Improvements in Apparatus for Degreasing and Cleansing Wool, Cotton Waste, and like Fibrous Material.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Degreasing and Cleansing Wool,
Cotton Waste, and like Fibrous Material.
1, FREDERICK NICHOLSON TURNEY, of Whitemoor Leather Works, in the
County of Nottingham, Leather Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the apparatus for degreasing
and cleansing wool, cotton waste, and like fibrous material, set forth in my
Provisional Specification No. 14978, dated 8th August 1895, and it has reference
more particularly to a mode of, and means for, feeding the material to the
degreasing chamber, and to means for use, in conjunction with the beaters or
stamps, for feeding forward the material during the beating or stamping operation,
and conveying it, after such operation, to the squeezing rolls.
According to one part of my invention, the material is thrown in a mass (instead
of being rolled up) into a hopper which is arranged at the top of the entrance air
lock, which latter is provided at top and at bottom with a sliding or other door.
These doors may be operated by rack or other gear in such a manner that,
although they can be both closed at the same time, they cannot be open simultaneously.
The material is delivered from the hopper to the air lock by opening the top door,
which is then closed and the lower one opened, whereupon the material falls on to an
elevator, or endless lifting chain (enclosed within a chamber) which raises the`
material and delivers it, in the form of a layer or sheet, through a shoot into the
degreasing and cleansing chamber, wherein it is then beaten or stamped while
immersed in the solvent."
'Suitable means, such for instance as revolving wing plates, are provided near the
upper end of the elevator by which the feed and thickness of the layer or sheet of
material may be regulated as desired.
According to another part of my invention, I dispense with the perforated endless
bands or aprons in the solvent tanks, and substitute therefor a perforated false
bottom or trough, or its equivalent, upon which the material is beaten or stamped.
In connection with the beaters, I provide suitably operated rakes or forks, and at
the exit end of each tank 1 provide a rocking arm or fork which lifts the material
up to the squeezing rolls, the end of the false bottom, or the like, having an
upward curvature towards the said squeezing rolls. A suitable device is provided
to transfer the material from the rocking arm or fork to the squeezing rolls. The
beaters or stamps, and the forks, which may be situated between them, or in any
other convenient position, are carried in a frame provided with means for moving
it to and fro from outside the apparatus, and suitable mechanism is provided for
working the beaters or stamps and the forks. The arrangement is such that, while
the beaters are working, the frame in which they are mounted is moved to and fro
through a short space, the forks, or their equivalent, being depressed to engage the
material at the beginning of each forward stroke of the frame, and raised free from
the material at the end of the stroke.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Degreasing and Cleansing Wool,
Cotton Waste, and like Fibrous Material.
I, FREDERICK NICHOLSON TURNEY, of Whitemoor Leather Works, in the
County of Nottingham, Leather Manufacturer, 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, reference being had
to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the apparatus for degreasing
and cleansing wool, cotton waste, and like fibrous material, set forth in the Specifi-
cation of my former British Letters Patent, No. 14,978, dated 8th August 1895,
and it has reference more particularly to a mode of and means for feeding the
material to the degreasing chamber, and to means for use, in conjunction with the
beaters or stamps, for feeding forward the material during the beating or stamping
operation and conveying it, after such operation, to the squeezing rolls.
According to one part of my invention, the material is thrown in a mass (instead
of being rolled up) into a receiver, arranged at the top of the entrance air_lock,
which latter is provided at top, and at bottom, with a sliding or other door. These.
doors may be operated by rack or other gear, in such a manner that although they
can both be closed at the same time, they cannot be open simultaneously. The
material is delivered from the receiver to the air lock by opening the top door,
which is afterwards closed and the lower one opened, whereupon the material falls.
on to an elevator, or endless lifting chain (enclosed within a chamber) which raises
the material and delivers it, in the form of a layer or sheet, through a shoot or
opening into the degreasing and cleansing chamber, wherein it is then beaten or
stamped while immersed in the solvent.
Suitable means are provided by which the feed and thickness of the layer or
sheet of material may be regulated, as desired.
According to another part of my invention, I dispense with the perforated
endless bands or aprons in the solvent tanks, and substitute therefor a perforated
false bottom or trough, or its equivalent, upon which the material is beaten or
stamped, and which false bottom has an upward curvature towards the squeezing.
rolls. In connection with the beaters, I provide suitably operated rakes, and, at
or near the exit of each tank, I provide a rocking fork which lifts the material up
to the squeezing rolls, along the false bottom, or the like, which, owing to its
curvature, assists the action.
A suitable device is provided to transfer the material from the rocking fork to
the squeezing rolls.
The beaters or stamps, and the rakes which are situated between them, are
carried in a frame provided with means for moving it to and fro from outside the
apparatus, and suitable mechanism is provided for working the beaters or stamps
and the rakes. The arrangement is such that while the beaters are working, the
frame in which they are mounted is moved to and fro through a short space, the
rakes and forks being depressed to engage the material at the beginning of each
forward stroke of the frame, and raised free from the material at the end of the
stroke.
And in order that my invention may be readily understood, I will describe the
same fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section shewing the means for feeding the material to
the degreasing chamber, the end portions only of the latter being shewn.
Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal and transverse sections, respectively, showing the

page_text: stamps or beaters, the rakes and fork, and the mechanism for operating them.
Fig. 2 also shows the device for transferring the material from the rocking fork to
the squeezing rolls.
a is the entrance air lock, which is in the form of a vertical shaft, and a', a², are
the sliding doors thereof, which are operated by rack and pinion mechanism a³, a.
a is the receiver, which consists of a cylindrical chamber arranged above, and
opening into, the air lock, the door a¹ serving to shut off communication between
the two. The said receiver is adapted to hold enough material to fill the air lock.
Between this latter and the degreasing chamber b is an intermediate vapour-tight
chamber c in which is the elevator consisting, in this instance, of a belt c¹ passing
over pulleys & driven from outside, and provided with spikes or teeth to cause it to
lift the material. c is a levelling device which forms the material, on the belt,
into a layer of uniform thickness. This belt may also be driven at different speeds,
by any suitable gear, so as to suit the class of material under treatment.
When the receiver is charged, its contents are transferred to the air lock a by
moving back the upper door a', the lower one a² being previously closed. From
the air lock, the material passes into the chamber c by moving back the door a³,
but care must be taken not to open either door until after the other one has been
closed; and suitable interlocking mechanism may be provided to ensure this, if
desired. From the elevator c', the material falls through a shoot or opening b',
over an inclined plate 63, into the first of the solvent tanks d, which tanks are
shallower than those in my said prior patent, and have a central well d' (Fig. 3)
into which their converging bottoms lead. In this central well, I arrange a
suitably driven couveyor, such as an endless scraper belt d, for conducting the
sediment towards the end of the solvent tank and discharging it through the over-
flow opening ds, this discharge being facilitated by a dip-plate d. Each tank has,
moreover, a perforated false bottom d³ in place of the endless bands previously
used.
Upon these false bottoms, the material is beaten or stamped, during which time
it is fed forward, step by step, by rakes e, and these false bottoms, at their ends
where the material leaves them, are curved upwardly, as shewn at dx in Fig. 2, to
direct the material to the squeezing rolls f. The material is raised up these
curved ends d* by the rocking forks g, operated as hereinafter described, and
after passing through the squeezing rolls it falls into the next tank, upon a step
plate f, from which it is drawn by a rake e¹ connected with, but shorter than, the
rakes e.
The beaters or stamps h, rakes e, e', and rocking fork 9, are all carried by
frames (one in each tank) secured to channel bars & extending the whole length
of the chamber b and mounted on rollers k¹ running on suitably supported rails k³.
A reciprocating or shogging motion is imparted to the said channel bars and frames
from outside the degreasing chamber, by means of rods k³ (Fig. 1) passing out
through stuffing-boxes and coupled by connecting rods to crauk pins on discs
mounted on a shaft k, driven through suitable gear from a pair of fast and loose
pulleys k². But any other convenient means may be employed for imparting the
shogging motion. The beaters or stamps of each set are worked by cams or
wipers on a shaft h, as in my aforesaid prior patent, but owing to the shogging
movement of the beater frame i a different arrangement is employed for operating
this shaft 2. For this purpose, a main shaft which operates all the sets of
beaters, extends along the degreasing chamber b, and passes out through a stuffing-
box 62 in the end wall thereof. This shaft partakes of the shogging motion, and
its bearings are so shaped as to permit of this. It is driven by a bevel pinion 63 at
its outer end, having a feather and slot connection with it, so that while it is free
to slide to and fro through the boss of the pinion, it is always in rotary
connection therewith. The pinion 63 gears with a corresponding pinion 6* on the
aforesaid shaft ko.
Motion for operating the beaters is transmitted from the main shaft to the
wiper shaft h³, by spur wheels 1, 1, which either are directly in gear, or have idle

page_text: pinions between them on that side where the motion would not be in the proper
direction.
The rakes e, e¹, for feeding forward the material, are kept raised during the
backward movement of the beater frames, and are allowed to descend at the
beginning of their forward movements to catch the material and push it forward.
These up and down inovements are obtained from the main shaft h by cams *
(Fig. 3) actuating their respective rakes, through the intervention of a rocking
arm and connecting link 10. Guide rods working in guides h³ ensure the
rogular movement of the rakes.
The rocking forks 9 also partake of these up and down movements, for which
purpose the shafts g' on which they are carried, pass through bearings fitted in
supporting brackets g² secured to the guide rods h of the rakes. These brackets g*
are of rectangular forin, so that during the shogging movement they slide over the
bearings of the shafts g', but when the rakes move up, or down, they carry the
shaft bearings with them. The said shafts g' of the rocking forks are restrained
from to and fro movement by means of vertical guides 9, in which, however,
they are free to rise and fall. As they can thus only move in one plane, the
rocking motion can readily be imparted to them by means of a connecting rod g
attached to the frame i. Their action will be readily understood. As shewn in
Fig. 2, they are in their lowest position, and the beater frame i is shogged back;
when, however, the frame moves forward, the connecting rod 9 will cause the
forks g to swing up to the top of the curve d' so carrying the material with them,
which is then swept by a fork to the squeezing. rolls f. This fork is pivoted
at, and has an extension adapted to be acted on by a projection on a
collar, carried by the main shaft 3. Said projection strikes against the extension
of the fork in the forward movement of the shogging frame, and causes the forkj
to swing backward. In the return movement of the frame, however, the
projection has been carried round by the shaft h³ sufficiently to miss the
extension. A spring is therefore provided which causes the fork to return to
its normal position immediately the projection has cleared the extension, and
this is timed to occur when the rocking fork g is in its highest position, so that
the teeth of the fork pass between those of the rocking fork and remove the
material therefrom aud feed it to the rolls. Before the frame i shogs back, the
rakes e and with them the shafts of the rocking forks, are raised into their
highest position, as seen in dotted lines Fig. 2, so that when the rearward motion
of the frame takes place, and the rocking forks swing back again, their tips pass
clear above any material that has been pushed forward by the rakes, and into
such a position that, at the next descent of the rakes, they pass down into and
engage such material. By these means, the material, while being beaten in the
solvent is fed forward successively through the whole of the tanks, and is wrung
or squeezed on leaving each tank."
j
After leaving the last set of squeezing rolls f, the material falls down the shaft
or trunk into a drying chamber of any suitable construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same may be performed, I declare that I
claim,
1. In apparatus for degreasing and cleansing wool, cotton waste, and like
materials, the arrangement of elevating belt and levelling device, in a vapour tight
intermediate chamber, for the purpose of forming the material into a sheet or
layer, and for transferring it to the degreasing chamber, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for degreasing and cleansing wool, cotton waste, and like
materials, the combination with an entrance air lock and a receiver, of an elevator
and a levelling device arranged within a vapour tight chamber located between
the said air lock and the degreasing chamber, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for degreasing and cleansing wool, cotton waste, and like
materials, the arrangement of beaters carried in a shogging frame, in combination

page_text: with rakes and rocking forks, for beating the material and for advancing it
through the series of shallow solvent tanks in the degreasing chamber, substantially
as described.
4. In combination with the beaters or stamps, shogging frames, rakes, and
rocking forks, the perforated false bottoms with upwardly curved ends for
supporting the material while being beaten and for directing it towards the
squeezing rolls, substantially as described.
5. The means for raising the material from the solvent tanks to the squeezing
rolls, comprising a rocking fork operated from the shogging frame by a connecting
rod, and so supported and connected with the said frame that it descends and
engages the material prior to its upward movement, and then retires from the
material prior to its downward movement, substantially as described.
6. In combination with the means for raising the material up to the squeezing
rolls, the transferring device, consisting of the fork arranged to be operated in
one direction from the shaft ³, and in the other direction by a spring, in which
latter movement its teeth pass between those of the rocking fork, so removing the
material therefrom and feeding it to the said rolls, substantially as described.
7. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting my improved
apparatus for degreasing and cleansing wool, cotton waste, and like materials,
whereby such material is fed loose and is formed into a continuous or practically
continuous layer or sheet, by means of an elevator and levelling device, prior to
entering the degreasing tanks wherein it is alternately beaten and squeezed,
and whence it is finally conducted into the drying chamber, substantially as
described and shewn with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of October 1806
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 54, Market Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.