IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CLEANSING AND SCOURING WOOL AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Cropper, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CLEANSING AND SCOURING WOOL AND
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
OTHER
Scaled the 22nd November 1872, and dated the 10th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Cropper at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th September 1872.
I, JOSEPH CROPPER, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CLEANSING AND SCOURING WOOL AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus designed for the purpose of
taking the wool or other fibrous substance from the ordinary trough or
cistern, and delivering it to the creeper or rollers of the washing

page_text: machine, and consists principally of a lifting rake having a compound
motion (for taking up the wool as it is brought forward by the usual
rake) in combination with a comb, which when the lifting rake is thrust
forward, holds the wool and allows the teeth of the said rake to be with-
drawn, leaving the wool or other fibrous substance on the creeper which
carries it on to the washing rollers. This improved lifting rake is carried
by two levers, which are caused to oscillate to and fro by means of a
crank, so as to take the said rake back to collect the wool, and then
carry it forward to place it upon the creeper. The lifting rake is
capable of turning over on pivots, and is provided with a curved and a
straight finger.
When the lifting rake is in a position to commence raising the wool
or other fibrous substance from the trough or cistern the curved finger
comes against a pulley, which brings the teeth of the rake into nearly
a horizontal position,, lifting the wool or other material out of the
trough, and the rake is then thrust forward by the crank above the
creeper; a comb or toothed bar then descends and holds the wool or
other fibrous substance on the creeper, whilst the reverse sweep of the.
crank withdraws the lifting, rake, and the creeper carries the material on
to the rollers. As the rake, recedes, and when it is quite clear of the
comb the straight finger comes, into. contact with a curved bracket,
which throws the rake over the centre, and thus brings it back into its
original perpendicular position ready to take up a fresh quantity of
material, which has in the meantime been brought forward by the
ordinary rake.
I also propose in some instances to substitute for the comb or toothed
bar a revolving creeper fitted with teeth for the purpose of taking the
11

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Joseph Cropper, Her special license
that I, the said Joseph Cropper, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Cropper, 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
THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CLEANSING AND SCOURING WOOL
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Joseph Cropper, 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 immédiately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Cropper, do hereby declarë
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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to
say):
:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus designed for the purpose of
taking the wool or other fibrous substance from the ordinary trough or
cistern, and delivering it to the creeper or rollers of the washing
machine, and consists principally of a lifting rake having a compound
motion (for taking up the wool as it is brought forward by the usual
rake) in combination with a comb, which, when the lifting rake is thrust
forward holds the wool or other fibrous substance on the creeper which
carries it on to the washing rollers.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for “İmprove-
ments in the Construction of Apparatus employed in Cleansing and

page_text: Scouring Wool and other Fibrous Substances," 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 clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings
illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters
of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
.thereof :-
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the delivery
end of an ordinary wool washing machine, showing the application of
my Invention thereto, and Fig. 2 is a plan or horizontal view of the
same.
.
a, a, is part of the ordinary trough or cistern; b, b, the ordinary rake;
and c, c, the rake shaft; d, d, is my improved lifting rake carried by
two levers e, e, swinging upon a fixed centre f. f. I prefer to make
the teeth of this rake wider at the front part than at the back, so as
to catch the short fibres, and still to have a good clearance. The
rake d, d, is caused to oscillate to and fro by means of the rods g, g,
connected to a crank or crank pin h, h, on the rake shaft c, c, so as to
collect the wool, and then carry it forward to place it upon the
creeper i, i, as herein-after described.
The rake d, d, is capable of
turning over upon pivots or centres fixed in the lower ends of the
levers e, e, and is provided at one end with a curved arm k, k, and a
straight finger 1, 1.
In Fig. 1 the lifting rake d, d, is drawn in full lines in its first position,
ready to commence raising the wool or other fibrous substance from the 2
trough or cistern a, a; and as the levers e, e, move in the direction of
the arrow the curved arm k, k, comes against the curved guide plate m, m,
(or against a pulley fixed in the same position), which brings the teeth
of the rake into nearly a horizontal position (as shown by the dotted
lines in this Fig.) raising a portion of the wool out of the trough or 3
cistern, and the further motion of the levers e, e, then thrusts forward
the rake d, d, above the creeper i, i, (carrying the wool with it) into
the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 beneath the teeth of the
comb n, n.

page_text: they can give way in one direction, as shown at Fig. 3, when the rake
with the wool is thrust forward, but as soon as the reverse sweep of the
crank withdraws the rake the comb teeth descend, and hold the wool or
other fibrous substance, and place it on to the creeper. This comb n, n,
may be stationary or may run on wheels at each end on inclined
planes o, o, and have a to-and-fro movement given to it by an excentric
rod p, p, actuated by.an excentric q, q, keyed on the rake shaft, so as to
assist it in withdrawing the wool from the rake d, d, and laying it on to
the creeper i, i, which delivers it to the squeezing rollers r, r.
As the rake d, d, continues to recede in the direction of the arm
and as soon as it comes into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,
where it is quite clear of the comb, the straight finger l, l, comes into
contact with a curved bracket 8, 8, which throws the rake d, d, over the
centre, and thus brings it back into its original perpendicular position
with the teeth downwards (as shown in full lines at Fig. 1) ready to take
up a fresh quantity of material, which has been in the mean time
brought forward by the ordinary rake b, b.
It will be observed that the bracket 8, 8, is not rigidly fixed, but is
capable of oscillating on its centres, and is counterbalanced by the
weight t, t, so that it can give way when the rake is moving forward,
but remains rigid, and overturns the rake as it is drawn back.
Fig. 5 shows another arrangement whereby the overturning of the
rake d, d, may be dispensed with. In this case the rake is supported in
its backward movement by the finger u, u, which rests, on the upper
edge of the plate v, v, but as soon as the end of this finger passes over
the end of the plate the rake falls down into its original perpendicular
position. The plate v, v, is hinged, and it will be seen upon referring
to the detached plan view, Fig. 6, that it is kept in place by its own
weight or by a spring w, w, whilst the rake is withdrawn, but as the
rake is thrust forward the finger comes against the inclined front x, x,
and pushes the plate on one side out of the way.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention the application to such machines of a lifting
rake having a compound motion in combination with a comb or toothed

page_text: bar for withdrawing the wool as the rake recedes, constructed and
operating substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Cropper, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witnessed by
GEORGE DAVIES, C.E.,.
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JOSEPH CROPPER. (L.s.)