IMPROVEMENTS IN RAG MACHINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Rhodes, of Morley, near Leeds, in the County
of York, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAG
MACHINES." A communication from abroad by John Schafroth, of the
Firm of "Hubler and Schafroth." of Bourgdorf. Switzerland.
Sealed the 6th January 1863, and dated the 9th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Rhodes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
July 1862.
I, JOSEPH RHODES, of Morley, near Leeds, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAG MACHINES," a communication to me from abroad
from John Schafroth, of the Firm of "Hubler and Schafroth" of Bourgdorf,
Switzerland, to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the prevention of bits or tufts of untorn up
rags from passing forward with the wool or fibre; and the improvements
consist in forming an opening in the cover to the back of the swift, and

page_text: placing an adjustable slide plate therein with a diaphragm or plate betwixt the
cover and the swift which is fixed at one edge to the cover, and by means of
adjusting screws is set at a suitable distance from the periphery of the swift at
the other edge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Rhodes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the.
8th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
RHODES, of Morley, near Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Rhodes, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Rhodes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Rhodes, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAG MACHINES," a communication to me from abroad from John
Schafroth, of the Firm of "Hubler and Schafroth" of Bourgdorf, Switzerland,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Rhodes, my
executors or administrators, 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 per-
formed, 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 Joseph Rhodes, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described. and' ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its object the prevention of bits or tufts of untorn up

page_text: rags from passing forward with the wool or fibre, and the improvements consist
in forming an opening in the cover to the back of the swift, and placing an
adjustable slide plate therein, with a diaphragm or plate betwixt the cover and
the swift, which is fixed at one edge to the cover and by means of adjusting
screws is set at a suitable distance from the periphery of the swift at the other
edge.
This Invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, where Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a rag machine, to which
this Invention is applied, having one side of the top cover removed in order to
shew the application of the improvements. A is the swift mounted upon
framing B with feed rollers C, all as in ordinary use with the necessary driving
gear, straps, and pullies shewn in dotted lines thereon. D is the top cover
which instead of forming a continuous curve about the swift as usual, and
shewn by dotted lines D' forms a tangent D from the curve at the top of the
swift, at a point about vertically above the centre or axis thereof. The back
part of the cover D³ is placed about vertical, having an opening D* at the
upper part in which is an adjustable slide plate E, capable of being raised or
lowered to make the opening less or more as may be found desirable. G is the
diaphragm, one edge of which is fixed to the cover at G¹ and the other edge G'
is set by adjusting screws G³ to as near the points of the teeth of the swift as
is most suitable. It will now be observed that the swift rotates in the direction
indicated by the arrow, and that bits or tufts of untorn up rags projecting from
the points of the teeth will pass betwixt the swift and the diaphragm which
will retard or partially hold them from passing, but the teeth of the swift
dragging them forward through the strait or throttled opening, or space H..
will produce an extra impetus thereon, as the bits become liberated from the
diaphragm, causing them to fly off the swift at a tangent, and out at the
opening D; the wool or turn up fibre being carried forward by the swift in
the usual manner. It will also be apparent that a plate bar or a series of
short springs may be used instead of the diaphragm, to produce this retarding
effect on the tufts, to cause them to fly off the swift; but I prefer the use of a
diaphragm, as acting upon them more gradually.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of this Invention, and
the manner in which the same is or may be performed or carried into prac-
tical effect, I desire it to be understood that what I claim as the Invention
communicated to me, is, the application and use of a diaphragm, plate, bar,
or springs capable of adjustment betwixt the swift and its cover, also the
forming of an opening and adjustable slide plate in the said cover, in manner

page_text: and for purposes substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Rhodes have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Joseph Rhodes, in the
presence of
JOHN SOWERBY.
JOSEPH RHODES. (L.S.)