AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR PRO
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Lowe, Flock Merchant, William Renton,
Engineer, and James Johnson, Engineer, all of Leeds, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Lowe, William
Renton, and James Johnson at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 30th June 1875.
We, SAMUEL Lowe, Flock Merchant, WILLIAM RENTON, Engineer,
and JAMES JOHNSON, Engineer, all of Leeds, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING FLOCKS' OR RAGS OR OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIAL," to be as follows:-
"
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for
cutting flocks or rags or other fibrous material.
The improved machine or apparatus is constructed with a framing
having bearings, which carry a cylinder fitted with steel cutters set

page_text: helically, the spaces between the cutters being packed with adjustable
slips or segments, which permit of allowance being made for wear of the
cutters and of the action of the latter upon the stock being governed or
regulated.
The cylinder has reversible rotary motion imparted to it by an
arrangement of straps and pulleys, or of wheel gearing; it is also made
to receive a to-and-fro motion endways by the combination of a shaft
(carried by brackets projecting from the framing and worked by a strap
from the cylinder shaft) wormed at one end, and there actuating a worm
wheel fast on a shaft carrying an eccentric (or its equivalent), which 1
works a lever, the lower end of which is pivotted to the framing, and
the upper end is bifurcated and embraces a grooved collar fast on the
cylinder shaft, and thus the required motion is imparted.
The cylinder is caused to rotate a little distance above a corre-
spondingly curved bed plate, which is also fitted with a series of blades 1
or cutters, which are adjustable, as they wear separately or collectively
by means of set screws or bolts on the frame of the machine or in the
bed, which is fixed either on centres hinges or to the frame of the
machine.
If required the bed with its blades (which may be replaced by a steel 2
fluted bed) may be made to move endways instead of the cylinder. By
this to-and-fro motion and the reversing the motion of the cylinder
the blades and cutters in the cylinder and bed become self-sharpening.
The cover of the machine enclosing the cylinder is made with an
opening at each end, in which fits a removable hopper, through which 2
the feeding is effected, the opening in use depending upon the direction
in which the cylinder is being rotated; this likewise determines the end
at which the machine delivers the cut stock.
The following are among the advantages to be derived from the use
of this improved machine or apparatus:-The flocks or rags or other
fibrous material are effectually cut up as required and not ground. The
wear of the cutters and blades can be allowed for and their action
regulated, and they can be adjusted separately or collectively; and they
can be made self-sharpening when necessary. The cylinder is reversible
in motion and the feeding and delivery can be effected at each end.
24

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Lowe, William Renton, and James
Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th December
1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, SAMUEL
LOWE, Flock Merchant, WILLIAM RENTON, Engineer, and JAMES
JOHNSON, Engineer, all of Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Samuel Lowe, William Renton,
and James Johnson, Her special licence, that we, the said Samuel
Lowe, William Renton, and James Johnson, our executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Samuel Lowe,
William Renton, and James Johnson, 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 "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPAratus
FOR CUTTING FLOCKS' OR RAGS OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Samuel Lowe, William
Renton, and James Johnson, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
$
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Samuel Lowe, William Renton, and
James Johnson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
and on reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that
is to say:-

