Year: 1871

page_text: Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declara-
tion that I am the true and first Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Brasier, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming
a part of this Specification.
My Invention relates to a simple but thoroughly efficient machine
for breaking, softening, cleansing, and opening fibrous plants, such as
the bamboo, the sugar cane, and others whose fibres are applicable for
manufacturing purposes; the said machine is more especially designed
for preparing such fibres for the manufacture of paper pulp therefrom,
but it may also be advantageously used in the preparation of the fibres
of jute, Indian rhea, and other plants for spinning.
The said machine is constructed with an upright frame which carries
a series of pairs of rollers arranged vertically one above the other.
The fibrous plant to be treated is fed in at the top of the machine and
passes downward between all the pairs of rollers to the bottom, where
it is delivered from the machine by an endless apron or belt.
The arrangement and means for operating these rollers, and the
construction, arrangement, and operation of the other parts of the
machine, are herein-after fully set forth, and are illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings, which I will now proceed to describe.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine; Figure 2 is
an elevation of one side of the said machine; Figure 3 is an elevation
of the other side of the same; Figure 4 is a vertical section on the
line x, x, Figure 1, showing the said machine provided with an opening
drum in addition to the parts shewn in the other Figures. Like letters
indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
The frame a is constructed of cast iron or other suitable material.
The upright portions or standards a' are formed with a series of slots
or apertures a² to receive the bearings of the delivery and crushing
rollers b, b', b², and the rubbing rollers c, c', below which are
the squeezing rollers d, d', also supported in the said side pieces.
placed
It

page_text: will be seen by referring to the Drawings that the bearings ³, c³, d³,
of the adjustable rollers have springs b, c, d, on each side of them
to keep the said rollers in the required position, with an elastic pressure
in both directions; 65, c³, d³, are set screws for regulating the pressure
5 of the said springs and adjusting the outer rollers at any desired distance
from the inner rollers b, c, d¹. I may use either metal springs, as
shewn, or india-rubber springs. The rollers b, 61, 62, are fluted or
ribbed longitudinally, or otherwise roughened to crush and soften the
fibres passed between them; e is a table or feed board on which the
plants or fibres to be treated are first placed, and from which they
to and between the rollers b, b¹, b².
pass
I prefer to provide the machine with a hopper c* between each
pair of rubbing rollers to guide the fibres properly down between the
said rollers, the said hoppers are so formed and arranged that, as shewn
in Figure 4, their lower edges act as scrapers upon the said rollers, and
keep them free from adhering portions of the fibres or refuse portions.
of the plants. The surfaces of the rubbing rollers are roughened by
cutting in them shallow circular and longitudinal or diagonal grooves,
or by forming slight projections thereon in any suitable manner. The
driving shaft f is supported in bearings f¹ on the lower part of the
frame a, and is provided with fast and loose belt pullies f², f³, whereby
the machine is driven. This shaft is geared by a bevel wheel and
pinion ff, with the vertical shaft g, which extends upward outside
the frame and is supported in suitable bearings g¹ on the same. The
said vertical shaft carries a number of worms g², each of which is geared
into a worm wheel or pinion g3 on the shaft c² of each of the rollers c,
which by this means have the required rotary motion imparted to them.
I prefer that each pair of these rollers should run a little faster than
the pair next above it, that is to say, the second pair of these rollers c, c¹,
should run faster than the first pair, and the third pair faster than
the second pair, and so on to the bottom pair, whose speed should exceed
that of any of the others. At the other side of the machine, the two
rollers c, c', of each pair are geared together by the pinions c. It
will be seen by referring to Figure 1 that these pinions have a neck c",
and that a roller h¹ carried on a lever h projects into each of the
necks. These levers give to the rollers c, c', an endwise reciprocating
motion, and in addition to the rotating motion of the said rollers, the
fibres being rubbed to and fro as they pass between the said rollers,
and thereby thoroughly separated or disintegrated. The levers h have

