CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING, BLOWING, AND CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Lord, of Todmorden, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR OPENING, BLOWING, AND CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 11th October 1860, and dated the 14th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Lord at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th May 1860.
I, EDWARD LORD, of Todmorden, in the County of York, Machine Maker,
do bereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING, BLOWING, AND CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
These improvements are applicable to the machines called openers, blowers,.
and scutchers, but they may be applied to any other machines of the like
nature, and partly to carding engines. My present Invention is an improve-
ment upon the machinery for which Letters Patent were granted to me on
the 3rd day of November, 1852, No. 624, and it consists, first, in an improved
mode of shaping and constructing the grate bars or grid, between which the
dust and other impurities loosened or separated from the fibrous materials by
the beater escape in passing from the beater to the wire cage.
The grate bars are made with a sharp angle above, so as to offer practically
no surface to prevent the dirt from passing between them, and they are placed

page_text: by preference in a diagonal position. The space between the grate bars is
contracted above so as to form a passage for the dirt to pass, and this passage
is wider at the lower part to form with the door placed under the grid cells
or compartments in which the dust accumulates. When the doors are opened
the dirt falls freely from between the grate bars on to the floor; this form of
grate bars is also applicable to the grids under the lickers-in and main
cylinders of carding engines.
Another part of my Invention consists in stopping the draft of the fans or
other exhausters used in the machines above referred to by the application of
dampers or valves, so that the doors under the grids may be let down to allow
the dirt to drop from between the grate bars without having to stop tho
machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Lord in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
LORD, of Todmorden, in the County of York, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Lord, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Lord,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edward Lord, 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,
oxercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING, BLOWING, AND CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Lord, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Lord, do hereby declare tho
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
These improvements are applicable to the machines called openers,
scutchers, and blowers, but they may be applied to any other machines of
the like nature. My present Invention is partly an improvement upon tho
machinery for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the Third day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, Number 624, and it
consists, first, in an improved mode of shaping and constructing the grate bars
or grid between which the dust and other impurities loosened or separated
from the fibrous materials by the beater escape in passing from the beater to
the wire cage.
The second part of my Invention consists in stopping the draft of the fans
or other exhausters used in the machines above referred to by the application
of dampers or valves, so that the doors under the grids may be let down to
allow the dirt to drop from between the grate bars without having to stop the
machine.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Draw-
ings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of an ordinary double beater
blower to which my improvements are applied; Fig. 2 is a detached view,
drawn full size, of my improved grate bars or grid. In Fig. 1, a is tho
feeding apron; b, b, the feed roller; c, the first beater; d and e, the wire
gauze cylinders or cages; and the fan. These and all the other parts of
the machine which are not shown, or not particularly referred to hereafter, aro
made in the usual manner; the grate bars or grid g reach from the beater c to
the wire cago e; this grid is placed at right angles to the axis of the beater,
as described in the Specification of the Letters Patent granted to me on the
Third day of November, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, Number
624, and cach grate bar is made with a sharp edge above, as shewn in
Fig. 2. These bars are placed by preference in a diagonal position. Below
the grid is a door h, as in blowers of the ordinary construction; this door
and the space i between the lower part of the grate bars form cells or com-
partments in which the dirt which drops through the narrow space between
the grate bars accumulates until the door h is opened to allow the dirt to drop
into the space below the said door.
The grate bars or grid thus shaped and constructed offer practically no

page_text: surface on which the dust and dirt loosened from the cotton or other fibrous
materials can rest; consequently it all drops between the grate bars, and escapes
when the door h is opened. The grate bars may be made of parallel thin
strips of metal placed obliquely, but I prefer the form shewn.
The second part of my Invention is represented as applied to the passage
from the left hand wire cages to the fan f. k is a damper or valve hinged at
k; this damper or valve is at all times down except when it. is requisite to
allow the dirt to drop from between the grate bars 7 without stopping the
machine, but when the damper or valve k is up, as shewn by dotted lines, the
passage between the wire cages and the fan is closed, and the draft ceases;
consequently when the doors h are lowered, the dirt drops into the space
below the doors, and is not drawn back into the cotton or other fibrous
materials.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the precise shape of the grate bars 9, so long as the upper edge is made
sharp, and a space is left between them for the accumulation of dirt and dust,
nor do I limit myself to the position of the damper or valve ; but what I do
claim is,―
First, the improved grate bars or grid 9, as shewn and as described when
applied between the beaters and wire cages of openers and blowers, or other
machine of the like nature.
And, secondly, the application of dampers or valves, whereby the draft of
the fans or other exhausters of blowers and other machines of the like naturo
may be stopped so as to let out the dirt without stopping the machine, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Lord, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
EDWARD LORD. (L.S.)