IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE STEAM, HOT WATER, OR OTHER FLUIDS ARE REQUIRED TO BE CONVEYED UNDER PRESSURE THROUGH MOVEABLE CONNECTIONS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Collier and John Collier, both of Halifax,
in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES, PART
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE
STEAM, HOT WATER, OR OTHER FLUIDS ARE REQUIRED TO BE CONVEYED UNDER
PRESSURE THROUGH MOVEABLE CONNECTIONS."
Sealed the 15th July 1859, and dated the 17th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Collier and John
Collier at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 17th January 1859.
We, GEORGE COLLIER and JOHN COLLIER, both of Halifax, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES,
PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE
STEAM, HOT WATER, OR OTHER FLUIDS ARE REQUIRED TO BE CONVEYED UNDER
PRESSURE THROUGH MOVEABLE CONNECTIONS," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to the adaptation of means to facilitate the washing
and drying of wool and other fibrous material.
According to one arrangement for carrying out our improvements, the wool
or other fibre is fed on to an endless apron, by which it is conveyed to and so
as to be held between it and another apron, and it is by these aprons con-

page_text: ducted into and forward through the water or other wash liquid, and whilst
the fibre is so conducted, the wash liquid has motion given to it by means of
revolving beaters, force pumps, or other agitators, to cause it to pass fully
through the fibre, or a to-and-fro, up-and-down motion may be given to the
apron or aprons, or part thereof, in order to agitate the wool in the wash
liquid. We also arrange such endless aprons, or such like conducting means,
so that the fibre may be conducted, if desired, from one pair of carriers to
another, or others, continuously to and fro in the wash liquid, and thence to
between expressing rollers; and in order to dry or partially dry, or convey
heat to the wool or other fibre, we apply steam or other heating means to one
or both of these expressing rollers, which thereby communicates a great heat
to the fibre; the strong pressure applied to the expressing rollers, assisting
very materially in forcing the heat thoroughly into and through such fibre.
Sometimes we apply expressing rollers to act upon the fibre as it passes
through the wash liquid. After having passed between the expressing rollers,
the wool or other fibre is submitted to the action of heated cylinders, or other
heating means, with which it is kept in contact by endless webs or otherwise,
or when beated plates are used, rakes or other traversing means may be
employed for traversing the fibre forward over the plates. In some cases the
fibre may be received from the expressing rollers to between other heated
cylinders arranged in pairs, and having pressure applied thereto, and aided by
an apron or aprons, or other means for conducting the fibre from one pair of
cylinders to another or others.
For some purposes the wool or other fibre will then be found sufficiently
dry, but if further drying be required the fibre is delivered from the heated
cylinders or other heating means into a box or other receivers adapted to
retain the heat in the wool or other fibre, (by preventing evaporation or con-
densation of the steam or moisture) and the fibre is then taken from these
boxes and fed into other drying apparatus, and we apply wheels to the boxes
or other receivers, in order to facilitate their movement to other drying
apparatus.
Also the improvements relate to giving a to-and-fro motion in combination
with a progressive motion to the conducting means for conducting the fibre
through the wash liquid.
According to another arrangement of apparatus for carrying out the objec
of our improvements, the wool or other fibre is forced into the wash liquid by
passing it through a pair or pairs of rollers, or other suitable means, and the
fibre is then carried forward through the liquid by means of perforated blade
or plates, or frames of open work laid transversely across a frame or an, end

page_text: less belt, to which we impart a to-and-fro motion in combination with a pro-
gressive motion, so as to insure the liquid passing thoroughly through the
fibre, the better to wash or scour the same as it is conducted forward by the
conducting means which deliver it to between expressing rollers, from which
it is taken up out of the wash liquid and conducted to between other express-
ing rollers by endless belts or chains, or other suitable means.
In conducting the steam or other heating fluid to the revolving cylinders,
we apply a peculiar description of joint, which is also applicable for other pur-
poses where steam, hot water, or other fluids are required to be conveyed
under pressure through moveable connections. For this purpose one of the
rubbing surfaces of the connections is coated or lined with tin, lead, soft
copper, or other soft metal, to work in contact with hard metal as a packing,
in place of hemp or other such like packing heretofore used, and we prefer that
these rubbing surfaces be of a conical form.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Collier and John Collier in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th July 1859. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
COLLIER and JOHN COLLIER, both of Halifax, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said George Collier and John Collier, Her special licence that we, the said
George Collier and John Collier, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said George Collier and John Collier, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR OR APPARATUS FOR
WASHING AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS
ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE STEAM, HOT WATER, OR OTHER
FLUIDS ARE REQUIRED TO BE CONVEYED UNDER PRESSURE THROUGH MOVEABLE
CONNECTIONS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George

