Improvements in Machines for Preparing and Cleaning Raw Wool and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Preparing and Cleaning Raw Wool
and the like.
I, JULES DESIRE MOREL, of Roubaix, Department of Nord, in the Republic of
France, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement;-
This invention relates to a machine for cleaning raw filamentous substances,
that is to say those which have not been submitted to a washing action, thus allow-
ing the usual carding operation to be dispensed with.
With this machine the substance, such as wool, cotton and the like, is freed
from its impurities such as vegetable substance earth sand straw and so forth,
prior to being washed and without any preliminary preparation other than pick-
ing; this latter operation being performed only when it is judged necessary.
I may here mention the considerable and practical advantages which result
from this mechanical treatment of wool before it is washed.
1. During the operations of feeding the fibres into the machine and stretching
them, a large proportion of the impurities is eliminated, from which it results
that when the material is subsequently washed, the washing takes place under
The waters are less charged
vastly better conditions than is at present the case.
There is also an economy
with earth and sand; the potash extracted is purer.
of water, soap and of time as the troughs need not be so frequently emptied.
The washing has likewise a greater effect, acting as it does upon wool in ribbons
or strips.
2. Vegetable impurities are much more readily removed previous to washing
which softens them and allows them to stretch, divide and become more intimately
mingled with the fibres, more especially subsequent to the action of the pressing
cylinders.
3. With the treatment hitherto employed, that is to say previously washing
the wool, the vegetable and other impurities, which comprise essentially colouring
matters, yield a considerable part of such matters to the washing waters, which
become yellow; the wool immersed in this bath necessarily becomes more or less
impregnated with such colouring matter. Earth also colours the washing waters.
These disadvantages are obviated by my improved machine.
4. My machine stretches the wool much more readily, owing to the presence
of the natural grease which preserves its flexibility and elasticity. The work of
the combing machine is therefore considerably reduced.
5. As regards the resulting product, the fibres having been less strained than
by the use of the machines hitherto employed (the carding machine especially)
there is no flock or waste; the noils pass partially into the worsted yarn. The
quantity of the combed or worsted yarn is consequently greatly increased, whilst
at the same time being of finer quality. The spinning and afterwards the
weaving operations likewise henefit from various points of view from this superior
quality of wool treated in this manner, In drying it will be certain that no

page_text: inequalties will exist either in the ribbons of combed or worsted yarn or in the
fabric. In short the advantages resulting from the employment of this improved
process are manifold, and will be obvious to those acquainted with the art.
In order that the arrangement of the parts of which the machine for cleaning
and preparing raw wool may be readily understood, I have illustrated the same
by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section through the machine; in this figure,
a dotted line shows the direction in which the material moves.
Figure 2 is a plan showing the drum N in operation with the brush M.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detail views, on a larger scale of the various fittings
of the cylinders, brushes and drums making up the machine.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 show the details of the fleece counter.
Upon a drum A (Figures 1 and 3) furnished with pins having rounded ends in
order that they may not penetrate the thickness of the vegetable impurities, the
wool is fed, or rather engaged, by hand, the fibres are retained upon the pins of
the drum A for a portion of their length, the other portion is pendent in front of
the said drum which, owing to its turning movement, brings this free portion of
the fibres into contact with the endless apron or sheet B, which moves more
quickly than A say for example 40 revolutions to 10 of the drum A.
This sheet B, in its motion, carries along the free portions of the fibres, carry-
ing them forward with relation to their point of attachment to the drum A, the
pins of which, owing to their inclination, support them and present them to the
feed cylinders CD (about 240 revolutions) which seize them as they arrive.
By this method of feeding the raw wool it is partially rendered parallel when
it reaches the feed cylinders C, D.
The cylinder C is provided with brushes having short bristles held in wooden
plates around a metal cylinder (Fig. 4), which press the fibres into the covering
of the cylinder 1) and there supports them whilst the stretching action of the
drum E is taking place as described further on.
The cylinder D Figs. 1 and 5 is provided with a metal band having rounded
teeth which cannot either pierce or cut the impurities. This band may be applied
in the form of separate rings tightly pressed against each other, or the band may
be wound spirally round the cylinder.
The feed cylinders C, D about 45 revolutions present the fibres to the drum E
which is provided with a metal band having rounded teeth similar to those of the
cylinder D).
