IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN CLEANING and SEPARATING THE FIBRES OF WASTE SILK AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Varley and Sam Warburton Varley,
both of Bradford, in the County of York, Silk Dressers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN CLEANING
and SEPARATING THE FIBRES OF WASTE SILK AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Sealed the 4th March 1872, and dated the 9th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Varley and Sam
Warburton Varley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 9th September 1871.
We, JAMES VARLEY and SAM WARBURTON VARLEY, both of
Bradford, in the County of York, Silk Dressers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE
IN CLEANING AND SEPARATING THE FIBRES OF WASTE SILK AND OTHER
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
USED
This Invention relates chiefly to machinery for which Letters Patent
bearing date 9th October, A.D. 1868 (No. 3093), were granted to us,
the present applicants; and for which Letters Patent bearing date
11th December 1866 (No. 3260) were granted to James Varley, one of
the present applicants.

page_text: Our present Invention consists, firstly, of an improved cleaning
machine, in which tufts or stricks of material are first operated upon
by one of a series of rough-cleaning drums, arranged as herein-after
described, from which the said tufts pass to finishing cleaning drums,
after leaving which the said tufts may be passed on to the feed apron
of a separating machine combined with the cleaning machine, as herein-
after described. The rough-cleaning drums above referred to are
covered with suitable card teeth for the purpose of rough cleaning the
material, and of collecting the uncleaned fibres of the same within their
teeth in successive layers, and forming them into laps or bats for sub-
sequent treatment, which drums have a partly conical and partly
cylindrical form, and are so arranged relatively to the books or holders
(which are passed horizontally and transversely through the machine
over the said drums) that the pendant tufts of fibre contained in the
said books are gradually operated upon from their points upward. The
said drums revolve independently of each other, their axes revolving in
bearings in a suitable frame which is capable of revolving upon hollow-
axes, which constitute the journals or bearings in which revolves the
shaft wherefrom the said drums receive motion through a driving wheel
affixed to the said shaft, and other wheels on the axes of the said drums.
The shaft aforesaid is driven from the main shaft of the machine by
means of a train of wheels. The drums above referred to are suc-
cessively so employed that when the accumulation of uncleaned fibres
in the teeth of the working drum makes it requisite, the frame in which
they are arranged is moved through a partial revolution on its axes
(by hand or mechanical means) in such a manner that the teeth of the
full drum which is still in motion shall no sooner have left the passing
tufts of material than the next drum which previously filled has been
stripped by hand, or partly by hand and partly by mechanical means,
will while in motion have come into the position previously occupied by
the full drum hercin-before referred to for the continuation of the work.
From the rough-cleaning drums described the books are passed over
and subjected to the action of two or more finishing cleaning drums of
a partly conical and partly cylindical form, which are set relatively to
the said books, as described with reference to. the rough-cleaning
drums. These finishing drums are covered with suitable card teeth or
combs, and as they revolve with their axes in contrary directions
operate on both sides of the tufts of material, and finish the cleaning
of the same. The teeth of the said drums are continuously freed from

page_text: "
the uncleaned material by means of revolving brushes or stripper rollers
(or both combined), which deliver the uncleaned fibres on to the teeth
of doffing rollers or drums, from which they are doffed as in an
ordinary carding engine. The said finishing cleaning drums, with their
stripping apparatus, are driven by means of gearing or belts, or both,
communicating with the main shaft of the machine.
Our Invention consists, further, of the improvements herein-after
described in holding and propelling the "books" containing the tufts or
stricks of material to be operated upon in cleaning machines. We
apply to the said machines friction bowls having V-shaped grooves cut
around their peripheries, which bite or wedge upon strips of metal of
corresponding sectional form which are affixed to the books or holders
which as the friction bowls turn with the shafts to which they are
affixed, and to each of which shafts pressure is by preference separately
applied by means of springs or of levers and weights, are propelled and
guided through the machine, and at the same time hold the tufts or
stricks of material contained therein.
Our Invention consists, further, of the improvements herein-after
described in separating or assorting machines of the kind described
in the Specification of the Letters Patent, No. 3260, A.D. 1866, herein-
before referred to.
We arrange in the said machine an additional carrying comb, or
several such combs, with the necessary transferring and drawing-off
apparatus for the purpose of more effectually separating the fibres;
and we apply to each of such combs curved metal pressing plates
extending from the part where the material is delivered on to the comb
to the part at which the drawing-off apparatus is applied.
Our Invention consists, further, in combining, as herein-after
described, the cleaning machine herein-before described either with
the assorting machine described in the Specification of the Letters
Patent, No. 3260, A.D. 1866, aforesaid; or with the improved assorting
machine herein last described. The object of this arrangement is to
avoid the otherwise necessary emptying of the tufts from the books or
boards, and the subsequent straightening of the said tufts preparatory
to putting them by hand on to the feed sheet of the separating or
assorting machine. The feeding of the tufts of fibre from the cleaning
machine to the assorting machine is continuously effected in the

