GB2079337A - Wool cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Wool is cleaned in an apparatus containing a rotationally driven beater 24 which is partly surrounded by a number of closely spaced rods each of which is rotatable, the wool when being traversed between the beater and the rods interacting so as to rotate the rods and the beater includes an air flow which entrains particles of debris and moves particles of debris through passages between the rotating rods. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECli:iCATIGIJ Wool cleaning apparatus This invention relates to wool cleaning apparatus for the cleaning of unclean wool, and this is a com- panion application to Application No.

and the contents of the specification accompanying that application are imported hereinto by way of reference.

It has been recognised that much wool is of low value because it is difficult to clean, and in the Patents 403110,403109 and 403108 standing in the name of Hardy Wool Co. Pty. Ltd. (assigned in Australia to Runnymede Limited), there are described means and methods of cleaning unclean wool. However, the means which were described therein were limited to the use of perforate plates for release of the dirt particles from the wool, and it has been found that these are subject to blockage because of the greasy nature of debris contained in wool, and the main object of this invention is to provide improvements whereby the wool more readily yields its dirt particles and the dirt particles are more readily disposed of than heretofore.

In this invention wool cleaning apparatus comprises a frame, beater means contained in the frame and journalled for rotational movement about a longitudinal axis, a plurality of rods extending along the frame, each rod being located radially outwardly of the path of travel of said beater means and spaced from an adjacent rod to define therewith a debris passage, rod support means supporting said rods between their ends, and power means on the frame coupled to said beater means for effecting said rotational movement thereof, the arrangement being such that unclean wool, when fed into the apparatus, is subject to a beating action which causes debris to pass from the wool and through said debris passage.

A method according to this invention comprises rotationally driving beater means contained in a frame in wool cleaning apparatus and feeding wool between said beater means and a plurality of rods disposed radially outwardly of said beater means and extending along said frame and supported for rotation by rod support means on said frame, and inducing airflow by said beater means to entrain particles of debris and move said particles through debris passages existing between said rods, while at the same time rotating said rods by the beating of the wool by said beater means.

With this invention, the beater fingers sweep the wool around a cleaner space between the beater drum and the rotating rods, and the wool passes over the rods which provide both a scrubbing and cleaning effect. The scrubbing effect is due to the impact of the wool against the rods, and the cleaning effect partly due to that impact and also partly due to the centrifugal force which exists, and also a passage of air which is caused to pass outwardly through the debris spaces between the rods. However, when the rods are free to rotate, such rotation transports some at least of the particuiate material from within the cleaning space to outside of the cleaning space.

When a beater drum having beater fingers thereon rotates within a housing, the beater fingers, and the support bars, function as blower blades and cause a passage of air th rough the cleaning space. This is useful in blowing out wool which has been cleaned, but far more air is moved than is needed for this purpose. However, as said above, it is desirable that air should pass through the debris passages between the rotatable rods, and it is desirable that this air should pass in relatively large quantities.

Further in this invention, there is provided a takeoff duct connected to the downstream end of the device, and the take-off duct has secured to it a partly curved conduit such that there is a restriction to the outward flow of air from the duct, and this causes a larger quantity of air to flow between the rotatable rods, thereby improving the effectiveness of the cleaning.

An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder in some detail with reference to, and is illustrated in, the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. lisa simplified plan view of the apparatus, drawn to a small scale, Fig. 2 is a simplified elevational section, Fig. 3 is a simplified end elevation, Fig. 4 is a cross-section drawn to an enlarged scale, Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic section showing portions of the apparatus separated (for example for maintenance purposes), and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the entry end of the beater means used in the apparatus.

In this embodiment, wool cleaning apparatus 10 comprises a frame 11 which supports a housing, itself comprising an upper portion 12, an intermediate portion 13, and a lower portion 14, the lower portion 14 having a pair of side plates 15 which extend above downwardly sloping chute walls 16, the chute walls being located above a vibratory type conveyor 17 which is useful for conveying unwanted debris to a discharge end 18 of the apparatus 10.

The intermediate portion 13 comprises side plates 21 between which are located a plurality of rod support plates 22, each rod support plate 22 being rectangular in profile except for its upper edge 23 which is arcuately curved about an axis of rotation of a beater drum 24.

The upper portion 12 of the housing comprises an upper plate 25 and side plates 26 which extend upwardly from the side plates 21 of the intermediate portion 13. The lower plate 28 of the upper portion 12 has an upwardly curved form, and is a smooth plate. The upwardly curved form is curved about the axis of rotation of the beater drum 24.

Clamp means 30 are provided for clamping the upper portion 12 to the intermediate portion 13, and there is also provided a hoist 31 for elevating the upper portion 13 away from the beater drum 24 and lifting means (not shown) for lifting the beater drum 24 away from the lower portion 14, as shown in Fig.

5.

Each rod support plate 22 of the intermediate por tion 13 is provided with a plurality of apertures 34 on a pitch circle radius slightly larger than the radius of curvature of the curved edge 23 of the plate, so that a very small amount of metal exists between each aperture and that curved edge. Each aperture is a clearance size for a rod 35 which passes through it, and the plates and their apertures are aligned in a longitudinal direction, and support between them a plurality of rods 35 which are thereby freely rotatable.

The housing is also provided with end plates 37 and 38 respectively at the inlet and outlet ends, and externally of the end plates there are provided bearings 39 and drive means 40, the drive means 40 being a variable speed hydraulic (or electric) motor.

