A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LINT
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Huggins, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Machinist, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LINT."
Sealed the 26th June 1855, and dated the 8th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Huggins at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th January
1855.
I, JOHN HUGGINS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LINT" to be as follows:-
My said Invention consists of a machine constructed as follows:-At one
end of a table is a roller, on which the calico or fabric to be made into lint is
rolled, the said fabric passing over the table to the other end thereof. The
fabric passing under a guide roller next passes over a roller studded with
points. The last-named roller has a very slow rotatory motion, and is made
to rise and fall vertically with great rapidity. The fabric after passing
from the studded roller hangs down vertically between a fixed horizontal bar
and a horizontal strip of metal or knife, which last alternately presses: upon

page_text: and removes from the fabric. Before the fabric descends the knife retires,
and after the descent of the fabric the knife closes upon it. The fabric is
then raised, and thereby scraped against the edge of the knife. The knife
next retires, and the fabric.descends. The knife again closes, and the
fabric is again raised and scraped, and so on alternately; during this alter-
nating motion of the fabric it has a slight advancing motion. The fabric in
passing over the table is guided by mechanism, having for its object to
preserve the transverse threads of the fabric as nearly as possible at right
angles to its motion. But I do not think it' necessary here to describe the
construction of the said guides nor the mechanical arrangements whereby
the several motions herein described are communicated to the various parts of
the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Huggins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HUGGINS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent; bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself," Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Huggins, Her special licence that I, the said John Huggins, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Huggins, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF LINT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Huggins, 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: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Huggins, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say): :-
Figure 1 represents my machine in side elevation; Figure 2 represents the
same in longitudinal vertical section; and Figure 3 represents the same
in plan, a portion of the framing and other unessential parts being omitted; in
the several Figures. a is a table, at one end of which a roller is situated, the
calico or fabric to be made into lint being rolled upon the said roller. The
said fabric passes over the said table to the other end thereof, where it is con-
verted into lint. The position of the said fabric is indicated by 6 in Figure 2.
The said fabric 6 first passes under a guide roller c, 'and then over a roller d,
studded with points or pins, as represented, the said points or pins entering
the fabric 6 as it passes over the roller d.. After passing over the roller.d, the,
fabric 6 hangs vertically between the fixed horizontal bar e and the moveable
knife f, herein-after explained. The rollers.c and d are supported on arms 9,9,;
the said arms being affixed to the framing of the machine by joints,h; h.;
i is the main.shaft of the machine, carrying a fly wheel k; 1,1, are cambs on the
shaft i, which said cambs, by the rotation of the shaft i, act through the rollers.
m, and give to the arms g, g, and to the rollers c, d, a rapid alternating vertical
motion; n is a worm wheel engaging with the toothed wheel o on the end of
the roller d; p is a ratchet wheel on the axis of the .worm n; a click on
the top of the rod q engages with the ratchet wheel the rod.
Pi
.9 is fixed to the
frame of the machine, and as the ratchet wheel p rises and falls with the lever
g, the said ratchet produces a rotation of the ratchet wheel p, worm n, and
consequently a slow rotation of the roller d..
P
By the mechanical arrangements described, the fabric b after passing over
the roller d is made to hang vertically, as represented in Figure 2, and a rapid
alternating motion is given to it, at the same time that it is made slowly.to
advance. The knife f consists of a strip of metal, the edge of which is bevilled;
as represented in Figure. 2; the said strip f is fixed by screws upon the
frame, which said frame turns upon joints s. t is an arm on the. frame-r;
the said frame r carrying the roller u; v is a camb on the main, shaft; i,.
which said camb, by the rotation of the shaft i, acting through the roller.u and
arm t, communicates to the knife f an alternating motion in a horizontal-plane.
By the said motion the vertical fabric 6 is alternately pressed between the,
knife and bare; and liberated from the said compression... The cambs, by.
which motion is given to the arms g and t, are so adjusted on the main shaft,;

page_text: that the ascent of the roller d takes place during the time that the fabric is
compressed between the knife f and bar e; the said fabric on rising is thereby
scraped against the edge of the knife f. As the roller d descends, the fabric is
liberated from between the knife f and bar e, and the said fabric b falls freely.
By the motion of the knife f the said fabric is again. compressed between the
said knife and bar e, and by the rising of the roller d the fabric is again-scraped
by the knife edge f. By the means described, the said fabric 6 is subjected to
repeated scrapings by the knife f, and is thereby converted into lint, the said
fabric at the same time passing slowly through the machine. The bar e may
consist of two parts, as represented in Figure 2, the said parts being connected
and adjusted by screws, and between the said two parts a piece of leather or
other soft substance may be placed for the knife edge f to bear against. The
fabric bin its passage over the table a is guided by the guide w; the said guide
consists of a transverse bar furnished with points. A slide a fixed to the
under side of the bar w slides in the groove y in the table a. In order to
preserve considerable tension in the fabric, the slide a is made to slide with
friction in the groovey by means of the spring. When the bar w has.
arrived at the end a' of the table a it falls from the machine; another of the
said rods w having been previously placed upon the table a at that end of
the said table on to which the fabric first passes, and which said end is not
represented in the Drawing. Besides producing the necessary amount of
tension in the fabric, the guide w has for its object to preserve the transverse
threads of the fabric as nearly as possible at right angles to its motion..
The return motions of the lever g and frame are produced by the helical
springs 1, 2.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention,-
First, the method, herein described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing, of feeding lint-making machines; that is to say, by passing the fabric
to be converted into lint over a roller covered with pins.
Second, the method, herein described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing, of guiding the fabric to be converted into lint in lint-making
machines; that is to say, by attaching the said fabric to a transverse bar sliding
with friction on a table between the roller from which the fabric is uncoiled.
and the feeding apparatus..

page_text: Third, the method of constructing the knife bed or surface against which the
knife acts in lint-making machines, herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing; that is to say, by the use of two plates of metal
secured very nearly, but not quite close together, the edge of the knife entering
between. the said plates, whether leather, wood, or other soft matter be intro-
duced between the said plates or otherwise.
Lastly, the general arrangement of the parts of a lint-making machine,
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Huggins, have hereunto set my
hand seal,. this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness;
GEORGE SHAW...
JOHN HUGGINS. (L.S.)