page_text: following manner :-The pendant projecting ends of the tufts are by
means of a travelling band or "stroker" working at right angles to the
feed sheet, and in juxtaposition thereto, laid parallel and guided on to
the said feed sheet, an attendant removing the books or holders as they
pass from their guides in the cleaning machine, and the said tufts are
held upon the said feed sheet by means of an endless band or other
equivalent travelling at the same surface speed, to which band pressure
is applied by springs or levers and weights over a length equivalent
to that of the books or holders. The feed sheet delivers the said tufts
on to the first carrying comb in such a manner that the middle of the
shortest fibres in the said tufts comes within the outermost row of the
comb teeth. As the fibres pass from comb to comb they are assorted
according to their various lengths, the longest fibres being drawn off
first, and the shorter fibres last, the shortest fibres being ploughed out
of the teeth of the last comb by means of ploughs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Varley and Sam Warburton Varley in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
VARLEY and SAM WARBURTON VARLEY, both of Bradford, in the
County of York, Silk Dressers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Varley and Sam Warburton
Varley, Her special licence that we, the said James Varley and
Sam Warburton Varley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or.
such others as we, the said James Varley and Sam Warburton
Varley, our 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

page_text: for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN CLEANING AND SEPARATING
THE FIBRES OF WASTE SILK AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said James Varley and Sam Warburton
Varley, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and scals, or under the hand and scal
of one of us or them, 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 Sam Warburton Varley, on behalf
of myself and the said James Varley, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates chiefly to machinery for which Letters Patent
bearing date 9th October, A.D. 1868 (No. 3093), were granted to us,
the present Patentecs; and for which Letters Patent bearing date 11th
December, A.D. 1866 (No. 3260), were granted to James Varley, one of
the present Patentees.
Our present Invention consists, firstly, of an improved cleaning
machine, in which tufts or stricks of material are first operated upon
by one of a series of rough-cleaning drums arranged as herein-after
described, from which the said tufts pass to finishing cleaning drums,
after leaving which the said tufts may be passed on to the feed apron
of a separating machine used in connection with the cleaning machine,
as herein-after described. The rough-cleaning drums above referred to
are covered with suitable card teeth for the purpose of rough cleaning
the material, and of collecting the uncleaned fibres of the same within
their teeth in successive layers, and forming them into laps or bats for
subsequent treatment. These drums have a partly conical and partly
cylindrical form, and are so arranged relatively to the books or holders
(which are passed horizontally and transversely through the machine
over the said drums) that the pendent tufts of fibre contained in the
said books are gradually operated upon from their points upwards. The
said drums revolve independently of each other, their axes revolving in
bearings in a suitable frame which is capable of revolving upon hollow
axes, which constitute the journals or bearings, in which revolves the

