IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING WOOL
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of No. 1, Serle. Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING WOOL."-A communication
from abroad by John Yewdall and William Yewdall, of Philadelphia,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd September 1870.
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING WOOL," (a com-
munication to me from abroad by John Yewdall and William Yewdall,
of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America,) to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to machinery for washing wool in order to
deprive it of its greasy matter preparatory to being otherwise prepared
for manufacturing purposes, and the Invention consists,―

page_text: carrying a cradle, which in the present instance consists of three radial
ribs forming the same number of concavities between the ribs. Another
standard is secured to the edge of the tank, and in a projecting hub on
this standard turns a shaft having a crank, the outer end of which is
connected to an adjustable pin on a rod, the upper end of the latter
being arranged to slide freely in a stud which is secured to but so as to
vibrate on a plate so attached to the standard as to be adjustable vertically
thereon. The lower end of the rod terminates in a rake, the ends of the
prongs of which move in the course or direction arranged for them as
the shaft revolves, and the partition is to suit the course taken by the
prongs of the rake.
A shaft at the rear of the machine is arranged to
turn in the opposite sides of the tank or in any attachment thereto, and
in bearings on projections at the rear of the tank turns another shaft,
both shafts having rollers round which passes an endless slotted apron.
The prongs or forks are operated by cranks so as to drag the wool
through the washing fluid, turn it over therein, and direct it gradually
towards the further end of the tank, the perforated partition being
curved at intervals so as to conform to the course of the rakes, but being
gradually inclined downwards, so that at the front end of the tank it
reaches or nearly reaches the bottom of the same. It will be observed
that this perforated partition is curved beneath the lower roller so as to
conform to the shape of the latter without being in contact with it. The
partition is also curved beneath the cradle in conformity with the
direction pursued by the ends of the ribs as the cradle revolves.
Different systems of gearing may be employed to operate the moving
parts of the machine; for instance, a driving shaft can be applied,
turning in bearings on the end of the tank. A belt passes round a
pulley on this shaft and round a pulley on another shaft, a pinion on
which gears into a wheel on the shaft round which the endless apron is
caused to traverse. On the same driving shaft is a pinion gearing into a
cog wheel on the shaft of the lower roller; the further shaft is driven
from the shaft of the upper roller by cog wheels, and the shaft of the
cradle is driven by cog wheels on the further shaft gearing into like
wheels on the shaft of the cradle, which latter wheels are arranged inside
the tank. Whatever gearing may be employed it is essential that the
apron should traverse, and the rollers, cradle, and crank should revolve
in their required directions, and also that the crank should revolve three
times as fast as the cradle, or four times as fast as the cradle, if the latter
has four ribs and four concavities instead of three. The cradle is hung

page_text: loosely by arms to the shaft, and can consequently swing to and fro as it
revolves. As each rib comes in contact with the surface of the lower
roller the entire cradle will swing to the right, but as cach rib passes
from the prominent surface of the roller the tendency of the arms which
carry the cradle to assume a vertical position causes the cradle to swing
to the left.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bristow Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS-SHALL-COME, I, BRISTOW
HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, 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, successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Bristow Hunt, Her special. licence
that I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Bristow Hunt, 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 FOR WASHING WOOL," (a communication to me from abroad by
John Yewdall and William Yewdall, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Bristow Hunt, 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 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 Bristow Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what- manner- the-same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, that is to say:
This Invention relates to machinery for washing wool in order to
deprive it of its greasy matter preparatory to being otherwise prepared
for manufacturing purposes, and the Invention consists, ―
Firstly. Of a rake which is caused to operate on the wool contained in
the washing fluid in a tank in combination with a cradle having any
desired number of ribs and concavities, and caused to revolve in the
said washing fluid, the movements of the rake and cradle being so timed
that the former will move a mass of wool into each concavity of the
cradle, to be delivered by the latter to the pressure rolls.
Secondly. In so suspending and arranging the cradle in respect to the
pressure rollers that as it revolves it will carry the wool round and
deliver it to the point where the rollers converge.
Thirdly. In causing the lower pressure roller to revolve in water-tight
bearings so that the washing fluid may be maintained at an altitude
which renders it an available aid to the cradle in delivering the wool to
the pressure rollers.
Fourthly. Of a perforated partition so arranged in the tank containing
the washing fluid that it will conform to the courses taken by the rake,
cradle, and lower pressure roller, and confine the wool within proper
limits.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "Improve-
ments in Machinery for Washing Wool," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same
may be distinctly understood I have annexed hereunto one Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following.
explanation thereof, that is to say :-
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a wool washing machine with
the present improvements applied, and Figure 2 a plan view of the
same; Figure 3 represents a transverse vertical section through the
line 1, 2, Figure 1; and Figure 4 a side view of part of the trough
shewing the bearings for the pressure rollers..

page_text: _
The improved washing machinery is composed or constructed as
follows: A represents a portion of a long trough or tank, across which
extends a perforated plate B curved in the manner shown in Figure 1,
the tank being in the present instance made of cast-iron plates fitted and
secured together in the manner illustrated in the Drawings. In the
opposite sides fandf¹ of the tank are formed water-tight bearings for the
shaft C of the roller D to revolve in; these bearings are most plainly shewn
in the sectional view, Figure.3, where a represents a follower adapted to
the shaft C and to a socket, the lower portion a of which is formed in and
constitutes a part of one side plate of the tank, the upper portion con-
sisting of a cap b, which is so secured to the side of the tank as to be
detachable-therefrom. Suitable packing is confined between the end of
the follower and the end of the socket so as to render the bearing
perfectly water-tight. The shaft C¹ of the upper roller D₁ turns in
bearings d, which are arranged to slide in guides e, e, attached to or
forming part of the opposite sides f and f¹ of the tank. Each of the
bearings e is depressed by means of a lever E (Figure 1) which has for
its fulcrum a pin a, and which is connected by a rod E¹ to another
lever F, hung to a bracket g beneath the tank, and furnished with such
weights as may be necessary to impart the desired pressure to the upper
roller D³, or to accomplish which any other system of weighted levers or
other equivalent apparatus may be employed. To the upper edge- of
each side and f¹ of the tank is secured a standard 7, in which is
arranged to revolve a shaft G (Figure 2) and on this shaft are loosely
hung two arms G', in the lower end of which turns another shaft H
carrying a cradle H', which in the present instance consists of three
radial ribs q, q¹, and q, forming the same number of concavities between
the ribs. Another standard J, Figure 1, is secured to the edge of the
tank A, and in a projecting hub on this standard turns a shaft K, having
a crank K', the outer end of which is connected to an adjustable pin on
the rod L, the upper end of the latter being arranged to slide freely in a
stud i, which is secured to but so as to vibrate on a plate so attached
to the standard J as to be adjustable vertically thereon. The lower end
of the rod L terminates in a rake M (Figure 2), the ends of the prongs
of which are caused to take the course or direction shewn by the dotted
line y as the shaft K revolves, the partition B being curved between the
points 2 and 3 to suit the course taken by the prongs of the rake. A
shaft N (Figure 1) at the rear of the machine is arranged to turn in the
opposite sides of the tank or in any convenient attachment thereto, and

