AN IMPROVED OAKUM AND FIBRE PICKING MACHINE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Frederick Barnett, of Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
OAKUM AND FIBRE PICKING MACHINE."
Scaled the 1st February 1876, and dated the 21st October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Frederick
Barnett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st October 1875.
I, AUGUSTUS FREDERICK BARNETT, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED OAKUM AND FIBRE PICKING MACHINE," to be as follows :—
An improved oakum and fibre picking machine constructed according
to my Invention consists of a cast-iron or other framing bound together
by end plates. The framing is fitted with pedestals or brackets, which
carry in succession a spiked drum or "swift," a "porcupine drum,” and
feed rollers. The framing is fitted with a trough for the porcupine
drum to work in, and a shield plate for the swift or spiked drum

page_text: to work against. Above the porcupine there is fitted a rotating brush,
arranged to bear against and brush both the porcupine and the swift.
The machine is provided with suitable pinions, wheels, and gear for
giving motion to the porcupine, swift, brush, and feed rollers. A
moving endless cloth or band is provided for carrying the oakum or
fibre to the feed rollers, the cloth travelling over a suitable wooden or
iron table. The feed rollers are provided with a longitudinal knife
or "doctor" for the purpose of preventing any of the fibre wrapping
round the feed rollers.
In operation the oakum or fibre to be picked is passed through the
feed rollers, and then carried by the teeth of the porcupine through the
trough underneath the porcupine, and to a point on the opposite side;
it is there caught by the spikes of the drum or swift, is carried down
between the shield plate and the swift and deposited by centrifugal
force into a receiver placed for the purpose. The rotating brush is
placed immediately above the porcupine, and is so fixed as to be in
contact with the porcupine and swift, and is used for the purpose of
keeping the spikes free from fibre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Augustus Frederick Barnett in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTUS
FREDERICK BARNETT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Augustus Frederick Barnett, Her
special licence that I, the said Augustus Frederick Barnett, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Augustus
Frederick Barnett, my 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

page_text: 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 OAKUM AND FIBRE PICKING MACHINE," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Augustus Frederick Barnett,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Augustus Frederick Barnett, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
-
An improved oakum and fibre picking machine constructed according
to my Invention consists of a cast-iron or other framing bound together
by end plates. The framing is fitted with pedestals or brackets, which
carry in succession a spiked drum, or swift, a porcupine drum, and feed
rollers. The framing is fitted with a trough for the porcupine drum to
work in, and a shield plate for the swift or spiked drum to work against.
Above the porcupine there is fitted a rotating brush arranged to bear
against and brush the porcupine.
The machine is provided with suitable pinion, wheels, and gear for
giving motion to the porcupine, swift, brush, and feed rollers. A
moving endless cloth or band is provided for carrying the oakum or
fibre to the feed rollers, the cloth travelling over a suitable wooden or
iron table. The feed rollers are provided with a longitudinal knife
or doctor for the purpose of preventing any of the fibre wrapping round
the feed rollers.
In operation the oakum or fibre to be picked is passed through the
feed rollers, and then carried by the teeth of the porcupine through the
trough underneath the porcupine, and to a point on the opposite side;
it is there caught by the spikes of the drum or swift, is carried down
between the shield plate and the swift, and deposited by centrifugal
force into a receiver placed for the purpose. The rotating brush is
placed immediately above the porcupine, and is so fixed as to be in
contact with the porcupine, and is used for the purpose of keeping the
spikes free from fibre.

page_text: The before-going being the nature, object, and purposes of this my
Invention, I will now describe more in detail how the same may be
carried out into practical effect, and for that purpose I have hereunto
attached a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters and figures of
The before-going being the nature, object, and purposes of this my
Invention, I will now describe more in detail how the same may be
carried out into practical effect, and for that purpose I have hereunto
attached a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters and figures of
reference corresponding with those in the following explanation :-
Like letters and figures are used to denote similar parts in the
different views.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to my
Invention shown with the front framing removed.
Figure 2 is a plan of a machine constructed according to my
Invention.
Upon reference to the Drawings it will be seen that the machine
consists of two cast-iron frames A, A', bound together by end plates B, B¹.
C is a spiked drum or swift carried on suitable pedestals; D is a
porcupine drum; E, F, feed rollers; G, rotating brush; H, endless cloth
or band; K, trough for porcupine drum D to work in; L, shield plate
for swift C; M, guard plate for swift C; N, pulleys for driving swift C;
P, gear wheels for driving porcupine D; R, gear wheels for driving
rotating brush G and feed roller E; S, lever and weight arrangement
for regulating feed roller F.
In operation the oakum or fibre to be treated is placed on the endless
cloth H passed through the feed rollers E, F, and carried by the teeth
of the porcupine D through the trough K, is there caught by the spikes
of the swift C and carried down the shield plate L, and deposited by
centrifugal force into any suitable receiver. The rotary brush G is
carried on a suitable pedestal and placed immediately above the por-
cupine D, and is so fixed as to be in contact with the said porcupine D,
and is used for the purpose of keeping the spikes free from fibre.
If desirable the machine may be worked without the porcupine D
and rotary brush G, in which case the rollers E, F, are brought closer to
the swift C¹.
Having now described and ascertained the nature, object, and purposes
of my Invention, and shown how the same may be carried out into
practical operation, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact arrangement, proportions, dimensions, and details of
the apparatus as shown in the Drawings, as the same may be con-

page_text: siderably altered without departing from my Invention, but what I
claim as my Invention and secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid
is,-
Firstly. The combination of a spiked drum or swift such as C, a
porcupine such as D, feed rollers such as E, F, rotating brush such as G,
arranged in relation to each other, in manner such as shown in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings and operating substantially as set
forth.
Secondly. The combination of a spiked drum or swift such as C, and
feed rollers such as E, F, arranged in relation to each other, as set
forth and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Frederick Barnett, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
AUGUSTUS FREDERICK (L.S.) BARNETT.