IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY an Invention of WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS." FOR SCOURING AND PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: This Specification was, upon the 10th day of August 1891, Amended under
Sections 18 to 21 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883.
LETTERS PATENT to John McNaught and William McNaught, junior, ol'
St. George's Foundry, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
an
Invention of
WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
FOR SCOURING AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McNaught and
William McNaught, jr., at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
3rd October 1881.
JOHN MCNAUGHT and WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, junior, of St. Georgo's Foundry,
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers." "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SCOURING AND WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Firstly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of
mechanism for propelling the wool in washing troughs, in such manner that the
rakes, when operating upon the material, will move slowly but will act more
frequently and continuously than ordinary propelling arrangements, consequently
a greater quantity of material will be passed through the machine at a slow speed
without agitating the liquor or wool to an objectionable extent.
We prefer to use mechanism for propelling, similar in arrangement and mode of
action to the ordinary swing rakes, but instead of using single rakes we combine
them together in pairs, each pair driven by oppositely arranged cranks on the same
shaft, so that while one rake is in the liquor and moving the wool forward, the
other is out of the liquor and is passing back, and when one rake is entering the
other is leaving the liquor.
To carry out our Invention the stems of the rakes connecting the crank eyes to
the bars, which have the teeth or prongs secured therein, are placed on opposite sides
of the trough, one bar working on one side, and the other bar on the other side of
the trough, and each bar with its attached teeth extends from its stein at the side
to nearly across the trough.
-
The teeth of the rakes in working thus pass over each other, that is, when the
teeth of one rake are in the liquor propelling the wool forward the teeth of the
other rake are out of the liquor and are passing back over the teeth in the liquor.

page_text: The rakes may be arranged and driven in a variety of ways, but we prefer to
place cach pair of them on cranks on the ends of a cross shaft, the shaft being
carried on bearings secured to a beam in the middle and above the trough, which
beam also carries the standard to which the upper ends of the rakes are jointed by
a connecting link.
Several pairs of these rakes are combined in the same machine, and they are or
may be all mounted on the same beam, and their crank shafts driven by a
longitudinal shaft and bevel wheels.
Secondly. Our Invention consists in combining several pairs of rakes, as
explained under the first head of our Invention, so that the last pair of rakes
nearest the delivery end of the trough will act as lifters to deliver the wool to
double acting barrows or other arrangements which operate to drag the wool up
an incline to the squeezing rollers, such double acting harrows being described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to us, numbered 1519, and dated the
14th April 1880.
Thirdly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement
of propelling rakes, as described under the first head of our Invention, in which the
last pair of rakes nearest the delivery end are arranged to deliver directly on to an
incline (which we prefer to face with with glass or other similar smooth material noi
liable to rust), which incline conveys the wool to squeezing rollers below the level
of the liquor in the washing trough.
The liquor from the squeezing rollers is pumped or otherwise lifted back to the
washing trough by any suitable apparatus, but we prefer to lift it-so-that-it-will-
run back into the washing trough-by-scoops-or-buckets-mounted_on_an_axis
wheel made to rotate.
or
By this means valves are not required, and the scoops or buckets are easy of
access to remove obstruction.
Fourthly. Our Invention relates to a combination of mechanism for dragging
wool delivered by propelling rakes from a washing trough up an incline to the
squeezing rollers, and consists in two sets of bars or frames armed with teeth,
which act upon the wool alternately, so that when one set of toothed bars is
dragging the wool up the incline or curve, the other set of toothed bars passing
backwards and lifting to do so over the other set of toothed bars or frame.
The mechanism for carrying and actuating one set of toothed bars or franie is
on or near one side, and that for the other set of toothed bars or frame on or near
the other side of the trough or incline.
The mechanism may be arranged in a variety of ways, but we prefer to work
both sets of toothed bars or frames by one shaft having two cranks. Each set of
toothed bars or frame is arranged in guides to move up and down the incline or
curve, and also to and from it, and the crank pin works in a slot, in the side bar or
in a slide upon it, on which each set of toothed bars is carried, the lengthway of
which slot or slide is at a right angle to the incline or curve, so that the toothed
bar is moved to and fro with the crank pin during one half the rotation; the crank
pin at the same time lifts the set of toothed bars or frame when going back over
the set of toothed bars or frame which is operating upon the wool, but when the
crank pin produces the movement up the incline or curve, the set of toothed bars
or frame is then left upon a guide to slide up the incline or curvo with the points
of its teeth nearly touching the incline or curve, the slot for the crank pin
allowing the crank to make one half a revolution without lifting the set of toothed
bars or frame.
If desired the crank is or may be used for producing the to and fro, and a cam
for the lifting movement of each toothed bar or frame.
4

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John M Naught and William MºNaught, jr., in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th March 1882.
JOHN MCNAUGHT and WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, junior, of St. George's Foundry,
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SCOURING AND WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Firstly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of
mechanism for propelling the wool in washing troughs, in such a manner that the
rakes, when operating upon the material, will move slowly, but will act moro
frequently and continuously than ordinary propelling arrangements, consequently
a greater quantity of material will be passed through the machine at a slow speed,
without agitating the liquor or wool to an objectionable extent.
We prefer to use mechanism for propelling similar in arrangement and mode of
action to the ordinary swing rakes, but instead of using single rakes we combine
them together in pairs, each pair driven by oppositely arranged cranks on the same
shaft, so that while one rake is in the liquor and moving the wool forward, the
other is out of the liquor and is passing back, and when one rake is entering the
other is leaving the liquor.
To carry out our Invention tho stoms of the rakes connecting the crank eyes to
the bars, which have the teeth or prongs secured therein, are placed on opposite sides
of the trough, one bar working on one side and the other bar on the other side of
the trough, and each bar with its attached toeth or prongs extends from its stem at
the side to nearly across the trough.
The teeth or prongs of the rakes in working thus pass over each other, that is,
when the teeth or prongs of one rake are in the liquor propelling the wool forward,
the teeth or prongs of the other rake are out of the liquor and are passing back
over the teeth or prongs in the liquor.
The rakes may be arranged and driven in a variety of ways, but we prefer to
place each pair of them on cranks on the ends of a cross shaft, tho shaft being
carried on bearings secured to a beam in the middle and above the trough, which
beam also carries the standards to which the upper ends of each of the rakes is
jointed by a connecting link.
Several pairs of these rakes are combined in the same machine, and they are or
may be all mounted on the same beam, and their crank shafts driven by a longi-
tudinal shaft and hevel or skew bevel wheels.
Secondly. Our Invention consists in combining several pairs of rakes, as
explained under the first head of our Invention, so that the last pair of rakes
nearest the delivery end of the trough will act so as to deliver the wool to double
or alternately acting harrows or other arrangements, which operate to drag or slide
the wool up an incline to the squeezing rollers, such double acting harrows being
described in the Specification of letters Patent granted to us, numbered 1519, and
dated the 14th April 1880.
Thirdly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of
single rakes where single rukes are employed or double propelling rakes or instruments;
where double rakes are employed as described under the first head of our Invention, in
which the last rake or instrument or pair of rakes nearest the delivery end are
arranged to doliver directly on to an incline or descent (which we prefer to form as a
grid, or it formed in one plain surface to face with glass or other similar smooth
material not liable to rust), or on to rollers or an endless apron, which descent conveys
the wool down to squeezing rollers.
The liquor from the squeezing rollers is pumped or otherwise lifted back to the
washing trough by any suitable apparatus, but we prefer to lift it so that it will run

page_text: back into the washing trough by one or more scoops or buckets made to rotate, or
partly rotate or oscillate.
By this means valves are not required, and the scoops or buckets are easy of
access to remove obstruction.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation in section, and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional
elevation of a machine according to the first and second parts of our Invention.
is the washing trough; a, its false or perforated bottom; b, the ordinary apron
for feeding the wool; c, the ordinary immersing drum; a², the incline from tho
washing trough to the incline or descent a leading to the ordinary squeezing
rollers d; and e are the toothed frames or harrows described in the Specification
of our aforesaid Letters Patent, No. 1519, A.D. 1880, but tho mechanism for
working them and other ordinary parts are omitted from the Drawings.
is a beam having projections, by which it is carried on and secured to
columns upon the sides of the trongh a. This beam has bearings upon it for
cross shafts for each pair of rakes.
Each end of each shaft has a crank g* secured to it, which cranks are set
one opposite to the other; cach crank pin fits the eye in the bar or stem g¹ for a
rakc.
Tho upper end of each stem g is jointed to one end of a link 9², the other end
of which is jointed on a stud carried by a stand secured upon the beam f.
At a right angle to the lower end of each stem g' there is a horizontal bar gª
having teeth or prongs-for-propelling the vool, and when the crank shafts gare
_rotated_the_teeth or prongs of one rako will descend, pass forward, and-then-
ascend, and will pass back over the other rake, which-is-making-like movements.
The crank shafts are geared together by skew bevel wheels on a longitudinal
shaft, having bearings on the beam, and this shaft is driven by a cross shaft
and bevel wheels, which cross shaft is driven by spur wheels from the belt
pulley h, as shown.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal elevation in section, and Fig. 4 an end elovation looking
from the delivery end, and omitting the squeezing rollers, illustrating the third part
of our Invention; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal elevation in section, and illustrates
a modification according to the third part of our Invention.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section, and Fig. 7 a side elevation of the elevator
which we prefer to employ for lifting the liquor.
In Figs. 3 and 4 the mechanism illustrated is similar to that herein before
described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2, so far as feeding, immersing, and
propelling the wool is concerned, but the washing trough is differently arranged
at the delivery end, and the last pair of rakes act to deliver the wool from the
washing trough a directly to the incline or descent a³, down which it passes to the
squeezing rollers d, the lower roller of which is wholly or partly below the level of
the liquor in the washing trough, and the liquor which drains from the wool on this
descent, and which is expressed by the squeezing rollers d, is received by a vessel
or compartment a', the bottom of which is below the lower squeezing roller d, and
this compartment or vessel a does not communicate with the washing trough (a),
so that the liquor received in it has to be pumped or otherwise elevated back into
tho washing trough.
The working level r of the liquor in the washing trough is at or near the level
of the top of the incline or descent down which the wool passes to the squezing
rollers d, so that the wool which is being delivered from the washing trough is
submerged in the liquor up to the moment of being discharged from it to the
descent along which it is or may be carried by gravity to the squeezing rollers.
We prefer that the descent down which tho wool passes to the squeezing rollers
should be a smooth surface, such as glass, or a grid surface of smooth metal that
will allow the liquor to drain as it discends; but instead of an incline a series
of rollers or an endless apron may to used, as is well understood, to convey the
wool delivered to the squeezing rollers d.
From the compartment at there is a pipe or channel with an opening from it

page_text: at a, which leads along the outside of the washing trough to another open com-
partment a, shown in dotted line in Fig. 3, and in this compartment a wheel is
arranged carrying buckets or scoops. This is best shown by the detached views,
Figs. 6 and 7, in which a is the washing trough; a' its falso bottom.
a is the open compartment for the wheel is a stud secured in the side of the
trough a for the hollow axis of the wheel to rotate upon, which axis has arms or a
dise formed upon it on which a number of buckets or scoops are cast or
secured, which buckets are open at one end and closed at the other end.
To the side of the washing trough a vessel a is secured, which has an opening
that communicates with the washing trough through a hole in its side. There is
a small disc on the boss of the wheel to prevent any liquor which may fall on
it from passing towards the outer end of the hollow shaft upon which the driving
pulley is secured.
The wheel () is driven by a belt or other suitable means from any convenient
rotating part of the machine in the direction pointed by the arrow in Fig. 7 at
such speed as will give time to allow the liquor which enters the buckets when
in their lowest position to pour out while passing over the vessel a' as the wheel
rotates.
is a valve and handle for drawing off the liquor when emptying the com-
partment aº.
We prefer to arrange and use the buckets or scoops, as above described and
illustrated by the Drawings, but do not confine ourselves to that arrangement as
two or more buckets or scoops may be placed on arms and made partly to rotato
forward and backward, or oscillate, so that when one bucket is down filling (if two
are used) the other is up emptying, and so on, the oscillating movement being
produced by a crank and connections or other suitable mechanism.
Or one rotating or oscillating bucket or scoop only may be used.
The scoops or buckets may also be arranged on endless jointed chains passing
round suitable pulleys.
