IMPROVEMENTS IN SPLITTING, SEPARATING, CLEANING, AND DRESSING FIBROUS MATERIALS, MOREECIALLY RHEA OR CHINA GRASS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THESE PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Mather, Millwright and Engineer,
Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SPLITTING, SEPARATING, CLEANING, AND DRESSING FIBROUS MATERIALS, MORE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Mather at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th May 1872.
66
I, EDWARD MATHER, Millwright and Engineer, Fountainbridge,
Edinburgh, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN SPLITTING, SEPARATING, CLEANING, AND DRESSING FIBROUS
MATERIALS, MORE ESPECIALLY RHEA OR CHINA GRASS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR
THESE PURPOSES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My Invention consists, first, in the method of splitting up and laying
open the stalks or plants of the fibrous materials or grasses before sub-
mitting them to the action of the separating, cleaning, and dressing

page_text: 143
after separated from the woody or pithy substances of the plant, and
cleaned and dressed.
The machine for these purposes consists of a framing of any suitable
material, upon which the requisite number of cutting instruments,
rollers, plain and fluted scutchers, and scrapers are arranged.
The fibre to be operated upon is fed by means of one or more rollers
(one of these at least provided with grooves or guides) to the cutting
instruments, which are so arranged and shaped as to enter the stalk and
split it, so that with the assistance of a properly shaped roller the stalk
is delivered to the next pair of rollers in an opened up and flat state, and
in one band or breadth corresponding with the circumference of the
stalk. By this means both the outside and inside of the stalks or fibres
are exposed at the same time to the operations of the machinery after-
mentioned. The next pair of rollers to whose action the fibre is so
delivered press and flatten the bands. These rollers may be fluted or
plain, but I prefer one fluted, so as to break up the pithy and woody
substances in such a way as to facilitate its removal by the scutcher
after-mentioned. The fibre is then led over another roller, upon which
works a scutcher, driven at a higher speed than such last-mentioned
roller, so as to break and drive off the pithy and woody parts of the
plant. The fibre is then led through one or more pairs of scrapers
made in any of the ordinary forms, and these scrapers are driven at a
higher speed than the fibre which is being passed through them is
allowed to run. The scrapers clean both the outside and inside of the
bands of fibre from the bark, gum, and other impurities. The bands of
fibre may then (if deemed desirable) be passed through one or more sets
of revolving brushes to complete the cleaning and dressing. I prefer to
use also a travelling band, which delivers the fibre free of the end of the
machine. The machine is furnished with a tank for liquid which is
distributed over the substance operated on either in a spray or stream, as

page_text: If it should be desired to clean in a complete manner the ends of the
stalks which are left uncleaned by the above process, I attach another
travelling band with additional rollers, scrapers, and brushes, towards
which the bands of fibre are led in the reverse direction to that in which
they were led in undergoing the process before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Fatent,
filed by the said Edward Mather in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
MATHER, Millwright and Engineer, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Edward Mather, Her special licence that
I, the said Edward Mather, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Edward Mather, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 SPLITTING,
SEPARATING, CLEANING, AND DRESSING FIBROUS MATERIALS, MORE ESPECIALLY RHEA
OR CHINA GRASS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THESE PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Mather, 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 Edward Mather, do hereby declare

page_text: My Invention consists, first, in the method of sputting
ס
open the stalks or plants of the fibrous materials or grasses before sub-
mitting them to the action of the separating, cleaning, and dressing
apparatus; and then in the peculiar way in which the fibres are there-
after separated from the woody or pithy substances of the plant, and
cleaned and dressed.
The machine for these purposes consists of a framing of any suitable
material, upon which the requisite number of cutting instruments,
rollers, plain and fluted scutchers, and scrapers are arranged.
The fibre to be operated upon is fed by means of one or more rollers
(one of these at least provided with grooves or guides) to the cutting
instruments, which are so arranged and shaped as to enter the stalk and
split it, so that with the assistance of a properly shaped roller the stalk
is delivered to the next pair of rollers in an opened up and flat state,
and in one band or breadth corresponding with the circumference of the
stalk. By this means both the outside and inside of the stalks or fibres
are exposed at the same time to the operations of the machinery after-
mentioned. The next pair of rollers to whose action the fibre is so
delivered press and flatten the bands. These rollers may be fluted or
plain, but I prefer one fluted, so as to break up the pithy and woody
substances in such a way as to facilitate its removal by the scutcher
after-mentioned. The fibre is then led over another roller, upon
which works a scutcher, driven at a higher speed than such last-
mentioned roller, so as to break and drive off the pithy and woody parts
of the plant. The fibre is then led through one or more pairs of scrapers
made in any of the ordinary forms, and these scrapers are driven at a
higher speed than the fibre which is being passed through them is
allowed to run.
To explain more distinctly my Invention, and that the description
thereof may be more easily understood, I append Drawings, to which I
refer.
Figure I is a plan of the machine, and Figure 2 is a side elevation in
section; and the respective letters represent the same parts of the
machine in both Drawings.

page_text: The grasses or stalks to be operated upon are after being laid on the
feed table carried to the machine, which is constructed of metal
framing C, by means of the feed rollers A, B. The press roller A is
made elastic, and works in conjunction with the roller B, which is
grooved to guide the stalks to the next rollers D and E, where they are
split by the roller D working into the roller E. The roller D is made so
as to split open the stalks, which are kept pressed against the sharp
edges by the roller E, which is grooved. Those two rollers are followed
by other two, F and G, made respectively in a concave and convex form,
to further flatten out the stalks after they leave the rollers D, E, in a
split and partially opened state. The stalks are then carried forward to
the rollers H and I, when they are completely flattened out, and the
pith or woody matter partially broken up. For this purpose the roller H
is fluted, and if desirable the roller I may also be fluted or grooved.
The stalks are then carried forward under the scutcher J, revolving at a
high velocity close upon the plain metal roller K, which is driven at a
slower speed and carries the stalks. The scutcher J is fitted with steel
blades L, screwed to cast-iron centres, or in any other convenient
manner, and by these the woody matter is separated from the fibre and
driven away into the box M. The fibre is then led down between the
roller K and the press roller N, which is covered with rubber, to the
scraping rollers O, of which there may be one or more pairs as may be
required. These rollers or scrapers O are made in any of the ordinary
forms, having blades P so as to intersect each other, and are driven
at a higher speed than the fibre which is being passed through them is
allowed to run. The bands of fibre are thus cleansed on both sides at
once from the bark, gum, and other impurities. The fibre may then, if
deemed desirable, be passed through one or more sets of revolving
brushes Q to complete the cleaning and dressing. I also prefer to use
a travelling band R, which delivers the fibre free of the end of the
machine. The machine is furnished with a tank (not shown on
Drawing) for liquid which is distributed over the substance operated
upon either in a spray or stream, as may be preferred.
If desired to clean the ends of the fibres which are left uncleaned by
the above process, I attach another travelling band S, carried on cast-
iron supports T, with additional rollers U, U, and scrapers V, V, similar
to the rollers K, N, and the scrapers O, O, herein-before described. The
fibre is transferred from the travelling band R to the band S, and led

page_text: grasses, or fibres are cleaned and dressed, as herein-before described, or
any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Mather, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
EP. MATHER. (L.S.)