IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Moore, of Trowbridge, in the County of
Wilts, Dyer, for the Invention of " IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING
WOOL."
Sealed the 24th February 1874, and dated the 13th December 1873.
'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Moore at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th December 1873.
I, FREDERICK MOORE, of Trowbridge, in the County of Wilts, Dyer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL," to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus whereby
wool may be washed with great expedition and efficiency. For this
purpose I employ an open tank, which I divide longitudinally by a
vertical partition, leaving a space between it and the ends of the tank
equal to about the space between the partition and the sides of the tank.
This tank I charge with water by means of pipes placed on either side of
the tank, and so disposed as to ensure a stream circulating round the

page_text: tank. This tank at one end is brought into communication with a
second tank by an opening which is closed by a swing door.
In the first-mentioned tank the wool is washed, and when washed it is
discharged into the second or receiving tank.
The washing tank I furnish with a pair of rakes of peculiar con-
struction, which are intended alternately to act upon the wool and to
rise out of action, so as to allow of the free passage forward of the wool.
The teeth of these rakes are hung loosely upon transverse rods which are
secured to a traversing frame that receive motion from any prime mover.
The rods which carry the rake teeth are provided with stops so arranged
with respect to their rakes that when moving in one direction the rakes
will be maintained in a vertical position, but when moving in the
opposite position the rakes will rise to nearly a horizontal position. This
latter movement is to allow of the wool passing under the rakes with the
stream.
When the washing is completed a sliding door is inserted between the
division of the washing tank and the end thereof adjoining the receiving
tank, and communication is opened between the two tanks. The wool is
then discharged into the receiving tank, and the passage between the
two tanks is again closed.
The two tanks are provided at bottom with discharge pipes for
running off the water from time to time, as required, and the supply
may be renewed by means of force pumps or from an elevated system.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Moore in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
MOORE, of Trowbridge, in the County of Wilts, Dyer, send greeting,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Frederick Moore, Her special.

page_text: licence, that I, the said Frederick Moore, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Moore, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR WASHING WOOL," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Frederick Moore, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Moore, do hereby declaro
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :—
The object of this Invention is to supersede the old plan of washing
wool in baskets placed over a running stream, or in force baskets by
manual labour, and thereby to effect a saving in the number of hands
employed, and greatly to expedite the washing operation..
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in plan view my
improved washing apparatus; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the
same taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal
section taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a transverse
section taken in the line 5, 6, of the same Figure.
The apparatus consists of an open washing tank, which is divided
longitudinally by a central vertical partition, a space being left between
the ends of the tank and the partition, to allow of the washing water
and the wool that is to be submitted thereto circulating freely around
the tank. In connection with one end of this tank is a second tank,
into which the contents of the first are discharged when the washing is
completed.

page_text: The washing tank is furnished with two sets of reciprocating rakes of
peculiar construction, which are intended alternately to push forward
the wool in its course, and to rise clear of the wool on their return
motion, to provide a free passage forward for the wool.
A is the washing tank, made of wood or iron, and fitted with a per-
forated lining a of copper or galvanized iron; B is the second or receiving
tank, into which the contents of the first are discharged through an
opening made in the dividing wall b. This opening is closed by a swing
door or hatch 6' while the washing process is proceeding. A' is the
vertical partition in the tank A. Resting upon it and upon the sides of
the tank is the travelling rake frame C, C', which is fitted with flanged
bowles that serve to retain it on its track. The rake frame is worked by
means of its connection through a rod D with a crank arm E on a
driving shaft F, mounted in bearings carried by the tank B. This shaft
receives rotary motion through a band and pulley from any prime
The tank A is fitted with water supply pipes G connected with
an elevated reservoir or with a force pump. These pipes terminate in
diagonal mouth-pieces which serve to direct the flow of the water which
they discharge into the tank.
mover.
In the bottom of the tank are openings leading to waste water
pipes H, whereby the water is run out as required through the perforated
lining. I is a sliding door or shutter inserted between the partition A³
and the discharging end of the tank, to prevent the circulation of the
water of washed wool round the tank when the washing operation is
completed, and to serve as a guide for discharging the wool into the
tank B. This tank B is fitted with a false bottom of perforated copper
or galvanized iron 6³, and below it is an opening in connection with a
discharge pipe K.
The construction of the reciprocating rake will be best understood by
reference to Figures 5 and 6. Fig. 5 shows one of three sets of tines
(with which each rake is provided) on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 6 is an
end view of the same.
The rake frame (Fig. 1) is composed of three parallel rods C, braced
together by two central cross bars C¹. These rods form the axles for the
flanged bowles before mentioned, and from the rods the rakes are sus-
nonded

page_text: Fig. 5 shows a group of six tines c rivetted to a bar c¹, which is fitted
with lugs c² that swing freely on the rods C, and closely adjacent to
these lugs stops c³ are made fast to their respective rods C, to serve as
back supports to the tine bars c¹. The tendency of the rakes will there-
fore be to retain the vertical position shewn at Figures 5 and 6, and also
at Fig. 3, when they are pushing the wool forward, as the ends of the
bars c¹ then rest against the stops c³.
It has been stated that the washing of the wool is effected by the
circulation of the same round and round the tank. This motion is
produced partly by the direction of rush of water supplied to the tank,
but mainly by the reciprocating action of the rakes, but to enable them
to act efficiently the tines on the opposite sides of the partition A¹ must
be put alternately in and out of action. The stops are therefore so
arranged as to provide for this alternate action of the rakes. Thus when
the tines have completed their forward traverse they will on their return
motion be raised to the position shewn at Fig. 1, by reason of the
contents of the tank circulating in the opposite direction to that in
which they are travelling.
It will be understood that before charging the tank A with wool the
swing door 6¹ must be closed, and the sliding door I removed. Water is
then allowed to run into the tank from the pipes G, and the rakes are
set in action. The charge of wool is then thrown in, and the rakes
immediately commence to push round the charge in the tank (without
however allowing the wool to mass together), and thereby set up a
continuous motion in the water, the wool meanwhile passing from one
set of rakes to the other, and being taken up and carried forward
thereby.
While the washing is proceeding, or at any desired part of the
operation, a discharge of the water may be effected through the outlet
pipes H, but when the washing is completed the communication between
the tanks A and B is opened, and the sliding door I is fitted in its place,
as shewn at Fig. 1. The wool is then run out of the tank A into the
tank B, and the water is drained therefrom through the false bottom by
the pipe K.
The clearing of the tank A of meal will ha

page_text: I would remark that in addition to the saving of labour and the
quickening of the operation of washing by the use of my improved
apparatus, I am enabled to render the wool softer than heretofore, and
thus a better yarn can be produced. A less elevation of the water
supply is also needed than when force baskets are used.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved
Apparatus for Washing Wool," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim, the arrangement of apparatus above
described, whereby the material to be washed is caused to circulate in an
open state around the washing tank, and when washed discharged there-
from, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Moore, have hereunto set
my hand and seal the Eleventh day of June in the year of our