Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Rags and other like Articles from Dust, Buttons, and other Coarse Impurities.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1890 Accepted, 3rd May,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Rags and other like Articles
from Dust, Buttons, and other Coarse Impurities.
1, CHARLES FRANCIS TAYLOR of Holyoke in the State of Massachusetts U.S.A.
Envelope Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object a machine for cleaning rags from dust buttons,"
chips, and other coarse impurities.
The invention is best set forth by describing the experimental model which I
have made. The principal parts of these are 1st. A central shaft on which a series
of vanes, beaters, teeth or rods are fixed. 2nd. Round this a cylinder formed of a
large number of concentric rings or rods or stout grating united by longitudinal
pieces at intervals. 3rd. Outside this again and at some distance from it a cone
Outside this
of wire gauze perforated metal or other coarsely porous material.
again is an ordinary casing to prevent the dust flying about, supplied with dust
boxes below. In the model the motive power is applied by a counter shaft running.
alongside and near to the cone but parallel with the general axis of the machine.
The cone is driven from this by equal friction pulleys on tires of equal diameter
fixed to the cone. This axis drives by belt gearing another axis on the opposite side
which by means of friction pulley or pulleys drives the inner cylinder a part of
which projects beyond the cone for this and other purposes. From the main driving
shaft a belt drives at a much increased speed the central shaft. The cone and the
cylinder are driven in reverse directions in this model. A shoot, inclined box, or
apron receives material from one end of the cylinder. A second shoot below this
receives material from the wide end of the cone while under this cone are the
series of boxes for receiving dust etcetra already mentioned. These have arrangements.
for easily emptying.
The mode of action is as follows:-The cut or even whole rags after sorting are
passed into the inner cylinder and dashed round by means of the vanes or rods.
These latter are so arranged on the shaft as to gradually screw the rags forward.
The coarse material passes through the bars of the cylinder and falls on to the
cone while the rags are delivered from the cylinder down the inclined end. The
buttons, chips etcetra that cannot go through the cone pass out at the end of the
cone and down the incline and are there examined before being thrown away.
The foregoing is a description of my actual model. I wish, however, to point
out that it is not absolutely necessary that the circular grating or duster should
be a cone, or the inside one be a cylinder. They can be if desirable either of them
a cylinder on a slight incline or a cone with horizontal or even inclined "axis. I do
not bind myself in the least to any given material or mesh for the cylinder or the
cone as both of them should be designed to suit the particular quality of rags or
other materials to be tested and cleaned therein. I believe however it is quite new
to have in a dusting machine of this character two dusters one within another and
this is a very important novelty as by this means the coarse material can be separated
from the fine and can be examined separately. The mode of driving too is quite
optional as it is obvious that the various parts can be driven in other ways than that
set forth in the above. The shaft and the cylinder and cone or their equivalents
´can' be supported in any convenient manner. I prefer to support the two latter on
'

page_text: friction pulleys running against tires fixed on the cylinder or cone respectively. One
or more of these pulleys can be driving pulleys. This machine can if desired be
coupled with a cloth cutting machine or tearer.
Dated this 7th day of June 1880
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Rags and other like Articles
from Dust, Buttons, and other Coarse Impurities.
I, CHARLES FRANCIS TAYLOR of Holyoke, in the State of Massachusetts, United
States of America, Envelope manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object a machine for cleaning rags from dust, buttons,
chips, and other coarse impurities.
The principal parts of the machine are 1st a central shaft on which a series of
vanes, beaters, teeth or rods are fixed. 2nd. Round this a cylinder formed of a large
number of concentric rings or rods or stout grating united by longitudinal pieces
at intervals. 3rd. Outside this again and at some distance from it a cone of wire
gauze, perforated metal or other coarsely porous material. Outside this again is an
ordinary casing to prevent the dust flying about, supplied with dust boxes below.