page_text: in bearings on projections j, j, at the rear of the tank turns another
shaft k, both shafts (k and N) having rollers, round which pass the
endless slotted apron P.
It must be distinctly understood that the trough or tank A is much
longer than is shewn on the accompanying Drawings, also that there are
a series of the forks M operated as above described and working therein
so as to drag the wool through the washing fluid, turn it over therein,
and direct it gradually towards the back end of the tank (shown on the
Drawings), the perforated partition B being curved at intervals so as to
conform to the course of the rakes, but being gradually inclined down-
wards so that at the front end of the tank (which is not shewn in the
Drawings) it reaches or nearly reaches the bottom of the same. It will
be observed that this perforated partition is likewise curved beneath the
lower roller D, so as to conform to the shape of the latter without being.
in contact with it, and it is also curved beneath the cradle H¹ in
conformity with the direction pursued by the ends of the ribs as the
cradle revolves.
Different systems of gearing may be employed to operate the moving
parts of the machine. On the accompanying Drawings the following
arrangement is shown :-P is the driving shaft turning in bearings on
the end of the tank. A belt passes round a pulley on this shaft and
round a pulley on another shaft m, a pinion on which gears into a wheel
on the shaft k, round which the endless apron P is caused to traverse in
the direction of the arrow (Figure 1). On the same driving shaft is a
pinion gearing into a cog wheel p on the shaft C of the lower roller D.
The shaft G is driven from the shaft of the upper roller D¹ by cog wheels,
and the shaft H of the cradle is driven by cog wheels 9' on the shaft G
gearing into like wheels on the said shaft H, which latter wheels are
arranged inside the tank. The shaft K. is driven by a train of wheels
t, t, t, (Figure 2) from the above-mentioned shaft G. Whatever
gearing may be employed it is essential that the apron P should
traverse and the rollers D, D¹, cradle H¹, and crank K¹ should revolve
in the directions pointed out by their arrows, and also that the
crank K' should revolve three times as fast as the cradle, or four
times as fast as the cradle, if the latter has four ribs and four con-
cavities instead of three. The cradle is hung loosely by the arms G¹ to
the shaft G, and it can consequently swing to and fro as it revolves. As
each rib comes in contact with the surface of the lower roller D the

page_text: entire cradle will swing to the right and assume the position shown by
dotted lines in Figure 1, but as cach rib passes from the prominent
surface of the roller the tendency of the arms G¹ which carry the cradle
to assume a vertical position causes the said cradle to swing to the left and
assume the position shown by the full lines in the same Figure. The
line w represents the average level of the fluid in which the fibres of the
wool are agitated, turned over, and carried towards the rear of the
machine by the series of rakes. The last rake M of the set carries a
portion of the wool in the fluid to the position shewn in Figure 1, one of
the concavities of the cradle being presented for its reception. The rake
having left the mass of wool the latter is carried round by the arm q
through the fluid and delivered to the rollers D and D', which deposit it
in a comparatively dry state on to the endless apron P. If the shaft of
the cradle revolved in fixed bearings much of the wool would be carried
round by the cradle without being delivered to the rollers, but as the
vibrating motion is imparted to the cradle by its ribs coming. in contact
with and passing from the surface of the roller the cradle will move
towards the rollers as cach rib approaches the point where the two rollers
converge, and hence the supply of wool above the rib will be directed to
this point and must pass between the rollers. It will thus be seen
that as the machine operates each concavity of the cradle will receive
from the rake a supply of wool, and will carry this. supply round and
thrust it as it were between the rollers. This delivery of wool to the
rollers by the cradles however could not be effectually accomplished in
the absence of the fluid, or rather if the fluid was much below the centre
of the lower roller, for as the wool is floating or held in suspension in the
water the latter aids the cradle in delivering the wool to the rollers,
lience the importance of the water-tight bearings of the shaft C, which
permit the fluid to be maintained at a proper altitude for aiding the
cradle in effecting this delivery.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
"Improvements in Machinery for Washing Wool," together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as the
Invention communicated to me by the above-named John Yewdall and
William Yewdall, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America,―
Firstly. The combination in a wool washing machine of a rake (or a

page_text: series of the same) operating substantially as described with a revolving
cradle having any appropriate or desired number of ribs and concavities,
when the movement of the rake and cradle are so timed) that the former
will move a mass of wool into each concavity of the latter to be delivered
by the latter to the pressure rollers, substantially as herein set forth and as
illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Secondly. The cradle H' so suspended and arranged in respect to the
pressure rollers that as it revolves it will receive a swinging or vibrating
motion and carry the wool round and deliver it to the point where the
rollers converge, substantially as described and shown.
Thirdly. The roller D with its water-tight bearings which enable the
washing fluid to be maintained at an altitude which renders it an effectual
aid to the cradle in delivering the wool to the pressure rollers con-
structed substantially as described and shown.
Fourthly. The combination of the rake M with the revolving and
vibrating cradle H¹ and the rollers D and D¹, the whole operating
substantially as herein before specified.
And, fifthly. The perforated partition B in the tank containing the
washing fluid arranged in respect to the fork M, cradle H¹, and roller D
that it will conform to the courses taken by the same respectively and
confine the wool within proper limits.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of March, in the year of
our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.