AN IMPROVED SILK CLEANER
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Lomas, of the City of Manchester,
Manager, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SILK CLEANER."
Sealed the 8th February 1854, and dated the 22nd August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Lomas at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd August 1858.
.1, SAMUEL LOMAS, of the City of Manchester, Manager, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SILK
CLEANER" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing a silk cleaner with two small
rollers, each of which is mounted in bearings; the bearings of one of
these rollers are stationary, and the other roller is mounted in adjustable
bearings, so that the distance between the rollers can be regulated.
The silk is made to pass between the two rollers, which are mounted
freely in their bearings, and which I prefer to make of steel three
eighths of an inch in diameter, and as the peripheries of these rollers are
close together, all the "slubs" are caught between the rollers without
injuring the silk. In order to remove the "slubs" the attendant moves
the rollers partly round by hand in the contrary direction to that in
which the silk passes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Lomas in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
SAMUEL LOMAS, of the City of Manchester, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Lomas, Her special licence
that I, the said Samuel Lomas, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Lomas, 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 "AN IMPROVED SILK
CLEANER," upon the condition (amongst. others) that I, the said Samuel
Lomas, 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, thc said Samuel Lomas, 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 (that is to say):
My Invention consists in constructing silk cleaners with revolving
rollers placed near each other, so that the slubs in the silk thread will
be prevented passing between them; this improved silk cleaner affords
greater facility in removing the slubs, and is less liable to injure the
thread than silk cleaners of the usual construction. And in order that
my Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried into effect, I
will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference being had

page_text: thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1, is an end elevation of a cleaning machine of the ordinary
construction, shewing the application of my improvements; and
Fig. 2, is a front view of part of the cleaning machine; Fig. 3,
is a front view of my improved silk cleaner; Fig. 4, a side view;
and Fig. 5, a section of the same. In Figs 1, and 2, a, is the
framing; b, the bobbins on which the silk to be cleaned is supplied to
the machine; c, the guide rail over which the silk passes before it goes
through the cleaners d; e, are the traversing hooks; and f, the bobbins
on which the cleaned silk is wound in the usual manner. The cleaner
consists of a back plate marked d, and of two rollers d', and d², which
I prefer to make of steel or case-hardened iron; the bearings of the
roller d', are cast or otherwise fixed to the plate d, and the bearings of
the roller de, are capable of being adjusted in slots in the plate d; by
this means the peripheries of the rollers can be brought nearer together
or further apart to suit the quality of the silk thread to be cleaned.
Both the rollers are mounted loosely in the bearings d', and d², and are
consequently free to revolve as the thread passes between them. All
the slubs or particles of dirt adhering to the thread that are too large
to pass between are caught by the rollers, and the attendant by turning
back one or both of them can easily remove the obstruction.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim the improved silk
cleaner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Lomas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
SAMUEL LOMAS. (L.S.)