IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND WASHING WOOL OR OTHER MATERIAL
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Oscar Low, of Chelsea, in the County of Suffolk, and
State of Massachusetts, in the United States of America, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND
WASHING WOOL OR OTHER MATERIAL."
Sealed the 11th May 1877, and dated the 5th March 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Oscar Low at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 5th March 1877.
OSCAR Low, of Chelsea, in the County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts,
in the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND
APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND WASHING WOOL OR OTHER MATERIAL."
My Invention consists in a new process for removing from wool, whether before
or after assorting, the several classes of impurities and foreign substances which it
contains and with which the whole fleece is impregnated to a greater or less
degree.
And my Invention further consists in an apparatus or machine by means of
which the said process can be conveniently and effectively practiced.
My present Invention relates to the treatment of wool, whether fleece, dead, or
assorted wool, by a process, as herein-after described, to effect its scouring or
washing as generally understood in the arts, and also to effect certain steps in
process of removing burrs or other foreign vegetable matter by the use of chemical
agents.
As there are several distinct qualities of wool upon sheep, according to the
position it occupies upon the animal, it has heretofore been found necessary to
assort the flecce, that is, separate these various qualities, before the wool is subject
to the scouring process for the reason that the disturbance and manipulation
necessarily consequent upon such process has the serious result of felting the wool,
that is, for the reason that cach filament possesses at intervals of about one-three-
hundredth of an inch, a series of serrated rings imbricated towards each other
which allow the filaments to slip over one another in one direction but not to
return.
In order to arrive at a clear understanding of the nature and advantage of my

page_text: method of proceedure, it may be well to allude briefly to the usual methods or
processes heretofore and at present in general use, it being understood, as before
premised, that two results are sought, one being to scour wool, that is, remove what
is known in the art as the yolk, being peculiar potash soap secreted by the animal
as well as a certain amount of greasy matter, the second result sought being the
removal by the agency of chemical agents of vegetable matter which consists
largely of a species of burr, which becomes inextricably entangled in the filaments
of wool and is not removed by the scouring process, and it is also important that
wool should be washed where it is raised in order to avoid the expense of freight
on the foreign matters 'contained in it, which on an average will amount to from
sixty to seventy per cent. of the original weight.
The scouring process as practiced prior to my Invention is briefly as follows:-
The wool, whether fleece or pulled, is assorted into the various grades, as stated,
and one grade at a time is placed in bulk in a vat containing an alkaline liquor, and
agitated or manipulated in this liquor in the effort to thoroughly permeate the
mass of wool with it, which, however, is never entirely accomplished. The scouring
liquor having an affinity for the yolk of the wool readily incorporates itself with it
and produces thick soap, when the wool is removed to a "rinse box," and the soap
rinsed from it.
The method heretofore practiced for attempting the removal of burrs and other
vegetable matter from wool by the use of acids consists in soaking the wool for a
considerable length of time (necessarily after scouring) in an acid solution, and
agitating or stirring the wool to enable the acid to reach all parts of it and
permeate the vegetable matter, the wool being subsequently removed from the vat
and placed in a "hydro-extractor," so called, in which the excess of moisture is
removed by centrifugal force, from which machine the wool is again rehandled,
placed in a room or apparatus heated to a suitable temperature, which intensifies
the action of the acid and causes it to carbonize the vegetable matter, which is
removed by subsequent washings.
The manipulation of the wool by this treatment has the effect of felting it to a
great extent, while the length of time it is subjected to the action of the acid and
the impossibility of entirely removing the latter seriously injures the wool and
renders the process as heretofore practiced impracticable.
It may be well (since my process relates in some degree to this method also) to
add that the usual method practiced of removing burrs is by mechanical means,
which removes a greater part but leaves a certain portion which remains until
woven into cloth.
The purposes of my Invention are,-
First. To enable wool, either in the fleece or after assorting, to be scoured or
otherwise purified without liability of "felting" or otherwise injuriously dis-
turbing it.
Secondly. To destroy the vegetable foreign matters adhering to the wool without
injury to the latter.
Thirdly. To enable wool to be scoured or treated before assorting.
Fourthly. To accomplish the above-named treatment of wool at much less expense
than heretofore.
And finally. In minor details to be herein-after explained.
The salient feature of my process which is entirely independent of any machine
since it may, so far as its elementary principle is concerned, be practiced by hand
in any ordinary vessel consists briefly in treating wool to effect scouring, etc., and
removal of vegetable matter, by confining it within a prescribed space and operating
upon it without materially disturbing its original position until the operation is
complete.
To effect the scouring of wool in the fleece before assorting I prefer to proceed
as follows: In order to avoid, as far as possible, rehandling of the material, that is,
I provide a number of reticulated, foraminous, or latticed cages or baskets of
suitable size provided with covers of like material, in which the unassorted wool is

page_text: placed in a compact manner until the cages are filled, when the covers are fastened
down and the cages deposited in a suitable box or receiver which is disposed over
a tank containing the cleansing or scouring liquids or in a position accessible to the
supply of such liquids.
