IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OAKUM AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller, of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Rope Makers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OAKUM AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
Sealed the 2nd February 1864, and dated the 8th August 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nedrick Jarvie and
William Miller at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th August 1863.
We, NEDRICK JARVIE and WILLIAM MILLER, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Rope Makers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OAKUM AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for object the manufacture of oakum from old ropes or
cordage in a superior and economical manner. And in carrying out the
Invention, according to one modification, the old ropes being opened or un-
twisted in any convenient manner are soaked in tar or a tarry solution, which
facilitates the removal of the old hardened tar, and at the same time
freshens and renovates the material. The yarns are then subjected to a
machine which converts them into oakum by untwisting or separating the
fibres. The yarns are entered into the machine between a pair of fluted or

page_text: toothed feeding rollers or wheels, which present them to be acted upon by a
revolving drum fitted with a number of rows of pointed teeth. The drum
revolves considerably faster than the feed rollers, a convenient relation of the
surface velocities being that of one hundred and fifty to one, although this
may be varied, and the teeth in revolving beat out and disintegrate and
separate the fibres. The fibres adhere more or less to the teeth, but are
removed therefrom by the action of plates in combination with a revolving
brush. The plates are perforated with holes through which the teeth project,
and are connected to the drum shell by headed pins or staples which allow
them to move in and out from the drum surface to the points of the teeth.
When the drum is revolving the centrifugal force due to the rotation causes
the plates to move outwards and press the oakum off the points of the teeth,
thereby greatly assisting the action of the brush. The yarns are by preference
presented to the drum opposite to its axis on the descending side, and the
brush is situated directly below the axis, in consequence of which arrangement
the outward movement of the plates is assisted by their weight, whilst their
weight also assists their inward movoment as each comes round to act afresh
on the yarns. The plates may, if preferred, be moved outwards by springs, or
positive outward and inward movements may be imparted to them by means
of eccentric or other guiding surfaces. Or, instead of the plates being movable,
the teeth may be fixed on movable bars or plates arranged to be moved
A little oil
inwards and outwards through perforations in the drum surface.
or other lubricant is supplied to the yarns as they enter upon the drum teeth
to lubricate the teeth, and prevent the adherence which would otherwise be
caused by the tar in the varns.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, NEDRICK
JARVIE and WILLIAM MILLER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Rope Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller, Her special licence that we, the

page_text: said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF OAKUM AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for object the manufacture of oakum from old ropes
or cordage in a superior and economical manner. And in carrying out our
said Invention according to one modification, which is applicable to old tarred
ropes, the ropes being opened or untwisted in any convenient manner are
soaked in tar or a tarry solution, which facilitates the removal of the oll
hardened tar, and at the same time freshens and renovates the material. The
yarns are then subjected to a machine of the kind herein-after described and
represented upon the accompanying Sheet of explanatory Drawings, which
machine converts them into oakum by untwisting or separating the fibres..
When the old ropes to be converted into oakum are white or untarred they
are opened or untwisted in any convenient manner, and are then at once
passed through the machine without the preparatory soaking required for
tarred ropes; but on the other hand, after passing through the machine, the
product from such untarred ropes requires treating with tar or tarry matter,
as is herein-after more particularly described.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a
plan of our improved machine for separating the fibres of old ropes or cordage
in order to make oakum thereof.
The framing A is represented as of cast iron, but a stout wooden framing
may be used if preferred. The rope yarns are laid in a duct B, whence they

