IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN TEARING SILK AND OTHER FABRICS AND RAGS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sidney Collins and Charles Collins, both of
No. 24, Hercules Buildings, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN TEARING SILK
AND OTHER FABRICS AND RAGS."
Sealed the 22nd June 1866, and dated the 28th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sidney Collins and
Charles Collins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 28th December 1865.
We, SIDNEY COLLINS and CHARLES COLLINS, both of No. 24, Hercules
Buildings, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN
TEARING SILK AND OTHER FABRICS AND RAGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used in
tearing silk and other fabrics and rags. For these purposes a revolving
cylinder is employed studded with spikes, which project about one inch in
length and about eighteen or twenty to the square inch. These spikes are
of steel, pointed at their outer ends, and straight. On one end of the axis
of the drum is fixed a pulley, which receives motion by a strap from a
pulley on the main driving shaft. Another pulley on the driving shaft by
another band gives motion by suitable spur wheels or gearing to the feed
rollers in front of the cylinder. There are two pairs of feed rollers; the
second pair are next the cylinder. In order to prevent the second pair of
feed rollers from springing in their length the upper roller is pressed on
from end to end by a third weighted roller, the fabrics or rags are spread
evenly on the feed table, and are moved progressively up to the feed rollers.

page_text: The large cylinder studded with spikes is caused to revolve at a high speed,
whilst the feed rollers revolve with a slow surface speed, and the spikes
tear the silk or other fabrics or rags as they are fed through between the
second pair of feed rollers. At the upper part of the cylinder and com-
mencing just above where the feed takes place are applied a series of
tearing cylinders of small diameter; these tearing cylinders are geared, and
are caused to revolve in the opposite direction and at a different speed to
the large cylinder. The spikes of these tearing cylinders tear the silk or
other fabrics or rags as they are carried forward by the spikes of the large
cylinder. Between the tearing cylinders are applied a second series of
cylinders of small diameter, which are caused to revolve in the same
direction as the large cylinder, and they revolve at less speed than the
tearing cylinders first mentioned; the spikes of these second mentioned
small cylinders receive and tear the silk or other rags from the spikes of
the first mentioned tearing cylinders, and the spikes of the second men-
tioned small cylinders, as well as of the first mentioned small cylinders, are
so placed in respect to the large cylinder that 'the spikes of both have a
tearing action with the spikes of the large cylinder. The number of the
smaller cylinders in each series may be varied, but it is preferred that they
should be as numerous as the large cylinder will receive. By these arrange-
ments the spikes of the large cylinder will take the parts of the fabrics or
rags from the feed rollers, and the quantities so taken will then be alter-
nately acted on by the smaller cylinder of the two series; a revolving
brush is applied to clear the first tearing cylinder, and another revolving
brush is applied to the last of the tearing cylinders; in order to clear the
spikes of these cylinders an arched cover is applied over the tearing
cylinders. In some cases all the small tearing cylinders are caused to
revolve in the same direction, either in the same or in the opposite direction
to the large cylinder
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Sidney Collins and Charles Collins in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, SIDNEY
COLLINS and CHARLES COLLINS, both of No. 24, Hercules Buildings,
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
.Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Sidney Collins and Charles Collins, Her special
licence that we, the said Sidney Collins and Charles Collins, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Sidney Collins
and Charles Collins, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN TEARING SILK AND OTHER FABRICS AND RAGS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Sidney Collins and
Charles Collins, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Sidney Collins and Charles Collins,
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 thereof, that is to say) :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used in
tearing silk and other fabrics and rags. For these purposes a revolving
cylinder is employed studded with spikes, which project about one inch in
length and about eighteen or twenty to the square inch. These spikes
are of steel, pointed at their outer ends, and straight. On one end of the
axis of the drum is fixed a pulley, which receives motion by a strap from a
pulley on the main driving shaft. Another pulley on the driving shaft by
another band gives motion by suitable spur wheels or gearing to the feed
rollers in front of the cylinder. There are two pairs of feed rollers; the
second pair are next the cylinder. In order to prevent the second pair of
feed rollers from springing in their length the upper roller is pressed on
from end to end by a third weighted roller, the fabrics or rags are spread
evenly on the feed table, and are moved progressively up to the feed rollers.
The large cylinder studded with spikes is caused to revolve at a high speed,
whilst the feed rollers revolve with a slow surface speed, and the spikes
tear the silk or other-fabrics or rags as they are fed through between the

page_text: second pair of feed rollers. At the upper part of the cylinder and com-
inencing just above where the feed takes place are applied a series of
tearing cylinders of small diameter; these tearing cylinders are geared,
and are caused to revolve in the opposite direction and at a different
speed to the large cylinder. The spikes of these tearing cylinders tear
the silk or other fabrics or rags as they are carried forward by the spikes
of the large cylinder. Between the tearing cylinders are applied a second
series of cylinders of small diameter, which are caused to revolve in the
same direction as the large cylinder, and they revolve at less speed than
the tearing cylinders first mentioned; the spikes of these second men-
'tioned small cylinders receive and tear the silk or other rags from the
spikes of the first mentioned tearing cylinders, and the spikes of the
second mentioned small cylinders, as well as of the first mentioned small
'cylinders, are so placed in respect to the large cylinder that the spikes of
both have a tearing action with the spikes of the large cylinder. The
number of the smaller cylinders in each series may be varied, but it is
preferred that they should be as numerous as the large cylinder will
receive. By these arrangements the spikes of the large cylinder will take
the parts of the fabrics or rags from the feed rollers, and the quantities so
taken will then be alternately acted on by the smaller cylinder of the two
series; a revolving brush is applied to clear the first tearing cylinder,
and another revolving brush is applied to the last of the tearing cylinders;
in order to clear the spikes of those cylinders an arched cover is applied
over the tearing cylinders. In some cases all the small tearing cylinders
are caused to revolve in the same direction, either in the same or in the
opposite direction to the large cylinder.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed
more fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan, Figure 2 a side elevation, and Figure 3 a lon-
gitudinal section of a machine constructed and combined according to our
Invention; Figures 4 show an end view and part of a plan of one of the
tearing rollers and the manner in which it is preferred to apply the tearing
spikes or teeth or points thereto; Figures 5 show a transverse section and
part of a plan of one of the blocks of spikes or points or teeth on the main
cylinder. In these Figures the same letters of reference are used to
indicate the same parts.
.
a, a, is the side framing; 6 is the main cylinder with blocks of pointed

page_text: spikes c, c, set around its periphery. The shaft or axle of the main
cylinder 6 receives motion by a strap or band which receives motion from
a steam engine or other suitable power. Two series or sets of tearing
rollers e, e, and, f, are used with the main cylinder b, the axes of which
are geared together by the wheels e, f, in such manner that the tearing
rollers e, e, revolve with greater speed than the tearing rollers ff, and the
two sets or series of tearing rollers e, f, are caused to revolve in the directions
indicated by the arrows in Figure 3. A brushing roller may be applied to
clean the first tearing roller e, and another to clean the last tearing roiler
when required, but we have not found them necessary. The first tearing
roller e is driven by a strap or band e* from a drum or pulley on the shaft d;
motion is transmitted to this shaft by a band & from the axle 6. The two
series of tearing rollers and the upper part of the main cylinder are closed
in by side plates with slots therein as shown, and the top is covered by
hinged covers. The silk and other rags are fed into the machine by means
of an endless apron g, g, and feed rollers h, both these receive motion by a
strap or band g¹ driven by a drum or pulley on the shaft d, the strap or
band gives motion to the shaft g by the pulley or drum thereon, and the
shaft g by a pinion thereon gives motion to the shaft or axle of one of the
feed rollers, the others receiving motion by toothed wheels in the usual
manner. Motion is also transmitted from the axle of one of the feed
rollers to the endless apron as shown at Figure 1. The uppermost of
the feed rollers is simply for pressing the intermediate roller all along its
length in order that it may not bend or spring.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we make no claim
to any of the parts separately; but what we claim is, the combined arrange-
ment of the parts into a machine as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Sidney Collins and Charles
Collins, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-eighth
day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
SIDNEY COLLINS.
(L.S.)
"
CHARLES COLLINS. (L.s.)"