IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRE- PARING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS TO BE SPUN."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Whittaker, Spinner and Manufacturer, and
Jeremiah Clare, Carder, both of Hurst, in the County of Lancaster, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRE-
PARING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS TO BE SPUN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Whittaker and
Jeremiah Clare at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 16th January 1861.
We, EDWIN WHITTAKER, Spinner and Manufacturer, and JEREMIAH CLARE,
Carder, both of Hurst, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR PREPARING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS TO BE SPUN," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to the machine generally known as the opener,
which is used to open or beat the fibrous material so as to clear it from
dirt or extraneous matter, and consists of placing a division between each
beater to prevent the dirt or refuse from rising and being taken up again
with tho material after being opened and cleaned. We also use a fan in
connection with the said divisions to draw down the refuse and assist in

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin Whittaker and Jeremiah Clare in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 16th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWIN
WHITTAKER, Spinner and Manufacturer, and JEREMIAH CLARE, Carder, both
of Hurst, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, 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
us, the said Edwin Whittaker and Jeremiah Clare, Her special license that
we, the said Edwin Whittaker and Jeremiah Clare, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edwin Whittaker and
Jeremiah Clare, our 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
TO BE SPUN," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said Edwin
Whittaker and Jeremiah Clare, or one of us, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, (or under the hand and seal of one of us,) 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 we, the said Edwin Whittaker and Jeremiah
Clare, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that
is to say):

page_text: .
Our Invention relates, firstly, to the machine generally known as the
" opener," which is used to open the fibrous material so as to clear it from
dirt or extraneous matter, and consists of placing several divisions or plates
under the toothed drums or cylinders of the opener, in order to prevent the
dirt or refuse matter from rising and being taken up again with the opened
material as it passes forwards. In another arrangement we use a conductor
and fan, either in connection with the aforesaid divisions or without them,
for the purpose of drawing down the refuse and removing it from the machine
to any determined place.
Secondly, to the 'blowing or batting machine,' and consists of placing one
or more plates or divisions under each beater between its shaft and the feed
rollers, with outlets of knives or sieves or both, to allow the dirt or refuse
to escape, or we place a conductor and pipe under each beater, communicating
with one or more fans for drawing down the dirt or refuse and carrying it
away.
Theso improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a
longitudinal section of an ordinary "combined opener and blowing machine
with the addition of our improved arrangement of plates or divisions under
the drums or cylinders of the "opener," and a single plate or division under each
of the beaters of the blowing machine; and Figure 2 is another longitudinal
section of an ordinary "combined opener and blowing machine," with the
addition of our improved arrangement of pipes and fan communicating with
the knives and sieves under the drums of the opener, and also conductor and
pipes in communication with the knives and sieves under the beaters and one
of the ordinary fans under the revolving sieves.
In both Figures, a represents the toothed drums or cylinders of the opener;
b, the knives and sieves below them; c, the beaters of the blowing machine;
d, the knives below them; e, sieves substituted for the usual dead plates;
and f, the ordinary fans under the revolving sieves. In Fig. 1 the plates
or divisions which are applied to the opener are shewn at g, h; they extend
transversely across the machine, and have their upper edges in connection
with the knives and sieves b; some of the divisions are placed between the
drums and others below their centres, but they may be placed in any position
in which they effectually prevent the rising of the dirt and refuse, and thereby
arrest its mixing again with the-opened or partially cleaned material. The
divisions which are applied to the blowing machine, are shewn at i, which
extend across the machine, and have their upper edges in connection with
the knives and sieves d,.e; one division only to each. beater is represented

page_text: in the Figure, but more may be employed, and their positions varied as
required, their object being to prevent the dirt or refuse beaten out by the
beater and passed through the girds from rising and being again mixed
with the beaten and cleaned material as it advances onwards. The centrifugal
force of the drums of the opener and also that of the beaters is effectually
broken by the plates 9 and i.
In Figure 2 we shew our improved application of an additional fan to the
opener, and the addition of conductors and pipes leading to one of the fans
of the blowing machine, for the purpose of drawing off and carrying away the
dirt and refuse. Under the drums or cylinders a of the opener there are
plates or divisions k, which partially prevent the rising of the refuse and
lead it to the conductors 1, open at the top to the knives and sieves b, and
connected to the pipe m, which is attached at the bottom to the case of the
additional fan n, so that when the fan revolves at its proper speed the dirt
and refuse from the opened material is drawn down and carried away. In
some cases the plates or divisions k may be dispensed with, the action of the
fan in connection with the conductors and pipe being amply sufficient. In
order to draw down and remove the dirt and refuse from the blowing machine,
we place under the knives and sieves d, e, the conductors o, attached to the
pipes p, which have their lower ends connected to the case of one of the
ordinary fans f, so that the dirt and refuse expelled by the beaters c, and
passed through the knives and sieves, shall as the fan revolves be drawn
down and carried away to any determined place, which operations not only
prevent dust and extraneous matter from surrounding the machine, but enable
the material to be more perfectly cleansed than in any mode hitherto adopted.
In the Drawings the aforesaid improvements are adapted to the opener and
blowing machine combined; but it is evident they may be applied with equal
advantage to each machine used separately.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
in which it may be carried into practical effect, we desire it to be understood
that we claim,-
Firstly, the application of several plates or divisions under the drums or
cylinders of the opener, and one or more plates under each beater of the
blowing machine, for the purpose of preventing the dirt or refuse from rising
and being again taken up after it has been opened by the drums and cleaned
by the beaters.
Secondly, the application to the opener and blowing machine of conductors
and pipes leading either to one of the ordinary fans or to an additional fan,
for the purpose of drawing down the refuse and carrying it away, as all such

page_text: improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings or any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edwin Whittaker and Jeremiah Clare,
have bereunto set our hands and seals, the Twelfth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
E. J. HuanES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
EDWIN WHITTAKER. (L.S.)
JEREMIAH CLARE. (LS).