The motive power may be applied by a counter shaft running alongside and near to
the cone but parallel with the general axis of the machine. The cone by these means.
would be driven by equal friction pulleys on tyres of equal diameter fixed to the cone.
This axis drives by belt gearing another axis on the opposite side, which by means of
friction pulley or pulleys drives the inner cylinder, a part of which projects beyond
the cone for this and other purposes. From the main driving shaft a belt drives at a
much increased speed the central shaft. The cone and the cylinder may be driven in
reverse directions. A shoot, inclined box, or apron receives material from one end
of the cylinder. A second shoot below this receives the material from the wide end
of the cone, while under this cone are the series of boxes for receiving dust etcetera
already mentioned. These have arrangements for easily emptying.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The cut or even whole rags, after sorting, are passed into the inner cylinder and
dashed round by means of the vanes or rods. These latter are so arranged on the
shaft as to gradually screw the rags forward. The coarse material passes through the
bars of the cylinder and falls on to the cone, while the rags are delivered from
the cylinder down the inclined end. The buttons, chips, etcetera, that cannot go
through the cone pass out at the end of the cone and down the incline, and are there
examined before being thrown away.
As an example of one way of carrying this invention into practice I have in the
accompanying drawings represented and in this specification hereinafter described a
machine constructed according to the present invention.
Of the drawings fig. 1 is an elevation with portion of the outer casing broken
away to illustrate the internal mechanism which is there shown in elevation, fig. 2 is a
central longitudinal section, fig. 3 is an end elevation with portion of the casing broken
away so as to show the internal mechanism in end elevation, and fig. 4 is a transverse
section on the line a 6 of figs. 1 and 2.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts.
A is the central shaft upon which are secured the vanes blades or beaters A¹ which
in the example shown are secured on the shaft A by means of the elongated hexagonal

page_text: boss or sleeve A³ to which the vanes are directly fastened and which is itself directly
keyed or otherwise suitably fastened on the shaft A. The blades or vanes A¹ which
may be of other form than that shown in the accompanying drawings, as shown in
fig. 2 are arranged spirally along the shaft A so that when rotated they will move the
rags or other matter operated on from one to the other end of the apparatus. The
two ends of the shaft A are supported in bearings c secured to the casing C.
B is the cylinder which concentrically surrounds the shaft A and the framework
of which may consist of two end rings 6 connected together by longitudinal-rods 6.
arranged in a circle at suitable intervals apart as shown in fig. 4. To the inner sides
of the rods 62 the wire or rods or grating which constitutes the cylinder proper
may be secured in any convenient manner. At each of its ends the cylinder B is..
provided with an unperforated sleeve or ring 6 each working closely within one of
the end walls c' of the casing C. When the rings are of wood they may be
encircled by a metal hoop or tyre 6 each of which runs on two rollers D and D¹.
The rollers D figs. 1 and 4 are mounted on a shaft d fig. 4 which is supported in
bearings formed in or upon the casing C and the said rollers are not necessarily..
positively driven but they may be caused to rotate merely by frictional contact with
the hoop 6. The rollers D' are secured on the shaft d which is supported in the
casing in any convenient manner and which is positively driven by means of the
pulley d² and crossed band d³ which passes around the pulley e secured to the first
driven shaft E which is rotated by any suitable means: is a pulley and e³ a band.
passing around it and another pulley a¹ on the shaft A for transmitting motion to
said shaft A and the beaters A secured thereto. e' are rollers secured on the shaft E
for rotating the cone F as hereinafter described. The cone F is constructed in a
manner substantially the same as the cylinder B; it is provided with two end rings f
which in this case are of metal and have the hoops or tyres f1 formed in part with
them and between these rings are secured the longitudinal rods f* to the inner faces
of which is fastened the wire gauze s or instead of the said gauze perforated metal
or coarsely porous material. The cone F is supported on the before mentioned
rollers and the rollers e which may be secured on the shaft e supported in any
convenient manner in the ends of the casing C. The rings f may be formed in part
with unperforated hoops or bands ff the former of which at the smaller end. of
the cone works closely around one of the before mentioned rings 61 while the other...
hoop fat the larger end of the cone overhangs the partition. c which is situated a
short distance away from the adjacent end of the casing and constitutes between it
and said casing a chamber G for the reception of the matter or articles which have
passed through the meshes of B and which being too large to pass through the
meshes of F travel down the incline of F. below B to and through the hoop fat.
the larger end of F.
