IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR UNTWISTING AND SEPARATING THE FIBRES OF HAIR ROPES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR UNTWISTING AND SEPARATING THE
FIBRES OF HAIR ROPES."-A communication from abroad by Abner
Mellen, John H. Wilcox, and Abner Mellen, junior, all of the City
and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 22nd June 1869, and dated the 31st December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st December 1868.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR UNTWISTING AND
SEPARATING THE FIBRES OF HAIR ROPES," a communication, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine for picking hair from hair ropes.
The horsehair to be used for upholstering and other purposes is twisted

page_text: into a rope, so that it will become curled, which rope may if desired be
turned into a coil, so as to increase the curls in the hair. The hair has
then to be picked from the rope so as to become perfectly separated and
ready for the market. To pick the hair from such hair ropes is the
object of my Invention.
The said Invention consists, first, in the arrangement of devices for
untwisting the rope. The same consist of a revolving tube through
which the rope passes, and of an arm projecting from one end of the
tube and carrying a spool or roller, the axis of which is at about right
angles with that of the tube. The rope is wound once around the spool,
which revolves around the axis of the tube, and thus the twist is taken
out of the rope as it is being drawn forward. That end of the rope
which is not being acted upon is attached to a swivel hook which is
secured to a sliding block. The latter is guided on a wire or other rail,
so as to move towards the machine as the rope becomes shorter.
The said Invention consists, secondly, in the construction of the
aforesaid swivel hook or clamp. The same is made of two spring plates,
the ends of which are bent towards each other, and are pointed so as to
grasp the rope between them. A sleeve sliding on the plates presses
them together so as to clamp the rope when the sleeve is on the front
end of the plates. When the rope becomes so short that it cannot be
held by the hook, the latter is drawn against the tube and thereby the
sleeve is pushed back on the plates so as to release the rope.
The said Invention also consists in the construction of the beaters for
separating the fibres from the untwisted rope; these beaters are smooth
bars of circular, oval, or angular cross section. They project from a
revolving drum or cylinder, and strike the hair as they come out from
between two elastic feed rollers, and hang down over the rounded edge
of a plate which is in front of the lower one of the said clastic feed
rollers.
The frame of my improved hair picking machine supports the bearings
for a horizontal axle, which receives motion from any suitable
mechanism. Another horizontal axle receiving its motion from the
first axle or otherwise, carries a disk. From this disk motion is imparted
to one or more horizontal tubes mounted eccentrically in outer tubes
that have their bearings in the frame; these outer tubes are provided
with handles, by means of which they can be turned, and thus as the
tubes are turned the inner tubes will be raised or lowered, and will

page_text: thereby be thrown in or out of gear with the disk. From one end of
cach of the inner tubes projects an arm on which a roller is mounted,
so that its axis. is at about right angles to that of the tube. The position
of these rollers is such that a rope drawn through the tube, and wound
around the roller will remain in its proper direction, the said rollers
being V-shaped or concave on their periphery. The rollers are arranged
between the tubes and two horizontal feed rollers which receive their
motion from suitable mechanism. These two horizontal feed rollers are
either made of or coated with india-rubber or other suitable clastic
material, and one of them is pressed against the other by means of
springs. From the first horizontal shaft projects a series. of smooth
straight or bent bars, which when the shaft revolves sweep past the said
feed rollers. Fastened to, the frame below the lower of these two rollers
is a plate having a rounded upper edge, which is about in line with the
axis of the said roller, and close to the side of the same. One end of the
hair rope to be untwisted and picked is held in a clamp,, which consists.
of two spring plates attached to a block and having bent toothed ends.
Upon them slides a perforated plate or sleeve, which when it is moved
to the outer ends of the spring plates locks their toothed ends together,.
so that they will firmly hold the rope. The block is swivelled to a plate
which is suspended from and slides on a wire or other rail of suitable
length. Each of the inner tubes is arranged in connection with one
rail, one block, and one swivel clamp..
Instead of having the beaters arranged as described, they may also be.
arranged directly in front of the rollers on the periphery of a cylinder
whose axis is parallel with that of the horizontal feed rollers, or other-.
wise, and I do not confine myself to any particular mode of arranging
the beaters, as long as they are smooth on their striking edges.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake,
Her special licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Robert Lake, 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 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 MACHINERY FOR UNTWISTING
AND SEPARATING THE FIBRES OF HAIR ROPES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
bands 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 I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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
Drawing, forming a part of this Specification :-
This Invention relates to a machine for picking hair from hair ropes.
The horsehair to be used for upholstering and other purposes is twisted
into a rope so that it will become curled, which rope may, if desired,
be turned into a coil so as to increase the curls in the hair. The hair
has then to be picked from the rope so as to become perfectly separated
and ready for the market. To pick the hair from such hair ropes is the
object of my Invention.
The said Invention consists, first, in the arrangement of the devices
for untwisting the rope. The same consists of a revolving tube through
which the rope passes and of an arm projecting from one end of the tube
and carrying a spool or roller, the axis of which is at about right angles
with that of the tube. The rope is wound once around the spool, which

