A New or Improved Apparatus or Machine for Drawing or Preparing Decorticated and Ungummed China Grass, Rhea, Ramie, or the like Fibres Ready for Combing and Spinning.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Feb., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus
or
Machine for Drawing or
Preparing Decorticated and Ungummed China Grass, Rhea,
Ramie, or the like Fibres Ready for Combing and Spinning.
We, DICK EDWARDS RADCLYFFE of 56 Gloucester Crescent, Regent's Park,
London, Gentleman, and TAYLOR BURROWS of 88, Upper Kennington Lane,
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
Heretofore the great difficulty of drawing or preparing ready for spinning the
"filasse" (or ungummed or bleached) China grass rhea ramie or the like fibres has
been one of the principal causes of such fibre not being more used in the textile
industry and our present invention has for its object an apparatus or machinery
which without being of a complicated or expensive character will rapidly and
effectively treat very large quantities of such fibre so as to get same into a
condition ready for combing and spinning.
"
In cases when the fibre has been ungummed (aud either bleached or not) or in
the state known as "filasse and either with or without being softened by any
suitable calendering or softening or rubbing action the "drawing" of the mass of
fibre in a parallel form into a sliver or lap can be effected in a wet or moist state
as described in our Patent No. 8038 of 1894 or instead thereof this can be effected
according to our present invention while in the dry state without impaling the fibre
on pins or teeth or otherwise stabbing same as heretofore our present invention
being as follows:-
In a suitable frame or support any suitable number of pairs of crushing and
feeding rollers may be used for instance four pairs of feed crushing rollers (either
plain or fluted) and advantageously weighted or forced towards one another in any
suitable way.
These rollers revolve advantageously at equal peripheral speed with each other
and the material is fed to same from a suitable feed table or by a feed apron or
feed sheet or in any suitable manner and is thoroughly crushed as it is advanced
between these rollers-or if desired the fibre may be subjected to any other desired
preliminary treatment to soften same or passed between any suitable softening rolls
or softening machine apart from our present invention in which case a smaller
number of feed crushing rollers will be used for instance 1 or 2 pairs of feed
rollers only.
From the last pair of such feed or feed-crushing rollers the material is carried on
(either on an endless sheet or on a series of rollers or on the periphery of a large
drum or otherwise guided) to a pair of deeply furrowed or fluted rollers which we
will term the "drawing rolls" (the depressions therein being advantageously so
deep that the radial projections or flutes interlock deeply like the teeth of a deeply
toothed cog wheel) which drawing rolls revolve very much more quickly than the
aforesaid feed crushing rollers-and pressing as far as possible equally against the
said drawing rolls is a third roller advantageously corresponding on its periphery
to the formation of the aforesaid drawing rollers.
This third roll may advantageously be mounted in diagonally or horizontally
disposed or otherwise suitably arranged bearings which have strong springs of
other suitable means or otherwise arranged to force the said third roller firmly inte

page_text: or against one of said drawing rollers (or instead of this trio a pair or other
number of such drawing rolls may be used) so that the fibre is thus rigidly gripped
between these drawing rolls and thus drawn out and is or may be led on to a large
lapping drum or it may be an endless band or other suitable means may be used for
receiving said fibre and forming same into a sliver or lap or before being led away
into such lap or sliver we may pass same through one or more further pairs or trio
or other number of drawing rolls each successive pair or trio etc. revolving much
quicker (or having greater peripheral speed) than the last so as to further draw
out such fibre--the distance between these respective groups of rollers regulating
the length of the fibre for instance if the distance of the last pair etc. is 12 inches
from the preceding pair etc. (either feed or drawing rollers) then the ultimate
length of each fibre cannot be longer than twelve inches.
The lap or sliver thus produced is removed from the machine and is now in a
state ready for combing or spinning and by reason of the simple and effective
though rapid action of this machine very large quantities can thus be treated
according to our present invention.
of Max 1895
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus or Machine for Drawing or
Preparing Decorticated and Ungummed China Grass, Rhea,
Ramic, or the like Fibres Ready for Combing and Spinning.
We, DICK EDWARDS RADC LYFTE, of 56 Gloucester Cresent, Regent's Park,
Lemon, Gentleman, and TAYLOR BURROWs of 88 Upper Kennington Lane,
London. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
banner the same is to be performed to he particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :---
Heretofore the great difficulty of treating or preparing the Hilasse" (or
named or Meared) Chim, re, mi, or the hike fires ready for
combing and spinning has been one of the principal causes of such fibre not being
more used in the textile industries and our present invention has for its object
apparatus or machinery which without being of a complicated or expensive
character will rapidly and effectively treat very large quantities of such fibre so as
to get same into a condition ready for combing and spinning.
