Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Bowls or Rollers usėd in Calendering Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1891
COMPLETE OFEUIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Bowls or Rollers usėd
in Calendering Machines.
I EDWARD PLATT of Hadfield in the County of Derby Cotton Manufacturer,
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 the manufacture of that class of calendering bowls or
rollers which are made of cotton or other fibrous substance, compressed into a solid
mass by means of hydraulic machinery, and then turned and polished.
The objects of this invention are to obtain perfect homogeneousness throughout
the whole substance of the bowl, and so to dispose the fibres that their 'ends are
always presented towards the periphery of the finished roller.
The latter object has been effected to a certain degree by preparing the fibre in
the form of a "sliver" and laying it in a can round a mandrel in a series of spiral
rings by means of an apparatus similar to the "coiler" used in preparing cotton for
spinning, but considerable difficulty has been experienced in preserving the
homogeneity of the mass, as owing to the peculiar way in which the fibres overlap
and cross each other, the density of the material became gradually decreased
towards the centre of its thickness, and hence when the surface of the roll required
to be turned down from time to time, the roll became gradually softer and less
dense.
My present invention is designed to remedy this defect and at the same time to
lay the ends of 'the fibres more vertical to the surface of the bowls.
The nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed
or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the sheet
of drawings hereunto annexed and the following description thereof.
For the purposes of my invention I modify the construction of the "coiler" by
so constructing and arranging the gearing of the upper pair of the "sliver
delivering rollers as to give them a peculiar differential motion which delivers the
sliver at such a varying speed with regard to the lower pair of delivering rollers, as
will cause the sliver to be drawn out thinner towards the outer and inner circum-
ference where the lines cross each other more frequently, and gradually be delivered
at full thickness and quicker speed towards the centre of its thickness, where the
lines cross each other, so that when the material is afterwards submitted to
hydraulic pressure to solidify the same, the whole mass will be found to be perfectly
solid and homogeneous throughout.
Fig. 1 on the annexed drawing is a sectional elevation of the modified "coiler"
and the upper part of the can, a being the upper part of the revolving can, b the
mandrel and c the coiler plate which carries the delivery apparatus; a is the false
bottom of the can which is of an annular form and movable, and is constantly
pressed upwards by a coiled spring or springs a" so as to keep a certain amount of
pressure upon the coil of sliver as it is formed.
spur
The cotton or other fibrous material in the form of a ❝ gliver passes from the
carding engine through the eye of the spur wheel d, thence through the guide e to
the calenders or delivery rollers f and fx and finally through the funnel 9 in the
coiler plate c (which is rotated by the spur wheel h) into the can b. The d is
a fixed or "dead" wheel, and is of a peculiar eccentric cam-like form shown in
plan view at Fig. 2, which has been found by careful experiment to give the exact
alternate differential movement required between the two pairs of delivery rollers f
and fx to attenuate or reduce the thickness of the sliver twice in each coil to such
a degree as to equalize its density throughout.

page_text: This differential draught is obtained in the following manner. The calenders f
and fx are secured to the coiler plate c and are carried round with it. The bottom
pair of delivery rollers f* are driven by the bevil pinion i which runs round the
lower "dead-wheel" k at a uniform speed, the latter being fixed on the coiler plate
casing, and thus the speed of the delivery of the sliver is therefore constant.
The top pair of calenders fare driven by a pinion m (attached to a spring sliding
bar n) running round the upper or eccentric "dead" wheel d before referred to and,
owing to the peculiar form of the latter, a fluctuating or differential speed is thus
given to these upper rollers through the bevil wheels o and o¹. The pinion m is
held always in gear with the excentric "dead" wheel d by the spring p
the wheel o' is held in gear with the wheel o by the fork 9 attached to the sliding
bar n.
and
The wheel o¹ slides on a feather or key sliding in a bed or groove in the axle of
the calender shaft r. The can a is rotated in the ordinary manner.
As the continuous spiral coil of cotton or other fibrous material is thus formed in
the can by the combined action of the "coiler" and the revolution of the can itself,
the false bottom a¹ gradually recedes compressing the spring all which gives a
certain degree of compactness and solidity to the coil which is thus formed into a
hollow wad, and when removed from the can or receptacle a it has a hole through
the centre corresponding with the hollow mandrel or pillar and is sufficiently
compressed to allow of handling and carriage without losing its solid form.
The bowl or roller is then built up on the axle by threading on a sufficient number
of these wads in the usual manner and when compressed by hydraulic machinery
to the desired state of solidity it is turned and polished like an ordinary
calendering roller, and it will be found that owing to the peculiar form in which
the "sliver" is laid in combination with the corresponding differential draught
caused by the peculiar form of the upper "dead" wheel & the mass will be found
to be perfectly solid and homogeneous throughout its whole thickness.
I would here remark that the exact form of the "dead" wheel d will vary
somewhat according to the size of the roller required and the diameter of the
mandrel, but the peculiar character will always be maintained. The wheel
shown at Fig. 2. is calculated to make a roller of sixteen inches outside diameter on
a six and a quarter inch mandrel and is drawn to a scale of about one third the
actual size.
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 :-
The improved apparatus for coiling the wads of cotton or other fibrous material
previously to compressing the same substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings annexed, and particularly I claim the combination with
the coiling apparatus of the "dead" wheel of the peculiar form shown, whereby
the exact fluctuating or differential draught is given to the "sliver "
delivered which will compensate for the increased openness of the crossings of the
fibre at or towards the centre of the thickness of the coil, so as to produce perfect
homogeneity through the whole mass when compressed.
Dated this 9th day of October 1891.
as it is
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.