Cage or Receptacle Applicable for Use in Treating Rhea, China Grass, Hemp, Flax, and other Analogous Fibres.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1888
Specification Accepted. 29th Mar., 1888
Cage or Receptacle Applicable for Use in Treating Rhea, China
Grass, Hemp, Flax, and other Analogous Fibres.
1 HENRY MERCER GIRDWOOD of Broughton Flax Mills Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Flax Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement -
My present Invention relates particularly to the Invention for which I applied for
Letters Patent No. 9270 on the 30th June 1887.
In the course of my experiments I have discovered that the most suitable form of
cage or skeleton receptacle for holding the rhea ramee china grass hemp flax jute or
other analogous fibre consists in a cage or shallow box by preference oblong in section
and divided longitudinally into compartments.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings reference being had to the
figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 an end view of a cage or skeleton receptacle con-
structed according to my Invention and Fig. 3 is also an end view showing the cage
opened.
The cage is made of metal rods or wires and preferably in three pieces namely the
bottom or main portion a the top portion or lid and the middle or dividing portion c
which divides the cage into two separate compartments. The back ends of the wires
which constitute the lid b are all bent over the top rod a¹ of the bottom portion a so
as to form a hinge and similarly the wires of the division e are all hinged upon the
rod a. The lid b when closed is fastened to the bottom portion a by means of clips
or catches d and pins d' or other suitable fastenings.
The two compartments into which the cage is divided by the part e as above
mentioned are again subdivided by means of longitudinal dividing wires secured
respectively to the bottom portion a and the dividing portion c so as to form when
the cage is closed six separate compartments numbered 1, ", 3, 4, 5,.6. The bundles of
rhea or other fibre are laid straight in compartments Nos. 1, 2, 3 when the cage is
open as shown in Fig. 3 the dividing part c is then turned over to close those com-
partments and bring Nos. 4, 5, 6 into position ready to be filled and when this has
been done the lid b is turned down and fastened.

page_text: The leading features in the construction of the cage above described are that the
wires being placed at right angles to the fibres laid straight in the compartments give
the greatest amount of support and keep them together and at the same time leave
them perfectly open for the passage of liquor or steam while being treated.
The cage illustrated by the Drawings is divided into six separate compartments but
I wish it to be clearly understood that any suitable number of separate compartiments
may be employed and also that the shape of the cage or skeleton receptacle may be
varied or modified to suit different conditions.
I consider that cages constructed as herein shown and described are particularly
adapted for carrying out the process described in my aforesaid Application for Letters
Patent for "Improvements in retting ungumming washing and otherwise treating
rhea ramec or china grass hemp flax jute and certain other fibres" but I do not wish
to limit their use to that process only as they may possibly be advantageously employed
in other analogous processes.
I have described the cages or skeleton receptacles as made of metal rods or wires
but cane or wooden rods or any suitable materials for the whole or parts may be
employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is―
1. A cage or skeleton receptacle preferably oblong in section and constructed of
rods or wires arranged substantially as herein shown and described for the purposes
specified.
2. The construction combination and arrangement of parts substantially as
herein shown and described forming a cage or skeleton receptacle divided lon-
gitudinally into separate compartments or sections said cage or skeleton receptacle
being applicable for use in treating rhea china grass hemp flax and other analogous
fibres.
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for Applicant.