Improvements in Lap Machines and similar Machines for Preparing Cotton.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1896-ccepted, 21st Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lap Machines and similar Machines for Preparing
Cotton.
I, OTTO SCHROETER, Cotton Mill Manager, of Jüchen, Rhenish Prussia,
Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to lift the lap off the adjoining rollers and to
relieve it from the pressure of the brake disc, immediately after the formation of
the lap has been completed, in order to avoid injury to the lap.
In other respects the machines to which my invention is applied may be similar
to the ordinary lap-machines.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a machine embodying my invention;
Figs. 2 and 3 are side views taken from opposite sides;
Fig. 4 is a partial end elevation corresponding to Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 5 is a partial side view of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a section along line A-B of Fig. 4; and
Fig. 7 shows a detail of construction.
The lap roller W rests on a pair of driving rollers W1, W2, and in proportion
as its diameter increases, the axle of the roller W rises, thereby lifting also the
saddle bars P which are provided with toothed racks as shown; but the upward
motion of the racks, and consequently of the roller axles, is retarded by a brake
disc S geared together with the racks by means of tooth wheels B, R, and R', of
which B and R' are mounted on the axle a, while R is connected with the brake
disc S.
disc.
The turning of the brake disc is impeded by the brake block V2, and when the
lap roller has reached the desired thickness, the brake lever is disengaged from the
In that case the starting and stopping lever H used in the existing machinės
and held down by a weight or a spring, is released by acting on a bolt H' (Figs. 1.
and 2) which serves to hold the lever H. The position of the said bolt or
retaining pawl His controlled by a lever H2 which shifts the said bolt according
to the thickness of the lap, the latter turning the said lever H2 in proportion as its
diameter increases.
When the lever H drops, it meets the arm m' of the rod I connected at its lower
end with the lever n. The arm n' of this lever is thereby lifted and caused 'to
meet the rod p connected with the brake lever V carrying a weight VI so that
the latter is lifted at the same time, and the brake block V₁ is released from the
brake disc.
In order that the brake may be released independently of the action of the
levers n, n', a foot lever p' has been provided.
The dropping of the lever H causes at the same time the axle A to turn rapidly
for a given distance, and thereby to lift the rack or saddle har P with the lap
roller. To produce this effect, the axle A carries a belt pulley a adapted to
revolve on the axle, but to turn the same as soon as the coupling 6 has been put
into gear. Said coupling is connected with a disengaging lever g, which carries on
its horizontal arm g a weight G tending to hold back the lever g. The fulcrum
of the lever g is a stud held in a bracket w and serving also as fulcrum for a
lever f. In order that the lever g may remain slightly movable, and that' the
position of the two levers in relation to each other may be regulated, the lever'f
27

page_text: g
has a pair of set screws f³, which act on a lug or bolt of the lever g and thereby
impart motion to the latter. The lever is connected with a strong helical
spring F in such a manner, that the spring tends to press the upper arm of the
lever g together with the coupling sleeve against the pulley a. The position of
the lever is however controlled by the horizontal bar i which normally holds it
in the position shown in Fig. 1. This bar i is capable of sliding longitudinally,
and is retained in its position by a pawl k which drops into a recess behind a lug of
the said bar. The pawl k is connected by an arm k with the rod 1 carrying the
arm m mentioned above. When the lever H drops, it sets in motion the brake
lever by striking against the arm m' of the rod l', after which the lever meets the
arm m of the rod 1, and thereby the pawl is released. The rod i is consequently
set free, and the spring F is allowed to turn the lever f, and lever g, and to shift
the rod i (in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4), so that the coupling is
set in gear and the shaft A receives motion from the pulley a. The racks Pare
now lifted by the wheels B until the coupling 6 is again disengaged. This is
effected by the lever f which has at its front end a short stud entering a slot of the
lever h. When one of the racks P rises (that on the left side of Figs. 1 and 3)
the block carried by the same meets the lever h and lifts the same, thereby
lifting also the lever fin opposition to the spring F; consequently the lever g
connected with the lever f releases the coupling b.
When the lever g recedes, the rod i is also shifted back in the direction of the
arrow shown in Fig. 1.
The drop lever H is connected with an auxiliary lever K resting on the boltz,
and carrying the retaining pawl y. When the levers H and K descend, the pawl
drops into a ratchet wheel's mounted on the shaft A. The shaft A is thereby
prevented from moving backward, and the lap roller remains in the lifted
position.
To form a fresh lap, the drop lever H is raised and then retained in its highest
position by the pawl or bolt H', as usual. As the lever H ascends, the lever K is
also lifted by the stud 2, and in consequence of the lifting of the lever H, the rod
held up by a spring ascends again, and the pawl k is pressed against the rod i, so
as to drop again into the recess mentioned above. By lifting the lever H, the
pressure on the lever n¹ and on the rod is removed. Consequently the brake
lever becomes free and the disc S is again under the influence of the brake block.
The saddle bars are then drawn down again by hand as usual. The rod h and the
lever thereby again become free and allow the spring F to act on the same.
In order that the saddle bars may be lowered without starting the machine, the
auxiliary lever K is so arranged that it can be lifted independently of the lever H.
The retaining pawl y is thereby disengaged, so that the saddle bars may now be
let down by guiding the brake disc by hand. However, as in the lowest position
of the lever H, the pawl k remains out of gear and as consequently the spring F
would shift the rod i and put the coupling sleeve in gear, a separate auxiliary
pawl has been provided, which is supported by the lug k³ on the hub of the
pawl k, as shown in detail by Fig. 7.
If now the pawl k be put out of gear, the pawl ¹ drops and is allowed to enter
the recess, in consequence of which the rod i is beld in the withdrawn position.
When the pawl is put in gear, the lug k³ sets the pawl k¹ again out of gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In lap-machines and similar apparatus for preparing cotton, an appliance for
automatically releasing the brake disc after a lap has been completed, comprising
in its construction a drop lever H adapted to act on the brake lever V V' by means
of a lever n or analogous device, substantially as described.
2. A brake-releasing device as specified above, in combination with a coupling
adapted to connect the revolving belt pulley a with the shaft A, so that the saddle

page_text: bars P are lifted until a lug on one of the said bars causes the coupling to be put
out of gear, substantially as described.
3. A brake device as specified above, in combination with a device for holding
the saddle bars in the elevated position, comprising a pawl y applied to the lever. K.
and a discs mounted on the axle A.
Dated this 14th day of January 1896.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents..