Improvements in Wool Washing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894
COMPLETE DI PITIATION
Improvements in Wool Washing Machines.
I, FREDERICK GRANDISON SARGENT, of Graniteville, in the County of
Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statements:-
This invention relates to a wool washing machine, and its object is to provide
an improved construction of parts whereby the operation of washing wool is
greatly facilitated.
With this object in view, I will proceed to describe my invention reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which:
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central section of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a plan view.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machine partly in section, showing the machine
adjusted for scouring.
In the drawings the letter A indicates the bowl and B a false bottom having
perforations a therein.
The said false bottom is secured within the bowl at b in any suitable manner,
and at a suitable distance below the fluid level.
The bowl of the machine A is supported on feet and is provided with an inlet a¹
and outlet a situated at either end of the bowl. The delivery end C of the false
bottom inclines upward and is curved as shown, to form a bed for the carrier D to
convey the fibre to the squeeze rolls bb, from which the wool is delivered in the
usual manner. Underneath the squeeze rolls is a trough c to receive the fluid
which is squeezed out of the wool by the rolls, which fluid contains small fibres
of wool, and this trough has an outlet c at its bottom to which a pipe d is
connected, the said pipe leading to a reservoir E, from whence the fluid is
elevated and delivered with the wool fibres back into the bowl by a bucket
wheel F. In case we do not wish to carry the wool back into the bowl, we place
in the trough ca perforated screen 20 which catches all wool that may come into
the trough and allows the liquor to go through the pump.
We do not confine
On
ourselves to the bucket pump, as any suitable pump will answer the purpose.
the sides of the reservoir E are attached uprights e e' in which is mounted a
shaft e. This shaft supports a circular plate or disk f from which the buckets ft
project inwardly towards the bowl, being so arranged as to revolve downwardly
into the reservoir E and dip up the fluid and floating fibre, and thereby carry it up
and dump it into the trough which projects under the buckets and above the
shaft . This trough has a false bottom g of concave form and is perforated on
each side of the concavity. This false bottom inclines downwardly over the upper
edge of the bowl, and, when the washing fluid and floating wool fibres are dumped
into it, the fibre sinks into the middle portion thereof and slides downwardly over
the imperforate surface, and upon the false bottom B of the machine, while the
larger portion of the washing fluid flows through the perforation of the false
bottom, and escapes through the passage way g' into the bowl A.
When the bowl is to be used for rinsing, the water enters the bowl at a', as from a
pump 2, and when it meets a partition 3 it passes up through the perforated
bottom B, and thence on the other side down through said partition, and out
at a; the water thus encountering the wool being moved by the harrow B'. In
this way the outlet acts as a siphon, drawing the water off until water level in the

page_text: bowl comes below the hole 4 and lets in air, and the water will then stop running
as soon as it is below the level opening 4.
When the bowl is to be used for scouring, the outlet a³ is closed from the exterior,
and has an opening 4 leading into the bowl above the perforated bottom B, (see
Figure 4).
In this case the pump and partition can be left off. Now as the rakes or harrow
advance and pushes the wool, it will raise the level of the water in front of them
making it higher than in the rear, which causes the water to rush up out of 4 into
the bowl, and the current thus arises which will float the wool ahead as it drops off
feed apron 35, and thus keep the wool from doubling up.
Underneath the bowl A is a cross shaft h which is journalled in suitable
bearings h. This cross shaft. h has attached at each end swinging arms h³, to the
upper ends of which is secured a cross bar h³.
Cranks i are journalled at each side of the machine frame and are connected
together by a cross rod i². The rod is connected with the cross rod h³ by rods
or links, whereby the motion which is given to the pair of cranks i turning on
their shaft will be communicated to the arms ³, the said arms turning on their
shaft h.
A harrow D consisting of a series of curved jointed bars ¹ connected together
by cross rods is pivoted to the cross bar at l. A slotted guide is pivoted
to one of the inner bars k', the guide being slidably connected with the rod i by
a pin. Teeth m are pivoted to the bars kk and other teeth m² are pivoted!
thereto and also project downwardly therefrom so as to engage with the fibre and
convey it through the liquid in the bowl when the harrow is moved forward. The
swing teeth m with the forward movement of the harrow, are held rigidly in place
by pins m' and are adapted to carry the wool forward. With their reverse move-
ment the said teeth yield against the bulk of the wool, and pass over the same, this
forward and reverse movement being controlled and limited by the connecting
mechanism heretofore described.
