Washing Wool and other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1885

page_text: Washing Wool and other Fibrous Materials.
We JOHN MCNAUGHT and WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, Junior, of St. Georges
Foundry, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and Machinists, do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention, to be as follows:-
Firstly. Our invention relates to the mechanism for squeezing the moisture from
the wool or fibrous material fed to the mechanism from a washing trough.
The mechanism commonly used consists of a metal roller which is rotated by
gearing, the periphery of which roller acts upon the periphery of another roller
above it, and, thus drives it round by frictional contact. The upper roller thus
driven is formed by a cylinder having an axle which revolves in two bearings.
These bearings are acted upon by an arrangement of heavily weighted levers and
rods by which means the upper roller is pressed upon the lower roller. Springs
are sometimes combined with these weighted levers.
The upper roller is covered or wrapped with fibrous material which material
quickly wears out and requires to be repeatedly renewed which is a cause of great
expense.
The wear and tear of the fibrous surface of the roller arises to a great extent
from the frictional action of the lower or driving roller upon it, the bearings of
the fibrous covered roller having in the ordinary arrangement to be of large
diameter to resist the heavy strain put upon the journals by the weighting
arrangement.
By our improved arrangement of mechanism we combine anti-friction bowls
with weighted levers so that the levers do not act directly upon the axle bearings
of the upper roller but upon the axle or axles of the anti friction bowls, which
bowls press upon and revolve with the axle of the upper roller and rise and fall
with it.
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The anti-friction bowls are carried by a shaft or axle, or by shafts or axles;
having bearings upon which the weighted levers press. The weighted levers have
their fulcrums in the framing as in the ordinary arrangement of levers and rods
hitherto used for weighting fibrous covered rollers directly. The axle of the upper
roller is or may be guided and held laterally in place by vertical guides in the
IP &

page_text: framing, or anti-friction bowls are or may be arranged at the sides of the axle to
take the lateral pressure and hold it in position.
With the above described arrangement the friction is considerably reduced and
there is less slipping tendency between the squeezing rollers, and consequently
less wear and tear upon the fibrous covered roller.
The ordinary escapement gearing is or may be used between the two squeezing
rollers so that the lower driven metal roller will drive the upper roller should it be
retarded in its rotation from any cause.
Secondly. Our invention relates to arrangements for heating or warming the
scouring or washing liquor and applies to our Patented Wool washing machines
where the water squeezed from the wool is collected and returned by a pipe to a
trough from which it is elevated by the buckets of a rotating wheel back to the
washing trough, and this part of our invention consists in combining with the
arrangements above described a pipe by which steam can be admitted (regulated
by a cock) to the pipe or to a cavity connected with the pipe bringing the liquor
from the squeezing rollers to the trough for the elevator by which arrangement the
liquor is heated as it passes along the pipe.
Thirdly. Our invention consists in a combination in one machine of the
improvements forming the subject of the above first and second parts of our present
invention, and the improvements described in a Provisional Specification filed by
us on an application for a Patent Numbered 9676 and dated 14th Augt 1885.
Date L
1
זג
1
1007
Washing Wool and other Fibrous Materials.
We JOHN MºNAUGHT and WILLIAM MCNAUGHT Junior of St Georges Foundry
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and Machinists do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 3
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Firstly. Our invention relates to the mechanism for squeezing the moisture from
the wool or fibrous material fed to the mechanism from a washing trough-The
mechanism commonly used consists of a metal roller which is rotated by gearing,
the periphery of which roller acts upon the periphery of another roller above it, a
and thus drives it round by frictional contact. The upper roller thus driven is
formed by a cylinder having an axle which revolves in two bearings. These

