IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WASHING OR SCOURING WOOL AND OTHER TEXTILE MATERIALS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GOTTFRIED MEYER, Manager, of Schaffhausen, in the Republic of Switzerland,
do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WASHING OR SCOURING WOOL AND OTHER TEXTILE
MATERIALS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
Various new systems of apparatus for washing wool are based on the principle
of causing the washing liquid to circulate by means of a pump, that is to say, to
cause the liquid and the wool floating in the same to move slowly forward in the
direction of the wringing apparatus.
In these systems the relative motion between the liquid and the wool is avoided
for the purpose of preventing the felting of the fibres."
These systems, however, have the drawback that the wool is not sufficiently
cleaned and generally not presented to the wringing apparatus in uniformly thick
layers.
The present system has for its object to clean and loosen the wool by subjecting.
the same to an intense rinsing action while in the trough, and to transport it at
the same time and by means of the same operation towards the wringing apparatus,
so as to be presented to the latter in uniformly thick layers.
The desired effect is obtained by jets of water (or other suitable liquid) entering
the trough, at various places and in various but predetermined directions through
suitably constructed pipes, the injected water being subsequently drawn off by
suction along the side walls or from the bottom of the trough and directed towards
the pump
In further describing this invention reference will be made to the accompanying
drawings, of which Fig. I is a longitudinal section through the centre of the
trough, Fig. II a side view, Fig. III a plan, Fig. IV a view of the opposite side,
such as it would appear in a mirror, Fig. V a cross section; Figs. VI and VII ara
partial longitudinal sections along lines a- and y-6; Fig. VIII is a cross section
of the injecting pipe and of the jacket pipe enclosing the same; Fig. IX is a cross
section of the latter only, Fig. X a section along line -, the injecting pipe being
removed, and Fig. ✗I a section along line y-%. Fig. XII is a cross section and
Fig. XIII a partial longitudinal section of a modified construction of trough, the
LD037

page_text: latter along line -μ. Under the front part of the trough is placed the centrifugal
pump P, which may however be replaced by any other rotary pump.
This pump draws water from the front space of the trough which communicates
through an aperture at O with the space O situated on the side of the trough.
The space C is separated from the main part of the trough containing the bath
by the vertical wall p made of sheet iron and provided with perforations, so as to
permit the passage of the liquid from the main part into C while retaining
the wool.
The pump P forces the liquid sucked from the trough into the large discharge
pipe T situated under the trough and from where it arrives through the upright
pipes m into the jacket pipes t which surround the injecting pipes 8 placed across
the trough above and below the same.
The discharge pipe T forms with the upright pipes m and the pipes t one common
pressure space communicating at several places with the trough. The peculiar
section of pipes t is illustrated by Figs. VIII and IX.
Each of the pipes is provided with a longitudinal opening or slot extending
along the whole of its free length, namely from a to b, the slots of the upper pipes
being situated at the under surface, while the slots of the lower pipes are situated
at the upper surface, so that the whole of the slots are facing the bath.
The side walls or ends of the fixed pipes t form bearings for the journals of the
cylindrical pipes & which are turned smooth and protrude segmentally through the
slots of the pipes t. The comparatively thick walls of the injecting pipes s are
provided with a number of excentric (non-radial) apertures arranged in rows
extending across the whole breadth of the trough. These apertures permit the
ingress of liquid from the pipes t into the injecting pipes 8 and the discharge of the
liquid from the latter into the washing space of the trough.
One or more of the rows of apertures in the injecting pipes may be replaced
by a slit the length of which equals the breadth of the trough.
Figs. V, VI and VII show an arrangement in which the liquid from the upper
jacket pipes t is also admitted laterally into the injecting pipes enclosed by the
same. The liquid leaves the pipes 8 at a pressure slightly in excess of that existing
in the trough and in directions diverging as shown in Fig. I for the purpose of
cleaning and loosening the wool as well as for ensuring a continuous forward motion
of the same. The pipes s are provided at one end with concentric pivots or journals
passing through stuffing boxes and and carrying worm wheels (as shown in the
drawings), or tooth wheels, driving pulleys or similar appliances adapted to impart
rotary motion to the pipes 8. The pipes 8 are turned in such a direction that the
jets of water, which follow the motion of the pipes and are discharged from the
latter into the trough, maintain and control the wool in its forward motion, as may
be seen in Fig. L.
At the front end of the trough is placed an endless feeding apron made of flat
bars and hinge joints or of wirenetting and serving to transport the wool to the
wringing apparatus.
<
This feeding apron is separated below from the suction chamber of the pump
by the bottom plate and by the slanting plate e of perforated sheet metal placed
between the washing space of the trough and the suction chamber in such
manner that the liquid and the wool in the front part of the washing chamber or
main portion of the trough are also exposed to the sucking action of the pump.
Although the wool deposited on the feeding apron permits but a small quantity
of water to pass into the suction chamber, the difference of pressure between the
liquid in the trough and that in the suction chamber. is sufficient for pressing
the wool lightly against the feeding apron and placing it on the same in a uniform
manner.
A valve is also provided for emptying the trough when desired. Figs. XII
and XIII represent a simplified construction of the above described apparatus.
The injecting pipes are fixed instead of being journalled, which allows the
pipes & and the jacket pipes t described above to be replaced by the single pipes r;

page_text: the diverging direction of the jets of water causing the forward motion of the wool
is maintained.
A further description of this modification will not be necessary.
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 is:
1. The method of washing or scouring wool or other textile material by causing
the same to pass into a bath of water or other suitable liquid, exposing it, while in
such bath, to jets of liquid adapted to propel the material forward, and subsequently
separating the liquid from the material thus treated.
2. The combination of a washing or scouring tank provided with liquid jets as
described, with a rotary force pump adapted to draw liquid from the tank along
the whole length of the same, (either from its side or from the bottom) and to
supply liquid at the pressure necessary for producing the said jets.
3. The arrangement of the jet openings f placed above and below the floating
textile material and adapted to produce jets of liquid partly perpendicular to the
motion of the said material, and partly oblique in the direction of its motion.
4. The combination of jet pipes s adapted to turn on their respective axes, with
jacket-pipes t forming bearings for the pipes 8 and provided with segmental
openings adapted to expose the pipes s on that side which is nearest to the floating
textile material..
5. The combination of a feeding apron dipping into the discharge end of the
bath and adapted to carry the washed material towards the wringing rollers, with
a suction chamber placed under the said apron, a perforated sheet placed between
the said feeding apron and the suction chamber, and a pump adapted to produce a
sucking effect in the said chamber and to force at the same time liquid into the
jet pipes.
The whole substantially on decorihed.