PAPER.

207

113. Fig. 110 is a side elevation; fig. Ill, a transverse section, taken lengthwisethrough nearly its middle; fig. 112, a plan view of the apparatus detached upon a

larger scale; and fig. 113 is an elevation. The vessel in which the rags are placed isshown at a a, and in about the centre of this vessel the beating or triturating roll, b, b,is placed: it is surrounded with the blades or roll bars, c c, fig. 111. The roll ismounte4 upon a shaft, d d, one end of which is placed in a pedestal or bearing on thefurther side of the chamber a, and the other in a bearing upon the arm or level e e*,fig. 110, which is supported by its fulcrum, at the end e*, in one of the standards, / /,and at the other end by a pin fixed in the connecting rod, g g. At the upper end ofthis connecting rod there is a cross-piece, or head h, having turned pivots at each endupon which are placed small rollers, i i, resting upon a horizontal cam, fc fc, which ismade to revolve. This cam, fe k, by means of its gearing, causes the roll b first of allto wash the rags a short time, then to be lowered at whatever rate is desired for break-ing the fibres; to be maintained at the lowest point for the required number of revolu-tions for beating ; and to be raised and retained, as required, for the final purpose ofclearing the pulp. The upper or working edge of this cam is to be shaped exactlyaccording to the action required by the engine roll; as, for instance, suppose theprevious operation of washing to be completed, and the time required for the operationof the rag machine to be three hours, one of which is required for lowering the roll,that, or the first division of the working surface of the cam, k k, must be so slop^l orinclined, that, according to the speed at which it is driven, the rollers upon the cross-head shall be exactly that portion of the time descending the incline upon the cam,and consequently lowering the roll upon the plates w,/g. Ill; and if the second hourshall be required for the roll to beat up the rags, the roll revolving all the time incontact with the plates, the second division of the cam, fc fc, must be so shaped (thatis, made level), that the roll shall be allowed to remain, during that period, at its lowestpoint; and if the third portion of the time, or an hour, be required for raising the rollagain, either gradually or interruptedly, then the third division of the cam, fc, must besuitably shaped ■ or inclined, so as to cause the cross-head to lift the roll during suchinterval or space of time; the particular shape of the inclined portions of the cam de-pending on the manner in which the manufacturer may wish the roll to approach to orrecede from the bottom plates, during its descent and ascent respectively.

Its mode of connexion and operation in the rag engine is as follows : supposing thatthe rags intended to be beaten up are placed in the vessel a, fig. Ill, and motion iscommunicated, from a steam-engine or other power, to the farther end of the shaft d,the roll b, will thus be caused to revolve, and the rags washed, broken, and beaten up,8s they proceed from the front weir m, over the bottom plates n, and again round bythe back weir o. There is a small pulley p, upon the near end of the shaft d, roundWhich a band q passes, and also round another pulley r, upon the cross shaft s; uponthis shaft is a worm t, gearing into a worm-wheel«, fixed upon another shaft v, below;Upon the reverse end of which is a pinion v', gearing into a spur-wheel x, upon the endpf a shaft y; and upon the centre of this shaft y, there is another worm z, gearinginto a horizontal worm-wheel 1, upon which the cam, fc fc, is fixed. Thus it will beseen, that the requisite slow motion is communicated to the cam, which may be madeto perform half a revolution in three hours; or it will be evident, that half a revolution°f the cam, fcfc, maybe performed in any other time, according to the calculation of theHearing employed. The shaft may also be driven by hand, so as to give the requiredmotion to the cam. Supposing, now, at the beginning of the operation, the cross headbearing the lever and roll, to be at the highest point upon the cam, fc fc, as its revolu-tion commences, the roll will revolve for a short time on the level surface of the cam,«nd will then be lowered until the cam, fc fc, has arrived at that point which governs thetime that the roll remains at the lowest point, for the purpose of beating the rags intoPulp, and as the - cam, fc fc, continues to revolve, and thus brings the opposite slope upon