IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING AND DRYING STRAW PLAIT
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Salisbury, of Harpenden, in the County
of Herts, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
WASHING AND DRYING STRAW PLAIT."
Sealed the 2nd April 1874, and dated the 20th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Salisbury at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th October 1873.
I, HENRY SALISBURY, of Harpenden, in the County of Herts, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR WASHING AND DRYING STRAW PLAIT," to be as follows:―
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
washing and drying straw plait.
For washing straw plait I employ a tank, along which a horizontal
axis
passes from end to end just over the water level in the tank. The
axis is caused to rotate, and arms upon it carry wire cages, in which the
skeins of plait are placed. The cages are constructed of wirework,
excepting the ends which are of iron galvanized, and they have studs at

page_text: their ends, which are received into notches in the ends of the arms, and
they are secured in these notches by wedges or in other convenient
manner. The cages are divided transversely into three or other number
of compartments, each of a length to receive the skeins, and each com-
partment is provided with a wirework door. In some cases I subdivide
these compartments by longitudinal partitions in order to keep the
skeins separate the one from the other so that the water or liquid
employed in washing the plait may pass amongst them more freely.
Thus whilst the machine is at work the cages are constantly and alter-
nately forced down throught the water or washing liquid and lifted out
of it, and by this action the plaits are rapidly cleaned.
In order to dry the plait I transfer the cages containing it to another
similar apparatus, but without the water trough. As the axis revolves
with the cages the water is thrown out of the skeins, and they are dried
by the air current which is thus caused to pass through the cages.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Salisbury in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
SALISBURY, of Harpenden, in the County of Herts, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Salisbury, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Salisbury, iny executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Salisbury, 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 WASHING AND DRYING STRAW PLAIT," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Salisbury, my executors or

page_text: administrators, by an instrument in writing, under my, 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 I, the said Henry Salisbury, 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 for
washing and drying straw plait.
For washing straw plait I employ a tank, along which a horizontal
axis passes from end to end just over the water level in the tank. The
axis is caused to rotate, and arms upon it carry wire cages in which the
skeins of plait are placed. The cages are constructed of wirework,
excepting the ends, which are of iron galvanised. The cages are divided
transversely into three or other number of compartments, each of a
length to receive the skeins, and each compartment is provided with a
wirework door. In some cases I subdivide these compartments by
longitudinal partitions in order to keep the skeins separate the one from
the other so that the water or liquid employed in washing the plait may
pass amongst them more freely. Thus whilst the machine is at work
the cages are constantly and alternately forced down through the water
or washing liquid and lifted out of it, and by this action the plaits are.
rapidly cleaned.
In order to dry the plait I transfer it to another similar apparatus, but
without the water-trough. As the axis revolves with the cages the
water is thrown out of the skeins, and they are dried by the air current
which is thus caused to pass through the cages.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
unto annexed:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation; Figure 2 is an end elevation; and
Figure 3, a plan of a machine constructed according to my Invention;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section; and Figure 5, a transverse section.
°

page_text: a is the outside box or case of the machine; b, b, are the end standards
carrying the box a and the main shaft c; d, d, are fast and loose pulleys
on the main shaft c; e is a hinged lid of the box a, and e¹ is a flap at
the front of the box, which is also hinged. In Figure 1 the box a is
shewn closed on the left-hand side of the Figure and open on the right-
hand side. It is also shewn open in Figures 2 and 3. The flap e¹ when
open lies upon the brackets f and forms a table, which is useful when
filling and emptying the cages; 9, 9, are brackets fixed to the back of
the box a, and carrying pulleys at their upper ends. Cords connected
with the lid e pass over these pulleys to counterweights h, which serve to
retain the lid when it has been raised. k, k, are glands in the end of
the box a through which the shaft c passes; 1, 1, are fastenings of the
flap e. Within the box the shaft c carries arms m, m, and they
To
support between them on either side of the shaft four rods n, n.
these rods the wirework o, o, forming the cages is attached.
One side of each cage is made to open as a lid to allow of the goods
being put into the cages. These lids have simple fastenings by which
they can be secured when the cages have been filled. The shape and
number of the cages may be varied.
The machine shewn in these Figures is of such a length as to admit
of the cages being each divided into three sections by transverse
partitions, the length of each section corresponding to that of the
skeins of plait. In washing the plait the box is filled nearly to the
height of the shaft c with a suitable washing liquid such as is now used
for washing plait, and the shaft is then caused to revolve at a speed of
about 250 revolutions per minute. This is continued for about one
minute or until the plaits are quite clean. The plaits are then taken
out and dried.
The drying may be effected entirely in the air, or the plaits may be
replaced in the cages of another similar machine worked without water.
The machine having been set in motion in about a minute most of the
moisture will have been thrown out of the plaits. They are then
removed from the cages and hung in the air for a short time to complete
the drying.
In some cases I make these machines double, as is shewn in elevation
at Figure 6 and longitudinal section at Figure 7. As will be seen the
1

page_text: the shaft c running through the two. The arms m, m, carrying the
cages are not in this case fixed on the shaft c, but they can be made fast
with it by clutches p, p, worked by levers q, q. This arrangement admits
of the cages in the two boxes of the double machine being started and
stopped independently.
In the case of a double machine one compartment may be used for
washing and the other for drying. These machines may very con-
veniently be used for washing Leghorn hats. Other things may also be
washed in them.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim
the construction of machinery suitable for washing and drying straw plait,
substantially as herein described and shewn by the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Salisbury, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eightteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.