IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
& Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
WASHING WOOL' A communication from abroad by Ernest Mehl of Augsburg
in the Empire of Germany
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL A communication from abroad
by Ernest Mehl of Augsburg in the Empire of Germany
"
This Invention relates to improvements in wool-washing and apparatus therefor;
it comprises means for passing air through the washing water for the purpose of
loosening the wool and driving it to the surface of the water; it also comprises a
novel construction of the rotating drums for transporting the wool from one end of
the tank to the other as hereinafter described
According to the said Invention I provide a rectangular tank or tub containing
an inner and smaller tank or tub in which the washing takes place. A grating in
the smaller tank formed of a perforated plate in the ordinary manuer is traversed
by a number of small pipes which at one end lead into a main pipe and at the
other end are closed by suitable means. These small pipes are provided at regular
intervals with a number of holes of from 1 to 2 millimétres in diameter.
By means of an air-pump or an injector, warm air is forced through the main
pipe and thence through the small pipes over the whole surface of the grating into
the washing liquid which is in the small tank. The water in the large and small
tanks circulates through the holes in the said grating and through the spaces in a
feeding table at one end of the inner tank. This feeding table carries the wool to
the pressing cylinders. The arrangement of the two tanks answers the double
purpose of having as great a quantity of washing water as possible at hand; and

page_text: of keeping together, as much as possible, the wool to be washed, as it enters into
the washing liquid and gathering it by degrees upon the broad surface of the
feeding table by means of a gradual narrowing of the sides of the inner tank.
Four rotating drums are provided of peculiar construction and differing one
from the other only in size. These drums are partly immersed in the water con-
tained in the inner tank. Each drum is of hollow cylindrical form; its inner part
is divided into six chambers and upon its circumference are six semi-circular pro-
tuberances. The protuberances, sides, and inner partitions of the said drums are
made of solid plate of suitable material; the segments between the protuberances
being made of perforated plate.
The inner partitions are so arranged in relation to the direction of rotation of
the drums, that, when one protuberance enters the water in the tank, the corre-
sponding interior chamber of the drum is empty; but as soon as the next perforated
segment comes into the water the water rushes through it and gradually fills the
said chamber. A sufficient number of holes (of from 2 to 3 millimètres in diameter)
is provided in the said segment, to allow of the chamber being filled when its
protuberance has reached its lowest point in the water: From this point until the
protuberance emerges from the water, the said chamber empties itself again of the
water contained in it. The two rear drums are of equal length and are longer
than the others; the foremost one is somewhat smaller than the feeding table
before mentioned, the remaining drum being of a length midway between that of
the larger drums and that of the smaller one.
All the drums receive a rotating motion from a suitable driving shaft by
means of bevel wheels, and shafts, their speed being suited to that of the feeding
table
As the air which is forced through the water should be of a temperature only
slightly above that of the washing water, it is not quite sufficient to keep the
water at its initial temperature of about 40° R; for this reason I provide a steam
pipe in the outer tank the extremity of which is perforated with small holes.
This steain-pipe is fitted with a suitable valve or cock, a slight opening of which
suffices to keep the water at the desired temperature by means of the heat
imparted by the steam through the tube, without its being necessary to let the
steam pass directly into the water

