Year: 1885

page_text: We, JOHN MONAUGHT and WILLIAM MONAUGHT, 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:-
Our invention consists in improved combinations and arrangements of mechanism
for drying wool and other fibrous materials and separating foreign matters
therefrom.
We form a cylindrical cage by means of T iron hoops connected together by
longitudinal bars combined with wire netting so as to form a cylinder or cage of
such wire netting. This cylindrical cage is placed in an inclined position one end
higher than the other and it rests upon and is supported by bowls on two parallel
inclined shafts the bowls having grooves to receive the web of the T iron hoops, by
which means the cage is prevented from moving endways.
By driving the inclined shafts having the bowls upon them, rotary motion is
given to the inclined cylindrical cage.
The inner periphery of the cage has rows of prongs attached to the longitudinal
ribs connecting the T iron hoops together.
We prefer to make these prongs curved. As the cylindrical cage rotates the
prongs, lift the wool, and carry it round from the lower to the upper part of its
circle of revolution where it falls off the prongs and descends to the lower part;
this action going on continually except that the inclination of the cylindrical cage
causes the wool to fall a little further towards its lower end at each descent so that
it slowly passes through the cage-The wool to be operated upon is fed to the
higher end of the cylinder by an endless lattice suitably arranged and driven and
there is a corresponding delivery lattice or equivalent mechanism at the lower or
delivery end of the cage to catch the wool as it falls from the upper part of the
cylinder or cage and thus deliver it from the machine. At the delivery end of the
cylinder or cage there are inclined boards or metal plate surfaces to guide the
falling wool on to the delivery lattice or a rotary cylindrical or conical drum (or
drums) is or may be arranged, the rotating surface of which drum or drums will

page_text: guide the wool falling from the upper part of the delivery end of the cylindrical
cage on to the delivery lattice.
The cage is combined with a chamber from which air is exhausted by a fan,
fans, or other suitable mechanism, by which means a current of air is drawn
through the periphery of the cage into the chamber, or the operation may be
reversed, and air may be forced into, and through the chamber into the cage, by a
blast fan, fans or other air propelling mechanism, or the air may be circulated by
being exhausted or drawn from one chamber, and forced into another chamber, both
of which chambers are communicating with the cage through the open wire work
of its periphery.
The air is or may be heated by steam pipes or other suitable means.
In order to distribute the flow of air throughout the length of the cage air-ducts
or passages are or may be arranged at intervals, in the length of the chamber or
chambers and of the cage, leading to or from the fan, fans, or other air propelling
mechanism.
The combination of machinery above described without heating apparatus, or a
modification of it, is or may be used for operating upon wool, or other fibrous
material before it is washed, to separate lime, sand or other foreign matters
therefrom.
The curved prongs used in the cylindrical cage are or may be made from sheet
metal, cut into strips of suitable form, and then blocked to a V or U shape in cross
section, to give strength, and bent to the curve required. A solid piece of metal
conforming in shape to the cross section of the prong is or may be fastened into
the head end of each prong by bending the sheet metal round it, thus forming a
solid end into which a screw or screws are tapped by which each prong is secured
to the bar or rail which is to carry it.
Prongs constructed as above described are also applicable to machines for washing
wool and other fibrous material.
L J Darba 100K