Owing to the different speeds with which the feed cylinders C D and the drum
E rotate, this latter stretches the fibres as they advance and carries them away
as soon as their extremity leaves the cylinders C, D.
These stretched fibres are raised on the cylinder E by the brush F (Figs. 1
and 4, at 130 revolutions) which carries them with it and transfers them to the
cylinder G (70 revolutions).
The cylinder G is a drum, upon the surface of which circular or helicoidal
grooves are provided which are combined with transverse or oblique grooves;
all these grooves are only from two or three tenths of a millimetre in width by
three to four millimetres in depth, in order to enable the fibres alone to lodge
therein, while all the impurities are excluded.
The vegetable impurities, straw and the like passing over the surface of the
drum G, are thrown entire upon the plate L at the moment when they meet the
blades of the picker, at the point K Figs. 1 and 6 (300 revolutions). The drum
G is likewise freed from the fibres proper by the brush M 130 revolutions which
yields them alternately to the drum N or Ni 30 revolutions.
The drums N and N¹ (Figures 1 and 2) provided with needles very much like
those of the cylinder A, but finer and sharper and forwardly inclined with regard
to their direction of rotation, these needles operate alternately with the brush M
and form fleeces in their needles, the thickness of which fleeces may be caused to
vary by means of a counter weighted gauge or apparatus hereinafter described

page_text: and which gives automatically a longitudinal transferring motion of the shaft O
carrying the drums N and N¹.
This gauge or apparatus is constructed in the following manner. Upon a shaft g
of the machine (Figures 1, 7, 8 and 9) is fixed an endless screw gl driving a
pinion h fixed upon the shaft i; at the opposite extremity of the said shaft is fixed
a pinion driving the gear wheel k which carries an excentric pin 7 moving in a
slide m in the lever n. The lever n is guided above upon a fixed pin o, which
permits it, by means of the slide p, to slightly rise and fall.
To the lower extremity of the lever n are fixed two grooved rollers and r
between which passes a metal rope or a chain s, one extremity of which is attached
to a ring t which is free to turn upon the shaft O, but held in place by the rings u
and u fixed upon the shaft O Figs. 2 and 7.
To the other end of the chains which passes over the grooved pulleys, is
suspended a weight x.
Between the two rings u and ¹ passes a small lever y connected to the free
ring t, and which a counter-weight z tends to cause to assume a horizontal position.
This lever y slides along and beneath a fixed rod 1 provided at each extremity
with recesses or notches 2 and 3 for the reception of the lever y.
A movable piece 4 sliding against the fixed rod 1, has at each of its extremities
bosses or projections 5 and 6, against which work successively one or other of the
pins n of the lever n Figures 7, and 9.
If we suppose the lever y to be engaged in the notch 3, the shaft O is then held
in place and cannot move either to the right or left. The pin 7, acting upon the
lever n pushes it towards the notch 2; the chain, held at 3 will slide upon the
grooved rollers r and r¹, and will cause the weight to rise through a certain
distance. When the lever n arrives at the end of the stroke for which it is regulated,
it pushes the movable piece 4, and the boss 6 will bear against the lever y causing it
to fall until it leaves the notch 3; at this moment the weight a being released will
take with it the chain which, attached to the loose ring t, will bring it to the side
upon which are now the grooved rollers r and r; but, at the end of the travel, the
lever y will meet and enter the notch 2, the shaft O is again held in place until in-
versely the release of the lever y is effected by means of the boss 5, that is to say
when the lever n has been brought to the other extremity of the fixed piece 1 and has
pressed against the movable piece 4.
The counter-weight a will then act in the opposite direction, that is to say it will
tend to cause the lever y to again enter the notch 3.
The shaft O takes the fleecing drums N and N¹ sometimes to the right, some-
times to the left in order to put them into operation alternately; all that is
necessary, therefore, in order to vary the thickness of the fleece, is to cause the
gear wheel to move more or less rapidly. The more rapid its movement, the
thinner will be the fleeces and vice versa.
The drum N is fixed upon the shaft 0; a pulley O¹ is likewise fixed upon this
shaft to which it imparts motion. When the counter causes the drums to change
places, by causing the shaft 0 to slide in its bearings, the belt driving the pulley (1
passes upon a loose pulley Q", turning upon the shaft O between the fixed pulley 01
and the drum N.
