IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING, RUBBING, AND SCUTCHING FLAX, HEMP, OR OTHER VEGETABLE FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND IN PROCESSES FOR TREATING SILK WASTE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tongue, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
BREAKING, RUBBING, AND SCUTCHING FLAX, HEMP, OR OTHER VEGETABLE
FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND IN PROCESSES FOR TREATING SILK WASTE,"
Sealed the 22nd April 1862, and dated the 4th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
March 1862.
I, WILLIAM TONGUE, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
POR BREAKING, RUBBING, AND SCUTCHING FLAX, HEMP, OR OTHER VEGETABLE
FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND IN PROCESSES FOR TREATING SILK WASTE," to be as
follows:-
The first part of my Invention has for its object improved arrangements
or combinations of machinery for breaking, crushing, and separating the
wood or boon from the fibres of the stems of flax, hemp, China grass, rhea,
and other similar fibrous plants; and my first improvements under this part
my Invention chiefly relate to improved arrangements and combinations
of parts in that class of machinery for which Patents were granted to Edward
of

page_text: Brasier and Henry Gardner dated respectively June 12th, 1857, No. 1651,
and February 12th, 1859, No. 404, in the Specifications of which a series of
rollers and other apparatus is described as being caused to operate on the
fibrous material in its passage through such machinery, and the first improve-
ment under the first part of my Invention consists in feeding the fibrous
materials through or between a series of pairs of revolving rollers, by pre-
ference having plain surfaces in place of being corrugated as heretofore, each
successive pair of such rollers having increasing pressure imparted thereto
by springs, weighted levers, or otherwise, so as to act with increasing pressure
on the fibrous material as it progresses through or between such rollers. The
fibrous material in its onward progress is conducted between another series
of revolving rollers, by preference having plain surfaces, the upper and lower
rollers being so arranged as to cause the fibrous material in its passage between
them to assume an undulating course. From this series of rollers the fibrous
material is conducted and passes between another series of plain or fluted
revolving rollers, by preference of smaller diameter, similarly arranged, from
which it passes to another series of pairs of plain or fluted revolving
rollers having a reciprocating movement imparted thereto in order to shake,
and rub out the boon or woody particles from among the fibres. The fibrous
material as it is delivered from the reciprocating rollers is conducted between
plates, bars, or scutching instruments, which have a reciprocating, or to-and-fro
movement imparted thereto in opposite directions. These plates, bars, or
scutching instruments on one side of the fibrous material intersect the plates
on the opposite side so as to cause the fibres to assume a serpentine or
undulating course when the plates have closed together upon the fibrous
materials. I prefer to arrange the series of plates, bars, or scutching instruments
in such manner that they may act on the fibrous material as it is received
from a pair of feed roller in its passage towards a pair of delivering rollers.
These two pairs of feed and delivery rollers have a reciprocating movement
imparted thereto in the direction of the length of the fibrous material passing
through them, so that as the feed rollers approach the plates or instruments
the plates or instruments open or recede from each other to allow the fibrous
material to pass between them, and then as these rollers recede the plates
or instruments close on the fibrous materials, which are drawn backwards by
the rollers through or between them for a short distance whilst held in an
undulating course, so as to have a scutching or scraping effect on the fibres.
1 would here remark that the feed and delivering rollers may have a recipro-
cating revolving movement imparted thereto in order to present,and partially

