IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR PROALATION
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McNaught and William M'Naught, junior,
both of St. George's Foundry, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McNaught and
William M'Naught at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
with their Petition, on the 1st March 1871.
We, JOHN M'Naught and WILLIAM M NAUG¤t, junior, both of St.
George's Foundry, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
1
Firstly. Our improvements relate to arrangements and mechanism for
lifting wool and like materials from the washing trough and delivering
it to other mechanism by which it is taken forward to the squeezing or
delivery rollers, and consists of a drum or frame rotating upon a hori-
zontal axis having rows of prongs on its circumference at regular
intervals, the points of the prongs rotating close to the false bottom of

page_text: the trough which is shaped to conform to the path of the points of the
said prongs. The drum or frame is rotated intermittently, stopping and
standing, when cach row of prongs arrives at a suitable position, while
a reciprocating frame armed with teeth draws the material from off the
prongs up an incline leading to the squeezing rollers.
Secondly. Our Invention relates to arrangements for passing when
required the washing liquor from the trough of one washing machine to
that of another, when such machines are placed upon the same level
without the use of pumps, and consists in using a steam jet for the
purpose by arranging within the communicating pipe passing between
the machines the nozzle of a small pipe so as to send a central or
annualar jet of steam into or through the pipe in the direction in which
the liquor is required to travel, or the steam jet may be made to act
entirely by suction.
Thirdly. Our Invention relates to arrangements by which washing
machines may feed one into the other, even when placed at a right anglo
or parallel to each other, and consists in making the delivery brattice
or creeper of one machine to come over the feeding brattice of the
other machine, the width of the delivery brattice or creeper being made
up of a series of narrow strips or belts, the narrow belt on one side
extending to the furthest side, and the narrow belt at the other side to
the nearest side of the receiving brattice, while the intermediate belts
are of diminishing lengths from the longest to the shortest; by this
means the material delivered by one brattice is spread over the whole
width of the other brattice. In place of the above a series of conical:
rollers may be used placed close to each other so as to rotate all in the
same direction, driven at a uniform or accelerated speed. Or a recipro-
cating frame armed with teeth mounted on an axis or otherwise may be
used to drag the material from the delivery of one machine to the feed
of the other machine over a table, this frame lifting the teeth over the
material in its back movement. The mechanism may act below the
table, the teeth coming through suitable slots in it. The material from
the delivery brattice of one machine may also be spread upon the
feeding brattice of the other machine by making part of the delivery
brattice to ascillate to and fro across the receiving brattice, the material
being kept against the spreading brattice until delivered by a supple-
mentary brattice working in contact with tho spreading brattice, or
this spreading may be effected by inclined surfaces which will conduct

page_text: the material from the delivery brattice over the whole width of the
receiving brattice.
Fourthly. Our Invention relates to our combined steeping trough and
washing machine, and consists in arranging so that the steeping trough
may forin part of a curve in relation to the washing machine when
required, and consists in forming the frame arined with teeth for pro-
pelling the wool in a curve and mounting it so as to be reciprocated in a
curve on a vertical axis or otherwise.
Fifthly. Our Invention relates to our combined washing and opening
machine, which latter acts upon the wool immediately after it has
passed through the squeezing rollers, and consists in receiving the wool
from the opener upon an endless apron or creeper which carries it
through a box or chamber, where it is exposed to the action of heated
air until it is dry and ready for the subsequent processes of manufacture.
Hot air may be introduced into the opener so as to carry the wool
delived along a box or trunk of sufficient length to give time for the
wool to be discharged from it in a dry state.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John McNaught and William McNaught in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JOHN
MCNAUGHT and WILLIAM MCNAUGHT, junior, both of St. George's
Foundry, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, send
grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John McNaught and William McNaught, junior,
Her special license that we, the said John McNaught and William
McNaught, junior, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John McNaught and William McNaught,
junior, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might

page_text: 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND DRYING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said John M'Naught and William M.Naught, junior, by
an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and scal of one of us, should particularly describo and ascertain the
naturo of tho 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 immediately after the date
of the said Lellers Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Jolu M'Naught and William
M'Naught, junior, do hereby 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 by the following statement, and the
accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
Firstly. Our improvements relate to arrangements and mechanism for
lifting wool and like materials from the washing trough and delivering
it to other mechanism by which it is taken forward to the squeezing or
delivery rollers, and consists of a drum or frame rotating upon a hori-
zontal axis having rows of prongs on its circumference at regular intervals,
the points of the prongs rotating close to the false bottom of the trough
which is shaped to conform to the path of the points of the said prongs.
The drum or frame is rotated intermittently, stopping and standing when
cach row of prongs arrives at a suitable position, while a reciprocating
frame armed with teeth draws the material from off the prongs up an
Incline leading to the squeezing rollers. This improvement is illustrated
by Fig. 1a partial longitudinal section of a washing machine; a is the
washing trough; b, the rotating drum or frame, having rows of prongs
' extending across it parallel to its axis. The drum is shown in one
of the positions in which it stands after each movement, with one row
of prongs nearly on a level with the lower end of the incline c, up which
the wool is dragged. The drum or frame is rotated intermittently by
means of a ratchet wheel (shown in dotted line) on one end of its axis,
upon which an arm d oscillates freely, that carries a pawl that works
upon the ratchet wheel which has as many teeth as there are rows of
prongs upon the drum; a retaining pawl is also employed to prevent
the drum from turning backward. The arm & carrying the ratchet

