IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE FIBRES OF THE MUSA TEXTILES, MUSA SAPIENTUM, MUSA PARADASIACA, AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS PLANTS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Andrews, of New Brentford, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE FIBRES OF THE MUSA
TEXTILES, MUSA SAPIENTUM, MUSA PARADASIACA, AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS
PLANTS
"
Sealed the 27th May 1873, and dated the 3rd December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Andrews
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd December 1872.
I, GEORGE HENRY ANDREWS, of New Brentford, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE FIBRES
OF THE MUSA TEXTILES, MUSA SAPIENTUM, MUSA PARADASIACA, AND OTHER LIKE
FIBROUS PLANTS," to be as follows:-
:-

page_text: character as will enable the operator to remove with facility the whole
of the inner cuticle, cellular structure, the plates which form the cells,
and watery matter contained in them, at the same time that the outer
sheath or epidermis of the leaf stalk is broken through and the whole of
the fibrous material contained in it extracted in a perfectly clean state
without loss or injury.
The improved machine consists of a pair of drawing rollers covered
with india-rubber or composed of grooved metal; a drum armed with
one or more metal bars, beaters, or scutchers, and a cylindrical brush or
a level bed composed of similar material, having a reciprocating action.
The drum is driven by a belt, or otherwise, at a high velocity. On its
surface are placed longitudinally projecting bars or ribs, either parallel
with its axis or at an angle to it. The cylindrical brush is caused to
revolve slowly, and is placed below the drum in such a position that the
edges of the beaters on the drum shall strike against and scrape along
its surface, which is composed of elastic or semi-elastic spines or points,
such as stiff bristles or fine wire for example, set as closely together as
possible, entirely covering the surface of the drum and forming a species
of brush, the spines or points having such an amount of rigidity or
stiffness as may be necessary, according to the nature of the plant to be
operated upon.
The manner in which with this machine I effect the object I have in
view is as follows:-Each leaf stalk after being removed from the steam
of the plant is fed into the machine with the inner side of the leaf stalk
upwards, the outer side resting upon the upper surface of the revolving
or reciprocating brush. The drawing rollers having "nipped" the leaf
draw it forward over the surface of the brush. The beaters or scrapers
on the upper drum revolving at a high velocity and in a contrary
direction to the drawing rollers scrape the whole of the refuse matter or
pulp from the upper surface of the leaf, whilst at the same time they
press the lower portion of it which contains the fibres amongst and
between the spines or points which form the surface of the lower drum
or bed, causing the said fibres to be thoroughly cleansed from. the
extraneous matter, and to have the drawing rollers perfectly clean,
bright, and even.
The upper drum may be placed in a moveable or hinged frame, so
that whilst revolving rapidly it can be raised by the action of the foot

page_text: sufficiently high to enable the attendant to place the end of the leaf
stalk in the "bite" of the drawing-rollers, he then lowers the revolving
upper drum on to the leaf, which it cleanses at the rate of about 20 feet
per minute. So soon as the end of the leaf has passed the revolving
scraper the operator lifts it again and places another leaf between the
drawing rollers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Henry Andrews in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY ANDREWS, of New Brentford, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Henry Andrews, Her special
license that I, the said George Henry Andrews, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Henry
Andrews, my executors, administrators, or 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE
FIBRES OF THE MUSA TEXTILES, MUSA SAPIENTUM, MUSA PARADASIACA, AND OTHER
LIKE FIBROUS PLANTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Henry Andrews, my executors or administrators, 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.

page_text: scutchers a, a, and a cylindrical or endless brush C, or if preferred a
level bed composed of similar material, having a reciprocating action to
present a change of surface to the fibre or leaf operated upon. The
drum B is driven in the direction shewn by the arrow by a belt b, or
otherwise, at a high velocity; on its surface are placed longitudinally
the projecting bars or ribs a, either parallel with its axis or at an angle
to it. The cylindrical brush C is caused to revolve slowly by any well
known arrangement of mechanism in the direction of the arrow marked.
thereon, and is placed below the drum in such a position that the edges
of the beaters on the drum shall strike against and scrape along its
surface, which is composed of elastic or semi-elastic spines or points,
such as stiff bristles or fine wire for example, set as closely together as
possible, entirely covering the surface of the drum and forming a species
of brush, the spines or points having such an amount of rigidity or
stiffness as may be necessary, according to the nature of the plant to be
operated upon. D is a support or table for the leaf as it is being slowly
drawn through the machine by the drawing rollers A, A, an opening
being left in the said table to allow the bristles or spines on the
cylindrical brush C to enter the surface of the leaf.
The manner in which with this machine I effect the object I have in
view is as follows:-Each leaf stalk after being removed from the stem
of the plant is by preference subjected to a preliminary scraping action
to remove the pulpy matter, after which the remaining portion con-
taining the fibres is fed into the machine with the outer side or epidermis
resting upon the upper surface of the revolving or reciprocating brush C
and table D. The drawing rollers A, A, having "nipped" the end of
the scraped leaf draw it forward over the surface of the brush. The
metallic beaters or scrapers a on the upper drum B revolving at a bigh
velocity and in a contrary direction to the drawing rollers scrape the
whole of the remaining refuse matter or pulp from the upper surface of
the leaf whilst at the same time they press the fibres contained therein
amongst and between the spines or points which form the surface of the
lower drum C, or flat bed as the case may be, causing the said fibres to
be thoroughly cleansed from the extraneous matter, and to leave the
drawing rollers in a perfectly clean, bright, and even condition.
The upper drum may be placed in a moveable frame E, hinged at e,
so that whilst revolving rapidly it can be raised by the action of the foot,

page_text: or otherwise, assisted by a counterweight, if desired, sufficiently high to
enable the attendant to place the end of the scraped leaf stalk, or two or
more scraped leaf stalks, in the "bite" of the drawing rollers A, A, he
then lowers the revolving upper drum B on to the leaf or leaves which
it cleanses rapidly; so soon as the end of the leaf or leaves has passed
the revolving scrapers a the operator lifts the drum B again and places
another scraped leaf or leaves between the drawing rollers.
I have not referred here to the arrangement for driving the drum B
or the drawing rollers A, as this will be clearly understood on referring
to Figures 2, 3, and 4, which I shall now proceed to describe. This
machine consists of a standard or support F, carrying a driving shaft G,
which is driven by a belt and fast and loose driving pulley H, H¹, or
otherwise, from any convenient prime mover; a bevil wheel I on the
shaft G gives motion through the bevil wheel K to the vertical shaft L;
this shaft carries a bevil pinion M at its upper end which drives the
bevil wheel N mounted on the spindle of the worm O, which gears into
a worm wheel P fast on the axis of the lower one of the two drawing
rollers A, A. These rollers are carried in bearings in lateral brackets or
supports d, and are by preference covered with india-rubber. They may
be geared together in order to insure a positive motion; or, if desired, in
some cases the upper roller may be driven by frictional contact alone
with the lower roller or with the partially scraped leaf stalk which is
nipped between them. Any well known arrangement may be adopted
also for regulating the bite or nip of the said rollers, as is well under-
stood in machinery where drawing, feeding, or squeezing rollers are
used. Q is a driving belt, passing over a pulley R on the first motion
shaft G, and over another pulley S on the spindle e, which spindle carries
a second pulley S', over which passes the band 6 for imparting the rapid
rotatory motion to the drum B. The drum B in this modification
combines on its surface the metal beaters or scrapers a (by preference
brass) already referred to, and the bristles or spines c, in addition to
which I add wipers a¹ consisting of strips of india-rubber, such wipers
being made to follow immediately behind the metal scrapers or beaters
and to precede the bristles or brushes, as their object is to wipe away as
much of the pulp as possible that has been loosened by the passage of
the beater or scraper a, leaving the bristles c to penetrate the remaining
substance of the leaf stalk and to separate and remove all extraneous

page_text: matter from the fibres without in any way injuring the same. D, D', is
a table upon which the leaf stalk is supported and drawn along by the
drawing rollers A whilst under the action of the drum B; one part D¹
of this table may be made to descend slightly or yield under the pressure
exerted on the leaf stalk, one or more helical or other springs f being
placed under the free end of the loose or hinged part D¹ of the table for
that purpose; E is the hinged frame, working on a centre at e, as herein-
before referred to in reference to Figure 1, for admitting of the lifting
of the drum B clear of the table when a fresh leaf stalk is to be
introduced; this frame E is held down by a weight, or by a pin at g
passing through the frame and through the top of the supporting
brackets h.
In some cases I may use a brush in the form of an endless band in
lieu of the cylindrical brush shewn in the arrangement, Figure 1. Or
an endless brush may be made to act upon the leaf, which is slowly
drawn by hand, or otherwise, over a fixed anvil or support having a
rounded or ribbed surface.
Although in my Drawings I have only shewn one set of acting parts
it is obvious that a machine may be constructed to contain any desired
number of repetitions of such parts and thereby afford facility for treating
any number of leaf stalks simultaneously.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination of rotatory beaters, scrapers, or scutchers, and
rotatory cylindrical, or endless, or flat traversing brush or surface, armed
with elastic or semi-elastic spines or points, when arranged and caused
to operate together, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein-before described, and illustrated by Figure 1 of my Drawings.
Second. The combination of the rotatory beaters, scrapers, or scutchers
and brushes, or elastic or semi-elastic spines or points on one drum
acting upon a yielding bed or table, substantially as and for the purpose

page_text: herein-before described, and illustrated by Figures 2, 3, and 4 of my
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Andrews, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Third day of
June One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.