IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OR METHOD OF REMOVING PARTICLES OF STRAW AND SIMILAR IMPURITIES FROM WOOL, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR OR CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex, for
an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OR METHOD OF REMOVING
PARTICLES OF STRAW AND SIMILAR IMPURITIES FROM WOOL, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR OR CONNECTED THEREWITH A communication to him from abroad
by G. Fernau and Company, of Bruges, Belgium
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th August 1882.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of Kensington Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
"
a Cum-
PROCESS OR METHOD OF REMOVING PARTICLES OF STRAW AND SIMILAR IMPURITIES
FROM WOOL, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR OR CONNECTED THEREWITH
munication to me from abroad by G Fernau & Company of Bruges, Belgium
This invention consists in removing vegetable impurities from woollen fibres by
carbonization at any suitable moment after their passage through the carding
drawing or combing machine. Also in performing for this purpose a logical series
of operations which consists firstly in converting the slivers coming from the
carding or drawing machine into a fleece by conducting them over a series of combs
which receive a motion similar to that of an endless belt by means of two pairs of
endless screws into the helical grooves of which the comb bars enter so that the
upper pair of screws takes the bars forward, while the lower pair transports them
back, the bar being alternately dropped from the upper to the lower screws and
raised from the lower to the upper screws, thereby drawing the wool out into a
uniform fleece, secondly, in carrying the wool through an acid bath by means of a
series of pairs of rollers which are covered with sulphur and exert a slight pressure
on the wool by the weight of the upper rollers, so as to cause the liquid to penetrate
the whole mass, and in subsequently passing the wool between two press-rollers
made of cast iron and covered with a material which is not attacked by acids;
thirdly, in carrying the wool through a carbonizer which is heated by the gaseous
products of combustion from a coke furnace and may otherwise be similar to

page_text: ordinary carbonizers (for instance a casing containing travelling sheets of wire
netting which carry the wool to and fro) fourthly in pulverizing and removing
from the wool the carbonized vegetable impurities by several pairs of rollers in
combination with rubbing and shaking mechanism and comb bars, the shaking
mechanism consisting of two series of round vertical bars receiving a to and fro
motion perpendicularly to the motion of the fleece, the bars of the first series being
placed in the intervals of those of the second series and moving up and down
alternately with the latter. In coming from the combing mechanism the wool is
drawn out between two stretching rollers moving at a higher speed than the
preceding ones, and pressed by an adjustable helical spring. After the subsequent
action of a rubbing sector, press roller, shaking mechanism press roller and rubbing
sector, the fleece is again formed into slivers and wound upon bobbins, fifthly in
removing the acid from the wool by any known method or by the apparatus
hereinafter described, sixthly in heating the wool, seventhly in greasing the wool
and passing it through the gill box. The invention further consists in making the
baths used in this process in the shape of a horse shoe so as to obtain a central
passage for the attendant. Also in covering the whole or certain parts of the
shafts wheels screws and other mechanism used in apparatus with alloys of
lead and antimony alone or in combination with other metals. Also in the appli-
cation of sulphur alone or in combination with other materials for making or
covering the rollers or other mechanism. Also in the application of Ebonite or
India-rubber for covering the bath-rollers or other rollers and securing the India-
rubber by means of grooves recesses or projections formed on the rollers. Also in
using asbestos cloth and fibre for filtering the acid or alkaline baths. Also in the
use of comb-bars, bristles, blades, springs or other sharp-edged tools for rubbing,
drawing out or combing the wool in order to remove vegetable impurities there-
from, and in the application of shaking apparatus in the manner already described.
Also in providing the acid or alkali bath with an ordinary liquid meter in combi-
nation with electrical apparatus for controlling the supply of chemicals to the bath.