Fig. 5 illustrates a modification according to the third part of our Invention,
similar to that herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4, except that
single acting rakes or propellers only are employed, and the wool is lifted and
delivered by a single acting rake or instrument directly to the top of the incline or
descent to the squeezing rollers.
Double or alternately acting lifting or delivery rakes are or may also be used,
according to our Invention, with single acting propelling rakes.
The dotted curve w, Fig. 5, shows the path of the points of the prongs of the
delivery rake.
Instead of reciprocating toothed or pronged instruments for propelling and
delivering the wool other arrangements may be used without departing from our
Invention, such as rakes carried on endless chains, though we prefer reciprocating
instruments, as hereinbefore described.
We have now particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and the
modes of carrying the same into effect, and wish it to be understood that we are
aware that wool washing and scouring machines have been proposed or made, in
which the wool has been lifted from the washing trough by an oscillating rake
and delivered to a surface along which it has been propelled by another oscillating
tootlied apparatus, and has then descended to the squeezing rollers, the lower roller
of which is situated below or partly below the level of the liquor in the washing
trough, and that the liquor from the wool was collected and pumped or elevated
back into the washing trough, and we make no claim to such combination and
arrangement of mechanism; but what we do claim as the Invention secured to us
by the in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The combination with machines such as those herein described and used
for scouring or washing wool and other fibrous materials of double or alternately
acting propelling rakes, and also their combination in such machines with double or
alternately acting harrows, substantially as her inbefore described.

page_text: Secondly. In machines for scouring or washing wool or other fibrous materials
in which the liquor expressed by the squeezing rollers is elevated back to the
washing trough the combination with such machines of rakes such as are shewn
respectively in Figures 3 and 5 or other pronged instruments for delivering the
submerged material directly from tho washing trough to a descent from which it passes
to the squeezing rollors, substantially as hereinbeforo described.
Thirdly. The combination with machines for ceouring or washing weel and other
fibrous materials of one or more scoops or buckets arranged for elevating the
washing liquor back to the washing trough, substantially as bereinbefore
described.
We disclaim all those parts of our Specification relating to the third claim of our
original invention but leave the description of such part of our original Specification and
the drawings therein referred to as explanatory of the invention included in our original
second claim as amended.
In witness whereof, we, the said John McNaught and William M'Naught,
junior, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty first day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty
two.
JOHN MCNAUGHT.
(L.S.)
Wч. MªNAUGHT, JUN³. (L.S.)

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McNaught and William MoNaught, junior, of
St. George's Foundry, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCOURING AND
WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McNaught and
William MoNaught, jr., at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
3rd October 1881.
JOHN MCNAUGHT and WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, junior, of St. George's Foundry,
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SCOURING AND WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Firstly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of
mechanism for propelling the wool in washing troughs, in such manner that the
rakes, when operating upon the material, will move slowly but will act more
frequently and continuously than ordinary propelling arrangements, consequently
a greater quantity of material will be passed through the machine at a slow speed
without agitating the liquor or wool to an objectionable extent.
We prefer to use mechanism for propelling, similar in arrangement and mode of
action to the ordinary swing rakes, but instead of using single rakes we combine
them together in pairs, each pair driven by oppositely arranged cranks on the samo
shaft, so that while one rake is in the liquor and moving the wool forward, the
other is out of the liquor and is passing back, and when one rake is entering the
other is leaving the liquor.
To carry out our Invention the stems of the rakes connecting the crank eyes to
the bars, which have the teeth or prongs secured therein, are placed on opposite sides
of the trough, one bar working on one side, and the other bar on the other side of
the trough, and each bar with its attached teeth extends from its stem at the side
to nearly across the trough.
The teeth of the rakes in working thus pass over each other, that is, when the
teeth of one rake are in the liquor propelling the wool forward the teeth of the
other rake are out of the liquor and are passing back over the teeth in the liquor.
1....מr

page_text: The rakes may be arranged and driven in a variety of ways, but we prefer to
place each pair of them on cranks on the ends of a cross shaft, the shaft being
carried on bearings secured to a beam in the middle and above the trough, which
beam also carries the standard to which the upper ends of the rakes are jointed by
a connecting link.