The drum N may thus be stopped; in order to effect this a steel band a, exercising
a braking action upon the pulley 01, permits of stopping it upon operating the
pedal 6 arranged at the extremity of the lever c pivotted at d.
At the same time that the drum N is stopped, the cylinder P is raised to some
extent so as to permit of the introduction of a blade in the rows of needles on N,
in such a manner as to cut the fleece of wool formed and to draw one of its
extremities between the cylinders P, R.
By ceasing to press upon the pedal, the weight of P causes this cylinder to
descend upon the fleece of wool, which is pressed between P and R: the steel
band a, retained at a fixed point e, ceases to bear against the fixed pulley 01 and
the drum N, acted upon by the fibres of the fleece which is drawn by the
cylinders P, R, turns back until the fleece is completely freed from the needles.

page_text: Whilst the cylinder N is being freed from its fleece, the cylinder N¹ is in contact
with the brush M and is being supplied with a certain quantity of wool in order
to likewise form a fleece. The operation is thus continuous.
The cylinder N¹ is independent upon the shaft O, being fixed upon a sleeve U
turning freely upon the said shaft, upon the sleeve U is also fixed the pulley U¹
which causes the drum N₁ to participate in its movement whilst it is in motion.
Between the pulley U₁ and N₁, is arranged a loose pulley U upon the sleeve U;
when the drum Ni passes to its second position, as I have indicated as regards N,
it might likewise turn back so as to permit the cylinders P R, to free it from its
wool fleece, a pedal lever being arranged at each extremity of the machine, and
acting one of them upon the fixed pulley O¹ of the drum N and the other upon
the fixed pulley U¹ of the drum N¹ by means of the steel bands acting as brakes.
These fleeces thus removed may then be taken to the machines for finishing the
material.
After being treated in my machine the wool need not go through the carding
machine; it passes directly to the preparing machines before the combing machine.
Wool which is a little short, as lambs wool for example, which could not be
engaged in the pins upon the drum A, are placed directly upon the sheet B
(Figure 1) which conducts it to the feed cylinders, CD which commence the work
and transmit the material to the cylinder E. The remainder of the operation is the
same as for long kinds of wool.
A plate T prevents the impurities which may be thrown off by K from falling
into the wool which has been treated and cleaned.
A plate T also prevents the impurities proceeding from the brush F and the
drum E from falling upon the drums N and N¹.
The fleeces of raw wool, united into ribbons then pass into the baths, in order
that they may be washed before reaching the combing machine. (In cases in which
washed wool is treated in my improved machine, the fleeces, united into ribbons,
pass directly to the combing machine).
Wool thus prepared and cleaned in a raw state, and not being weakened or
strained in the carding machine, the absolute preservation of the material in its
entire length is obtained, and this same material having been less impoverished
by the operation, preserves entire its elasticity softness and flexibility.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
A machine for preparing and cleaning raw wool, that is to say freeing it from
the impurities which it contains such as earth, sand, vegetable impurities and straw
prior to any washing operation, this machine being characterised by,
1. The combination of a drum A provided with pins the extremities of which are
rounded in order that they may not penetrate the vegetable and other impurities,
of an endless sheet B engaging the pendent extremities of the fibres upon the said
drum, and of two feed cylinders C and D one of which 1, being provided with
rounded teeth, carries the fibres from the drum to the feed cylinder C, which is a
brush having short bristles, with a second drum E having rounded teeth, which,
owing to its speed of rotation, stretches the fibres and leaves them to the action of
a brush F, which carries them to the cylinder G.
2. The combination of a cylinder G onto which the material is delivered and
freed from its impurities by a picker K which removes them and throws them
upon a plate L.
3. The combination of a grooved cylinder G and a brush M which frees it from
the raw and purified material, with two independent cylinders N N' capable of slid-
ing with their common shaft O with a transferring motion, and act alternately with
the parts referred to and with two pressing cylinders P R, the cylinders N and N¹
being alternately engaged by a steel brake band acted upon by means of a pedal
lever b.

page_text: 4. The combination of a machine as described in Claims 1, 2 and 3 with a gauge
or apparatus such as above described, acting upon one of the extremities of the
said shaft O in order to regulate the thickness of the fleeces.
Dated this 18th day of November 1897.
HASLETINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.