IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING, CLEANING AND SEPARATING OR SORTING FUR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Joseph Woodrow of the firm of Jeremiah Woodrow
& Sons of Stockport in the County of Chester, Hat Manufacturers for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING, CLEANING AND
SEPARATING OR SORTING FUR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Woodrow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th June 1882.
JOSEPH WOODROW of the firm of Jeremiah Woodrow and Sons of Stockport
in the County of Chester, Hat Manufacturers "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR OPENING CLEANING AND SEPARATING OR SORTING fur”
My Invention relates to the machinery employed in the opening and cleaning of
rabbit and other furs used in the manufacture of felt head coverings and in the
separation of the finer fur from the kemp and coarse fur as is well understood.
Previously to my Invention the fur has been introduced into an opener which has
blown the fur into a settling chamber the finer fur settling in the compartment
furthest from the inlet. The fur settling in the nearest compartment has been
removed at intervals by hand and has been again introduced into the opener or
blower. The object of my Invention is to make the machine more self-acting
and continuous in its operations. I prefer to combine a picker machine with the
blowing machine. I feed the fur to the first picker by self-acting apparatus. The
fur is placed in a rectangular well below the picker. The bottom of this well is
gradually raised so as to feed the fur to the picker. I am aware that a similar
arrangement has been employed in the feeding of cotton to carding engines. The
fur after having been submitted to the action of the pickers is received into the
mouth of an air trunk which communicates with the blower. The fur is carried
forwards by the current of air from the blower and is delivered into the settling or
sorting chamber. I prefer to employ a long air trunk or kemping flue in order
that some of the coarser kemp may be deposited therein as is usual but in some
cases I dispense with this. Within the first compartment into which the fur is
carried by the air current I mount a creeper or travelling apron which constitutes
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page_text: the floor of the compartment and receives the kemp and coarse fur which is
deposited within the said compartment. The said creeper travels in the direction
which will carry the deposited fur towards the picker machine. The deposited fur
is delivered by the said creeper to the first picker and is taken in along with the
fur fed from the aforesaid well and is again submitted to the action of the pickers
and the finer fur which it may contain is again carried by the air current into the
depositing chamber. The fine fur deposited in the said chamber may be carried out by
a creeper or travelling apron or by other suitable means or be removed at intervals.
In some cases I may dispense with the picker machine in which cases the creeper
would deliver the deposited fur to the ordinary opener which also acts as a fan or
blower. I may in some cases dispense with the self-acting feeding apparatus in
which cases the unopened fur would be placed upon the layer of deposited fur
coming out of the settling chamber and would be conveyed therewith to the
picker or opener.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Joseph Woodrow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th December 1882.
JOSEPH WOODROW of the firm of Jeremiah Woodrow and Sons of Stockport
in the County of Chester, Hat Manufacturers "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR OPENING, CLEANING AND SEPARATING OR SORTING FUR
"
My Invention relates to the machinery employed in the opening and cleaning of
rabbit and other furs used in the manufacture of felt head coverings and in the
separation of the finer fur from the kemp and coarse fur as is well understood.
Previously to my Invention the fur has been introduced into an opener which has
blown the fur into a settling chamber the finer fur settling in the compartment
furthest from the inlet. The fur settling in the nearest compartment has been
removed at intervals by hand and has been again introduced into the opener or
blower. The object of my invention is to make the machine more self-acting and
continuous in its operations. I prefer to combine a picker machine with the
blowing machine. I feed the fur to the first picker by self-acting apparatus. The
fur after having been submitted to the action of the pickers is received into the
mouth of an air trunk which communicates with the blower. The fur is carried
forwards by the current of air from the blower and is delivered into the settling or
sorting chamber.
Within the first compartment into which the fur is carried by
the air current I mount a creeper or travelling apron which receives the kemp
and coarse fur which is deposited within the said compartment. The said creeper
travels in the direction which will carry the deposited fur towards the picker
machine. The deposited fur is delivered by the said creeper to the first picker and
is taken in along with the fur fed from the aforesaid automatic feeder and is again
submitted to the action of the pickers and the finer fur which it may contain is

page_text: again carried by the air current into the depositing chamber. The finer fur
deposited in the second compartment of the said chamber may be carried out
by a creeper or travelling apron or by other suitable means or be removed at
intervals.