The crank shaft j is driven by a pulley h at its outer end, another pulley /¹ being
attached to the said shaft. The pulley is belted with another pulley /³, the said
pulley being mounted upon a shaft I. An outer pulley is also mounted upon
shaft I, the said pulley ³ supplying power to run the machine.
When the cranks move forwardly in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1,
the links are pushed forward and rock the arins A, thereby carrying forward the
harrow D which pushes the wool to the rolls bb¹. As said cranks rise the pins
in the links lift the rear parts of the harrow, which turn on their pivots. The
cranks then recede and carry the lifted teeth m³ at the rear part of the harrow over
the wool, and as the cranks descend said teeth are lowered upon the wool, so that
as the links and harrow are again pushed forward the wool is pushed forward to the
rolls. Thus the harrow pushes the wool, and is lifted back over it to engage wool
in the rear, the pivoted teeth also slipping over the wool. Thus the rearward
motion of the harrow is prevented from dragging back the wool that was left back
of the rolls on the previous forward motion of the harrow. By this means an even
supply of wool is presented to the rolls. We prefer to run the carrier faster than
the long rake in the bowl, thereby evening out the wool on the carrier table.
In Figure 1, 21 is a long harrow, with teeth 22, and 23 are ducker plates which
are secured to said teeth 22 by means of flanges 23", the said ducker plates being
suitably arranged for immersing the wool by the movement of the harrow.
The harrow is operated as follows: 26 are shafts that turn in boxes or tubes 27,
located below the false bottom B and fastened to the outside of the bowl. To
prevent leakage we run these shafts through pipes or casings 28, having flanges 22*
on each end that are bolted to inside of bowl. At the ends of rocker arms 24 are
connected the parallel rod 29, so that both have to move together; stands 30 are
fastened at each side of the bowl with arins 31 pivoted to the same. Through these
arms 31 is a shaft 32 which has trucks 32* which work in slots 33. 34 are connecting
rods which connects shaft 32 with rocker arms 24, thèse rocker arms are all keyed

page_text: on to rocker shafts 26 as well as counter balance arms 35, carrying counter balance
weights 25. It will be understood that the long rake or harrow is lifted by links 36,
and reciprocated by connections 37.
Having now 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. A wool washing machine comprising a bowl having a perforated bottom, a
partition in said bowl below said bottom, an inlet beneath said bottom and an outlet
above said bottom, substantially as set forth.
2. A wool washing machine comprising a bowl, a perforated bottom, an inlet.
below said partition, and a passage leading from below said partition to a point
above said bottom within said bowl, substantially as set forth.
3. A harrow composed of jointed bars having depending teeth, means for moving
said harrow forward and backward, and means for raising and lowering one
part of said harrow, in combination with press rollers which are separated from the
liquor in the bowl, having a trough under the same to catch the liquor that comes
from the wool as it passes through them and a pump to convey the same back into.
the bowl, substantially as set forth.
4. A harrow composed of jointed bars having depending teeth, pivoted arms
supporting said bars, cranks and links for reciprocating said harrow, and con-
nections between said harrow and said links for raising and lowering a portion
thereof, in combination with press rollers which are separated from the liquor in
the bowl, having a trough under the same to catch the liquor that comes from the
wool as it passes through them, and a pump to convey the same back into the bowl,.
substantially as set forth.
5. A harrow composed of jointed bars connected by cross rods and depending
teeth, pivoted arms supporting said harrow, cranks and links for operating said
harrow, slotted links connecting with part of said harrow, and pins connecting said
slotted links with the crank links, in combination with press rollers which are
separated from the liquor in the bowl, having a trough under the same to catch the
liquor that comes from the wool as it passes through them, and a pump to convey
the same back into the bowl, substantially as set forth.
6. A harrow composed of jointed bars and having depending teeth pivoted on
Baid bars, and stops to limit the movement of said teeth, means for reciprocating
the harrow, and means for raising and lowering a portion of said harrow, in com-
bination with press rollers which are separated from the liquor in the bowl, having
a trough under the same to catch the liquor that comes from the wool as it passes
through them, and a pump to convey the same back into the bowl, substantially as
set forth.
7. In a wool washing machine having a bowl, a pivotal shaft for the harrow
operating mechanism, and a liquid tight casing surrounding said shaft, together
with means for securing said casing at each side of the bowl, substantially as
described.
8. The combination with a harrow having carrying teeth, of ducker plates
connected therewith, and arranged at a suitable angle to said teeth, substantially as
described.
9. The improvements in wool washing machines substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described, set forth, and illustrated.
Dated this 30th day of June 1894
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.