IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CLEANING, AND D Commax An AMD
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Whitaker, Cotton Spinner, and James Pickles,
Manager, both of Todmorden, in the County of York, for the Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CLEANING, AND
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Whitaker and James
Pickles at the Office of the Cominissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 1st June 1854.
We, JOHN WHITAKER, Cotton Spinner, and JAMES PICKLES, Manager, both
of Todmorden, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OPENING,
CLEANING, AND PREPARING COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to what is generally called the beater, and is used in
lap machines, scutchers, or similar apparatus, for the purpose of taking off the
leaf and dirt from the fibrous material to be operated upon; and consists of
applying a toothed cylinder or roller under each of the usual beaters, the said
toothed cylinders or rollers revolving on their axes in contrary directions to
the beaters, so that the teeth of the roller catch the fibre after it passes the

page_text: beater, and gives it an additional opening or cleaning, as well as laying the
fibres of the cotton or other material in a straight and regular manner; we
also fix a brush or clearer to keep the teeth of the roller constantly clear.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Whitaker and James Pickles in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JOHN
WHITAKER, Cotton Spinner, and JAMES PICKLES, Manager, both of Tod-
morden, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Whitaker and James Pickles, Her special licence that we, the
said John Whitaker and James Pickles, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Whitaker and James Pickles, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
OPENING, CLEANING, AND PREPARING COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Whitaker and
James Pickles, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Whitaker, for and on behalf of
myself, and the said James Pickles, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
Our Invention relates to an improvement or additional apparatus in con-
nection with the beater, used in machines or apparatus for cleaning or beating
fibrous materials, as cotton, wool, &c., and consists of applying a cylinder or

page_text: roller under the beater; the said cylinder or roller to have teeth or projections
on its surface, or to be covered with the ordinary card, and revolve on its
axes either in the same or a contrary direction to the beater, so that the teeth
or card of the roller or cylinder will catch the fibre of the material after it
has passed the beater, and give it an additional opening or cleaning, as well as
lay the fibres in a more straight and regular manner than can be done by the
beater alone we also fix a brush or clearer in contact with the said cylinder
or roller, to keep the teeth or card constantly clean. Or, instead of using the
said revolving cylinder or roller, we fix stationary frames, with teeth or cards
on their projecting surfaces, and fill the spaces between the projections with
perforated plates or sieves of any suitable material, to allow the dirt or
impurities from the fibrous substance to escape; it is evident that as the
beater revolves its arms will strike the fibres against the said stationary teeth.
or cards, and thus cause an additional cleaning, similar to the revolving roller
or cylinder, which is indeed a mere modification of the same principle. These
improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, in which the same letters of reference are used to
represent the same parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a machine, in which is shewn a beater,
and the toothed cylinder or card in connection with it; Fig. 2 is a section of
the same; Fig. 3 is a plan thereof; and Fig. 4, a section, shewing the arrange-
ment for using the stationary teeth or cards in connection with the beater.
a represents the beater; b, a rod or bar, furnished with the strong teeth c;
d represents rails or grids, the teeth of which separate to allow most of the
larger impurities to fall through the grids at e; the fibre then arrives at the
toothed cylinder or card f, which is made to turn in a contrary direction to
the beater, thus giving an additional opening to the fibres and laying them
straight, much of the dirt and leaf falling into the space g. The toothed
cylinder or card f is kept clean by the brush i, fixed to the side k of the dust
box. In Fig. 4, instead of a cylinder after the bars or grids 1, we place
stationary cards or teeth, attached to the frames m, the spaces between them
being filled with perforated plates or sieves n, made of any suitable material,
through which the dirt or impurities of the material pass.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
we desire it to be distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
exact details herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without
departing from the principle thereof; but we claim as of our Invention, and
which, to the best of our knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used
within this realm,-

page_text: Firstly, the use of a toothed cylinder or card in connection with the
beater.
And, secondly, the use of stationary teeth or cards in connection with the
same, as such improvements are herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Whitaker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four
JOHN WHITAKER. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-named
John Whitaker, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.