CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR RASPING DYE WOODS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Mucklow, of Bury, in the County
of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
OR RASPING DYE WOODS."
Sealed the 28th June 1853, and dated the 28th December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Mucklow
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th December 1852.
I, EDWARD MUCKLOW, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
CUTTING OR RASPING DYE WOODS " to be as follows:-
In the ordinary process of cutting or rasping dye woods, the
wood is pressed forwards endwise against a series of revolving
cutters or rasps, and as they cut or rasp the wood in a downward
direction the consequence is that the lower edge of the wood be-
comes chipped or splintered off, thereby occasioning great waste
and loss of time; as these chips or splinters have to be separated

page_text: stones.
from the remainder by sifting and afterwards ground by means of
My Invention is designed to prevent the great waste
thus occasioned by the chipping or splintering off of the lower
edge of the wood.
My Invention consists of a stationary bar, knife or cutter,
placed immediately below the lower edge of the wood under
operation, which thus acts as the lower blade of a pair of shears,
causing the wood to but cut clean through without chips or splinters,
and thereby effecting a great economy and improvement in the said
process of cutting and rasping dye woods.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Edward Mucklow in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
EDWARD MUCKLOW, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Manu-
facturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two,
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Mucklow, Her
special licence that I, the said Edward Mucklow, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Mucklow, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR RASPING DYE WOODS," upon the condition,
amongst others, that I, the said Edward Mucklow, by an in-
strument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly

page_text: 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 Edward Mucklow, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings
(that is to say):
My Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for cutting,
rasping, or reducing logs of dye woods to a powdered or disinte-
grated state as in usual employ, in order more readily and com-
pletely to extract the coloring matter therefrom for the use of the
dyer. In the ordinary process of cutting or rasping logs of dye
woods, the log is pressed forward endwise by a rack or other
mechanical means against a series of cutters or rasps, which are
caused to revolve quickly; and as the said cutters or rasps cut or
rasp the wood in a downward direction, the consequence is that the
lower edge or portion of the wood is left uncut, and by the con-
tinuous motion of the machine is forced downwards until it is
dragged off by the friction of the cutting wheel against the stone
work on which the feed box of the said machine rests, causing
considerable loss of power to the machine thereby, also occasioning
great waste and loss of time; as these uncut portions or splinters
require to be carefully separated from the remainder by the process
of sifting by hand or otherwise, and have subsequently to be ground
or reduced to the required state by means of revolving stones or
metallic mill. My Invention is designed entirely to prevent the
great waste and loss of time thus occasioned by the uncut portions
or splintering off of the lower edge of the log of dye wood during
the
process of cutting or rasping the same.
My Invention consists in the application, employment, or use of
a stationary bar knife or cutter of metal, which is to be placed at
an angle of about 45° immediately below the lower edge of the
log of dye wood under operation, and which thus acts as the lower

page_text: blade of a pair of shears, and so causes the wood to be cut clean
through, leaving no uncut portion or splinters, by which means I
effect a considerable saving and economy both of time and expense
in the said process, or after process, hitherto necessary in cutting
or rasping dye woods.
In order more clearly to illustrate my Invention, and distinctly to
shew the practical application thereof, I have annexed hereunto a
Sheet of Drawings exhibiting my improvement as applied to an
ordinary machine for cutting or rasping dye woods, drawn to a
scale of about one inch and a half to a foot, and have marked the
same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1, represents a side elevation of the machine, and Fig. 2,
a front view of the same. a, a, is an inclined trough or box,
in which the log of wood to be operated upon is placed. The
trough or box a, a, is supported upon suitable framework b, b,
and is furnished with a sliding piston c, c, which is placed behind
a log of dye wood, and is kept steady by means of grooves in
the side of the box a, a. The face of the piston c, c, is provided
with points or spikes, which project into the upper end of the
log, thus securing it in its place and preventing the upper end
of the same from rising. The piston c, c, is also furnished with a
toothed rack d, which moves upon a friction roller e, e. The rack
d, d, is actuated by means of a toothed pinion f,f, which is mounted
upon transverse shaft g, g. At one end of the shaft g, g, a worm
wheel h, h, is keyed, driven by means of a worm i, i, upon the shaft
k, k, to which shaft rotatory motion is communicated in any con-
venient manner from the steam engine or other moving power
employed; l, l, is the cutting wheel, which is furnished with a series
of inclined knives or cutters m, m.
The wheel l, l, is keyed upon
a shaft n, n, which is caused to revolve quickly in the direction of
the arrow; o, o, is a stationary bar or knife, the upper surface of
which is brought to a cutting edge, and projects slightly in front
of the trough or box a, a, immediately under the extreme edge of
the log of dye wood under operation. The action of the apparatus

page_text: is as follows: A log of dye wood being laid in the inclined trough
a, a, the machinery is set in motion, the piston descends, and the
spikes upon the surface of the same take firm hold of the upper end
of the log. As the piston descends still further, it forces the log
forward until the lower end thereof comes into contact with the
revolving cutters or rasps m, m, which will reduce the log to the
required pulverized or disintegrated state; the stationary knife or
bar o, causing the wood to be cut clean through, and preventing the
lower edge of the same from becoming chiped or splintered off* as
heretofore by the downward action of the revolving knifves or
cutters.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said In-
vention of certain Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for
Cutting or Rasping Dyc Woods, I would remark, in conclusion,
that I claim as my Invention the application, employment, or use
in such machines of whatever construction, whether "barrel rasps
or "plate machines," of a stationary knife or cutter placed at such
an angle immediately below the extreme edge of the log as shall
prevent splintering, and accomplish the perfect cutting of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Mucklow, have here-
unto set my hand and seal this Twenty-seventh day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
EDWARD MUCKLOW. (L.S.)
EDWARD MUCKLOW. (L.s.)