Improvements in Mechanical Feeders for Openers or Soutchers for Cotton and other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
. PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Feeders for Openers or Soutchers for
Cotton and other Fibrous Materials.
I JOHN CORRIGAN of 11 Grafton Street Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-.
'
This invention relates to that class of feeder for cotton opening machinery which
consists of a hopper or other receptacle in which works a spiked lattice, the fibres
being taken by a doffing roller from this lattice and fed onto a shoot and thence to
a creeper leading to the opener or scutcher, superfluous fibre being taken away and
returned into the hopper by a spiked roller (or lattice) at the back of the spiked
feeding lattice and at the upper end thereof.
According to my invention beneath this last named roller or lattice I mount a
plain lattice moving in the same direction as the spiked feeding lattice, the upper
part of the said plain lattice being parallel with the feeding lattice and the lower
part guided by rollers slightly away from the spiked feeding lattice. This plain
lattice ensures the fibres being engaged in the teeth of the spiked lattice and
ascending evenly thereon.
Near to the bottom of the feeding lattice I mount a set of toothed or grooved
rollers covered by a plate or otherwise to protect them from the weight of the
cotton, and between these rollers the fibres pass to the spiked lattice. These rollers
by preference differ in size and they revolve at different speeds so that the cotton is
opened or drawn out as it passes to the spiked feeding lattice.
Immediately beneath the doffing roller which takes the fibres from the spiked
lattice and feeds them to the opener or scutcher lattice, I mount two plates or other
equivalent devices one or both of which can be adjusted so as to allow more or less
cotton to pass between them to the said opener or scutcher lattice.
I also in some cases mount a travelling apron beneath these plates and provide
the same with raised divisions so that only a certain quantity of the fibres can be
taken from the plates to the opener or scutcher lattice. Should more come from
the doffer above named than can or ought to be carried away the surplus will
accumulate between the plates and escape over the upper edge of one of them and
fall on a suitable creeper or conveyor to be returned to the hopper or elsewhere.
I sometimes also apply a sliding plate beneath these two plates so that a certain
amount of fibres can be collected before starting to feed the opener or scutcher; and
thus a regular feed can be ensured with great accuracy.
In some cases I also propose to use a cross bar placed in a convenient position
between the spiked roller and beater, which cross bar is provided with notches or
spaces to allow the spikes of the said roller to pass through, and I thus prevent
the cotton from adhering thereto.
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Feeders for Openers or Scutchers for
Cotton and other Fibrous Materials.
I JOHN CORRIGAN of 11 Grafton Street Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, 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 :—
This invention relates to that class of feeder for cotton opening machinery which
consists of a hopper or other receptacle in which works a spiked lattice, the fibres
being taken by a doffing roller from this lattice and fed onto a shoot and thence to
a creeper leading to the opener or scutcher, superfluous fibre being taken away and
returned into the hopper by a spiked roller (or lattice) at the back of the spiked
feeding lattice and at the upper end thereof.
My invention will be readily understood from the following description thereof
on reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 shews a sectional elevation of a mechanical feeder constructed according
to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a partial elevation in section shewing a modification hereinafter
referred to.
a is the doffing roller b is the spiked lattice, the scutcher lattice.
C
According to one part of my invention, near to the bottom of the feeding lattice b
I'mount a set of two or more toothed or grooved rollers 61 preferably covered by
a plate as shewn at 6 Fig. 1, or otherwise to protect them from the weight of the
cotton in the hopper and between the rollers 61 (which are preferably adjustable
with regard to each other) the fibres pass to the lattice b. These rollers may differ
in size and revolve at different speeds so that the cotton is opened or drawn out as
it passes to the lattice 6' and thence to the spiked feeding lattice b.
Immediately beneath the doffing roller a which takes the fibres from the spiked
lattice 6 and feeds them to the opener or scutcher lattice c, I mount two plates d d¹
(or other equivalent device) one or both of which can be by preference adjusted
so as to allow more or less cotton to pass between them to the said opener or scutcher
lattice.
Fig. 1 shews the plate d fixed and the plate d' adjustable upon the pivot d³.
Fig. 2 shews the plate d¹ adjustable by sliding beneath the board d³ which prevents
it from turning upon the adjusting bolt d', the upper end of the plate d' being
beneath the board d³, as shewn. The same fig. shews part of the plate d adjustable
vertically to increase or diminish the quantity of cotton fed upon the lattice c from
between the plates d d¹. As the plates d d' require no further adjustment when
once set for a certain class of cotton it is evident that in some cases they need not be
made adjustable although it is preferable that at least one of them should be so
arranged.
I also in some cases mount a travelling apron beneath these plates instead of the
ordinary scutcher lattice shewn on the drawings and provide the same with raised
divisions so that only a certain quantity of the fibres can be taken from the plates
to the opener or scutcher; this can be readily understood without illustration.
The fibres accumulate between the plates d d¹ (see Fig. 1) and become consoli-
dated in some degree between them as in a box before being delivered to the
scutcher lattice c.
Should more come from the doffer a than can or ought to be carried away the
surplus will accumulate between the plates d d¹ as seen at Fig. 1 and escape over
the upper edge of one of them (d) and fall on a suitable creeper or conveyor e to be
returned to the hopper or elsewhere.

page_text: 1 sometimes also apply a sliding plate not shewn on the drawing beneath these
two plates so that a certain amount of fibres can be collected before starting to
feed the opener or scutcher and thus a regular feed can be ensured with great
accuracy.
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
alaim is :-
:-
1. The combination with a mechanical feeder for openers or scutchers of two
plates (or their equivalent) between which the fibre cau accumulate, and means for
allowing of the escape of surplus fibres substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before set forth.
2. In a mechanical feeder for openers or scutchers the combination with the
feeding lattice of a set of two or more rollers between which the fibres are passed
from the hopper to the said feeding lattice substantially as set forth.
Dated this 17th day of March 1894.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.