M. TECH]SOLOGY. 599 



that where glycerine has not been employed. The calcare- 

 ous waters which are so constantly met with in manufactur- 

 ing regions will be no longer an objection wiien glycerine is 

 employed. Should the glycerine occur in any excess in the 

 wool, it can be easily removed by washing in distilled water. 

 6 B, Aiyril 7, 1873, 884. 



W'ASHIXG WOOL AND UTILIZING THE REFUSE. 



The custom of shearing sheep without previous washing, 

 and sending the wool directly to establishments that wash it 

 on a large scale, has lately become so prevalent that a con- 

 sideration of the methods employed and the refuse obtained 

 is worthy of attention. The usual scouring-machines were 

 necessarily unsuited for the treatment of such wool, as giv- 

 ing results unsatisfactory in quality and quantity; and the 

 so-called Leviathan, or a machine similar in character, was 

 adopted. This consists, in the main, of two steeping-tubs and 

 two scouring-tubs, each tub having a pair of iron pressing- 

 rollers, the upper one in each case being wrapped w^ith hemp- 

 en cord and covered with cloth, the wool beino; brouo-ht to 

 and taken from the rollers on an endless cloth. The stirring: 

 apparatus of the scouring-vats also delivers the wool to ele- 

 vating forks, which place it upon the feeding -cloth. The 

 scoured wool is rinsed in a tub having a similar stirring ap- 

 paratus and an abundant water supply. All the tubs have 

 stop-cocks in the bottom, and perforated false bottoms to re- 

 tain the wool when they are emptied. The first three tubs 

 can be warmed by steam -j^ipes. The wool is placed in a 

 steeping-tub in warm water, whereby the adhering excre- 

 ment and dirt are for the most part removed ; and since two 

 such tubs are employed in turn, there is ample time for dis- 

 solving the dirt, any undissolved particles being rendered 

 more readily soluble by passing through the first j^air of roll- 

 ers. The wool is then carried in succession through the two 

 scouring baths, prepared from calcined carbonate of soda, on 

 account of the energetic action of the small amount of caus- 

 tic soda it contains, and warmed to 112. The strength of 

 the bath varies in the two vessels, as w^ell as with the qual- 

 ity of the wool ; and it is best, although not most economical 

 of soda, to place the wool in the stronger bath first, since the 

 grease itself will, to begin with, in a measure protect the wool 