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Drying Wool and other Fibrous
Material and Separating Foreign Matters therefrom, Partly -
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 this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention consists in improved combinations and arrangements of mechanism
for drying wool and other fibrous materials and separating foreign matters
therefrom.
We form a cylindrical cage by means of T iron hoops connected together by
longitudinal bars combined with wire netting so as to form a cylinder or cage of
such wire netting-This cylindrical cage is placed in an inclined position one end
higher than the other and it rests upon and is supported by bowls on two parallel
inclined shafts the bowls having grooves to receive the web of the T iron hoops by
which means the cage is prevented from moving endways.
By driving the inclined shafts having the bowls upon them, rotary motion is
given to the inclined cylindrical cage.
The inner periphery of the cage has rows of prongs attached to the longitudinal
ribs connecting the T iron hoops together.
We prefer to make these prongs curved. As the cylindrical cage rotates, the
prongs lift the wool and carry it round from the lower to the upper part of its
circle of revolution where it falls off the prongs and descends to the lower part,
this action going on continually except that the inclination of the cylindrical cage
causes the wool to fall a little further towards its lower end at each descent so
that it slowly passes through the cage-The wool to be operated upon is fed to the
higher end of the cylinder by an endless lattice suitably arranged and driven, and
there is a corresponding delivery.lattice or equivalent mechanism at the lower or
delivery end of the cage to catch the wool as it falls from the upper part of the
cylinder or cage and thus deliver it from the machine.
At the delivery end of the cylinder or cage there are inclined boards or metal
plate surfaces to guide the falling wool on to the delivery lattice or a rotary
cylindrical or conical drum (or drums) is or may be arranged the rotating surface
of which drum or drums will guide the wool falling from the upper part of the
delivery end of the cylindrical cage on to the delivery lattice. The cage is com-
bined with a chamber from which air is exhausted by a fan, fans or other suitable
mechanism, by which means a current of air is drawn through the periphery of
the cage into the chamber, or the operation may be reversed, and air may be forced

page_text: into, and through the chamber into the cage by a blast fan, fans or other air
propelling mechanism, or the air may be circulated by being exhausted or drawn
from one chamber, and forced into another chamber, both of which chambers are
communicating with the cage through the open wire work of its periphery.
The air is or may be heated by steam pipes or other suitable means.
In order to distribute the flow of air throughout the length of the cage air-ducts
or passages are or may be arranged at intervals, in the length of the chamber or
chambers and of the cage, leading to or from the fan, fans, or other air propelling
mechanism.
The combination of machinery above described without heating apparatus, or a
modification of it is or may be used for operating upon wool, or other fibrous
material, before it is washed, to separate lime, sand or other foreign matters
therefrom.
The curved prongs used in the cylindrical cage are or may be made from sheet
. metal, cut into strips of suitable form, and then blocked to a V or U shape in
cross section to give strength, and bent to the curve required. A solid piece of
metal conforming in shape to the cross section of the prong is or may be fastened
into the head end of each prong by bending the sheet metal round it, thus forming
a solid end into which a screw or screws are tapped by which each prong is
secured to the bar or rail which is to carry it.
Prongs constructed as above described are also applicable to machines for washing
wool and other fibrous material.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, fig. 2 is an elevation at the delivery end and fig. 3 is
a cross section of so much of our improved drying mechanism as will be necessary
for explaining our invention.
The cage a is of cylindrical shape and is formed by preference of a series of iron
rings a¹ of T section, which are connected together by longitudinal bars a² of wood
or metal (see fig. 3) and the spaces between the T iron rings a¹ is filled in by wire
work netting a secured at the edges to the said T iron rings a¹ so that the cylinder
forms a wire work cage (a) which allows air and dust or dirt to pass but retains
the wool or other fibrous material inside.
The T iron rings a¹ of the cage rest upon and are carried by grooved pulleys 6'
the groove admitting the web of the T iron (a¹) to enter and the cross part of the
Tiron to rest upon the pulley as shown in the detached view fig. 4 where a¹ is a
part of a T iron ring, b¹ a pulley in section, and b the shaft upon which the pulley b¹
is carried.
The groove in the pulley prevents the wire work cylinder a from moving endways
and this keeps it in its place.
The grooved pulleys bare secured upon shafts 6 passing the lengthway of the
cylinder a and parallel to its axis, there being a shaft b on each side which shafts
are in suitable bearings in brackets or parts from the framing, and these shafts b
are in an inclined position from one end to the other end of the cylinder a.
It is by rotating one or both these shafts b that slow rotary motion is imparted
to the cylindrical cage a and this is accomplished by a belt from the driving shaft
working upon pulleys bs (see fig. 1) on a stud secured in the framing the pinion b
upon one pulley gearing with a wheel b' on the end of one of the inclined shafts b
at one end of the machine.
This shaft b at the other end of the machine is geared by bevel wheels with a
cross shaft bo in suitable bearings on the framing, which cross shaft is or may be
geared by bevel wheels with the inclined shaft 6 on the other side of the cage.
The wool or fibrous material is fed into the higher open end of the cage, by an
ordinary endless lattice or apron indicated by c and the wool or material is delivered
from the cage to an endless lattice or apron d at the other or exit end of the cage a
which lattice d is driven by a belt working upon a pulley on the cross shaft bo
and upon a pulley d² on a stud or short shaft having gearing which drives one of
the rollers of the lattice d.

