IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR PREPARATION OF HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING."
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bellamy Payne, of Chard, in the County of
Somerset, Engineer and Lace Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR PREPARATION OF HEMP, FLAX, AND
OTHER ANALOGOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bellamy Payne
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th February 1862.
I, JOHN BELLAMY PAYNE, of Chard, in the County of Somerset, Engineer
and Lace Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR PREPARATION OF HEMP, FLAX, AND
OTHER ANALOGOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the treatment or preparation of hemp,
flax, and other analogous fibrous substances for spinning, has for its object
to loosen and soften the woody and gummy matters that naturally adhére
to and form part of the crude plant, so that when these extraneous matters
are removed, and the fibres softened by the operations to which they have
been subjected, the useful fibres may be employed for the manufacture of rope,
line, twine, cord, or other articles for which they may be applicable.
My Invention consists in submitting the crude fibres to the action of steam
and friction at the same time, and. in carrying out. my Invention I take a

page_text: convenient quantity of the crude and and uncleaned fibres, and while submitting
them to a rubbing operation by means of rollers, stampers, or other equi-
valent mechanical contrivances, jets of steam are admitted to and caused to
act on the fibres, and thereby assist in or facilitate the detachment of the
extraneous matters, and at the same time soften the fibres.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Bellamy Payne in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BELLAMY PAYNE, of Chard, in the County of Somerset, Engineer and Lace
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Bellamy Payne, Her special license that I, the said John Bellamy
Payne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Bellamy Payne, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR PREPARATION OF HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER
ANALOGOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Bellamy Payne, 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 John Bellamy Payne, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in the treatment or preparation of hemp,

page_text: flax, and other analogous fibrous substances for spinning, has for its object to
loosen and soften the woody and gummy matters that naturally adhere to and
form part of the crude plant, so that when these extraneous matters are
removed and the fibres softened by the operations to which they have been
subjected, the useful fibres may be employed for the manufacture of rope line,
twine, cord, or other articles for which they may be applicable.
My Invention consists in submitting the crude fibres to the action of stean
and friction at the same time, and in carrying out my Invention I take a
convenient quantity of the crude and uncleaned fibres, and while submitting
then to a rubbing operation by means of rollers, stampers, or other equi-
valent mechanical contrivances, jets of steam are admitted to and caused to
act on the fibres, and thereby assist in or facilitate the detachment of the
extraneous matters, and at the same time soften the fibres.
The most convenient form of apparatus for effecting the object of my.
Invention is one somewhat resembling an ordinary fulling stock for fulling
woollen cloth.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus.
of this kind; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
a, a, is
a box or case in which the flax or other fibrous material to be operated upon
is to be placed. The bottom and sides of this box or case are providėd
or lined with corrugated, roughened, indented, or toothed metal friction
plates a, a, against which the fibrous material is rubbed by the action of
the beaters d, hereafter mentioned, and is thereby submitted to considerable
friction. Part of the bottom of the case a is formed of a steam chest a¹,
which is supplied with steam or hot water from any suitable boiler, and is
covered with a plate of copper and another of lead, with a layer of felt between
them. By this combination of plates of copper and lead with a sheet of felt
between them I obtain a bed possessing a certain amount of elasticity, and
one that is also capable of holding and tempering the heat given off from the
steam chest a'. A perforated steam pipe 6 is also let into a suitable recess
at the bottom of the case, and steam is injected therefrom into or on to the
mass of fibres in the case while the material is being submitted to the friction
of the beaters. The back part a² of the case a is made moveable on a hinge,
and is adjustable so that it may be moved into a forward or backward
position on such joint by means of the screw adjustment c, shewn detached
in plan at Fig. 3. The screw c passes through a nut in a crosshead c², fixed
in jointed arms attached to the moveable part of the casing, and this moveable
part a² is secured in any desired position by means of a click or pall, which.
takes into the ratchet wheel c³ on the end of the screw c. Hollow beaters d, d,

page_text: provided with toothed, serrated, indented, or roughened surfaces both at their
faces, backs, and sides, are secured on the end of arms, which are mounted
on pivots d¹ at the upper end of the vertical standards e. A tappet wheel f,
provided with tappet arms, is mounted below the projecting ends of the beater
arms, and as the tappet wheel rotates it will lift up the beaters, and allow
them to fall upon the raw flax or other fibrous material that is placed in the
apparatus. Openings 9, 9, are made in the sides of the case a to allow the
dust from the fibres to pass off. This beating action creates a considerable
amount of friction, and, in addition to this, steam is injected from the per-
forated pipe 6. By the combined operation of the beaters with the steam and
heat, the woody parts of the plant are detached from the useful fibres, and
the latter are rendered soft and brought into a proper state for the subsequent
operations of beckling, combing, and spinning. As different fibres require
somewhat different treatment, I arrange and adapt the roughened, toothed,
serrated, or indented surfaces a*, a*, to the inside of the casing in such a
manner that they may be removed with facility, and changed for other plates
having roughened or indented surfaces of a different or modified character.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the treatment or
preparation of hemp, flax, and other analogous fibrous substances, and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set
forth of treating and preparing hemp, flax, and other analogous fibrous
substances, and also the general construction of the apparatus herein shewn
and described, when applied to the purposes of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bellamy Payne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
J. B. PAYNE. (L.S.)