IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA- RATUS FOR TREATING HEMP, FLAX, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES REQUIRING, A SIMILAR TREATMENT
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Robb, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR TREATING HEMP, FLAX, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
REQUIRING, A SIMILAR TREATMENT."
Sealed the 28th May 1861, and dated the 16th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Robb at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
March 1861..
I, JAMES ROBB, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, Manager, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR TREATING HEMP, FLAX, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
REQUIRING A SIMILAR TREATMENT," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
machinery or apparatus for effecting the softening of the fibres of hemp, flax,
jute, and. other fibrous substances requiring a similar treatment prior to their
being hackled or teazed, whereby the spinning of such substances is greatly
facilitated.
According to this Invention it is proposed to employ a circular trough in
which the substance to be treated is laid, and over which roll or travel in a

page_text: continuous manner one or more heavy rollers, the surface of the rollers and
the bottom of the trough being either plain or ribbed or fluted, as desired.
The ends of the axis near to the rollers are connected by chains to overhead
driving gear, which has the effect of drawing the rollers round the trough and
over the material to be softened. The inner ends of the axes are contained in
a loose boss on a central vertical pillar which carries the overhead gear. The
rollers may be either conical or curved on their peripheries, but when conical
they should be bevelled to a more acute angle than their true apex would
afford, whereby a slight rubbing or slipping action is obtained, which is found
to be very beneficial to the fibres.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Robb in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ROBB, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, 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 me,
the said James Robb, Her special license that I, the said James Robb,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
my executors, administrators, or 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 MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR TREATING HEMP, FLAX, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
REQUIRING A SIMILAR TREATMENT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Robb, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them,
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 James Robb, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to tlie
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
machinery or apparatus for effecting the softening of the fibres of hemp, flax,
jute, and other fibrous substances requiring a similar treatment prior to their
being hackled or teazed, whereby the spinning of such substances is greatly
facilitated.
According to this Invention it is proposed to employ a circular trough in
which the substance to be treated is laid, and over which roll or travel in a
continuous manner one or more heavy rollers, the surface of the rollers and
the bottom of the trough being either plain or ribbed or fluted, as desired. The
ends of the axes near to the rollers are connected by chains to overhead
driving gear,
which has the effect of drawing the rollers. round the trough and
over the material to be softened. The inner ends of the axes are contained. in
a loose boss on a central vertical pillar which carries the overhead gear. The
rollers may be either conical or curved on their peripheries, but when conical
they should be bevelled to a more acute angle than their true apex would
afford, whereby a slight rubbing or slipping action is obtained, which is found
to be very beneficial to the fibres.
And in order that my said Invention of improvements in machinery or
apparatus for treating hemp, flax, jute, and other fibrous substances requiring
a similar treatment may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to
describe the several illustrative Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings
which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing certain modifi.
cations under which my improvements may be judiciously carried out in
practice; that is to say, Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is an
elevation of a machine suitable for softening fibrous materials; Figure 2 is a
partially sectional elevation taken at right angles to Figure 1; and Figure 3
is a plan of the apparatus corresponding to Figures 1 and 2. A. circular
foundation A of timber or other suitable material is arranged on the ground,
on this foundation is fitted a cast iron or other trough B, of a corresponding
figure, the segmental portions of which are bolted together, and are firmly
fastened down to the substructure. The bottom of the trough inclines down-
wards towards the outer part, as shown in the sectional view Figure 2, and the
surface of this portion of the trough is corrugated or formed into a series of
radial undulations, as delineated in Figure 3. To the overhead beams or
framing C is attached the pendent. bracket D, which carries the bearings of
the horizontal shaft E; this shaft derives its motion from a neighbouring steam

page_text: engine or other convenient prime mover. The end of the shaft E extends out
beyond the bracket D, and to this free extremity is keyed the pinion F, which
gives motion to the large bevel wheel G. To the transverse beams of the
foundation frame A is bolted the cruciform foot of the central column H, the
upper end of which is fast to the overhead beams C. To this pillar collars I
are fastened by means of screw bolts; between these collars the bevel wheel G.
runs loosely. To the rim of the wheel are attached the brackets J, these
project outwards in a lateral direction, and carry the studs K, to which the
chains L are attached by means of shackle links. The chains are carried
down and connected to the straps M of the brasses which encircle the shafts N.
There are three of these shafts extending in a radial direction from the central
column H, and they are connected thereto by means of the ball-and-socket
joints O, which form part of a tubular jacket piece that revolves loosely
on the central pillar; this arrangement admits of the easy movement of the
shafts either in the vertical, horizontal, or rotatory directions. The jacket
piece is sustained in its place on the central pillar by a collar O', which is
fixed in the desired position by screws. To the outer extremity of each
of the shafts N is attached a heavy roller P, the periphery of which is conical;
and corrugated or fluted to correspond to the configuration of the trough B.
It is preferred to have the rollers P beveled to a more acute angle than
their true apices would afford if converging to the centre of the column H,
they are thus made larger at the inner diameter, in order to obtain a slight
rubbing or slipping action, which is found to be very advantageous in operating
upon fibrous materials.
A quantity of the hemp, flax, jute, or other fibrous
substance to be treated, either in the unmanufactured state or in the form
of yarn, is placed in the trough B, the shaft E is put in motion, the pinion
of which drives the wheel G, the rotatory motion of this wheel draws round
the rollers P by means of the chains L, the back chains serving to prevent
the rollers from overrunning themselves. The corrugated surfaces of the
rollers P press and rub the fibres of the textile materials against the fluted
surface of the trough B, and thus soften the materials in a very rapid and
effective manner. The trough B and rollers P may, if preferred, be made
smooth or plain on the rubbing surfaces, such an arrangement being useful
where a less severe or rapid action of the rubbing surfaces is sufficient to
accomplish the end in view. When the fibrous material has been sufficiently
rolled a fresh supply is introduced, and the process is in this way carried
on continuously. It is obvious that the arrangement of the rollers P with
their ball-and-socket connections admit of the rollers rising easily over the
materials placed in the trough, so that whilst an effective softening action

page_text: is obtained, any cutting of the fibre or yarn or other injury thereto is at the
same time avoided.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and combination of parts forming the
machinery or apparatus for softening or treating hemp, flak, jute, or other similar
fibrous substances as herein-before described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings..
Second, the system or mode of treating fibrous materials either in the
natural or manufactured state for the purpose of softening them by means
of machinery or apparatus combined and arranged as herein-before described
and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification or
equivalent therefor.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Robb, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.