CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPA- RATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Henry Mentha, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 25th September 1855, and dated the 21st May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Henry Mentha
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st May 1855.
I, ALEXANDER HENRY MENTHA, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
Hitherto wadding has been made from "fleeces," but by these improvements
it is purposed to manufacture wadding by means of "laps" of carded cotton,
the number of laps varying according to the quality and thickness of the
wadding to be made.
In the machinery or apparatus connected with these improvements a carding
engine of peculiar construction is to be employed, by which laps of any required
length and breadth may be manufactured in accordance with the requirements

page_text: of these improvements. I cases where wadding of a bettermost quality is
required, the "laps" taken direct from the carding engine are arranged one
behind the other on a series of revolving drums or rollers, so many as will
yield the required thickness when bound together by pressure; from these
rollers the laps pass between a presser roller, and over another roller if
required as wadding, and after having been sized by a soft brush or brushes
based upon a circular revolving drum or roller. This roller or drum is appro-
priately supplied from a trough of size by intermediate brushes and rollers;
the wadding is then passed into or through heated flues or chambers suitably
arranged, and consequently dried and finished.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Henry Mentha in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
HENRY MENTHA, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Henry Mentha, Her especial license that I, the said Alexander
Henry Mentha, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alexander Henry Mentha, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, AND
IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition,
amongst others, that I, the said Alexauler Henry Mentha, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Henry Mentha, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):
-
Hitherto wadding has been made from "fleeces," but by these improvements
it is proposed to manufacture wadding by means of "laps" of carded cotton,
the number of "laps" varying according to the quality and thickness of the
wadding to be made.
In the machinery or apparatus connected with these improvements a carding
engine of peculiar construction is to be employed, by which "laps" of any
required strength, length, and breadth may be manufactured in accordance
with the requirements of these improvements. To manufacture the wadding
according to this improved manner, the "laps" formed on. the carding engine
are arranged one behind or above the other ou a doubling machine, consisting
of a series of revolving rollers, so many as will yield the required thickness
when joined together by pressure; from these rollers the laps pass between
two presser rollers, and afterwards are sized by a soft brush or brushes fixed
upon a revolving shaft. This circular brush is appropriately supplied from a
trough of size by intermediate brushes and rollers; the wadding is then passed
into or through "heated flues or chambers" suitably arranged, and consequently
dried and finished.
.
In order that this Invention may be the better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawing; Fig. 1 being made upon
a scale of about one and a balf inches to the foot; and Fig. 2 being made
upon a scale of about three inches to the foot.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a machine employed for the redupli-
cation to any extent of the laps from the several rollers or drums mounted on
the framing; Fig. 2 exhibits a sectional view of the sizing apparatus, more
clearly illustrative of the brushes, rollers, and agitator employed in connection
therewith. Similar letters of reference are in both Figures marked upon
corresponding parts of the machinery or apparatus. a, a, represent a strong
iron framing, so arranged as to be capable of supporting nine rollers b, b, on
which the laps are wound and brought direct from the carding engine. In
Fig. 1 but four laps are shewn as in combination for the formation of wadding
(each of which laps may be composed of any desired number of fleeces or
cardings compatible with the working of the carding engine.
In the present illustration of this Invention, supposing that cach lap at its
production at the carding engine to be composed of three fleeces, the wadding
when perfected would contain its entire thickness, twelve fleeces, which might

page_text: be increased to any proportionate thickness or quality by adding one or more
of the extra laps placed on the other rollers. c, c, c, represent the rollers or
laps of carded cotton resting in the framing, in this case unemployed; and d, d,
the four rollers giving off the laps for the formation of the wadding e. Beneath
each lap roller is a friction roller f, on which the lap bears, receiving such
proportionate motion for its unwinding as may be desirable in the formation of
the wadding, the laps themselves being of such consistency as to readily release
themselves, or wind off from the lap roller in its revolution. Motion is im-
parted to the friction rollers f, f, from the bevil gearing g, g, driven from the
shaft through the bevil wheels j, j. The shaft h gets its motion by having
secured upon it the worm wheel k, actuated by the worm 1, on whose shaft and
at the opposite side of the machine the driving pulleys are secured. The laps
intended to form the wadding are first brought down from their respective
rollers and passed under the lowest lap roller nearest to the sizing apparatus
from between this lap roller and its friction roller. The laps now brought
together pass. between the presser rollers m, m; from thenco the wadding
passes beneath the sizing trough n and over-the drum o, against which it is
held and lightly pressed by the small roller p.
When the operation of sizing takes place, as it is desirable that only the
froth of the sizing liquid should be applied to the wadding, it will be observed,
on reference to Fig. 2, that an agitator q is employed, for the purpose of, by
its constant revolutions, causing the continual disturbance of the sizing liquid,
and the consequent generation of froth. The liquid is kept at a uniform height
or level, and is heated by means of steam passing through the chamber 1, the
upper surface of which forms a false bottom for the sizing trough n. It will
now be understood that by means of the revolving roller s, clothed with felt,
flannel, or any other suitable material, the froth of the sizing liquid is regularly
and continuously taken up, the periphery of the roller s being on a level with
the froth. The froth on the surface of the roller s is then distributed upon or
transferred to the hard revolving brush t, which in its turn is relieved of its
froth by the soft brush u, and by it spread over the surface of the wadding in
an equal, even, and continuous manner. As the wadding traverses through
the machino or apparatus, the sized wadding, now having passed over the drum
o, is introduced into a hot chamber; this chamber may be heated by any con-
venient means suitable to the purpose, and on leaving it the wadding is covered
by a perfectly dried glazed surface, which completes its manufacture. It is
then cut into the required length and made up ready for sale. The advantage
of this mode of manufacturing wadding over the modes already in use are as
follows-First, by forming laps of the carded fleeces of the engine, and

page_text: doubling, tripling, or quadrupling them afterwards, as the case may be, a
considerable time is gained, and consequently a great reduction in the cost of
production; and, secondly, I obtain a wadding regular in its quality, since the
carding engine can be kept always to its regular work, the thickness of the
wadding or its weight for any given length being produced by increasing or
diminishing the number of laps of carded cotton which collectively enter in its
manufacture. My improvements, therefore, not only conduce to economy of
time or of cost, but also to the production of a more regular and even article,
and a facility to alter from any weight to another without cost, or altering the
speed of the engines.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be put into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I claim the novel application, employment, and use of laps or
rolls of carded cotton, taken direct from the carding engine, for the purpose
of manufacturing wadding, and the arrangement of such laps or rolls in such
a manner that two or more of such laps may be delivered simultaneously and
to their entire length in the formation of such wadding; as well as the
novel application, employment, and uso of brushes, having either a rotary or
reciprocating motion, worked by power, for the purpose of glazing or sizing
wadding, as herein particularly described and set forth, and fully illustrated in
the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Heury Mentha, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
ALEXANDER HENRY MENTHA. (Ls.)