The said fibre having been ungummed and either bleached or not or in the state
known as
"filasse" and after being softened by any suitable calendering or
mechanical softening or rubbing action (which may advantageously be done by
means of a machine for this purpose invented by us and for which we have made
application for Patent dated 18th May 1895, No. 9868) the "drawing" of the mass
of fibre in a parallel form into a sliver or lap can be effected according to our
present invention without impaling the fibre on pius or teeth or otherwise stabbing
same as heretofore in gill boxer.
Our present invention is as follows;-
thic of fo
In a suitable frame or support any suitable number of pairs or combination of
feeding and holding rollers for in
rollers (either plain or fluted) and advantageously weighted or forced towards one
another in any suitable way for instance may be bring-mounted.
The feed-holding rollers revolve advantageously at equal peripheral speed with
cach other and the material is fed to same from a suitable feed table or by a feed

page_text: apron or feed sheet or in any suitable manner and is crushed and tightly held as it
is advanced between these rollers-the fibre being advantageously subjected to any
desired preliminary treatment to soften same or passed between any suitable
softening rolls or softening machine apart from our present invention.
From the feed rollers the material is carried on (either on an endless sheet or on
a series of rollers or on the periphery of a large drum or otherwise guided) to the
first set of "drawing rolls" (the depressions therein being advantageously so deep
that the radial projections or flutes interlock deeply like the teeth of a deeply
toothed cog wheel) which drawing rolls revolve very much more quickly than the
aforesaid feed-holding rollers so that the fibre is thus firmly gripped between these
drawing rolls and thus drawn out and is or may be led on to a large lapping drun
or it may be an endless band or other suitable means may be used for receiving
said fibre and forming same into a sliver or lap but before being led away into such
lap or sliver we may pass said fibre through one or more further sets of drawing
roll each successive set revolving much quicker (or having greater peripheral
speed) than the last so as to further draw out such fibre-the distance between
these respective groups or sets of rollers being regulated according to the ultimate
length of the fibre.
And in order that our present invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into practice we will proceed to further describe same with reference to
the drawings hereunto annexed ;-
Fig. 1 is a plan of our machine.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 1-1 Fig. 1.
A is the standard or frame of the machine.
B are fast and loose pulleys driven from any suitable source of power by which
the main driving shaft C of the machine is driven.
On the other end of the axle C the toothed wheel D is mounted which gears
with the large toothed wheel E fixed on the same axle as the bottom roll Z of the
last set of rolls X Y Z.
On the same shaft as the toothed wheel E and at the other end thereof there is
mounted the small toothed wheel E¹ which gears with the toothed wheel F fixed
to the shaft of the small roll F by which the carrier sheet or apron F is carried
round in the direction of the arrow shown thereon.
Also on the same axle as the said toothed wheel F there is mounted the smaller
toothed wheel E2 which gears with the large toothed wheel E³ which in turn gears
with the large toothed wheel G fixed on the same axle as the bottom roll W of the
first set of drawing rolls U V W the speed of which latter is thus geared down to
much less than the speed of the aforesaid set of rolls X Y Z.
At the other end of the shaft of the roll W the small toothed wheel G¹ is
mounted which gears with the cog-wheel H on the roll H' which is thereby
rotated and carries round the endless belt or apron H².
On the other end of the said roll W the small toothed wheel G is mounted
which gears with the large intermediate toothed wheel G³ the latter in turn
gearing with the large toothed wheel I fixed to or on the shaft of the roll T of
the feed-holding rolls or first set of rolls Q S T.
On the other end of said roll T or shaft thereof a small toothed wheel 11 gears
with the toothed wheel J fixed to the shaft of the roll J' whereby the latter is
revolved and consequently the feed apron J2 carried round.
The gear wheel G being smaller than the intermediate wheel G thereby the
set of feed crushing rolls Q S T will be revolved at a much less speed than the
first set of drawing rolls U V W the latter in turn being revolved at a much less
speed than the last set of drawing rolls X Y Z.
By means of a chain K passing round a small chain wheel or sprocket wheel Ki
fixed to the shaft of the roll Z and also passing round the chain wheel K fixed on
the axle of the roll L thereby the latter is slowly revolved and carries round the
lapping apron M.
The small toothed wheel L' fixed on the same shaft as L gears with a smal

page_text: toothed wheel N fixed on the shaft of the roller N1 whereby the latter is rotated
and carries round the apron or endless sheet N in the direction shown by the
arrow thereon.
OO are springs controlling (i.e. pressing downwards) the bearings in which the
top rolls QS U V X Y respectively are mounted and thereby the top rolls QS
are kept pressed firmly into the lower roll T similarly the top rolls U & V into W
and the top rolls X & Y into Z.
The feed-holding rolls QST may either be plain or fluted or instead of the
arrangement of these three rolls as shown in the drawing any suitable number of
pairs of feeding and holding rollers may be used for instance two pairs of rollers
either plain or fluted and either weighted or forced towards one another in any
suitable way.
