IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE SILK FIBRES FROM WASTE Cocoons
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Theodore Gaddum, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE SILK FIBRES FROM WASTE
Cocoons."
Scaled the 4th September 1874, and dated the 7th May 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Theodore Gaddum at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th May 1874.
I, THEODORE GADDUM, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE SILK FIBRES FROM WASTE
Cocoons," to be as follows:-
In performing my Invention I first steep the waste cocoons in water
until they are sufficiently moist; these cocoons are then fed on a feeding
cloth which carries them over a toothed roller which revolves slowly, and
above which a drum with one or more rows of teeth revolves rapidly,
the teeth of the drum open out the cocoons and lap the fibres round the

page_text: drum, while the chrysalis and other refuse is thrown out at the end of
the machine by the centrifugal force of the drum. The toothed roller
above referred to is cleaned by a stripping roller underneath.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Theodore Gaddum in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THEODORE
GADDUM, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of.
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Theodore Gaddum, Her special
licence that I, the said Theodore Gaddum, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Theodore Gaddum,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE SILK FIBRES FROM
WASTE COCOONS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
şaid Theodore Gaddum, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 I, the said Theodore Gaddum, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :—
In performing my Invention I first steep the waste cocoons in water
until they are sufficiently moist; these cocoons are then fed on a feeding
cloth which carries them over a slowly revolving toothed roller, above
which a drum with one or more rows of teeth revolves rapidly, the teeth
of the drum open out the cocoons and lap the fibres round the drum,
while the chrysalis and other refuse are thrown out at the end of the
machine by the centrifugal force of the drum. The toothed roller above
referred to is cleaned by a stripping roller underneath.
My Invention may be modified by using a porcupine or toothed feeding
cloth in lieu of the plain feeding cloth and toothed roller.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation in section; Fig. 2, an
end view; and Fig. 3, a plan of a machine constructed according to my
Invention. a is à feeding apron passing around the rollers b and c, one
of which is turned slowly round by any convenient gearing, the cocoons
which have been previously steeped in warm water until they are
sufficiently moist are fed by hand on to the apron a, which delivers them.
to the toothed roller d, which is covered with fine spikes, and revolves
slowly in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Above the toothed
roller d is the drum e; this drum is provided with three or other con-
venient number of rows of teeth, and it is turned rapidly round so that
the chrysalis and other refuse from the cocoons are thrown off by centri-
fugal force through the spout f, while the fibres of silk are collected by
the teeth and wound upon the drum e. When a lap of fibres of
sufficient thickness has been lapped on the drum it is cut across and
removed.
The toothed roller d is kept clean by the stripping roller 9 placed
below it.
Instead of the plain feeding apron and toothed roller d, above described,
I also may employ a porcupine or toothed feeding cloth which would
deliver the cocoons to the action of the drum e.

page_text: shaft'j'; on this side shaft is a worm gearing into a wheel on the axle
of the roller b, thus giving a slow motion to the endless feeding apron a.
On the axle of the roller b is a pinion gearing into an intermediate
wheel which drives a wheel on the axle of the roller d. The stripping
roller g is driven by a strap from a pulley on the driving shaft i. The
above described gearing for driving the various rollers may be varied.
. Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a
convenient manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood
that I do not intend to limit myself to the details given, as the samé
may be varied or modified, and I declare that I claim the improved
machinery. shewn and described for separating silk fibres from waste
cocoons whilst in a damp state, and particularly removing the chrysalis
and other impurities by centrifugal force.
In witness whereof, I; the said Theodore Gaddum, have liereto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October One'
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.