Mackay, B. H., Longhurst, J. R., and Downes, J. G.
Subjects
MACHINE design, WOOL scouring, ANIMAL fibers, PROPERTIES of matter, DENSITY, FLOTATION, SEPARATION (Technology), DENSITY gradient centrifugation, ENGINEERING design
Abstract
The principle and basic design of a fast machine for the determination of wool and vegetable-matter components in scoured wool are described. The machine is a development of that used in Harker's method for the separation of wool and vegetable matter by reducing the material to a finely divided state and utilizing the different densities of wool and vegetable matter to separate them by flotation. However, in contrast to Harker's method, thermal convection and density gradients are not used; the machine embodies a special centrifuge, in which the separating liquid is controlled at a density of 1.335 ±0.002 g/ml. The problem arising from the presence of low-density vegetable-matter components is discussed, and the means of treating these components to enable separation to proceed are described. The quality of separation is of a high order, and separations can be made in a few minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Downes, J. G., Mackay, B. H., Dehlsen, A. B., and Sinclair, K. D.
Subjects
WOOL -- Handling, TEXTILE machinery, INDUSTRIAL design, HEAT convection, PRODUCTION methods, TESTING, INDUSTRIAL equipment, PROTOTYPES, TEXTILE industry
Abstract
The increasing volume of yield-testing of greasy wool indicates the need for equipment that has a greater rate of handling samples and is more automatic than that employed in methods in current use. New washer equipment has been developed in which samples are washed by being dispersed and circulated around a long pipe by a special pump; the arrangement ensures thorough treatment of the whole sample and facilitates complete collection after washing. Released dirt is removed continuously from the system during washing. After being washed, the sample is discharged directly into a can, dewatered by suction, and dried in the same can by forced convection of hot air. Experimental prototypes have been built and have been extensively tested in a commercial testing laboratory. When the washer is used in a conventional yield-testing arrangement with one operator, samples can be handled at a rate of 20 samples/hr, and the total time required to process a sample to obtain a washing-yield value is about 25 min. It is intended that the rate of testing will be 30 samples/hr when the equipment is used as a section of a Wool-base Analyser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]