Improvements in Carding Engines for Carding Cotton and other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPEIT
Improvements in Carding Engines for Carding Cotton and other
Fibrous Materials.
I, THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH of 68 Marlborough Road, Hightown, Mun-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
My invention relates firstly to carding-engines employed for carding cotton and other
fibrous materials and provi led with flits and my invention consists firstly in arrange
ments by which I am enabled to adjust the "flats" in relation to the card wire"
surface of the main cylinder, more rea lily and accurately than hitherto.
According to this part of my invention I form upon or secure to the "hend" or
pedestal which supports the axle of the main cylinder of the carding engine a surface
concentric with the main cylinder. Upon the said surface and capable of being
moved thereon I place a plate or sector in which or on which I form inclined grooves
or pins or studs which piss upon or into pins or studs or inclined grooves projecting
from or formed in brackets capable of being slidden in or upon slots or guides
formed in or upon the "bend" of the carding-engine. The said brackets I provide
I prevent the
with pins or studs passing into slots formed in the "flexible bend."
"flexible bend" from being moved longitudinally by means of a pin or stud and
slot.
When it is desired to adjust the "flats" in relation to the "card surface" of the
main cylinder the plate or sector before mentioned is moved longitudinally upon the
surface previously referred to. The movement of the plate will cause the inclined
grooves to act upon or be acted upon by the pins or studs passing into such inclined
grooves so that the brackets above mentioned will be caused to approach towards
or recede from the axis of the main cylinder according to the direction in which the
plate is moved. When the said brackets are moved as above described the "flexible
bend" will be caused by the movement of such brackets to be more or less curved
and thus the "flexible bend" may be caused to assume the curved form necessary
to enable the "flats" to be adjusted into the desired position relative to the "card
wire surface" of the main cylinder. I move the plate or sector above mentioned
by means of a screw and worin wheel, or screw or rack and pinion or other convenient
means.
Although I have referred only to parts situate at one side of the carding-engine,
like parts are applied at each side of the carding engine.
A further part of my invention consists in arrangements by means of which I
adjust the "undercasings" of carding engines relatively to the "cylinders" in con-
junction with which such "under casings" are employed.
According to one arrangement of this part of my invention I provide at each side
of the carding engine to which this part of my invention is applied a curved inclined
surface capable of being turned around the axis of the main cylinder. Upon the
sai curved inclined surface I place a curved wedge to which I secure the "under-
casing." I prevent the curved wedge from being moved longitudinally in any
convenient manner. I maintain the curved wedge in contact with the curved
inclined surface previously mentioned by means of a weight and lever or weights and
levers or by means of a spring or springs or by means of a band or strip of metal
tightened by means of a weight or screw or weights or screws or by means of a
spring or springs. By the curved inclined surface being turned the "under-casing "
will be caused to approach towards or recede from the "card surface" of the main
cylinder.
In some cases to enable the "under-casing" to be readily adjusted relatively to

page_text: the "card-surface" of the main cylinder I forun the "under-casing" and the curved
wedges in several portions jointed or connected together.
A further part of my invention consists in combining the hereinbefore described
arrangements for adjusting the "flats" in relation to the main cylinders of carding-
engines with the herein before described arrangements for adjusting the "under-casings"
of carding-engines relatively to the "card Surfaces" of the main cylinders of such
carding engines. In order to accomplish this part of my invention I continue the
plate or sector around the axle and upon one portion of the periphery of such plate or
sector I form the curved inclined surface against which rests the curved wedge to
which the undercasing is secured. When the plate or sector is turned in order that
the "flats" may be adjusted relatively to the "card surface of the main cylinder
the "under-casing" will also be adjusted relatively to the "card surface" of the
main cylinder.
29
There are certain arrangements of apparatus employed for adjusting "flats" in
relation to the "card surfaces" of the main cylinders of carding-engines in which a
part or parts turning or moving about the axis of the main cylinder of the carding-
engine is or are employed and a further part of my invention consists in
employing in conjunction with such arrangements of apparatus for adjusting the
"Hats" relatively to the card surface of the main cylinder, arrangements
analogous to those above described for adjusting the "under-casings" of carding
engines relatively to the “card surfaces" of the main cylinders of such carding
engines.
"
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of August 1889
W. T. CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carding Engines for Carding Cotton and other
Fibrous Materials.
I, THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH of 68 Marlborough Road, Hightown, Man-
chester in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, 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:
:-
surface
My invention relates to carding-engines employed for carding cotton and other
fibrous materials and provided with flats and my invention consists in arrangements
by which I am enabled to adjust the "flats" in relation to the "card wire
of the main cylinder, more readily and accurately than hitherto.
According to my invention I form upon or secure to the "bend " or pedestal which
supports the axle of the main cylinder of the carding-engine a surface concentric
with the main cylinder. Upon the said surface and capable of being moved thereon
I place a plate or sector in which or on which I form inclined grooves or pins or
studs which pass upon or into pins or studs or inclined grooves projecting from or
formed in brackets capable of being slidden in or upon slots or guides formed in
or upon the "bend" of the carding-engine. The said brackets I provide with pins
or studs passing into slots formed in the "flexible bend." I prevent the "flexible
bend" from being moved longitudinally by means of a pin or stud and slot.
When it is desired to adjust the "Hats" in relation to the "card surface" of the
main cylinder the plate or sector before mentioned is moved longitudinally upon the
surface previously referred to. The movement of the plate will cause the inclined
grooves to act upon or be acted upon by the pins or studs passing into such inclined
grooves so that the brackets above mentioned will be caused to approach towards or
recede from the axis of the main cylinder according to the direction in which the
plate is moved. When the said brackets are moved as above described the "flexible
bend" will be caused by the movement of such brackets to be more or less curved
and thus the "flexible bend" may be caused to assume the curved form necessary to

page_text: enable the "flats" to be adjusted into the desired position relative to the "card wire
surface" of the main cylinder. I move the plate or sector above mentioned by means
of a screw and worm wheel or screw or rack and pinion or other convenient means.
Although I have referred only to parts situate at one side of the carding-engine,
like parts are applied at each side of the carding-engine.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a section taken on the line A, A, of
Fig. 2, showing so much of a carding-engine as is necessary to illustrate my
invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation seen in the direction from B to C of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a view seen in the direction from 'to B of Fig. 1. The same letters of
reference are applied to corresponding parts throughout the whole of the figures.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown and in many cases in the description
following I shall refer to certain parts as though such parts were employed at one
side only of the carding-engine but I would have it understood that parts corre-
sponding to certain parts are employed at the other side of the carding-engine.
c is the axle of
Upon the side framing a of the carding-engine I mount a bend b.
the main cylinder. Upon the bend I form a surface 6' concentric with the axle c of
the main cylinder.
Upon the surface and capable of being moved longitudinally thereon I place a
plate or sector d, a curved recess being formed in the bend b to receive the plate
or sector d. The plate or sector d I retain in the curved recess 63 by means of
plates e secured to the bend b. In the plate or sector d 1 form an inclined slot or
groove findicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. In the bend b I form grooves 9,9.9.9.9.
In the grooves g, 9, 9, 9, 9, I place brackets h, h, h, h, h, respectively. Each of the
said brackets h, is capable of being slidden longitudinally in the groove g, in which it
is situate. As the brackets are similar in construction one to another I shall for
convenience only describe one of them. The bracket is provided with a pin i
When the
which projects into the inclined slot or groove fin the plate or sector d.
plate or sector d is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow D, the inclined
groove or slot acting upon the pin or stud i will cause the bracket / to be moved
towards the axle c of the main cylinder.
; is the flexible bend which is mounted so as to be capable of being turned upon a
stud projecting from one of the brackets h. The stud k also serves to prevent the
flexible bend from being moved longitudinally. Two of the brackets are provided
with pins or studs 1, 1, respectively which act against the lower side of the flexible
bend j. The other two brackets h, are provided with pins or studs m which pass
respectively into slots j¹, formed in the ends of the flexible bend j.
In order to move the plate or sector d longitudinally upon the surface b¹ I provide
the plate or sector d with teeth d' into which gear the teeth of a wheel n fast upon a
shaft carried by and capable of being rotated in a bearing formed upon the bend b.
Fast upon the shaft n' is a wheel o into the teeth of which gears a worm p, the
axle p' of which is supported by and capable of being rotated in bearings formed on
the bend . The worm p may be rotated by a suitable key being applied to the
squared" portion of the axle p' of the said worm p. By the worm p being
turned in a suitable direction the plate or sector d may be moved in the direction
indicated by the arrow D or in the opposite direction.