page_text: withdraw the fibrous materials whilst being acted upon by the scrutching
plates or instruments. The fibrous material as it passes from between the
scutching plates or instruments is received by the pair of delivering rollers,
which as before stated have a corresponding reciprocating movement with the
feed rollers, which deliver the fibrous material to the scrutching plates or
instruments. The plates bars or instruments, which operate on one side of
the fibrous material may if desired be stationary, or brushes may besubstituted
for the plates, bars, or instruments, or combined with and worked in a similar
manner thereto, or a beating action on the fibrous material under operation
may be obtained by means of reciprocating plates, bars, or instruments
having plain or corrugated surfaces, and either employed alone, or in com-
bination with the previously described apparatus. In place of the reciprocating
movement being given to the two pairs of feeding and delivering rollers as
previously described they may be arranged to revolve in stationary bearings,
and in addition to the opening and closing action of the scutching, beating,
or scraping apparatus upon the fibrous material, a reciprocating movement
may be given thereto in the direction of the length of the fibrous material
being operated upon. The fibrous materials in place of being fed continuously
and subjected to the action of the reciprocating scutching plates, or instruments,
as previously described, may be presented to the action of such instruments
in the form of a "strick" by the workman placing a quantity of the fibrous.
material over a fixed rest, and allowing it to descend gradually between the
scutching instruments, and gradually withdrawing it from their action, then
by reversing the end of the "strick," and presenting the ends of the fibres
previously held to the same operation. Or a pair of feed rollers may be
employed to feed the "strick" of fibrous material so as to subject it to
the action of the scutching instruments, and by reversing their action gradually
withdraw the fibres therefrom. The end of the "strick" of fibrous material
can then be reversed, and again fed by the rollers into the machine to be acted
upon by the scutching instruments in the opposite direction. By this means
a very simple machine may be constructed suitable for preparing flax, hemp,
China grass, rhea, or other vegetable fibrous materials by hand labor.
.
One or other of the several arrangements of scutching, boating, or scraping
apparatus before described may if desired be so arranged as to constitute a
separate machine for operating upon the fibrous materials as a distinct process
in place of the fibrous materiais being delivered thereto from the com.
bined system of rollers composing the breaking, and rubbing apparatus before
described. The several series of rollers before described as forming a com-

page_text: bined breaking and rubbing apparatus for operating on fibrous materials in
continuous succession may be so arranged as to constitute separate machines
to be employed separately for the purposes of my Invention.
My Improvements under this part of my Invention also consist in arranging
and mounting the alternate pairs of reciprocating pairs of rollers previously
described upon reciprocating or oscillating frames, which carry the bearings
of the rollers at each end, one oscillating frame being arranged to carry one
series of pairs of rollers, and the other oscillating frame, another series of pairs.
Springs are also employed when the rollers are arranged or combined in a
series, such springs being carried by the moving frames in order simply to
press the rollers together upon the fibrous material as it passes between the
rollers.
The several series of rollers in the machinery before described may be
arranged so that the several pairs of rollers may have the same amount of
reciprocating movement, but according to this part of my Invention I so
arrange the apparatus that the amount of reciprocating movement of the rollers
may gradually increase as the fibrous material advances or progresses through
the machine. This is accomplished by mounting the series of pairs of recipro-
cating rollers on frame arms moving on centres near one end thereof, and so
arranged that one series of pairs of rollersare caused to balancetheother seriesof
pairs of rollers, whilst having reciprocating movement given thereto inopposite
directions. Reciprocating bars, plates, or boards having openings therein for
the fibrous material to pass through, may, if desired, be arranged according to
this part of my Invention to work between each two pairs of rollers arranged
and combined with any or all of the mechanical arrangements before described
so as to have a rubbing action upon the fibrous material under operation, and
these reciprocating bars, plates, or boards may be arranged to work in com-
bination with the scutching or beating apparatus before described.
My next improvements under this part of my luvention, consist in
combining in one machine the various arrangements of mechanism for
operating on fibrous materials described in the Specifications of the several
Letters Patent, granted to P. H. Desvignes, dated February 12th, 1857,
No. 410; to E. Brasier, dated June 12th, 1857, No. 1651; to H. Gardner,
dated February 12th, 1859, No. 404, together with the various improvements
in machinery for this purpose previously described under this part of my
Invention.
The arrangement of mechanism I prefer to employ in carrying out this
part of my improvements consists in first passing the fibrous material to be