.
The rollers D D¹e and e' are formed with flanges so as to prevent the cylinder B.
and cone F shifting longitudinally. The casing is provided with doors which
may be opened when it is desired to have access to the working parts of the machine,
and with doors c³ which may be opened when it is desired to remove the matter.
which bas fallen through the meshes or interstices of the cylinder B and cone F.
From the chamber G the contents may be removed at either side of the machine
at which parts the chamber is open.
The gearing by which the parts A' B and F are connected together is so arranged
that when motion is imparted to the shaft E-the cylinder B will be rotated in the
same direction as, but at a slower speed than the beaters A' and the cone F will be
rotated in an opposite direction to, and at about half the speed of B but these relative
speeds and directions of rotation may if desired be varied to suit requirements.
The sorted rags or other articles to be cleaned in the before described apparatus
are introduced into the cylinder B say at the end marked W by means of a suitable
hopper or other charging device. The shaft E is then rotated in the direction
indicated by the arrow X in figs. 3 and 4, which through the pulleys e and a' and
band es will rotate the beaters A¹ in the direction of the arrow Y and through the
pulleys e and d² and crossed band d³ and friction rollers D' will rotate the cylinder B
:

page_text: in the same direction but at preferably a slower speed. Through the friction rollers e*
being rotated in the direction of the arrow X fig. 4 the cone F will be rotated in
the direction of the arrow Z. By this means the rags are first subjected to the action
of the beaters A¹ which both dash them round within the cylinder B and also by
means of their helical arrangement move the rags gradually away from the end W
and towards the end V figs. 1 and 2. By these combined operations the coarse
material passes between the bars of B and falls on to F, while the cleaned rags are
delivered through the end V on to any desired shoot or equivalent. The buttons,
chips etc. which do not pass through the interstices of F travel down the incline.
thereof and fall into the chamber, G from which, from time to time they are collected
and examined so that the useful matter may be preserved and the useless thrown
away. The dust and fine particles falling through the interstices of F are periodically
removed through the doors c³.
In regard to the foregoing description I wish to point out that it is not absolutely
necessary that the circular grating or duster F should be a cone, or the inside one B.
a cylinder. They can be, if desired, either of them a cylinder on a slight incline, or
a cone with a horizontal or even inclined axis. I do not bind myself to any given
material or mesh for the cylinder B or the cone F, as both of them should be designed
to suit the particular quality of rags or other materials to be treated and cleaned
therein. I believe, however it is quite new, in a dusting machine of this character to
have two dusters, one within another, and this is a very important novelty, as by this
means the coarse material can be separated from the fine, and can be examined
separately. The mode of driving too is quite optional, as it is obvious that the
various parts can be driven in other ways than that hereinbefore described and besides
this the manner of supporting the parts A¹ B and F in the casing C can be modified
if desired. The before described apparatus if required may be coupled to a cloth
cutting or tearing machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
-1
1. In apparatus such as described the combination with one rotating sieve of
another sieve rotating around it substantially as herein described.
2. In apparatus such as described the combination with two sieves rotating one
within the other of beaters rotating within the inner of said sieves substantially as
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus such as described the combination with a rotating beater of two
sieves one rotating within the other and both rotating around the beaters one sieve
being shorter than the other so that the said sieves may discharge their contents
at different parts substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
.4. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the complete apparatus
substantially as herein described.
DI
docent A--:1 1900.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.