Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding the "Flats" of Revolving Flat Carding Engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding the "Flats" of Revolving
Flat Carding Engines.
I SAMUEL MILLS of 51 Starkey Street Heywood in the County of Lancaster
Machine Manager 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 :-
The object of this invention is to guide the travelling or revolving "flats" on a
carding engine beneath the grinding roller in such a way that whilst their working
surfaces are passing over a sliding block formed to fit the same, the surfaces of the wire
cards shall be caused to traverse in a slightly inclined direction beneath the grinding
roller or cylinder so that the surface of the card teeth will be ground to the
required bevil.
The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the
annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved apparatus drawn partly in section.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same and Fig. 3 is a front view of a detached portion
thereof hereinafter more particularly referred to.
a is the bracket which supports the apparatus, and this bracket also carries the
bracket for supporting the bearings of the grinding roller or cylinder the circumference
of which is represented by the circular dotted line b.
To the bracket a are cast or fixed two long bosses c and c¹ which are bored out and
serve as guides to two rods d and d¹.
The boss c is at right angles to the centre line of the bracket a and the boss c¹ is
not in a direct line with the boss c but is slightly inclined thereto for a purpose, which
will be made apparent hereinafter (see centre lines X and Y Fig. 1).
The two rods d and dare respectively jointed at e and e¹ to the two ends of a sliding
block the underside of which is convex to the same curve as the "bend" or "flexible."
The working surface of each flat g as it is brought round is pressed against the under
surface of this block by means of the weighted lever g*.
The rod d is turned down to a smaller diameter at its right hand end where it fits
into a bush, and it is surrounded with a coiled spring k which has a constant
tendency to thrust both rods and the sliding block towards the left hand.
Hinged to the block is a detent 1 (see also detached view Fig. 3) which passes
on both sides and underneath the block, and when in its normal position held down
by the spring n and projects below the under surface of the same.
The upper part of this detent carries a pin 1 which (at the proper moment as
hereinafter described) comes against a fixed incline m which raises the detent.
The action of the apparatus is as follows
As the chain of flats g travels in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, each flat is
brought in succession (card teeth upwards) with its working surface in contact with
the under-side of the sliding block f being pressed upwards against the same by the
weighted lever g*.
As soon as the flat comes into the position in which it is drawn on Fig. 1 its
forward edge comes against the detent and it then commences to draw the sliding
block along with it whilst the upper surface of the card teeth is passing in contact
with the grinding roller.
The rear or left hand edge of the block however only travels in a right line,
being hinged to the rod d whilst the foremost or right edge of the block being hinged
to the inclined rod d is gradually raised as it travels along with the block, and by
these means the required slight tilting motion is given to the flat as it passes
under the grinding roller.

page_text: As soon as it has passed into the position shewn by dotted lines on Fig. 1. and the
rear edge of the wires is clear of the grinding roller the pin of the detent / comes
against the fixed incline m which raises the detent clear from the edge of the flat and
thus releases the coiled spring k which then immediately returns the sliding block
into its original position and the detent falls down again ready to be acted upon by
the forward edge of the next flat and so on in succession.
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
In apparatus for grinding the flats of revolving-flat carding ongines.
First. The combination of a sliding block against which the working surfaces of
the flats are pressed with two rods jointed thereto, the said rods sliding in long bosses
which are not in a right line with each other, one of them being inclined so that the
block is thereby slightly tilted as it slides along with the flat.
Secondly. The combination of a detent hinged to such sliding block and projecting
below the front edge of the same, (so that the block is thereby carried along with the
flat) with a fixed inclined plane for raising up the said detent and releasing both the
block and the flat as soon as the rear edge of the latter has passed under the grinding
roller.
Dated this 2nd of August 1889
0
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.