon it
extending across the box or chamber. The vanes may be constructed to
give way to an extra thickness of wool upon the lattice. This roller
while allowing the wool to pass serves to close the opening against any
improper admission or escape of air. Instead of a roller with vanes,
one, two, or more rollers may be used, if two or more are used they are
placed vertically over each other and allowed to rise and fall freely
while rotating in front of the opening, but as close to the face of the box
as possible without touching it. The upper surface of the lattice t¹ is on
a level with the upper table or floor s¹ formed of wire work or perforated
plate, this table or floor coming short of the other end of the box while
the next table or floor below is close to that end and short of the other
end and so on. For each table or floor there is a harrow (6) which is
worked by cams e, a crank d, and connecting rod c, as herein-before
explained. At the outlet from the bottom table or floor there is a short
endless delivery lattice and a roller u¹ with vanes for the purpose
above explained. When there are several tables or floors (say four or
more) those harrows which rake in one direction may be all connected
to one frame, and those which rake in the other direction to another
frame, and each frame may be worked by one set of cams and one
connecting rod or other like arrangement. In this case one frame is
arranged close to one side of the chamber, and the other frame close to
the other side of the chamber, and each frame is formed by two vertical
sides extending nearly from top to bottom of the chambers and
connected together at the top and bottom. Slots are formed through
each table or floor for the vertical sides of the frames to pass and work
through, and one side of each of the harrows to be worked by the frame
is secured at each end to the two upright sides of the frame, and thus
are entirely suspended from and supported by it, overhanging therefrom
as in Figs. 7 and 8. The cams and crank or cranks for working the
two frames, and thus the harrows carried by them, may be fixed upon
the same two shafts, passing across and placed at about half the height
of the chamber. The fan used for exhausting the air from the drying
chamber or box is formed by a disc on a rotating shaft. This disc has

page_text: screw blades secured upon its face that work close to a stationary surface
having a hole for the air to pass to the fan concentric with the axis of
the shaft, the stationary surface also having fixed screw blades applied
to its delivery edge. The rotating disc must be made of much larger
diameter than the central orifice for the admission of air to the fan, this
being the novel feature of the improved fan; Fig. 9 is a front view of
stationary surface, and Fig. 10 a side sectional view of the fan com-
plete. The rotating disc a is secured to a shaft b having bearings in a
stand c, and in the stationary surface d close to which work the screw
blades a¹ upon the disc, two of which are shewn in Fig. 10. The fixed
screw blades & are attached to the stationary surface d as shewn. The
curve of the screw blades attached to the rotating disc is shewn by
peculiar dotted lines (a*) in Fig. 9. The fan is driven by pulleys
secured on the shaft b.
Seventhly. Our improvements relate to mechanism and arrangements
for washing or sizing warps or yarns in the hank, and consist of a long
trough or vessel partly filled with water or other washing liquor or size,
and over this trough there are one, two, or more rollers, passing length-
way of the trough. We prefer two shafts or rollers, and a third roller or
screw resting between the two shafts or rollers, and receiving rotating
motion by contact with the two shafts. The hanks to be washed or
sized as the case may be, are placed upon the end of the roller or screw,
(which may have either a continuous or a backward and forward motion
the latter greater than the former), so that the hanks will be made to
pass through the liquid by the rotation of the screw or roller, and will
also be traversed at the same time in the lengthway of the trough
until they are brought over an endless lattice which will take or drag
them from the end of the roller or screw and carry them forward to
a pair of squeezing rollers. These improvements are illustrated by
Fig. 11, which is a side elevation; Fig. 12, an end sectional elevation,
and Fig. 13, a plan view. a is the trough; b, two shafts or rollers in
bearings in brackets 6' from the sides of the trough at one end, and in
brackets from the uprights at the other end at which they are driven by
gearing upon upright shafts c which are geared by a cross shaft d, upon
the end of which fast and loose driving pulleys & are secured. The two
rollers or shafts 6 are geared to give rotation by the friction of contact to
a central roller e which simply rests between them. The two rollers or
shafts 6 are a little lower at the feeding end, so that the middle