The first set of drawing rolls (U V W) are each deeply fluted or furrowel
rollers the depressions therein being advantageously so deep that the radial
projections or flutes of the two rolls U & V interlock deeply (like the teeth of
deeply toothed cog-wheels) with the corresponding flutes on the lower roll W by
which means the former are carried round by the latter-the second set of drawing
rolls X Y Z are advantageously similarly formed to the set U V W just
described.
The distance between the set of rolls U V W and set of rolls X Y Z regulating
the length of the fibre drawn out thereby-for instance if the distance of the pair
of rolls X Z where they meet is 12 inches from where the rolls V W meet then
the ultimate length of each fibre cannot be longer than 12 inches and similarly if
such distance be more than 12 inches or less than 12 inches the ultimate length of
each fibre cannot be longer than the distance apart at which these said rolls are
mounted.
The operation is as follows;-
The fibre after same has been ungummed (and either bleached or not) or in the
state known as "filasse" and after being softened by any suitable calendering or
mechanical softening or rubbing action as aforesaid is laid on the feed apron J
and thereby is laid in between the rolls Q S & T where samne is firmly held as it is
advanced between these rollers. From these last-named rollers the fibre is carried
along on the endless sheet H to the more quickly revolving set of deeply fluted
drawing rollers U V W which firmly grip said fibre and draw same out from the
more slowly revolving fred-holding rolls Q S T which latter consequently have a
tendency to hold back said fire from this first set of drawing rollers U V W.
The fibre is now. carried along on the endless sheet F to the last pair of still more
quickly revaleng drowing rolls X Y Z
the hell back
dept of any fibre thus
the roll. Y W.
The latter now dry out the
from the point where
between the rolls VW consequently the
drawn out is limited to the distance of the rails X Z
The fire in the of a sliver is now cominetel on to the endless sheet Menl
between same and the
cheet X which letter serve
and can-es same to lap around the endless sheet M.
...
וי
to hold the iiint down
The lap or sliver this produced is removed in the endless at N in the
usual or any suitable manner and will now be found to be in a state realy for
further drawing and combing.
By reason of the simple and effective though rapid action of this machine very
large quantities of fibre can thus be treated according to our present invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is;-
1. In a machine for drawing the filasse of Ching grass, rhea, ramie or the like-
the cabination with a set of feel-holding roll of a set of more quickly revolving.
deeply flated drawing roll, such last-med set consisting of three rolls two of
which are adapted to be separately and independently forced firmly against the

page_text: third roll, means for carrying the fibre from the said feed-holding rolls to the said
drawing rolls, another set of drawing rolls similar to but revolving more quickly
than the first-named drawing rolls means to carry the fibre from the first said
drawing rolls to the second said drawing rolls the distance apart of these two last-
named sets of rolls being regulated according to the ultimate length of the fibre
under treatment and means to receive the fibre from the last pair of drawing rolls
and form same into a lap substantially as and for the purposes herein before set
forth.
2. In a machine for drawing the filasse of China grass, rhea ramie or the like,
the combination of a set of feed-holding rollers, a set of deeply fluted drawing
rollers, mechanism for rotating the latter more quickly than the feed-holding
rollers, means for supporting the fibre between and carrying the same from the
feed-holding rollers to the said drawing rollers, another set of drawing rollers
similar to the first said set of drawing rollers, means for rotating the second said
set of drawing rollers still faster than the first said set of drawing rollers and
means for supporting the fibre between and carrying the same from the first said
set of drawing rollers to the second said set of drawing rollers each said set of
rollers consisting of three rollers two of which rollers are mounted in spring
bearings above the third roller substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
set forth.
3. In a machine for drawing the filasse of China grass, rhea, ramie, or the like,
the combination of an endless feed apron feed-holding rollers at the inner end of
said feed apron, a set of drawing rollers, an apron between the feed-holding rollers
and the said drawing rollers, a second set of drawing rollers, an apron between the
first said set and the second said set of drawing rollers, two aprons to the rear of
the said second set of drawing rollers one such apron being arranged above and in
contact with the other apron and means for transmitting motion to said parts
substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
4. The combination-in a machine for drawing the filasse of China grass, rhea,
ramie, or the like with an endless feed apron such as J2 and feed-holding rolls such
as QST of two spring-mounted deeply fluted drawing rolls such as U V
pressing firmly against a third roll W with the flutes of which they intergear,
means to revolve this trio of drawing rolls much quicker than the said feed
crushing rolls, an endless sheet such as H2 to act as a conveyor to carry the fibre
between the two sets of rolls aforesaid, another trio of drawing rolls X Y Z
similar to but revolving much quicker than the aforesaid rolls U V W and means
to receive and form the fibre into a lap or sliver substantially in the manner and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
5. The improved machine for drawing the filasse of China grass, rhea, ramie, or
the like, combined and arranged to act substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before described.
Dated this 1st day of February 1896
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants..