AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CLEANING WOOL
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"
AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CLEANING WOOL." A communication from
abroad by Messieurs Weiss, Junior, & Co., of Langensalza, in the Empire of
Germany.
Sealed the 3rd February 1880, and dated the 21st August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st August 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CLEANING
WOOL." [A communication from abroad by Messieurs Weiss, Junior, & Co., of
Langensalza, in the Empire of Germany.]
This Invention relates to a wool washing machine which is based upon the
principle of cleaning the wool by a stream of water continuously flowing in one
direction, and wherein the wool floats freely without the application of rakes and
forks or of rollers other than the rollers employed for dipping the floating wool.
The wool therefore does not become in the least entangled nor will the fleece be
distorted.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the continuous flow of water in the
vat is effected by means of a pump, which draws the water from one end of the
vat by means of an outer pipe through the circumference of a drum provided with
apertures like a sieve, and forces the water forward from the other end of the vat
along the same, so that a continuous stream of water as wide as the vat is produced
in the same from one end to the other thereof.
The said drum has in its circumference a very large number of holes which are
from 2 to 3 / in diameter and which are countersunk from both sides. A pipe
is screwed to one of the front-plates of the drum and passes through a stuffing-
box, which at the same time serves as a bearing for the drum. The said pipe is
connected to a pump which should by preference be a rotary pump. This pump
makes a larger or smaller number of revolutions according to whether the wool is
to remain a longer or a shorter time in the water, and it draws the water out of

page_text: the vat which water is compelled to make its way through the apertures in the
circumference of the drum. From the pump the water next enters a chamber at
the rear of the vat, which chamber is formed by a partition plate. The latter has
equally spaced holes over the whole of its surface into which holes are inserted
brass tubes about 40 m/m long, through which the water flows equally distributed
and passes along the vat to the drum in an even stream. Two plunging or dipping
rollers are provided to dip the wool which floats on the surface of the water. The
vat is provided with a false bottom underneath which the refuse matter is deposited
and with two valves to permit the escape of dirty water. The aforesaid pump is
driven by a pulley. On the front end of the driving spindle there is a worm
which works into a worm wheel and thus drives a cross shaft which drives the
drum. The spindle of the drum passes through the side plate of the vat by means
of a stuffing box to prevent the water from escaping from the vat, and the stuffing
box serves at the same time as a bearing for the axle of the drum. The side-walls
or ends of the drum are made of cast iron, and the periphery is covered with rather
thick brass plates and turned. The projecting edges or the side walls of the drum
fit closely against the brass side-plates. The wool which is to be washed enters the
vat by means of an endless band and floats through the vat, being dipped by the
two aforesaid dipping-rollers. Arrived at the drum the wool is drawn upon the
perforated circumference of the same, and passes to another endless band and is
thereby taken away from the drum. To stop the drawing or sucking effect of the
water, which is being sucked through the drum where the wool has to leave the drum
to pass to the endless band, that is to say, to prevent the wool from being held at this
spot, a plate of the same width as the drum is placed inside the latter and fits close
against the inner periphery. The plate has an arm which fits loosely on the axle
of the drum so that the shaft turns in this arm, but the plate must remain at the
same place while the drum is moving, this being effected by means of a counter-
weight on the arm of the plate.
1
The washing effected by means of this machine is very advantageous; the wool
floats in the water and is not touched by forks or any such articles; it spreads and
opens quietly and the dirt readily becomes detached, the wool being thus retained
completely in its natural condition.

