IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOL WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No 11 Wellington Street, Strand, London, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOL WASHING MACHINES (a communication
from Henry Cooper Walker of Number 553 Jessie Street, San Francisco, California,
one of the United States of America, Pattern Maker) and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :―
My improvements relate to novel mechanism for operating the reciprocating or
swinging forks of wool washing machines; to the combination with the washing
tank of a set of squeezing rolls applied to operate in the tank beneath the surface
of the washing liquid; and to certain improved construction of adjustable bearings
for the swinging forks.
In respect to the first part of my said improvements my invention consists in
employing and arranging a set of guide surfaces or tracks along the side of the
tank of a wool washing machine either inside or on the outside of the tank in such
relation to a reciprocating or swinging fork head that the movements of the fork
in a vertical arc are controlled by the action of the guides or tracks upon a lever
arm connected to the head of the fork and carrying on its free end a roller to
travel on these surfaces. This improvement includes the combination of fixed
guides or tracks and binged or lifting sections at the point of intersection of one
guide or track with another.
In respect to the second part of my improvements the invention consists in
placing a set of squeezing rolls within the tank between two reciprocating or
swinging forks and in a position of submergence in the washing liquid; also in
arranging an inclined apron below the surface and in relation to these squeezing
rolls to direct the wool into the rolls.
The third part of my said improvements consists in a novel construction of
sliding fork-arm socket or bearing baving adjustment in two directions; and,
finally, my improvements consist in the general construction and combination of;
parts herein described producing an improved wool-washing machine.
In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1, is a side elevation in longitudinal
section through the tank and the delivery rolls by which the washed wool ia
ID 11
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page_text: discharged into another tank or an adjacent receptacle for further treatment as is
customary. Figure 2, is a cross section at the line x, x, figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are cross sections at the lines y, y, and z, 2, figure 1 respectively;
Figure 5 is a top view at the centre of the tank in the vicinity of the fork-arms;
Figure 6 shows in detail the adjustable sockets or bearings for the fork arms.
Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating the form and arrangement of the guides
or tracks to produce the required movements of the fork head, showing the
character of these movements and the path each fork is caused to take-both the
more complicated motion of the principal fork and the simpler one described by
the auxiliary fork.
A represents a suitable tank with a perforated floor A* above the bottom to
support the wool over the lower part where the dirt and impurities settle and
collect. B, b, B*, b', are two fixed guides or tracks formed of bars or rails of wood
or metal placed along the side A** of the tank either directly against the sides on
the inside or the outside, or secured to the inner side of a narrow compartment, a,
that is produced by fixing additional side pieces a*, a*, a small distance away from
the side of the tank. This latter construction where the guides are placed outside
the liquid is preferable, as there is no liability of the wool catching into the
mechanism. The fork head is a rod, G set with tines g and pivoted at 8, 8, in the
lower end of the frame H, H, so as to oscillate or swing vertically on these centers.
The frame is suspended from the rock shaft h² in the uprights A² so as to
oscillate from that point longitudinally. The ends of the head G are carried out
to the sides of the tank a sufficient distance, and have lever arms E, E, fixed to
them to project perpendicularly from the rod G with traction rollers e, e, on the
free ends to engage and travel on the fixed guides. As there are sets of guides on
both sides of the tank the fork-head is acted on at both ends, so that the move-
ments take place more evenly and with less strain upon the fork, particularly
when loaded, than where one set of guides and a single arm alone would be used.
In the oscillation of the fork-head from a center above the tank the roller arms
engage with the guides or tracks and produce a peculiar movement of the fork in
a vertical arc-the combination of which with the general swing or sweep carries
the point of the fork in a path that brings the tines g into the best position for
picking up, draining, carrying forward and depositing the wool out of and from
the washing liquid on to the inclined endless apron or rolls that carry the wool to
the discharge rolls at the end of the tank. The guides or tracks are composed of a
combination of straight and horizontal, curved and inclined rails or strips of wood
or metal. The variation in the length of these portions, the degree of inclination
and the abruptness of the curves or deflections change the character of the move-
ments at the point of the fork.
The guide B, b, operates on the fork head during the forward swing to produce
an abruptly descending sweep and then a gradually ascending movement from that
part of the tank where the squeeze-rolls are set up to the forward end where the
inclined apron D, D, is placed. This guide is composed of the acutely inclined
portion b and the gradually inclined part B, B, turning upward from the bottom of
the short incline b. This part of the guide is not a continuous rail but is divided
at the point where the other guide B*, b', crosses over this guide, and the space
between the two parts B, B, is filled by a hinged section of rail F which when
turned down joins the two parts and makes a continuous rail.
The guide, B* 61 acts upon the fork-head on the return movement, and as it is
intended to carry the fork back in a more elevated position to clear the wool in
the liquid beneath it has a more nearly horizontal position. The parts composing
this guide B*, b', are the sections B*, B*, and the nearly horizontal portion -61.
Between the part B* and this part b₁ is a break which is bridged by the hinged
section F*
The form and arrangement of these guides and hinged sections will be understood
from the detail views and 7 of the drawings. In figure 7 the roller e¹, is in the
act of passing along the guide B, b, at. the point where it intersects the guide B

page_text: and is running under the hinged section F* and over the section F. The lower
rail B* at the higher end of the track extends beyond the end of the rail B above
it, so that when the fork-head roller (e) runs off this end of the rail B it drops
down upon the rail B*. This takes place at the end of the forward movement and
the fork head roller then follows back along the guide B* 61 to the opposite end
where it drops down upon the acutely inclined and curved rail b of the other guide.
In traveling down the portion B* at the higher end the roller lifts the hinged
section, F, and runs under it to the section Fx, and thence over b¹ to the rail B*.
