IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRESSING FRAMES FOR WASTE SILK, CHINA GRASS, AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBRES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Souter, the younger, of Congleton, in
the County of Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF DRESSING FRAMES FOR WASTE SILK, CHINA GRASS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR FIBRES."
Sealed the 31st August 1875, and dated the 11th May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Souter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th May 1875.
I, WILLIAM SOUTER, the younger, of Congleton, in the County of
Chester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRESSING FRAMES FOR WASTE SILK, CHINA
GRASS, AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBRES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates principally to apparatus employed for combing
or dressing waste silk, but it is also applicable for combing or dressing
China grass and other similar fibres..

page_text: The objects of the Invention are to save the skilled labor of the
operative and to produce a better result than can be obtained by the
dressing frame or apparatus at present in use.
I employ a series of cylinders (say four) mounted and revolving in
suitable bearings upon a frame. The periphery of these cylinders is
provided with strips of coarse wire cards or combs about one inch and
half or less in width. Between the second pair of cylinders I mount a
roller of smaller diameter for taking the "nits" out of the silk, and
beneath the series of cylinders is mounted upon rails a travelling frame
or carriage, in which the waste silk or other fibre to be combed or
dressed is fixed between boards in the usual manner. The cylinders are
so set that the first is the furthest distance from the boards, and they
are placed gradually nearer till the last or fourth nearly touches the top
of the boards. The carriage is caused to move slowly forward by means
of a chain or cord, and brings the silk waste first under the first cylinder
and then in succession under the others, whereby the silk becomes
gradually combed and the fibres drawn out-straight. The chain or cord
is gradually wound on to a roller by means of spur gearing actuated by
a pawl and ratchet wheel, the pawl being attached to a bar, which has
an oscillating movement given to it at each revolution of the cylinders
by means of a tappet or excentric fixed to the axis thereof. By the
time the frame or carriage has passed the last or fourth cylinder the
dressing or combing is finished; the pawl is then lifted from the ratchet
wheel, the frame or carriage is drawn back by means of a handle acting
upon a second roller and chain or cord, and fresh quantity of material
being supplied, the operation commences as before.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Souter in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 3
SOUTER, the younger, of Congleton, in the County of Chester, send
greeting.

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Souter, the younger, Her
special license that I, the said William Souter, the younger, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Souter,
the younger, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRESSING FRAMES FOR
WASTE SILK, CHINA GRASS, AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBRES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Souter, the younger, 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 William Souter, the younger, 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 and accompanying Drawings:-
This Invention relates principally to apparatus employed for combing
or dressing waste silk, but it is also applicable for combing or dressing
China grass and other similar fibres.
The objects of the Invention are to save the skilled labor of the
operative and to produce a better result than can be obtained by the
dressing frame or apparatus at present in use.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now
proceed to describe in detail the manner in which the same is to
be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that
the same may be clearly understood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet
of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof :-

page_text: Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing is a longitudinal section; Fig. 2 a
side elevation; and Fig. 3 a transverse section of my improved dressing
frame.
111
I employ a series of cylinders (say four) a, a¹, a¹¹, a¹¹, mounted and
revolving in suitable bearings upon a frame b, b. The periphery of
these cylinders is provided with strips of coarse wire cards or combs c, c,
about one inch and a half or less in width. Between the second pair of
cylinders I mount a roller d, d, of smaller diameter for taking the
"nits" out of the silk, and beneath the series of cylinders is mounted
upon rails e, e, a travelling frame or carriage f, f, in which the waste
silk or other fibre to be combed or dressed is fixed between boards g, g,
in the usual manner. The cylinders are so set that the first a is the
furthest distance from the boards, and they are placed gradually nearer
till the last or fourth a nearly touches the top of the boards g, g. The
carriage f,f, is caused to move slowly forward by means of a chain h, h,
or a cord, and brings the silk waste first under the first cylinder a and
then in succession under the others, whereby the silk becomes gradually
combed and the fibres drawn out straight. The chain or cord is gradually
wound on to a roller j, j, by means of spur gearing i, i, actuated by a
pawl k, k, and ratchet wheel 1, 2, the pawl k, k, being attached to a
bar m, m, which has an oscillating movement given to it at each
revolution of the cylinders by means of excentrics n, n, fixed to the axes
thereof. By the time the frame or carriage f, f, has passed the last or
fourth cylinder a¹¹ the dressing or combing is finished; the pawl k, k,
is then lifted from the ratchet wheel 1, 1, the frame or carriage f, f, is
drawn back by means of a handle acting upon a second roller o, o,
which is also provided with a ratchet wheel and pawl (not shown in the
Drawing), and to which the chain or cord is also attached, and a
fresh quantity of material being supplied the operation commences as
before.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together, with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
1
3
T

page_text: or imitation thereof, constructed and operating in substantially the same
or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Souter, the younger, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
WILLIAM SOUTER, JR. (L.S.)