A MACHINE FOR BATTING AND OPENING COTTON, WOOL, SHEEP'S WOOL, TOW, HEMP, AND FLAX
Year: 1802

page_text: WALMSLEYS.SPECIFICATION. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,..I, WILLIAM
WALMSLEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, send
greeting.
i....
WHEREAS His present. Majesty King George the, Third, by His Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of the United, Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of July instant,
hath given and granted unto me; the said William Walmsley, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, especial licence, full power, .sole privilege and
authority, during the term of fourteen years. therein expressed, to make,
use, exercise, and vend, my Invention of "A MACHINE FOR BATTING AND
OPENING COTTON, WOOL, SHEEP'S WOOL, TOW, HEMP, AND FLAX," within that part of
the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; in which said
Letters Patent there is contained (amongst other things) a proviso, obliging
me, the said William Walmsley, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause
the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
one calendar month next and immediately after the date of the now reciting
Letters Patent, as in and by the same Letters Patent, relation being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Walmsley, in compliance with
the said proviso, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained by the Figures drawn in the margin of these Presents, and by
the references thereto, and the description herein-after contained, that is to
say:
Fig. 1 is a top or bird's-eye view of my said machine; Fig. 3, is a side view
of the same machine; Fig. 4 is an end view of the same machine; and Fig. 2
is a view of a part of the same machine, which could not be fully shewn in the
preceding Figures.
All the said Figures are drawn by a scale of an inch and a half to a foot,
which is a convenient size for the machine, but which may be increased or
diminished at discretion.
The following references to the particular parts of the Figures will more fully
explain the nature and construction of the said machine. In Fig. 1, A, A, are
two rollers with nicks or grooves turned in, over which pass a number of cords
for laying on the cotton, wool, &c., whilst batting. B are the cords which pass
over the rollers A, A. C, C, is the top frame or top rails of the frame. D, D, are
two rails, fixed across the rail C, C. E, E, are two iron rails or stretchers which
are screwed to D, D, in which, at one of the pivots, the ends of the roller A run
in. F, F, are two screws which pass through two projections cast on the iron
stretchers E, E, to admit of drawing out the roller A and stretching the cords.
Z, Z, are two temporary boards for preventing the cotton from spreading too
much on the cords, and may be used or not at pleasure. H, H, are two loose
iron or brass swivels, fixed on the ends of the pivots of the screws F, F, which
the other roller A runs in. I, I, are stick frames, which contain the rollers
wherein the sticks or rods are fixed. K, K, are rollers in which the rods or
sticks are fixed. L, L, L, L, are the sticks or rods. The one side represents
them in a situation of having made a stroke, and the other in a direction ready
for striking. Four sticks are here represented, but the number may be varied
at discretion. M, M, are two tail pieces, made of wood, and fixed to the
rollers K, K, which lie in a parallel direction with the sticks or rods, so that
when the sticks are pointed upwards the tail pieces point downwards.
X, X, are two pieces of flat wood or iron, fastened to the cross rails D, D,
which strike the tail pieces M, M, and turn the sticks or rods upon the
cords B, B. N, N, are two short leather straps, the one end of which are
fastened to the rollers K, K, and the other end to a rail which goes across the
stick or rod frame, so that when the rods or sticks are turned in an upright.
direction it holds them in a proper direction to admit of the tail pieces M, M,

page_text: meeting the projections X, X, to return the sticks or rods upon the cords B.
This strap also answers a double purpose. When the stroke is made the strap
goes round the point of the projections X, X, and holds the sticks or rods from
rebounding too far from the cord from the force of the stroke. 0, 0, are two
iron shafts or axles which are fixed in the frame I, I. P, P, P, P, are four
centre screws screwed through the bottom rails of the frame in which the
pivots of the shafts or axles 0, 0, run. Q, Q, are two projecting pieces of flat
iron screwed into the shafts or axles O, O. R, R, are two pieces of iron, open
at the ends, which connect a lever with Q, Q, in the form of a joint, for the
purpose of drawing out and raising the sticks or rods. S, S, are two leather
straps, one end of which is fastened to the rollers K, K, and the other end to a
rail across the stick or rod frame, for the purpose of returning the sticks
or rods by a cranked piece of iron fixed on the top of the frame described in
Fig. 3.
Fig. 2. A is an iron shaft or axle which runs across the frame, on which
two segments of spiral wheels are fixed, gradually increasing from the center,
which being fixed in opposite directions, cause the levers to rise and fall
alternately. B, B, are the segments of a spiral wheel. C, C, are two levers,
whose points being raised by the greatest extremity of the spiral wheel
connected with the joints R and Q, draw back the stick or rod frame.
Fig. 3 represents the side view of the machine. A is a roller, as described
in Fig. 1. B, B, are two side arms of the stick or rod frame. C, C, are two
levers. D, D, are two spiral springs, which are drawn out or set by the spiral-
wheels, raising the points of the levers to throw back the stick or rod frame,
which, as soon as the longest point of the spiral wheel has passed the small
roller at the end of the lever, is drawn back suddenly by the spring and the
stroke made. E, E, are two iron joints which connect the levers C, C, with
Q, Q, in Fig. 1. F, F, are the sticks or rods. G is the centre shaft or axis
on which the spiral wheels are fixed. His a worm fixed on the end of the
shaft G, which works into a spur wheel of 32 teeth upon the shaft X, on the
other end of which is a wheel of 44 teeth, which turns a stud or intermediate
wheel L of 32 teeth, which works into a wheel M on the end of the cord roller
of 44 teeth, which gives a revolving motion to the cords. This motion may be
accelerated or diminished by varying the number of the teeth. N, N, arc
two screws for screwing the joints of the outside frame together. 0, 0, are
centre screws for the pivots of 0, 0, in Fig. 1. P is a cranked piece of iron
screwed on the top rail of the outside frame for returning the rods by the
straps S, S, in Fig. 1, being pressed as the stick or rod frame draws out.
Fig. 4 represents the end view of the frame. A is a board, with slots or

page_text: notches cut in for the sticks or rods to strike through, and to prevent the
cotton or wool, &c., from falling of the cords. B is the shaft for the spiral
wheels. C, C, are pullies on the end of the shaft B, the inner one for the
purpose of receiving motion from any given power, and the outer one a loose
pulley upon a round pivot, which receives the strap when the machine is wanted
to be stopped.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Walmsley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the forty-second
year of the reign of His said Majesty King George the Third, and in
th
Land Ons shave
WILLIAM (L.S.) WALMSLEY.
Signed, sealed, and delivered (upon
parchment duly stamped) in the
presence of
July, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Walmsley came
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Thirty-first day of July, in the year above written.