Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd May, 1895-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1895

page_text: Each of the aforesaid endless chains (or equivalent flexible endless bands) have
arranged formed or mounted thereon a series of forks fingers or projections
advantageously mounted in pairs at suitable distances apart and the outer ends
thereof curved or otherwise diverging so as to thus form travelling bearings to
readily receive therein the trunnions or axes of a series of reticulated drums or
other cylindrical cages into which the fibrous material is placed as hereinafter
explained.
دو
These sprocket wheels and travelling chains are of such a size and so arranged
in the tank as to carry along therewith the said "cages at the top and also at the
bottom of said tank in the manner hereinafter described.
In the central part of the tank a horizontal table formed either of a plate or
series of bars (or other equivalent or suitable formation) serves to support the
periphery of the said cages or drums containing the fibre. A second and similar
support may be arranged on or near the bottom of the tank or instead thereof the
said cages or drums may run along the bottom of the tank as desired.
The trunnions or axes of said druns project through and beyond the aforesaid
forks or travelling bearings on said endless chains and these projecting ends of the
trunnions or axes pass into a curved guide channel formed or mounted (on or near
the side of the tauk) on the same radius or thereabouts as the said sprocket wheels
and just round same and similarly at the other end of the tank so that when the
trunnions or projecting axes of said cage are dropped into the aforesaid forks or
bearings on said travelling chain upon the latter being carried round by the
sprocket wheels thereupon the said drum or cage will be rolled along the uppermost
horizontal table aforesaid and thereby rotated until it passes off same and the
projecting ends of said axes pass into said curved guideway round the sprocket
wheels at one end of the tank and the cage will thus be carried down still guided
in said guideways until it rests on the bottom support or bottom of said tank there-
upon these projecting ends will pass clear of said guideway though still controlled
by the forked bearings on the travelling chain which will now roll said drum along
the bottom of the tank in the opposite direction to its former rotation until the
said ends pass into the curved guideways at the other end of the tank where-
upon it will be forced up said guideways or curved channels and rolled along
the top table again and same can then be removed from this bath or passed round
again and again as often as required according to the treatment it is desired to
impart to the fibre.
"
This " cage or drum for holding the fibrous material (ribbons strips etc. as
aforesaid) may be formed of wire-work perforated metal or other reticulated or
open-work formation as desired and advantageously having stout rings at its ends
or along its length upon which rings said drum is rolled along as above described
and to add strength to the whole cage, or any other suitable construction for our
purpose may be used.
This drum is provided with a removable cover or covers at one or both ends or
other suitable opening to gain access to the interior thereof when desired and
having any suitable catches or other suitable means for retaining such cover or
means of closure in position when closed.
"
We also advantageously divide this "cage" or drum into 2 or more longitu linal
compartments by placing a division (either a solid plate or openwork division or
series of bars) longitudinally down the cage so as to ensure the thorough
turning over and consequent immersion or soaking of every particle of fibra in
said cage.
These cages may be made of wood metal composition or other suitable material
or combination of materials according to the nature of the chemicals to be used in
the bath in which they are to be employed.
33
A very advantageous cage may be formed by constructing same in two
halves (ie. divided in two longitudinally) and hinging same together-the
longitudinal division aforesaid being also hinged to same hinge and carrying the
trunnions or axle of said cage.

page_text: Any suitable crane or over-head lifting mechanism either on an over-head
railway or other suitable device may be used for lifting the said drums in and out
of said bath or transferring same from one bath into another.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1894.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improved Means or Apparatus for De-gumming or otherwise
Treating the Fibres Extracted from the Plants, Stems, or
Straws of Flax, Hemp, Ramie, or the like.
We, TAYLOR BURROWS of 88, Upper Kennington Lane, London, Engineer,
and DICK EDWARDS RADCLIFFE of 56 Gloucester Crescent, Regent's Park,
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the treatment of the fibrous (ribbons strips etc.)
extracted from fibrous plants stems or straws such as flax ramie or china grass hemp
or other fibrous material to which this present invention is applicable-the object of
this said invention being to provide simple economical and practical means or
apparatus for degumming cleaning softening bleaching (or any or all of same) or
otherwise treating such fibres after same have been freed from the non-fibrous
parts of such plants stems or straws i.e. after same have been retted or decorticated
or scutched etc.
