IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John M'Naught and William M'Naught, junior, of
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Scaled the 25th September 1866, and dated the 5th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John M Naught and
William M'Naught at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 5th April 1866.
We, JOHN MºNAUGHT and WILLIAM MºNAUGHT, junior, of Rochdale, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING AND DRYING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to an arrangement and combination of
machinery for washing, described as follows:-The material to be washed upon
entering the trough is submergod in the liquor by a reciprocating rake passed
forward and agitated by a similar rake or rakes, and then raised up and
deposited upon an inclined surface by another reciprocating rake at the end of
the trough, which end to ensure clear emptying of the material may be made
of such curve or form as is described by the points of the reciprocating rake in

page_text: its lower course. Upon the inclined surface works a reciprocating frame
furnished with prongs, scrapers, or combs, and so actuated as to drag the
material up the incline to the extent of the stroke of the frame, which is then
lifted up and returned over the material to again drag it up. To prevent the
material from slipping back when the reciprocating frame leaves it to return
over it, there are prongs or tines so actuated as to shoot up above the incline
when the frame leaves it, and to withdraw to a level with or underneath the
incline, when the frame drops upon the fibre to again drag it up. From the
end of the incline the cleansed material drops into a skip or other receptacle,
or is conveyed to squeezing rollers by means of a creeper or a series of small
rollers all running in one direction, and so actuated that the first roller runs
comparatively slow, the next a little faster, and so on, so that the periphery
of each succeeding roller travels faster than that of each preceding one.
Instead of the wool or other material being dragged up an incline by a
reciprocating frame, as before described, it may be dragged up by prongs
projecting through slots from underneath the incline; or it may be deposited
upon an endless travelling creeper by the last reciprocating rake, and thus
conveyed to the receptacle or squeezing rollers.
Our Invention relates, secondly, to drying, and consists in an improved
roller for ringing or squeezing out the liquor from the materials after being
washed, and consists of india-rubber or some such substance supported by
corrugated discs or cells of metal, the object of which is to prevent the elastic
material from spreading; it also consists of an inclined plane or planes
-arranged in a spiral form, and composed of either open wirework or perforated
plates; the damp fibrous material is fed upon this plane either at the top or
bottom, is passed either upwards or downwards, as the case may be, by a series
of frames or prongs, and the dryed material is delivered either at the top or
bottom. Hot air may be forced amongst such materials by a fan or other
means, or steam pipes may be placed in convenient places, and the vapour
Also in arrange-
drawn away by an exhaust fan or other mechanical means.
ment of horizontal planes, over which the material is dragged or passed by
frames or prongs.
Also in an arrangement of endless creepers working at
angles to each other, whereby the damp materials are transferred from one to
another, and finally delivered.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John MºNaught and William MºNaught in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MONAUGHT and WILLIAM M NAUGHT, junior, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Пler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, boaring date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, and twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, ler heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John M Naught and William MºNaught, junior, Her special license that
we, the said John M'Naught and William M'Naught, junior, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John MºNaught
and William M.Naught, junior, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agreo with, and no others, from time to time, and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might mako, 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 FOR WASHING AND DRYING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John M Naught and William MºNaught, junior, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, (or under the hand and seal of one of us,)
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Soal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John MºNaught and William
M Naught, junior, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what maunor the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings,
that is to say-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to an arrangement and combination of ma-
chinery for washing, and consists in feeding the material to the washing trough
by a series of rollers nearly close together, all being driven in the samo
direction, each roller having a greater speed than the one preceding it, and in
suborging the material to be operated upon in the liquid by a swivel
reciprocating raku (similar to those hitherto used for agitating and propelling)