page_text: "
shaft wherefrom the said shafts receive motion through a driving wheel
affixed to the said shaft, and other wheels on the axes of the said drums.
The shaft aforesaid is driven from the main shaft of the machine by
means of a train of wheels. The drums above referred to are suc-
cessively so employed that when the accumulation of uncleaned fibres
in the teeth of the working drum makes it requisite, the frame in which
they are arranged is moved through a partial revolution on its axes
(by hand or by mechanical means) in such a manner that the teeth of
the full drum which is still in motion shall no sooner have left the
passing tufts of material than the next drum which previously filled
has been stripped by hand, or partly by hand and partly by mechanical
means, will while in motion have come into the position previously
occupied by the full drum herein-before referred to for the continuation
of the work. From the rough-cleaning drums described the "books"
are passed over and subjected to the. action of two or more finishing
cleaning drums of a partly conical and partly cylindrical form, which
are set relatively to the said books, as described with reference to the
rough-cleaning drums. These finishing drums are covered with suitable
card teeth or combs, and as they revolve with their axes in contrary
directions operate on both sides of the tufts of material, and finish the
cleaning of the same. The teeth of the said drums are continuously
freed from the uncleaned material by means of revolving brushes or
stripper rollers (or both combined), which deliver the uncleaned fibres
on to the teeth of doffing rollers or drums, from which they are doffed
as in an ordinary carding engine. The said finishing cleaning drums,
and their stripping apparatus, are driven by means of gearing or belts,
or both, communicating with the main shaft of the machine.
Our Invention consists, further, of the improvements herein-after
described in holding and propelling the "books" containing the tufts
or stricks of material to be operated upon in cleaning machines. We
apply to the said machines friction bowls having V-shaped grooves cut
around their peripheries, which bite or wedge upon strips of metal of
corresponding sectional form, which are affixed to the books or holders
which as the friction bowls turn with the shafts to which they are
affixed, and to each of which shafts pressure is by preference separately
applied by means of springs or of levers and weights, are propelled and
guided through the machine, and at the same time hold the tufts or
stricks of material contained therein.

page_text: Our Invention consists, further, of the improvements herein-after
described in separating or assorting machines of the kind described in
the Specifications of the Letters Patent, No. 3260, A.D. 1866, herein-
before referred to.
We arrange in the said machine an additional carrying comb, or
several such combs, with the necessary transferring and drawing-oll
apparatus for the purpose of more effectually separating the fibres;
and we apply to each of such combs curved metal pressing plates
extending from the part where the material is delivered on to the comb
to the part at which the drawing-off apparatus is applied.
"
The cleaning machine herein-before described may be combined as
herein-after described either with the assorting machine described in
the Specification of the Letters Patent, No. 3260, A.D. 1866, aforesaid,
or with the improved assorting machine herein last described. The
object of this arrangement is to avoid the otherwise necessary emptying
of the tufts from the books or boards, and the subsequent straightening
of the said tufts preparatory to putting them by hand on to the feed
sheet of the separating or assorting machine. The feeding of the tufts
of fibre from the cleaning machine to the assorting machine is con-
tinuously effected in the following manner:-The pendent projecting.
ends of the tufts are by means of a travelling band or. "stroker
working at right angles to the feed sheet, and in juxtaposition thereto,
laid parallel and guided on to the said feed sheet, an attendant removing
the books or holders as they pass from their guides in the cleaning
machine, and the said tufts are held upon the said feed sheet by means
of an endless band or other equivalent travelling at the same surface
speed, to which band pressure is applied by springs or. levers and
weights over a length equivalent to that of the books or holders. The
feed sheet delivers the said tufts on to the first carrying comb in such
a manner that the middle of the shortest fibres in the said tufts comes
within the outermost row of the comb teeth. As the fibres pass from
comb to comb they are assorted according to their various lengths, the
longest fibres being drawn off first, and the shorter fibres last, the
shortest fibres being ploughed out of the teeth of the last comb by
means of ploughs.