When the plate or sector d is moved longitudinally upon the surface b¹ in the
direction indicated by the arrow D the inclined groove or slot facting upon tho pins
or studs of the brackets h, will cause such brackets h to be moved towards the axle c
of the main cylinder but when the plate or sector d is moved longitudinally upon the
surface b¹ in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow D the brackets h will
by means of the inclined groove or slot ƒ be moved away from the axle c of the main
cylinder.
"
When the carding-engine is being constructed the surface of the flexible bend j
along or upon which the flats travel or rest is foribed in any suitable manner so that
of the main
it is concentric with or bears the equired relation to the "wire surface
cylinder. Afterwards whenever it may be necessary or desirable the said surface of
" of the
the flexible bend j may be adjusted to correspond with the "wire surface

page_text: main cylinder by means of the plate or sector d, inclined groove or slot anu
brackets h.
Although I have only shown five brackets has being employed three or four or a
greater number of such brackets / may be employed.
Although I have in the accompanying drawings shown the plate or sector d as
being provided with an inclined groove or slot f into which pass pins projecting
from the brackets I would have it understood that the plate or sector d may be
provided with projecting pins and the brackets h may be provided with inclined
In cases in
surfaces against which the pins upon the plate or sector d may act.
which the plate or sector d is provided with projecting pins acting in conjunction
with inclined surfaces upon the brackets the inclined surfaces upon the brackets /
must be made of such length that the pins may be moved in contact with such
surfaces through the distance necessary in order that the required adjustment of the
flexible bend may be accomplished.
In some cases in order to enable the main cylinder to be adjusted into its true
working position and in case of wear to enable such main cylinder to be restored to
its correct working position I support each end of the axle c of the main cylinder in
brackets y each of which is secured to the bend by which it is carried by means of
bolts q passing through slots formed through the said bracket y. I also provide the
brackets q with set screws r capable of being screwed in screw-threads formed in the
brackets The lower ends of the set screws bear against flanges formed upon
the bends b. If at any time from wear or other cause the main cylinder has departed
from its correct working position the bolts q' are "slackened and the brackets ? so
adjusted by means of the set screws 7 as to again restore the main cylinder to its
correct working position. By one of the set screws 7 of each bracket q being tuined
the said bracket may be tilted so as to move the axle c of the main eylinder laterally
and by both set screws r being turned the axle c may be raised or lowered. After
the main cylinder has been adjusted into the required position the bracket
secured to the bend by the bolts q' being tightened.
"
In some cases in order to enable the curve of the flexible bend to be readily
adjusted relatively to the wire surface of the main cylinder, I form one or more or
all of the brackets has shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, Fig. 4 being an elevation,
Fig. 5 a side view partly in section and Fig. 6 a plan partly in section of one of
such brackets shown detached. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are upon a larger scale than
Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
In the outer end of the bracket h I form a slot through which passes a stud s.
Upon one end of the studs I form screw-threads upon which is a nut t. Upon
the other end of the studs is formed a head or square" portions. Passing
through the bracket is a screw the screw-threads upon which take into screw-
threads formed in the stud s.
"
The " 'square portion prevents the studs from
being turned in the slot h'. The projecting end 2 of the studs may pass into holes
or slots in the flexible bend j or may act against the flexible bend j.
じ
By the screw u being turned the studs may be caused to approach the axle c of
the main cylinder or may be moved further away from such axle. By a bracket or
brackets / constructed as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, being employed I am enabled to
vary modify or adjust the curve of the flexible bend employed in conjunction with
such bracket or brackets.
I would point out that by the employment of the studs and screw u the flexible
bend may be adjusted in relation to the card surface of the main cylinder without
the plate or sector d being moved.
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. The hereinbefore described arrangements for enabling the "Hats" employed in
carding-engine to be adjusted in relation to the "card wire" surface of the main
cylinder more readily and accurately than heretofóre which arrangements consist in

page_text: brackets such as h operating in conjunction with a plate or sector such as d for the
purposes and substantially in the manner herein before described in reference to and-
indicated in and by Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
2. For use in adjusting and securing in position when adjusted, the "flexible
bend" of a carding-engine in relation to the main cylinder of such carding-engine
the arrangement of parts consisting in a stud such as s and a screw such as u
arranged, employed, and operating substantially as hereinbefore described in
reference to and indicated in and by Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Thuante nighth day of M... 1900