IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WOOLLEN, COTTON, OR LINEN RAGS AND WASTE, WHICH MACHINERY OR APPARATUS. 18 APPLICABLE TO CLEANING AND TEMPERING CLAY OR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Moorhouse, of Denton, in the County
of Lancaster, Tailor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WOOLLEN, COTTON, OR LINEN
RAGS AND WASTE, WHICH MACHINERY OR APPARATUS. 18 APPLICABLE
TO CLEANING AND TEMPERING CLAY OR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
Sealed the 23rd February 1853, and dated the 11th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Moorhouse
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th October 1852.
I, HENRY MOORHOUSE, of Denton, in the County of Lancaster, Tailor,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WOOLLEN, COTTON, OR LINEN
RAGS AND WASTE, WHICH MACHINERY OR APPARATUS IS APPLICABLE TO
CLEANING AND TEMPERING CLAY OR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
I construct a grated or wire cylinder, with a centre shaft passing
through it, and its ends or axles resting on suitable bearings. On one
end of the said shaft I fix a pulley, which is driven by a strap or belt
from a drum or pulley fixed on the main shaft, or other convenient

page_text: means of obtaining power, by which a revolving motion is given to the
said cylinder.
On the said shaft, inside the cylinder, I attach a number of arms or
This
projections to act as beaters to the material to be cleaned.
cylinder revolves in a trough containing water, and as the material
to be cleaned enters by a hopper at one end of the cylinder, and pro-
ceeds through it to an opening at the other end, is beaten or washed
during its progress.
This operation will be easily understood by reference to the accom-
panying outline Drawing. a, represents the cylinder; b, the shaft on
which it revolves; c, the beaters attached to the said shaft; d, the
wheel gearing which turns the cylinder; e, the trough which contains
water or other liquor necessary to wash or clean the material; f, the
hopper through which the material enters the cylinder; g, the mouth
from or through which it passes after being cleaned; h, is a shaft with
fingers or projections, and during its revolutions enters the grid of the
cylinder, and clears it of any parts of the material which may stick in it;
i, are fallers, which also assist the said fingers in the same operation.
These parts of the said machine, represented at h, and i, are not neces-
sary when cleaning rags or waste, but will be found very useful auxiliaries
when cleaning or tempering clay; k, represents an end view of the
fallers; 1, an end view of the beater; and m, an end view of the grids.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that this is merely an outline
sketch of my Invention, which I will more fully explain in my Complete
Specification.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Moorhouse in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 11th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY MOORHOUSE, of Denton, in the County of Lancaster, Tailor,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, and in the

page_text: sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Moorhouse, Her especial license
that I, the said Henry Moorhouse, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Moorhouse, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time 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, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MA-
CHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WOOLLEN, COTTON, OR LINEN RAGS
AND WASTE, WHICH MACHINERY OR APPARATUS IS APPLICABLE TO CLEANING
AND TEMPERING CLAY OR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Moorhouse, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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, as reference being thereunto
had will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Moorhouse, 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 relates to machinery or apparatus for cleaning or
cleansing different kinds of materials, as woollen, cotton, or linen rags
and waste, for opening and cleaning cotton, wool, flax, hair, flocks,
feathers, beaver, hare, and rabbits wool, and other similar materials;
it is also applicable to working or tempering clay, and consists of a
grated or wire cylinder with a central shaft through it, but not attached,
as the said cylinder and shaft revolve independently of each other; the
cylinder has a slow revolving motion, which it obtains by means of
bowls or pulleys at each end, and is propelled by a pulley or cog wheel
on the main shaft, and an intermediate shaft with a pulley and strap;
the shaft rests on bearings or pedestals outside of the cylinder, and is
driven at a great speed by pulleys on one end, in the usual way of
driving shafts. On this shaft I fix arms or projections at right angles

page_text: with each other, and for some purposes, when necessary, I fix on the end
of one of the said arms a brush, and at the end of the opposite arm a
piece of card, such as is usually used for carding cotton, so that this
shaft with its projecting arms revolves inside the cylinder at a quick
speed. I also attach to the interior surface of the said cylinder a num-
ber of longitudinal shelves, projecting inwards the whole length of the
cylinder, with brushes attached to the edges of each alternate shaft, so
that as the shaft and cylinder revolve, the ends of the beaters, with the
brush and card upon them, come in contact with the shelves and
brushes, and clean them of any of the material that might lodge there.
When I use this machine for opening and cleaning cotton, wool, &c. I
fix combs or heckles on the said shaft inside the cylinder, as also
revolving brushes in any convenient position, and when the material to
be cleaned requires washing, as rags, for instance, I fix a trough under
it containing water, or, if necessary, a composition of water and some
chemical agent to assist the cleansing process, and I cause the cylinder
to revolve in the trough, and thus allow the water to enter through the
grating or interstices of the cylinder; and in order to keep the said
grating or interstices clear and open I fix one or more longitudinal
bars outside of and independent of the cylinder, the said bars to have
either small fingers or projections which will enter the said interstices
during the revolution of the cylinder and keep them clear and open, or
I attach bristles or other similar material to the said bars for the same
purpose. When I use this machine for the purpose of tempering clay
I allow the water to enter the cylinder through the interstices at the
top by means of a perforated pipe or similar contrivance placed above
the cylinder; and to prevent the interstices from being stopped or
choked up I fix strong projections or fallers which will have sufficient
strength to push away any pieces of the clay that may stick there. I
fix the said cylinder in an inclined position, that is, one end a little
higher than the other; at the higher end I fix a hopper to receive the
materials or matter to be cleaned, which pass from the hopper to
and through the cylinder, and escape at the lower end through an
opening left for the purpose, and during their progress through
the revolving cylinder become beaten, washed, and cleaned by the
quick revolving motion of the beaters, as before stated. The nature

page_text: and particulars of this my said Invention will be fully understood by
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which the same letters
of reference are used to represent the same parts where different views
or diagrams are shown. Fig. 1, is a sectional elevation of my improved
machine, shewing the interior of the cylinder with the shaft and pro-
jecting beaters; Fig. 2, an elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a sectional
elevation of the end view; and Fig. 4, an elevation of the same. a,
represents the framing; b, the bearings or pedestals; c, the cylinder;
d, the beaters; c, the shaft for the beater; f, the brush at one end
of the beater; g, the card at the other end; h, the pulleys in which
the cylinder revolves; i, the hopper through which the material or
matter enters the cylinder; k, the pully for driving the main shaft and
beaters; 1, the pully for driving the cylinder; m, the trough to hold
the water or other liquor when necessary to wash or clean the material
to be operated upon.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature and
particulars of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine
myself to all the particular details herein described, as such may be
varied or modified without departing from the principle of my Inven-
tion; but I claim as new the general arrangement and construction of
the machinery or apparatus as herein described and illustrated in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Moorhouse, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
HENRY MOORHOUSE. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Henry Moorhouse
in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.