Also in using electrical apparatus for automatically regulating the temperature of
the baths, drying apparatus and carbonizer. Also in heating the wool by steam
air or other suitable means, while it is subjected to the action of the beating
sbaking or other mechanism. Also in greasing the wool between its delivery from
the acid-removing baths and its being wound up at the delivery from the gill-box
or equivalent apparatus with or without drawing or stretching action.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd February 1883.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN; of Kensington, Middlesex, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROCESS OR METHOD OF REMOVING PARTICLES OF STRAW AND SIMILAR IMPURITIES
FROM WOOL, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR OR CONNECTED THEREWITH, a com-
munication to me from abroad by G. Fernau and Company, of Bruges, Belgium,
This invention consists in a logical series of operations resulting in the removal
of vegetable impurities from fibrous matter by chemical agency, also in certain
machinery or apparatus helping to produce this result, and in modifications made
on other machinery. The main principle of the invention consists in carbonizing
and removing vegetable impurities from wool or other fibrous matter after carding
whether followed or not by drawing.
The wool on leaving the carding and drawing machines is in slivers the thickness
and shape of which prevent its being properly impregnated by the acid in the
bath.
The thickness is diminished and the wool transformed into an even layer by
means of a lap-gill placed before the set of apparati embodying this invention.
The slivers after passing through holes in a metal or wooden screen A are
carried to the fallers B of the lap-gill by two fluted rollers a a. The fallers are
carried forward on two screws v, (the ends of the faller fit into the spiral grooves
of the screws) of which only one is seen on the drawing, which is a longitudinal
section of the set of machinery.
When at the end of the screw, the faller drops by its own weight and also by
the action of spurs fixed to the screws v.
The faller is then caught in the grooves
of two other screws having a longer pitch than the first screws vv; it is
quickly brought back and lifted by two cleats fixed to the screws vi v¹ so as to
again arrive in the grooves of the screws vv, which transport it as before.
The wool having passed through the combs fixed to the fallers is drawn through
the fluted rollers bb₁ in the shape of a layer or fleece of even thickness, and reaches
the acid bath.
The fallers can be replaced by teazel rollers by combs or cards such as are used
in carding fibrous matter generally. By thus passing the slivers over the fallers,
and other means before mentioned, (and which I make use of). I also effect the
proper joining of the ends of the slivers or layers.
A set of rollers carry the wool through the acid bath, slightly pressing it so that
the whole may be thoroughly penetrated by the liquid.
The tank containing the acid solution has a special shape (fig 4); it is formed of
two troughs of sheet iron lined with lead and joined at the ends so as to give free
passage to the liquid. All the solderings are also of lead.
Thus a workman placed between the two cases or troughs can easily see to the
wool on the lap-gill, in the acid bath, on the wringers following the acid bath and
even as it goes into the carbonizing oven.
There is no danger in this supervision as the mechanism for transmitting the
different movements is all placed on the outside of the cases.
The wheels, shafts, axles, and generally all metal coming into contact with the
acid, are either coated with or made of an alloy of lead, antimony and tin in
various proportions, either alone or combined with other metals.
Both in the acid tanks, and in the alcaline tanks (which will be mentioned
hereinafter) it is necessary to automatically preserve the acid or alcaline strength,

page_text: in other words, it is necessary that the degree of concentration of the acid or
alcaline solutions should not vary. This result is attained by means of the
apparatus represented by figures 2 and 3 and which I am now going to describe.
Communicating with the tank containing the acid or alcaline solution there is a
small tank X in which floats the acid or alcali meter M bearing a bevelled copper
disc m, this aerometer moves between a conducting rod L' which it always slightly
touches, and a graduated rod bearing the index finger t.
In a glass cylinder C D E F G H (containing the whole regulating apparatus)
there are two floating discs 0 0¹, each having an opening through which passes the
aerometer which is thus guided in two different places.
The lower disc O¹ has holes bored in it.
The two discs 0 0¹ are joined by two stems QQ¹ and support the con-
ducting rods L L¹ which slide with slight friction in the sleeves K K' which
also serve as conductors, and are fixed by the rods R R¹ to the stands S S¹
provided with binding posts and screws p p'. All these different parts are
conductors of electricity.