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th August 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL' "
A communication from abroad by Ernest
Mehl, of Augsburg, in the Empire of Germany,
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for washing
wool; it comprises means for passing air through the washing water for the
purpose of loosening the wool and driving it to the surface of the water; it also
comprises a novel construction of the rotating drums for transporting the wool
froin one end of the tank to the other as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on the line A, B, Figure 3.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line C D, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a ground plan of the machine.
Figure 4 shows a section of a part of the grating with the air conveying tubes:
According to this Invention I provide a large rectangular tank or tub K con-
taining an inner and smaller tank or tub k in which the wool-washing takes place.
A grating R in the tank &, formed of a perforated plate in the ordinary manner is
traversed by a number of small pipes or tubes which at one end m are attached
to a main pipe L, and at the other end e are closed by suitable means. These
small pipes are provided at regular intervals upon their upper sides with a number
of holes of from 1 to 2 millimetres in diameter.
By means of an air-pump, or an injector, warm air is forced through the main
pipe L and thence through the small pipes ?, over the whole surface of the grating
into the washing liquid, which is in the tank k. The water in the tanks K and
circulates through the perforations in the grating R, and through the spaces in a
delivery table T at one end of the tank . This delivery table carries the wool to
the pressing rolls. The arrangement of two tanks answers the double purpose of
having a large quantity of water always at hand and of keeping together, as
much as possible, the wool to be washed, as it enters into the washing liquid, and
gathering it by degrees upon the broad surface of the delivery table, by means of
a gradual narrowing of the sides of the inner tank k.
Four rotating drums D, E, F, G, having the same peculiar construction, and
differing from each other in size only, are provided. Each drum is of hollow
cylindrical form, its inner part being divided into six or other suitable number of
chambers, and having upon its circumference a corresponding number of semi-
circular protuberances. The protuberances, sides, and inner partitions of the said
drums are made of solid plates of suitable material; the segments between the
protuberances being made of perforated plates.
The inner partitions are so arranged in relation to the direction of rotation of
the drums that when a protuberance of one of the said drums enters the water in
the tank the corresponding interior chamber of the protuberance is empty; but,
As soon as the perforated segment above the protuberance enters the water, the
chamber begins to fill gradually. A sufficient number of holes (of from 2 to
3 millimetres in diameter) are provided in the said segment, to allow of the
chamber being full when its protuberance has reached its lowest point in the water.

page_text: From the point where the protuberance begins to rise until it emerges from the
water, the internal chamber gradually empties itself of the water contained in it.
The two drums D and E are of equal length, and longer than the others; the
formost drum G is somewhat narrower than the delivery table T, and of smaller
diameter than the other drums, the drum F is of a length midway between that of
the larger drums D and E and the smaller one G.
All the drums receive a rotatory motion from a driving shaft by means of bevel-
wheels and shafts, or other suitable means, their speed being regulated to that of
the delivery table T.
The operation of this machine is as follows the tanks K and k are first filled
with water, the machine is then set in motion, warm air is forced through the
pipe L and streaming out through all the holes of the pipes r rises to the surface
of the water, causing a general movement of the same.
The air which is forced through the pipes should be of a temperature only
slightly above that of the washing water, it is therefore not quite sufficient to
keep the water at its initial temperature of about 40° (R); for this reason I provide
a steam pipe u in the tank K the extremity of which is perforated with small
holes. This steam pipe is fitted with a suitable valve or cock y, a slight opening
of which suffices to keep the water at the desired temperature by means of the
heat imparted by the steam to the tube, without its being necessary to let the
steam pass directly into the water.
The wool to be washed is fed by a movable table or other suitable means, and,
falling behind the drum D into the tank, is drawn, by the rushing in of the
water into a chamber of the drum, against the perforated segment, and by means
of the protuberance of the following chamber, it is moved around with the drum.
As the drum continues rotating, the water rushes out of the chamber, and detaches
the wool from the face of the perforated segment; the rising air bringing the wool
to the surface again, whereby it becomes partially disentangled and freed from
some of the dirt it contained. As the wool collects near the surface, it is drawn
towards the second drum E, where the disentangling and washing operations
further progress; from the second drum the wool passes to the drum F where the
process is repeated a third time. The wool, as it gathers between the drum F and
the drum G is by means of the latter brought upon the delivery table T which
draws it regularly out of the water, through an aperture in the tank k and delivers
it between the rolls of a press.
The advantages of this machine over those heretofore constructed are as follow,
that is to sayquick washing without the extravagant use of soap, the thorough
disentanglement of the wool, and maintaining the heat of the water principally
through the continuous flow of warm air. This last named circumstance renders a
constant working possible, with a continuous flow of clean water at one end of the
tank K and a continuous discharge at the opposite end, without having to warm
the water by means of direct steain jets, which, as is well known, works injuriously
upon the wool.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim
The wool washing machinery or apparatus above described and characterized by
the following distinctive features:-
First, the pipes distributed over the surface of a grating for the purpose of
passing warm air through the washing liquid and causing a gentle movement of
the suid liquid which opens the wool, frees it from dirt, and keeps it constantly
near the surface, substantially as set forth.
Second. The rotating drums having the internal partitions and chambers, the
Beini-circular protuberances, and the perforated plates through which the water

page_text: flows in and out of the said chambers, whereby the wool floating in the water is
alternately drawn to and repelled from the said drums, substantially as set
forth.
In witness. whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty fourth day of August in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)