A central drive shaft 41 extends longitudinally through the housing and is journalled in the bearings 39, and this drive shaft is secured to the beater drum discoid end plates 42. The beater drum 24 has a cylindrical wall 44 which has welded to it a plurality of angle section beater finger support bars 45, and each beater support bar 45 supports a plurality of radially outstanding beater fingers 46, and is arranged slightly helically so as to progress the wool through the cleaning space between the beater drum 24 and the rotating rods 35, and also, on the upper sweep of the beater drum, the smooth curved surface of the upper portion of the housing.

At the discharge end of the housing, there is provided a tangential duct 48 arranged to allow passage of air, and with it, of cleaned wool from the cleaning space within the housing. However, the discharge duct does not always extend in a straight line, but in some instances is provided with curved discharge conduit 49 which curves downwardly and then upwardly, this arrangement imparting some resistance to the flow of air and wool, thus causing an increase in the flow of air past the rotatable rods 35.

In use, wool to be cleaned enters the cleaning space through a charging chute 51 and is directed between the beater blocks 46 and the rotating rods 35 and curved plate at one end, and the wool is initially beaten by beater blocks on that end of the beater drum. The wool is thrown outwardly against the housing upper and lower portions by centrifugal force, and is subseqently picked up by the beater fingers and gradually progressed along the length of the machine while at the same time being caused to bear against the smooth curved plate and also against the rotating rods.When bearing against the rotating rods, the friction of the wool striking the rods causes them to rotate all in the same direction, and this rotation assists in the removal of debris particles from the wool and through the debris passages between adjacent rods, and the transporting of those particles externally of the rotating rods. The finger support bars 45 induce an air flow which entrains some of the debris particles, and other particles drop onto conveyor 17 and are conveyed thereby to the debris elevator 52.

The debris particles will not always be dry parti cles, and sometimes include greasy particles so that some build up on the rods inevitably occurs. When this happens however, the rods are cleaned by hand, with orwithoutthe application of heat. The intermediate portion is moved by jacking it upwardly away from the lower portion, entering trolleys 53 beneath it, lowering onto the trolleys, and winching to one side. It may contain the beater drum 24 when so moved, but in normal cleaning procedure, the beater drum is first lifted as shown in Fig. 5, buy a hoist 55.

In a further embodiment, the axis of rotation of the beater drum is vertical, and the entire surrounding wall of the device comprises the parallel rotating rods, still further improving the cleaning action and debris disposal action of the device.

While the above embodiment has described a curved conduit which restricts airflow, the conduit may be straight, and can contain a baffle, or other means, for effecting restriction to airflow.

It has been found that the invention herein is far more effective in cleaning unclean wool than the arrangement utilising perforate plates.

Claims (12)

1. Wool cleaning apparatus comprising a frame, beater means contained in the frame and journalled for rotational movement about a longitudinal axis, a plurality of rods extending along the frame, each rod being located radially outwardly of the path of travel of said beater means and spaced from an adjacent rod to define therewith a debris passage, rod support means supporting said rods between their ends, and power means on the frame coupled to said beater means for effecting said rotational movement thereof, the arrangement being such that unclean wool, when fed into the apparatus, is subject to a beating action which causes debris to pass from the wool and through said debris passage.

2. Wool cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rod support means comprise a plurality of spaced parallel support plates secured to the frame, each said support plate containing a plurality of rod-carrying apertures spaced from one another, each aperture being aligned with the corresponding apertures of other said plates, each said rod being of circular cross-sectional shape and being supported for rotation by the aperture walls of corresponding apertures, the arrangement being such that said rods are caused to rotate by wool during the beating action.

3 Wool cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each said support plate has an arcuate edge the centre of curvature of which lies on the axis of drum rotation, and wherein said apertures of each support plate lie on portion of a pitch circle which has a radius exceeding the radius of said arcuate edge curvature.

4. Wool cleaning apparatus comprising at least two frames which carry respectively a first housing, and second housing beneath the first housing, a beater drum having a central shaft and a plurality of radially outstanding fingers, bearings on the frame supporting the central shaft for rotation, and power means on the frame coupled to the central shaft for rotationally driving the central shaft in its bearings, a plurality of spaced rod support plates spaced along the second housing and extending transversely with respect to said central shaft, each said support plate being beneath said beater drum and having a curved upper edge spaced radially away from said beater drum, each said support plate containing a plurality of rod carrying apertures therein adjacent said curved upper edge and aligned with respective corresponding rod carrying apertures in the others of said rod support plates, and a plurality of rods extending through corresponding said rod carrying apertures to be supported by the walls thereof for rotation, each said rod being parallel to the axis of rotation of the beater drum shaft.

5. Wool cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a third housing beneath said first and second housings, said first said housing being an upper housing, said second housing an intermediate housing, and said third housing a lower housing, there being first removal means for lifting the upper housing from the intermediate housing and moving the lifted upper housing laterally; second removal means for lifting the beater drum from the intermediate housing; and third removal means for moving the intermediate housing laterally from the lower housing.

6. Wool cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a debris conveyor in the lower housing and a debris elevator having one end located beneath the discharge end of the conveyor and arranged to elevate debris from the conveyor

7. Wool cleaning apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising a discharge conduit extending outwardly from one side of said housing.

8. Wool cleaning apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said discharge conduit has curved walls.

9. Wool cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8 further comprising finger support bars extending helically along said beater drum, and a plurality of beater fingers extending outwardly from said support bars.

10. A method of cleaning wool comprising rotaionally driving beater means contained in a frame in wool cleaning apparatus and feeding wool between said beater means and a plurality of rods disposed radially outwardly of said beater means and extending along said frame and supported for rotation by rod support means on said frame, and inducing air flow by said beater means to entrain particles of debris and move said particles through debris passages existing between said rods, while at the same time rotating said rods by the beating of the wool by said beater means.

11. Wool cleaning apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of cleaning wool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.