page_text: operated upon through a combined series (by preference) of plain revolving
rollers having gradually increasing pressure applied thereto together with
another series of (by preference)plain revolving rollers which cause the fibrous
material to assume an undulating course, then through or between a series
of pairs of reciprocating rollers as before described, and from thence between
a pair or pairs of revolving rollers having roughened surfaces and having end-
way reciprocating movement to obtain a crosswise rubbing action on the
fibrous material which may also be subjected to a beating operation between
corrugated or other surfaces.
The fibrous material in its onward progress through this arrangement of
machinery passes between a series of opening and closing plates, bars, or
scutching instruments,such or similar to those previously described iu the first
part of my improvements. The fibrous material is finally operated upon
before being delivered from the machine by a series of revolving beaters such
as or similar to those described in the Specification of the Patent granted to
P. H. Desvignes before referred to.
Another improvement under this part of my Invention for breaking,crush-
ing,or rubbing out the woodymatters from vegetable fibrous materials consists
in passing them through or between an arrangement of revolving rollers,
part of such rollers being carried by lever arms so as to have a quadrant
or semicircular movement over the surface of the other rollers which
revolve in stationary bearings, for the purpose of obtaining increased rolling
action upon the fibrous material thus acted upon as it passes through the
machine.
For the treatment of New Zealand flax or analogous vegetable fibrous
materials where it is desirable to employgrooved or fluted rollers in the treat-
ment thereof bymachinery such as herein-before described, I prefertogrooveor
flute the successive rollers or pairs of rollers with grooves or flutes of different
and varying degrees of fineness. The last improvement under this part of my
Invention consists in arranging a series of plates, bars, or scutchinginstruments
to open and close on the flax, hemp, or other fibrous materials whilst being
held or suspended between them by means of hooks or holders. The plates
bars, or scutching instruments are arranged so as to intersect each other
on opposite sides of thefibrous materials and the holders are so placed that the
scutchiug instruments at the beginning of the operation commence theiraction
nearest to the ends of the fibrous materials which are graduallylowered tocause
them to be operated upon nearer and nearer to the holders. Whilst the
plates, bars, or scutching instruments are closed npon the fibrous materials

page_text: the scutching instruments are caused to descend a short distance thereon,
by which arrangement a very superior scutching operation on the fibrous
materials will be obtained. This movement may either be given to the
scutching instruments or to the holders containing the fibrous material to
draw them upwards through the scutching instruments by preference whilst
closed thereon. In place of arranging the parts as above-described the
scutching instruments may be so arranged as to commence their action
upon or near the points of the fibrous material as the holders travel through
the machine in the ordinary manner of flax heckling machinery, the scutch-
ing instruments being so arranged as to act on the fibrous material nearer and
nearer to the holders as they progress through the machine, and I prefer
to move the holders by a step-by-step movement through the machine, the
holders remaining stationary so far as relates to their move nent through the
machine when the plates or scutching instruments are acting upon the fibrous
material.
The number of intersecting plates, bars, or scutching instruments employed
in carrying out this part of my Invention may occupy a surface equal in
depth to the length of the fibrous materials they are to operate upon.
Another part of my Invention has for its object the treatment of certain
descriptionsof silkgenerally knownassilk waste, and consists, first, insubmitting
it to the rubbing action of an arrangement of that class of machinery for
which Letters Patent were granted to Henry Gardner, before referred to,
either before the ordinary processes of softening, discharging or partially dis-
charging the gum, or after such processes.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I prefer to employ for this
purpose an arrangement of reciprocating rollers and scutching apparatus,
such as is described under the first part of my Invention for operating upon
vegetable fibrous materials. By passing silk waste through machinery of
this description, its harshness will be removed, and being thus reduced to
a soft and pliable state it will be rendered far more suitable for being treated
by the subsequent processes ordinarily employed for treating such silk
waste.
Another improvement according to this part of my Invention consists in
submitting "laps" or sheets obtained from pierced cocoons to the action of
the machinery just referred to. The "laps" obtained from pierced cocoons
prepared in a wet state when allowed to dry previous to subsequent operations
become very harsh and difficult to deal with, but by passing the "laps" or
sheets betweenanarrangementof reciprocating rollersand scutching apparatus

