IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OE APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Petrie, the younger, of, Rochdale, in the County
of Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OE APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL."
Sealed the 31st January 1860, and dated the 3rd August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Petrie at the
⚫ Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd August 1859.
I, JOHN PETRIE, the younger, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in an addition to wool-washing machines for
the purpose of opening out the material, and freeing it from loose dirt
previously to its entering the water or other fluid. For this purpose I
combine with the washing apparatus a willow scutcher, devil, or other such
arrangement, so that the whole forms a complete machine for the two
operations.
Secondly, my Invention refers to improvements upon that washing machine
for which Letters Patent were granted to me and Samuel Taylor, bearing date
11th January 1853, No. 75, and consists, firstly, in a method of constructing

page_text: the rotating drum by which the material is lifted from the fluid. For this
purpose I employ a number of segments, which, when fitted together, form
the drum; and these segments I pierce with suitably formed holes, through
which the lifting teeth are thrust and withdrawn by means of cams. The
teeth I mount upon pieces which slide in slots or guides of a curved form, the
teeth and the perforations through the cylinder being also curved; and I so
arrange the teeth that they are not entirely withdrawn from the said
perforations.
Thirdly, my Invention relates to another arrangement of lifting apparatus,
and consists in the employment of an endless belt furnished with buckets, in
which are perforations for the fluid to pass.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Petrie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PETRIE, the younger, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Petrie, Her special license that I, the said John Petrie,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Petrie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL," upon the condition, aniongst
others, that I, the said John Petrie, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Petrie, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
.
My Invention consists, firstly, in an addition to wool washing machines for
the purpose of opening out the material, and freeing it from loose dirt
previously to its entering tlie water or other fluid. For this purpose I
combine with the washing apparatus a willow, scutcher, devil, or other such
arrangement, so that the whole forms a complete machine for the two
operations.
:
Secondly, my Invention refers to improvements upon that washing machine
for which Letters Patent were granted to me and Samuel Taylor, bearing
date Eleventh January, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, No. 75,
and consists, firstly, in a method of constructing the rotary drum by which
the material is lifted from the fluid. For this purpose I employ a number of
segments, which, when fitted together, form the drum; and these segments I
pierce with suitably formed holes, through which the lifting teeth are thrust
and withdrawn by means of cams; the teeth I mount upon pieces which slide
in slots or guides of a curved form, the teeth and the. perforations through
the cylinder being also curved.
Secondly, my Invention relates to another arrangement of lifting apparatus,
and consists in the employment of an endless belt furnished with buckets, in
which are perforations for the fluid to pass.
The first part of my Invention is shewn at Fig. 1, which represents a
washing machine constructed after a Patent granted to me and Samuel Taylor,
bearing date Eleventh January, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three,
No. 75, differing, however, in some details from that arrangement shewn in
the Specification of the said Patent; but the general character thereof is the
same, that is to say, the wool to be washed is submerged by a drum A, carried
forward by rakes 13, and lifted from the water at the other end by a drum C.
At the feed end of the washing apparatus is placed an opening machine, which
may be a willow, scutcher, devil, or such other arrangement. According to
that shewn, the wool is fed on to a travelling apron a, from whence it passes
into a chamber b, in which is placed a revolving drum c, armed with spikes d,
which open the material and allow the dirt to fall through the openings a.
The drum c, revolving in the direction of the arrow, throws the material on to
a travelling apron e, being guided thereon by a plate f, and this apron delivers
it to be submerged by the drum A. The two aprons a, e, and drum c, may.be
driven by any convenient arrangement of bands or gearing, and mounted upon

page_text: suitable framework. It will be perceived that by this arrangement there is a
combined operation of opening and cleaning and washing, the whole acting
after the manner of one machine. I have shewn this part of my Invention as
applied to the washing machine patented by me and Samuel Taylor aforesaid.
I do not, however, confine myself thereto, as it may, after a similar manner be
applied to wool washing machines of other constructions.
The next part of my Invention refers specially to the wool washing machine
patented by me and Samuel Taylor aforesaid, and is shewn at Figs. 2 and 3,
the former being a cross section of the lifting drum, which is applied to the
situation marked C in Fig. 1, and the latter a partial longitudinal section
thereof. A stationary shaft is shewn at a, which carries a boss b, caused to
revolve by a strap or other means;. upon this boss is a drum end c, and at the
other end of the drum, not shewn in the Drawing, is a similar end, which
runs, however, upon the shaft a, which shaft is there held fast in its bearing
by a screw clamp or otherwise, the arrangement so far being that of the
patent machine above mentioned. Upon the end c, and similar part at the
other extremity of the drum, are placed plates i formed in segments, and
furnished with apertures e. Upon each of the cylinder ends are formed pro-
jecting guides, which I prefer to be curved, but they may be straight, as at f,
and within the spaces between these guides are pieces g, projecting from
longitudinal bars h, which carry rollers i situate within a grooved cam at
each end of the drum, and one of which is seen at k. The bars h carry a
series of teeth 1, corresponding in situation to the perforations e. The boss b
being caused to revolve, carries round with it the cylinder ends, and with
them the guides fand rollers i, which rollers being caused to move in the
stationary cams h, are drawn inward and thrust outward by the eccentric
groove, so as to cause the teeth 7 to protrude through the drum for lifting the
wool from the fluid, and are withdrawn therein for the purpose of allowing it
to fall on to the apron or other apparatus used for receiving it.
Fig. 4 represents my other arrangement of lifting apparatus to be used at
the situation c of Fig. 1. In this instance a drum m is placed within the
washing vessel, over which and around another drum n an endless apron or
belt o passes; this apron is provided with a series of buckets having per-
forations; by these buckets, therefore, the wool is raised from the fluid and
delivered from the machine, the fluid raised therewith passing through the
perforations. The axis of the drum m should be placed above the level of the
fluid in the washing vessel, to prevent the wool lapping around it.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I desire it to be understood

page_text: that I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters
Patent,―
Firstly, the addition to wool washing machines of a willow, scutcher, devil,
or other such opening and cleaning machine, as applied to the description of
machine patented by me and Samuel Taylor aforesaid.
I claim forming the periphery of the lifting drum in segments, also
mounting the teeth upon bars which slide in slots or guides.
Also I claim the lifting apparatus, consisting of an endless apron or belt
provided with buckets, in which are perforations for the fluid to pass.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Petrie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN PETRIE, JR. (L.S.)