page_text: being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved cleaning machine, and
Figures 2 and 3 are end elevations (the former partly in section) of the
said machine. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in
Figures 1, 2, and 3.
A1, A2, A3, is the frame of the machine. B', B², are lines of screws
or worms which rotate in bearings 6 on the said frames. C¹, 0%, are
lines of vertical shafts which turn in their bearings c, which are hinged
on to the rods c¹, the said shafts being driven in the same direction by
the screws or worms through worm wheels c², c, the teeth of which take
into the threads of the said worms or screws; c³, c³, are friction bowls
having V-shaped grooves cut around their peripheries which bite or
wedge upon strips of metal d, d, of corresponding sectional form
affixed to the books or holders D, which are thus propelled and guided
horizontally through the machine, the pendent tufts or stricks of
material contained in the said books or holders being held by means of
the springs E, which are spanned on span rods e hinged to the journal
or bearing e. F, F, F, F, are the rough-cleaning drums, which are
covered with suitable card teeth, and have a partly conical and partly
cylindrical form, and are arranged relatively to the books or holders,
so that the pendent tufts contained in the said books or holders are
gradually operated upon from their points upward. The said drums
with their axes f revolve independently of each other in bearings g, g¹,
affixed to the frame G, which frame is capable of revolving upon the
hollow axes or bearings h in which the shaft H revolves. The said
drums receive motion from the driving wheel h¹ affixed to the shaft H,
which wheel takes into other wheels g² affixed to the hollow revolving
bearers or journals in which one end of the axis of cach drum turns.
These bearers have affixed to their inner ends clutch wheels g³, which
take into and drive corresponding wheels f¹ on the axes of the drums.
The shaft H is driven by means of a train of wheels h², h³, h², h³, the
former on the end of the said shaft, the latter gearing into a wheel i
on the main shaft I. The drums F are so employed that the uppermost
drum works upon the material presented thereto by the books or
holders; and during the operation of the same the drum previously
filled and occupying the front horizontal position in the frame G is
being stripped, the two remaining stripped drums, the lowermost and

page_text: the one in the back horizontal position, being in readiness to take the
place of the working drum. When the accumulation of uncleaned
fibres in the teeth of the latter has made it requisite the frame G is
moved with its drums (preferably by hand) through a partial revolution
upon its axes by means of a rudder wheel J having handles j and a
toothed wheel on its boss, which takes into a wheel g' on one of the
bosses of the said frame, the next drum in the frame coming into the
position occupied by the former drum for the continuation of the work.
The revolving frame G is held in the required position during the
action of the working drum by means of a pin K, which is caused to
take into holes in the rim of the rudder wheel J, and from which holes
the said pin is withdrawn when the changing of the full drum for an
empty one is effected. The drums F requiring to be in motion upon the
entry of their teeth into the tufts of material, as also when leaving or
passing through the same on the changing of a full drum for an empty
one, receive the necessary motion by means of the following arrange-
ment: On the inner side of the frame of the machine A is affixed a
stationary circular tappet L' having a projecting and a receding surface,
the centre line of which surface is in juxtaposition to the circle line
described by the ends of the axes of the drums F, the projecting surface
commencing at the front upper part of its circumference, where the
teeth of the full drum leave the tufts of material. The ends of the
axes of the said drums bear against the said projecting surface, and are
thereby thrown out of contact with the driving clutch wheels g³, which
when the machine is in motion are continually driven. The said pro-
jecting surface of the tappet extends round to its horizontal centre line
at the back part of the machine, where the drums previously doffed or
stripped by hand or by mechanical means are thrown into contact with
the clutch wheels 93 by their axes bearing against the projecting surface
of the stationary tappet L', which is affixed to the inner side of the
frame A', and the said projecting surface of which corresponds with the
opposite receding surface of the tappet L. The books or holders are
now propelled over the finishing drums M, M, M³, which have a partly
conical and partly cylindrical form, as shown, and turn in contrary
directions to each other, and are covered with suitable card covering,
and furnished with brushes N¹, N³, N³, for stripping the unclean
material, and delivering the same, on to the doffing drums O¹, 03, 0³,
upon which it is collected into a fleece, which fleece is doffed at
intervals by hand or by mechanical means (preferably by hand). The