page_text: or to either operation separately, they will be sofiened and the fibres loosened
so as to be in a more suitable condition for subsequent operations.
My Invention also consists in improved arrangements of apparatus for
softening and partially removing the gum from silk waste and from pierced
cocoons, and consists in placing silk of this description in a series of trays or
separate perforated chambers so arranged as to be subjected to a continuous
plunging operation up and down by suitable mechanical means in a vessel
of water.
The series of trays or separate chambers containing the silk to be operated
upon may be so arranged as to be readily introduced into and withdrawn or
raised out of the vessel in which the operation is carried on. This part of
my improvements is also applicable to the processes for discharging the gum
from silk of this description and also for washing the same with soap and
water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TONGUE, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Tongue, Her special licence that I, the said William
Tongue, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Tongue,my executors, administrators, and assigns,should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there.
after 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 BREAKING, RUBBING, AND SCUTCHING FLAX. HEMP, OR OTHER
VEGETABLE FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND IN PROCESSES FOR TREATING SILK WASTE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Tongue,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 Tongue, 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 fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say :-
The first part of my Invention has for its object improved arrangements
or combinations of machinery for breaking, crushing, and separating the
wood or "boon" from the fibres of the stems of flax, hemp, China grass, rhea,
and other similar fibrous plants, and my first improvements under this part
of my Invention chiefly relate to improved arrangements and combinations
of
parts in that class of machinery for which Patents were granted to Edward
Brasier, and Henry Gardner, dated respectively June 12th, 1857, No. 1651,
and February 12th, 1859, No. 404, in the Specifications of which a series of
rollers and other apparatus is described as being caused to operate on the
fibrous material in its passage through such machinery; and the first im-
provement under the first part of my Invention consists in feeding the fibrous
materials through or between a series of pairs of revolving rollers, by prefer-
ence having plain surfaces in place of being corrugated as heretofore, each
successive pair of such rollers having increasing pressure imparted thereto
by springs, weighted levers, or otherwise, so as to act with increasing pressure
on the fibrous material as it progresses through or between such rollers.
The fibrous material in its onward progress is conducted between another
series of revolving rollers, by preference having plain surfaces, the upper
and lower rollers being so arranged as to cause the fibrous material in its
passage between them to assume an undulating course. From this series
of rollers the fibrous material is conducted and passes between another series
of plain or fluted revolving rollers, by preferenceof smaller diameter, similarly.
arranged from which it passes to another series of pairs of plain or fluted
revolving rollers having a reciprocating movement imparted thereto in order
to shake and rub out the "boon" or woody particles from among the fibres.
The fibrous material as it is delivered from the reciprocating rollers is con-
ducted between plates, bars, or scutching instruments, which have a recipro-
cating or to-and-fro movement imparted thereto in opposite directions. These
plates, bars, or scutching instruments, on one side of the fibrous material
intersect the plates on the opposite side, so as to cause the fibres to assume a

page_text: serpentine or undulating course when the plates have closed together upon the
fibrous materials. I prefer to arrange the series of plates, bars, or scutching
instruments in such manner that they may act on the fibrous material as it
is received from pair of feed rollers in its passage towards a pair of deliver-
ing rollers. These two pairs of feed and delivering rollers have a reciprocating
movement imparted thereto in the direction of the length of the fibrous
material passing through them, so that as the feed rollers approach the plates
or instruments the plates or instruments open or recede from each other to
allow the fibrous material to pass between them, and then as these rollers
recede the plates or instruments close on the fibrous materials which are
drawn backwards by the rollers through or between them for a short distance
whilst held in an undulating course so as to have a scutching or scraping
effect on the fibres. I would here remark that the feed and delivering rollers
may have a reciprocating revolving movement imparted thereto in order to
present and partially withdraw the fibrous materials whilst being acted
upon by the scutching plates or instruments. The fibrous material as it passes
from between the scutching plates or instruments is received by the pair of
delivering rollers which as before stated have a corresponding reciprocating
movement with the feed rollers which deliver the fibrous material to the
scutching plates or instruments. The plates, bars, or instruments which
operate on one side of the fibrous material may if desired be stationary, or
brushes may be substituted for the plates, bars, or instruments or combined
with and worked in a similar manner thereto, or a beating action on the
fibrous material under operation may be obtained by means of reciprocating
plates, bars, or instruments having plain or corrugated surfaces, and either
employed alone or in combination with the previously described apparatus.
In place of the reciprocating movement being given to the two pairs of feed
and delivering rollers as previously described, they may be arranged to revolve
in stationary bearings, and in addition to the opening and closing action
of the scutching, beating, or scraping apparatus upon the fibrous material,
a reciprocating movement may be given thereto in the direction of the length
of the fibrous material being operated upon. The fibrous materials in place of
being fed continuously and subjected to the action of the reciprocating
scutching plates or instruments as previously describe, may be presented to
the action of such instruments in the form of a "strick" by the workman
placing a quantity of the fibrous material over a fixed rest and allowing it
to descend gradually between the scutching instruments and gradually with-
drawing it from their action, then by reversing the end of the "strick," and

