IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OAKUM, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1864

page_text: in
LETTERS PATENT to Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller, of Glasgow,
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Rope Maker, for the Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OAKUM, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
Sealed the 27th December 1864, and dated the 2nd July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nedrick Jarvie and
William Miller at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 2nd July 1864.
We, NEDRICK JARVIE and WILLIAM MILLER, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Rope Makers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF OAKUM, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of a superior quality of oakum,
and in carrying it into effect hemp fibre, or fibre known by that name from
any country, flax fibre, jute, cotton, aloe fibre, cocoa fibre, old white rope, or
other suitable fibrous material, or mixture of fibrous materials, is taken and
is put through a suitable carding machine, such for example as is used for
carding flax, and a number of the slivers or rovings produced by the carding

page_text: machine are passed together between a pair of rollers, so as to be compressed
into a single thickness. One of the rollers has a deep groove into which the
edge of the other roller fits and works, and into which the fibrous material is
compressed as it passes through. The material on leaving the compressing
rollers may be wound on a reel. It is next drawn through heated tar, or a
tarry mixture, and is passed through a second pair of rollers similar to the first
pair, whereby the superfluous tar or tarry mixture is expressed from it. The
tarred material is subsequently passed through a box into which steam is
admitted, and the steam opens and softens it, rendering it in better condition
for being hand-spun and wound into balls in the usual way. The details of
the process may be modified, but an important feature of the Invention is the
making of oakum from new material, or new material mixed with a small
portion of old rope or the like, and it is preferred to apply the tar to the
material when in a soft or towy state, such tar being by preference new
or fresh.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 30th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, NEDRICK
JARVIE and WILLIAM MILLER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Rope Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller, Her special licence that we, the
said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller,
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 THE MANUFACTURE
OF OAKUM, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller, our executors or

page_text: administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, that is to say:-
Our said Invention relates to the manufacture of a superior quality of
oakum, and in carrying it into effect hemp fibre, or fibre known by that name
from any country, flax fibre, jute, cotton, ale fibre, cocoa fibre, old white rope,
or other suitable fibrous material, or mixture of fibrous materials, is taken
and is put through a suitable carding machine, such for example as is used for
carding flax, and a number of the slivers or rovings produced by the carding
macbine are passed together between a pair of rollers so as to be compressed
into a single thickness. One of the rollers has a deep groove into which the
edge or periphery of the other roller fits and works, and into which the
fibrous material is compressed as it passes through. The material on leaving
the compressing rollers may be wound on a reel. It is next drawn through
heated tar or a tarry mixture, and is passed through a second pair of rollers
similar to the first pair, whereby the superfluous tar or tarry mixture is
expressed from it. The tarred material is subsequently passed through a box
into which steam is admitted, and the steam opens and softens it rendering it
in better condition for being hand-spun and wound into balls in the usual way;
or, for being teased or opened when the oakum is wanted in a loose state.
The details of the process may be modified, but an important feature of our
said Invention is the making of oakum from new material, or new material
mixed with a small portion of old rope or the like, and we prefer to apply the
tar to the material when in a soft or tarry state, such tar being by preference
new or fresh.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is or may be performed, we have to state that we do not restrict
ourselves to the precise details herein-before described, but that what we
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The making of oakum from new material, or new material mixed with
a small portion of old rope, or the like; and

page_text: 2. The using of apparatus substantially such as is herein-before described,
the manufacture of oakum.
In witness whereof, we the said Nedrick, Jarvie and William Miller,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-ninth day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
NEDRICK JARVIE. (L.S.)
WILLIAM MILLER. (L.S.)
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow.