IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND PREPARATION OF JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Grimond, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, -Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT AND PREPARATION OF JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,
AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 21st April 1859, and dated the 22nd February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Grimond at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd February 1859.
I, JOSEPH GRIMOND, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND PREPARATION OF JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
Instead of the usual mode of softening jute or other fibrous materials by
running them through or between a number of fluted rollers with sufficient
weight to crimp them without cutting the materials, I propose to beat them
more or less, according to the quality, by which process they will be made

page_text: almost as soft and glossy as silk without cutting or injuring the fibres. The
machinery or apparatus I employ for that purpose is as follows:-I place
a heavy block, made of wood, metal, or any suitable material, over which I fix
a number of lifting beaters, the said beaters to be raised by wipers or other
mechanical means, and allowed to fall on the material as it passes over the
block by their own weight. At the front of the said block I place a feeding
cloth, which passes over rollers as an endless band, on which the material is
spread, and by the continual motion of the rollers passes it through or between
two fluted rollers, and on to the block where it is beaten. I vary the speed
of the fluted rollers, according as the material may require more or less
softening; and to prevent the beaters striking too often on the same place,
I give the block a longitudinal motion. On the other side of the machine I
place revolving rollers, with a delivery cloth to receive the material as it passes
from the block after being operated upon. Or instead of the said block
I use a large cylinder or roller, and fix the beaters over it; the fluted
rollers, with the feeding and delivery cloths used as in the plan already
described. Or, if found desirable, I attach an ordinary softening machine
to the front of a teaser, and thus soften and tease by one operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Grimond in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
GRIMOND, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-ninė, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said. Joseph Grimond, Her spécial licence that I, the said
Joseph Grimond, niy executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Joseph Grimond, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others; from time to timė -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 för

page_text: IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND PREPARATION OF JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Grimond, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Joseph Grimond, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement (that is to say):
Instead of the usual mode of softening jute or other fibrous materials by
running them through or between a number of fluted rollers with sufficient
weight to crimp the materials without cutting, I propose to beat them more
or less, according to their quality, by which process they will be made almost
as soft and glossy as silk without cutting or injuring the fibres. The machinery
or apparatus I employ for that purpose consists of a heavy block of wood,
metal, or other suitable material, over which I place a number of lifting
beaters, which are raised by wipers or other mechanical means, and allowed
to fall by their own weight on the jute or other material as it passes over the
block. At the front of the machine I place a feeding cloth, which works over
rollers as an endless cloth, and passes the material through or between two
fluted rollers and on to the block, where it is beaten; the speed of the
fluted rollers being varied according to the required degree of softening of the
material. On the other side of the machine I place revolving rollers, driving
an endless delivery cloth, in order to receive the material as it passes from the
block after being beaten and softened.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures
and letters on the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings, in which Fig. 1
represents an end elevation of one arrangement of my improved machinery
or apparatus for softening jute or other fibrous materials; Fig. 2, a sectional
plan of the same at the line A, B, of the end elevation; and Fig. 3, another
arrangement or modification of the beaters and parts .connected therewith.
In the first arrangement, a is the framework of the machine, having-bearings
for the driving shaft b, which is mounted with the fast and loose pullies c and
d, also with the fixed pinion shewn,by the dotted circle e, which pinion gives
motion by means of the gearing shewn by the dotted circles f to the wiper

