A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CLEANSING, PURIFYING, AND DRYING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lawes, of the Office for Patents, 77, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "A MACHINE OR
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CLEANSING, PURIFYING, AND DRYING ANIMAL AND
VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 23rd September 1857, and dated the 25th March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lawes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th March 1857.
1, THOMAS LAWES, of the Office for Patents, 77, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CLEANSING, PURIFYING, AND DRYING
ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," to be as follows (that is to say):-
My Invention, which has for its object the cleansing, purifying, and drying
of various fibres and other descriptions of animal and vegetable substances.
such as feathers, hair, wool, flock, corn, grain, seed, or otherwise, consists in
constructing and employing for the above purposes an apparatus of cylin-
drical or spherical form, within the centre or body of which a shaft
(furnished with beaters or stirrers) is caused to revolve in any suitable
manner by steam or otherwise, so that the articles to be operated upon, and
contained within the body of the apparatus for that purpose, may be first

page_text: thoroughly stirred or dusted by the rotatory action of the stirrers, and subse-
quently subjected to a process of cleansing by the admission of steam within
the said body, whilst the operation of drying is effected through the medium
of a case or jacket surrounding the apparatus, and kept constantly charged
with steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Lawes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ILAWES, of the Office for Patents, 77, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of Marcb, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said. Thomas Lawes, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Lawes,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Lawes,. 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 MACHINE OR APPARATUS
TO BE USED IN CLEANSING, PURIFYING, AND DRYING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUB-
STANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Lawes,
my executors or 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 Thomas Lawes, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say) :-
My Invention, which has for its object the cleansing, purifying, and drying
of various fibrous and other descriptions of animal and vegetable substances,

page_text: such as feathers, hair, wool, flock, corn, grain, seed, or otherwise, consists in
constructing and employing for the above purposes an apparatus of cylindrical
or spherical form, within the centre or body of which a shaft (furnished with
beaters or stirrers) is caused to revolve in any suitable manner by steam or
otherwise, so that the article to be operated upon, and contained within the
body of the apparatus for that purpose, may be first thoroughly stirred stirred
or dusted by the rotatory action of the stirrers, and subsequently subjected to a
process of cleansing by the admission of steam within the said body, whilst the
operation of drying is effected through the medium of a case or jacket sur-
rounding the apparatus, and kept constantly charged with steam.
But in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe it by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures thereon
marked (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of my machine or apparatus for cleansing,
purifying, and drying animal and vegetable substances; Fig. 2, a transverse
vertical section; and Fig. 3, a top or plan view, partly in section. In each
Figure the same letters of reference denote similar corresponding parts.
A, A, cylindrical case or jacket supplied with steam; B, B, feed pipe for
conveying steam to the jacket; C, C, outlet pipe, through which the steam
escapes; D, D, waste water pipe for discharging the condensed steam; E, E,
base or plynth, upon which the apparatus is fixed; F, F, fixed hollow core or
cylinder, which may be charged with steam for the purpose of facilitating the
process of drying; G, G, concentric channel or body of the apparatus in which
the articles are placed for being operated upon; H, H, beaters or stirrers ;
I, I, open frame, upon which the beaters are attached and revolve; J, J,
beater shaft revolving in vertical bearings K, K; L, L, strap pulley wheel
for giving a rotatory motion to the beater shaft and stirrers; M, M, driving
strap; N, N, conical top or cover for enclosing the body of the apparatus; 0, 0,
openings for supplying the inner core or cylinder; P, P, pipe for supplying
the body of the apparatus with steam; Q, Q, pipe for discharging the same;
R. R, feathers or other material to be operated upon; S, S, lower level for
collecting the dust or dirt; T, T, door fitting the same, and opening into the
body of the apparatus.
Ilaving now fully described the nature of this my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, I would
have it clearly understood that I do not by any means intend to confine myself
to the precise details herein-before set forth and described, as the apparatus
may be used horizontally when in connection with a steam jacket, and employed

page_text: with or without a steam jacket and suitable perforations or wire gauze for the
escape of the dust when necessary for the purpose of dusting only, the apparatus
as represented being employed for dusting, cleansing, and drying; or the same
may be otherwise varied without departing from the general principle of this
my said Invention; but that which I do claim as new and of my said Invention
is, the construction and employment of machinery or apparatus in the manner
and for the purposes herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lawes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
F. R. DARKIN CAMPBELL,
Clerk to Messrs Weatherdon & Co.,
77, Chancery Lane.
THOMAS LAWES. (L.S.)