Improvements in and relating to Wool-washing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Wool-washing Machines.
I, LUTHER ANDREW PECKHAM, of No. 16 Armington Avenue, in the City of
Providence, in the County of Providence, State of Rhode Island, United States
of America, Boss Carder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings forming part of this Specification :-
In wool-washing machines, as heretofore constructed, the wool is fed into the
machine by an endless apron on which a quantity of wool is deposited and then
separated and fed to the wool-washing machine by an attendant. The efficiency of
the wool-washing machine is almost entirely dependent on the vigilence, industry
and judgment of this attendant, whose duty it is to loosen and spread the wool
evenly across the apron and to regulate the supply exactly to the capacity of the
machine. In practice it is found that a wool-washing machine does not perform
the full amount of work, owing to the irregularity of the feeding of the wool and
the imperfect opening of all the wool.
The object of this invention is to feed the wool to the washing-machine by
mechanical means, so as to dispense with the hand labor, and secure a continuous,
regular feed.
Another object of this invention is to mechanically open and spread the wool, so
as to présent the same to the rakes in the washing-machine in the best possible
condition.
Another object of the invention is to increase the efficiency of a wool-washing
machine, and
Another object of this invention is to thoroughly mix the desired grades or
qualities of wool before the wool enters the washing-machine and thus more
thoroughly intermix the different grades in washing the wool.
To these ends my invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of a
carrying apron and a stripper by which the wool is delivered to the wool-washing
machine.
The invention fürther consists in the novel construction of the mechanism for
opening the wool in connection with the carrier and stripper, and
The invention further consists in the peculiar and novel construction of the wool-
receptacle, the automatic feeder, and the washing-machine, as will be more fully set
forth hereinafter.
Figure 1 is a view of one side of the machine, the operative parts being indicated
in broken lines.
Figure 2 is a view of the opposite side of the machine.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, showing the wool-receptacle, the apron
forming the bottom of the wool-receptacle, the carrier-apron, the evener, and
stripper, in connection with the basin of the wool-washing machine.
Figure 4 is a view, partly in section, of the device for connecting and disconnecting
the evenĕr.
Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the ratchet and pawl device for operating the
feed-apron.
Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the device for adjusting and supporting the drums
for the endless aprons.
Figitre 7'is a view; and Figure 8 a section, on an enlarged scale, of the feed-
"apron.
Similar imbers of reference indicate corresponding parts in the drawings.

page_text: The number 10 indicates the end of the basin of the wool-washing machine into
which the wool is fed. 11 indicate the sides and 12 the end of the wool-
receptacle resting on the floor and extending to a height at which the wool can
be conveniently placed into the same, forming a large receptacle into which a
considerable quantity of wool may be placed to be delivered automatically to the
washing-machine, and wool of different qualities may be thoroughly mixed before
the same enter the washing-machine and thereby become more thoroughly intermixed
in the process of washing than was heretofore possible.
The number 13 indicates the two sides forming the supports of the mechanism
and parts of the sides of the wool-receptacle; these sides 13 are formed with the
projections 14 extending over the basin of the washing-machine and projections 15
extending under the same. 16 is an endless-apron forming the moving bottom of
the wool-receptacle; it is supported on the rolls 17 and passes around the
rollers 18 and 18. The inclined shelf 19 extends across the end of the wool-
receptacle. 20 indicates the carrier-apron made up of a series of slats secured
together by the hinged-plates 22, so as to form an endless-apron extending across
the width of the wool-receptacle and forming one end of the same. The outer
face of each of the slats 21 is formed into the long inclined-plane 23 abruptly
terminating at the intersection of the shorter, angular and slightly-concaved
surface 24 from which the pins 25 project at, or nearly at, right angle to the
surface 24, and at the required angular direction with reference to the apron
required to pick and carry the wool. By this peculiar formation of the slats the
wool is prevented from passing behind the pins 25 and is not wedged in and held,
but is more readily combed off from the carrier-apron 20. The angular faces of
the slats are removed on the parts of the slats on which the hinge-plates 22 are
secured. The carrier-apron 20 extends around the drums 26¹ and 26 and the part
forming the end of the wool-receptacle is supported on the rolls 27.