The said box or receiver should, preferably, be provided with a reticulated or
foraminous cover or grating of such character as to present a certain amount of
resistance (varying in extent with circumstances) to the passage of the liquids
which flow through it under pressure, in order to create such a degree of pressure
within the box as shall serve to thoroughly permeate the entire mass of wool.
The box or receiver may be supplied with a foraminous shelf or grating at its
lower part, on which the cages may be placed to elevate them above the inlet pipe
in order that the cleansing fluids may be uniformly presented to the entire contents
of the box.
The inlet or injection pipe is connected with the tank or other source of supply
of the cleansing liquids, and provided with a force pump or its equivalent in order
that such liquids may be driven with greater or less pressure into the receiver, by
which means and the pressure within such receiver I am enabled to thoroughly
permeate and penetrate the mass of wool in a short space of time. As the wool is
confined in position no agitation or disturbance can ensue, and felting" and
breaking of the fleece is avoided.
"
After the wool has been subjected to the action of the alkaline liquids I introduce,
preferably through the same pump or head, a stream of pure water, which forces its
way through the receiver and carries off from the wool the impurities acted upon
by the alkaline liquids as well as the liquids themselves, and leaves such wool
thoroughly cleansed and practically undisturbed. By the pressure of the current
of fluids in my process I drive from the wool the impurities which a simple flow
of liquid would not accomplish. I am also enabled to furnish purchasers with
cleansed wool and allow them to do their own assorting.
In scouring or cleansing assorted wool in bulk I deposit the material in the
receiver upon the foraminous shelf and continue until the receiver is full, the cover
being then secured down in place, as before stated, and serving not only to obtain
the resistance to the passage of fluids before alluded to but confine the wool in
place against such pressure.
In some instances I deem it desirable to compress the mass of wool in the
receiver with a considerable degree of pressure, and in this event I shall provide
the receiver with a means of accomplishing this when necessary.
In treating wool to remove vegetable matters I place it in bulk, preferably in
the cage before alluded to (to avoid unnecessary disturbance) and deposit such cage
in the receiver as before explained in the act of scouring. In place of the alkaline
liquids used for scouring now employ a chemical agent which shall exert the
proper action upon the burr and other vegetable impurities, such agent being forced
into the receiver under pressure and operating therein to thoroughly permeate or
impregnate the said vegetable matter.
The cages containing the wool are now removed from the charging receiver and
deposited in a "hydro-extractor," which renoves excess of chemical fluid and
prepares the wool for the subsequent treatment.
To accomplish the final stage and remove such chemical liquid as may remain
I return the wool without material disturbance to the receiver, and pass one or
more currents of suitable fluid, also under pressure, through it, which removes the
chemical agent. It will thus be seen that in this last-named treatment of wool,
that is, to prepare vegetable matter by the aid of chemical agents for removal I not
only avoid felting of the wool, but what is of greater importance, the wool is sub-
jected so short a time to the action of the chemical that is it not injured in the
slightest degree.
My process and its advantages are applicable to the scouring, washing, or rinsing
of yarns and to other treatment of wool or textile fabrics of wool.
In removing burrs froin wool by machinery greater or less portions of the burrs

page_text: remain which are spun into yarn and go into the woven or knitted fabrics. By my
process I can entirely remove these portions of the burrs either in the yarn or fabric
without shrinking or felting either.
As my process does not depend for its successful accomplishment upon any
organized machine but can be carried out by hand, I consider my Invention in such
process to consist in the method of confining wool within an arbitrary space and
operating upon it by liquids under pressure while thus confined without disturbing
its original position to an injurious extent.
The following apparatus embraces one system by which I.carry out my Invention,
reference being had to the Drawings forming part of this Specification.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view showing one end of the apparatus broken
away to show the interior parts, and, Figure 2, a similar view in perspective,
showing the position and arrangement of both exterior and interior parts.
In these Drawings, A and B indicate two large tanks of suitable form, one of
which, B, is placed partly within the other, A, in such a manner as to leave a space
D at the front between them, and a still greater, space between the bottom of the
upper and lower tanks. The relative arrangements of these parts may of course be
infinitely varied, but I have found in practice that the one shown is most convenient
for actual use. In the lower part of the smaller tank oi chamber B a double
grating b, c, is placed raised a short distance above the floor of the chamber. This
grating or partition is removable as I have shown it, but it may be made a part of
the chamber by being rigidly secured therein. It consists of a lower plate formed
of sheet metal and having equidistant perforations throughout its whole extent, as
seen at b, Figures 1 and 2. To this perforated plate is secured a diaphragm formed
of fine wires crossing each other and leaving small interstices between the strand.
