IMPROVEMENTS, IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR SPLITTING OR FOR SPLITTING AND CUTTING SARSAPARILLA AND OTHER WOODY OR VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES.
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Erembert Courtin, Drug Merchant, of 2, George
Lane, Eastcheap, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS, IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR SPLITTING OR FOR SPLITTING AND CUTTING
SARSAPARILLA AND OTHER WOODY OR VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES. "-A
communication from abroad by Monsieur Gruvel, fils, of 13, Rue Folie
Mericourt, Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 11th February 1868, and dated the 12th August 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Erembert Courtin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th August 1867.
I, EREMBERT COURTIN, Drug Merchant, of '2, George Lane, Eastcheap,
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES, FOR SPLITTING 'OR FOR SPLITTING, AND
CUTTING SARSAPARILLA AND OTHER WOODY. OR VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," .to
'be as follows:-
The application to such machines of a pair of elastic. rollers of peculiar
construction, whereby various sizes of the substance to be split may be intro-
duced between the said rollers at the same time, and by them be presented to

page_text: the splitting knife placed behind them in such manner that notwithstanding
the variety of sizes in the pieces of the substance the said kuife shall operate
to split them more nearly into two equal parts than has heretofore been
possible by the use of ordinary rollers. The said elastic rollers are each
composed of a central spindle surrounded with india-rubber or other elastic
material forming a cylindrical cushion, upon which are placed side by side a
series of rings or washers made of steel or other suitable material; the said
rings or washers are prevented from moving endwise by suitable collars
attached to the inner spindle, and are prevented from turning on the elastic
cushion independently of said spindle by means of a key or feather; they are
however, placed thereon loosely enough to allow each ring or washer to act.
independently of those on either side of it. The rings or washers are so
adapted in thickness to the smallest size of the substance to be split, and the
elastic cushion to its hardness or softness, that when it is presented to the
rollers in various sizes the larger sizes of the sarsaparilla or other substance
will cause the rings or washers between the edges of which they are carried
to yield equally as regards those of each roller opposed to those of the other
by means of the elastic cushions against which they press; while the smaller
sizes cause the washers between the edges of which they pass to yield pro-
portionately less, but still equally for each roller, by which means the-centrality
of each piece, as regards the knife, is maintained whatever_be_its_size. I also
apply when necessary behind the above-described elastic rollers and between
the knife and transverse cutting apparatus (where such is employed) a pair
-of-drawing-rollers,-which-may-be-either-of-metal-fluted-or-metal-covered-with-
leather, or with india-rubber, or of any material best adapted to the substance
to be operated upon. The object of said drawing rollers being to assist the
before-mentioned elastic rollers in pressing the substance against the edge of
the knife by gripping that portion of it which has already been split, and by
their revolution to draw it over the knife blade in conjunction with the
pushing action of the elastic rollers, at the same time presenting the split
portions to the 'action of à rotatory or other cutter, by which they are cut to
the desired length. A constant rotation may be imparted to the elastic and
'drawing Tollers by suitable gearing, or an intermittant rotatory motion may
be so imparted as may be found most suitable for the particular kind of
transverse cutting apparatus employed, and which cutting apparatus forms no
part of this Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Erembert Courtin in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EREMBERT
COURTIN, Drug Merchant, of 2, George Lane, Eastcheap, London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Erembert Courtin, Her special licence that 1, the said Erembert Courtin,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Erembert Courtin, my 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 CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR SPLITTING OR: PLITTING AND CUTTING
SARSAPARILLA AND OTHER WOODY OR VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Erembert Courtin, my executors,
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Erembert Courtin, do hereby declaro.
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following,
statement thereof; reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
The Invention consists, firstly, in the application to machines for splitting
or for splitting and cutting sarsaparilla and other woody or vegetable fibrous
substances of a pair of elastic rollers of peculiar construction, whereby pieces
of various size of the substance to be split may be introduced between the
said, rollers at the same time, and by them be presented to the splitting knife
placed behind them in such manner that notwithstanding the variety of sizes
•

page_text: in the pieces of the substance the said knife sball operate to split them more
nearly into two equal parts than has heretofore been possible by the use of
ordinary rollers. Secondly, in the application to such machines. of a pair of
drawing rollers placed behind the above-mentioned elastic rollers and between
the splitting knife and transverse cutting apparatus where such is employed.
The object of said drawing rollers is to assist the before-mentioned elastic
rollers in pressing the substance against the edge of the splitting knife by
gripping between them that portion thereof which has already been split, and
by their revolution to draw it over the knife blade in conjunction with the
pushing action of the elastic rollers, at the same time presenting the split
portions to the action of a rotary or other cutter by which they are cut to the

page_text: proper position for splitting. The top roller B is pressed down upon the lower
roller by means of springs and pressure screws, as shown, so as to produce the
requisite tractive force to enable the rollers to press the substance (which is
passed endwise between them) against the edge of the knife. Behind the
splitting knife Ka pair of fluted rollers R, R, are adapted to revolve in
bearings in the side frame; these rollers are pressed together by springs, one,
of which is shown detached in Figure 4. M. is a plain feed roller revolving
in bearings in the frame, and N is another roller revolving in contact with
and above it, and is capable of rising and falling in the notches of the frame
in which it revolves; O is a feed table over which the sarsaparilla or other
substance is fed into the machine, and P is a grating between the bars of
which it passes in order to keep each piece separate. from its neighboring.
piece. Motion is communicated to the side shaft Q by a handle or pulley,
and from thence by the gearing shown to the lower feed roller, the two elastic
rollers, and the two fluted rollers R, R. The transverse cutting apparatus,
(partly shown in dotted lines in Figure 2) is fixed upon the end Q* of the side
shaft Q, and may be constructed similarly to that of a chaff-cutting machine,
but by preference with straight radial knives, the gearing being so arranged
in reference to the number of cutting knives that the rollers shall deliver the
required length of split sarsaparilla over the edge of the stationary steel cutting
edge S in the interval between the passage of one cutter and that of the next,
the moveable cutters working against the cutting edge S in the manner of a
pair of shears. It will now be understood that when pieces of sarsaparilla or
other substance of different sizes are fed into the machine the larger sizes will
cause the rings or washers between the edges of which they are carried to yield
equally as regards those of each roller opposed to those of the other by means
of the elastic cushions against which they press, while the smaller sizes cause
the rings or washers between the edges of which they pass to yield propor-
tionately less, but still equally for each roller, by which means the centrality
of each piece as regards the splitting knife is maintained. The fluted rollers
grip the substance between them after it is split, and by their revolution carry
it over the fixed cutting edge S, where the transverse cutters shear it to the
desired length. The circumferential speed of the fluted rollers should be
slightly in excess of that of the elastic rollers, by which means the substance
being split will be kept stretched, and the pushing action of the latter assisted
by the drawing action of the former.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I

page_text: claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
First. The elastic rollers, constructed substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described.
Second. The application to and use in such machines of drawing rollers,
substantially as described and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Erembert Courtin; have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
EREMBERT COURTIN. (L.S.)