3o MODERN PAPER-MAKING
the drum washer, consists in having a wooden cover placed on the roll, and
fitted with slots at each side, into which fit frames covered with fine-mesh
wire cloth. The water splashed round by the roll comes in contact with the
screens and a good deal passes through. To stop the washing action with this
apparatus it is necessary to have a wooden slide to slip in, in front of the
wire, so that the water splashes against the wood and falls into the trough
again.
The washing of the rags is effected in the following way. The breaker is
filled with water and the rags are thrown in, circulation being at first assisted
by means of a 'stick' or wooden paddle. When the required amount of rags
has been furnished, the drum washers are let down until the lower portion
of the drum is immersed to a depth of about 6 or 8 inches. The drums are
driven by means of a belt which is connected to the shaft of the breaker roll.
As soon as the drum is down, it starts to pick up dirty water and discharge it
into the trough, and so to the drain. In order to compensate for the water
being removed, fresh water is run in from the tap, and the washing proceeds
until the water leaving the trough is as clean as that coming in. "When this
stage is reached the rags are clean and ready to be bleached.
The 'cover washing' is carried on in much the same way. As the rags and
dirty water are splashed round by the roll against the wire screens, a con-
tinuous flow of dirty water and small fibres passes through the screens aftd
away to the drains. This method is more drastic than the former, and a great
deal of fibre is lost through the screens.
During the period of washing the rags are being 'broken in' by the action
of the breaker roll on the bed-plate. The principle of the operation is to undo
the work of the textile manufacturer and brush out the rags into threads again.
The breaking goes on until all the material is 'out of the rag', and into
untwisted and brushed-out threads and fibres.
As the rags are cut and broken up, dirt and impurities contained in seams
and in the cloth itself are loosened and pass away in the water. At the same
time, any buttons and pieces of metal are cut or pulled off by the roll bars, and
sink to the bottom of the trough to be caught in the button catchers. Great
skill is required in the breaking-in of rags, as they must not be cut up too much
or valuable fibres will be detached and will pass away in the washing water.
The ideal state is for the rags to be treated to such an extent that they are all
out of the rag, but that as many of the fibres as possible are still in a semi-
twisted state of yarn.
Irreparable damage may be done to the rags in the breaker if the breaker
man is careless in his handling of the roll. It is necessary for him to grip the
rags firmly at the commencement in order to tear them up, but as soon as