Improvements in Apparatus for Scouring and Washing Wool and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Scouring and Washing Wool
and the like.
I, ALFRED STEPHENSON of Market Street Works, Keighley, in the County of
York, Machinist, 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 certain improvements in apparatus for scouring and
washing wool and the like, and has for its object the more regular driving of a
washing machine described in Letters Patent granted to John Charles Walker,
Jonathan Edward Stephenson and Alfred Ambler numbered 20,916 and dated the
4th day of November 1893.
The quadrants actuating the oscillating cylinders or possers for squeezing the
fibre during its passage through the washing bowl, are described in that Patent as
travelling up and down an inclined plane and corresponding rack, the object being
to raise the cylinder from the bottom of the bowl in order to allow the wool or the
like to pass forward in the said bowl at certain intervals. The power required to
lift the cylinders or possers is not the only objection to this mode of operating the
same: the return of the quadrant, supporting the cylinder, down the inclined path
and racks give a certain amount of irregularity to the working of the machine, and
the wear and tear is in consequence very great.
I avoid the irregular working by traversing the racked quadrants on horizontal
planes and corresponding racks: and by giving a certain contour to the cylinders
or possers, they will, when in a certain position of oscillation be sufficiently clear of
the washing bowl bottom, as will allow the wool or the like to pass, thus avoiding
the lifting of the cylinder as hitherto.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will describe same in
detail by making reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 represents a side view of a wool washing machine arranged according
to my invention, a portion of same being in section for the purpose of better
illustration.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of same on line a. b. and
Fig. 3 is a detached detail of one of the cylinders or possers in a position for
allowing the wool or other fibre, being washed, to pass under same.
The wash bowl is indicated by the letter A. and is provided with a number of
receptacles B. for the dirt, in the usual manner.
The oscillating cylinders or possers C. are provided with toothed quadrants D.
on each side thereof, which gear with the horizontal racks E. secured to the
wash bowl A.
The quadrants D. at each end of the cylinders are provided with a flange F. each
of which rests on, and is supported by a horizontal plane G. forming part of the
horizontal rack E. thereby preventing the teeth of quadrants D. from running
too deep in gear with beforementioned racks E.
The oscillating cylinders or possers C. are formed somewhat in a similar manner
as hitherto, but one side H. is cut off at an acute angle, making the curved part C¹
at the bottom, narrower than hitherto, and by supporting the respective cylinders
or possers by a bracket P. on a shaft carried in any suitable manner, and operating
them as hereinafter described, the curved portion C₁ of cylinders or possers
compress the fibre passing through the wash bowl A. between bottom of same and
curved portion C', and when respectively moved to the position shown by Fig. 3,
the curved portion C' is sufficiently clear of the bottom of washing bowl A.

page_text: to allow the fibre to pass in the direction of arrow to the ordinary squeezing
rollers K. K.
The oscillating cylinders C. are coupled together by rods L. and operated by
connecting bar M. mounted to disc N. driven in any convenient manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
"
1st. A wash bowl A. of a wool washing machine combined with oscillating
cylinders or possers C. operated by quadrants D. engaging with horizontal racks E.
and kept in the requisite depth of gear by flanges F. and "planes G., all
arranged and operated substantially in the manner shewn and hereinbefore set
forth.
2nd. The cylinders or possers C. respectively supported by a bracket P. fixed near
to one edge of same, so that when oscillated the bottom portion intermittently
squeezes and liberates the fibre in the trough substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of September 1894.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.