A NEW MATERIAL SUITABLE FOR SPINNING, EITHER ALONE OR COMBINED WITH OTHER FIBRES, AND SUITABLE TO THE MANU- FACTURE OF PULP, ALSO CERTAIN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE PREPARATION- THEREOF.
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lilley, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester,
مجو
Merchant, for the Invention of "A NEW MATERIAL SUITABLE FOR SPINNING,
EITHER ALONE OR COMBINED WITH OTHER FIBRES, AND SUITABLE TO THE MANU-
FACTURE OF PULP, ALSO CERTAIN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE PREPARATION-
THEREOF.
Sealed the 17th August 1854, and dated the 16th March 1854.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION-left by the said John Lilley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th March'
1854.
17
"I, JOHN LILLEY, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Merchant, do,
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW MATERIAL SUITABLE
FOR SPINNING, EITHER ALONE OR COMBINED WITH OTHER FIBRES, AND SUITABLE TO
THE MANUFACTURE OF PULP, ALSO CERTAIN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE PRE-
PARATION THEREOF," to be as follows:_
L.
$
MA
"My Invention consists in producing a material suitable for spinning, and in
lengths of from one to two inches or more, suitable also for the manufacture
of
pulp, from the heart or core of the plaintain, banana, and other plants of
the same species. The core or heart, after being separated from the outer
fibres which surround it, is drawn through rollers, at the opposite side of
which is a 'doffing knife or blade and nipper, which have an up and down
motion communicated to them; and as the body of the heart is drawn away by

page_text: a roller provided with a comb or by other suitable means, the doffing knife
denudes it of and retains a fibrous pulpy matter, which it cuts in about equal
lengths, and, which forms the new material particularly applicable to spinning
in cotton, silk, and woollen spinning machinery.
My Invention also consists in the construction of a comb, through which
the body of the heart or core, after being treated as above, is drawn, and in
being drawn through this comb further pulpy and fibrous matter may be
stripped off and obtained, which may be again passed under the doffing knife
and nipper, and may be used with the material cut into lengths as aforesaid.
The comb is constructed of numerous strips or thin blades of brass or steel or
other metal set and held together in a frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lilley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LILLEY, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Lilley, Her special licence that I, the said John Lilley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Lilley, 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 "A NEW MATERIAL SUITABLE FOR SPINNING,
EITHER ALONE OR COMBINED WITH OTHER FIBRES, AND SUITABLE TO THE MANUFAC
TURE OF PULP, ALSO CERTAIN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE PREPARATION THEREOF,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Lilley, 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 John Lilley, 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
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to
say:
My Invention consists in producing a material suitable for spinning, and in
lengths of from one to two inches or more, suitable also for the manufacture
of pulp from the heart or core of the plantain, banana, and other plants of the
same species. The core or heart, after being separated from the outer fibres
which surround it, is drawn through rollers, at the opposite side of which is a
doffing knife or blade and nipper, which have an up and down motion com-
municated to them; and as the body of the heart is drawn away by a roller
provided with a comb, or by other suitable means, the doffing knife denudes it
of and retains a fibrous pulpy matter, which it cuts in about equal lengths, and
which forms the new material particularly applicable to spinning on cotton;
silk, and woollen spinning machinery.
My Invention also consists in the construction of a comb, through which
the body of the heart or core, after being treated as above, is drawn, and in
being drawn through this comb further pulpy and fibrous matter may be
stripped off and obtained, which may be again passed under the doffing knife
and nipper, and may be used with the material cut into lengths as aforesaid.
The comb is constructed of numerous strips or thin blades of brass or steel or
other metal set and held together in a frame.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed represents a side elevation of
the machine, constructed according to my Invention, for the purpose of operating
upon the plants of the plantain, banana, and those of the same species;
Figure 2 is a section; Figure 3, a front elevation; Figure 4, a cross section;
Figure 5, a back view; and Figure 6, a detached view of the doffing knife
and nipper. A, A, is the framework; B, B, are the feed rollers, mounted in
suitable brasses in the framework, and connected together by a pair of spur
wheels C, C, keyed upon their shafts, and gearing into each other; D is a guide
plate, placed horizontally across the machine, and partially between the feed
rollers, which serves to carry the leaves or other parts of the plants to be
operated upon by the roller E. This roller is also mounted in the framework,
and has fixed upon its circumference in four or more sets or rows teeth or gills
of the shape represented in Figure 2, by means of which the plants are cut
into strips or shreds of equal width, or nearly so.. The roller E is caused to
revolve by the handle F; fixed to one of the arms of the fly wheel G, keyed
upon the spindle of the roller: H is a doffing knife, which is attached by

page_text: countersunk screws to a frame H, free to move up and 'down in slots in the
framework A, when operated upon in the following manner :-I is a cam wheel
with four arms,. one arm to each row of teeth, which is keyed upon the spindle
of the roller and revolves with it. A similar wheel is mounted upon the
opposite end of the roller. These cam wheels in their revolution act upon one
end of levers K, having their fulcra at a; L are rods attached to the levers K
at b. These levers have formed in them at their upper ends an eye, which
fits over small stud pins projecting from each end of the frame H of the doffer
knife H. It will be seen that upon the revolution of the roller E the arms of
thei cam wheel I alternately come in contact with the levers K, and thereby
depress them, and at the same time by means of the rods L the doffing knife
is brought down upon the portions of the plants under operation. After each
stroke of the doffer knife, and when the levers K are released from the cam
wheels, the .doffer knife and frame are drawn up by the action of the. spring M,
which is secured by screws to the top part of the frame H, the ends thereof
bearing upon the framing A. N is the nipper-screwed to the framing. N', which
has a similar reciprocating motion imparted to it, or it may remain stationary.
The action of this doffer and nipper, is to denude the leaves and other parts of
the plants above mentioned, of their fibrous and pulpy matters in their passage
between them. O is a ratchet wheel upon the spindle of, the top feeding roller,
into the teeth of which the pall takes; this pall is centred in the end of
the lever O¹. P. is a curved rod attached to the lever 'O, and furnished with
a stud pin, which travels in a slot in the plate d, screwed to the framework. Q
is a spring which bears against the end of the rod P, and keeps it in, contact
with the cam wheel, I, the action of which, is, in its revolution, to bring the
armis alternately against the rod. P,, and thereby to press it forward, and by
means of the pall c to cause the ratchet wheel to revolve, and with it the top
feed roller; which through the spur gearing, C; C,; gives motion, to the lower
feed roller, and thus the feed is regulated by, the motion of the roller E.
The fibrous, pulpy: material,. after being. thus, separated from. the heart or
core of these several plants, is 'then fit for being carded or otherwise treated
previously to spinning on cotton, silk, and woollen spinning machinery, or
it may be reduced to a pulp for manufacturing into paper or, other similar
material:
T.
r
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed; I declare that I claim the production of
a material suitable for spinning; either, alone or combined with other fibres;
and suitable also for the manufacture of a pulp from the heart or core of
the plantain, banana; and other plants of the same species, as herein-before

page_text: described. I also claim the combination of machinery employed in the pre-.
paration thereof, as herein-before described and represented in the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lilley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of September, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four.
JOHN LILLEY. (L.S.)