AN IMPROVED RAG MACHINE CYLINDER, OR SWIFT AND TOOTH OF AN IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PULLING UP WOOLLEN AND COTTON BAGS, SILK RAGS, HAIR BAGGING, AND FOR CLEANING AND OPENING WOOLS AND WASTE, AND FOR THE PULLING UP OF FIBROUS SUBSTANCES IN THE RAG." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Reid, of Perth, Scotland, and George
Rydill, of Dewsbury, in the County of York; for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED RAG MACHINE CYLINDER, OR SWIFT AND TOOTH OF AN
IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PULLING UP WOOLLEN AND COTTON
BAGS, SILK RAGS, HAIR BAGGING, AND FOR CLEANING AND OPENING WOOLS
AND WASTE, AND FOR THE PULLING UP OF FIBROUS SUBSTANCES IN THE RAG."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left. by the said Alexander Reid and
George Rydill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 10th December 1868.
We, ALEXANDER REID, of Perth, Scotland, and GEORGE RYDILL, of
Dewsbury, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED RAG MACHINE CYLINDER, OR SWIFT AND TOOTH OF
AN IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PULLING UP WOOLLEN AND COTTON
BAGS, SILK RAGS, HAIR BAGGING, AND FOR CLEANING AND OPENING WOOLS AND
WASTE, AND FOR THE PULLING UP OF FIBROUS SUBSTANCES IN THE RAG," to be
as follows:-
Our improvements in the now-termed rag machine are in covering the
metal or other framework known as bearers fixed to a spindle or shaft of the
cylinder with wood lags of a thickness according to requirements, or with iron,
steel, or any other metal to form the base work or foundation. Those first set
of lags are fastened to the bearers of the swift or cylinder with bolts, nuts, or
screws, those lags being placed round the bearers of the swift or cylinder; we
then place iron or steel hoops round the ends of the lags fixed on the cylinder
or swift, so that the first set of lags are very firmly secured, which forms the
basework of the cylinder or swift. The shaft is then centered, and the wood

page_text: or metal lags, and the steel or iron hoops placed around the cylinder or swift
are turned up, making the wood or metal lags and the iron or steel hoops all
true and level with each other on the surface of the cylinder or swift, which
forms an even base for the lags containing the polished steel or metal tooth or
teeth to be fixed upon the basework being so firmly secured with hoops, and
the face of the cylinder or swift so straight on the base that we secure each
lag containing teeth to the base work with screws or bolts. This method
enables any lag or lags to be easily removed to repair by unscrewing one or
more as required. Those lags are pierced with holes by hand or machine. In
cases where the teeth require to be very fine or rank, or additional strength be
required for carding, teasing, or opening fibrous substances, a metal plate with
bored or taped holes is placed on the surface of the lags, which gives
additional strength to the wood, and enables the teeth to be much finer
set and firmly secured to the lags. The polished tooth or teeth is straight
at the base, in order to secure itself firmly in the lag. The polished steel or
metal tooth, which can be made from steel wire, is ground to a small point
and polished, and made to taper, in order to easily penetrate woollen, cotton,
and silk rags, woollen and cotton waste, hair and other bagging, and ropes,
and for pulling up fibrous substances. The tooth or teeth is driven in at the
back side of the second or loose lags, which penetrates through the lags,
projects out beyond the surface of the lag or lags, according to the required
length of the tooth required for pulling up the woollen, cotton, and silk rags,
woollen and cotton waste, hair and other bagging, ropes, and the carding of
fibrous substances. The steel or metal hoops which so firmly secures the lags
forming the basework round the bearers of the swift along with the lags
fastened on to them with screws or bolts containing the improved polished
steel or metal tooth filed or ground to a point along with the metal plate, is
the object of applying for a Patent. As with this improved machinery the
staple of the repulled rags and other fibrous substances is improved, less power
is required to work the machine, and it is easily repaired.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
REID, of Perth, Scotland, and GEORGE RYDILL, of Dewsbury, in the County of
York, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, 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 Alexander Reid and George Rydill, Her special
licence that we, the said Alexander Reid and George Rydill, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alexander Reid
and George Rydill, 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 "AN IMPROVED
RAG MACHINE CYLINDER, OR SWIFT AND TOOTH OF AN IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, FOR
THE PURPOSE OF PULLING UP WOOLLEN AND COTTON RAGS, SILK RAGS, HAIR
BAGGING, AND FOR CLEANING AND OPENING WOOLS AND WASTE, AND FOR THE
PULLING UP FIBROUS SUBSTANCES IN THE RAG," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Alexander Reid and George Rydill, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or
their, or one of 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 Alexander Reid and George Rydill, 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:-
This Invention will be easily understood by reference to the Drawings.
Figure 1 and 2 is a side and end elevation of one of my improved principles
in rag machines, which enables the improvements to be distinctly marked and
shewn. The framework which supports the cylinder or swift is marked A,
the swift or cylinder is marked B, and feed rollers marked C, with other
driving gear, straps, wheels, and lever, as shewn by dotted lines, which gives
an outline of rag machines in ordinary use. My improvements in rag gradual
picking machines are in covering the metal or other framework known as
bearers, fixed to the spindle or shaft of cylinder or swift, with wood lags
marked D of a thickness according to requirement, or with iron, steel, or any
other metal to form the basework or foundation; these first set of lags are
fastened to the bearers of swift or cylinder, with bolts, nuts, or screws, those