Several pairs of these rakes aro combined in the same machine, and they are or
may be all mounted on the same beam, and their crank shafts driven by a
longitudinal shaft and bevel wheels.
Secondly. Our Invention consists in combining several pairs of rakes, as
explained under the first head of onr Invention, so that the last pair of rakes
nearest the delivery end of the trough will act as lifters to deliver the wool to
double acting harrows or other arrangements which operate to drag the wool up
an incline to the squeezing rollers, such double acting harrows being described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to us, numbered 1519, and dated tho
14th April 1880.
Thirdly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement
of propelling rakes, as described under the first head of our Invention, in which the
last pair of rakes nearest the delivery end are arranged to deliver directly on to an
incline (which we prefer to face with with glass or other similar smooth material not
liable to rust), which incline conveys the wool to squeezing rollers below the level
of the liquor in the washing trough.
The liquor from the squeezing rollers is pumped or otherwise lifted back to the
washing trough by any suitable apparatus-but-we-prefer to lift it so that it will
run back into-the-washing-trough_by_scoops or buckets mounted on an axis or
By this means valves are not required, and the scoops or buckets are easy of
access to remove obstruction:
wheel made to rotate.
Fourthly. Our Invention relates to a combination of mechanism for dragging
wool delivered by propelling rakes from a washing trough up an incline to the
squeezing rollers, and consists in two sets of bars or frames armed with teeth,
which act upon the wool alternately, so that when one set of toothed bars is
dragging the wool up the incline or curve, the other set of toothed bars passing
backwards and lifting to do so over the other set of toothed bars or frame.
The mechanism for carrying and actuating one set of toothed bars or frame is
on or near one side, and that for the other set of toothed bars or frame on or near
the other side of the trough or incline.
The mechanism may be arranged in a variety of ways, but we prefer to work
both sets of toothed bars or frames by one shaft baving two cranks. Encli set of
toothed bars or frame is arranged in guides to move up and down the incline or
curve, and also to and from it, and the crank pin works in a slot in the side bar or
in a slide upon it, on which each set of toothed bars is carried, the lengthway of
which slot or slide is at a right angle to the incline or curve, so that the toothed
bar is moved to and fro with the crank pin during one half the rotation; the crank
pin at the same time lifts the set of toothed bars or frame when going back over
the set of toothed bars or frame which is operating upon the wool, but when the
crank pin produces the movement up the incline or curve, the set of toothed bars
or frame is then left upon a guide to slide up the incline or curve with the points
of its teeth nearly touching the incline or curve, the slot for the crank pin
allowing the crank to make one half a revolution without lifting the set of toothed
bars or frame.
If desired the crank is or may be used for producing the to and fro, and a cam
for the lifting movement of each toothed bar or frame.
;

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John MoNaught and William MoNaught, jr., in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th March 1882.
JOHN MCNAUGHT and WILLIAM MONAUGHT, junior, of St. George's Foundry,
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SCOURING AND WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Firstly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of
mechanism for propelling the wool in washing troughs, in such a manner that the
rakes, when operating upon the material, will move slowly, but will act more
frequently and continuously than ordinary propelling arrangements, consequently
a greater quantity of material will be passed through the machine at a slow speed,
without agitating the liquor or wool to an objectionable extent.
We prefer to use mechanism for propelling similar in arrangement and modo of
action to the ordinary swing rakes, but instead of using single rakes we combine
them together in pairs, oach pair driven by oppositely arranged cranks on the same
shaft, so that while one rake is in the liquor and moving tho wool forward, the
other is out of the liquor and is passing back, and when one rake is entering the
other is leaving the liquor.
To carry out our Invention the stems of the rakes connecting the crank eyes to
the bars, which have the teeth or prongs secured therein, are placed on opposite sides
of the trough, one bar working on one side and the other bar on the other side of
the trough, and each bar with its attached teeth or prongs extends from its stem at
the side to nearly across the trough.
The teeth or prongs of the rakes in working thus pass over each other, that is,
when the teeth or prongs of one rake are in the liquor propelling the wool forward,
the teeth or prongs of the other rake are out of the liquor and are passing back
over the teeth or prongs in the liquor.