page_text: bearings are acted upon by an arrangement of heavily weighted levers and rods by
which means the upper roller is pressed upon the lower roller. Springs are sometimes
combined with these weighted levers. The upper roller is covered or wrapped with
fibrous material, which material quickly wears out and requires to be repeatedly
renewed which is a cause of great expense.
The wear and tear of the fibrous surface of the roller arises to a great extent
from the frictional action of the lower or driving roller upon it, the bearings of the
fibrous covered roller having in the ordinary arrangement to be of large diameter
to resist the heavy strain put upon the journals by the weighting arrangement.
By our improved arrangement of mechanism we combine anti-friction .bowls
with weighted levers so that the levers do not act directly upon the axle bearings of
the upper roller but upon the axle or axles of the anti-friction bowls, which bowls
press upon and revolve with the axle of the upper roller and rise and fall with it.
The anti-friction bowls are carried by a shaft or axle, or by shafts or axles, having
bearings upon which the weighted levers press. The weighted levers have their
fulcrums in the framing as in the ordinary arrangement of levers and rods hitherto
used for weighting fibrous covered rollers directly. The axle of the upper roller is
or may be guided and held laterally in place by vertical guides in the framing, or
anti-friction bowls are or may be arranged at the sides of the axle to take the
lateral pressure and hold it in position.
With the above described arrangement the friction is considerably reduced and
there is less slipping tendency between the squeezing rollers, and consequently less
wear and tear upon the fibrous covered roller.
The ordinary escapement gearing is or may be used between the two squeezing
rollers so that the lower driven metal roller will drive the upper roller should it be
retarded in its rotation from any cause.
Secondly. Our invention relates to arrangements for heating or warming the
Scouring or washing liquor, and applies to our Patented Wool washing machines
where the water squeezed from the wool is collected and returned by a pipe to a
trough from which it is elevated by buckets of a rotating wheel back to the
washing trough, and this part of our invention consists in combining with the
arrangements above described a pipe by which steam can be admitted (regulated
by a cock) to the pipe or to a cavity connected with the pipe bringing the liquor
from the squeezing rollers to the trough for the elevator, by which arrangement
the liquor is heated as it passes along the pipe.
Thirdly. Our invention consists in a combination in one machine of the improve-
ments forming the subject of the above first and second parts of our present
invention, and the improvements described in a Complete Specification filed by us
in respect of an application for a Patent Numbered 9676 and dated 14th Augt 1885.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation with the trough shown in section, and one
side of the frame for the squeezing rollers supposed to be removed.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is an end elevation of parts of the
mechanism shown in figs. 1 and 2, above the trough at the feeding end of the
machine.
Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section and fig. 5 a cross section of the arrange-
ment for warming the liquor, shown detached, being also represented combined
with other mechanism in the plan view fig. 2.
The squeezing rollers are carried in bearings on the side frames-The lower
roller is in stationary bearings but the upper roller ¹ can rise or fall in its
bearings according to the varying thickness of the material passing between the
rollers.
In the slot for the bearings of the rollers k and k¹ in the two side frames there is
a shaft above the upper roller and this shaft has its bearings on each side in a
lever having its fulcrum on the side frames at k^.
The shaft has a plain bowl or wheel fixed upon it at each side to come
against the shaft of the upper roller k¹ and thus press it down upon the lower
roller k.
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3

page_text: The upper roller when rotating tends to press forward and this pressure is
resisted by the peripheries of bowls or pulleys ks on studs in the framing one on
each side, the peripheries of which pulleys come against the shaft of the upper
roller k¹.
The levers are each connected by a rod k' with a lever ke having its fulcrum
on the side framing at kº, and this lever k is jointed to the lower end of a rod k*
sliding vertically through a guide k at the upper end of the framing the upper
end of the rods carrying weights k¹³.
Between the rod k and the lever ³ a spring 1 is or may be interposed which
can be adjusted by a screw nut upon the rod k as required.
With the squeezing arrangement of mechanism above described the upper
roller can be rotated with little friction.
The lower roller k is driven by wheel work receiving motion from a separate
driving belt in the usual manner and rotary motion is or may be transmitted from
the gearing driving the squeezing rollers by belts or chains or other mechanism to
the bucket wheel as for lifting the liquid discharged from the material by the
squeezing rollers back to the trough a.
Figs. 2, 4 and 5 illustrate the arrangements for heating the liquor.
A casting is arranged to form a part of the pipe
the squeezers to the cistern for the bucket wheel a³.
conveying the liquor from
The liquor passes through the pipe 1 and there is a vertical part which at its
upper end may be closed by a hinged lid the lower end is closed, and has a steam
jet pipe inserted in its side as shown, the orifice turning sideways.
The steam pipe has a cock so that the steam may be turned on or off or
regulated.
Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 illustrate the first and second parts of our invention, and
figs. 1, 2, and 3 illustrate the first, second and third parts of our invention,
combined together our improvements as to the reciprocating frame with toothed
prongs and mode of arranging and actuating them being the same as those
described in our Complete Specification N° 9676 AD 1885.
In order that the mechanism shown by figs. 1, 2 and 3 may be clearly understood,
we add the following description thereof.
In figs. 1 and 2, a is the washing trough, a¹ its false bottom, b the apron for
feeding the wool or material to the trough, a' the incline down which the wool
passes to the squeezing rollers and k¹.
as are standards on the sides of the washing trough for carrying the cross
shafts d and d¹, upon arms & from which the toothed frame e is suspended by
rods d³.
fis the front toothed delivery frame hinged to the propelling frame e at f¹.
el are the prongs at the feeding end of the frame where the wool or material is
first immersed in the liquor in the trough and e² is a fixed row of prongs at the
delivery end of the frame e.
All the parts above referred to by letters of reference, and which have reference
to the third part of our invention are ordinary parts or are similar to those
"described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to us and Numbered 983
AD 1882 and the toothed frame (e) is or may be arranged and receive motion as
described in the last named Specification.
In figs. 1 and 2 every row of prongs e³ is attached to a bar e and is jointed to
the frame e so as to oscillate, but according to a modification of our invention, all
the rows of prongs are or may be fixed to the frame e except every alternate
or third row of prongs which latter are jointed to oscillate and when so jointed to
oscillate they are or may be turned up with the lengthway of the prongs in a
horizontal position so as not to act upon the wool or turned down and held with
their lengthway in a vertical position so as to operate upon the wool along with
the fixed prongs as described in our aforesaid, Complete Specification No 9676 &
AD 1885 and illustrated by figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings thereunto annexed.
:

page_text: From each bar e carrying a row of prongs e³ which is to oscillate, there is an
upward arm e³ that is jointed with a rod es passing lengthway of the frame e and
one of the arms (e) from the row of prongs say nearest the feeding end of the
trough is carried still higher than the others and one end of a rod es is jointed to it,
which rod has one or more collars e upon it which can be adjusted upon the rod
and then secured thereto by a set screw. These collars (e) have each a "gab" or
open slot formed on one side which can be made to take hold of a pin in a projec-
tion (ex) from either of the arms.
The "gab" if desired is made to take hold of a pin in a stand secured to the
longitudinal frame e.
When held by the gab as above explained all the jointed movable rows of
prongs e are stationary as if fixed to the framing e and simply move with it.
As before explained all the rows of prongs are or may be fixed to the frame e
except every alternate or third row of prongs which latter are so jointed that they
are or may be turned up with the lengthway of the prongs in a horizontal position
and so held by the gab. When the rows of jointed prongs are so turned up they
are out of action and the wool or material operated upon receives less agitation
from the action of the diminished number of prongs, than when the full number of
prongs are in operation.
In the modification illustrated by figs. 1, 2 and 3 all the rows of prongs e except
those e¹ and eat the receiving and delivery end of the frame e are jointed to
oscillate and there is an upward arm es from each bar e carrying each row of
jointed prongs which bar is jointed to a longitudinal connecting bar or rod e so
that all the jointed rows of prongs are oscillated simultaneously.
The row of movable prongs nearest the feeding end of the trough is jointed by
two links el to the bar or rod es connecting the arms e³ from the other rows of
prongs €³.
The rod e jointed to the upper end of the long arm e from the movable row of
prongs nearest the receiving end of the trough has adjustable collars e³ upon it
having the "gabs" as hereinbefore explained.
One "gab" is shown attached to a pin in an arm g having its fulcrum free on
the cross shaft d and the arm g has a connection g¹ passing from it to another arm g²
on the same shaft d which latter arm gå forms one arm of a bell crank lever the
other arm g being jointed to the upper end of a rod g' the lower end of which is
jointed to one end of a lever gs having its fulcrum g on a bracket secured to the
framing.
The lever g³ has a stud in it for a bowl which works against the edge of a cam g²
of suitable shape to give the desired movements to the rows of oscillating prongs e³.
The cam g' is on the same axis or shaft as that for the ordinary cam h which
gives motion to the lever h¹ having its fulcrum at h³ which lever h¹ is jointed to
the lower end of a rod h³ the upper end of which is jointed to an arm h* on the
shaft d.
The other parts of the mechanism for actuating the toothed frame e are similar
to those described in the Specification of our aforesaid Letters Patent N° 983
AD 1882.
There is a counter balance weight 9 upon the lever g³ to keep the bowl carried
by it against the cam g².
h³ is a rod for transmitting the rocking motion from the shaft d to the shaft d¹.
There are arms d from the shaft d and d to which the upper ends of the
rods d³ are jointed the lower ends being jointed to the longitudinal frame e
as usual.
The delivery frame f jointed to the frame e at one end (f¹) is actuated by a
rod f jointed to it and to an arm or lever f³ having its fulcrum loose on a rod a*
passing between the standards a³ and this arm f³ is jointed by a link f* with an
arm f fast upon the rocking shaft d¹.
When arranged as described and shown in figs. 1, 2 and 3 the rows of jointed
prongs will partake of the ordinary up and down and to and fro motion of the

page_text: frame and will have a motion in addition imparted by the cam g' according to its
shape, so as if desired, to make the prongs oscillate once or more to and fro for
each propelling stroke of the frame e.
A simple additional oscillating motion will be imparted to the jointed rows of
prongs e³ by hooking the gab e upon the rod e8 on to the cross rod or stay a³.
A concentric slot is made in the arm g to allow it to oscillate without contact with
the rod or stay a³.
By turning the rod es towards the delivery end of the frame e and hooking one
of the gabs e upon it, upon à stud from one of the projections ex as hereinbefore
explained the rows of jointed prongs e³ are then held stationary in the vertical
position and thus only receive the ordinary motion imparted to the frame e.
The. jointed prongs e³ can be held with the prongs in the horizontal position
when required out of the way for cleaning out the washing trough or at other
times,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed-we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination and arrangement of squeezing mechanism with antifriction
bowls or pulleys substantially as herein before described.
2. The combination of arrangements for heating the washing liquor by steam
with the pipe conveying the liquor from the squeezing rollers to the cistern from
which it is elevated by the bucket wheel back to the washing trough substantially
as described.
.
3. The combination of mechanism for acting upon and propelling wool or other
fibrous material in and delivering it from a washing trough with squeezing
mechanism substantially as herein before described.
4. The combination and arrangement of mechanism substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this wantonl
1000