An Improved Machine for Dressing or Separating and Cleaning Piassava and other Vegetable Fibres.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 10th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 13th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Dressing or Separating and Cleaning
Piassava and other Vegetable Fibres.
I, HENRY EDWARD LUDBROOK of Bancroft Brush Works, Mile End, in the County
of Middlesex, Brush Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
:-
My invention relates to an improved machine for dressing, or separating and
cleaning, piassava and other vegetable fibres, used for making brooms and brushes, and
for other purposes; and my said invention consists in dressing, or separating and
cleaning, the said fibres by means of teeth and brushes arranged upon revolving
spindles or rollers in such a manner that when the material is passed between the said
spindles or rollers the teeth and brushes co-act to effectually dress, or separate and
clean the said fibres. My invention also consists in an improved clamp for holding
the fibres while they are being acted upon by the said teeth and brushes.
My improved machine is provided with two or more spindles or rollers mounted in
suitable bearings and revolved by any suitable means, between which spindles the
piassava, or other material to be dressed is passed. Each of the said spindles or
rollers carries teeth or brushes, or both teeth and brushes, arranged in lines parallel
with the axis of the spindles, or helically, or otherwise, and the said teeth and brushes
may be either radial with the spindles or inclined at an angle to the diameter of the
said spindles. The said spindles and the teeth and brushes carried thereby aro so
arranged that the said teeth and brushes co-act to effectually dress, or separate and
clean the piassava or other fibres in their passage between the said spindles.
The piassa va or other material is fed to the said spindles by a travelling clamp or
press, having corrugated or other suitable jaws, whereby the ends of the fibres are
Princ 1

page_text: effectually gripped or clamped so that they cannot be withdrawn from the said clamp
by the action of the teeth and brushes when passing between the spindles. Any
suitable means may be used for actuating the said travelling clamp or press and for
stopping its motion when desired.
The material to be dressed is securely clamped at one end in the press or clamp
which is then caused to travel to the spindles. As the material passes between the
said spindles, the teeth and brushes thereon pass through the material from both
sides and so cleanse and separate the fibres. The clamp or press then travels away
from the spindles and is stopped at the farthest point whilst the dressed material is
removed and fresh material inserted.
Dated this 10th day of March 1887
T. N. PALMER & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same, the spindles being broken away.
Figure 3 is an end view of one of the spindles showing the teeth and brushes, on an
enlarged scale.
Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
My improved machine consists of a suitable frame A carrying two standards B.
The said standards have bearings for two horizontal spindles Carranged in the same
plane. On each of the said spindles are suitable teeth and brushes Carranged in
alternate rows parallel to the axis of the spindle. I use teeth or combs C³ of similar
character to the ordinary hand comb used for dressing such fibres. The brushes C²
must be of a sufficiently stiff material to cleanse the fibres and may be formed of
piassava or bass, whalebone, cane. or steel brass or iron wire, according to the nature
of the material to be dressed. Plassava or bass is best for most purposes and is the
cheapest. The spindles Care geared together and driven by belt and pulleys or other
suitable means. The said spindles may be geared so that they work teeth to teeth
and brush to brush, or so that the teeth on one spindle meet the brushes on the other
spindle, as the nature of the material to be operated upon may require. The said
teeth and brushes may be either radial with the spindle or set at an angle to the
diameter of the said spindle. Also they may be arranged upon the said spindles
helically instead of in rows parallel to the axis of the spindle.
The piassava or other fibre is fed to the spindles C by a travelling screw-press or
clamp D. The jaws d d of the said clamp or press have longitudinal corrugations d' d
fitting within each other, whereby the ends of the fibres can be effectually gripped

page_text: or clamped so that they cannot he withdrawn from the said clamp by the action of
the teeth and brushes when passing between, over, or under the said spindles. The
said press or clamp D travels upon horizontal guide-rods E and is so arranged
as to feed the material between the spindles C. The said clamp is actuated by the
revolving disc F carried by a vertical shaft which is operated by worm gearing G. the
said clamp and disc being connected by the rod . The clamp or press is thus
caused to travel on the rods E to and from the spindles C. The motion of the said
clamp can be stopped at will by means of the clutch operated by treadle J.
The material to be dressed is securely clamped at one end thereof between the
corrugated jaws d, d, of the press or clamp D which is then caused to travel to the
spindles which are driven at suitable speed. As the material passes between
the said spindles, the teeth and brushes thereon pass through the material from both
sides and so separate and cleanse the fibres. The clamp or press D) then travels away
from the spindles and is stopped at the farthest point while the dressed material is
removed and fresh material is inserted.
Any other suitable means for operating the said clamp or press and for stopping
its motion at will may be employed and instead of the machine being constructed as
shown so that the material is fed to the spindles horizontally it may be so constructed
as to feed the material to the spindles vertically, the spindles being arranged in a
horizontal plane.
Also the bearings of one or both spindles may be made adjustable or one spindle
may be removed, so that the material may be acted upon by being passed under or over
the brushes, and teeth or combs of one spindle, only, when a light treatment only of
the fibre is necessary. One, two, or more spindles may be employed as desired.
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 I
claim is
In a machine for dressing, or separating and cleaning, piassava and other vegetable
fibres used for making brooms and brushes, the combination of one or more spindles C
carrying teeth C₁ and brushes C, a travelling press or clamp 1) with corrugated
jaws d d and suitable means for imparting the requisite motion to the said travelling
press or clamp, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 9th day of December A D 1887
HENRY EDWARD LUDBROOK.