IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND SCOURING WooL
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING
AND SCOURING WooL."-A communication from abroad by Victor
Weiss, of Langensalza. Prussia.
Sealed the 4th January 1876, and dated the 9th July 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 9th July 1875.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
WASHING AND SCOURING WOOL," a communication to me from abroad by
Victor Weiss, of Langensalza, Prussia," to be as follows:—
This relates to machinery or apparatus for washing wool by means
of rollers, such rollers being arranged so as to allow of the washing
:

page_text: liquor and soap waste being deposited at the bottom of the "wash
trough," whereby the deposited waste liquor is allowed to settle, and the
dirt will not be stirred up.
The apparatus consists of a wash trough in which is a frame carrying
the scouring cylinders or rollers, which frame is pivoted at one end to 5
the wash trough so as to allow of the frame and scouring cylinders
being raised for cleaning the said trough. On the outside of the trough
are series of toothed wheels which gear with a rack or ratchet on
upright rods, said rods carrying a cross plate, on the top of which
a roller fixed to the frame is free to run for raising the frame and 1
cylinders; and said cylinders are made hollow and open at both ends to
allow of the least possible disturbance of the wash liquor.
A driving pulley and band is fixed in the wash trough for actuating
the scouring rollers, and is fitted on each side with a stuffing box,
and the gearing through which the apparatus is actuated is covered 1
with a zinc or other metal boxing to prevent its being clogged or
deranged.
The wool which is to be scoured or washed is conducted by a creeper
or travelling apron to and between the scouring cylinders, and is
delivered after passing through the machine on to another crecper, 2
from which it passes to another wash trough, and so on until it has
been sufficiently treated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year a
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
givo and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special

page_text: licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes,
my 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 Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND SCOURING WOOL,"
a communication to me from abroad by Victor Weiss, of Langensalza,
Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Thomas Hughes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
samo 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, 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, referenco being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say :—
This relates to machinery or apparatus for washing wool by means
of rollers, such rollers being arranged so as to allow of the washing
liquor and soap waste being deposited at the bottom of the "wash
trough," whereby the deposited waste liquor is allowed to settle, and the
dirt will not be stirred up.
The apparatus consists of a wash trough in which is a frame carrying
the scouring cylinders or rollers, which frame is pivoted at one end to
the wash trough so as to allow of the frame and scouring cylinders
being raised for cleaning the said trough. On the outside of the trough
are series of toothed wheels which gear with a rack or ratchet on
upright rods, said rods carrying cross plates, on the top of which rollers
fixed to the frame are free to run for raising the frame and cylinders,
and said cylinders are made hollow and open at both ends to allow of
the least possible disturbance of the wash liquor.

page_text: A driving pulley is fixed to the wash trough for actuating the
scouring rollers, and is fitted on each side with a stuffing box, and
the gearing through which the apparatus is actuated is covered with
a zinc or other metal boxing to prevent its being clogged or deranged.
The wool which is to be scoured or washed is conducted by a creeper
or travelling apron to and between the scouring cylinders, and is
delivered after passing through the machine on to another creeper,
from which it passes to another wash trough, and so on until it has
been sufficiently treated.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the
apparatus; Fig. 2, a like view, but shewing the frame and rollers.
raised for cleaning the wash trough; and Fig. 3, a plan or top view.
A is the conducting or feed apron, and B the delivery apron; C, the
wash trough; D, frame carrying scouring cylinder or rollers, said
frame being pivoted or hinged at E to the wash trough so as to allow
the frame D and scouring cylinders being raised for cleaning the said
trough.
The means for raising the frame and rollers is shown in action in
Fig. 2. The scries of toothed wheels G gear with a rack or ratchet
on rods H, said rods carrying cross plates or caps upon which the
rollers I rest, and are free to run when the toothed wheels G aro
actuated to raise the frame.
The driving pulley K is fixed to the wash trough, and a pinion on its
shaft engages with the gearing L through which the scouring rollers
are actuated, said gearing L being covered with a zinc or other metal a
boxing to prevent clogging or derangement thereof.
The wool to be scoured or washed is fed by the apron A to the first
cylinder a, from which it passes to and between the cylinders b, b, and
thence to and between all the cylinders in a nearly horizontal direction
until it reaches the end cylinders c, from whence it is delivered on to 3
the delivery apron B, from which it passes to another wash trough, and
so on until it has been sufficiently treated.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said In-
vention, as communicated to me from abroad, I claim, the improve-

page_text: ments in machinery or apparatus for washing and scouring wool,
substantially as herein described and shown in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.