US1776186A - Wool cleaning and scouring apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 16, 1930. H. s. HOWELLET AL WOOL CLEANING AND SCOURING APPARATUS z sums-sum 1 Filed Dec. 2'7, 1929 Sept. 16, 1930. ow L ET AL WOOL CLEANING AND scounme APPARATUS Filed Dec. 27, 1929 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 16, 1930 UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE HAROLD ertnnnrson HOWELL, on HASTINGS, Ann THOMAS REGINALD HOWELL, on NAPIER, new znnnnnn WOOL CLEANING AND soonnINe APPARATUS Application filed December avrieas, Serial No.

This invention has been devised with the object of providing means for the cleaning effected in which the natural greases of the wool are retained while dirt and strains and foreigncolouring matters are removed. The method concerned also provides for a cheap and quick operation ascompared with the methods now generally in use. a

The invention is of particular adaptation to the treatment of dags or dag wool, e. those portions of the 'fieece shorn from the hind quarters and tangled and stained with the sheeps ordure)v in order to recover the wool therefrom and at the same time to re move dirt and stain from the wool.

The invention comprises as. its essential feature the use of apparatus constructed to subject the wool while it is being fedby means of water jets along a surface, to a seriesof repeated heating or pounding actions obtained by the use of heaters ers acting thereon. p 1

This operation may follow an initial treat ment in which the wool is first steeped in clear water for 'a period, to soften the foreign matters mingled therewith, and is subse quently passed through between a series of crushing rollers, whilebeing subjected to the force of jets of water directed thereon, for the purpose of crushingup' all such foreign matters, to render them more readily separable in the beating or pounding operations.

or stamp The invention may be given efi'ectto by the employment of apparatus of any approved design having the said actions upon the wool and itis not intended thatlit shall beconfined to any'particular design of ap paratus. 1

In the accompanying drawings there is shown, in diagrammatic form, apparatus suitable for giving elfect to the invention. In such drawings:- Figure l is a side elevation ofthe heating or pounding machine.

F igure2 is an end elevation, and Figure 3 a horizontal sectional thereof.

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively side elevaview 41 s,se4, and. in New Zealand August 20, 1928.

ing rollers and water jets suitable for the initial crushing treatment when such is required.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional'view showing the arrangement of Figs. 4 and-5 associated with the beating or pounding machine.

In the apparatus shown. in Figures. 1 to 3,a long narrow trough A of approved depth, width and length, is provided, and arranged horizontally. This trough 'is made with a firm bottom, and with side walls arranged vertically parallel, the whole being suitablybraced and strengthened to form-a firm structure. A number of stamper blocks B are fitted into the trough to move up and down between its sides, these blocks being madeof suitable material, and being spaced at regular distances apart along the trough length. The said blocks B are connected to means whereby they will be raised a distance and dropped on to the trough bottom, in reg ular order, in seriesfrom the'inlet to the outletend of the trough.-

The means for effecting the movementsof I the blocks, as shown, comprise theattachment of each block, to the lower end of a ver tical rod C that is carried in guides upon a. framing 'D so that it may slide' freely up.

and down, but-is kept normally down by means of a compression spring E surrounding its upper end. A'tappet F is fixed upon I each rod Q and a cam shaft G is mounted to extend horizontally in the framingalongside J the several rods. On this shaft a camI-I is fixed for each tappet, such cam being constructed to engage the tappet and lift it and i then to free it so that it may drop, in a manner well known in ordinarystamper construction. The rod and block as they fall in each case, havethe. strength of the spring E imparted to them, so that the block engages the such strength and the-Weight the trough sides immediately above the level" of the troughbottomwat an angle-inclining bottom of the trough A with an -impa'ot deinwards and in the direction of the delivery end of the trough. These enter from both sides and are preferably disposed in pairs (one pair between each two stamper blocks) so that they concentrate the jets issuing therefrom along the centre line of the trough and to pass beneath the Stamper block in front when it lifts.

These nozzles are connected with a water supply service designed to provide for the jets issuing therefrom at high pressure, and" for this purpose may be combined with any. high pressure source.

In the operation of this apparatus, the wool is fed into the feed end of the trough A by any suitable method providing for it passing evenly and continuously, and is acted upon by the'water jets to be carried along the trough bottom while bein continuously sluiced by the water, the stampers at the same time rising to permit the wool to pass and dropping to stamp or pound it between them and the trough bottom. This combined stamping or pounding action, and washing or sluicing action, will thereforeact upon the 'wool to scour it and free it from foreign dirt and colouring matters and stains. If desired, the water supplied to the nozzles, or to some of them, may contain chemical bleaching agents of known and. approved nature, or

cleansingand scouring agents, to act upon the wool.

The apparatus thus described is adapted for dealing with all classes of wool, the pe riod of treatment being governed by the force and size of the water jets, and the rate at which the stampers are actuated and also by the length of the trough and thenumber of stampers. Water and dirt are allowed to escape from the trough at points between thestampers, by providing side draining channels K in the trough bottom which channels are covered by suitably perforated platesM. 1

When the apparatus isgrequire'd. to deal with dags or, dag wool and'like-classes of wool, such wool should be treated initially by soaking in vats containing clean water, and then passing it through a series ofcrushing rollers while subjected to jets of high pressure water directed thereon and carrying the wool across perforated drainmg tables The individual pairs of rollers may be geared to be driven in opposite directions.

Combined with the rollers and table are water nozzles P disposed to deliver jets of water at an incline downward and inwards uponthe table at approved points along it, such as below each pair of rollers. These nozzles are connected up with a high pressure supply source so that the streams of water directed on to the apparatus are such as to effectually feed the Wool, delivered on to the upper end of the table, down through the several sets of rollers in turn, and at-the same time to sluice the wooltojfree it from foreign matters, as dirt, which is strained off through the perforated table.

The table O will be arranged to deliver the wool passing from its lower end, directly into the trough A of the stamping or pounding apparatus so that the-operation is carried on in sequence and without any handling of the material between the two treatments.

.Ve (claim 1 WVool. cleaning and scouring means, comprising in combination an inclined perforated table along which the wool is fed, a series of crushing rollers adjacent the table and adapted to operate upon the wool as it is fed along the table,a surface to receive the wool from the inclined table, a series of stampers disposed above said surface and operable to stamp the'wool passing thereunder, and nozzles directed upon said inclined table and surface to deliver jets or streams of water thereupon. f

2. Wool cleaningand scouring means comprising in combination a stationarysurface along which :the, wool is fed, a series of stampers mounted above said surface, means for causing said stampers to rise-and to drop" upon said surface, and means comprising a number of nozzles projecting toward one edge of said surface to direct jets of washing water upon said surface, to feed the wool along the surface beneath the stampers.

3. W001 cleaning and scouring means comprising the combination of a stationary surface along which the woolis adapted to be fed, a series of stampers mounted above said surface, means normally urging said stampers towards said surface, means for raising'said stampers and releasing them to rapidly re.- turn to the surface under the influence ofsaid urging means, and-means comprising nozzles projecting towards one edge of said surface to direct jets of water uponsaidsurface to cause the wool thereon to be fed alongthe surface beneath the stampers.

tures. HAROLD GHJBERTSON HOWELL. THOMAS REGINALD. HOWELL; v

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signa-

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