This wire diaphragm is raised somewhat above the perforated plate b, the relative
arrangement of the two being shown at b, c, Figures 1 and 2. The top of this
chamber B is also closed by a wire screen similar to that shown at c, said screen
being hinged to one side of the top of the chamber, as seen at Figure 1, in order
that it may be thrown open, as shown in Figure 2.
Upon three sides of the chamber B the walls rise to a considerable height to form
guards e. At the front of said chamber I place an adjustable sluice-way g which
consists of a flat sheet of metal or other material having ears or other suitable
projections at its ends by which it can be pivoted to the walls e in such a manner
that when turned down, as shown in Figure 2, one edge will lie just under the
projecting edge o of the channel B while the plate shall slope down until its other
edge rests upon the incline S forming an unbroken inclined way leading to the
receiver (see Figure 2). This adjustable sluice-way g may also be thrown up into
the position shown in Figure 1, where it is retained by a dog K pivoted to the
wall e.
The purposes of this construction will be described below.
In the bottom of the chamber B and beneath the perforated and netted diaphragm
b, c, I lead an induction pipe a which is connected with a forcing pump R, Figure 1.
A draught pipe a¹ is introduced into the lower part of the larger chamber or tank A
and a discharge pipe with stop-cock m leads from the interior of chamber B into
the outer chamber A.
The operation of my machine is as follows:-When acid solutions are to be used
upon the wool to destroy the vegetable matter it contains, the wool is placed in the
chamber, when it is closely packed. The tank below is filled with the chemical
solution and the pump put in motion. By its power the fluid is driven with great
force through the mass of the wool penetrating every part thoroughly. To saturate
the burrs with it, it is not necessary to subject the wool to the action of the machine
more than a few moments, and thus the result desired is attained in a perfect
manner without the least injury to the quality of the wool and with the least
danger of "felting."
In employing alkaline liquors, the mode of operation is similar. The wool is
placed in the smaller or inner chamber where it may be placed under pressure, as
this is in some cases desirable, though not indispensable, to prevent the agitation of

page_text: its particles and the consequent "felting." The alkali is placed in the tank A and
the pump is worked as before. It will be noticed that in Figure 1 the adjustable
sluice-way g is shown as turned partly up. As the liquor flows upward through
the wool chamber and passes out at the perforated top, falling over the edge o, the
liquor is guided by this adjustable gate or sluice-way g back into the tank below,
whence it may be used over and over again.
When every particle of grease in the wool has combined with the alkaline solution
the pump is stopped, and the liquor remaining in the chamber B is drawn off
through the cock m. The draft pipe a¹ is then disconnected from the tank and
pure water is supplied to the pump which is again started.
The strong and rapidly flowing current which is forced with great power through
the closely packed mass of wool rinses it and carries away the impure or foreign
matter contained in the fleece, consisting of the neutralized grease, sand, grit, etc.
It will be noticed that the wool rests upon the wire screen forming part of the
diaphragm b, c. If it was placed directly upon the lower plate which is perforated,
it is evident that those portions lying between the perforations would not be
exposed to the force of the liquid entering the chamber and would thus be in danger
of remaining uncleansed. By placing it upon the wire screen c raised a little above
the perforated plate b the jets of water entering through the latter are broken up
and mingled together, and thus the liquid enters the wool, in every part forcing
through it and carrying away every particle adhering to the fibres. When the
wool has been thus cleansed and rinsed it is necessary to discharge it from the
tank B. This is accomplished as follows:-The top d which closes the chamber
being raised, the sluice-way g is dropped into the position shown in Figure 2. The
pump being then put in motion a strong current of water flows up through the
chamber and out over the edge o, whence it flows down the incline g, s, until it
falls into the receiver f. The wool in the chamber is necessarily carried by the
force of this current to the top of the tank, whence it is discharged by the stream
and carried upon its surface down the inclined plane until it falls into the receiver f
just mentioned. This receiver being perforated allows the water to pass off freely,
leaving the wool in a moist condition in the receiver ready to be taken away to the
"hydro-extractor."
I propose to build my apparatus in a mill by sinking the tank A somewhat
1
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page_text: Seventh. The double diaphragm consisting of the metallic perforated plate b and
the foraminous wire screen c adopted to be placed in the top or bottom, or both, of
the chamber B, as and for the purpose set forth.
Eighth. The combination with the chamber B having a perforated cover d of the
double diaphragm b, c, as and for the purpose set forth.
Ninth. In a wool cleansing machine, the combination with a closed chamber
having suitable opening for the escape of the liquor of a foraminous diaphragm
placed near the bottom of said chamber above the injection pipe, as shown and
described.
Tenth. In a wool cleansing machine, the combination with tank A and chamber B
of the double diaphragm b, c, as shown and described.
Eleventh. The combination in a wool cleansing machine of the tank A, chamber B,
and adjustable sluice-way g, of the dog K, incline S, and receiver f, as shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Oscar Low, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventeenth day of February 1877.