Improvements in Machines for Treating Fibrous and other Plants or Fibres and Filaments.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Treating Fibrous and other Plants
or Fibres and Filaments.
I JOHN RUSSELL of 16 Waring Street in the Borough of Belfast and County of
Antrim in Ireland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to separate the fibrous from the woody parts of the
stalks or stems of flax or hemp and other plants of a like kind by beating, loosening
and cleaning the same and the husks, spikes, ears or seed from the stalks or
stems of grain or grass and other plants of a like kind by thrashing the same
and to provide a holder for the same and other similar substances or materials
while being so treated or being manufactured afterwards and to dispense with the
use of a screw or other clamp as heretofore employed for such purpose.
For the purpose of treating the-material-as-above-mentioned I pass it between two
or more narrow metal plates, ribs or beaters arranged between and carried by revolving
discs to which are imparted also a vibratory motion in the longitudinal direction of
the axis.
The shafts of the discs are provided with bearings by means of which the
beaters may be adjusted to the intervals required for the treatment of the material.
In order to feed the machine for treating the material as described I employ two
endless bands, pitch-chains or other bolders travelling in the same direction between
which the material to be treated is placed and carried along through the beaters
above described. I construct the holders with corrugated, grooved, fluted or
rubber-covered faces or edges and I provide them with carrier-rollers or adjustable
planed grooves furnished with weights or springs to suit any irregularity in the
feeding and attached to a moveable bar or moveable bars which is or are adjusted
to suit the required grip of the holders by the pressure of levers with weights or
springs supplied for the purpose.
The holders are actuated by pitch or other wheels driven from a shaft with a cone
and belt or other ordinary mechanism for securing differential motion by which the
speed of the material being treated can be regulated.

page_text: The holders I have described may be used either vertically or horizontally
and are adaptable to hackling and other machines employed in the manufacture
of yarns.
The material to be operated upon as described is spread on a feeding board or table
at one end of the holders and the feeding board or table is provided with a moveable
or sliding fence adjustable to the various lengths of the material. I place the holders
at an angle to the beaters to secure the treatinent of all lengths of material without
the alteration of the machine.
The material may be operated upon either from the ends or middle or other part
thereof according to the motion given to the holders but I prefer operating upon it
from the middle.
The material so treated may be delivered by the holders upon a receiving board or
table and, if necessary, returned to the feeding board or table for the other ends
to be treated by a repetition of the operation already described or it may be
delivered between another pair of holders which grip the ends first treated and carry
the material through another set of beaters while the other ends thereof are being
treated in like manner by beaters on the opposite side of the same or a similar
machine.
Dated thin 10th da
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Treating Fibrous and other Plants
or Fibres and Filaments.
I, JOHN RUSSELL of 16 Waring Street in the City late the Borough of Belfast and
County of Antrim in Ireland Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to separate the fibrous from the woody parts of
the stalks or stems of Flax or Hemp and other Plants of a like kind by beating,
or seed from the
loosening and cleaning the same and the husks, spikes, ears
stalks or stems of grain or grass and other plants of a like kind by thrashing the
same And to provide a holder for the same and other similar substances or
materials while being so treated or being manufactured afterwards: And to
dispense with the use of a screw or other clamp as heretofore employed for such
purposes.
For the purpose of treating the material as above mentioned I pass it between two
or more narrow metal plates, ribs or beaters arranged between and carried by revolving
discs to which may be imparted also a vibratory motion in the longitudinal direction of
the axis.
The shafts of the discs are provided with bearings or slotted discs by means of
which the beaters may be adjusted to the intervals of interlapping or otherwise required
for the treatment of the material.
The machine may be driven off a shaft and pulley or toothed wheel or by means
of a horse wheel and lying shaft as ordinarily employed and is arranged with gearing
for separately actuating the feeding apparatus.
The transverse vibratory motion of the discs is imparted when necessary
through their shafts by the aid of a cam
mechanism.
or cams or spring or other ordinary
In order to feed the machine for treating the material as described I employ two
endless bands, pitch chains or other holders travelling in the same direction, between
which the material to be treated is placed and carried along through the beaters
above described. The endless pitch chains may be jointed with double or single
joints.
I construct the holders with plain, corrugated, grooved, fluted or rubber covered
faces or edges and I provide them with carrier rollers or adjustable planed
grooves furnished with weights or springs to suit any irregularity in the feeding
and attached to a moveable bar or moveable bars which is or are adjusted to suit
the required grip of the holders by the pressure of levers with weights or springs
supplied for the purpose.
The holders are actuated by pitch or other wheels driven from a shaft with a cons
and belt or other ordinary mechanism for securing differential motion by which the
speed of the material being treated can be regulated.