page_text: arranged in a peculiar manner, or in submerging by a reciprocating or rotating
frame combined with a fixed grid or frame of prongs, serving to keep back
the material, and hold it till it can be effectually submerged and combined
with the mechanism above described are any desired number of agitating and
propelling rakes, arranged in the usual manner, or rotating frames armed
with prongs may be used instead. The bottom of the washing trough may be
horizontal, as hitherto, or it may be arranged according to our improve-
ments, which consist in making the bottom of the trough rise from the
submerging end to the delivery end in a uniform plane, or in a series of
steps or curves, one step or curve for each reciprocating or rotating, agitating,
and propelling rake, such curves conformming nearly to that described by the
points of the prongs of the rakes in their lower course. This part of our
Invention further consists in applying a rake similar to the ordinary swivel
reciprocating, agitating, and propelling rake for lifting the material out of the
trough by arranging such rake in a peculiar manner, so that when the material
is lifted above the edge of the trough the prongs of the rake will be in such
position that the material will fall from them by its own gravity into a suitable
receptacle or on to a suitable surface to be carried forward to the squeezing
rollers by any suitable means; or if the prongs of this lifting rake be not
arranged in such a manner that the material will fall from them by its own
gravity, a reciprocating or revolving frame armed with prongs may be used to
strip off the material from such lifting rake. This part of our Invention also
further consists in applying a rotating shaft armed with prongs for lifting the
material out of the trough, so arranged that the said prongs approach or move
towards the delivery end of the trough in their lower course, the material may
fall from such prongs by its own gravity, or be stripped off by suitable
mechanism, similar to that above described for clearing the swivel reciprocating
lifting rake.
We also form, when required (and this is another feature of our Invention,)
the bottom surface of the trough which supports the material operated upon
of such curve as will nearly conform to the curve described by the points of
the reciprocating or rotating delivering rake or frame when lifting the material
from the trough, and thereby the material is more effectually carried forward
to the receiving surface. We may here remark that the mechanism above
described for removing the material from the trough is a modification of
that for which we obtained Letters Patent, numbered 281, and dated the
First February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-five, where prongs on a reciprocating frame are employed to drag

page_text: the material up an incline from the bottom of the trough, lifting and
returning back for the next forward stroke over the material, the distinction
between our former and our present improvements being that the prongs
in our former Invention, when dragging or raising the material, moved in a
straight line being actuated by two cranks, whereas in our present improve-
ments they move in a curve and are actuated by a single crank. This
part of our Invention further consists in the use of a series of prongs which
aro made to shoot up through holes in the surface receiving the material
delivered or brought forward by the prongs so as to prevent it from being
carried back by the surge of the liquid caused by the motion of the rako or
framo which raises the material, theso retaining prongs being actuated by a
cam or excentric which withdraws them when the material is to be dragged
forward. This part of our Invention farther consists in combining with tho
said retaining prongs a reciprocating frame carrying teeth, prongs, or combs for
dragging forward the material, similar to that described in the Specification of
our aforesaid Patent, and also in the use of a series of rollers for conveying
the material forward to the squeezing rollers, each roller being driven at a
greater speed than the one preceding it, so that the material is more uniformly
carried forward and delivered more evenly to the squeezing rollers. The
whole of our improvements may be combined together, or parts of them may
bo used in combination with ordinary mechanism for washing wool and other
materials.
We shall now more particularly describe our improvements by reference to
the Figures upon the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, shewing various
modifications of our Invention.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of one modification
of our Invention. The wool or other material is here fed by an ordinary
endless creeper (a) (but our improved arrangement of rollers may be sub-
stituted); it falls from the creeper into the trough. (6), and is prevented from
passing forward by a fixed frame or grid (c), and it is submerged by a swivel
reciprocating rake (d), similar to those formerly used for agitating and pro-
pelling only. The prongs of this rake pass between the prongs of the grid (c)
and drag the material under them, and thus submerge it. This swivel reci-
procating rake (d) is arranged so that the points of its prongs will describe a.
curvo (d'), shown in dotted line, Fig. 1, and the guide or swivel (d³) for the-
upper end of the arm of the rake is arranged so as to be adjustable in the-
upper part of the framing to vary the inclination of the rake when required..
One or more of the ordinary swivel agitating and propelling rakes are used,

