IMPROVEMENTS IN SOFTENING JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James McGlashan, of Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SOFTENING JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.".
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James M'Glashan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th October 1873.
I, JAMES MCGLASHAN, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of." IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SOFTENING JUte ane OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to
say:
This Invention, which relates to improvements in machinery or
apparatus for softening jute, hemp, flax, and other fibrous substances,
consists in an arrangement of mechanism wherein several rows of

page_text: revolving heavy grooved rollers, placed one row above another, act upon
the substance to be treated.
The jute or other fibrous substance to be treated is fed into the
machine from the lower end, that is to say, it is first conducted from the
feeding table or travelling band placed at one end of the machine
between the two lowest rows of rollers, from whence it is elevated by a
travelling web or band placed vertically at one end of the machine to
the next set of rollers, after passing between which it is again elevated
by a travelling web or band at the other end of the machine, and so on
until the uppermost sets of rollers is reached, after passing between which
rollers the jute or other fibrous substance is delivered from the machine
in a softened state.
The customary weights or springs employed in existing arrangements
of jute softening machinery may under this Invention be dispensed with,
and the weight of the rollers produces the pressure for effecting the
softening or disintegrating action.
In conjunction with the rollers an arrangement of mechanism is
employed for lifting them in order to remove a "choke." The apparatus
for this purpose consists of bell-crank levers centred on one or more pins
or studs projecting from the framing of the machine. Such levers arc
provided for one or more set or sets of. rolls, and to each of the levers
the end of one or more rods or bars extending along the side or- sides
of the machine underneath the ends of the journals of the rollers are
attached.
When a "choke " occurs among the rollers, the rod or bar or rods or
bars in connection therewith is or are clevated by moving the bell-crank
lever or levers through an arc, thereby also raising the upper rollers of
the set sufficiently to allow of the passage of the jute, hemp, flax, or
other fibrous substance.
It is to be understood that the apparatus last set forth may be
employed in conjunction with the rollers of softening machines wherein.
the jute or other fibrous substance is fed to the rollers from the upper
end of the apparatus in lieu of from the lower end, as herein-before
described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James McGlashan in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
M GLASHAN, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, send
greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James McGlashan, Her
special license that I, the said James M°Glashan, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the. said James
McGlashan, my executors, administrators, or 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 SOFTENING JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James McGlashan, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 James M°Glashan, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is:
to say :-
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in machinery or
apparatus for softening jute, hemp, flax, or other fibrous substances,
5 consists in an arrangement of mechanism wherein several rows of pairs

page_text: t
of revolving heavy groove (that is fluted) rollers, placed one row above
another, act upon the substances to be treated.
The jute or other fibrous substance to be treated is fed into the
machine from the upper or lower end, that is to say, it is first conducted
from the feeding table or travelling band placed at one end of the
machine between the two uppermost or lowest rows of rollers, from
whence it is led downwards or clevated by a travelling web or band
placed vertically at one end of the machine to the next set of rollers,
after passing between which it is again led downwards or elevated by a
travelling web or band placed at the opposite end of the machine, and
so on until the lowest or uppermost set of rollers is reached, after
passing between which rollers the jute or other fibrous substance is
delivered from the machine in a softened state.
The customary weights or springs employed in existing arrangements
of jute softening machinery are under this Invention dispensed with, the
weight of the rollers producing the pressure necessary to effect the
softening or disintegrating operation."
:
In conjunction with the rollers an arrangement of mechanism is
employed for lifting the said rollers in order to remove a "choke.” The
apparatus for this purpose consists of bell-crank levers centred on one or 2
more studs or pins projecting from the framing of the machine; such
levers are provided for each set of rollers, and to each of the levers the
end of one or more rods or bars extending along the side or sides of the
machine underneath the ends of the journals of the rollers are attached.
:
When a "choke" occurs among the rollers, the rod or bar, or rods or 2
bars in connection therewith are elevated by moving the aforesaid bell-
crank lever or levers through an arc, thereby raising the upper rollers of
the set sufficiently to allow of the removal of the jute, hemp, flax, or
other fibrous substance under treatment. .
Instead of the aforesaid bell-crank levers worm quadrants may be 3
used, into which tangent screws gear, being operated by a handle placed
at one end thereof.
It is to be understood that the herein-before described lifting
mechanism may be employed in conjunction with the rollers of softening
machines, whether the jute or other fibrous substance is fed into the 3
upper or lower set of rollers.

page_text: now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the
letters and figure marked thereon, that is to say :—
The Figure on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation
of my improved softening machine with my improved roller lifting
apparatus shewn applied thereto.
1
:
The machine is actuated through the driving shaft A supported in
bearings B, which are secured to projecting brackets bolted to the side
framing C of the machine. The shaft A (driven in the ordinary manner
from the fast pulley D) has keyed or otherwise fixed upon it a spur
pinion E, which gears with and drives a similarly toothed spur wheel F,
which is keyed or otherwise fixed upon and actuates the shaft G situate
at the side framing of the machine. The shaft is carried in bearings H,
and has fixed upon it at the required intervals bevil wheels I gearing
with and driving similar bevil wheels J fixed upon the shafts carrying
the lowest set of the rollers K. A shield L covers and protects the
bevil wheels I, J. The rollers K, which are of any convenient length,
are grooved or fluted through their length, and are carried on shafts in
hollow journals M, which are free to move vertically between the guide.
bars N bolted to the side framing C of the machine. The fluted grooves
on the rollers K perform the breaking or softening operation upon the.
jute or other fibrous substance, and also serve as teeth which gear into
one another, whereby the lowest roller of any one of the tiers of rollers
being actuated the superposed rollers are likewise actuated by means of
the said fluted grooves. The cross bars O passing beneath the roller
journal M are part of the roller lifting mechanism, and are supported at
one end by the levers P, and at the other by worm quadrants Q. The
levers P turn upon pins or studs R projecting from the side framing C.
The quadrants Q are supported upon similar studs or pins S, and aro
actuated by the tangent screws T, which are actuated by a winch.
handle U, which may be unshipped from their ends. The tangent
screws are supported in brackets x, which are cast or bolted to the
framing C. A bevil wheel V fixed upon one end of the shaft G gears
with and drives another bevil wheel W upon the shaft and roller X.
Around this roller X, and also round another roller Y situated at the
feeding table Z is passed an endless travelling web or band a of a

page_text: breadth corresponding to the length of the rollers K, and on which the
jute or other fibrous material is laid to be fed into the machine, where it
is preferred to feed at the bottom of the machine and deliver at the top,
or which may serve as a delivery web when it is preferred to feed at the
top and deliver from the bottom of the machine. The travelling web b
passed over the rollers c, d, guides the material between the set of
rollers, above or below that set which it has already passed through.
The rollers e, f, g, carry a travelling web or band h. similar to those
herein-before described, but which is arranged to perform the double
duty of a feed or delivery web, and also to guide the material from one
set of rollers to another, as is done by the separate web b'at the opposite
end of the machine. These rollers may be driven in any convenient
manner from any revolving part of the mechanism of the machine.
In operating my improved softener, the jute or other fibrous substance
to be softened is laid upon the travelling web a or h, according as it is
preferred to feed from the top or bottom set of rollers, but assuming
that it is fed into the lower set of rollers, the jute or other fibrous
substance is carried by the travelling web a in the direction indicated by
the arrows, and is thus led between the lower set of rollers, which
revolving in the direction indicated by the arrows carry it to the opposite
end of the machine, on emerging at which end from between the rollers
in a partially softened state it is caught by the travelling web and cross
bars h, lifted and guided between the set of rollers next above, by which
it is returned to that end of the machine into which it was fed; here it
is again lifted by the travelling web and cross bars 6 to the next set of
rollers above, and so on until it is delivered from the uppermost set of
rollers in a completely softened state to the delivery web h, by which it
is deposited in any suitable receptacle provided for it. If fed into the
top of the machine the above operation is of course reversed.
In the event of a "choke" occurring in the course of the transmission
of the fibrous material through the machine, that is to say, should any
lumps or entanglements in the material take place between the rollers
so as to "choke" or prevent them from revolving, my herein-before
described lifting apparatus is operated to lift the whole or any one set of
rollers clear of one another, so as to allow the removal of the obstruction;
or the same apparatus is used to regulate the pressure to be imparted to
the jute or other fibrous substance under treatment, thus allowing any
portion of the rollers to be lifted out of gear when the material operated