IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF COCOA-NUT FIBRE FOR MATTING PURPOSES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Shepherd, of Wakefield, in the West Riding
of the County of York, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF COCOA-NUT FIBRE FOR
MATTING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 7th June 1864, and dated the 11th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Shepherd at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
December 1863.
I, EDWARD SHEPHERD, of Wakefield, in the West Riding of the County of
York, Gentleman, do hereby the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF COCOA-NUT FIBRE FOR MATTING
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the preparation of the fibres of the cocoa
nut in such a way as to render thein particularly suitable for matting. In
carrying out this Invention, the fibre of the cocoa nut is twisted into a yarn
by spring or roving frames of the ordinary class, and either during the time
of such spinning or roving, or after such spinning or roving is completed, a
thread of cotton, linen, flax, jute, or other suitable material is twisted or
wrapped round the cocoa-nut fibre, by which means the yarn is rendered
stronger and more durable, as well as of a better appearance than when used
in the ordinary way. Where a greater strength of material is required, two,

page_text: or more fibres of the cocoa-nut yarn may be twisted together, and then a
thread, as above, twisted or wrapped round the double or other fibres of the
yarn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Shepherd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, EDWARD
SHEPHERD, of Wakefield, in the West Riding of the County of York,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing dato the Eleventh 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 me, the said Edward Shepherd, Her special license that I, the said
Edward Shepherd, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Shepherd, my executors, administrators, or 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 THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF COCOA-NUT FIBRE FOR
MATTING PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Shepherd, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them,
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 I, the said Edward Shepherd, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention consists in the preparation of the fibres of the cocoa nut
in such a way as to render them particularly suitable for matting. In
carrying out this Invention the fibre of the cocoa nut is twisted into a yarn

page_text: by spinning or roving frames of the ordinary class, and either during the time
of such spinning or roving, or after such spinning or roving is completed, a
thread of cotton, linen, flax, jute, or other suitable material is twisted or
wrapped round the cocoa-nut fibre by the aid of a second flyer for that
purpose, by which means the yarn is rendered stronger and more durable as
well as of better appearance than when used in the ordinary way. Where a
greater strength of material is required, two or more plies of the cocoa-nut
yarn may be twisted together in any well-known manner, and then a
thread, as above described, is. twisted or wrapped round the double or other
plics of yarn.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose
I
shall refer to both the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both Figures.
Fig. 1 represents a portion of the well-known roving frame, to which is
added a supplementary flyer for twisting or wrapping a thread of cotton,
linen, flax, jute, or other suitable material round a single strand of cocoa-nut
fibre as fast as it is spun; and Fig. 2 represents a similar machine wherein
two or more strands or yarns of cocoa-nut fibre are doubled or twisted together,
and simultaneously twisted or wrapped with thread by means of a second
flyer employed for that purpose, as shown in the Drawing. In both these
Figures A is the bobbin upon which the twisted yarn with the thread wrapped
round it is wound; B is the spindle, and C the flyer of an ordinary roving or
spinning machine, and which parts may be driven or actuated in any well-
known manner. The cocoa-nut fibres or yarn a, after passing between
rollers D and before entering the main flyer C, pass through the tubular axis
of a small bobbin E, which carries the thread b intended to be twisted or
wrapped round the yarn, as shown in the Drawings. This thread is passed
through one of the arms of the small flyer F, driven by a band or other
suitable mechanical contrivance, and by the revolution of this flyer round the
yarn the thread is wound upon or wrapped round the cocoa-nut fibres as fast
as they are spun into yarn. In lieu of wrapping the thread round the cocoa-
nut fibres during the process of spinning the same into yarn, the yarn may be
spun first, and then passed through a machine to receive the wrapping of
thread; or two or more such yarns may be doubled or twisted together, and
the two when so combined wrapped with thread, as shown in Fig. 2 of my
Drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried

page_text: into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the twisting or wrapping of a
thread of cotton, linen, flax, jute, or other suitable material round a single
spun yarn of cocoa-nut fibre, or round two or more such yarns when doubled
or twisted together, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Shepherd, have hereunto set
my band and seal, this Third day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
EDW. SHEPHERD. (L.S.)