IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OILING AND SOFTENING HEMP AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton of the Office for Patents
"
66 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OILING AND SOFTENING
HEMP AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS communicated to him from abroad
by John Good of Brooklyn in the State of New York, United States of
America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred. Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1883.
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR OILING AND SOFTENING HEMP AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."-[Communi.
cated to him from abroad by John Good of Brooklyn in the State of New York,
United States of America]
The object of this invention is to provide an effective machine for thoroughly
and uniformly oiling and softening fibrous materials of various kinds, such for
example as jute, sisal, manilla and the various kinds of hemp, preparatory to
heckling, spreading, drawing or any of the operations to which such fibrous
materials are subjected before spinning.
For this purpose in front of a pair of feed rolls covered with wood and canvas or
similar materials, is arranged a series of fluted metal rolls in pairs, between which
the hemp or other fibre delivered from the feed rolls passes. In front of these
fluted rolls is, or may be, mounted a pair of smooth metal rolls for taking the fibre
as it leaves the fluted rolls and delivering it out of the machine. The lower fluted
rolls are driven through intermediate wheels gearing into wheels on the axles
of the rolls, and in gear with one of these intermediate wheels is a wheel on the
main driving shaft through which rotary motion is communicated to the machine.
The lower delivery rolls receive motion through an intermediate wheel like the
grooved rolls.

page_text: The lower feed rolls also receive motion from the train of gear wheels above
mentioned and the top rolls are driven by contact with their respective lower rolls.
A table is provided to receive the fibre which is to be submitted to the operation'
of the machine, and below the feed rolls a trough or tank is placed to receive the
oil which is intended to be applied to the fibre as it passes between the feed rolls.
In this tank dips a roll which is intended to take up oil from the tank and deliver
it to the lower feed roll. It is carried by weighted levers that give it a tendency
to bear against the lower feed roll, or a distributing roll may be interposed between
this supply roll and the feed roll if thought desirable.
On rotary motion being imparted to the machine; and the fibres being placed in
the bite of the feed rolls, the fibres will take up oil from the lower feed roll and
passing forward will be subjected to the softening action of the fluted rolls which
will also distribute the oil evenly through the mass
As the fibres leave the grooved rolls they will enter the bite of the smooth rolls
which will deliver the fibres in an oiled and softened state out of the machine
ready for the heckling or drawing operation.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Patent Office on the 10th January
.1884.
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON of The Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex Mechanical Draughtsman "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR OILING AND SOFTENING HEMP AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS" a com-
munication to me from abroad by John Good of Brooklyn in the State of New
York United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide an effective Machine for thoroughly
and uniformly oiling and softening fibrous materials of various kinds such for
example as jute sisal, manilla and the various kinds of hemp preparatory to
heckling, spreading, drawing or any of the operations to which such fibrous
materials are subjected before spinning
The Invention consists in novel combinations of parts including a pair of feeding
rolls located at one end of the Machine, an Oil tank and a supply roll or supply
and distributing rolls for delivering oil upon said feeding rolls so that they will
oil the fibrous materials as they draw or move them forward, and a number of
pairs or a train of fluted softening rolls between which the fibres pass from the
feeding rolls and by which they are carried forward and have the oil worked
into them. There is also combined with the aforesaid features a pair of smooth
delivery rolls between which the fibrous materials pass after leaving the softening
rolls and by which the fibres are straightened and delivered smoothly and evenly.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 represents a longitudival vertical section
of a Machine embodying the Invention, Figure 2 represents a Plan thereof and
Figure 3 represents a side elevation of a portion of the Machine. Similar letters
of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures
A designates the frame of the Machine, and B. B₁ designate pairs of softening.
rolls of which any number of pairs may be employed.
The rolls B. B are fluted as best shown in Figure 1, and the rolls of each pair
intermesh. The lower rolls B are mounted in fixed bearings but the bearings a of
the upper rolls B' are capable of moving upwards and downwards in housings b
and are pressed down by means of springs c so as to cause the rolls of each pair to
grasp the fibrous materials firmly and draw them forward.
