IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURED AND UNMANUFACTURED STATE
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ROBINSON, of Wilmington Square, in the county of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Robinson, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho
rity, that I, the said Thomas Robinson, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas Robinson, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING WOOL, COTTON, AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURED AND UNMANUFACTURED STATE,"
communicated to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Thomas Robinson.
shall cause a particular description of the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as

page_text: in and by the same, reference being thereunto mad, win more rully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Robinson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say)-
The Invention relates to peculiar constructions of machinery by means of
which wool, cotton, and other fibrous materials in the manufactured or un-
manufactured state may be dried with facility; and in order that the Invention
may be most fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to
describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents an external side view of a machine constructed accord-
ing to the Invention; Figure 2 represents an external end view; Figure 3
shews an under side view of the machine; Figure 4 shews a section of the
machine, taken transversely, of the main shaft or axis; Figure 5 shews a
section of the machine taken in the direction of the length of the main shaft
or axis; Figure 6 shews an outer end view of one of the revolving compart-
ments or chambers, which are carried by the main shaft or axis of the
machine; and Figure 7 shews an inner end view of the same chamber. In
each of the above-mentioned Figures the same letters indicate the same parts.
a, a, a, shews the chamber within which the revolving machinery works.
This chamber is closed at all parts, except the openings for admitting air
near the main shaft or axis, and openings through which the air passes out of
the chamber; and there are other openings for the passage of the water or
fluid from the materials which are being dried; and it will be found that
the air will be received near the axis or main shaft in a similar manner to a
blowing machine, and the air so received will pass over and amongst the
materials in the revolving drying compartments of the machine, and will then
be forceably ejected from such revolving compartments, and from the chamber
a, a, in which they revolve. 6 is the main shaft or axis of the machine which
receives motion from a steam engine or other power by means of an endless
strap working on the fixed drum or pulley c, or by other means, as is well
understood by engineers and other workmen; or motion may be communicated
to the axis by means of hand labor, by the crank handle e giving motion to
the cog wheelf, affixed on the axis of the handle e; such cog wheelf taking

page_text: h³
into and driving the pinion g affixed on the main shaft or axis b, as is clearly
shewn and will readily be understood on examining the Drawings; h, h, are
two revolving compartments, within which the cotton, wool, or other fibrous
materials, whether manufactured or unmanufactured, when in a wet state, are
placed, these compartments h being affixed to the main shaft or axis b, as is
shewn. I would remark, that, although I prefer the use of two revolving
compartments, other numbers may be employed, making provision for the air
to enter near the axis or shaft b. The compartments h, h, are composed of the
two side plates h, h, by which they are affixed to the axis or shaft 6, and also
by the other side plates h', h', which plates do not extend from end to end of the
two revolving compartments, but the side plates h' leave a space on either side
of the axis b through which the air can pass, as is indicated by the arrows;
are a series of bars, which partially close the inner ends of the compartments
h, and prevent the articles which are to be dried falling through in that direc-
tion; h³, h³, are other bars, which close the outer ends of the chambers h, and
such bars should be more or less close, according to whether the articles are
in large or small pieces, and whether they are in a manufactured or unmanu-
factured state, to prevent the same being forced out of the chambers h when
in rapid revolution; h*, ht, are doors hinged to the revolving compartments h
by which the articles to be dried are to be introduced into the compartments,
such doors being securely fastened when the machinery is in motion; i, i, are
openings in the outer chamber a, through which the air is ejected, as is
indicated by the arrows; and thus it will be evident that rapid currents of air
will be constantly passing through the compartments h, whilst the articles
therein will be constantly changing their position, and, by the force with which
such articles will be pressed against the outer bars h³, the water or liquid will
be quickly expressed and the articles dried. There are openings j, j, on either
side of the chamber a, by which the air passes into that chamber, and thence
through the compartments h, as above described. k, k, are doors in the
chamber a, by which the articles to be dried are to be introduced into the
compartments h, and by which they are to be removed therefrom when
dried.
I would remark, that, although I consider the above arrangement of
machinery the best for the purposes of drying wool, cotton, and other fibrous
materials, whether in the manufactured or unmanufactured state, I do not
confine myself thereto, as the same may be varied; and, in order to shew that
such may be the case, I have shewn a somewhat different arrangement, which
consists of a rotatory wheel h, h, having four compartments for receiving the
articles to be dried, which may be produced by dividing the wheel by means

page_text: of a series of bars h, or they may be close partitions. h shews the bars,
which partially close the inner ends of the compartments; and h³ are the
bars which partially close the outer ends of the revolving compartments.
h", h, are a series of holes on each side of the machine through which the air
enters near the axis or shaft, and thence pass through the chambers h in like
manner to what has before been described. h are doors by which the
articles to be dried are introduced into the revolving chambers h. This
revolving apparatus is enclosed in a similar chamber a to that above
described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood, that what I
claim is, the mode of constructing machines for drying cotton, wool, and other
fibrous materials in a manufactured or unmanufactured state, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Robinson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
THOMAS (L.s.) ROBINSON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-sixth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid Thomas Robinson came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifica-
tion aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form