page_text: shaft of the drum M' turns in bearings p' affixed to the main frames P,
in which the drum shaft revolves at a suitable speed in the required
direction, the said drum being driven by means of a train of
wheels m¹, m², m³, m², the former of which is keyed on to the drum
shaft m, and the latter on to the main shaft I of the machine. The
shaft of the stripping brush N¹ turns in bearings p³ affixed to the
frames P, and is driven at the requisite speed and in the required
direction by a pulley n¹ on the main shaft I, from which motion is
transmitted by means of an endless driving band n² to the pulley n³ on
the axis n of the said stripping brush. The axis of the doffing drum
turns in bearings p³ affixed to the frames P, and is driven at a slow
speed by a pulley o¹ on the main shaft I, from which motion is trans-
mitted by means of a driving band o² to the fast pulley o³ on the
shaft o³, a wheel o³ on the said shaft gearing into another wheel o' on
the axis of the drum. When the accumulation of uncleaned fibre
between the teeth of the doffing drum makes it requisite the driving
band o² is thrown on to the loose pulley o*, and the fleece therefrom is
removed, the said doffing drum being turned at the same time in a
backward direction. The screw or worm B' is driven by means of a
pulley b¹ on the main shaft I and a driving band 63, which transmits
motion to the pulley 6³ on the axis of the worm or screw.
The worm
or screw B² is connected to and driven by the worm B₁ through a
wheel 6* on the axis of the latter gearing into a corresponding wheel 65
on the axis of the worm B². The main shaft I is driven by means of a
wheel 9, which gears into a wheel q' on the boss of the fast pulley Q' of
the driving pulleys Q', Q
Figure 4 is a plan and Figure 5 is an end elevation of our improved
assorting machine, as used in connection with the cleaning machine
herein-before described.
A is the book or board delivering guide or slide of the cleaning
machine; a¹, a², are books or boards containing tufts of cleaned material
with their ends pendent. B is the travelling band or stroker by means
of which the pendent ends of the said tufts are guided and laid parallel
on to the feed sheet C, which travels at right angles to the said stroker.
The said tufts of fibre are held on the said feed sheet by the endless
pressing band D, which is arranged over the same, and is driven at the
same surface speed. The travelling band or stroker B is carried by a
driving roller b' and a tension roller 63, and is driven by means of a
'

page_text: As
wheel b³ on one end of the feed sheet driving roller c gearing into a
wheel 6 on the end of the shaft , and a wheel 66 on the said shaft
gearing into a wheel on the boss of the stroker driving roller b'.
The pressing band D is carried by a driving pulley d¹ and a tension
pulley d, and is driven by means of a wheel c on the feed sheet
driving roller end c¹ gearing into a wheel d³ on the driving roller shaft.
Pressure is applied to the said band over a length equivalent to the
length of one of the books or boards a¹, a², by means of springs do, do,
acting on the hinged plate d. The feed sheet C is driven by means of
a pitch chain es, into the links of which the teeth of a sprocket wheel k²
on the end of the main shaft K of the machine take and a sprocket
wheel c on the said driving roller end c'. The said feed sheet delivers
the tufts of fibre on to the first comb E¹ of a series of carrying combs,
into the teeth of which comb they are pressed by means of the curved
metal plates F" which are fitted within the rows of the teeth, and
extend to that part of the comb's revolution where the drawing-off
apparatus is applied. The said pressing plates are fixed to arms e¹, e²,
which are screwed in the support f¹. The said carrying comb is
mounted on a vertical shaft e, and is driven by a worm ³ on the main
shaft K gearing into a worm wheel e³ keyed on the said shaft e.
the carrying comb E¹ revolves the projecting ends of the fibre therein
contained are presented to the drawing-off rollers g of the drawing
apparatus G', which apparatus is driven by means of a train of
wheels g¹, g, g³, 9', connected with the main shaft of the machine.
The remaining fibres are ploughed out of the comb E' by means of
and
ploughs H', which are arranged between the rows of comb teeth,
are mounted on the arm h; and the said fibres are transferred by means
of the vertical rotatory wheel combs I', I², to the carrying comb E³, into
the teeth of which they are pressed by means of the curved plates F.
The comb I is driven by means of wheels 1, 2, 3, which are connected
with and receive motion from the vertical comb shaft e. The said fibres
after being subjected to the action of the drawing-off apparatus G² are
ploughed out of the comb by the ploughs H³, and are transferred by
the vertical whicel .combs I³, I*, to the carrying comb E³, into which
the said fibres are pressed by the plates F³; and after being subjected
to the action of the drawing-off apparatus G³ the said fibres are raised
out of the comb by means of the ploughs H³, and are transferred by the
wheel combs I, I, to the last carrying comb E', into the teeth of which
comb the fibres are pressed by the plates F. The drawing-off

page_text: necessary transferring and drawing-off apparatus, and of curved pressing
plates extending over each comb from the part where the fibres are fed
on to the comb to the part where the drawing-off apparatus is applied
and operates.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sam Warburton Varley, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
S. W. VARLEY. (L.S.)