IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas John Mullings of 16 George Street Mansion
House within the city of London Gentleman and William Whiteley of the
firm of William Whiteley & Sons of Lockwood near Huddersfield in the
Countr
2
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas John Mullings &
William Whiteley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
1st May 1882.
THOMAS JOHN MULLINGS of 16 George Street, Mansion House within the City
of London Gentleman and WILLIAM WHITELEY, of the firm of William Whiteley
& Sons of Lockwood near Huddersfield in the County of York machine makers
IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN WASHING WOOL
AND OTHER FIBRES
£6
"
This Invention has reference to Machinery employed in washing wool and other
fibres In this class of inachines reciprocatory forks are employed for feeding or
working the Wool forward from the feeding end of the machine to the Delivery
end and in practice it is found that as some kinds of Wool require more washing
than others two and sometimes three or more machines are employed placed end
to end so that the fibre is fed forward by a travelling apron from the delivery
end of the first Machine into the feeding end of the second Machine and from the
second to the third Machine by which time if the wool be not cleansed of its
impurities it has to be carried to the feeding end of the first Machine and the
operation repeated
The object of our invention is to construct and arrange apparatus which shall
receive the Wool from the delivery end of the Machine and carry it back to the
feeding end of the same Machine as many times as is required to wash the Wool
and this it shall do without disturbing or crossing the fibres thereof.

page_text: Our Improvements consist in the employment of two travelling endless aprons
working in contact with each other for receiving the fibre from the nipping or
delivery rollers of Wool washing Machines which carry it forward over the Machine
and drop it into the feeding end where it is again dropped back by the reciprocatory
forks to the other end of the Machine and this is done as many times as is
required to cleanse the Wool When the Wool is sufficiently clean and ready to
leave the Machine one of the travelling aprons is capable of being lowered from
contact with the other one so that instead of the Wool being carried around to the
feeding end again it is allowed to leave the Machine
By these means only one Machine is required to cleanse the Wool instead of
two, three or more consequently cost room and power are considerably reduced
whilst the fibre is better preserved by being allowed to leave the machine
immediately the proper condition is attained

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas John Mullings & William Whiteley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st November 1882.
THOMAS JOHN MULLINGS of 16 George Street, Mansion House, within the city
of London Gentleman and WILLIAM WHITELEY of the firm of Willian Whiteley
and Sons of Lockwood, near Huddersfield in the county of York Machine Makers
" IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN WASHING WOOL
AND OTHER FIBRES
"
This Invention has reference to machinery employed in washing wool and other
fibres. In this class of machines, reciprocatory forks are employed for feeding or
working the wool forward from the feeding end to the delivery end, and in
practice it is found that as some kinds of wool require more washing than others,
two or more machines being employed, placed end to end, so that the fibre is fed
forward by a travelling apron from the delivery end of the first machine into the
feeding end of the second machine, and from the second to the third machine by
which time if the wool be not cleansed of its impurities it has to be carried back
to the feeding end of the first machine and the operation repeated.
The object of our Invention is to construct and arrange apparatus which shall
receive the wool from the delivery end of the machine and carry it back to the
feeding end of the same, as many times as is required to wash the wool, and this
it shall do without disturbing or crossing the fibres thereof.
Our Improvements consist in the employment of two travelling endless aprons
working in contact with each other for receiving the fibre from the nipping or
delivery rollers of wool washing machines which carry it backward over the
machine and drop it into the feeding end, where it is again worked forward by
the reciprocatory forks to the other end of the machine and this is done as many
times as is required to cleanse the wool. When the wool is sufficiently clean and
ready to leave the machine one of the travelling aprons is lowered from contact
with the other one, so that instead of the wool being carried backward to the
feeding end again it is allowed to leave the machine.
By these means only one machine is required to cleanse the wool instead of
two, or more, consequently cost, room, and power are considerably reduced whilst
the fibre is better preserved by being allowed to leave the machine immediately
the proper condition is attained.
In order that our Invention may be more distinctly understood we herein give
reference to the accompanying sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof.
Fig 1 is a side elevation of a wool washing machine and Fig 2 is a front end
elevation thereof. Figs 3 and 4 are details. A is the ordinary cistern or trough
wherein the wool is first washed; being introduced at the end B and carried
forwards by the usual reciprocatory series of forks C, until it reaches the delivery
or squeezing rollers D. Instead of passing forward to a second machine the wool
on reaching the delivery_rollers travels up the endless sheet E from which it is
transferred to the sheet F which carries it back to the feeding end of the machine
and this operation may be repeated any number of times without disturbing,
entangling or felting the fibres. When the wool has been sufficiently washed the
roller c is lowered to the position shewn in Figs 3 and 4 and the wool instead of
being transferred to the sheet F is removed from the machine.
The endless sheets E and F are mounted as follows-
The sheet E passes round rollers a, b and c which are mounted in parallel
bearings, the roller c being carried in arms & which are fixed upon the shaft e the
roller b running loose thereon.

page_text: On the shaft e is also fixed a catch wheel f and a handle or spider g by means
of which the sheet E may be raised into contact with the sheet F or lowered
therefrom as may be required, being retained in either position by the catch H.
The sheet F passes over the series of rollers J all of which are mounted in
stationary bearings. K is a roller, mounted in lever arms L for preserving the
tension of the sheet E when the wool is leaving the machine, the pressure being
regulated by the springs M.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention we would have it understood
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details of construction or arrange-
ment herein shewn and described as the same may be varied but what we claim as
our Invention and consider to be new is-
The employment of the two endless sheets E and F for traversing the wool or
other material from end to end of the machine and ejecting the same therefrom in
manner substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I the said William Whiteley for and on behalf of
myself and the said Thomas John Mullings, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two
WILLIAM WHITELEY. (L.S.)