IMPROVEMENTS IN OPENERS AND SCUTCHERS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Alfred Dobson, of the Firm of Messieurs
Dobson and Barlow, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker,
and Thomas Wood, of the same Place, Machinist, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OPENERS AND SCUTCHERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Alfred Dobson
and Thomas Wood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
6th December 1881.
BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of the Firm of Messieurs Dobson and Barlow, of
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and TпомAS WOOD, of tho
same Place, Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OPENERS AND SCUTCHERS."
The objects of our improvements are to adjust the grate bars of openers and
scutchers, so that the openings between their surfaces may be greater or less, and
so that the edges of the bars may be presented at a suitable angle to the fibre,
passing over them, to remove more or less dirt, according to the class of fibre under
operation, and also to set the vertical or horizontal opening cylinders nearer to or
further from the grate bars.
We employ two pairs of racks to support the grate bars. We fix one rack at
each side of the dirt hox or boxes, and on each fixed rack we fit a second rack
that may be moved longitudinally; the movable rack is placed at a lower level
than the fixed rack; the ends of the grid or grate bars that extend across the dirt
boxes are partly cnt away, the bottom of each bar being shorter than the upper
part; the longer portion of the bar rests in the fixed racks, and the bottom of each
bar enters the sliding racks; the latter are moved by an eccentric or otherwise
to adjust the grid or grate bars so as to leave larger or smaller openings between
the bars at the surface, and to present one edge of each bar at a greater or less
Paine 71

page_text: angle to the fibre passing over the bars; one sliding rack may be used instead of
two. The bars may bo set while the machine is at work.
The second part of our Invention consists in moving the vertical or horizontal
conical opening cylinder nearer to or further from the grate bars. We effect this
in vertical cylinders by forming the footstep of the cylinder shaft in a boss, and
connecting the footstep to a screw actuated by a nut, on which is a worm wheel,
and by a worm on a shaft which extends to the outside of the machine; by
turning the worm and worm wheel the footstep and cylinder are raised or lowered.
For moving a horizontal cylinder wo use a screw working in a fixed nut, and
connected by a fork to an annular recess in the cylinder shaft, or the nut may be
connected to the cylinder shaft and the screw may turn in fixed bearings.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin Alfred Dobson and Thomas Wood in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th June 1882.
BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of the Firm of Messieurs Dobson and Barlow, of
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and THOMAS WOOD, of tho
same Place, Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OPENERS AND SCUTCHERS."
The objects of our improvements are to adjust the grate bars of horizontal and
vertical openers and scutchers, so that the openings between their surfaces may be
greater or less, and so that the edges of the bars may be presented at a suitable
angle to the fibre, passing over them to remove more or less leaf and dirt, according
to the class of fibre under operation; and also to set the vertical or horizontal
opening cylinders nearer to or further from the grate bars.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will describe the accompanying four Sheets of Drawings, reference
being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an opener to which the first part
of our Invention is applied; Figs. 2 and 3 are calarged views of parts of the
same.
We employ two pairs of racks a and b to support the grate bars c, which may
be arranged in line with each other, or so as to form a portion of a circle. Wo fix
one rack at each side of the leaf or dirt box or boxes, and on each fixed rack a we
fit a second rack b that may be moved longitudinally or radially; the movable
rack b is placed at a lower level than the fixed rack a, the ends of the grid or
grate bars c that extend across the dirt boxes are partly cut away, the bottom of
each bar being shorter than the upper part (see Fig. 3); the longer portion of the
bar rests in the fixed racks, and the bottom of each bar enters the sliding racks ;
the latter are moved by an eccentric or otherwise to adjust the grid or grate bars,
so as to leave larger or smaller openings between the bars at the surface, and to
present one edge of each bar at a greater or less angle to the fibre passing over the
bars; one sliding rack may be used instead of two. We use this appliance to our.
horizontal cylinders and scutcher beater bars, as well as the leaf and dust box bars;
they can be applied to all openers and scutchers made by other makers. The bars
may be set while the machine is at work.
The second part of our Invention is illustrated on Sheets 2, 3, and 4, and it
consists in moving the vertical or horizontal conical opening cylinder nearer to or
further from the grate bars. We effect this in vertical cylinders (see Sheets 2 and 3)
by forming the footstep of the cylinder shaft a in a boss, and connecting the
footstep to screws c, actuated by worm wheels d, which form the nuts, and by
worms e on a shaft which extends to the outside of the machine; by turning the
worms and worm wheels the footstep and cylinder are raised or lowered. For
moving a horizontal cylinder we use a screw or screws working in a fixed nut, and
connected by a fork to an annular recess in the cylinder shaft, or the nut may be
connected to the cylinder shaft and the screw may turn in fixed bearings; or we
employ the shaft r on which are two worms 8, 8, which gear into the worm
wheels t, t, as shown on Sheet 4, Fig. 6. There is a hand wheel on one end of the
shaft r by which it is turned to move the cylinder.
Having stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same,
We declare that we claim,-
1. The improved mechanism for adjusting the grid or grate bars, substantially
as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

page_text: 2. Moving opening cylinders nearer to or further from the grate bars, substantially
in the manner herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Alfred Dobson, for myself and on
behalf of the said Thomas Wood, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Second day of June, One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
BEN. ALF. DOBSON. (L.S.)