IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR GINNING COTTON." IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR NING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wanklyn, of the Albion Mills, Bury, in the
County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR GINNING COTTON."
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR GINNING COTTON."
Sealed the 20th May 1864, and dated the 8th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wanklyn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
December 1868.
I, WILLIAM WANKLYN, of the Albion Mills, Bury, in the County of Lan-
caster, Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR GINNING COTTON," to be
as follows:-
My Invention is chiefly applicable to the machines for ginning cotton known
as the Macarthy gins, but it may be applied to other machines for ginning
cotton in which a grooved roller is employed. It has heretofore been custo-
mary to make these rollers of wood or iron covered with leather, in which
spiral grooves of three-fourths of an inch or more asunder are cut. Now, my
Invention consists in making the rollers of cast iron, or other suitable metal,
in which fine spiral grooves are cast or cut; by this means a greater quantity
of cotton may be cleaned in a given time, and the roller is made more
durable.
Another part of my Invention consists in covering the rollers with leather
as heretofore, and in cutting the grooves half an inch or even less apart, also

page_text: in lining the inner face of the doctor or thin blade of steel bearing upon the
surface of the grooved metal roller, with leather or other yielding material.
The last part of my Invention consists in placing a grid or feeding table at
an angle below the centre of the roller, and with the end near the roller below
the vibrating knife, so that the cotton seeds, when free from fibre, slide down
the grid or feeding table instead of accumulating under the roller.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Wanklyn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WANKLYN, of the Albion Mills, Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Wanklyn, Her special license that I, the said William Wanklyn,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Wanklyn, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR GINNING COTTON," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Wanklyn, 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 William Wanklyn, do hereby declare
the 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):-
My Invention is chiefly applicable to the machines for ginning cotton

page_text: known as the Macarthy's gins, but it may be applied to other machines for
ginning cotton in which a grooved roller combined with a vibrating knife and
a doctor are employed. It has heretofore been customary to make these
rollers of wood or iron covered with leather, in which spiral grooves of three-
5-fourths of an inch or more asunder are cut. Now, my Invention consists in
making the rollers of cast iron or other suitable metal, in which fine spiral
grooves are cast or cut, the edges and sides of the spiral grooves being more
or less serrated or corrugated, or wrinkled; by this means a greater quantity
of cotton may be cleaned in a given time, and the roller is made more
) durable.
Another part of my Invention consists in covering the rollers with leather
as heretofore, and in making the grooves half an inch or less apart.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
Figure 1 is a section of the principal parts of a cotton gin constructed
according to my improvements; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; and
Figures 3 and 4 are detached views of part of my improved rollers drawn
full size.
a is the roller, which, instead of being made of wood or iron covered with
leather, is made of cast iron or other suitable metal; the circumference of the
roller is made with spiral grooves of such a form that the seeds cannot enter
therein, but that the fibres of the cotton will be drawn in between the roller
and the doctor b. By making the spiral grooves in the iron or other metal
of which the roller a is composed, instead of in the leather covering of the
roller as heretofore customary, the grooves can be made much finer or closer
together than usual, thus obtaining a greater number of points of contact
between the roller and the doctor, and the edges and sides of the grooves
being serrated or corrugated, or wrinkled, assist in drawing the cotton from
off the seeds, thus increasing to a great extent the production and the durability
of the machines. The guard c to which the doctor 6 is secured, the rail d for
regulating the pressure of the doctor against the roller a, and the vibrating
knife e, are made as usual, but the roller a and the crank shaft h are connected
and worked by toothed pinion and wheel instead of the usual pulley and strap.
The grid f is made by securing wires to a stock or back rail, which has slots
at each end to enable the distance between the grid and the roller to be
adjusted with facility, the feeding table g is detached from the grid f.
The form of grooves shewn in Figure 3, the distance between them, and the
angle of the grooves, as shewn in Figure 2, have been found in practice to

page_text: give good results, I do not however limit myself to the same, and the edges
and sides of the spiral grooves are serrated, corrugated, or wrinkled, for taking
better hold of the fibres of cotton.
In Figure 4 I have shown part of a roller covered with leather, as now
customary, but with spiral grooves of about three-eighths of an inch apart.
The edges of the grooves when cut, are hardened by means of a heated iron.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention is,―
First, making the grooved rollers of the cotton gins herein-before referred
to of cast iron or other metal, as described.
And, secondly, making the grooves in the leather covering of rollers for
cotton gins of half an inch or less apart, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wanklyn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
WILLIAM WANKLYN. (L.S.)