page_text: The holders have described may be used either vertically or horizontally and are
adaptable to hackling and other machines employed in the manufacture of yarns where
screw or other clamps are now used.
The material to be operated upon as described is spread on a feeding board or table
at one end of the holders and the feeding board or table is provided with a moveable
or sliding fence adjustable to the various lengths of the material. I place the holders
at an angle to the beaters to secure the treatment of all lengths of material without
the alteration of the machine.
The material may be operated upon either from the ends or middle or other part
thereof according to the motion given to the holders but I prefer operating upon it
from the middle.
The material so treated may be delivered by the holders upon a receiving board or
table and, if necessary, returned to the feeding board or table for the other ends
to be treated by a repetition of the operation already described:
or it
may be
delivered between another pair of holders which grip the ends first or previously
treated and carry the material along while the other ends thereof are being
treated in like manner by beaters placed on the opposite side of the same or a similar
machine.
And in order that my said invention may be more fully understood I shall now
proceed to refer to the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed the same letters of reference
being used throughout all the figures to indicate the same or corresponding parts of
my machine.
Fig. I is a plan of the machine showing the holders and discs carrying beaters.
Also the shafts with some of the bearings and the driving gear, feeding board and
receiving or delivery board.
Fig. II is an elevational cross section of the machine showing the holders, the pitch
wheels and the arrangement of pitch chains levers and springs, and
Fig. III. is an enlarged cross section of the holders and beaters shewing the material
as under treatment.
a, a are chain holders actuated by the pitch wheels b, b, b, b and supported by the
carrier rollers c, c, c, c; d, d are springs in the moveable bars; e, e are the levers
and are the weights for adjusting the bite of the holders a, a; g is the feed hoard
and is an adjustable fence on same; is the receiving or delivery board;
k, k, k, k are the shafts carrying the discs 1, 1, 1, 1 and beaters m, m, m, m and arranged
with moveable bearings of ordinary construction by which the discs 1, 1, 1, 1 with the
beaters m, m, m, m may be put further apart or brought closer together and with the
slotted discs n, n by which the intervals between the alternating beaters may be adjusted.
Cams worms or springs may be placed upon the shafts h, k, k, k to impart vibratory
motion to the revolving discs; o, o are concs for securing differential motion to regulate
the speed of the holders and p, p are fast and loose pulleys by which the machine is
driven from the prime mover.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is -
1. The use, in machines for treating fibrous and other plants or fibrous and filaments,
of revolving dises and beaters arranged with moveable bearings or slotted discs
employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed..
2. The adjustment of the revolving discs and beaters in machines for treating
fibrous and other plants or fibres and filaments by means of bearings employed sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described and shewn in the
drawings hereunto annexed.
3. The use, in machines for treating fibrous and other plants or Fibres and
Filaments, of revolving discs and beaters arranged with a can or cams or a spring
or springs employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed,

page_text: 4. The vibration of the revolving discs and beaters, in machines for treating
fibrous and other plants or fibres and fila.ents, by means of a cam or cams or
springs employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
5. The use, in machines for treating fibrous and other plants or fibres and filaments,
of holders arranged with rollers or grooves and a bar or bars constructed, adjusted and
employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described and
shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
6. The use, in machines for treating fibrous and other plants or fibres and
filaments, of holders actuated and employed substantially in the
imanner and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn in the drawings hereunto
annexed and
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improved separating,
cleaning and thrashing machine constructed and employed substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated by the drawings
hereunto annexed.
HYNDMAN & DICKSON,
6, Waring Street, Belfast,
Agents for Applicant.