page_text: revolves around the axis of the tube, and thus the twist is taken out of
the rope as it is being drawn forward. That end of the rope which is
not being acted upon is attached to a swivel hook which is secured
to a sliding block. The latter is guided on a wire or other rail so as to
move towards the machine as the rope becomes shorter.
The said Invention consists, secondly, in the construction of the
aforesaid swivel hook or clamp. The same is made of two spring plates,
the ends of which are bent towards each other, and are pointed so as to
grasp the rope between them. A sleeve sliding on the plates press
them together, so as to clamp the rope when the sleeve is on the front
end of the plates. When the rope becomes so short that it cannot be
held by the hook the latter is drawn against the tube, and thereby the
sleeve is pushed back on the plates so as to release the rope.
The said Invention also consists in the construction of the beaters for
separating the fibres from the untwisted rope; these beaters are smooth
bars of circular, oval, or angular cross section. They project from a
revolving drum or cylinder and strike the hair as they come out from
between two elastic feed rollers and hang down over the rounded edge
of a plate which is in front of the lower one of the said elastic feed
rollers. I am aware that hair has already been picked by means of
toothed cylinders, plates, or bars, and I wish to have it understood that
T
ulindone

page_text: turned the tubes E will be raised or lowered, and will thereby be
thrown in or out of gear with the disk D, as may be desired. From one
end of each tube E projects an arm c, on which a roller d is mounted,
so that its axis is nearly at a right angle to that of the tube E, as shown.
The position of these rollers d is such that a rope drawn through the
tube E and wound around the roller d, will remain in its proper
direction, as indicated in Figure 1. The rollers d are arranged between
the tubes E and two horizontal feed rollers F, G, which receive their
motion from suitable mechanism. The two rollers F, G, are either
made of or coated with india-rubber or other suitable elastic material,
and one of them is pressed against the other by means of springs e, e,
as shown. From the shaft B projects a series of smooth straight or bent
bars H, which when the shaft revolves sweep past the rollers F, G, as
indicated in Figure 3.
roller G is a plate I having a rounded upper edge, which is about in line
with the axis of the roller G and close to the side of the same, as
indicated in Figure 1. One end of the hair rope to be untwisted and
picked is held in a clamp J, which consists of two spring plates f.f
attached to a block g, and having bent down toothed ends, as shewn.
Upon them slides a perforated plate or sleeve h, which, when it is moved
to the outer ends of the plates f, as in Figure 1, locks their toothed ends
The
together, so that they will firmly hold the rope, as shewn.
block g is connected by a swivel to a plate K which is suspended from
and slides on a wire or other rail L of suitable length. With each
tube E employed in the apparatus is arranged one rail L, one block K,
and one swivel clamp J.
Fastened to the frame A below the lower
The operation of the said apparatus is as follows: One end of the
rope to be untwisted is fastened in the clamp J, and the rope is drawn
through the tube E wound around the roller d, and its other end inserted
between the rollers F, G. When the machine is set in motion the rope
will be untwisted as it leaves the roller d, and will when it leaves the
rollers F, G, be perfectly loose, so that the beaters when they strike the
protruding end of the rope will separate the hairs from each other and
from the rope, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. As soon as the clamp J
reaches the tube E, the plate h will be arrested by the edge of the
tubes E against which it strikes, and thus the rope end will be released
and wholly used up. By means of the handles the tubes can be
instantaneously thrown out of gear when desired. Instead of having
the beaters H, H, arranged as described, they may also be arranged

page_text: directly in front of the rollers F, G, on the periphery of a cylinder whose
axis is parallel with that of the rollers F, G, or otherwise. I do not
confine myself to any particular mode of arranging the beaters, as long
as they are smooth on their striking edges.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, and shewn how the same may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim, -
First. The revolving tube E operated by the disk D, and arranged
eccentrically within the tube a with the handle b, the said tube E
having eccentrically upon its face the arms c bearing the roller d, whose
revolutions are caused by the passage of the rope, substantially as
and for the purpose herein shown and described.
Second. The smooth beaters H in combination with the plate I,
rollers F, G, rollers d, tubes a, E, and clamp J, substantially as herein
described for the purpose specified.
Third. The loose conical roller d when arranged in relation to and
combined with tube E, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described.
Fourth. The swivel clamp J when made substantially as herein shewn
and described, and when provided with the sliding plate or sleeve / in
combination with the tube E, substantially as herein specified.
Fifth. The plate I having curved upper and lower edges arranged and
combined with the rollers F, G, and with the beaters H, substantially
as herein described for the purpose specified.
Sixth. The arrangement and combination with each other of the
rail L, block K, swivel clamp J, tube E, roller d, rollers F, G, plate I,
and beaters H, all made and operating substantially as hercin shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-ninth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)