page_text: their fulcrums at h³, on the brackets h³, which are fixed on the standard a¹,
and the said levers are actuated through the rods by the eccentrics i
on the vertical shaft j, which at its lower end is geared in connection
with the vertical shaft g by the wheels j¹, j, j³.
In treating some fibres it may be advantageous to stop this endwise 5
motion of these rollers. This may be done by removing the inter-
mediate wheel; or, if it is desired that some of the said rollers should
have the combined endwise and rotary motion while the others have
only a rotary motion, the excentric rods of the latter may be disconnected
from their levers.
The
The pinions ce are made fast on the spindles c², and are wide enough
to remain in gear with each other while the said shafts are moved to
and fro by the levers h, but the said shafts are fitted to slide through
the worm wheels g³, as it would not be practicable to keep the latter
properly in gear with the worms g³ on the vertical shaft g, if they
moved to and fro with the shafts c². For this purpose I form or fix
on each worm wheel g³ a collar 9; these collars are enclosed within
hollow hemispherical brackets k fixed on the side piece a¹ I prefer to
have the collar formed solidly on the neck of the wheel and to make
the hollow bracket in two halves, to allow it to be placed over the
said collar; but, if desired, the said bracket may be made in one piece
and the collar put on the wheel from the inside of the bracket.
keys or feathers g' fixed in the roller shafts ensure the turning of the
worm wheels g³ with the said shafts while permitting the latter to slide
freely endwise in the worm wheels. The squeezing or drying rollers d, d',
which are placed at the lower end or bottom of the series of rubbing
rollers are also driven by a worm and worm wheel 1, 1, from the vertical
shaft g. These rollers have their surfaces plain or smooth as shown.
On the side of the machine shown in Figure 3 the driving shaft f is
provided with a toothed wheel m, which through an intermediate
wheel m¹ is geared with the wheel m² on the shaft m of the delivery
apron n. The outer end of the said apron is carried on the roller m³,
which is supported in the adjustable bearings n' on the bracket n³.
When it is required to prepare the bamboo, sugar cane, or other fibres
for export instead of for immediate use, the said fibres must be opened
and dried after being delivered from the rollers; for this purpose
provide the machine with a drum q enclosed within a case of wire
gauze or other suitable material and furnished with gill pins q' and a
I
]

page_text: bar or block r with similar teeth r¹; 8, 8, are feed rolls which take the
fibres from the delivery apron n and pass it forward to the drum q,
whose teeth carry it round to the teeth r¹, and by the combined action of
these teeth the fibres are opened and finally delivered from the drum at
5 the aperture t. The drum may receive its motion by means of a belt
from the pulley q* on the driving shaft ƒ or may be operated by any
other suitable means. The wheel m² is also geared with another wheel o,
which operates the plunger of a pump p fixed on the side of the frame a
pipes p¹ connect this pump with the perforated pipes p², which extend
across the machine in front of each pair of rubbing rollers c, c¹. The
suction pipe of the said pump is connected with any suitable tank
or reservoir containing water or other liquid which by means of the
pump is forced up into the perforated pipes, and by them thrown upon
the fibres passing through the machine, the said fibres being thereby
thoroughly washed while passing between the rollers.
In some cases it may be desirable that the rollers should have a
reciprocating circular motion instead of a continuous rotary motion
for this purpose I apply to the driving wheel of the machine quadran
wheels or other well-known contrivances for this purpose.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it understoo
that I claim,-
First. A machine with a series of pairs of rollers which have
rotating motion, or a combined rotating and endwise motion, and are s
arranged that the fibres or fibrous plants are passed vertically downwar
between the entire series and with or without the hoppers arrange
between the said rollers, substantially as set forth for the purpose
specified.
Second. The rubbing rollers so geared in connection with the wor
shaft or otherwise arranged that each pair runs quicker than the pa
next above it for the purpose set forth.
Third. Securing the worm wheels or pinions by means of the hollo
brackets so that the said wheels or pinions remain properly in ge
with the worms on the vertical shaft while the roller shafts or spindl
5 slide through the said wheels or pinions.
Fourth. The levers for producing the endwise movement of t
rubbing rollers arranged to work in the necks of the pinions fixed

page_text: Witness,
C. BRASIER.
EDWARD BRASIER. (L.S.)