As the level in the tank X rises, the whole system rises with the floating
discs 0 0¹ and the aerometer M. Lead plates A B A' B¹ fixed across the tank X,
fig 2, and leaving a few centimetres clearance at the bottom of the tank X, prevent
the aerometer from being influenced by any disturbance of the liquid in the large
tank.
The positive current of an electric battery is connected with the binding post p
whilst the negative current communicates with one of the extremities of an electro
magnet, which magnet can, with the help of a lever, open a valve at the bottom of
an acid reservoir. This reservoir being placed higher than the tank X, the said
magnet becomes the means of introducing acid or alcali into the tank X. A second
wire joins the binding post p¹ to the other extremity of the electro magnet.
Let us suppose the apparatus properly regulated, and that after some time the
solution becomes weaker: the aerometer falls, and as soon as its disc n comes into
contact with the contact needle or index-finger t, the current which is established
in the rod L, passes through n, through L', through the binding post p¹ and thence
to the electro magnet which lifts the valve of the acid reservoir. A certain amount
of acid or alcali is admitted, and, as soon as the required degree of acidity is
obtained, the aerometer rises, the current is interrupted and the valve of the
acid or alcali reservoir falls by its own weight. The electro magnet, the lever
the reservoir and valve not being of any special design, are not shown on the
drawing.
To economise acid, the solution after having become impure is passed through a
filter. This filter is made of small inclined wooden planks D, covered with asbestos
cloth, and the open space between the planks is partly filled with asbestos fibres.
The wool, as it leaves the acid bath, passes between two wringing rollers E E'.
These wringing rollers are of cast iron covered with an acid-proof material.
Ebonite has been found suitable for this purpose. From these rollers the wool goes
to the carbonizer, which is a large cage shut in partly by glass, and through which
the wool is conveyed on trays made of wire and chains, the wire trays and the
chains being either of iron, steel or copper, but coated with lead. Instead of
coating them with lead, I may coat the parts of iron or steel to be used in the
drying and carbonizing spaces, such as wires and chains, with a thin layer of
magnetic oxyde, to preserve these metals from corrosion which might arise from
their contact with acidulated or other liquids or from their contact with damp air.
These trays edged with chains to which they are sewn, form a kind of endless
band and pass over wooden rollers G, which can be moved at will so as to give the
trays the tension required.
In the lower part of the cage there is a large wrought iron pipe through which
passes the smoke from a coke furnace. This furnace is situated under the acid
tank and on a level with the filter. All the rollers which move the trays are set in
motion by cog-wheels placed outside the case, or carbonizer. On leaving the

page_text: carbonizer the layer of wool comes to the burring machine proper. The vegetable
impurities attacked by the acid and then reduced to carbon in the carbonizer have
become friable and are pulverized by passing through a series of fluted rollers H,
one pair of which take the wool on its exit from the carbonizer, three pairs of
rollers are sufficient to reduce the carbonized vegetable impurities to powder.
Between each pair of rollers there is a rubber, consisting of a kind of grating
made of small sharp angled copper bars. This grating, or rubber slightly bulges
out to ensure the thorough contact of the fleece of wool with the bars. Before
reaching the combs the fleece is thoroughly shaken at Z. The shaker consists in a
set of round bars rapidly moved up and down by means of the cams J fixed to the
shaft K. Inside this set there is a second similar set of bars, only smaller,
receiving the same oscillating motion, but this second set rises as the first one
descends, and descends as the first set rises. The bars of these separate sets, each
set in its turn, lift the fleece and shake it.
The layer of wool receives two separate motions whilst on the shaker: a
horizontal motion resulting from the general operation, and a vertical motion
imparted by the shaker, hence there is a rubbing motion on the bars of the
shakers, which not to damage the wool must necessarily be rounded.
Since leaving the oven or carbonizer: the vegetable impurities have been thus
crushed, rubbed and then shaken.
The wool is then delivered to a similar apparatus to that which I have described
under the name of lap-gill.