The wool deposited in the wool-receptacle is carried by the endless-apron 16
against the carrier-apron 20 and is carried upward by the same to and over the
roller 26, the reciprocating evener 28 provided with the curved platform 29
combs back any surplus of wool carried up by the carrier-apron 20; this surplus
accumulates between the carrier-apron 20, the curved platform 29 and the back 30
secured at its upper end to the shaft 31 at one end of which the weighted lever 32
is secured, which, with the weight of the back 30, presses the wool against the
carrier-apron 20. On the opposite end of the shaft 31 the arm 33 provided at one
end with the slot 34 is secured,-a stud extends from the frame 35 into the slot 34,
and, as the frame 35 is mounted on the side or standard 13 and has capacity to
slide on the same, the movement of the back 30 and corresponding movement of the
arm 33 slides the frame 35 up and down. Mounted on the frame 35 is the gong 36
provided with a hammer mounted on the hinged spring-plate 37 in the same
manner as the hammer on all bells is usually mounted. On the shaft 38, the
direction of which is parallel with the frame 35, the cam 39 is adjustably secured
by a clamp-screw. This alarm device is shown clearly in Figure 1 and is designed
to sound an alarm when the quantity of wool between the upper portion of the
carrier-apron 20 and the pivoted and weighted back 30 has diminished, and thus,
by the inward movement of the back 30, the arm 33 has moved the frame so that
the cam 39 coines in contact with the plate 37, thus giving timely notice that
additional wool is required.
The shaft 38 is journaled in bearings secured to one of the sides or standards
and transmits motion to the reciprocating evener 28 by means of the bevel-gear 40
secured to the upper end of the shaft 38. The bevel-gear 41 is secured to the
shaft 42, which extends transversely across the machine, and the fly-wheels 43 are
provided with a stud from which the connecting-rods 44 extend to a wrist-pin on
the opposite ends of the evener as is clearly shown in Figure 1. The lower end of
the shaft 38 is provided with the bevel-gear 45 which gears with the bevel-gear 46
loose on the shaft 47 but connected by the spring-pressed locking-pin 48 with the
crank 49. The locking-pin 48 is constructed so that it may be withdrawn from

page_text: the bevel-gear 46 and, by a partial rotation, be retained in the withdrawn
position, as is clearly shown in Figure 4; by this arrangement the shaft 38 may
be stopped.
The shaft 47 extends across the machine and is, on the opposite side, provided
with the gear 50 which meshes with the gear 51 on the end of the shaft 52,
which shaft also extends across the machine and is provided at the opposite end
with the pulley 53 and the two driving-pulleys 54 of different diameter, from one
of which the belt 55 extends to a pulley on the washing-machine (usually the pulley
formerly used to drive the endless feed-apron) and motion is thus imparted from
the washing-machine to the improved feeder.
From the pulley 53 the belt 56 imparts motion to the pulley 57 secured to one
end of the shaft on which one of the drums supporting the delivery-apron 58 is
secured, and thus motion is imparted to the delivery-apron 58 in the direction
indicated by the arrow in Figure 1.
The gear-wheel 50, on one end of the shaft 47, is provided with a wrist-pin on
which are pivoted the connecting-rods 59 and 60,-the opposite end of the
connecting-rod 59 is pivoted to the lever 61 centrally pivoted on a pin secured
to the slide 13, one end of the lever 61 is slotted and in this slot a wrist-pin is
adjustably secured from which the connecting-rod 62 extends and is pivotally
connected at its opposite end with the ratchet-lever 63; this ratchet-lever 63
carries the pawls 64, which engage with the ratchet-gear 65 secured to one end of
the shaft 66 on which the roller 18 is secured and by which the endless-apron 16,
forming the bottom of the wool-receptacle, is operated. The connecting-rod 60
has its upper end adjustably secured in a slot in the lever 67 fulcrumed on the
shaft 68 to which the drum 26' is secured, the opposite arm of the lever 67 carries
the ratchet-pawl 69 which engages with the ratchet-gear 70 also secured to the
shaft 68, and thus, by the oscillation of the lever 67, imparts motion to the
shaft 68 and to the carrier-apron 20. A ratchet-gear is also placed on
the opposite end of the shaft 68 with which two pawls engage to hold the gear
and prevent back-lash, as is shown in Figure 1-these pawls can be connected or
'disconnected.
The rod 71 is connected, at its lower end, to the crank 49 and at its upper
end to the arm 72, secured at its opposite end to the shaft 73 which extends across
the machine and has its bearings in the ends or standards 13, and to this shaft 73
the comber 74, provided with the brush 75, is secured, so that the rotation of the
crank 49 imparts oscillating motion to the comber 74, which, passing over the
carrier-apron in the direction of the projecting-pins 25, combs the wool off from
the carrier-apron and delivers the same on to the apron 58, which extends over and
delivers the wool thoroughly opened and mixed into the basin 10 of the washing-
machine; on the return stroke of the comber 74 the teeth of the same pass between
the teeth of the stripper 76 and are thus cleared or stripped of any wool adhering
to the same.
In a similar manner the evener 28 passes between the teeth on the
clearer-bar 77 journaled at each end in the sides or standards 13; this clearer-bar
is made adjustable by securing the lever 78 to one end of the same and providing
the lever with a segmental slot in which a clamp-screw is located, by which the
lever is secured to the sides 13, and the stripper-bar 77 may be turned on its
axis so as to adjust the direction of the row of stripper-pins on the bar with
reference to the pins on the evener, and secure the stripper-bar firmly in the
adjusted position.