page_text: pass between a pair of grooved or fluted feed rollers C, D', mounted in suitable
bearings in the framing, and they are presented by these rollers to the action
of a drum D, revolving in the direction of the arrow, and mounted in bearings
in the framing. The revolving drum D is fitted with a number of rows E
of pointed teeth, such as are shown full size in section in Figure 3, and
in side view in Figure 4. The drum D revolves considerably faster than
the feed rollers C, D', a convenient relation of the surface velocities being that
of one hundred and fifty to one, although this may be varied, and the teeth E
in revolving beat out and disintegrate and separate the fibres of the rope yarns.
The fibres adhere more or less to the teeth, but are removed therefrom by
the action of plates or bars F in combination with a revolving brush G. The
bars F are perforated with holes through which the teeth project, and they are
connected by headed pins H to the plates I, which are attached to the
drum surface, and have the teeth fixed in them. The headed pins or
staples H allow the bars F to move in and out from the drum surface to the
points of the teeth. When the drum D is revolving the centrifugal force due
to the rotation causes the bars F to move outwards, and press the fibres or
oakum off the points of the teeth thereby greatly assisting the action of the
brush G. The yarns are by preference presented to the drum D opposite
or nearly opposite to its axis on the descending side, and the brush G
is situated below the axis, either directly under it or a little towards the
ascending side as shown, in consequence of which arrangement the outward
movement of the bars F is assisted by their weight, whilst their weight also
assists their inward movement as each comes round to act afresh on the yarns.
In Figure 5 a portion of a row of teeth is shown inverted, and with the bar
Fat its outer position, as at the bottom of the drum, whilst in Figure 4 the
bar is in its innermost position exposing the teeth to act on the yarns. To
keep the yarns in contact with the teeth a concave plate extends down just
clear of the points of the teeth a sufficient distance below the feed rollers, and
the yarns have to pass between this plate and the surface of the drum D.
The driving gear of the machine may be arranged in various ways; in the
arrangement represented the driving power is applied directly by means of fast-
and-loose pulleys K to the shaft L of the main drum D, and from this shaft
motion is communicated by bevil wheels M to a worm shaft N, which works
a worm wheel on a shaft P, having on one end a spur wheel in gear with a
pinion on the spindle of the lower grooved feeding roller D'. A weighted
lever is made by means of hooked links R to bear the upper feed roller C
down on the lower one D'. On the main drum shaft L there is also a spur
wheel S, which by means of an intermediate spur wheel T acts on a pinion

page_text: on the shaft U of the brushing cylinder or revolving brush G. A light casing
or duct V is provided to convey away the oakum or disintegrated materials.
The plates or bars F. for clearing the teeth E, instead of being left to the
actions of their centrifugal force and weight, may, if preferred, be moved
outwards by springs, or positivo outward and inward movements may be
imparted to them by means of eccentric or other guiding surfaces. Or,
instead of the bars F being movable, the bars or plates on which the teeth
are fixed may be movable, and the perforated bars or corresponding part of
the drum surface be fixed. A little oil or other lubricant is supplied to the
yarns as they enter upon the drum teeth to lubricate the teeth, and prevent
the adhesion which in the case of yarns from tarred ropes would otherwise
be caused by the tar in the yarns. When the yarns are from tarred rope the
onkum as it is delivered by the machine is in a finished state with the excep-
tion perhaps of its being more or less dried according to circumstances, but
when the yarns are from old untarred ropes the disintegrated material as it
is delivered by the machine requires to be treated with a little tar or tarry
matter; we find it best to add the tar or tarry matter somewhat in excess,
and to remove what is superabundant by pressure, and convenient appa-
This
ratus for this purpose is represented in elevation in Figure 6.
apparatus comprises a simple cylinder 1 formed with a casing or jacket to
receivo steam to maintain a suitable temperature, and with a perforated
false bottom and outlet pipe 2 for the expressed matter to pass off by. A
piston 3 is fitted to work easily in the cylinder 1, and is actuated by a screw 4
working through a cross head 5. The disintegrated fibrous materials being
placed in the cylinder 1 the tar or tarry matter is added, and the piston 3
is screwed down until it is judged that the proper amount of tar or tarry
matter has been expressed. After this is done, it is advantageous, the
piston being raised, to spread a small quantity of oil over the oakum, and
to screw down the piston again to force the oil equally through, whereby
the oakum is rendered more easily workable. The oakum is then taken
The super-
out and dried if necessary, and is ready for the market.
abundant tar or oil may also be removed by means of a hydro-extractor or
other suitable apparatus.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is or may be performed, we have to state that we do
not restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated,
but that what we believe to bo novel and original, and claim as the In-
vention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,

page_text: is, the making of oakum in the improved manner and by improved apparatus
substantially such as is herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Nedrick Jarvie and William
Miller, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
NEDRICK JARVIE. (L.B.)
WILLIAM MILLER. (L.S.)