IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING FLAX, HEMP, RHEA, CHINA GRASS, NEW ZEALAND FLAX, PLAIN- TAIN AND OTHER VEGETABLE FIBRES, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Woodcock, of Forest Hill, in the County
of Surrey, Architect and Surveyor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TREATING FLAX, HEMP, RHEA, CHINA GRASS, NEW ZEALAND FLAX, PLAIN-
TAIN AND OTHER VEGETABLE FIBRES, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN." A communication from abroad by George Rutter, of
D
1
the nine of hinance Finciner
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ebenezer Woodcock at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th April 1861.
I, EBENEZER WOODCOCK, of Forest Hill, in the County of Surrey, Architect
and Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN TREATING FLAX. HEMP, RHEA, CHINA GRASS, NEW ZEALAND FLAX,
PLAINTAIN. AND OTHER VEGETABLE FIBRES, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN," Communicated to me from abroad by George Rutter, of Boulogne-
sur-Mer, in the Empire of France, Engineer, to be as follows:-
The fibre in the raw state is first subjected to the action of a machine in
which a combined breaking,rubbing.scraping, and brushing action is obtained.
In this machine the fibre is fed through pairs of rollers, plain or fluted, which
conduct it to a cylinder, the surface of which is formed of a series of un-
Price Sd1

page_text: dulations or blunt points of different elevations, with which other smaller rollers
with similar surfaces of differing elevations also act to impart a lateral and
rubbing action upon the fibre during their rotation. As the fibre passes from
this cylinder and its rollers to between pairs of drawing-off rollers it is sub-
jected to the action of revolving beaters and brushes with knives. The fibre
is then placed in strong iron-bound wicker baskets or other openwork receivers,
and series of them immersed in a tank charged with medicated vapour, which
I prefer to be of about 60 pounds pressure to the square inch, and obtained
from the application of heat, to a combination of ammonia and turpentine or
similar chemicals, which, when combined, have the effect of making a soapy
substance; such vapours may be used again by reheating. The fibre is then
again passed through apparatus of the character above referred to with a
wash liquid for the purpose of washing the same, and then dried and cut
into lengths suitable for combing or hackling.
The combing or hackling machine which I employ is of the character of
that used in dressing silk, except that it is arranged to receive three frames in
place of only one frame of fibre acted upon by a travelling belt of combing or
hackling teeth. The comb or hackle teeth are carried by a belt which passes
over three rollers so as to form asort of triangle, with teeth in position between
each two of the rollers, and the stricks of fibre are held in three frames
capable of being acted upon by the respective teeth, and in such manner that
by lever apparatus the frames may be gradually brought closer and closer
to the teeth till the projecting lengths of stricks are fully operated upon;
the stricks are then turned end for end. By thus arranging the operating
parts in three divisions, facility is given for the changing of one whilst the
other.two are in operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ebenezer Woodcock in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EBENEZER
WOODCOCK, of Forest Hill, in the County of Surrey, Architect and Surveyor,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto ine, the

page_text: said Ebenezer Woodcock, Her special license that I,the said Ebenezer Wood-
cock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Ebenezer Woodcock, 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 "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN TREATING FLAX, HEMP, RHEA, CHINA GRASS, NEW ZEALAND FLAX,
PLAINTAIN AND OTHER VEGETABLE FIBRES, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," communicated to me from abroad by George Rutter, of
Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the Empire of France, Engineer, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Ebenezer Woodcock, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 Ebenezer Woodcock, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The fibre in the raw state is first subjected to the action of a machine in
which a combined breaking, rubbing, scraping, and brushing action is
obtained.
Figure 1 shews the section of a machine which has been found to answer
in carrying out this part of the process. The fibre is fed through or between
pairs of rollers a, a, which though shewn plain may be fluted. These rollers
a, a,conduct the fibre to a cylinder b,the surface of which is formed of a series
of undulations or blunt points 6' of different elevations; acting with this
cylinder b, there are also other smaller rollers or cylinders c, c, c, with similar
surfaces of differing elevations. The axes of these smaller cylinders c, c, c, are
supported in bearings from the main framing, and they have upon them cam
courses c more clearly shewn by the separate view of parts in relation to one
of them at Figure 2, which, by receiving a projection d from the bearings of
their axles, have imparted to them in their rotation also an endway motion by
which to effect a lateral and rubbing action upon the fibre during their rotation
with the cylinder b. The fibre, in passing from the cylinder band its rollers
c, c, c, to between pairs of drawing-off rollers e, e¹, e², is subjected to the
action of a series of revolving beaters f, f, carried by arms f³ from the axis f³.

page_text: The edges of these beaters fact upon the fibre as it comes from between the
rollers c, c, to break the woody portions of it; the fibre thence is guided in its
passage to the drawing rollers e¹, e¹, by means of the guide g, and between
the rollers e¹ and e² the fibre passes over a table h hinged at one end, whilst
at the other end it is supported on springs h² to give a certain amount of
elasticity to it, and prevent the action of the series of brushes i and knives
or scrapers j, from acting injuriously upon the fibre. The brushes i and
knives or scrapers are carried by an axis .
The surface speed of the rollers a, c, e, e', and e³ will correspond with that
of the cylinder b; that of the apparatus and i, j, will be considerably
increased. The fibre is then placed in strong iron-bound wicker baskets or
other openwork receivers, and series of them immersed in a tank or tanks
charged with medicated vapour, which I prefer to be of about 60 pounds
pressure to the square inch, and obtained from the application of heat to a
combination of ammonia and turpentine or similar chemicals, which when
combined, have the effect, in operating upon the fibre, of making a soapy sub-
stance. Such vapours may be used again by reheating. The fibre is then
again passed through apparatus of the character above referred to in respect
of Figures and 2 with a wash liquid for the purpose of washing the same, and
it is then dried and cut into lengths (usually about eight inches) suitable for
combing or hackling.
The combing or hackling machine which I employ is of the character of
that used in dressing silk,except that it is arranged to receive three frames in
place of only one frame of fibre acted upon by a travelling belt of combing or
hackling teeth.
'
Figure 3 shews a side view of the operating parts of apparatus arranged to
carry out this portion of the process. k, k, are the combs or hackle teeth,
which are carried by a belt / passing over and guided by three rollers 1, 1, 1,
so as to form a sort of triangle with teeth, k, in position between each two
of the rollers 1, 1; and the stricks of fire are held in holders such as are well
understood when holding silk or flax fibre, such holders being carried by the
three frames m, m, m, all of which stricks are capable of being acted upon by
the respective teeth k, k, and in such manner, that by lever apparatus n, n,
connected and operated together by cords n', n', as shewn, the frames m,m,m,
may be gradually brought closer and closer to the teeth till the projecting
lengths of stricks are fully operated upon. The stricks are then turned end
for end, and the operations repeated on them. By thus arranging the opera-
ting parts in three divisions facility is given for the changing of one whilst
the other two are in operation.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the means for
carrying the same into effect, as communicated to me, I would have it under-
stood, that what I claim is the adaptation or combination of means employed
for,and the method of treating flax, hemp, rhea, China grass, New Zealand
flax, plaintain and other vegetable fibres, substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ebenezer Woodcock, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
E. WOODCOCK. (L.S.)