IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING YARNS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Pollock, Manager, and John Stobo, Fore-
man Mechanic of the Leven Bank Works, in the County of Dumbarton,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
WASHING YARNS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left, by the said William Pollock and
John Stobo at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 7th August 1865.
We, WILLIAM POLLOCK, Manager, and JOHN STоBо, Foreman Mechanic, of
the Leven Bank Works, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
BATUS FOR WASHING YARNS," to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object the washing of yarns in a rapid, con-
tinuous, and convenient manner by means of improved apparatus, which is to
a great extent automatic.
In one modification of the improved apparatus there are a number of
horizontal reels for receiving the yarn hanks, and these reels are moved round
in a circle like the spokes of a wheel, the hanks hanging down from them
into a segmental annular trough which is full of water. The segmental
annular trough forms nearly a complete circle, the part deficient being where
the banks are put on and taken off the reels, and the water enters the trough
at the part where the banks are taken off, being admitted by preference.

page_text: through a slot situated at the upper part of and radially across the end of the
trough; and it passes round in the opposite direction to that of the progressive
motion of the reels with the hanks, and is discharged at the end where the
hanks are entered by preference by two outlets at or near the top and bottom
respectively. The trough is of cast iron, but smooth brass or copper rods are
placed a little within the edges to guide the hanks and keep them from
rubbing thereon. The reels; which are by preference of a square form and of
brass or copper, are supported by their inner ends only, so that the hanks can
be easily passed on and off over their outer ends. The reels have a backward
and forward swinging or wiping motion combined with a gradual pro-
gressive motion, and they are turned at intervals on their spindles to shift
round the hanks upon them; and these motions cause the hanks to be
thoroughly washed, and with every part equally acted upon by the time they
have been moved round the trough. The motions described are produced by
two concentric vertical shafts, one of which is tubular and has the other
passing through it. The central shaft is driven slowly round by a worm and
worm wheel below, and has fixed upon it a horizontal dise, upon which the
spindles of the reels are jointed. The tubular shaft is made to turn a short
distance backwards and forwards by means of a lever upon it connected to a
revolving crank; and it has fast on it a horizontal disc or wheel which is
formed with a wedge-shaped groove in the upper side of its rim. Each reel
has fixed on it a pulley with a wedge-shaped edge which enters the groove of
the horizontal wheel. The reels with their pulleys are loose on their spindles,
but the pulleys are formed or fitted with toothed rings on their inner sides into
which locking catches enter and prevent the pulleys from turning except at
the proper times. The locking catches are acted upon by inclined pieces on
the upper horizontal disc, and when they are in gear the grip of the lower or
grooved wheel on the pulleys causes the reels to be swung forwards and then
backwards with the reciprocating motion of that wheel. When the reels
swing backwards their catches come upon the inclined pieces, and are thereby
released, and the reel spindles at the same time coming against stops on the
upper disc, the remaining motion of the grooved wheel causes the pulleys and
reels to turn on their spindles, and to shift round the hanks upon them. As
each reel reaches the end of the trough it is lifted slightly up by its spindle
rising upon a guide arranged for the purpose, and this takes the pulley out of
gear from the wheel groove, and so temporarily prevents it from being swung
forwards and backwards, and from being turned whilst the washed banks are
being removed from it and fresh unwashed hanks are placed on it. Its slow
progressive motion, however, is not interfered with, and it carries the fresh

page_text: hanks forwards into the trough, on reaching which the guide allows the pulley
to descend into gear with the wheel groove, when the swinging and turning
recommence. This temporary stopping of the swinging of one or more of the
reels does not in the least interrupt the swinging motions of the other reels
which go on continuously. The minor details of the machine are obviously
susceptible of considerable modification, and it may be mentioned that the
water may be admitted to and discharged from the trough at other points
besides or instead of those indicated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Pollock and John Stobo in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
POLLOCK, Manager, and JOHN STOBO, Foreman Mechanic, of the Leven Bank
Works, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year of cur Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, IIer heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Pollock and John Stobo, Her special licence that we,
the said William Pollock and John Stobo, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said William Pollock and John Stobo, our
executors, administrators; and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an-Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN. APPARATUS FOR WASHING
YARNS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Pollock and John Stobo, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or, their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Pollock and John Stobo, do
bereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom
panying Drawings, that is to say:
Our said Invention has for its object the washing of yarns in a rapid, con:
tinuous, and convenient manner by means of improved apparatus which is to
a great extent automatic. And in order that our said Invention, and the
'manner of performing the same may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended two Sheets of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to,
and representing our improved apparatus as constructed with practically suc-
cessful proportions and arrangements, and in what we (at present) believe to
be the best manner for the intended purpose.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of the Drawings, is a plan of the machine complete.;
Figure 2 is a vertical section as taken at the line A, A in Figure 1; Figures
3 and 4 are vertical sections of parts of the apparatus, as taken at the lines
B, B, and C, C, respectively; Figure 5, on Sheet 2 of the Drawings, is a
sectional plan; and Figure 6 is a vertical section as taken partly at the line,
D, D, in Figures 1 and 5, and at right angles to Figure 2; Figures 7 and 8,
are a fragmentary plan and vertical section, showing a slightly modified
arrangement of some of the parts.
In the modification of our improved apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 6,
there are a number of horizontal reels 1, for receiving the yarn hanks 2, and
these reels are moved round in a circle like the spokes of a wheel, the banks
hanging down from them into a segmental annular trough 3, which is full
(or nearly full) of water. The trough 3 is represented as formed of cast-iron
plates flanged and bolted together, this being a simple, economical, and con-
venient construction; but it might be made of wood or otherwise if preferred.
The trough 3 is termed segmental in consequence of not forming a complete
circle, there being a deficient part 4, between the radial ends 5, 6, of the trough,
which constitutes a space giving convenient access for arranging the yarn
hanks on the reels, and for taking them off again after they have made the
circuit of the trough. There is a grating at the bottom of the space 4, at or
near the level of the floor or ground to allow the liquid dripping from the
washed hanks to pass into a drain 7 below. The water enters at the delivery
end 5 of the trough, that is, the end whereat the washed hanks are removed,
being admitted by a pipe 8, which communicates with a space divided off by
a partition 9, placed in an inclined position to facilitate the drawing of the
hanks up over the end of the trough, and made of copper to avoid contact of
the hanks with iron. The water passes through the partition 9 into the trough
by several rows of holes near the top, and we prefer that one or two of the
uppermost of these rows of holes should extend only part way across the

page_text: in
trough from the outer side, whilst the lower rows of holes extend quite across,
order that the current at the surface may be a little stronger towards the outer
side of the trough. With the same object, water is also admitted by a perforated
pipe 10, running a short distance along the inner side of the trough, and fed
by preference by a branch pipe 11, 12, at each end, each with a stop-cock giving
complete regulating control over the supply. A stop-cock or sluice 13 is also
of course fitted to the pipe 8 to control the main supply.. The water passes
round the trough in the opposite direction to that of the progressive motion of
the reels 1, with the hanks 2, and is discharged at the end 6, whereat the
hanks are entered, this discharge being by preference by two outlets 14, 15,
at or near the top and bottom respectively. The upper discharge 14, insures
the quick removal of oily matters or scum on the surface, and the herein-
before described arrangements for producing a stronger current towards the
outer side of the trough tend to keep such oily matters or scum away from
the hanks. The bottom outlet 15, on the other hand, insures the discharge of
sedimentary matters. Smooth copper or brass rods 16 are placed somewhat
within the edges of the trough to guide the hanks 2, and keep them from
touching the cast-iron sides; and when the apparatus is specially designed
for washing operations in which much oily matter or scum is set free,, we
prefer to arrange these guide rods 16, and to correspondingly proportion the
reels 1 in the manner shown in Figures 7 and 8, that is, so as to. keep the
banks nearer the inner side of the trough, and thus leave more space for the
oily matters and scum towards the outer side. The banks are protected from
the iron casing of the trough at the entering end 6 by a covering of lead.
The reels 1, which are by preference of the square form shown, and of brass
or copper, are supported by their inner ends only, so that the banks 2 can be
easily passed on and off over their outer ends. The reels have a backward
and forward swinging or wiping motion, combined with a gradual progressive
motion, and they are turned at intervals on their spindles to shift round the
hanks upon them, and these motions cause the hanks to be thoroughly washed
and with every part equally acted upon by the time they have been moved
round the trough. It is, however, important to notice that the swinging or
wiping motion does not take effect on any reel during the time that it is pro-
gressing over the space 4, between the trough ends. The motions described
are produced by two concentric vertical shafts, one 17, of which is tubular and
has the other, 18, passing through it. The central shaft 18 rests on a footstep
bearing on a bed plate 19, and the tubular shaft 17 is supported in a collar
:bearing in a bridgo frame 20, the upper part of which is steadied by tie rods
21, connecting it to the inner vertical casing of the trough 3. The central

page_text: shaft 18 is driven slowly round by a worm 22, and worm wheel 23 below, and
has fixed upon its upper end a horizontal disc 24, upon which the spindles 25
of the reels 1, are jointed. Each spindle is at its inner end hinged so as to
turn vertically to a joint piece 26, which is set so as to turn horizontally upon
a vertical stud or pin fixed in the disc 24. The tubular shaft 17 is made to
turn a short distance backwards and forwards by means of a lever 27 fast on
it, and connected by a double or universal joint to a rod 28, actuated by an
adjustable revolving crank pin 29, and it has fast on it a horizontal disc or wheel
30, which is formed with a wedge-shaped groove in the upper side of its rim.
Each reel 1, has fixed on it a pulley 31, with a wedge-shaped edge, which enters
the groove of the horizontal wheel. The reels 1, with their pulleys 31, are
Hoose on their spindles 25, but the pulleys 31 are formed each with an internal
groove (seen in section at the right-hand side of Figure 2), into which the
wedge-shaped end of a locking lever 32 enters and prevents the pulleys from
turning except at the proper times. The locking catches or levers 32 are
jointed to the spindles 25 at a little distance from the pulleys 31, and their
inner weighted ends formed with tongues projecting down through slots in the
spindles are acted on by inclined pieces 33 fixed on the upper horizontal disc
24, and when they are in gear the grip of the lower or grooved wheel 30 on
the pulleys 31 causes the reels 1 to be swung forwards and then backwards
with the reciprocating motion of that wheel. When the reels 1 swing back-
wards their locking levers 32 come upon the inclined pieces 33, in consequence
of the forward progressive motion of the disc 24, and the pulleys are thereby
-released, and the reel spindles 25 at the same time coming against spring
stops 34, also fixed on the upper disc 24, the remaining backward motion of
the grooved wheel 30 causes the pulleys 31 and reels 1 to turn on their spindles
25, and so shift round the hanks 2 upon them. As each reel 1 reaches the
end 5 of the trough 3; it is lifted slightly up by a collar formed on it,. rising
upon a guide bar 35, arranged for the purpose across the space 4, between
the ends 5, 6, of the trough 3, and this takes the pulley 31 out of gear
from the wheel groove, and so temporarily prevents it from being swung
forwards and backwards whilst the washed hanks are being removed from it,
and fresh unwashed banks are being placed on it. Its slow progressive motion,
however, is not interfered with, and it carries the fresh hanks forward into the
trough, on reaching which the guide 35 allows the pulley 31 to descend into
gear with the grooved wheel 30, whereupon the swinging and turning of that
spindle recommence. This temporary stopping of the swinging of one or
'more of the reels in succession does not in the least interrupt the swinging
motions of the other reels, which go on continuously. The arrangements

page_text: described are obviously such as to permit of the machine being worked con-
tinuously for any length of time; or for as long as there may be hanks to
wash, whilst the hanks can be placed on the reels in an easy quiet way, and
with ample opportunity for spreading and arranging them equally thereon,
so.as. to insure a uniform washing action. We find that suitable and
efficient speeds for the progressive and swinging motions are a revolution of
the upper disc 24, in about two minutes and about thirty-two double or
complete oscillations of the grooved wheel 30 in each minute, and with such a
speed of the grooved wheel, the putting on and taking off of the banks could not
be accomplished in a satisfactory and convenient manner unless the swinging
motion of each reel were stopped at the proper periods for the purpose as
herein-before described.
The driving gearing may be arranged in various ways, but we find what is
shown in the Drawings to answer the purpose conveniently. There is a first-
motion shaft 36, driven from any suitable prime mover, and this shaft has
fast on it a spur wheel 37 in gear with a spur wheel 38 on a second shaft 39,
on the end of which is a disc fitted with the adjustable crank pin 29. A
frictional coupling 40 acted on by a lever 41, serves for putting the shaft 39 in.
gear with the wheel 38, and on the other end of the shaft 39 there is a bevil
pinion 42 in gear with a bevil wheel 43 on a shaft 44, which passes under the
trough 3, and has on its inner end a pinion 45, in gear with a spur wheel 46,
on the shaft of the worm 32. The inner end of the shaft 44 is carried in a
bearing on the central bed plate 9, but the outer end of this shaft and the
other two shafts 36 and 39, are carried in bearings on a bed plate 47 to one
side and below the level of the trough 3.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention and the manner in
which the same is or may be effectively performed, we have to state that we
do not restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated,
and that we do not claim the employing of a combined swinging and pro-
gressive motion, when the swinging is continued completely round the circle,
but that what we believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
1. The constructing, arranging, and actuating of the parts of apparatus for
washing yarns, so that the hanks are carried round a horizontal circular course,
and have a swinging motion imparted to them excepting where they are put
on and taken off substantially as herein-before described.
2. The arranging of the inlets and outlets for the water and the guide rails
substantially as herein-before described. And,
3. The obtaining of a swinging motion combined with a progressive

page_text: motion by means of an oscillating wheel, and a disc driven independently of
the oscillating wheel at a slow continuous uniform rate, substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Pollock and John Stobo, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifth day of February, in the 5
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
WILLIAM POLLOCK. (L.S.)
JOHN STOBO.
(L.S.)