IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRYING WOOL, AND OTHER FIBRE
Year: 1885

page_text: We, JOE BOOTH WHITELEY and WILLIAM WHITELEY, of the firm of William
Whiteley and Sons, Lockwood, near Huddersfield; Yorkshire, Machine Makers, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR
DRYING WOOL, AND OTHER FIBRE," to be as follows:-
Our Invention has reference to that description of wool drying machine for
which Letters Patent were granted to Frederick Moore bearing date the 20th of
June A.D. 1874 N° 2150 which machine consists of two or more endless travelling
aprons or rows of rollers placed horizontally, and employed for carrying the fibre
backward and forward through a heated chamber.
"
In order to lift the fibre from the bottom row of rollers on the top row, a certain
rotary spiked cylinder called a." bumbling" cylinder is employed which lifts the
fibre from bottom rollers to top. In practice we have found that this spiked
cylinder takes hold of the fibre at the bottom, but that all the fibre does not leave
the spikes when descending, consequently some portions of it was taken round
by the cylinder which rolled or felted the said fibre, instead of being thrown onto
the upper row of rollers.
$
To prevent this is the object of our Invention, which we accomplish by employing
a cylinder provided with two or more rows of moveable spikes, which are capable
of protruding beyond the periphery of the cylinder for the purpose of lifting the
fibre, and receding within the cylinder so as to get beyond the periphery when
delivering the fibre onto the top row of rollers, consequently as the spikes withdraw
so that their points pass within the surface of the cylinder all the fibre which was
being carried around thereby will drop onto the top row of rollers, by which means
no fibre can be carried around a full revolution, consequently the fibre will be better
distributed.
As soon as the rotary cylinder gets into position again, the spikes therein com-
mence to protrude again, so as to catch hold of a fresh supply of fibre.
The means we employ for automatically causing the spikes to withdraw and
project beyond the surface of the "bumbler" cylinder is somewhat as follows;-
The spikes are attached to any suitable number of bars placed parallel with the
axis of the cylinder, and these bars are connected to other bars, or rods, which are
lifted in one direction by tappits, and in the opposite direction by spiral springs;
or the said spiked bars may be operated in both directions by cams, but in any case
the spikes are arranged to project beyond and withdraw within the "bumbling"
cylinder at a given time, so as to ensure the fibre dropping onto the top row of
rollers, and prevented from being carried around a full revolution as explained.
BOLL JA. 10OK
"

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Drying Wool and other Fibre.
We, JOE BOOTH WHITELEY and WILLIAM WHITELEY of the firm of- Williain
Whiteley and Sons, Lockwood, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Machine Makers
do. hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRE 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 that description of wool drying machine for
which Letters Patent were granted to Frederick Moore bearing date the 20th of
June A.D. 1874 N° 2150 which machine consists of two or more endless travelling
aprons or rows of rollers placed horizontally and employed for carrying the fibre
backward and forward through a heated chamber.
In order to lift the fibre from the bottom row of rollers onto the top row, a
certain rotary spiked cylinder called a "bumbling" cylinder is employed which
lifts the fibre from bottom row of rollers to top row of rollers.
In practice we have found that this spiked cylinder takes hold of the fibre at
the bottom, but that all the fibre does not leave the spikes when descending con-
sequently some portions of it was taken around by the cylinder which rolled or
felted the said fibre instead of being thrown onto the upper row of rollers.
To prevent this is the object of our invention, which we accomplish by employing
a cylinder provided with two or more rows of moveable spikes, which are capable
of protruding beyond the periphery of the cylinder for the purpose of lifting the
fibre, and receding within the cylinder so as to get beyond the periphery when
delivering the fibre onto the top row of rollers, consequently as the spikes withdraw
so that their points pass within the surface of the cylinder, all the fibre which was
being carried around thereby will drop onto the top row of rollers by which means
-no fibre can be carried around a full revolution, consequently the fibre will be
better distributed.
As soon as the rotary cylinder gets into position again, the spikes therein com-
mence to protrude again, so as to catch hold of a fresh supply of fibre.
Such being the nature and object of our Invention we will now describe the
same more fully and for that purpose make reference to the accompanying sheet of
drawings wherein Fig. 1 is section of so much of a "Moore's Wool dryer" as is
necessary to shew our improvements; and Fig. 2 is sectional plan of same taken
through line a, b of Fig. 1. c is framing of machine, d bottom row of rollers, e top
_row of rollers, all of which rollers have rotary motion given to them for carring
the fibre backward and forward through the machine, and f is the "bumbling
cylinder employed as hereinafter explained to lift the fibre from the bottom row of
rollers onto the top row of rollers, whereby the fibre is continuously carried through
the machine and is thoroughly agitated and dried thereby.
"
Hitherto this" bumbling" cylinder has had rows of spikes fixed to the outside
of it, for lifting the fibre but as explained in the commencement of this Specification
the spikes did not deliver the fibre satisfactorily.

page_text: We now propose to dispense with fixed spikes and use instead thereof rows of
moveable spikes g and h which are attached by nuts or other means to the bars j
placed parallel with the axis k of the "bumbling" cylinder and are provided at
their outer extremities with bowls or runners which work within a cam groove m
fixed to the inner side of the frame c or to some other convenient stationary part.
The bars are passed within slots or openings n made in what may be considered
the arms o of the "bumbling" cylinder so that as the said cylinder revolves the
said bars are carried around with the cylinder and as the cam groove is stationary
it will be understood that the bars will be moved further from and nearer to the
centre of the "bumbling" cylinder according to the cam, the slots n in the arms o
allowing the bars j to reciprocate backward and forward in doing which the
spikes g and h will be caused to project first beyond the surface of the cylinder
and then drawn within according to shape and position of the can, which for our
purpose one row of spikes are arranged to occupy a projecting position when
passing over and in contact with fibre on the bottom row of rollers, and to remain
in that projecting position until approaching the upper row of rollers, when the
shape of the cam groove causes the spikes to withdraw as shewn in the drawings,
by which means all the fibre which the spikes were carrying around will drop onto
the upper row of rollers, consequently none of the fibre is taken back as is now
the case, thus the machine is made more effective.
Instead of employing cam grooves to both force the spikes out and withdraw
them back strong spiral springs may be employed to perform one of those motions,
but in any case the spikes are arranged to project beyond and withdraw within
the "bumbling" cylinder at a given time so as to ensure the fibre dropping onto
the top row of rollers and prevented thereby from being carried around a full
revolution as explained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
Firstly. In a fibre drying machine having a cylinder to lift the fibre from a low
level to a higher level, the employment of spikes which at one time project beyond
the periphery of the cylinder, and at another time are drawn within the said
cylinder in manner and for purposes substantially as herein shewn and described.
Secondly. The means substantially as herein shewn and described for causing
the spikes and h to operate in a radiating direction from the axis of the
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bumbling" cylinder.