IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CLEANING, AND MIXING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Taylor, Engineer, and James Lees and
John Lees, Tin Plate Workers, all of Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CLEANING, AND MIXING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 15th April 1864, and dated the 20th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Taylor, James
Lees, and John Lees at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 20th October 1863.
We. JAMES TAYLOR, Engineer, and JAMES LEES and JOHN LEES, Tin Plate
Workers, all of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR OPENING, CLEANING, AND MIXING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists in improved machinery for opening, cleaning, and
mixing cotton and other fibrous materials in one operation.

page_text: The material is led by a travelling apron or lattice under a pressure roller
to two pairs of feed rollers, which lead it to the interior of a fan baving the
ends of its wings mounted with a number of teeth, which, as the fan revolves,
pass between other teeth fixed to bars connected to the sides of the frame
which enclose the fan. The number of these toothed bars is varied according
to the kind and quality of the material, and between the bars there are as
many grids as required, which grids commence from the feed rollers and
extend to under the lattice, and air is supplied to the interior of the fan by
two side boxes. When a quick revolving motion is given to the fan, and the
material fed into its interior, the material is opened, cleaned, and mixed with
air, and forced out by the air through a passage under the lattice, and the dirt
and refuse are driven through the grids and deposited in a passage at the
bottom of the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Taylor, James Lees, and John Lees in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
TAYLOR, Engineer, and JAMES LEES and JOHN LEES, Tin Plate Workers, all of
Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said James Taylor, James Lees, and John Lees, Her special
license that we, the said James Taylor, James Lees, and John Lees, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James
Taylor, James Lees, and John Lees, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CLEANING, AND MIXING
COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said James Taylor, James Lees, and John Lees, our executors

page_text: or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of
our or 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Taylor, James Lees, and John
Lees, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in improved arrangements of machinery for
opening, cleaning, and mixing cotton or other fibrous materials in one
operation.
The material is led by a travelling apron or lattice to the feed rollers,
which lead it to the interior of a fan having the ends of its wings mounted with
a number of teeth, which, as the fan revolves, pass between other teeth fixed
to bars connected to the sides of the frame which encloses the fan. The
number of these toothed bars is varied according to the kind and quality of
the material, and between the bars there are as many grids as required. In
one arrangement the grids commence from near the feed rollers and extend.
round to the under side of the lattice, and air is supplied to the interior of the
fan by two side boxes. When a quick revolving motion is given to the fan,.
and the material (fed into its interior, the said material is opened, cleaned,
and mixed with air, and forced out by the air through a passage under the
lattice, and the dirt and refuse are driven through the grids and deposited in a
passage at the bottom of the machine. In another arrangement, instead of
extending the grids to the lattice, we extend them to an opening at the back
of the machine.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the Figures.
and letters on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is
a longitudinal elevation, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a sectional
plan of that arrangement of our improved machinery or apparatus in which
the cotton or other material, after being opened, cleaned, and mixed, is
delivered below the lattice at the front end of the machine; Figs. 4 and 5
are longitudinal elevations at each side; Fig. 6, a longitudinal section; and
Fig. 7, an end elevation with the cover removed of that arrangement, in
which the material, after being opened and cleaned, is delivered at the back
of the machine.

page_text: In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a, a, represent the side frames of the machine; b, the
driving shaft; and c the air pipes or passages. The material to be opened,
cleaned, and mixed, is placed upon a travelling apron or lattice d, Figs. 2
and 3, and passes onwards under the presser roller e to the rollers f, which
feed it to the interior of a fan fixed to the driving shaft b. The fan is com-
posed of any desired number of wings g, having their outer ends or extremities
mounted with a number of teeth or spikes h, which pass between other teeth
or spikes i, fixed to bars j, connected to the frame sides a, a, and commencing
from near the feed. rollers. Between these bars ; there are grate bars or
grids k, and from the last of the bars there are other grate bars or grids l
which extend to the bottom of the passage m below the apron or lattice, and
air is supplied to the material and interior of the fan through the air boxes,
pipes, or passages c.
Thus when a quick revolving motion is given to the
fan and the material fed into its interior, the revolving teeth or spikes h on
the wings g pass rapidly between the stationary teeth or spikes i, and thereby
open and clean the material very efficiently, and the air which is accumulated
by the fan drives the material forcibly through the passage m.
In the machine shewn in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, we give the pressure to the
top feed roller instead of employing a separate presser roller, and instead of
delivering the cotton or material at the front of the machine it is delivered at
the back. The travelling apron or lattice o leads the material to the feed
rollers p, which are pressed together by levers 7, r, and weights .s, and
feed the material to the interior of a fan having any required number
of teeth or spikes on its wings u, which teeth or spikes, when the fan
revolves, pass between other teeth or spikes v fixed to bars w connected
to the side frames of the machine, and between the bars w there are grate
bars or grids & for the escape of the dirt and refuse. The aperture or
opening for the delivery of the material after it has been opened and cleaned
is shewn at y, and the air required for the blast is obtained through air
pipes or passages.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said Invention and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that we claim in each machine or apparatus for opening, cleaning, and
mixing cotton or other fibrous materials, the employment of any desired
number of stationary bars having on them a number of teeth or spikes, and
also the employment of a fan having on the ends or extremities of its wings a
number of teeth, or spikes so placed that they pass between the teeth or spikes
on the stationary bars when revolving motion is given to the fan, as all such

page_text: improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accompanying two
Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Taylor, for and on behalf of myself
and the said James Lees and John Lees, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named James Taylor, in
the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JAMES TAILOR.
(L.S.)