page_text: This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus.
for cutting "flocks or rags or other fibrous materials.
"
The improved machine or apparatus is illustrated on the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings in Figures 1 to 4, of which Figure 1
represents a front elevation, Figure 2 an end elevation, Figure 3 a
partial plan view, and Figure 4 a partial transverse section.
1 represents the framing of the machine having bearings 2, which
carry a cylinder 3 fitted with steel cutters 4 set helically, and the spaces
between which are packed with adjustable slips or segments 5, which
permit of allowance being made for wear of the said cutters and of the
action of the latter upon the stock being governed or regulated.
!.!.
The cylinder 3 has reversible rotary motion imparted to it by a
suitable arrangement of wheel gearing, or by an arrangement of straps
and pulleys 6; it is also made to receive a to-and-fro. motion endways
by the combination of the shaft 7 (carried by brackets 8 projecting from
and bolted to the framing 1 and worked by a strap 9 from the cylinder
shaft 10) wormed at one end 11, and there gearing into and actuating a
worm wheel 12 fast on a shaft 13 (supported by brackets 14 bolted to
the framing 1) carrying an eccentric 15 (or its equivalent),-which-
operates a lever 16, the lower end of which is pivotted or centred to the
framing 1, as shown at X in Figures 1 and 2, and the upper end of
which is bifurcated, and embraces a grooved collar 17 fast on the
cylinder shaft 10, to which the required motion is thus imparted.
2.
"
0
The cylinder 3 is caused to rotate by the means described a little
distance above a correspondingly curved bed plate 18, which is also
fitted with a series of blades or cutters 19 which are adjustable, and may
be adjusted as they wear separately or collectively by means of set
screws or bolts 20 on the framing 1, or in the bed plate 18, as shown,
and which plate is either fixed on hinges or centres or is bolted to the
framing 1 as shown.
As an equivalent to the cutters 19 we sometimes use a fluted steel
bed plate.
The bed plate 18 with its knives 19 may be made to move endways
instead of the cylinder 3, and by the means or a modification of those

page_text: to-and-fro motion and the reversing motion of the cylinder the said
blades or cutters in the cylinder and bed plate become self-sharpening.
The cover 21, which encloses the cylinder 3, is made with an upper
opening at or near each end, and in these openings may be fitted a
removable hopper, through which the feeding of the material to be
treated may be effected, the opening in use depending upon the direction
in which the cylinder is being rotated, which also determines the end 32
or 33 at which the machine delivers the cut stock; or these end openings
may cach be fitted with a hopper 22 for self-acting feeding, and which
is provided with an internal toothed roller 23 fast on a shaft 24 carried
by a bracket 25 bolted to the framing 1, and which shaft 24 and
roller 23 are worked by a strap 26, which passes round pulleys 27 and
28 respectively fast upon the shafts 7 and 24.
For the purpose of keeping the bed plate 18 and its knives 19 cool we
cast under the former a water box or vessel 29, with which we also
provide an arrangement of piping 30 for effecting a continuous cir-
culation of cold water through the vessel 29 to keep this part of the
machine free from heat.
The distance or space between the knives or cutters 4 and 19 may be
regulated by adjusting the screws 31 which bear upon the cylinder
shaft 10, or by adjusting the bed plate 18.
The following are among the advantages to be derived from the use
of this improved machine or apparatus:-The "flocks" or rags or other
fibrous materials are effectually cut up as required and are not ground.
The wear of the cutters and blades can be allowed for and their action
regulated, and they can be adjusted separately or collectively, and they
can be made self-sharpening when necessary, and the cylinder being
reversible in motion the feeding and delivery can be effected at
each end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
objects of our said Invention, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, we
would remark in conclusion that we claim as our Invention, the
application and use in machinery or apparatus for cutting flocks or rags
and other fibrous materials, of a cylinder fitted with steel knives,
blades, or cutters set helically, the spaces between which are packed

page_text: with adjustable slips or segments, as and for the purposes specified; and
the imparting to such cylinder reversible rotary motion in combination
with a to-and-fro end ways or longitudinal motion, and the combination
therewith of the means described of giving or imparting such motions;
and the further combination and use with such cylinder of a corre-
spondingly curved fluted steel bed plate, or of a bed plate fitted with a
series of adjustable blades, knives, or cutters arranged longitudinally
thereof or helically; and the means described of adjusting such knives
or cutters, and to which bed plate a to-and-fro endway movement may
be given by the means or a modification of those described for giving
such movement to the said cylinder; and also the further combination
therewith of the means described of adjusting the distance between the
knives of the cylinder and those of the bed plate.
We also claim the self-sharpening of the said blades, knives, or
cutters by reversing the motion of the cylinder, and the effecting the
feeding of the material to be treated, and the delivery of the treated
stock at each end of the machine by the means described; and lastly,
the further combination with such improvements of such other subsiduary
improvements as are also herein-above fully specified and set forth, all
substantially as and for the purposes respectively set forth and specified
and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings..
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Lowe, on behalf of tho
said William Renton and James Johnson and for myself, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-five.