IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING ASBESTOS AND OTHER FIBROUS MINERAL SUDSTAXORS"
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles James Allport, of 101, Queen Victoria Street,
in the City of London, Engineer, and Alfred Hollings, of Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING ASBESTOS AND OTHER FIBROUS MINERAL
SUDSTAXORS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles James Allport
and Alfred Hollings at the Office of the Commissioners. of Patents on tho
26th September 1881.
CHARLES JAMES ALLPORT, of 161, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, and ALFRED HOLLINGS, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING ASBESTOS AND OTHER
FIBROUS MINERAL SUBSTANCES."
The object of our Invention is to effectually open out or separate with minimum
breakage the fibres of mineral substances, such as asbestos, amianthus, and the like,
largely obtained in blocks or billets of comparative hardness with the fibres laying
parallel to each other.
For this purpose the blocks or billets are subjected to a compound, say, duplex
knuckle like action, one being a tearing or drawing motion in one direction and
the other a motion lateral thereto, say, at a right angle. In this way the fibres are
so separated as to he fit for spinning and other purposes in the arts.
The apparatus for imparting the said knuckle like action may be variously
constructed; one inodification which wo have found to answer well consists of two
toothed rollers, preferably of pyramidal form. These rollers are caused to rotato
with equal or differential surface speeds, and one by a cam or otherwise is caused
to traverse laterally a short distance whilst rotating. Both of the rollers may be
caused to move laterally or reciprocate; they are carried in suitable housings and
driven by any convenient gear or appliance.

page_text: a quarter in diameter at the base aro found suitable for the first pair of rollers,
and grooves about one twentieth of an inch apart for the finishing rollers. By
preference the bottom rollor is always formed with teeth so as to ensure a better
feed of the material being treated. The weighted lever and the construction of the
driving goar m allows of the top roller rising and falling to accomodate itself to
any variations in the thickness of the material fed between it and the bottom
roller. At the same time the pressure is uniform. When the driving gears m
and vare in motion, the rollers b and have a compound duplex knuckle liko
action composed of two motions, one being a rotating motion for drawing in the
material and the other a tearing or opening motion at right angles thereto. The
rollers are caused to rotato at equal surface speeds, as shown, or they may have
differential speeds given to them.
It will be obvious that the desired motions may be given to the rollers by
various constructions and arrangements of the driving gear, and that the surfaces
of the rollers may be variously formed.
Having now described and illustrated the said Invention in such manner that
others will be enabled to carry it into effect, we claim,—
First. Opening out or separating asbestos and like fibrous substances by tho
compound action, substantially as herein specified.
Second. The apparatus for treating or opening asbestos and other mineral fibres,
constructed and operating substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Hollings, havo hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.