CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON WASTE OR OTHER MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wrigley, of Bury, in the County of Lan-
caster, Paper Manufacturer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON WASTE OR
OTHER MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER."
Sealed the 23rd January 1857, and dated the 25th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wrigley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th July 1856.
I, THOMAS WRIGLEY, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Paper Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON WASTE OR
OTHER MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the first operation of cleaning cotton waste, &c.
(before washing) for the manufacture of paper in which the well-known
machines called "cone willows" are employed, and by a suitable arrangement
and use of these machines I am enabled to open and clean the cotton, &c. in
a much more complete and economical manner.
Hitherto the cotton waste, &c. has been submitted to the operation of the
willow by introducing it at the narrow or smaller end of the machine, and
passing the filamentous flocks immediately through the machine by the rapid

page_text: revolution of the spiked cone within its concentric casing, and turning it out
or delivering it from the other end of the machine on to the floor, from
whence it had to be carried or removed by hand, and again submitted to the
subsequent operation of the same or a similar machine or machines to perfect
the cleaning process.
Now my improvement consists in so arranging several "cone willows," or
applying to each at its delivering end a feeding apparatus or cloth, so that the
cotton waste, &c. may thereby be introduced into the adjoining consecutive
willow," and so on through any number of" willows" which may be required
by self-acting means. By these means the cotton, &c. becomes more
attenuated and opened, and consequently more perfectly cleaned, and at
the same time a considerable economy of manual and mechanical labor is-
effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Wrigley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WRIGLEY, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Paper Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of our reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Wrigley, Her especial license that I, the said Thomas Wrigley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Wrigley, my executors, adininistrators, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON WASTE OR OTHER MATERIALS
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Wrigley, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Wrigley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to the operations of cleaning cotton waste, &c., before
or after washing, for the manufacture of paper, in which the well-known
machines called "cone willows" are employed, and by a suitable arrangement
and use of these machines I am enabled to open and clean the cotton, &c. in
a much more complete and economical manner.
Hitherto the cotton waste, &c. has been submitted to the operation of the
willow by introducing it at the narrow or smaller end of the machine, and
passing the filamentous flocks immediately through the machine by the rapid
revolution of the "spiked cone" with its concentric casing, and turning it out
or delivering it from the other end of the machine on to the floor, from
whence it had to be carried or removed by hand, and again submitted to the
subsequent operation of a similar machine or machines to perfect the cleaning
process.
66
.
by self-acting means.
more attenuated and
"
Now my improvements consist in so arranging several "cone willows," and
supplying to each at its delivering end a feeding apparatus or cloth, so that
the cotton waste, &c. may thereby be introduced into the adjoining consecutive
willow," and so on through any number of willows which may be required
By my improved arrangement the cotton, &c. becomes
opened, and consequently more perfectly cleaned, and
at the same time a considerable economy of manual labour is effected.
The "willows are so placed or arranged that the delivering or widest end
of the one, or first employed, shall be opposite to the narrow or feeding end
of the next employed in succession, and so on, the "willows" being placed
alternately in a reversed direction, and the cotton, &c. being conveyed from
one to the other by means of the traversing, connecting, or feeding cloth. It
will be evident that the apparatus used for feeding the said "willows"
may be
applied in any convenient manner, so as to suit the requirements of machines
not situated in the ordinary position, as herein described; and also that the
fabric employed to transfer the cotton, &c. from one "cone" to another may
be composed of cloth, netting, or other approved substitute, and may be caused
to move or traverse as an endless band or otherwise as preferred. It will also
further be evident that the "willows, (instead of being placed side by side, as
herein-before described,) may be similarly employed, and placed one above the

page_text: other, the operation of cleaning the cotton, &c. being the same in principle, but
simply varied in its arrangement, and in this method of working the feeding cloth
or apparatus (not being necessary) would be dispensed, with, or when working
side by side, as first above described, the "willows" might be placed so closely
together as to dispense with the "feeding cloth" or apparatus if preferred.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together
with the manner of performing the same, I would remark, in conclusion, that
I claim the novel arrangement and use of "cone willows," as before described,
placed consecutively in alternate reversed directions, and so supplied with
cotton waste, &c. as to pass the same continuously through the machines until
sufficiently opened and cleaned, as herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wrigley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
THOMAS WRIGLEY. (L.s.)