In the manufacture of woollen cloth, or worsted goods, inferior wool of short
fibre is mixed with wool of longer fibre,-to secure practical results, the shorter
fibre must be so thoroughly mixed and incorporated with the longer fibre that,
in the process of carding and spinning, the shorter fibre will be held by the
longer fibre.
By the peculiar construction of my improved automatic feed-mechanism, the
"different grades of wool are thoroughly intermixed and incorporated as the wool is

page_text: supplied, to the washing-machine, and, during the process of washing, this inter-
mixing and thorough incorporating of the shorter with the longer fibres. is
continued under the most favorable conditions. The wool is placed in large
quantities into the wool-receptacle, formed by the sides 11, the end 12 and the
carrier-apron 20, is carried by the endless-apron 16, forming the bottom of the
wool-receptacle, against the carrier-apron, combed out and carried upward by
the pins 25 on the carrier-apron, it is mixed and carried backward against the
weighted back 30 by the evener 28 and continues to be worked and intermixed, as
it is repeatedly raised up by the carrier-apron and combed back by the evener,
until it passes under the stripper-bar 77 when it is combed off by the
vibrating-comber 74, and thus, thoroughly opened and mixed, is delivered
into the washing-machine, where it is more thoroughly mixed and the shorter
fibres incorporated with the longer while immersed in the washing and scouring
liquid.
By thus supplying the wool to the washing-machine in the most favorable condition
for washing in constantly uniform quantity, a very much larger quantity of wool
can be more thoroughly washed than was possible with the devices heretofore used
to feed the wool to the washing-machine.
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 ;-
1. The combination with a wool-washing machine and a wool-receptacle, of
a carrier-apron provided with projecting pins, a reciprocating evener and a
comber adapted to draw the wool in opposite directions as it passes over the
upper drum of the carrier-apron, and mechanism, substantially as described, for
operating the same, the whole adapted to open, even and carry the wool from the
wool-receptacle to the washing-machine, as described.
2. The combination with the wool-washing machine and the wool-receptacle, of
a carrier-apron provided with projecting-pins, a reciprocating evener provided with
the curved platform 29, a hinged and weighted back, a vibrating comber for
stripping the wool off the carrier-apron, the stationary strippers, the endless-
aprons, and mechanism, for operating the whole, adapted to raise the wool from
the wool-receptacle, mix, even, open and deliver the wool to the washing-machine,
as described.
3. The combination with the wool-receptacle and the wool-washing machine, of
the endless-apron 16 forming the bottom of the wool-receptacle, the carrier-apron 20
for raising the wool, the reciprocating-evener 28 provided with the platform 29,
the back 30 pivoted at its upper end, and the weighted-arm 32, the stripper-bar 77,
the. vibrating comber 74 for combing the wool off from the carrier-apron, the
stripper 76, the apron 58, and mechanism substantially as described, the whole
adapted to raise, mix, open and convey the wool from the wool-receptacle to the
wool-washing machine, as described.
4. The combination with the carrier-apron and the pivoted and weighted
back 30 of a wool-feeding machine, of an alarm mechanism, substantially as
described, controlled by the back and constructed to sound the alarm when the
back reaches the predetermined position in swinging toward the carrier-apron, as
described.
5. The combination with the carrier-apron and the back 30 of a wool-feeding.
machine, of the shaft 31, the weighted-arm 32, the arm 33, the frame 35 provided
with the gong 36 and the hinged spring-plate 37 operating the hammer, and the
shaft 38, provided with the cam 39, constructed to operate the alarm when the wool
between the carrier-apron and the back permits the back to reach the predetermined
position, as described.
6. In a wool-feeding machine, a carrier-apron constructed of transverse slats
secured together by the hinged-plates 22, the outer surface of the slats having the

page_text: long beveled surface 23 and the short beveled or slightly concaved surface 24, the
pointed pins 25 projecting practically at right angles from the short beveled
surface 24, as described.
7. In a wool-feeding machine, the combination with the carrier-apron, the
reciprocating-evener provided with the platform 29, the vibrating comber, and
mechanism, as described, for operating the same having the crank 49 and
the beveled-gear 46 loose on the shaft 47, of the locking-device 48 con-
structed to disconnect the beveled-gear 46 and stop the operation of the
stripper while the mechanism for conveying and delivering the wool is operated,
as described.
8. The combination with the basin 10 of a wool-washing machine, of the sides 13
having the projections 14 extending over the basin and the extensions 15 extending
under the basin, the sides 11 and the end 12 adapted to form a receptacle for
wool and a support for the mechanism of a wool-opening and feeding machine, as
described.
Dated this First day of August A.D. 1891.
LUTHER ANDREW PECKHAM.
In presence of:
JOSEPH A. MILLER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.