page_text: roller e will tend by gravity while rotating to travel towards the feeding
end, but such movement is prevented by a barf which is hinged to
a bracket f¹ at the end of the trough; this bar coming against the
end of the roller e as shewn. When hanks (shewn by dotted line in
Fig. 12) are to be placed upon the roller e the barf is turned up, the
hanks are placed upon it, and then it is turned down again, and these
hanks are placed one at a time just behind the bead upon the end of
the roller e, where they will begin to rotate, but will not traverse along
the roller until a pin comes against one side of the bank. The pins g
for this purpose are placed in an endless belt g¹ which passes round two
pulleys has shewn, one of them being driven by the upright shaft i as
shewn, so as to give motion to traverse the hanks along the roller at
the speed required. Of course the roller e will have to be driven in such
direction that that side of the hanks in contact with the pins g will be
ascending to the roller, as shewn by the arrow in Fig. 12. Instead of
traversing the hanks by a belt g¹ with projecting pins g, the roller e
may be made with a screw groove from end to end upon its surface,
which will carry the hanks along at the same time as they are rotated,
and if desired the rollers may have a backward and forward motion
imparted to them, as herein-before explained by any of the well known
means for producing forward and reverse movement. When the hanks
have arrived at the delivery end of the roller (e), the lower end of the
hanks in succession will rest upon the inclined lattice k, which will
carry that end forward and drag the other end of the hank from off the
end of the roller e, and the hank will then be carried forward to a pair of
squeezing rollers 7.
We have now particularly described the nature of our improvements
and the mode of carrying them into effect, and claim as our Invention,--
Firstly. The combination of cams, crank, and connecting rod for
actuating rakes or harrows, as herein-before described under the first
head of our Invention.
Secondly. The driving and balancing of the swing rakes of washing
machines
as herein hefore desonihod undon the sand hand
1 11.

page_text: bottom of washing machines, substantially as herein-before described
under the third head.
Fourthly. The addition or elongation of the ordinary washing trough
to form a steeping trough combined with harrows or other suitable
mechanism for slowly propelling the mass of steeping wool forward to
come into the washing trough proper and under the action of the
ordinary swing rakes, substantially as herein-before described under the
fourth head.
Fifthly. The arrangement and mode of working two combined harrows
substantially as herein-before described under the fourth head and
illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8 of the Drawings.
Sixthly. The use of distinct and separate steeping troughs combined
with mechanism for propelling and delivering the wool from the steeping
trough or troughs, substantially as herein-before described under the
fourth head.
Seventhly. The combination and arrangement of endless chains with
movable prongs, also the arrangements for raising and lowering endless
chain prongs or harrows and the use of movable steeping troughs
arranged and worked substantially as herein-before described under the
fourth head and illustrated by Figs. 14 and 15 of the Drawings.
Eighthly. The combination and arrangement of a willow or opener in
connection with a wool washing machine, so that the wool from the
squeezing rollers will be conveyed or delivered directly to such willow
or opener, or to be acted upon by teeth of such machine, substantially as
herein-before described under the fifth head.
Ninthly. The combination and arrangement for drying wool and other
fibrous material by raking it along tables or floors one above the other in
a chamber or box, substantially as herein-before described under the sixth
head.
Tenthly. The construction of an exhausting fan arranged and pro-
portioned with the disc a much larger in diameter than the central inlet
orifice, as herein-before described under the sixth head and illustrated
by Figs. 9 and 10 of the Drawings.
Eleventhly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism for
washing or sizing hanks of yarn or thread, so that such hanks will be
simultaneously rotated and traversed, the operation being a nearly

page_text: continuous feeding and delivery, substantially as herein-before described
under the seventh head and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McNaught, on my own
behalf, and on behalf of the said William McNaught, junior,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JNO. MCNAUGHT. (L.S.)