IMPROVEMENTS IN BACK WASHING MACHINES FOR WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN CHARLES WALKER of Shipley Fields Mill, Shipley near Bradford in the
County of York, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BACK WASHING MACHINES FOR WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS" to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of the machine so
arranging the parts that much less floor space is occupied thereby, the operation of
washing being also more completely effected and the machine more directly under
the supervision and control of the attendant.
The material in the form of a sliver is conducted through a trough or troughs of
washing liquid by means of rollers or conducting bars, and in order to thoroughly
cleanse the material as it passes through the liquid I intermittently separate the
fibres, by slackening the sliver between the conducting rollers or bars during
immersion whereby the liquid can operate upon the interior of the sliver as well as
the exterior and thoroughly cleanse it. The intermittent slackening operation is
effected by changing the relative position or distances between the guide rollers or
bars, or by intermittently varying the speed of the drawing or feed rollers. The
above alterations of the relative distances and speed of the rollers may be used in
combination or separately as may be required in accordance with the nature of the
material operated upon. In order to economise space and to bring the operation
more under the supervision and control of the attendant, I mount the drying rollers
of the machine above the ordinary gill box instead of such rollers being placed
between the washing troughs and such gill box as hitherto. By this means I am
enabled. to utilize the space over the gill boxes and reduce considerably the length
of the machine which will therefore require much less floor space, which is very
important. The number of drying rollers required depends upon the quality of
the material to be operated upon and the amount of moisture required in the
material after being operated.
The pressing rollers and conducting rollers for conveying the slivers through the
washing trough or troughs, are mounted in bearings carried on a swing frame, so
that the attendant can raise such rollers out of the trough for the purpose of
examining the condition of the material and for rectifying any irregularity which
night occur during the washing operation or whilst the material is passing through
he fluid.

page_text: I, JOHN CHARLES WALKER of Shipley Fields Mill, Shipley near Bradford in the
County of York, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BACK WASHING MACHINES FOR WOOL AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS" and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of the machine so
arranging the parts that much less floor space is occupied, thereby the operation of
washing being also more completely effected and machine more directly under the
supervision and control of the attendant.
The
The material in the form of a sliver is conducted through a trough or troughs of
washing liquid by means of rollers or conducting bars, and in order to thoroughly
cleanse the material as it passes through the liquid I intermittently seperate the
fibres by slackening the sliver between the conducting rollers or bars during
immersion whereby the liquid can operate upon the interior of the sliver as well as
the exterior and thoroughly cleanse it. The intermittent slackening operation is
effected by changing the relative position or distances between the guide rollers or
bars, or by intermittently varying the speed of the drawing or feed rollers.
above alterations of the relative distances and speed of the rollers may be used in
combination or separately as may be required in accordance with the nature of the
material operated upon. In order to economise space and to bring.the operation
more under the supervision and control of the attendant I mount the drying rollers
of the machine above the ordinary gill box instead of such rollers being placed
between the washing troughs and such gill box as hitherto. By this means I am
enabled to utilize the space over the gill boxes and reduce considerably the length
of the machine which will therefore require much less floor space, which is very
important. The number of drying rollers required depends upon the quality of the
material to be operated upon and the amount of moisture required in the material
after being operated.
The pressing rollers and conducting rollers for conveying the slivers through the
washing trough or troughs are mounted in bearings carried on a swing frame, so
that the attendant can raise such rollers out of the trough for the purpose of
examining the condition of the material and for rectifying any irregularity which
might occur during the washing operation or whilst the material is passing through
the fluid,
J
And in order that my invention may be more completely understood reference
is given to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and marks thereon.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig 1 is a side elevation.. Fig 2 a plan looking on the top of machine constructed*
in accordance with my invention.
The material in the form of a sliver is conducted through troughs a and b
containing the washing liquid by means of rollers c, c and d, d, and in order to
thoroughly cleanse the material as it passes through the liquid I intermittently
separate the fibres, by slackening the sliver between each pair of conducting rollers
during immersion whereby the liquid can operate upon the interior of the sliver as
well as the exterior and thoroughly cleanse it.
The intermittent slackening operation is effected by changing the position of the
guide rollers c, c and d, d, or by intermittently varying the speed of the drawing or
feed rollers. The above alteration of the relative distances and speed of the rollers
may be used in combination or separately as may be required in accordance with
the nature of the material operated upon.
The pressing and conducting rollers for conveying the slivers through the washing
troughs a and b are mounted in bearings carried on a swing frame so that the
attendant can raise such rollers out of the trough for the purpose of examining the
condition of the material and for rectifying any irregularity which might occur
during the washing operation or whilst the material is passing through the fluid.
In the drawings I have shewn the mechanism I employ for slackening the sliver
and also the arrangement of swing frame in one trough only, these being arranged
as follows:
The swing frame e is mounted on the roller shaft f and is provided with
projecting arms g and h in which are fitted so as to be capable of adjustment the
bushes i and j forming the bearings for the rollers c, c and d, d, when it is required
that the material should be examined, the attendant can swing back the frame o
and so lift the rollers clear of the fluid, this may be effected either by the attendant
himself, or by ordinary mechanical means.
In order to effect the slackening operation I mount the rollers d, d on a small
swing frame k carried in bearings on the larger swing frame e. By arrangement of
cam which is actuated through gearing m rests on a projecting piece n provided
on the larger swing frame e. As the cam revolves it causes the smaller swing
frame to intermittently rise and fall, and thus tighten or slacken the sliver. It
will be clearly understood by all competent persons that although I have shewn
this mode of tightening and slackening the sliver, other mechanical equivalent
means may be employed without departing from the nature of my said invention.
In order to ecomise space and to bring the operation more under the supervision
and control of the attendant I mount the drying rollers o of the machine above the
ordinary gill box p as shewn, instead of such rollers o being placed between the
washing troughs and such gill box as hitherto. By this means I am enabled to
utilize the space over the gill box, and reduce considerably the length of the
machine, which will therefore require much less floor space which is very
important.
The number of drying rollers o required depends upon the quality of the material
to be operated upon and the amount of moisture required in the material after
being operated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim iso
1st The employment of apparatus for intermittently slackening and tightening
the sliver as it passes through the troughs containing washing liquid substantially
as aud for purposes herein set, forth and mere modifications of the same.

page_text: 2nd The employment of swing frame e for the purpose of carrying the rollers c, c
and to enable the operator at any time to withdraw such rollers with their slivers
from the troughs substantially as herein set forth.
3rd The mode of applying the drying rollers, such rollers being arranged over the
gill box, substantially as and for purposes herein set forth and shewn in the
accompanying drawings.
The combination of the various parts arranged and applied substantially as herein
set forth,