page_text: the last one (d') dragging or lifting the wool or other material, the bottom (61)
of the trough being made to conform, or nearly so, to the path of the points
of the prongs on their lower course. The material is thus deposited upon an
inclined surface through which a series of prongs shoot up to retain it. These
prongs are formed upon arms (e¹) from a shaft (e) and pass through holes
formed in the bottom of the incline surface. The shaft (e) carrying these
retaining prongs is made to oscillate by a cam (6³) on one of the crank shafts
(f), the motion from which is transmitted through the rod (e) jointed with
an arm (e) upon the shaft (e). The cam () is formed to lift up the prongs
quickly when the material is deposited upon the incline surface, and to with-
draw the prongs into the position shown in Fig. 1 when the reciprocating
cradle or frame (1) armed with teeth or combs is about to move forward.
This cradle or frame (f') is arranged and actuated in a manner similar to
that described in the Specification of our aforesaid Patent.
Figs. 3 and 4 are views corresponding respectively to Figs. 1 and 2 of
another modification of our Invention similar to that shown by Figs. 1 and 2,
except that the bottom (61) of the trough is inclined and that the material is
propelled forward, after having been received by the retaining prongs (¹), by
a swivel reciprocating rako or frame having prongs (d') which deliver the
material out to a series of rollers (h) arranged and driven at increasing speeds,
as will be more particularly described herein-after. The dotted curves (d')
show the paths of the points of the prongs.
Fig. 5 (Sheet 1) is a diagramatic longitudinal section of a machine similar
to that shown by Fig. 1 and 2, except that it illustrates our improved mode
of inclining or stepping the bottom (6') of the trough to agree with the path
of the points of the prongs in their lower course, as shown.
Fig. 6 (Sheet 2) is a longitudinal section illustrating' our improvements
when a series of rotating frames (d, d', and d) or prongs are used in place of
swivel reciprocating rakes. The material is fed into the trough at a, and
prevented from passing forward by the frame or grid c until submerged by
the revolving prongs d; it is then passed forward by the revolving prongs
d', and lifted out of the trough by the revolving prongs d'; these prongs
are so actuated as to approach the delivery end of the trough in their lower
course, as indicated by the arrows do.
Fig. 6 is a partial view illustrating our improved arrangement of swivel
reciprocating rake for lifting the wool or other material from the trough,
when mechanism is used for removing the wool from the prongs of the rake
instead of allowing it to fall by its own gravity. This may be done by causing

page_text: prongs at the end of the frame f¹ to descend upon or between the prongs
of the lifting rake when at or about its highest position; or in place of this an
arrangement as shewn at Fig. 6 may be adopted, namely, a rotating shaft
armed with prongs.
Fig. 7 is a plan, Fig. 8 is a view at one end, and Fig. 9 a view at the
other end of the rollers driven at increased speed, which may be used for
either feeding the material to be washed or conveying it to the squeezing
rollers. The rollers may be driven by any convenient arrangement of gearing.
We recommend that the increase of speed of each roller over that preceding
it to the extent of about one-third to one-balf of a revolution. The rollers
are marked 1, 2, 3, and 4, in the order in which their speeds increase; 5 is
the driving pulley on the axis of roller 3, upon which is a wheel 6 which gears
by means of a carrier wheel 7 with the wheel 8 on the axis of roller 1. Ou
the axis of roller 3 is another wheel 9, which gears by means of the double
breadth carrier 10 with the wheel 11 on the axis of roller 2, upon which is a
wheel 12 that gears by means of a carrier 13 with a wheel 14 upon the axis
of roller 4.
Fig. 10 is a plan view of the rollers showing a mode of gearing them
by bevel wheels instead of spur wheels, as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9,
which method of gearing will be readily understood by an inspection of the
Figure; the roller 4 is driven by spur wheels from roller 3, so that roller 4
may be made to come between the sides of the frame (15) of the squeezing
rollers.
The second part of our Invention applies to mechanism for drying fibrous
materials, and relates, in the first place, to our improved construction of
roller for squeezing or wringing the moisture from fibrous materials or fabrics
ready for drying; and in the second place it relates to arrangements of
mechanism for drying fibrous material.
Fig. 11 is a sido view of the roller for wringing with part of the elastic and
metallic rings shown in section; Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross section thereof,
and Fig. 13 an enlarged longitudinal section of part of the roller, and Fig. 14
shows the side view of one of the elastic rings detached. The roller is formed
by a series of rings (a) of india-rubber or other suitable elastic material
arranged alternately with metallic rings (6), as shown; the metallic rings
have a series of holes (6') in them, which are rounded off at their edges (as
shown), and each ring has a notch (6) which fits a key that passes from end
to end of the roller (c); these rings (a and b) when placed upon the axis (c)
are compresed till the india-rubber enters the holes formed in the metallic

