Improvements in Machinery for Breaking, Softening, and Removing the Gummy Matter from Hemp, Ramie, and other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Breaking, Softening, and Removing
the Gummy Matter from Hemp, Ramie, and other Fibrous
Materials.
A communication from abroad by JULES CARDON, of Lille, France, Mechanical
Engineer.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has reference to machinery for treating fibrous materials such for
example as hemp and ramie and its chief object is to break and soften the fibres
and remove the guminy matter therefrom at one continuous operation and so that
the fibres may issue from the machine in continuous slivers which can at once be
submitted to the drawing operation.
The improved machinery comprises a pair of fluted cylinders (to which the fibres
are supplied from a feed board or otherwise), a series of pairs of smaller fluted
cylinders between which the fibres successively pass after passing between the pair
of larger cylinders, and a pair of smooth cylinders one of which is covered with
india rubber. Between the pairs of cylinders are sets of breaking and softening
boards or plates. Each set consists of three vertical boards having apertures
through which the fibres pass on their way from. one pair of fluted rollers to the
next pair. The two outer boards are fixed while the middle board has an up and
down movement. The aperture in the first board of the set is wider at its inlet side
to facilitate the entrance of the fibres; the apertures in the other two boards are rect-
angular. The corners of the apertures are sharp except that they are slightly
rounded for the extent of about a millimeter so that they may well soften or supple
the fibres without cutting them. If preferred all three boards may have an up and
down movement in which case the two outer boards will move in the contrary
direction to the middle board. The outer boards are held at their ends in grooves
or vertical guides which allow them to bend or give slightly when the fibres are
engaged in them. The three boards touch each other and owing to the flexibility
or capability of bending just referred to which is a characteristic feature of the
improved machine the fibres are thoroughly acted upon without being cut or injured.
The woody matter left therein and a notable portion of the gummy matter become
separated and the filamentous material becomes supple, pure and silky and is ready
for the spinning frame.
i
The continuous rotary motion of the cylinders and the up and down movement of
the boards are produced in the manner which I will now proceed to describe:
The driving shaft carries a toothed wheel which through the intermediation of
other toothed wheels and pinions drives the first of a set of three toothed wheels
which gear with each other. The first and third of these wheels carry crank pins
on which a rectangular frame is mounted. On the upper bar of this frame are a
series of pins connected by rods to the ends of the smaller fluted cylinders which
are thus driven without the direct intervention of toothed gearing. The larger
fluted cylinders and the smooth cylinders herein before described are driven by
toothed wheels from the nearest of the smaller fluted cylinders. All the cylinders
travel at the same surface speed except the smooth cylinders which should move at
a rather greater speed so as to draw the fibres. One half of the cylinders are
driven at the one side of the machine and the other half at the other side so as to

page_text: prevent crowding of the parts and to facilitate oiling and repair. The up and
down movement of the boards is obtained from a crank pin on one of the toothed
wheels, preferably that which first receives the motion from the wheel on the driving
shaft; the crank pin is adjustable so as to vary the length of stroke as may be
required. A rod connects this pini with. a lever which is keyed on a shaft that
carries another lever; this lever gives movement to a rod that works one of the
boards. A bar transmits the same movement to other levers corresponding
respectively with the other boards. The boards, like. the cylinders, receive their
movement some from the one side of the machine and some from the other..
The action of the boards should be graduated in accordance with the progressive
widening of the nap of fibres as it approaches the outlet end of the machine.
Dated this 1st day of May 1893.
J. C. MEWBURN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Breaking, Softening, and Removing
the Gummy Matter from Hemp, Ramie, and other Fibrous
Materials.
A communication from abroad by JULES Cardon, of Lille, France, Mechanical
Engineer..
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This invention has reference to machinery for treating fibrous materials, such for
example as hemp and ramie, and its chief object is to break and soften the fibres
and remove the gummy matter therefrom at one continuous operation and so that
the fibres may issue from the machine in continuous slivers which can be at once
submitted to the drawing operation.
