Preparing Wool and other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1886

page_text: Preparing Wool and other Fibrous Materials.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the 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
accompanying sheet of drawings, and to the letters and Figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
The essential features of this invention are, firstly, the preparation of fibrous
materials, especially raw wool (laine brute), by drawing out the fibres whilst they are
being washed, whereby a material is produced which may be sent direct to the
combing or preparatory machines without passing. it through the carding machine;
and secondly, the preservation intact in the material, during its treatment before
combing, of all the teazels, burrs, and other similar substances found mixed with it.
In a washing vat or back a (see Figure 1 of the drawings), is placed a series of
rollers ccc of metal, compressed paper, or other suitable material, covered or
not according to circumstances with india-rubber, gutta percha, or other suitable
elastic material. These rollers form a series of pairs of drawing rollers, and between
each pair is placed an urchin or squirrel roller hhhh, the object of which is to
prevent the fibres from lapping round the rollers c c c c when the fibres escape
therefrom in the direction of the arrows.
Next to the last set of rollers is an apron or other equivalent device which conveys
the fibres to the wringing rollers K or other apparatus serving the same purpose.
The wool may be delivered to the wringing apparatus from the drawing rollers in the
form of a fleece or as a sliver according to circumstances.

page_text: Jets of water issuing from small tubes t¹ t¹ facilitate the detachment of the fibres
from the rollers cc cc, and also prevent the same from lapping round the said
rollers.
The pairs of rollers cccle are driven by gearing or other suitable mechanical
means, and rotate at different speeds, so as to produce a certain amount of drawing
action between one pair and the next.
For this purpose the upper roller is either held at a fixed distance from the lower
one by rigid means or at a variable distance by the aid of weights or springs acting
directly or by means of levers, as in ordinary drawing frames." As however in this
case the springs or weights are constantly wet and thereby liable to be injured, they
may be replaced by india-rubber pads or cushions interposed between the bearings of
the top'rollers and the surfaces against which they press.
C
It will now be understood that the fibres, washed by the ordinary means but forced
to pass between the rollers ce¹¹¹¹ are drawn out and arranged regularly, and that
the burrs teazels, etcetera, passed between the said rollers without being broken or
crushed arrive uninjured at the combing machine where they are oasily removed at a
single operation.
The same process may be easily applied to the treatment of wool on the skin. For
this purpose it is only necessary to arrange the roller of the feed apron or other
feeding device so that it can act upon the sheep or other skin suitably presented
to it. Figure 2 of the drawing illustrates one arrangement of feeding apparatus
suitable for this purpose.
This invention is distinguished by a novel treatment of the raw fibrous material,
not only for the purpose of avoiding the carding process, but also for the purpose of
preserving uninjured the burrs, teazels, etcetera, contained in such material until it is
presented to the combing machine, in order to facilitate their extraction. It is as
applicable to wool on the skin as to wool in bales, and apparatus similar to that above
described is employed in both cases.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
--
First The process of drawing fibrous material at the same time as or while it is
being washed, as hereinbefore described and for the purposes specified.
Second The apparatus for washing and at the same time drawing fibrous material,
consisting essentially of a series of drawing rollers and urchin or squirrel rollers
mounted in a washing vat or back combined with jets of water and suitable devices
for feeding the said fibrous material to, and removing it from, the washing and
drawing mechanism, the whole combined, arranged and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings heroto annexed.
Dated this 21st day of December 1886