In order that my Invention may be properly understood I have appended
hereunto a sheet of drawings wherein Fig 1 is a longitudinal section of the
complete machine and Fig 2 is a side elevation of part of Fig 1. In the said
Figs e is the picker machine f is the blower and g is the settling chamber. The
picker machine consists of four ordinary pickers e and an improved self-feeding
picker e'. The fur is supplied to the picker in a box h which is provided with a
movable bottom which is gradually raised so as to feed the fur to the revolving
picker. This self-acting feeder is represented on a larger scale in Figs 7 and 8
the latter being a cross sectional view. In Fig 8 the bottom i of the box is
suspended at each end by means of cords or chains & which pass over pulleys
at the ends of the box. The cord at the end not seen in Fig 8 is brought below
the bottom i and the two cords pass over carrier pulleys m, m and are attached
to a moving block or carriage n which is actuated by means of a screw o. A
pulley pupon the shaft q which drives the feed rollers of the pickers is connected
by means of a belt with a corresponding pulley fixed upon a shaft which by
means of bevel gearing drives a cross shaft 8. Upon the shaft s is fixed a worm
which gears with a worn wheel t which is fixed upon the end of the screw which
is thus caused to revolve. The block n contains a movable half-nut which can be
moved into and out of gear with the screw by means of a handle u When the
nut is in gear with the revolving screw the block is slowly traversed in the
direction of the arrow whereby the cords are drawn so as to raise the bottom i and
thereby to feed the fur to the revolving picker. This picker is formed with four
beater blades which are provided with short teeth this formation having been
found to remove the fur from the feeding box more regularly than the ordinary
picker. The rate of feed can be varied by shifting the strap from one cone of the
pulley to another. When the feeding box has become empty the cords are detached
and the box is drawn out of the machine and a full box is pushed in to take the
place of the empty box. To facilitate this changing of the boxes a well to receive
the box is formed below the revolving picker this well being open on one side
so that the box can be drawn out on to a truck. The apparatus is arranged
to arrest the upward movement of the piece i when it comes near to the
picker. This is effected by means of the stop v with which the handle u comes into
contact whereby the nut is raised out of gear with the screw. The rack and
pinion seen in Fig: 7 are provided in order that the block n may be quickly run
back when a full box has been placed in position. The finer for which has passed
all the pickers is conveyed to the blower by means of a trunk w which is
represented in plan by Fig: 4. The current flowing in the direction of the arrows
is conveyed by side passages to the ends of the blower as seen in Fig 5 which
represents a vertical section on the line c in Fig. 1. The current from the blower
is conveyed to and fro below the settling chamber through the trunks or
passages x, x. At the front end of the upper trunk the current is divided by a
curved partition and passes upwards through the side boxes ¹ seen in Fig 4 into
the front end of the settling chamber. The finer fur is deposited in the end
chamber glas is usual and is conveyed out by means of a creeper or is removed
at intervals as preferred. The coarser for settling in the front chamber g is
received on to a travelling apron or creeper y which forms the floor of the
chamber. This apron extends through an opening to the first picker e'. The
The
side boxes x are required to convey the fur current around this opening.
apron delivers the coarse fur constantly and regularly to a pair of feeding rollers
which pass the fur into the picker machine wherein it mixes with the fur which
is being obtained from the feeding box. The apron y passes out of the chamber
between a pair of rollers a¹ which close the opening through which the apron
passes and prevent the layer of fur upon the apron from being disturbed by the

page_text: air which would escape through such opening if the rollers were not used. It
will be seen that when a box full of fur has been supplied to the machine the
operation of the machine will continue with great regularity of action without the
necessity for attention until the supply of fur in the box has become exhausted.
Other means may be employed to raise the movable bottom of the feeding box.
This self-feeder may be applied to ordinary picker machines which are not
combined with my improved settling chamber or may be applied to ordinary
settling chambers. It is sometimes convenient to be able to use the picker
machine, without the settling chamber. I have therefore added a short apron b¹.-
shewn in dotted lines-which is mounted so that it can be pushed in over the
mouth of the passage w to receive the fur. When the blower is stopped and the
apron b'. is pushed in the fur is delivered into a skip c'. instead of passing to the
settling chamber. I do not confine myself to the combination of the picker
machine with the settling chamber as I can dispense with the pickers and apply a
self-feeding apparatus to the blower or beater employing the travelling apron to
return the coarser fur to the blower or beater.
Having now described my said Invention and particularly ascertained the
method whereby I carry the same into practical effect I would observe in conclusion
that I claim :-
"
First the combination of parts forming the complete machine arranged and
acting substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated hereinbefore
and in and by the accompanying drawings.
Secondly the travelling apron receiving the fur deposited within the first
settling chamber and returning such fur to be again operated upon substantially
as set forth and indicated.
Thirdly the self-feeder for fur opening and clearing or sorting machines
consisting of a box or chamber having a movable bottom which can be raised
self-actingly to feed the fur to the picker or beater or to the taking in mechanism
substantially as set forth and indicated.
And lastly the box h the movable bottom i attached to or connected with
cords or chains which are caused by the action of a revolving screw to raise the
said bottom and to gradually feed or supply the fur for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Joseph Woodrow have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty first day of December in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and eighty-two
TACEDH WOODPOW