page_text: presenting the ends of the fibres previously held to the same operation. Or
a pair of feed rollers maybe employed to feed the "strick" of fibrous material
so as to subject it to the action of the scutching instruments, and by reversing
their action, gradually withdraw the fibres therefrom. The end of the
"strick" of fibrous material can then be reversed and again fed by rollers
into the machine to be acted upon by the scutching instruments in the
opposite direction. By this means a very simple machine may be con-
structed suitable for preparing flax, hemp, China grass, rhea, or other
vegetable fibrous materials by hand labour, one or other of the several
arrangements of scutching, beating, or scraping apparatus before described,
may if desired be so arranged as to constitute a separate machine for operating
upon the fibrousmaterials as a distinct process,inplace of thefibrous materials
being delivered thereto from the combined system of rollers composing the
breaking and rubbing apparatus before described. The several series of
rollers before described as forming a combined breaking and rubbing appa-
ratus for operating on fibrous materials in continuous succession may be so
arranged as to constitute separate machines to be employed separately for
the purposes of my Invention.
My improvements under this part of my Invention also consist in arranging
and mounting the alternate pairs of reciprocating pairs of rollers previously
described upon reciprocating or oscillating frames which carry the bearings
of the rollers at each eud, one oscillating frame being arranged to carry one
series of pairs of rollers, and the other oscillating frame another series of
pairs of rollers. Springs are also employed when the rollers are arranged
or combined in a series, such springs being carried by the moving frames in
order simply to press the rollers together upon the fibrous material as it
passes between the rollers. The several series of rollers in the machinery
before described, may be arranged so that the several pairs of rollers may
have the same amount of reciprocating movement, but according to this part of
my Invention I so arrange the apparatus that the amount of reciprocating
movementof the rollers maygraduallyincrease as the fibrous material advances
or progresses through the machine. This is accomplished by mounting the
series of pairs of reciprocating rollers on frame arms moving on centres
near one end thereof and so arranged that one series of pairs of rollers are
caused to balance the other series of pairs of rollers, whilst having recipro
cating movement given thereto in opposite directions, reciprocating bars,
plates, or boards having openings therein for the fibrous material to pass
through may if desired be arranged according to this part of my Invention,

page_text: arms. The rollers G deliver the fibrous materials between the plates, bars, or
scutching instruments H, H, carried by the levers arms H', H', on each side
of the machine, to which a reciprocating to-and-fro movement is conmu-
nicated by links H2, H3,actuated by lever arms fixed on the rocking shaft H3.
From the scrutching instruments H the fibrous material is conducted between
the pair of delivering rollers I on to the endless band I', and away from the
machine. The rollers I are supported in bearings carried by lever arms 12 on
each side of the machine, which are connected by links to the frame arms E,
and are thus caused to partake of the same amount of up-and-down movement
as the rollers H. From the above description, aided by the accompanying
Drawings, a competent workman will readily understand how motion is com-
municated to the several series and pairs of rollers without entering more
minutely into a description thereof.
My next improvements under this part of my Invention consist in com-
bining in one machine the various arrangements of mechanism for operating
on fibrous materials, fully described in the Specifications of the several Letters
Patent granted to Peter Hubert Desvignes, dated February 12th, 1857,
No. 410; to Edward Brasier, dated June 12th, 1857, No. 1651; to Henry
Gardner, dated February 12th, 1859, No. 404, together with the various
improvements in machinery for this purpose, previously described under this
first part of my Invention. The arrangement of mechanism I prefer to
employ in carrying out this part of my improvements consists in first passing.
the fibrous material to be operated upon through a combined series by pre-
ference of plain revolving rollers, having gradually increasing pressure applied
thereto, together with another series of,by preference, plain revolving rollers,
which cause the fibrous material to assume an undulating course; then
through or between a series of pairs of reciprocating rollers, as before
described, and from thence between a pair or pairs of revolving rollers
having roughened surfaces, and having endway reciprocating movement to
obtain a crosswise rubbing action on the fibrous materials, which may also be
subjected to a beating operation between corrugated or other surfaces. The
fibrous material in its onward progress through this arrangement of machinery
passes between a series of opening and closing plates, bars, or scutching
instruments, such or similar to those previously described in the first part of
my improvements. The fibrous material is finally operated upon before
being delivered from the machine by a series of revolving beaters, such or
similar to those described in the Specification of the Patent granted to T. H.
Desvignes, before referred to.

