OUTLY T CHINENT FOR DUSTING OR CLEANING BAGS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hollingworth, of Turkey Mill, near Maid-
stone, in the County of Kent, Paper Manufacturer, for the Invention
AT THE HARTY THA OUTLY
T
CHINENT FOR DUSTING OR CLEANING BAGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hollingworth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th April 1856.
I, THOMAS' HOLLINGWORTH, of Turkey Mill, near Maidstone, in the County
of Kent, Paper Manufacturer, do' hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR DUSTING OR CLEANING RAGS, to be as
follows:
The improved machinery for dusting or cleaning rags, which constitutes' the
subject of the present Invention, consists of a cylindrical or other conveniently
shaped casing, in which the rags are confined; and are operated upon by a
series of beaters or stirrers, consisting of arms extending from a horizontal
central shaft, to which rapid rotary motion is communicated by means of
suitable gearing connected with' any prime mover. These beaters or stirrers.
rotate within a frame, to which also rotary motion is communicated by means
of suitable gearing. This second frame is provided with four or more hori-
zontal bars, which as they rotate carry' round'the mass of rags slowly, while

page_text: the beaters or stirrers inside, by revolving at a much greater speed, beat or
stir up the rags, and knock off or detach any dust or dirt that may adhere to
them. The outer casing is provided with a perforated metal plate or sieve,
or other convenient contrivance, which will allow the dust or dirt, when
detached or knocked off from the rags, to pass through and out of the casing,
and fall into a receptacle below, and be carried away.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Hollingworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HOLLINGWORTH, of Turkey Mill, near Maidstone, in the County of Kent,
Paper Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Hollingworth, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Holling-
worth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Hollingworth, 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 "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR DUSTING OR CLEANING RAGS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Hollingworth, by an instrument in writing under my
band 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 Thomas Hollingworth, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :--
The improved machinery for dusting or cleaning rags which constitutes the

page_text: subject of the present Invention, consists of a cylindrical or other conveniently
shaped casing, in which the rags are confined, and are operated upon by a series
of beaters or stirrers, consisting of arms extending from a horizontal central shaft,
to which rapid rotary motion is communicated by means of suitable gearing
connected with any prime mover. The cylindrical casing, within which these
beaters or stirrers rotate, has also rotary motion communicated to it by means
of suitable gearing; this casing or cylinder is provided internally with four or
more horizontal bars, which as the cylinder rotates carry round the mass of
rags slowly, while the beaters or stirrers inside, by revolving at a much greater.
speed, beat or stir up the rags, and knock off or detach any dust or dirt that
may adhere to them. This outer casing or cylinder is covered with wire gauze,
perforated metal, or other suitable material which will allow the dust or dirt,
when detached or knocked off from the rags, to pass through and out of the
cylinder or casing, and fall into a receptacle below, and be carried away at any
convenient time.
M
Having briefly explained the object and nature of my improved machine, I'
will now proceed to describe in a more detailed manner the construction and
operation of the several parts.
Fig. 1 in the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation of one of the
improved machines, a portion of the side being removed in order to shew the
interior; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same; and Fig. 3 is
a transverse section. a, a, is a cylinder or casing, covered with wire gauze or
perforated metal, and provided with a hollow. axle, which is mounted in suit-
able bearings, so that it may be made to rotate when required. This cylinder
or casing is provided internally with horizontal bars, which are fixed longi-
tudinally therein, as shewn in the Drawings at Figs. 2 and 3. The cylinder
or casing a, a, is mounted on the horizontal central shaft b, which is furnished
with a number of radial arms or stirrers c, c, c, and as the shaft b passes>
freely through the hollow axle of the cylinder a, it may be rotated while the
casing a remains stationary, or the two parts may be worked at different
speeds, for which purpose the cylinder or casing a and the stirrer shaft bare
provided with separate gearing. The driving pulleys d, d, are mounted on the
main driving shaft b, which also carries a small toothed wheel or pinion e, that
gears into and drives the toothed wheelf on the shaft g. At the opposite end
which gears into and
The small wheel or
of this shaft is another small toothed wheel or pinion h,
drives the wheel i on the hollow axle of the cylinder a.
pinion h is not keyed on to the shaft g, but may be slidden laterally on the
same, so that by means of the lever j, it may, when required, be thrown out
of gear with the wheel i.
I find, by experience, that the most suitable speeds.

page_text: for driving the several parts is to drive the central or stirrer shaft b at about
eighty or one hundred revolutions per minute, and the outer casing or cylinder
at about twenty. or twenty-five revolutions per minute; these speeds may,
however, be varied, if thought advisable, for which purpose it will only be
necessary to alter the relative diameters of two of the toothed driving wheels.
The cylinder a is enclosed within a box or. chamber k, one of the sides of
which is hinged to the other part, so that it may be let down, as shewn in the
Drawings, when it is required to obtain access to the interior of the outer.
casing. A part of the lid or cover of the box or casing k is also hinged, so as
to admit of its being thrown back, as shewn in the Drawings.
For the convenience of obtaining access to the interior of the perforated rotary,
cylindrical casing a, a, for, the purpose of placing the rags therein, or removing
them therefrom when they have been dusted and cleaned, a portion of the
perforated side is made to move on hinges, like a door, as shewn in Fig. 1.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-A sufficient quantity of rags,
liaving been placed inside the cylindrical casing, and the outer casing or box k
closed by shutting up the side, and cover, the perforated casing, a and the
central shaft b are set in motion by means of a band passing, over the, driving.
pulley d, and by means of the agitation to which the rags, will be, exposed, the
dust and dirt will be separated therefrom, and allowed to fall through the per
forations of the cylindrical casing into, a receptacle or recess, below. When
the rags have, been, sufficiently, cleaned, the, moveable, side of the box k is let
down, and the moveable part of the lid is thrown back, as shewn by, dots, in
the Drawings, so as to allow the attendant. to get at the perforated cylinder
which contains the rags. A long wooden, vessel or. box 1, mounted on wheels,
is, then pushed forward under the cylindrical perforated casing, and when the,
door of the latter is opened, and the casing, turned over, the rags are allowed
to fall out into the wooden vessel l, which is then drawn, away, again, and;
the cylindrical casing supplied with, a fresh charge of dirty, rags,, when, after
closing the sides, and lid of, the outer, wooden casing k, the dusting. operation.
may be recommenced. In order to facilitate the, motion of the wooden vessel,
to and fro into, the box k under the, perforated cylinder, it is mounted on
flanged wheels, and made, to run on, rails fixed on the inner, side of the mover
able side, of the outer casing. k, and which when the, side, of, the, casing, is
let down, as, shewn, by dots in the Drawings, form a track for the vessel to
run upon.
Having now,described my Invention of "Improved Machinery for, Dusting:of
Cleaning Rags," and the best means with, which I am at present, acquainted, for
carrying the same into effect, I would, observe, in conclusion, that I do, not, mean

page_text: or intend to confine myself rigidly to the precise arrangement of parts herein
shewn and described, nor to the mode of actuating the same, nor to the par-
ticular speed above mentioned for driving the several parts, as all these points
may be varied without departing from the nature and object of my Invention;
but that which I consider to be new in the above-described improvements, and
therefore wish to claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent,
as aforesaid, is, the employment of a rotating stirrer shaft for beating or
agitating the rags, in combination with a rotating perforated casing or vessel,
such as that shewn in the Drawings, or any mere modification thereof, for the
purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hollingworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
5 Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
THOS HOLLINGWORTH. (L.B.)