À MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING RAMIE AND OTHER FIBRE.FRUM THN DIAN STATES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Carson Coleman, Machinist; of. San
Francisco, California, United States of America, for the Invention'
of À MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING RAMIE AND OTHER FIBRE.FRUM
THN DIAN
STATES"
T
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Carson Coleman at
1.
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Déclaration, on the 1st September 1875, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, .I, CHARLES
CARSON COLEMAN, Machinist, of San Francisco, California, United States.
of America, send greeting.
2'
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "A MACHINE
AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING RAMIE AND OTHER FIBRE FROM THE PLANT STALKS,"
and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, admi
nistrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for. the same, and

page_text: of rollers as shown, and these receive the material from cach set of
rollers and deliver it to the next.
belts D, so as
From the final pressing rollers B the material is received in a sheet
between two belts D, which are caused to run over pulleys, so that they
move close together into a tank or receiver E, where the mass of
material is exposed to the action of boiling water or steam. This may
be effected in various ways, but at present I prefer to pass the belts up
and down over two or more sets of rollers or pulleys so as to expose the
mass thoroughly to the action of the hot water or steam. As the mass
rises for the last time from the tank it is delivered by the
to pass between a pair of smooth squeezing rollers F. The gummy
matter which is incorporated in the fibre baving been softened and
partially dissolved by the action of the hot water or steam will bo
partially pressed out by the rollers F, after which another pair of
belts D' receive the mass and again carry it through another tank E' in
a manner similar to that which takes place in the first tank. Another
set of pressing rollers F' again compress the mass, and this operation is
repeated by placing as many tanks and rollers continuously as may be
needed.
I have found it beneficial to introduce alkaline or other solutions into
one or more of the intermediate tanks, as this assists in freeing the fibre
of its gummy and coloring matter. If these baths are employed a final
steam or hot water bath and pressing rollers will finish this part of the
process, after which a pair of belts G receive the mass and carry it
through a hot air receiver, where it will be dried.
A final pair of hot rollers or cylinders H may be employed to finish
the drying of the fibre, which will be delivered at the end of the process
entirely free from its gummy and other foreign matter, and nearly
free from all the woody husk, or stalk, so as to be a merchantable
article.
My belts are made preferably of short links, being united by wooden
or other slats, which extend from side to side, thus making up the width
of the belt, which will be sufficiently open to allow free access of steam,
hot water, and air to the mass.
In some cases it may be sufficient to employ horizontal belts carrying
the fibre from one set of rollers to another, and the hot water, steam, or

page_text: other solution can be applied by passing perforated pipes across, above,
and below the belts, but I have found the use of tanks to be more
efficient for this purpose.
Suitable gear or belt wheels will serve to transmit the power to drive
the machine, these being merely mechanical details, which any machinist &
can supply.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. The continuous process of freeing textile fibre from its gummy
matter and stalk, the same consisting in first disintegrating the stalk by 1
means of crushing rollers, and then subjecting the mass alternately to
hot water or steam, and the action of pressing rollers together with a
final drying device, substantially as herein described.
Second. The apparatus consisting of the fluted and plain rollers A, B,
in combination with the tanks E, pressing rollers F, and final drying
vessel and cylinders H when constructed to operate substantially as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Carson Coleman, have
hercunto set my hand and scal, this Fifth day of August,
in the year of our Lord A.D. One thousand eight hundred and 2
seventy-five.
Witnesses,
GEO. H. STRONG.
C. M. RICHARDSON.
CHARLES CARSON COLEMAN. (L.S.)