The fleece caught between the rollers L L passes under a guide rod M which
forces it into the bottom of the combs, the teeth of which going right through the
layer of wool, remove the impurities.
Up till now the wool has only received a slight tension, keeping it properly
strained, but now on leaving the combs or fallers it is really drawn by the drawing
roller N which works at a considerably higher speed than all the preceding rollers.
This drawing roller is pressed on the wool by a helical spring O which can be
tightened at will, whereas the lower roller carries a leather belt which can also be
tightened at will.
The fleece thus drawn, passes over a rubber and is again pressed by two rollers P
the upper one of which is pressed towards the layer by a spring. The fleece again
undergoes the action of a shaker, is again pressed by a roller Q carrying a weight R,
it again passes over a rubber, and after passing through a screen with a suitable.
funnel S which makes a proper sliver of it, it is made up into balls by winding it
up at T between two fluted rollers U U, or caught in cans. The bobbins formed
in the machine are then placed on a rack, whence the wool unrolls itself to go into
alcaline baths, either with or without soap, where the acid contained in the wool is
neutralized.
These alcaline baths are contained in sheet-iron tanks, coated on the inside with
lead.
Between these tanks there is a press which receives the wool from the first bath
and delivers it into the second bath.
These two tanks have similar sets of rollers to the acid tank, with press rollers
covered with ebonite, shafts, wheels and bearings made of or covered with alloys of
lead antimony and tin. At the exit of the press which terminates the second
alcaline bath the sliver works on and over a series of copper cylinders revolving on
cast iron tubes heated by steam.
From this drying apparatus the sliver goes to a greasing machine and thence to
a machine which is known under the name of gill-box and which is composed of
press-rollers a set of fallers or combs such as described above for the lap-gill, of
drawing cylinders, of funnels, and of winding rollers, the latter having, besides their
rotary motion, a horizontal to and fro motion.
The wool can also be greased while it is passing through the gill-box.
In greasing the wool before it goes through the fallers or combs, the object is to
profit by the lengthening of the sliver produced by the draught which follows the
"

page_text: CLAIMS:
1. The complete process consisting in treating fibrous materials with acid,
carbonizing the same and relieving them from vegetable particles at any moment
after their treatment in the carding, drawing or combing machines, and particularly
the cleaning of fibrous materials (in the shape of a fleece or of slivers) from
vegetable particles at any moment after their passage through acid vapour, or acid
baths and before the acid has been removed.
2 Removing vegetable particles from fibrous materials by means of fallers, combs,
teazel rollers, bars, springs, or any toothed organs, and the combination of this
cleaning process with apparatus Z Z serving to shake the fleece vertically.
3. Feeding the acid or neutralizing baths by means of fallers, combs, teazel-
rollers, or apparatus provided with saw-teeth or carding sheets for the purpose of
uniting by these organs the ends of the slivers or fleeces.
4. The reservoir X communicating with the acid bath, and into which dips an
acid meter M, in combination with a graduated rod L; a rod L' and sleeves K. K'
made of conducting material and leading to the binding posts p p between which
passes at a given moment an electric current acting by means of an electro-magnet
on the valve of an acid reservoir, the whole substantially as described and illustrated
and for the purpose specified.
5. As details of construction in the apparatus intended to apply the chemical
means for removing vegetable particles from fibrous materials:-
a. The application of lead-coated chains or wires in constructing the metallic
bands or trays serving to support the slivers or fleeces treated by the acid bath and
to carry them through the heating or carbonizing chambers.
b. The use of alloys of lead and antimony either alone or in combination with
other materials for coating shafts, brackets and generally any parts or mechanism
exposed to the acid-baths, or forming part of any apparatus which serves to treat
fibrous materials with acids, or to carbonize or to remove vegetable particles from
materials thus treated.
c. The use of ebonite for covering any rollers or cylinders forming part of the
acid or neutralizing tanks.
In witness whereof I the said Herbert John Haddan have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 3rd day of February A.D. 1883