IMPROVEMENTS IN SCUTCHERS OR BEATERS OF COTTON MACHINERY, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER MACHINERY IN WHICH SHAFTS ARE CAUSED TO REVOLVE AT HIGH VELOCITIES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Platt, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer, and William Richardson, of the same Place,
Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCUTCHERS
OR BEATERS OF COTTON MACHINERY, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER MACHINERY
IN WHICH SHAFTS ARE CAUSED TO REVOLVE AT HIGH VELOCITIES."
Sealed the 16th June 1863, and dated the 20th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Platt and William
Richardson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 20th December 1862.
We, JOHN PLATT, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer, and WILLIAM RICHARDSON, of the same Place, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
KENTS IN SCUTCHERS OR BEATERS OF COTTON MACHINERY, APPLICABLE
OTHER MACHINERY, IN WHICH SHAFTS ARE CAUSED TO REVOLVE AT HIGH VELO-
CITIES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to a method of keeping the shafts of beaters or
scutchers or other rapidly revolving shafts cool. For this purpose we form
the said shafts hollow, and place water therein.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Platt and William Richardson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 20th June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
PLATT, of Oidham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer,
and WILLIAM RICHARDSON, of the same Place, Mechanical Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Iler reign, dil, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Jolin Platt and William Richardson, Her special license, that
we, the said John Platt and William Richardson, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Platt and William
Richardson, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SCUTCHERS OR BEATERS OF COTTON MACHINERY, APPLICABLE ALSO TO
OTHER MACHINERY, IN WHICH SHAFTS ARE CAUSED TO REVOLVE AT HIGH VELOCITIES,"
npon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said John Platt and
William Richardson, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, (or under the hand and seal of one of us,) 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
late of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Richardson, 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, and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to a method of keeping the shafts of beaters or
scutchers or other rapidly revolving shafts cool. For this purpose we form
the said shafts hollow, and place water therein.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents the improvement applied
to a scutcher or beater, the shaft is at a formed hollow and partially closed
at each end, small apertures only being left. The central part of the shaft is

page_text: hollowed out to a greater extent than the other portions thereof, thus
forming shoulders at b. The water being introduced through one of the
apertures c, partially fills the chamber formed in the shaft as shewn in the
Drawing, and as the shaft is caused to revolve rapidly the fluid is thrown
over its internal surface, and it is thus kept cool. Any vapour that may
arise escapes through the apertures c. Instead of this arrangement however
the water may be allowed to fill the shaft.
In Fig. 2 our Invention is shewn applied to a fan shaft. In this instance
the shaft a is provided at each end with a stuffing box d, through which
stationary pipes e, e, pass, water is admitted by one of these pipes e, and flows
out through the other so that a constant stream is kept up. We do not
however confine ourselves to a stream of water for fan shafts, the arrange-
ment if desired may be similar to that illustrated at Fig. 1. Or the constant
stream may be applied to beater or scutcher shafts, and either of the methods
to any other rapidly revolving shafts, which are liable to become heated.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, we desire it to be understood
that we claim as secured to us under the above recited Letters Patent, forming
such shafts as aforesaid hollow, and supplying water to the chambers thus
formed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Richardson have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
WILLIAM RICHARDSON. (L.S.)