page_text: pawl is connected with one end of a rod e (shown in peculiar dotted
line), the other end of which works upon a crank f, upon one of the
shafts that actuates the reciprocating frame, armed with teeth, which
frame drags the wool from the teeth of the drum, the end teeth of the
reciprocating frame passing between the teeth upon the drum. The
reciprocating frame is actuated as described in Specification of our
Patent No. 2772, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy.
"
Secondly. Our Invention relates to arrangements for passing, when
required, the washing liquor from the trough of one washing machine
to that of another, when such machines are placed upon the same level
without the use of pumps, and consists in using a steam or other fluid
jet" for the purpose, by arranging within the communicating pipe,
passing between the machines, the nozzle of a small pipe so as to send
a central or annular jet of steam or other fluid under pressure into and
through the pipe in the direction in which the liquor is required to
travel, or the steam or other fluid jet may be made to act entirely by
suction.
Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, illustrate the mode of carrying this improvement
into effect; Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation showing parts of two
washing machines, m* is one washing trough, m is another washing
trough upon the same level, and the apparatus is supposed to be
arranged to pass the liquor from the trough m* to the trough m through
the pipe connecting the two troughs, in which pipe there is or may
be a valve or cock, if desired, to shut off the connection between the two
troughs; is a nozzle for the steam or other fluid, ³ the cock or valve,
and the supply pipe for the same; Fig. 3 is a section and shows
another arrangement of nozzle u which may be placed midway of the
connecting pipe t, if desired; Fig. 4 is a section and shows another
arrangement of the nozzle which acts to draw the liquor along the
connecting pipet and force it into the trough; m being the bottom of
the receiving trough; Fig. 5 is a section, and shows how an annular jet
of steam or other fluid may be applied for propelling the liquor through
the pipe from one washing trough to another. Water under pressure
may be used, if required, as the propelling fluid, but we prefer to use
steam which heats without diluting the scouring liquor too much.
Thirdly. Our Invention relates to arrangements by which washing
machines may be made to feed one into the other even when placed

page_text: at a right angle or parallel to each other, and consists in making the
delivery brattice or creeper of one machine come over the feeding
brattice of the other machine, the width of the delivery brattice or creeper
being made up of a series of narrow strips or belts, the narrow belt on
one side extending to the furthest side, and the narrow belt at the other
side to the nearest side of the receiving brattice, while the intermediate
belt or belts are of diminishing lengths from the longest to the shortest;
by this means the material delivered by one brattice is spread over the
whole width of the other (the receiving) brattice.
Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating this part of our Invention, and where
two machines are supposed to be placed parallel to each other; g are the
delivery squeezing rollers of one machine, and j the feeding brattice of
the other machine. The delivery brattice is made up (as illustrated)
of three belts h, h³, and h², all driven from one shaft ; the other ends
of the belts work upon pulleys on a shaft h', free to rotate, or upon
pulleys working free upon studs and fixed in the side framing,
the brattice works above and delivers upon an intermediato brattico i, i',
and &, arranged in like manner and driven by the shaft, and this latter
biattice works above and delivers upon the feeding brattice j, all three
brattices h, i, and j are driven from a strap working upon the pulley /
secured upon the shaft which drives the three brattices as shown.
Fourthly. Our Invention relates to our combined washing and opening
machine, which latter acts upon the wool immediately after it has passed
through the squeezing rollers, and consists in receiving the wool from
the opener upon an endless apron or creeper, which carrics it through a
box or chamber where it is exposed to the action of air which we prefer
should be heated. The heated air is introduced into the "opener" so
as to carry the wool delivered along the said box or trunk which is of
sufficient length to give time for the wool to be discharged from it in a
dry state ready for the subsequent processes of manufacture.
This part of our Invention is illustrated by Fig. 7, a side sectional
clevation, where g are the squeezing rollers; 4, the casing of the opener;
, a pipe which conveys the heated air to the opener. The pipe is made
to branch into two, one branch on each side of the casing 1, so as to
cuter at the centre of the two ends of the drum or cylinder which 3
carries the teeth of the opener, and the inner arms of the drum have
centrifugal fan vanes fixed to them to throw the air outward from the
toothed cylinder in which there are slits or openings, or it is left wholly

page_text: open for the outward passage of the air, the teeth of the opener in the
latter case being fixed in cross bars secured to the arms carrying the
vancs.
If desired the air may be forced into the opener by a centrifugal fan,
or may be partly forced in by a centrifugal fan and partly drawn in by
the centrifugal action of the vancs secured to the arms of the opener.
The wool delivered along with the current of air is received into a box
or trunk of any suitable length, which may be horizontal or inclined,
and an endless brattice is arranged in the trunk to carry forward and
deliver the wool.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention and
the manner of carrying it into effect, and claim as our Invention,-
Firstly. The combination of an intermittently rotating drum or frame
having rows of teeth with a reciprocating frame armed with teeth for
lifting and delivering wool and like materials from the trough of washing
machines, substantially as hercin-before described.
Secondly. The combination with washing machines of a steam or
other fluid jet for transferring the scouring liquor from one washing
trough to another, substantially as hercin-before described.
Thirdly. The arrangement and combination with washing machines
of brattices or creepers in narrow strips or belts for transferring wool
or like material from one washing machine trough to another when
placed at an angle or parallel to each other, substantially as hercin-
before described.
"
Fourthly. The combination of an air blast (heated or not) with an
opener" when combined with a washing machine, substantially as and
purpose herein-before described.
for the
In witness whereof, I, the said John McNaught, on my own behalf
and on behalf of the said William McNaught, junior, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-ninth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.