page_text: lags being placed round the bearers of swift or cylinder marked B. I then
place as my improvements iron or steel hoops marked E round the ends or
over any other part of lags marked D, fixed on the bearers of the cylinder or
swift, so that the first set of lags are very firmly secured, which forms the
basework of cylinder or swift. I then center the shaft of the cylinder or
swift, and the wood or metal lags and the steel or iron hoops marked E placed
round the lags D are turned up, making the wood or metal lags and the iron
or steel hoops all true and level with each other on the surface of cylinder or
swift, which forms a true and even basework for the lags marked. F, as shewn
on Figures 1, 2, 3, pierced with holes, and containing the polished steel or
metal tooth or teeth marked G, as shewn in Figure 1, 2, 3, to be fixed upon
the basework D, which lags are firmly secured with metal hoops E, and the
surface of cylinder or swift is so true on the base that I secure each lag
marked F, containing the teeth G, to the basework of cylinder or swift D
and E with screws or bolts; this method enables any lag or lags to be easily
removed to repair by simply unscrewing one or more lags as required. In
cases where the teeth require to be very fine or rank, or additional strength
be required for unravelling, carding, teasing, or opening animal fiberous
substances, a metal lag, with bored or taped holes to be used, or a metal plate
with bored or taped holes is placed on the surface of the lag containing teeth.
The polished steel or metal tooth or teeth marked G is straight or taper, at
the base, as circumstances require, in order to secure itself firmly in the wood,
steel, or metal lags marked F; the polished steel or metal tooth can be made
from steel wire, is ground to a point and polished, and made to taper, or in
any other way formed, in order to easily penetrate animal substances, cotton
and silk rags, hair bagging, woollen rags, waste, and for opening and cleaning
woollen substances. The teeth marked G in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, are
driven in at the back side or front of the second or loose lags marked F, as
shewn in Figure 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, which penetrates through the said lag
or lags, and projects out beyond the surface of lag or lags marked F, according
to the required length of the teeth required for pulling up animal sustances,
cotton and silk rags, hair bagging, woollen rags, waste, and for opening and
cleaning woollen substances. The cover of this machine is marked O, which
is made of wood or iron, and the bit board is marked P, which is made to
slide, and the side cover of this machine is marked Q, as shewn in Figure 2;
a fan is easily attached to this machine to take away the dust, if not pulled
with oil the same as in all other ordinary machines.
This Invention of improvement has for its object the gradual picking or
unravelling of animal substances, of woven fabrics in the rag, for manufacturing

page_text: into a long stapled material, delivering the rags in the wool or yarn thread
waste by means of polished teeth ground or filed to a point, to vary in shape,
made to easily penetrate the rags, and thereby causing a great saving of power,
of about one half less power than those in ordinary use. The teeth being
polished enables them when far worn to be easily removed from the lags
marked F by striking them with a hammer or some blunt instrument; the same
lags marked F can be replied with new polished steel or metal teeth, which
is equal to an entire new set of lags, which is a great saving, as in the ordinary
method lags marked F when once used as of no value or use, and are there-
fore in most cases burnt to extract the ends of unpolished teeth left in the
lags, or thrown away as waste material. The lags marked F are easily
removed from the cylinder or swift by unscrewing them, which prevents the
ponderous cylinder or swift to be removed to a mechanic's shop to unhoop.
The rag entering the feed rollers marked C are brought in contact with the
polished teeth fixed on cylinder or swift, which work in the direction of the
arrow, and at once delivers the rag in the thread waste or wool.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my improved Inven-
tions, and the manner in which the same is or may be executed or carried into
practical effect, I desire to be distinctly understood that I claim as our
Invention the application and use of a polished steel or metal tooth or teeth
marked G, ground or filed to a point to vary in shape or form, and standing
perpendicular with the periphery of the cylinder or swift, or made to incline;
also the metal hoops marked E passing round or over the first set of lags over
bearers to firmly secure them.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Rydill, on behalf of myself and
the said Alexander Reid, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
GEORGE RYDILL. (L.S.)