page_text: By reference to the Specifications and Drawings of the several Patents
before referred to, aided by the previous description of my improvements,
according to this part of my Invention, a competent workman will readily
understand and carry the same into practice, as I make no claim to any of
the mechanical parts separately. This part of my Invention having for its
object the combination of the principal features of the several arrangements
of mechanism before referred to into one machine of a more useful character
for the purposes of my Invention than either arrangement when employed
separately.
Another improvement under this part of my Invention for breaking,
crushing, or rubbing out the woody matters from vegetable fibrous materials
consists in passing them through or between an arrangement of revolving
rollers, part of such rollers being carried by lever arms, so as to have a
quadrant or semicircular movement over the surface of the other rollers,
which revolve in stationary bearings for the purpose of obtaining increased
rolling action upon the fibrous material thus acted upon as it passes through
the machinery. For the treatment of New Zealand flax, or analogous
vegetable fibrous materials, where it is desirable to employ grooved or fluted
rollers in the treatment thereof by machinery such as herein-before described,
I prefer to groove or flute the successive rollers or pairs of rollers with grooves
or flutes of different and varying degrees of fineness.
The lastimprovement under this part of my Invention consists in arranging
a series of plates, bars, or scutching instruments to open and close on the flax,
hemp, or other fibrous materials whilst being held or suspended between
them, by means of hooks or holders. The plates, bars, or scutching instru-
ments are arranged so as to intersect each other on opposite sides of the
fibrous materials, and the holders are so placed that the scutching instruments
at the beginning of the operation commence their action nearest to the ends
of the fibrous materials, which are gradually lowered to cause them to be
operated upon nearer and nearer to the holders, whilst the plates, bars, or
scutching instruments are closed upon the fibrous materials the scutching
instruments are caused to descend a short distance thereon; by which
arrangement a very superior scutching operation on the fibrous materials will
be obtained. This movement may either be given to the scutching instru-
ments, or to the holders containing the fibrous material, to draw them
upwards through the scutching instrument, by preference whilst closed
thereon. In place of arranging the parts as above described, the scutching
instruments may be so arranged as to commence their action upon or near

page_text: the points of the fibrous material as the holders travel through the machine
in the ordinary manner of flax heckling machinery, the scutching instruments
being so arranged as to act on the fibrous material nearer and nearer to the
holders as they progress through the machine; and I prefer to move the
holders by a step-by-step movement through the machine, the holders
remaining stationary so far as relates to their movement through the machine
when the plates or scutching instruments are acting upon the fibrous material.
The number of intersecting plates, bars, or scutching instruments employed in
carrying out this part of my Invention may occupy a surface equal in depth
to the length of the fibrous materials they are to operate upon.
Another part of my Invention has for its object the treatment of certain
descriptions of silk, generally known as silk waste, and consists, first, in sub-
mitting it to the rubbing action of an arrangement of that class of machinery
for which Letters Patent were granted to Henry Gardner, before referred to,
either before the ordinary processes of softening, discharging, or partially dis-
charging the gum, or aftor such processes. In carrying out this part of my
Invention I prefer to employ for this purpose an arrangement of reciprocating
rollers and scutching apparatus, such as is shewn and fully described under
the first part of my Invention for operating upon vegetable fibrous materials:
By passing silk waste through machinery of this description its harshness will
be removed, and being thus reduced to a soft and pliable state it will be ren-
dered far more suitable for being treated by the subsequent process ordinarily
employed for treating such silk waste.
Another improvement according to this part of my Invention consists in
submitting "laps "or sheets obtained from pierced cocoons to the action of
the machinery just referred to. The "laps" obtained from pierced cocoons
prepared in a wet state, when allowed to dry previous tosubsequent operations,
become very harsh and difficult to deal with, but by passing such "laps" or
sheets between an arrangement of reciprocating rollers and scutching appa-
ratus, or to either operation separately, they will be softened and the fibres
loosened, so as to be in a more suitable condition for subsequent operations.
My Invention also consists in improved arrangements of apparatus for
softening and partially removing the gum from silk waste and from pierced
cocoons, and cousists in placing silk of this description in a series of trays or
separate perforated chambers, so arranged as to be subjected to a continuous
plunging operation up and down by suitable mechanical means in a vessel of
water. The series of trays or separate chambers containing the silk to be
operated upon inay be so arranged as to be readily introduced into and with

page_text: drawn or raised out of the vessel in which the operation is carried on. This
part of my improvements is also applicable to the process for discharging the
gum from silk of this description, and also for washing the same with soap
and water.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tongue, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
WILLIAM TONGUE. (LS.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
London, W.C.