page_text: Collier and John Collier, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Collier and John Collier, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements relate to the adaptation of means to facilitate the
washing and drying of wool and other fibrous material.
According to one arrangement for carrying out our improvements, the wool
or other fibre is fed on to an endless apron, by which it is conveyed to (and so
as to be held between this apron and) another apron, and it is by these aprons
conducted into and forward through the water or other wash liquid, and whilst
the fibre is so conducted, the wash liquid has motion given to it by means of
revolving beaters, force pumps, or other agitators, to cause it to pass fully
through the fibre. Or, a to-and-fro, up-and-down motion may be given to the
apron or aprons, or part thereof, in order to agitate the wool in the wash
liquid. We also arrange such endless aprons, or such like conducting means
so that the fibre may be conducted, if desired; from one pair of carriers to
another, or others, continuously to-and-fro in the wash liquid, and thence to
between expressing rollers; and in order to dry, or partially dry, or convey
heat to the wool or other fibre, we apply steam or other heating means to one
or both of these expressing rollers, which thereby communicates a great heat
to the fibre; the strong pressure applied to the expressing rollers assisting
very materially in forcing the heat thoroughly into and through such fibre.
Sometimes we apply expressing rollers to act upon the fibre as it passes
through the wash liquid. After having passed between the expressing rollers
the wool or other fibre is submitted to the action of heated cylinders, or other
heating means, with which it is kept in contact by endless webs or otherwise,
or when heated plates are used, rakes or other traversing means may be
employed for traversing the fibre forward over the plates. In some cases the
fibre may be received from the expressing rollers to between other heated
cylinders arranged in pairs, and having pressure applied thereto, and aided by
an apron or aprons, or other means, for conducting the fibre from one pair of
cylinders to another or others.
For some purposes the wool or other fibre will then be found sufficiently

page_text: dry, but if further drying be required the fibre is delivered from the heated
cylinders, or other heating means, into a box or other receivers adapted to
retain the heat in the wool or other fibre (by preventing evaporation or con-
densation of the steam or moisture), and the fibre is then taken from these boxes
and fed into other drying apparatus, and we apply wheels to the boxes or other
receivers in order to facilitate their movement to other drying apparatus.
Also the improvements relate to giving a to-and-fro motion in combination
with a progressive motion to the conducting means, for conducting the fibre
through the wash liquid.
According to another arrangement of apparatus for carrying out the object
of our improvements, the wool or other fibre is forced into the wash liquid, by
passing it through a pair or pairs of rollers, or other suitable means, and the
fibre is then carried forward through the liquid by means of perforated blades
or plates, or frames of open work laid transversely across a frame, or an end-
less belt, to which we impart a to-and-fro motion in combination with a pro-
gressive motion, so as to ensure the liquid passing thoroughly through the
fibre, the better to wash or scour the same as it is conducted forward by the
conducting means, which deliver it to between expressing rollers, from which
it is taken up out of the wash liquid and conducted to between other express-
ing rollers by endless belts or chains, or other suitable means.
In conducting the steam or other heating fluid to the revolving cylinders,
we apply a peculiar description of joint, which is also applicable for other pur-
poses where steam, hot water, or other fluids are required to be conveyed
under pressure through moveable connections. For this purpose one of the
rubbing surfaces of the connections is coated or lined with tin, lead, soft
copper, or other soft metal to work in contact with hard metal, as a packing
in place of hemp or other such like packing heretofore used, and we prefer
that these rubbing surfaces be of a conical form.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Collier and John Collier, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
JOHN CROSSLEY, JB.,
Halifax.
GEORGE COLLIER. (L.S.)
(L.S.)
JOHN COLLIER.