The improved machinery is represented in side elevation partly sectional in
Figure 1 and in end elevation in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings. It
comprises a pair of fluted cylinders BB (to which the fibres are supplied from a
feed board A. or otherwise), a series of pairs of fluted cylinders CC, CC¹, C* C³ &c.
of about half the diameter of the cylinders B B and between which the fibres
successively pass after passing between the pair of cylinders B B. and a pair of
smooth cylinders B' B' of about the same diameter as the cylinders B B and one of
which, preferably the upper, is covered with india rubber. Between the pairs
of cylinders C, C, C², &c., (one_pair of which is shown separately on a larger
scale in Figure 4) are sets E E E of breaking and softening boards or plates.
Each set consists of three vertical boards a, b, a (as seen in Figure 2 which is a
sectional view of same) having apertures c through which the fibres pass on their
way from one pair of fluted rollers to the next pair. The two outer boards a a are
fixed while the middle board has. a reciprocating movement. The aperture in the
first board a of the set is wider at its inlet side to facilitate the entrance of the
fibres; the apertures in the other two boards are rectangular. The apertures in
the boards a a are preferably smaller than the aperture in the board as seen in
Figure 2. The corners of the apertures are sharp except that they are slightly
rounded for the extent of about a millimeter so that they may well soften or supple
the fibres without cutting them. If preferred all three boards may have a
reciprocating movement in which case the two outer boards a a will move in the
contrary direction to the middle board b. The outer boards a a are held at their
ends in grooves or vertical guides which allow them to bend or give slightly when
the fibres are engaged in them. The three boards touch each other and owing to
the flexibility or capability of bending just referred to which is a characteristic

page_text: feature of the improved.machine the fibres are thoroughly acted upon without being
cut or injured. The woody matter left therein and a notable portion of the gumny
matter becomes separated and the filamentous material becomes supple, pure and
silky and is ready for the spinning frame.
The continuous rotary motion of the cylinders and the reciprocating movement
of the boards are produced in the manner which I will now proceed to describe.
The driving shaft driven by the pulleys F carries a toothed wheel G which
through the intermediation of other toothed wheels and pinions H, I, K, L, M and N,
drives the first of a set of three toothed wheels 0,01 0, which gear with each other.
The first and third of these wheels, viz. O and O', carry crank pins R and R
on which a frame S is mounted. On the upper bar of this frame is a series of
pins T.T' connected by rods U U₁ to the ends of the fluted cylinders C, C¹, &c.,
which are thus driven without the direct intervention of toothed gearing. The
fluted cylinders B B and the smooth cylinders B' B₁ are driven respectively by
toothed wheels D D' from the nearest of the smaller fluted cylinders. All the
cylinders travel at the same surface speed except the smooth cylinders which
should move at a rather greater speed so as to draw the fibres. One half of the
cylinders are driven at the one side of the machine and the other half at the other
side so as to prevent crowding of the parts and to facilitate oiling and repair. The
reciprocating movement of the boards is obtained from a crank pin P on the toothed
wheel H; the crank pin is adjustable so as to vary the length of stroke as may be
required. A rod Q connects this pin with a lever V which is keyed on a shaft that
carries another lever Y³; this lever gives movement to a rod Z that works one of
the boards. A bar X transmits the same movement to other levers V1 V2 V3
and Y2 Y Y corresponding respectively with the other boards. The boards, like
the cylinders, receive their movement some from the one side of the machine and
some from the other.
The action of the boards should be graduated in accordance with the progressive
widening of the nap of fibres as it approaches the outlet end of the machine. The
number of the fluted cylinders C C &c. and complementary devices will depend
upon the requirements of the fibre to be treated and the degree of finish desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion as communicated to me and in what manner the same is to be performed
I declare that what I claim is :-
The combination of parts substantially as hereinbefore described and represented
in the accompanying drawings forming improved machinery for breaking, softening
and removing the gummy matter from hemp, ramie and other fibrous materials.
Dated this 1st day of February 1894.
J. C. MEWBURN.