page_text: rings, as shown in Figures 11 and 13, and this prevents the india-rubber
from spreading by the pressure used when at work, and causes it to be held in
its position and carried round by the metallic rings. Instead of metallic rings
with holes, roughened or corrugated metallic rings may be used, acting in the
same manner.
Figures 15 and 16 (Sheet 1) represent a vertical section and ground plan
of one of our Inventions for drying, which consists of a cylinder of metal 1
resting on the base plate 2. The material being spread upon the creeper 3 is
carried forward to the bottom of a spiral or helical incline, which is con-
structed by a number of brackets 4 secured to the inside of the said cylinder
and covered with wiework or perforated plates. These brackets (4) are
shown in half plan in Figure 16, and are in a helical form, each succeeding
one an uniform distance vertically higher than the preceding one, the angular
distances being equal. It will thus be seen that if wirework or perforated
plates are made to rest upon and fill the space between each bracket there
would be an helical incline, the surface of which is indicated by the dotted
lines 5. The material is landed at the bottom of this incline by the creeper 3,
and is dragged by intermittent movements up this incline, and finally delivered
on to the creeper 6, by which time the heated atmosphere in the cylinder 1 is
expected to have absorbed the whole of the dampness from the material. The
means by which the materials are dragged up the said helical incline are as
follows-Upon and bolted to a cylinder 6 are arms projecting radially
outwards, shewn in half plan at 7, the vertical heights and angular distancos of
which must exactly correspond with those of the brackets 4; these arms
have prongs attached, as shewn, by this means wo get a series of rakes
in a spiral form; these rakes have two motions given to them, one
vertically, up and down, and the other circular, oscillating backwards and
forwards within a suitable angle; both these motions are communicated
from the shaft 8; the vertical one by means of the crank 9, and the
angular one by the crank 10. The crank 9 actuates the beams or levers 11
by means of a connecting rod, as shewn at the opposite end of which
is a gudgeon or shaft which passes through eyes in the lower ends of the
links 12, the upper ends of these links are guided by the radius rods 13,
so as to form a parallel motion. At 14 is a footstep to which is attached two
trunnions 15, which fit into and swivel in eyes in the two links 12 equidistant
from the lower and upper eyes in the said links. The spindle of the cylinder
6 rests in this footstep. Thus the rotation of the shaft 8 will communicate
a vertical parallel motion to the cylinder 6, and all its appendages, the back