To ungum soften bleach etc. the said fibres (ribbons strips etc.) they are placed in
a bath or succession of baths some chemical and others only water-any suitable
chemicals or compounds being used for effecting any of the above purposes as is well
understood, for instance :-
1. An alkaline bath-to ungum.
2. Clean water bath-to wash out gum.
3. Chlorine bath-to bleach.
4. Cold water bath-to wash out bleaching material.
5. Soap or other suitable compound-to soften or produce a gloss.
All of which baths or treatment per se are well known and understood.
Letters Patent No. 17137 of 1889 were granted in respect of the said Taylor
Burrows' invention of apparatus for immersing such fibres or fibrous materials in
such baths or the like and the present invention (which we will now proceed to
describe as used in an open tank or vat, it being understood that any number of such
tanks may be used either open-or closed in steam tight-or otherwise as desired)
is as follows:-
A tank or vessel of any suitable length breadth and depth (for instance a tank
about 10 feet long, 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep) is filled with water chemical or
other liquid to any desired height for instance nearly to the top thereof.
Inside this tank is arranged and mounted in any suitable bearings or supports a
sprocket wheel near each end of said tank and over these sprocket whools is passed
an endless chain and similarly on the other side of the said tank are mounted two
other sprocket wheels and an endless chain thereon or any suitable mechanical
equivalent for such sprocket wheels and chain for instance radial arms or discs
arranged and adapted to revolve on opposite sides of the tank.
A fast and loose pulley driven from any suitable source of power (or any other
suitable means for driving) serves in conjunction with suitable intermediate gearing

page_text: or shafting to cause the slow revolution of said sprocket wheel or wheels (or radial
arms or discs or equivalents) the opposite pairs of which may be connected by
being fixed on the same axle so as to correspondingly rotate.
Each of the aforesaid endless chains (or equivalent flexible endless bands or
radial arms or discs or equivalent) have arranged formed or mounted thereon_a
series of forked fingers or projections at suitable distances apart and the outer ends
thereof curved or otherwise diverging so as to thus form travelling bearings to
readily receive therein the trunnions or axes of a series of reticulated drums or
other openwork cages advantageously cylindrical in shape (hereinafter referred to
as cages") into which the fibrous material is placed as hereinafter explained.
66
"
These sprocket wheels and travelling chains or equivalents are of such a size and
so arranged in the tank as to carry along and around therewith the said "cages"
in the manner hereinafter described with reference to the drawings hereunto
annexed in which :-
Fig. 1 represents the sprocket wheel and endless chain arrangement in longitudinal
sectional view.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an arrangement where instead of using
the aforesaid sprocket wheel and endless chain a disc-like arrangement is used
carrying radial arms with forked bearings thereon to carry round the cages in such
worked bearings.
Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is an end view on line 2-2 Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow ✰.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
Referring now to Fig. 1:-
:-
A A are the sprocket wheels.
B is the endless chain running over said sprocket wheels A.
CC are the forked bearings mounted in or carried on said endless chain B.
DD are the axles or axes upon which the sprocket wheels are mounted and
which extend through suitable glands or bearings (not shown) in the side of the
tank and are there driven (rotated) in any suitable manner or these sprocket
wheels A A may be actuated by power applied inside the tank or in any other
suitable way.
In the central part of the tank a a horizontal table formed either of a plate or
series of bars (or other equivalent or suitable formation) serves to support the
periphery (or it may be the axes) of the said cages containing the fibre for instance
a strip balong each side serves to support the axes c of the cages d. A second and
similar support e may be arranged on or near the bottom of the tank or instead
thereof the periphery of the said cages may run along the bottom of the tank as
desire..
The trunnions or axes e of said cage d project through and beyond the aforesaid
forks or travelling bearings C on said endless chains B and these projecting ends
of the trunnions or axes e pass into a curved guide channel formed by the curved
guide bars or pieces g which in the case illustrated are shown as continuations of the
said bottom support e and mounted (on or near the side of the tank a) concentric to
the axis D of the said sprocket wheels and similarly at the other end of or opposite
side of the tank so that when the trunnions or projecting axes c of said cage d are
dropped into the aforesaid forks or bearings C on said travelling chain B upon the
latter being caused to travel round thereupon the said cage will be rolled along the
uppermost horizontal table aforesaid if used or along the side strips or supports such
as 6 and thereby rotated until it passes off same and the projecting ends of said axes
pass into said curved guideway round the sprocket wheels at one end of the tank
and the cage d will thus be carried down still guided in said guideways until it
rests on the bottom support e (or upon the bottom of the said tank thereupon if
desired these projecting ends may pass clear of said guideway though still controlled
by the forked bearings C on the travelling chain which will now roll said drum
along the bottom of the tank in the opposite direction to its former rotation) until
the said, ends pass into the curved guideways f at the other end of the tank

page_text: whereupon said cage will be forced up said guideways or curved channels and rolled
along the supports b (or along the top table if used) and same can then be removed
from this bath or passed round again and again as often as required according to
the treatment it is desired to impart to the fibre.
Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4:-
a is the tank.
c is the axle or axis of each cage d as before.
D is main shaft extending through the side of the tank a (through a suitable
liquid-tight bearing or gland D¹) and having on the outer end thereof the large
toothed wheel E meshing with a smaller toothed wheel F which latter is driven by
a band on the pulley G fixed to F on the same axle. The other end of the main
shaft D is mounted in a suitable bearing such as D on the opposite side of the tank.
Or this main shaft D may be mounted and actuated in any other suitable manner
as desired.
Inside the tank this main shaft D has rigidly keyed or fixed thereto the discs H
and I at opposite sides of the tank a anil to these discs respectively are rigidly
fixed the radial arins J-in the case illustrated 4 such arms being shown see Fig. 2
but any other suitable number may be used as desired.
At each outer end of the arms J same are forked at C or formed so as to form a
recess or bearing into which the axis or axle c of the cage d can be dropped (an i
again readily removed therefrom) as each pair of forked bearings C on the opposite
sides of the tank come uppermost i.e. when in the position marked J¹ Fig. 2.
L is a circular strip or guide-piece fixed to the tank at each side and extending
from the upturned point L' for nearly the complete circle terminating at L'
see Fig. 2 and forming in conjunction with the aforesaid forked ends C a guide-way
or guide channel which prevents the ends of the axles c passing out of the said
forked ends C of the radial arms J as the latter are rotated by or on the
shaft D.
A cage d (which may be of any suitable character and construction as hereinafter
described) is placed in the forked bearings C formed to receive same in the
uppermost pair of radial arms and the shaft D is then rotated so that each
projecting end of the axle c of this cage is carried under the point L' of the
guide-way L ou each side (and similarly a cage is placed in each successive pair
of radial arms J as same come uppermost in rotation) and as such cage is carried
round by the rotation of the radial arms J the axle e bears against the guideway L
and is thereby prevented from dropping out of said bearing C when the latter is
below the horizontal line and thus the fibre in the cage is immersed in the liquid
in the tank a (and the cage d may be carried round and round as many times as
desired) until the axle c comes from under the point L' of the guideway into the
position J (see Fig. 2) and then the cage can be easily lifted out of said forked
bearings and another cage placed therein and so on.
Referring now to the whole of the drawings
M is a draw off pipe controlled by the cock N.
is the top of the liquid in the tank which may be of any suitable character
and more or less of which may be used as desired.
The cage d for holding, the fibrous material (ribbons strips etc. as aforesaid) may
be formed of wire-work perforated metal or other suitable reticulated or open-
work formation as desired and advantageously having stout rings at its ends or
along its length upon which rings said drum may be rolled along as above
described and to add strength to the whole cage or any other suitable construction
for my purpose may be used.
This cage d is provided with a removable cover or covers (not shown) at one
or both ends or other suitable opening to gain access to the interior thereof wheu
desired and having any suitable catches or other suitable means for retaining
such cover or means of closure in position when closed.
This cage d may advantageously be divided into 2 or more longitudinal
compartments by placing a division (either a solid plate or openwork division or

page_text: series of bars) longitudinally down the cage so as to ensure the turning over and
consequent thorough soaking of every particle of fibre in said cage.
These cages and the other parts of the mechanism may be made of any suitable
material or combination of materials according to the nature of the chemicals to
be used in the bath in which they are to be employed.
A very advantageous cage d may be formed by constructing same in two halves
(ie. divided in two longitudinally) and hinging same together-the longitudinal
division aforesaid being also hinged to the same hinge and carrying the trunnions
or axle c of said cage.
Any suitable craue or over-head lifting mechanism either on an over-head railway
or other suitable device (not shown) may be used for lifting the said cages d in
and out of said bath or transferring same from one bath into another.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In a machine or apparatus for immersing fibres or fibrous material :-
1. A series of travelling forks or open bearings connected together and adapted
to continuously travel round a common centre or centres either in a circular or
other direction and receive therein the trunnions or ends of the axles of cages
containing said fibre in combination and acting in conjunction with guide-ways or
guide-picces arranged parallel to such part of the line of travel of said forks or
bearings as to permit the insertion and withdrawal of said cages but prevent the
trunnions or axles thereof coming out of the said bearings when the latter are
inverted while travelling round and thereby carry round said cages substantially in
the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. The combination with an endless travelling chain or band and meaus to
impart motion to same of a series of open bearings or forked devices such as C
mounted on such chain etc. and adapted to be carried round therewith guideways
or guide-pieces mounted parallel to the line of travel of said bearings C except
across the uppermost position thereof and cages (to contain the fibre) having
trunnions or projecting ends thereon the latter adapted to be placed through said
opening in the guideways into said bearings when the latter are in their uppermost
position and pass under said guideway and be thereby retained in said bearings as
the latter travel round all substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore set forth.
3. The combination with an endless travelling chain or band and means to
impart motion to same of a series of open bearings or forked devices such as C
mounted on such chain etc. and adapted to be carried round therewith guideways
or guide-picces mounted parallel to the curves only of the line of travel and cages
(to contain the fibre) having trunnions or projecting ends thercon the latter adapted
to be placed through said opening in the guideway into said bearings when the
latter are in their uppermost position and pass under said guideway and be thereby
retained in said bearings as the latter travel round all substantially in the manner
and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
4. The combination with a series of forks or open bearings formed or mounted
on a disc or on a series of radially arranged arms adapted to be revolved on or
around a common centre guideways or guide-pieces arranged concentrically with
said disc or radial arms but not extending round the uppermost position thercof
and cages (to contain the fibre) having trunnions or projecting ends thereon the
latter adapted to be placed through said opening in the guideways into said open
bearings when the latter are in their uppermost position and pass under said
guideways and be thereby retained in said bearings as the latter travel round
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
5. The combination with a tank or vessel such as a of sprocket wheels such as A
pivotted inside said tank and means to revolve same an endless chain such as B
passing round said sprocket wheels a series of forks or open bearings such as C

page_text: carried on said chain a series of cages (to contain the said fibre) having trunnions
on the ends of the axle thereof such as c c projecting and adapted to rest in sait
bearings or forks C and extend beyond same at each end and a guide-way or
guide-piece such as 9 arranged around each sprocket wheel and concentri
there with whereby the trunnions or axes c are prevented from coming out of said
open bearings while same are inverted in passing round said sprocket wheels B all
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed.
6. The combination with a tank or vessel such as a of one or more shafts such
as D mounted in or on said tank and means to revolve same discs such as H and 1
rigidly fixed to said shaft at opposite sides of the tank a series of radial arms such
as J fixed on said disc and arranged concentrically to the said shaft D a fork or
open bearing such as C formed in the outer end of each said arm J a series of
cages (to contain the said fibre) having trunnions thereon or the ends of the axle
thereof such as cc projecting and adapted to rest in said bearings or forks C and
extend beyond same at each end and a guideway or guide-piece such as L arranged
around each disc H and 1 concentric with the shaft D whereby the said trunnions
or axes c c are prevented from coming out of said bearings while same are inverted
in the course of each revolution all substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 23 and 4 of the drawings hereunto
annexed.
7. The improved means for immersing fibres or fibrous material arranged
combined and acting substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1895.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.