AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SQUATTING, SEPARATING, & TEARING RUSHES AND ALL OTHER TEXTILE FIBROUS "
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jules Ferdinand Hillel, at the British & Foreign
Office for Patents, No. 1B, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
SQUATTING, SEPARATING, & TEARING RUSHES AND ALL OTHER TEXTILE FIBROUS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th January 1860.
I, JULES FERDINAND HILLEL, at the British & Foreign Office for Patents,
No. 1B, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE
POE SQUATTING, SEPARATING, & TEARING RUSHES AND ALL OTHER TEXTILE FIBROUS -
PLANTS," to be as follows:-
The rushes are placed lengthways on an endless cloth stretched on two
rollers, round which it moves. The rushes or other matters which it is desired
to operate upon are drawn by the cloth under a third cylinder, which presses
them by means of levers and counterweights. This pressure is only in order
to render the layer of rushes solid and regular in its thickness. They then
pass under a series of circular-grooved cylinders, composed of one large and
five small cylinders, borne by plates. The space or distance is limited by

page_text: two tie pieces, so as to form a moveable frame. This frame of small cylinders
is pressed on the large one by four levers furnished with counterweights. The
tic pieces are borne on these levers by slide pieces, having at the head a
groove forming bearings to each tic piece. The axis of the large cylinder,
together with the two tie pieces of the frame of the small cylinders, are
attached to a balance beam, placed outside the cage or framework, jointed on
a fixed point, and receiving its movement from the eccentric part of the
driving shaft. The balance beam, by the rotation of the shaft, communicates
a backward and forward inverse motion between the large cylinder and the
frame of the small cylinders. The rushes during their passage between these
cylinders are separated, and slit up by the circular grooves, and the filaments
are well separated by the movement of the cylinders produced by the balance
beam. The matters then pass between two or more cylinders, grooved
lengthways, and ou passing out of which they are caught by a devil turning
with great rapidity, having spikes over its circumference, which tears and
reduces the filaments till they form a sort of tow, which when bleached and
well cleansed is used for the manufacture of paper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULES
FERDINAND HILLEL, at the British & Foreign Office for Patents, No. 1B,
Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third, year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Jules Ferdinand Hillel, Her special licence, that I, the said Jules Fer-
dinand Hillel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel, 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 MACHINE FOR SQUATTING, SEPARATING, AND TEARING RUSHES

page_text: AND ALL OTHER TEXTILE FIBROUS PLANTS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel, 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 Jules. Ferdinand Hillel, 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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in "An Improved Machine for Squatting, Separating,
and Tearing Rushes and all other Textile Fibrous Plants," and especially a
rush or plant known as halpha esparto, or Spanish grass, in order to produce
therefrom tow, which, when well cleaned and bleached, produces pulp fit for
the manufacture of paper.
In order to the effectual use and perfect operation of my improved machine,
I prefer to soften the plants by a chemical process, so as to render them
eapable of being divided into minute filaments by the action of the machine.
The plants, being thus softened and prepared, are placed lengthways upon an
endless cloth or feeder of continuous movement, stretched upon. two rollers of
equal size, round which it moves. The plants are then drawn on, carried by
the feeder under a third smooth roller, which is placed immediately upon one
of the rollers, upon and round which the feeder turns, and which third roller
is pressed down with levers and weights (which, however, may be replaced by
springs). This operation has for its object to render the layer of plants solid
and regular in its thickness, as well as squatting or crushing the plants, so as
to render the subsequent operation of their fibres more effectual. Passing
from between these two rollers, the plants are carried between a series of
circular cylinders, composed of one large and five small cylinders, all of which
are finely grooved transversely upon their circumference, the five small
cylinders being fixed in a moveable frame. This frame of small cylinders is
curved, so as to bring them severally in contact with the circumference of the
large cylinder, and is pressed upwards against the large cylinder by four levers,
to which weights are attached, so as to ensure a suitable pressure.
In this
frame are tie pieces, which are borne on the levers by grooved pieces, having
at their head a socket, forming bearings to each tie piece. The large cylinder
is made to revolve upon its axis in bearings fixed in the framework, and it
communicates revolving motion to the five small cylinders by means of two

page_text: cogged wheels fixed upon its axis, one being on either side. Three of the
small cylinders are moved by one cogged wheel, and two by the other. The
axis of the large cylinder, as well as the two tie pieces of the frame of
the small cylinders are attached to the extremities of a balance beam. placed
outside the framework, jointed on a fixed point, and receiving its movement
from the eccentric part of the driving shaft of the machine. This balance
beam, by the rotatory inovement of the driving shaft, communicates a backward
and forward inverse motion to the large cylinder and frame of small cylinders.
By these means a revolving and at the same time an. oscillatory motion is
given to the large cylinder as well as to the small ones, and the plants passing
onwards between the large cylinder and the five small ones in five successive
points of contact by this double motion have their fibres quickly separated and
carried on. They then pass through two small cylinders grooved lengthways,
on passing out of which they are caught by a tearing wheel turning with
great rapidity, having small spikes on its circumference, which tears: and
reduces their filaments into a sort of tow, which, when well cleaned and
bleached, produces pulp fit for the manufacture of paper.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 shows an elevation of my improved machine, and Fig. 2, a plan
of the same.
A is an endless cloth or feeder of continuous movement, and
B, B', are two smooth rollers, of equal size, round which it moves; C is
another smooth roller, bearing directly upon the roller B, pressed down by
levers a and weights a'; D is a large cylinder, finely grooved transversely upon
its circumference, and E, E, E, E, E, are five small cylinders, also finely
grooved transversely upon their circumference, and fixed in a moveablo
curved frame F, which is pressed upwards by four levers b, b, b, b, with weights
b, b, b', '; G, G, G, G, are four tie pieces, borne on these levers by grooved
pieces c, c, c, c, having at their head a socket, forming bearings to each tie
piece; H, H, are bearings, fixed in the framework, for the axis of the large
cylinder; J, J, are two cogged wheels fixed upon the axis of the large cylinder,
which communicate a revolving motion to the five small cylinders, J turning
tbree, and J two; K is a balance beam, placed outside the framework,
jointed on a fixed point, and receives its movement from the eccentric part
of the driving shaft L of the machine. By these means a revolving, and
at the same time an oscillatory motion is given to the large cylinder, as well
as to the small cylinders. M, M, are two small cylinders grooved lengthways,
which hold the fibres, and deliver them to the tearing wheel N, which has

page_text: small spikes on its circumference, and turns with great rapidity, tearing and
reducing the filaments into a sort of tow, which, when well cleaned and
bleached, produces pulp fit for the manufacture of paper.
I prefer to make the grooved cylinders of iron, copper, bronze, or other
alloyed metal, but they may also be made of horn, gutta percha, or other
hard substance.
In operating upon some fibres, I place a small reservoir, pierced with small
holes, so as to throw a continuous small stream of water upon the large
cylinder, which has the effect of washing the plants while they are being
separated in the machine.
Although I have exemplified in the Drawings a mode of carrying my Inven-
tion into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise arrangement of the mechanical details herein-before described, as the
same may be varied without departing from the general character of the
Invention; but what I claim, and desire to secure by the hercin-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is,―
1st, the use of cylinders grooved transversely, having a combined rotatory
and oscillatory motion.
2nd, the right of increasing or diminishing the number of cylinders, and of
changing their relative positions, but always having the same double motion,
as above described.
And, 3rdly & lastly, the general arrangement and combination of mechanical
details herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this
in the year of our
day of
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JULES FERDINAND HILLEL. (L.S.)