page_text: shafts g and intermediate shafts h. Each wiper shaft is composed of metal
ends fixed to a large wooden shaft i, having mortices through which the wipers j
are passed in a spiral direction, so that the beaters k may be lifted one after
the other, and as the wiper has two ends the same beater is lifted twice at each
revolution. is the block upon which the jute or other material is softened,
which block may either be stationary or have an alternate longitudinal motion
imparted to it, in order to prevent the beaters from striking too often on the
same place. The endless feeding cloth is shewn at m, and the fluted rollers at
n and o; the roller o has motion imparted to it by fixing on its shaft the
toothed wheel p, geared into a change pinion q, fixed to a pulley r, both of
which work loose upon a stud attached to the framework. The pulley r
communicates by the strap s with the pulley t on one of the wiper shafts, thus
giving motion to the fluted roller at a speed proportionate to the diameters of
the pullies and toothed wheels. The feeding cloth m passes over the rollers u
and v, and receives its motion from the shaft of the roller o by means of
gearing, which shaft is also furnished with the pulley w, communicating by the
strap with the pulley y for driving one of the rollers of the endless delivery
cloth z. The beaters are kept asunder by wooden rails or guides in the usual
manner, and are employed in such number as may be found necessary; the
framing and other parts of the machine being arranged accordingly. Instead
of the heavy block l, I use, when desired, a large cylinder or roller, and allow
the beaters to work over it, the fluted rollers, with the feeding and delivery
cloths, being used as before described.
.
In another arrangement or modification of my improved softening machi
nery I make the beaters hollow, and place in the inside of each a spiral
spring, in order to accelerate the speed of the beaters when falling. By this
arrangement a greater number strokes may be given in the same space of time,
which will allow the material that is softening to be passed over the beating
table or block with encreased speed. Fig. 3 represents a front elevation of a
few beaters shewing the arrangement, the right-hand beater being shewn in
section to render it more clear.
a, a, are rails or guides fixed to the framework, in which the beaters work
freely; b is a shaft revolving at a quick speed, and carrying a wiper or
cam c for each beater; in the top of the beater is a stud d, carrying
'an antifriction pulley e, resting upon the surface of the cam c; f is a
spiral spring of steel or other suitable metal or material let into the centre
of the beater, which spring is prevented from rising by placing a washe
of iron g in the beater on the top of the spring, and a strong iron pir

page_text: being passed through the guide rail a, and also through the washer g, to allow
the beaters to rise and fall by the revolving action of the cams; a slot is made
in the top of each beater, through which is passed the pin for holding down.
the spring, the slot being of sufficient length to allow the beater to rise the
height which the cam lifts, and to fall until the beater strikes the beating
table. A greater or less force may be given to the beater when falling by
varying the strength of the spring. Each revolution of the cam shafts allows
the beaters to give one stroke to the material to be softened; the cam shafts
revolving in the direction of the arrow. lift the beaters to the full height of the
lift of the cams, and immediately on turning the point the beaters fall with
their own weight and the encreased force of the springs upon the fibrous
material. Rotary motion is given to the cam shafts, as well as all the other
parts of the machine, similar to that described in Figs. 1 and 2.
Any convenient number of beaters may be placed in one line, and any
convenient number of lines of beaters may be wrought in one machine, the
cams being placed in a spiral form, so as to bear the beaters dropping in
regular succession. In both of the foregoing arrangements I connect a steam
pipe to the beating table or block, which is cast hollow for the purpose, and
can thereby temper the heat more or less as required to suit the material. 1
have not shewn the steam connections in the plans, they are performed in a
simple manner, the steam being let in at one end of the hollow table, and any
waste allowed to escape at the other end.
In another modification of my machinery I place one of the ordinary
softening machines with two rows of fluted rollers of any convenient lengths
at the entering side of the herein-before described beating machines, and first
pass the fibrous material through or between these fluted rollers, thereby
softening it as much as is possible by the breaking and crimping mode of
softening, after which it passes underneath the beaters of my improved method
of softening.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth,
as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof;
but I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and
belief has not been hitherto used within the realın, the employment of any
suitable number of lifting beaters for softening jute or other fibrous materials
upon a stationary, vibrating, or revolving block, working with two or more
fluted rollers and endless cloths in suitable framework, and the employment of

page_text: an ordinary softening machine at the front of a teazer or beater, and thus
soften and teaze by one operation, as all such improvements are herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings, and
also such self-evident modifications of the machinery or apparatus as the
nature of the work may require.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Grimond, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Joseph Grimond in
the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JOS. GRIMOND. (L.s.)