The rakes may be arranged and driven in a variety of ways, but we prefer to
place each pair of them on cranks on the ends of a cross shaft, the shaft being
carried on bearings secured to a beam in the middle and above the trough, which
beam also carries the standards to which the upper ends of each of the rakes is
jointed by a connecting link.
Several pairs of these rakes are combined in the same machine, and they are or
may be all mounted on the same beam, and their crank shafts driven by a longi-
tudinal shaft and bevel or skew bevel wheels.
Secondly. Our Invention consists in combining several pairs of rakes, as
explained under the first head of our Invention, so that the last pair of rakes
nearest the delivery end of the trough will act so as to deliver the wool to double
or alternately acting barrows or other arrangements, which operate to drag or slide
the wool up an incline to the squeezing rollers, such double acting harrows being
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to us, numbered 1519, and
dated the 14th April 1880.
Thirdly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of
single rakes or double propelling rakes or instruments, as described under the first
head of our Invention, in which the last rake or instrument or pair of rakes nearest the
delivery end are arranged to deliver directly on to an incline or descent (which we
prefer to form as a grid, or if formed in one plain surface to face with glass or other
similar smooth material not liable to rust), or on to rollers or an endless apron,
which descent conveys the wool down to squeezing rollers.
The liquor from the squeezing rollers is pumped or otherwise lifted back to the
washing trough by any suitable apparatus, but we prefer to lift it so that it will run

page_text: "
back into the washing trough by one or more scoops or buckets made to rotate, or
partly rotate or oscillate.
By this means valves are not required, and the scoops or buckets are easy of
access to remove obstruction.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation in section, and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional
elevation of a machine according to the first and second parts of our Invention.
a is the washing trough; a', its false or perforated bottom; b, the ordinary apron
for feeding the wool; c, the ordinary immersing drum; a², the incline from the
washing trough to the incline or descent a leading to the ordinary squeezing
rollers &; and e are the toothed frames or harrows described in the Specification
of our aforesaid Letters Patent, No. 1519, A.D. 1880, but the mechanism for
working them and other ordinary parts are omitted from the Drawings.
is a beam having projections, by which it is carried on and secured to
columns upon the sides of the trough a. This beam has bearings upon it for
cross shafts for each pair of rakes.
g
Each end of each shaft g has a crank 9* secured to it, which cranks are set
one opposite to the other; each crank pin fits the eye in the bar or stem g' for a
rake.
The upper end of each stem g' is jointed to one end of a link g, the other end
of which is jointed on a stud carried by a stand secured upon the beam f
At a right angle to the lower end of each stem g¹ thero is a horizontal bar g³
having teeth-or-prongs-for-propelling_the_wool, and when the crank shafts g are
-rotated_the_teeth or prongs of one rake will descend, pass forward, and-then
ascend, and will pass back over the other rake, which-is-making like.movements.
The crank shafts y are geared together by skew bevel wheels on a longitudinal
shaft h, having bearings on the beam f, and this shaft is driven by a cross shaft h¹
and bevel wheels, which cross shaft is driven by spur wheels from the belt
pulley h³, as shown.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal elevation in section, and Fig. 4 an end elevation looking
from the delivery end, and omitting the squeezing rollers, illustrating the third part
of our Invention; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal elevation in section, and illustrates
à modification according to the third part of our Invention.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section, and Fig. 7a sido elevation of the clevator.
which we prefer to employ for lifting the liquor.
In Figs. 3 and 4 the mechanism illustrated is similar to that hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figs 1 and 2, so far as feeding, immersing, and
propelling the wool is concerned, but the washing trough is differently arranged
at the delivery end, and the last pair of rakes act to deliver the wool from the
washing trough a directly to the incline or descent a³, down which it passes to tho
squeezing rollers d, the lower roller of which is wholly or partly below the level of
the liquor in the washing trough, and the liquor which drains from the wool on this
descent, and which is expressed by the squeezing rollers d, is received by a vessel
or compartment a³, the bottom of which is below the lower squeezing roller d, and
this compartment or vessel a does not communicate with the washing trough (a),
so that the liquor received in it has to be pumped or otherwise elevated back into
the washing trough.
The working level of the liquor in the washing trough is at or near the level
of the top of the incline or descent down which the wool passes to the squeezing
rollers d, so that the wool which is being delivered from the washing trough is
submerged in the liquor up to the moment of being discharged from it to the
descent along which it is or may be carried by gravity to the squeezing rollers.