page_text: At the delivery end of the cage and within it there is a conical drum e which is
or may be made of tinned plate.
This cone drum e is upon a shaft e the two bearings of which are carried upon
a bracket e from the framing as shown.
On the shaft e¹ for the cone drum e and between its two bearings there is a
pulley e for a belt & working upon a pulley on the cross shaft bº.
To the longitudinal ribs or bars a³ connecting the T rings a¹ of the cage (which
bars as shown in fig. 3 are angle irons) prongs or teeth fare attached as shown in
fig. 3 each longitudinal bar or angle iron a having these prongs attached at
intervals from end to end.
It is these prongs that lift the wool or fibrous material as the cage rotates slowly
in the direction shown by the arrow in fig. 3 from the lower to the upper part of
the cylinder a where the wool or material falls from the prongs to the lower part
of the cage, but as the latter is inclined it falls at every descent nearer to the
delivery end of the cage until it finally falls upon the cone drum e which directs it
on to the delivery lattice d.
Any other suitable arrangement may be used in place of the cone drum e for
directing the material upon the delivery lattice d.
Two chambers g and h are formed under the cage a from end to end closed at all
sides except under the cage.
In one chamber g there are brackets g' (see fig. 3) to carry a series of pipes 9²
which are heated by steam and underneath the pipes there is a shaft g³ passing
lengthway in suitable bearings having secured upon it a series of fans g.
The fans are rotated from the driving power by a belt working upon fast and
loose pulleys 9 at one end (see fig. 1).
At each end of each fan there is an opening to admit air to the centre of the fan
and at the side of the machine there are pipes or passages go to admit and convey
air to the central openings of the fans.
The fans act to propel the air against and between the steam heating pipes g'
and through the wire work of the cage a and against the wool or material in
the cage.
Any dirt or dust in the wool or material that passes through the wire work of
the cage falls into the chamber h.
The machine is or may be enclosed at the sides in a casing leaving a space
between the outside of the cylinder or cage and the inside of the casing.
Or the machine is or may be used in a room of suitable size, leaving a space of
say about two feet at the sides and one foot above the cylindrical cage a.
The teeth or prongs which we prefer to use for this machine and also for
machines for washing and scouring wool and other fibrous materials are made of
sheet metal, copper by preference, cut out of flat sheets of metal in the shape shown
by figs. 5 and 6.
Then the flat shape shown by figs. 5 and 6 is blocked or bent by suitable blocks
and dies to a V shape in cross section as shown in fig. 7 a side view and fig. 8 a
cross section or end view but at one end (f¹) it is bent to lap over and grip a
triangular piece of metal f' in which a hole or holes is formed and screw tapped
for a screw fs by which the large end of the prong fis secured to its angle or other
bar or carrier a* as shown in figs. 7 and 8.
Fig. 9 is an edge view and shows the prong bent in a curved form after having
been first bent to the angle form shown in figs. 7 and 8.
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 mechanism as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described and illustrated by figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings.

page_text: 2. The combination of an inclined cage with fans and heating pipes substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by figs. 1 to 4 inclusive
of the drawings.
3. The prongs or teeth cut out of flat sheets of metal and bent to the required
form substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Dated this seventh day of September 1886.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.