The position of the fork head roller at several points in this forward movement
is indicated at e, ei; e, e³, figure 7, and the path of the fork by the broken line x.
At the point of intersection where the two guides cross each other their positions
become reversed and the guide, b B, is above the guide B*; but below this point
the guide B* is above the other. The sections, F*, F, are hinged to the fixed rails
at, f, to drop freely into place after the roller e has lifted and passed under them.
The fork G is attached to the end of upright swinging bars, H, H, supported
from a center of oscillation over the, tank, and is driven by suitable means such as
a crank or an eccentric and a connecting rod H*. A number of these forks may
be coupled together, and the length of the tank and number of forks employed
will determine the length of stroke. In figures 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings
there are shown two forks, but the rear one has a much simpler movement than
the head fork because it is required to move the wool forward to the squeeze rolls
without lifting it out of the liquid, whereas the head fork not only carries the wool
forward through the liquid but also raises it up and deposits it upon the discharge
rolls D. The more simple movements of the rear fork are therefore produced
without the use of the guides, and from the movements of a crank shaft M, M.
The oscillating movement of the headfork is also produced from this same shaft,
for which purpose it has the two cranks M*, M*, that have the connecting-rods H* of
the fork-frame attached to them, and between these cranks a shorter crank for the
rear fork. The rods N, N, of this fork head N* are fixed in boxes m³, m³, on the
crank m,
and at the upper ends the rods pass through swivelled sockets, P, P,
supported by a cross head above the crank. The effect of the movements produced
by the crank and the pivoted sockets through which the rods slide is to make the
fork tines describe a path of the form shown by the broken line x figure 8. The
construction and arrangement of the swivelled sockets are shown in figures 4, 5
and 6 of the drawings. The socket P is a tube large enough for the rod N to slide
through and is held in the forked end of an arm p* by pivot screws p³.
The arm is held on the crosshead bar K' by a box P3 having a slot through
which the arm may slide and also provided with a set screw to fix the arm.
The bar K is supported by brackets A in which the ends are held by clamping
screws.
The arms P are thus made adjustable in length to throw the rods N to or from
the perpendicular, and an adjustment of these points P in a vertical direction is
also produced by turning the bar K2 around in its bearings in the brackets A* in
one direction or the other to raise or depress the outer ends of the arms p*. When
thus adjusted the position is maintained by tightening the clamping screws.
Such
changes in the position of the sockets, P, will be found to modify or vary the
character of movement given by the crank m to the fork tines N*.
The rolls, L, L, are squeeze rolls through which the wool while immersed in
the washing liquid is drawn and subjected to pressure, the degree of which
is susceptible of being increased or diminished, as the upper one of the rolls is
mounted in adjustable bearings.
The two rolls are geared together by spur gears, I, I*, and are driven by a belt
and pulley J. These rolls operate to press out the liquid and with it the dirt and
matter which the liquid has loosened from-the fibres during the time the wool has
been immersed in and drawn through the liquid in front of the rolls.
The operation is carried on beneath the surface of the liquid for the purpose of
facilitating the separation of the dirt from the fibres.

page_text: A perforated apron, R, is placed in front of the rolls L L to direct the wool into
the space between them. It also keeps the wool within range of the fork N*.
Its form and position is shown in the sectional view figure 1 of the drawings.
The inclined apron at the discharge end of the tank is best formed of a set of
rollers, D, D, although an endless traveling belt could be used instead. The rolls
are geared together to travel in an upward direction and at uniform speed. They
deliver the wool to a set of rolls C, C, that discharge it into a second tank or in
the case of final discharge from the washing apparatus they deliver into a suitable
receptacle.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is―
1. In an apparatus for washing wool and for analogous purposes, a pivoted fork,
consisting of the rods H, H, swinging from the crosshead h², the fork head G, with
tines, g, movable in bearings, s, 8, on the ends of the rods, the rocking levers E,
secured to the ends of the fork head outside the tines, and adapted to engage and
move over fixed guides or tracks by which the oscillating movements of the fork
head during its swinging movement from the center h³ are produced, as set forth.
2. The combination with a suitable tank, of the guides or tracks B, b and B* 61
provided with hinged sections, F, Fx, and the swinging forks G, N*, connected
together and adapted to be driven from one shaft, substantially as set forth, and
the crank-shaft M, M* M* m.
3. The combination of the tank, fixed guides or tracks having hinged or lifting
sections, F, F*, reciprocating fork G, and the inclined discharging apron D, D.
4. In a wool washing machine, the combination of the reciprocating fork G with
intersecting guides having the hinged or lifting sections F, F*, substantially as
described.
5. In a wool washing machine the combination with a reciprocating fork, of
fixed guides or tracks adapted to engage and act upon a lever-arm E on the fork
head each having curved or inclined portions which are stationary and a swinging
lifting section substantially as described.
6. The manner of operating a reciprocating fork in a washing tank by means of
lever arms, E, and curved or inclined guides or tracks composed of fixed and
movable sections, as described, by which the fork is held with its points down to
the bottom of the tank at the beginning of the forward movement, then elevated
at the end of said movement, then dropped on the inclined apron, and drawn back
above the bottom of the tank.
7. The socket bearings for the swinging fork N* consisting of the swiveled
sockets, P, arms p* boxes P2 and bar K2 constructed for operation as set forth.
8. In a wool washing machine, the combination with the washing tank, of a
pair of squeezing rolls, L, L, placed between reciprocating or oscillating forks and
below the working level of the washing liquid as set forth.
9. The combination with the tank A, of the perforated floor, A* squeezing
rolls, L, L, placed below the working level of the liquid, the inclined perforated
apron R, and forks N*, G, substantially as set forth.
"