We prefer that the descent down which the wool passes to the squeezing rollers
should be a smooth surface, such as glass, or a grid surface of smooth metal that
will allow the liquor to drain as it descends; but instead of an incline a series
of rollers or an endless apron may be used, as is well understood, to convey the
wool delivered to the squeeeing rollers d.
From the compartment at there is a pipe or channel with an opening from it

page_text: at as, which leads along the outside of the washing trough to another open com-
partment aº, shown in dotted line in Fig. 3, and in this compartment a wheel is
arranged carrying buckets or scoops: This is best shown by the detached views,
Figs. 6 and 7, in which a is the washing trough; a' its false bottom.
a is the open compartment for the wheel; i is a stud secured in the side of the
trough a for the hollow axis of the wheel to rotate upon, which axis has arms or a
disc formed upon it on which a number of buckets or scoops 2 are cast or
secured, which buckets are open at one end and closed at the other end.
To the side of the washing trough a vessel a7 is secured, which has an opening
that communicates with the washing trough through a hole in its side.. There is
a small disc on the boss of the wheel to prevent any liquor which may fall on
it from passing towards the outer end of the hollow shaft upon which the driving
pulley is secured.
The wheel () is driven by a belt or other suitable means from any convenient
rotating part of the machine in the direction pointed by the arrow in Fig. 7 at
such speed as will give time to allow the liquor which enters the buckets i¹ when
in their lowest position to pour out while passing over the vessel a' as the wheel
rotates.
is a valve and handle for drawing off the liquor when emptying the com-
partment a®.
We prefer to arrange and use the buckets or scoops, as above described and
illustrated by the Drawings, but do not confine ourselves to that arrangement as
two or more buckets or scoops may be placed on arms and made partly to rotate
forward and backward, or oscillate, so that when one bucket is down filling (if two
are used) the other is up emptying, and so on, the oscillating movement being
produced by a crank and connections or other suitable mechanism.
Or one rotating or oscillating bucket or scoop only may be used.
The scoops or buckets may also be arranged on endless jointed chains passing
round suitable pulloys.
Fig. 5 illustrates a modification according to the third part of our Invention,
similar to that hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4, except that
single acting rakes or propellers only are employed, and the wool is lifted and
delivered by a single acting rake or instrument directly to the top of the incline or
descent to the squeezing rollers.
Double or alternately acting lifting or delivery rakes are or may also be used,
according to our Invention, with single acting propelling rakes.
The dotted curve w, Fig. 5, shows the path of the points of the prongs of the
delivering rake.
Instead of reciprocating toothed or pronged instruments for propelling and
delivering the wool other arrangements may be used without departing from our
Invention, such as rakes carried on endless chains, though we prefer reciprocating
instruments, as herein before described.
We have now particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and the
modes of carrying the same into effect, and wish it to be understood that we are
aware that wool washing and scouring machines have been proposed or made, in
which the wool has been lifted from the washing trough by an oscillating rake
and delivered to a surface along which it has been propelled by another oscillating
toothed apparatus, and has then descended to the squeezing rollers, the lower roller
of which is situated below or partly below the level of the liquor in the washing
trough, and that the liquor from the wool was collected and pumped or elevated
back into the washing trough, and we make no claim to such combination and
arrangement of mechanism; but what we do claim as the Invention secured to us
by the in part recited Letters Patent is,—
Firstly. The combination with machines for scouring or washing wool and other
fibrous materials of double or alternately acting propelling rakes, and also their
combination in such machines with double or alternately acting harrows, sub-
stantially as herein before described,

page_text: Secondly. In machines for scouring or washing wool or other fibrous materials
in which the liquor expressed by the squeezing rollers is elevated back to the
washing trough the combination with such machines of rakes or other pronged
instruments for delivering the submerged material directly from the washing
trough to a descent from which it passes to the squeezing rollers, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Thirdly. The combination with machines for scouring or washing wool and other
fibrous materials of one or more scoops or buckets arranged for elevating the
washing liquor back to the washing trough, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John McNaught and William McNaught,
junior, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty first day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty