Improvements in Machinery for Drying Wool and other Fibres and Fabrics.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Drying Wool and other Fibres and
Fabrics.
We, WILLIAM BROADBENT and HORACE BROADBENT trading as Thomas Broadbent
and Sons, of Chapel Hill, Huddersfield, in the County of York, Machine Makers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has reference to means to be employed for drying wool and other
fibres and fabrics.
According to our invention we employ any ordinary form of centrifugal machine
or hydro-extractor used for extracting moisture from yarn and other materials or
substances, but for the purpose of drying wool and other fibre according to our inven-
tion we place the hydro-extractor in communication with heated air, which we draw or
blow through the hydro-extractor and through the fibre contained therein. The
machine is provided with a lid or funnel, connected to a suitable arrangement of pipes
capable of swinging or being moved upon a suitable form of fulcrum, so that the said
lid together with the heat conducting pipes, can be moved away from the top of the
hydro-extractor for the purpose of enabling the wool to be placed into the machine
and removed therefrom, therefore when wool has been scoured and washed, it is placed
into the hydro-extractor to have the water or moisture removed from it in the ordinary
way, but instead of removing the wool, as is now the case, from the hydro-extractor
to be conveyed to a separate machine for drying the wool, it is our intention to put
the funnel or lid into the machine, and to slacken its speed, and whilst the wool is
being carried around by the revolving cage, hot air is being blown or drawn through
the fibre, and as the wool is in a loose condition, the hot air is free to penetrate all
parts of the fibre, whereby it can be thoroughly dried.
As these machines run at a high velocity, there is considerable vibration of the
parts; in order therefore to vibrate and not disturb the pipes employed to conduct
the hot air to the machine, we place between the funnel and the said heat conducting
pipes a short flexible pipe or tubing, which yields and gives way to the vibration of
the machine.
By employing a centrifugal machine or hydro-extractor, in combination with hot
air, for the double purposes of removing the moisture and drying the fibre, a con-
siderable saving of time and labour will be effected, in addition to which the fibre
leaves the machine in a loose disentangled state, without the felting and knotting which
it receives under some systems of drying.
Although we prefer to admit the heated air through the funnel over the centre of
the machine, as described, heated air may enter through the outer casing of the
machine;
and instead of using heated air, cold air may be admitted either alone or
in combination with the heated air.
Dated this 15th day of November 1889.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Drying Wool and other Fibres and
Fabrics.
We, WILLIAM BROADBENT and HORACE BROADBENT, trading as Thomas Broadbent
& Sons, of Chapel Hill, Huddersfield, in the County of York, Machine Makers, 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:-
Our invention has reference to means to be employed for drying wool and other
fibres and fabrics.
According to our invention, we employ any ordinary form of centrifugal machine
or hydro-extractor used for extracting moisture from yarn and other materials or
substances, but for the purpose of drying wool and other fibre in such machine, we
place the hydro-extractor in communication with flues or pipes containing heated air,
which we draw or blow through the hydro-extractor and through the fibre contained
therein. The cage or machine is provided with a lid or funnel, connected to a suitable
arrangement of pipes capable of swinging or being moved upon a suitable form of
fulcrum so that the said lid, together with the heat conducting pipes, can be moved
away from the top of the hydro-extractor for the purpose of enabling the fibre to be
placed into the machine and removed therefrom.
Such being the nature and object of our invention, we will now proceed to describe
the same more fully, and for that purpose make reference to the accompanying sheet
of drawings illustrative thereof, wherein Fig. 1 is sectional elevation of such parts of
a centrifugal machine or hydro-extractor as are necessary to shew the application of
our invention thereto. A represents the outer shell or casing of the machine, which is
stationary. B represents the cage which contains the fibre or other materials to be
dried, which cage is driven at a high velocity, arranged and driven in the ordinary
manner. C is a lid or funnel employed to cover the revolving cage and in combination
with this funnel we connect a suitable arrangement of one or more pipes D placed
in communication with hot air pipes E and cold air pipes F. When wool or other
fibre has been scoured and washed by any well known process, it is placed into the
cage B of the hydro-extractor, whereupon the cage is revolved at a high speed for
the purpose of removing the water or moisture from the said fibre, but instead of
such fibre being removed from the cage (for drying it) after the moisture has been
extracted by centrifugal motion caused by the high speed of the cage, we place the
funnel or cover D on to the cage and slacken the speed thereof, and whilst the wool
is being thus carried around by the revolving cage, hot air is heing blown or drawn
through the feed pipes E, and through the fibre contained-in-the-cage, and as the
said fibre is in a loose condition, the hot air is free to penetrate all parts of the fibre,
whereby it is thoroughly dried.
As these machines revolve at a high speed, there is necessarily considerable
vibration of the parts, therefore in order to allow such vibration and yet not disturb
the pipe D, we place between the funnel and the pipe Da short flexible pipe or
tube G which will yield and give way to the vibration of the machine. The short
pipe G is connected to the metallic pipes by ordinary flanges or stuffing boxes H.
To permit the funnel or lid C to be taken off the cage when it is necessary to
remove the fibre therefrom or introduce fresh fibre, we insert one end of the pipe D
into the top of the vertical pipe I and by means of the flange J the pipe D is borne
upon another flange formed on the top of the pipe I upon which it can oscillate so
that the lid may be taken away, a weight K being employed to counterbalance the
parts, and when required the lid C and pipe D can be raised out of the way, being
assisted therein by the chain L and weight M.
If desired, cold air may be passed through the cage and fibre, and instead of the
cage revolving it may be stationary.

page_text: By employing a centrifugal machine or hydro-extractor, in combination with hot
or cold air, for the double purposes of removing the moisture and drying the fibre,
a considerable saving of time and labour will be effected, in addition to which the
fibre leaves the machine in a loose disentangled state, without the felting and knotting
which it receives under some systems of drying.
Although
we prefer to admit the heated air through the funnel over the centre of
the machine, as described, heated air may enter through the outer casing of the
machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
Firstly. The drying of wool or other fibre by passing hot or cold air through the
cage of a centrifugal machine, substantially as described.
Secondly. In a centrifugal machine, having pipes for conducting air thereto, the
use of a yielding tube or equivalent device to lessen or prevent vibration of the
said air pipes, in manner as described and shewn in the drawings.
Thirdly. In a centrifugal machine, having pipes for conducting air thereto, the
means or method substantially as herein shewn and described, whereby the lid or
funnel and air conducting pipes may be raised and moved laterally out of position.
Dated this 12th day of August 1890.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.