page_text: T
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
February 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CLEANING
WOOL." A communication from abroad by Messieurs Weiss, Junior, and Co., of
Langensalza, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to a wool washing machine which is based upon the
principle of cleaning the wool by a stream of water continuously flowing in one
direction, and wherein the wool floats freely without the application of rakes and
forks, or of rollers other than the rollers employed for dipping the floating wool.
The wool therefore does not become in the least entangled nor will the fleece be
distorted.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the continuous flow of water in the
vat is effected by means of a pump, which draws the water from one end of the vat
by means of an outer pipe through the circumference of a drum provided with
apertures like a sieve, and forces the water forward from the other end of the vat
along the same, so that a continuous stream of water as wide as the vat is produced
in the same from one end to the other thereof.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn a wool washing machine constructed
according to this Invention, and in which,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the vat, the pump, and the drum.
Figure 2 is a plan of the said machine, and
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the said machine.
Figure 5 is a transverse section through the drum, and
Figure 6, an elevation of the pump.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A is the drum which has in its circumference a very large number of holes
which are from 2 to 3 mm in diameter, and which are countersunk from both sides.
A pipe V is bolted to one of the side plates of the drum and passes through a
stuffing-box, which at the same time serves as a bearing for the drum. The pipe
V is connected to a pump R, which should by preference be a rotary pump. The
pump R makes a larger or smaller number of revolutions according to whether the
wool is to remain a longer or a shorter time in the water, and it draws the water
out of the vat, which water is compelled to make its way through the apertures in
the circumference of the drum A. From the pump the water next enters the
chamber S at the rear end of the vat K, which chamber is formed by a partition
plate. The latter has equally spaced holes over the whole of its surface, into
which holes are inserted brass-tubes about 40 m/m long, through which the water
flows equally distributed and passes along the vat to the drum in an even stream.
Two plunging or dipping rollers M, M, serve to dip the wool which floats on the
surface of the water. The vat is provided with a false bottom B underneath
which the refuse matter is deposited, and with two valves X, X, to permit the
escape of dirty water. The aforesaid pump is driven by a pulley L. On the front
end of the driving shaft there is a worm which gears into a worm wheel, and thus
drives the shaft Q which drives the drum A. The spindle of the drum A passes
through the side plate of the vat and through a stuffing box to prevent the water
from escaping from the said vat, and the stuffing box serves at the same time as a
bearing for the axle of the drum. The side-walls or ends of the said drum are*
made of cast iron and the periphery is covered with rather thick brass plates and
turned. The projecting edges on the side walls of the drum A fit closely against
the brass side plates, as shewn in Figure 5. The wool which is to be washed

page_text: enters the vat K by means of an endless band N and floats through the vat K,
being dipped by the two dipping rollers. The wool having arrived at the drum A
is drawn upon the perforated circumference of the same, and moves in the direction
indicated by the arrows in Figure 1 on to the endless band Ọ, and is thereby taken
away or removed from the drum. To obviate the drawing or sucking action of
the water, which is being sucked through the drum at the part where the wool
has to leave the said drum to pass to the endless band O, that is to say, to prevent
the wool from being held at this spot, a plate Y of the same width as the drum A
is placed inside the latter and fits closely against the inner periphery of the same.
The said plate has an arın which fits loosely on the axle of the drum, so that the
shaft turns in this arm, and in order that the plate may remain stationary at the
same place while the drum is revolving I arrange a counterweight on the arm
of the said plate, as shewn in Figure 1.
The washing effected by means of this machine is very advantageous, as the
wool floats in the water and is not touched by forks or the like; it spreads and
opens quietly and the dirt readily becomes.detached, the wool being thus retained
completely in its natural condition.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,
First. A wool washing machine in which an even and continuous stream of
water is maintained in the vat throughout its length and breadth from end to end
by means of a pump, which draws the water out at the front end of the said vat
through a perforated drum and forces it into the vat again at the rear end,
the wool floating in the said stream of water, and being carried with the same
from the rear to the front of the vat and immersed or dipped in the water by one
or more dipping rollers until it arrives at the drum from which it is carried away
by endless bands, as herein set forth.
Second. In a wool washing machine, the combination of a drum constructed as
herein described with the vat for the purpose specified.
Third. In a wool washing machine, the partition plate and the tubes inserted
in the same to ensure the even distribution of the water, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
W. ROD LAKE
LAKE. (L.S.)