IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HEMP, FLAX, TOW, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Ireland, of Wambrechies, near Lille, in the
Empire of France, Flax Spinner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HEMP, FLAX, TOW, AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 15th January 1861, and dated the 28th July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Ireland, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th July 1860.
I, JAMES IRELAND, of Wambrechies, 'near Lille, in the Empire of France,
Flax Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HEMP, FLAX, TOW, AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of machi-
nery or apparatus for opening and drawing hemp, flax, tow, and other fibrous
substances of a like nature, and consists in the employment of an endless.
travelling band or apron, upon which the fibrous substances are first laid, and.
spread by hand. This apron conveys the material between a pair of feed
rollers, which conduct it to the first pair of a series of "porcupine" or toothed.
opening and drawing rollers. Each pair of the series rotates at a speed slightly
increased beyond the preceeding pair, so as to draw out the fibres,; and form a
sliver or sheet, the teeth of which are slightly enclosed on the rollers, being
arranged in rings, which intersect each other, and thus draw out the fibre

page_text: without breaking or injuring it in any way. From the last pair of opening
and drawing rollers the lap or sheet passes between a drawing roller and a
pressing roller, which rollers draw out and consolidate it, and finally deliver
it to a pair of delivery rollers, whence it passes in the form of a lap or sheet
into a box or receptacle beneath or on to the roller of a lap machine. This
receptacle when used has a to-and-fro motion imparted to it to admit of the
lap or sheet being laid in a zig-zag form in the bottom. The lap or sheet
so formed may be either submitted in the process of the manufacture to the
finishing card or to the ordinary drawing frame. If found desirable a pair of
drawing rollers may be introduced between each pair of "porcupine " rollers
for the purpose of preventing the sliver or sheet from being overdrawn at any
point.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Ireland, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th January 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
IRELAND, of Wambrechies, near Lille, in the Empire of France, Flax Spinner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Ireland, Her special license that I, the said--James
Ireland, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Ireland, my executors, administrators, or 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 Bri
tain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HEMP, FLAX, Tow,
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Ireland, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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
monthis next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Ireland, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of.
machinery or apparatus for opening and drawing hemp, flax, tow, and other
fibrous substances of a like nature, and consists in the employment of an
endless travelling band or apron, upon which the fibrous substances are first
laid and spread by hand. This apron conveys the material between a pair of
feed rollers, which conduct it to the first pair of a series of "porcupine" or
toothed opening and drawing rollers. Each pair of the series rotates at a
speed slightly increased beyond the preceding pair, so as to draw out the fibres
and form a sliver or sheet, the teeth, which are slightly inclined on the rollers,
being arranged in rings which intersect each other, and thus draw out the
fibre without breaking or injuring it in any way. From the last pair of
opening and drawing rollers the lap or sheet passes between a drawing roller
and a pressing roller, which rollers draw out and consolidate it, and finally
deliver it to a pair of delivery rollers, whence it passes in the form of a lap or
sheet into a box or receptacle beneath, or on to the roller of a lap machine..
This receptacle when used, has a to-and-fro motion imparted to it to admit of
the lap or sheet being laid in a zig-zag form in the bottom. The lap of sheet
so formed may be either submitted in the process of the manufacture to the
finishing card, or to the ordinary drawing frame. If found desirable a pair
of drawing rollers may be introduced between each pair of " "porcupine "
rollers, for the purpose of preventing the sheet from being overdrawn or
weakened at any point.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of my
improved apparatus, and Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.
A, A, is the main framing of the machine; and B is an endless feeding
band for supplying the fibrous material to the pair of feed rollers C, C, which
conduct it to the first of the series of "porcupine "drawing rollers D, D,
between which it passes on its way to the pair of drawing rollers E, E³, the
upper roller E acting as a presser; for consolidating the lap or sheet it is
held down by the pair of weighted levers F, F. The lap or sheet on leaving

page_text: these last-mentioned rollers is received between the delivering rollers G, G,
which finally deliver the sheet into a receptacle H, or on to a lap machine.
When a box is used I prefer to mount it upon a reciprocating table or plat-
form, as shewn at I, mounted on rollers K, K, along or over which it travels
to and fro. This reciprocating motion derived from the endless band L
carried by the two pullies M, M, and provided with a projection or stud a
which acts alternately upon the projections b and c fixed to the under side of
the table, and consequently imparts a to-and-fro motion thereto. The machine
may be driven from a pair of ordinary fast and loose driving pullies N, N',,
and motion transmitted to the lower set of rollers and "porcupines" by bevel
gearing, as shown in Figure 2, suitably proportioned to impart the desired
speeds to the several rollers. The upper series of rollers and "porcupines "
may be driven from the lower set by spur wheels or other convenient
mechanical contrivance; but as these arrangements for driving the machine
form no part separately of my Invention, and may be varied more or less, I
'do not consider it necessary to enter into further detail.
.
Having now. described and particularly ascertained, the nature of my..said.
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general.construction, arrangement, and combination of machinery
or apparatus for treating hemp, flax, tow; and other fibrous substances, as
herein-before described.
Second, the peculiar arrangement and combination of "porcupine rollers"
having intersecting teeth, in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Ireland, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.