Patent GB-329037-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to controlling mechanism for machines for cleaning and opening cotton and forming the same into laps
IPC: D01G9/00
Filed: 1929-02-16
Abstract: 329,037. Platt Bros. & Co., Ltd., and Wilkinson, H. Feb. 16, 1929. Openers, cleaners, and scutchers. -In double cylinder cotton openers having two sets of feed rollers, two long pneumatic tubes for conveyance of the fibre and two sets of dust cages, cage rollers &c., the feed mechanism, dust cages, cage rollers of the first section are periodically arrested before those of the second, while after stoppage the feed mechanism &c. of the first section is automatically restarted slightly before the second. The series of machines comprises appropriate preliminary machines having members a - - i, Fig. 1, the cotton being delivered into a hopper feeder 1 having a spiked lifting lattice 2 and thence by a horizontal lattice 3 and feed rollers 4 to a cylinder opener 5 having a pneumatic tube 6 leading to cages 7 with cage-rollers 8 and feed-rollers 9. This constitutes the first section. The feedrollers 9 lead to a second cylinder opener 10 having a pneumatic tube 11 leading to the second set of cages 12, cage rollers 13, calender rolls 14 and lap-forming mechanism. This constitutes the second section. The driving-gear includes a " spring-wheel " device 25, Figs. 8 and 9, with which a gear-wheel 24 amounted on a shaft 26 and driven through gearwheels 27, 28 from a belt 31, Fig. 4, is adapted to engage, the gear 24 being held in the engaged position by the lap drop-lever 19, Figs. 5 and 7, pivoted at 22 and supported by a goose-neck lever 19 pivoted at 20. The "spring- wheel 25 comprises a sleeved disc 32 having a projection 33 keyed on the shaft of the bottom calender roller 14 and an externally-toothed dished spur-wheel mounted on the sleeve and formed with an abutment 34 and spaced slots 35 in any one of which an adjustable stud 36 may be secured. The spring 38 is enclosed in a sheath 37 its ends being secured respectively to the sheath and to the boss 25. When the gears 24, 25 are out of mesh the spring 38 turns the wheel 25 back until the stud 36 engages the projection 33. When the gear 24 engages the wheel 25 the latter is immediately driven but does not actuate the disc 32 until the abutment 34 engages the projection 33. Then the wheel 25 and disc 32 move together and drive the lap rolls 14, cage rollers 13 and cages 12. The feed rolls 9 to the second cylinder opener 10, the cage rollers 8 and first cages 7 are driven from a side shaft 39 through bevel pinions &c. 50, Figs. 4 and 5, the shaft 39 being driven from the "spring-wheel " 25 through a catch-box or clutch 43, Figs. 5 and 11, and associated gearing 44 - -49. The clutch 43 comprises a clutch-half and bevel 44 loose on the shaft 39, a gapped disc 45 keyed thereon and a slidable clutch-half 46 having lateral projections 46a. The end of the lever 21 engages a pendent bar 40 which through a belt-crank-lever 41 pivoted at 42 operates the clutch-half 46. When the lever 21 is lifted to engage the wheels 24, 25 the bar 40 is pulled down the clutch 43 becomes solid on the shaft 39 and the members 7, 8, 9 are driven therefrom. A second clutch 57, Figs. 5 and 13, coupled to the bar 40 by connections 51 - - 56 is adapted when engaged to drive the feed rollers 4 and lattice 3 &c., these members being thereby started simultaneously with the members 7, 8, 9. The clutch 57 comprises a spur wheel 58 keyed on the sleeve of a toothed clutch-half 58a loose on the feed-roller axle 4, a slotted plate 59 keyed thereon and a movable toothed clutch-half 60 having lateral tongues 60<a> and operated by the forked end of the bell-crank-lever 61 from the member 56. When the lap is nearly fully wound a nog 18 on a radial plate 15 having driving-gear 16, 17 engages a projection 67 on the spring-rod 23 and moves the latter against the spring 68 to disengage the foot 40a of the bar 40 from the end of the lever 21, the bar 40 then rises due to the weight 65, the clutches 43, 67 are declutched and the members 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 arrested, any fibre between the first cylinder opener 5 and the cages 7 banking up on the latter. The second pair of cages 12 and the rollers 13, 14 continue operating until the fibre is almost exhausted when the lever 19 is rocked by the catch 70 on the wheel 16, the lever 21 falls and removes the wheel 24 from the " spring-wheel " 25 to stop the members 12, 13, 14, thus providing a, period of arrest for removal of the lap, while the spring 38 in the wheel 25 moves the abutment 34 back to the starting position, i.e. till the stud 36 engages the member 33. The openers 5, 10 revolve constantly. Preperably means such as described in Specification 326,633 are provided to arrest the conveying devices to the hopper feeders and to stop the conveyance of cotton through the tube g. Specifications 177,017 and 204,085 also are referred to.