IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN WASHING WOOL
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Cunliffe Lister, of Bradford, in the
County of York, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN WASHING WOOL."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Cunliffe
Lister at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th March 1853.
I, SAMUEL CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN WASHING WOOL" to be as
follows:-
It is now the usual practice for the washer to lift the wool out of the
washing bowl or vessel, and to place it upon a travelling apron or sheet,
which delivers it to the expressing rollers. Now, I cause the sheet or
apron to go to the bottom, or nearly so, of the bowl or vessel, which
will enable the washer to place the wool on to the sheet or apron to be
carried forward to the rollers with much greater ease.
And my Improvements also consist in covering washing rollers with
vulcanized caoutchouc, instead of with wool, which is now the usual

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 8th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
SAMUEL CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Eighth day of March, in the Year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, Her special licence that
I, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, my execu-
tors, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY USED IN WASHING WOOL," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Samuel Cunliffe Lister, 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):
It is now the usual practice for the washer to lift the wool out of the
washing bowl or vessel, and to place it upon a travelling apron or sheet,

page_text: which delivers it to the expressing rollers. Now, I cause the sheet or
apron to go to the bottom, or nearly so, of the bowl or vessel, which
will enable the washer to place the wool on to the sheet or apron to be
carried forward to the rollers with much greater ease; and my im-
provements also consist in covering washing rollers with vulcanized
caoutchouc instead of with wool, which is now the usual mode, and
which is very troublesome and costly, as it only lasts a very short time,
and requires to be constantly renewed.
I will now proceed more particularly to describe my Invention, as
will be readily understood. The wool, when immersed in the water;
requires considerable labour to lift it from the liquid; and to place it
upon the sheet, which is usually fixed about one foot above the level.
of the water in the bowl. In order to lessen the labour attendant
upon raising it out of the water, I fix the roller round which the
endless sheet moves below instead of above the surface of the water;
and to prevent the wool from slipping off the sheet, I fasten thin laths
of wood a few inches apart across the sheet, which will be found ma-
terially to aid in carrying it to the expressing rollers. All that is then
required of the washer is to push the wool forward on to the sheet,
and as it moves along it will conduct the wool on its surface to the
expressing rollers, thus saving all the labour of lifting it out of the
water.
I also find it a great improvement to cover washing rollers with vul-
canized caoutchouc. In order to do so with advantage, it must be made
as hard as possible, nearly like wood; unless this be attended to, it will
not be found to answer. It should be made into rings or washers of
about one foot in diameter, and two inches broad, and about half an
inch thick, and placed upon an iron boss or roller; and then several of
these rings should be pressed together as close as possible, the number
depending upon the width of the roller required. The plan which I
adopt, and which I find to answer well, for pressing the caoutchouc
rings together, is to have a rim or flanch about half inch deep at one
end of the roller, and then at the other end I cut screw thread; and
as the nut is made to correspond with the flanch at the other end, I
can, by means of the screw, nip the caoutchouc as close as may
be

page_text: required. But I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the particular mode described of covering expressing rollers with
caoutchouc, as it may be varied.
. In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
SAMUEL C. LISTER. (L.s.)
Witness, WILLIAM WELLS, of Bradford,
in the County of York, Solicitor.