page_text: and forwards circular motion is also communicated from the shaft 8 by the
crank 10. Keyed upon the spindle of the cylinder 6 is a lover 16, the
oxtremity of which is connected to the crank 10 by the rod 17, both the pin
in the crank 10, and also the end of the lever 16 are made spherical so as to
form an "universal" joint, by this means a reciprocating rotary movement
is also given to the cylinder 6, and its appendages, this motion and the
vertical one is necessarily synchronous, being actuated from the same
source; the combined action of which is to cause the rakes to descend
upon the material; then move it a certain distance up the spiral or
helical incline, then lift up from the material and return back to again
descend upon the material to again drag it up, and ultimately deliver
it on to the creeper 6°. It is obvious that by revorsing the motions before
described that the material may be fed at the top and delivered at the,
bottom of the said incline, spiral, or helical surface. A series of steam pipes
(a) are shown in Figure 15 for heating the air passing into the cylinder (1),
and a fan may bo used for propelling air into or drawing it from the cylinder.
Another machine according to our Invention is represented by Figure 17, a
cross, and Figure 18, a longitudinal section (Sheet 3); it consists of an enclosure
(1) of any suitable material, having one or more plain surfaces arranged in it,
(a series of thom are shown) formed by wirework or perforated plates (2)..
The material is fed on to the upper tier of surfaces by the creeper 3, from
whence it is agitated and dragged forward by the following means:-Attached
to a frame 4, which is shown resting upon slides or guides 4, are a number
of rows of prongs 5. At 6 are shewn cranked shafts, on the ends of each of
which are koyed worm wheels 7, actuated by worms fastened upon the shafts.
8. We do not think it necessary to describe the manner of driving these
sbafts. It is obvious that as these shafts revolve they will impart rotatory
motion to the shafts 6 by means of the worm wheels 7; attached to the
frames 4 are hooked standards, into which the cranks on the shafts 6 ascend in
their upward motion, and thus lift up the said frame from the slides or guides
4, and carry it backwards, and again drop it on the said slides or guides,
after which it drags the said frame with its prongs along horizontally until the
cranks aforosaid again entor the hooks, by this means the material is ulti-
mately dragged to the end of the plane surface from which it drops down upon
another similar surface to bo similarly acted upon by another frame set to act
in the opposito direction, the result being that the material drops from one
tire to another until finally delivered. Instead of hooks the said cranks may
work in an eye or pedestal attached to the frame 4, in this case there will be.

page_text: no use for the guides 4º, and the point of each prong will describe a circle.
In this machine the air is heated by pipes shown in circles (a) underneath, or
air may be forced into or drawn out of the enclosure (1) by a fan.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention, and
the modes of carrying the same into effect, and we wish it to be understood
that we are aware that some of the parts taken separately and apart from our
improved combination and arrangement of them are old and well known, but
what we do claim as of our Invention is,―
Firstly, the general combination and arrangement of machines for washing
wool and other materials substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
by the Drawings.
Secondly, the use of rollers in washing machines for feeding the wool or
other material to the trough, or conveying it to the squeezing rollers, when
such rollers are driven at accelerated speeds as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the use of a swivel reciprocating rake (d) for submerging the
material as herein-before described; also the use of a fixed grid or frame c
as herein-before described, immediately after the feeder a to ensure the com-
plete submersion of the material before passing forwards; also the combination
of the said fixed grid or frame with the revolving or reciprocating rakes, prongs,
or frames for submerging the material as before described.
Fourthly, the making of the false bottom of the trough inclined or stepped
in curves conforming with the points of the acting prongs of the agitators and
propellers, substantially as herein-before described.
Fifthly, the use of a swivel reciprocating rake (d' or d³) for lifting wool or
other material from the trough, when so arranged that the material will fall
by its own gravity from the prongs on to a suitable receiving surface, or into a
suitable receptacle, substantially as herein-before described, and also the com-
bination of the swivel reciprocating rake (d) with an apparatus for dragging
or removing the material from the prongs when not arranged to fall by its own
gravity, as herein-before described.
Sixthly, the combination of a swivel reciprocating rake or frame (d') for
raising the material from the trough with the bottom or false bottom of the
trough curved nearly to the paths described by the prongs in their lower course
as described.
Seventhly, the use of a rotating shaft armed with prongs, Figure 6 (d³)
for lifting the wool or other material out of the trough, when so arranged that
the said prongs approach or move towards the delivery end of the trough in their
lower course.

page_text: Eightly, the combination of a rotating shaft armed with prongs for raising
the material out of the trough with the bottom or false bottom carved nearly
to the path of the prongs in their lower course, as before described.
Ninthly, the use of retaining prongs (6¹) arranged and actuated substantially
as herein-before described, and also combined therewith the use of the recipro-
cating frame (f) armed with combs or teeth as described.
Tenthly, the system or mode of constructing elastic rollers for wringing or
squeezing, substantially as herein-before described.
Eleventhly, the arrangement and combination of mechanism or apparatus
for drying materials, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John MoNaught, and William M.Naught
junior, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-six.
JOHN MONAUGHT.
(LS.)
Witness,
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Manchester.
W*. M°NAUGHT, JUN". (LB.)