Upon the shaft of each of the lower rolls B, is fixed a gear wheel d, and the
several wheels d are connected by intermediate gear wheels e so that all are caused
to rotate synchronously. C designates a driving shaft which is operated by a belt
working on fast and loose pulleys C¹ C², and upon this shaft is a gear wheel e¹
which gears with one of the wheels e as shown in Figure 1, and so imparts motion
to all the lower rolls B.
D designates a rock shaft extending lengthwise of the Machine, and provided at'
each end with an arm or lever D' whereby it may be turned. Upon the shaft D
is an arm or lever D2 which is connected with a shipper bar D³ provided with a
shipper fork D, and by turning the said shaft in one direction or the other the
Machine may be started or stopped.
At one end of the train of softening rolls is a pair of feeding rolls E. E¹. The
lower roll E is mounted in fixed bearings and is rotated positively by means of a
gear wheel on the adjacent softening roll B which engages with an idler or
transmitting wheel f' and through it drives a wheel f' on the shaft of said lower
feeding roll.
The upper feeding roll Eis-mounted in bearings g which are adapted to move
vertically in housings g¹ and are pressed down by springs: g2 to hold the said roll
against the lower roll E. The feeding rolls. E. E may have their peripheries
composed of wood covered with duck, cloth canvas or other suitable material.
F designates a distributing roll mounted below the lower feeding roll E and
bearing against the same

page_text: The roll F is of metal, and as here represented has its surface fluted or grooved
so that it will carry oil to the surface of the lower feeding roll and it is positively
rotated by means of a gear wheel h on the shaft of the lower feeding roll engaging
with a wheel h¹ on the shaft of the roll F.
G designates an oil tank or box below the feeding rolls, and H. designates a
supply roll which may be of wood and is adapted to dip into the oil in the tank.
The roll H has its bearings in the ends of the levers I, which are pivotted at i and
have a weight J applied to their opposite ends which hold the roll H always in
contact with the distributing roll F.
In front of the feeding rolls E. E¹ is arranged a feed table on which the fibrous
materials are placed and from which they are fed between the feeding rolls.
Instead of employing the distributing roll F., the supply roll H may be SO
arranged that it will bear against and be rotated by the lower feeding roll E.
The fibrous materials are carried forward by the feeding rolls and have oil
supplied to them at the same time; and by the action of the train of softening
rolls the oil is thoroughly worked into them, and they are softened.
At the end of the train of. softening rolls I may employ a pair of delivery rolls
K. K¹ of metal having smooth surfaces. The lower delivery roll K has upon its
shaft a wheel d similar to those on the lower softening rolls E, and said Wheel is.
connected with the train of softening rolls by an intermediate wheel e and is
thereby rotated positively. The upper delivery roll K' rotates by contact with
the materials passing between it and its companion roll, and its bearings are
pressed down by springs like those applied to the upper softening rolls B¹. The
delivery rolls smooth and straighten the fibres and deliver them evenly from the
Machine.
Having now set forth the nature of the said. Invention of "Improvements in
Machinery for Oiling and Softening Hemp and other fibrous materials," as commu-
nicated to me from abroad by my foreign Correspondent and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent; I claim :-
1st In a Machine for oiling and softening hemp and other fibrous materials the
combination with a train of fluted softening rolls of a pair of feeding rolls, an oil
tank, a supply roll adapted to dip in the oil in the Tank and to maintain a supply
of oil on said feeding rolls, and mechanism for rotating said rolls all arranged and,
adapted to operate substantially as herein described.
2nd In a Machine for oiling and softening hemp and other fibrous materials the
combination with a train of fluted softening rolls of a pair of feeding rolls, an oil
tank, an oil distributing roll in contact with the lower feeding roll, a supply roll
adapted to dip in the oil in the tank and bearing against said distributing roll,
and mechanism for rotating said rolls, all arranged and adapted to operate
substantially as herein described.
3rd In a Machine for oiling and softening hemp and other fibrous materials the
combination with a train of fluted softening rolls of a pair of feeding rolls at one.
end of said train, a pair of delivery rolls at the opposite end of said train, means
for supplying oil to said feeding rolls, and mechanism for rotating said rolls, all
arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Vincent Newton have hereunto set my
hand and seal the tenth day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.