IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GINNING COTTON. AND FOR BURRING AND CLEANING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Alton Calvert, of the City of Manchester,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
GINNING COTTON. AND FOR BURRING AND CLEANING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 23rd March 1858, and dated the 10th October 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Alton Calvert at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th October 1857.
I, FRANCIS ALTON CALVERT, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR GINNING COTTON, AND FOR BURRING AND CLEANING COTTON, WOOL,
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be.as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in certain improvements upon the
machinery for ginning, burring, and cleaning, for which former Letters Patent
have been granted to me. The fine toothed comb or wire cylinders described
in the Specifications of the said Letters Patent are made with longitudinal
combs, or by winding flat toothed wire closely round a roller; in the latter
case the seeds, motes, and other impurities are liable to be cut or broken by.
the teeth when acted upon by the guard. Now my present improvements
consist in obviating this defect by making the surface of cylinders employed:
[Price 8d.]

page_text: in ginning, burring, and cleaning, partly of toothed wire and partly plain;
I prefer to make the toothed wire to project slightly above the plain surface,
and a recess is formed at each side of the toothed wire for the fibrous material
to enter into the plain surface forms a bed for the seed or other foreign
matter to bear against, whilst the fibres are separated therefrom by the toothed
wire and the action of the guard.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Alton Calvert in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
ALTON CALVERT, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Francis Alton Calvert, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Alton
Calvert, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Francis Alton Calvert, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY EOR GINNING COTTON, AND FOR BURRING AND CLEANING COTTON, WOOL,
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Francis Alton Calvert, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Francis Alton Calvert, 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 (that is to say) :-
The nature of my Invention consists in certain improvements upon the
machinery for ginning, burring, and cleaning, for which former Letters Patent

page_text: have been granted to me. The fine toothed comb or wire cylinders described
in the Specifications of the said Letters Patent are made with longitudinal
combs or by winding flat toothed wire closely round a roller; in both these
cases the seeds, notes, and other impurities are liable to be cut or broken by
the teeth when acted upon by the guard. Now my present improvements
consists in obviating this defect by making the surfaces of cylinders employed
in ginning, burring, and cleaning, with sinooth blank spaces between the
circular or spiral coils of teeth, the width of the said blank spaces being
regulated according to the material to be operated upon.
.I prefer to make the teeth project slightly above the plain surface, and a
recess is or may be formed at each side of the teeth for the fibrous material to
enter into the plain surface forms a bed for the seed or other foreign matter
to bear against, whilst the fibres are separated therefrom by the teeth and the
action of the guard.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
which represents one mode of constructing my improved toothed cylinder.
Figure 1 is an end view, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of part of
one of my improved toothed cylinders, suitable for ginning cotton and burring
fine wool. I wish to remark here that the diameter of the cylinder and the
length thereof can be varied according to the particular purpose for which it
is required. a is the body of the cylinder, which I prefer to make of cast iron,
but any other suitable metal or material may be used; b,b, are the teeth, made
by preference of flattened steel wire; this wire is inserted in spiral or circular
grooves formed on the circumference of the cylinder, and on each side of the
teeth is a recess marked c. The teeth are placed at any suitable distance
apart, and the plain surface of the cylinder between the teeth and recesses is a
little below the surface of the teeth. In some cases these recesses may be
dispensed with, as for instance, in cleaning large seed cotton. The fibres are
removed from this improved cylinder by any suitable means. The Drawing
represents the teeth about a third of an inch asunder, this being found in
practice to give a good result; the distance between the teeth may, however,
be increased or diminished, but care should be taken that the space between
the teeth is sufficiently large to prevent the seeds, burrs, or motes becoming
fast between the rows of teeth.
By thus leaving a smooth blank space or surface between the teeth for the
seeds, motes, or other foreign matters to bear upon, the fibres are separated
therefrom more expeditiously and effectually than heretofore, and the seeds.
or motes are not so liable to be cut or broken by the action of the teeth and

page_text: guard as when the teeth are close together or placed longitudinally, as now
customary.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that what I claim is the smooth blank
spaces between the teeth of the cylinder, in the manner and for the purposes
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Alton Calvert, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
F. A. CALVEKI. (L.S