IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO DRAWING AND SUCH LIKE FRAMES
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Matthew Wilkinson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st August
1862.
I, MATTHEW WILKINSON, of Blackburn, County of Lancaster, Carder, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARDING ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO DRAWING
AND SUCH LIKE FRAMES," to be as follows:-
Firstly, I apply to the carding engine a cage-like apparatus of peculiar
construction at a convenient distance below the lower part of the main
cylinder, and a somewhat similar apparatus in the same way below the lower
part of the licker-in for the purpose of preventing the greatest part of the
loose or short fibres of the cotton or other fibrous substances from falling
amongst the dirt or other refuse of such fibrous substances, which would have
otherwise been the case, and thereby causing the greatest part of the said
loose and short fibres of the cotton or other fibrous substances to be pre-
served and advantageously used than otherwise would have been, and thereby
causing a great saving in such fibrous substances. The cage-like apparatus
for the cylinder consists of a light metal frame of three or more plates of a
concave form, stayed together in the width of such frame, such frame to be
a little wider than the cylinder, and to be placed a little below the face of the
cylinder and extend around the lower part of the cylinder from near the
doffer to near the licker-in; around the concave edges, and as near such-edges

page_text: as possible of the concave plates I drill, perforate, or otherwise make a series
of holes a short distance from one another, such holes in each plate to be
opposite one another for the purpose of supporting and holding firm a number
of small wires or bars. For most kinds of fibrous substances I prefer the
small wires or bars to be tinned; the said wires or bars I insert in the holes
across the frame. By this means it will be seen by practical men I obtain
a cage or grid-like apparatus with the wires or bars extending across the face
of such cylinder, also around the desired portion of such cylinder, likewise
about an equal distance from the face of such cylinder, and also a small
distance from one another, so as to allow the dirt to fall through with as little
of the fibrous material as possible whilst the operation of carding is going
on. At the extreme ends of the cage, near the doffer, and also near the
licker-in, I affix a narrow strip of tin or other smooth material the full width
of the cylinder to act as guards or conductors, and also to prevent any accu-
mulation of dirt or loose fibres at those points; I hold the small wires or bars
in their proper position endways by only drilling one of the outside concave
plates partially through, and on the other outside concave plate I bolt or
screw a thin strip of metal or other material over or on the ends of such wires
or bars. Again, instead of having a metal frame I can have a frame of wood
or other material; also instead of having the concave edges of the frame
drilled or perforated for the purpose of supporting the wires or bars across
the face of the cylinder, as before described, I can have the wires or bars
formed into a mash by a wire worker any desired fineness, also with any
number of bars across, with what is termed lace work, then formed to the
desired curve and firmly attached to the top of a concave frame; by this
means I also obtain the desired end. The apparatus which I apply to the
lower part of the licker-in is constructed similarly to to the one I apply to
the cylinder and for the same purpose only; it extends from a convenient
point near the cylinder to a convenient point near the feed rollers, the wires
or bars being a little longer than the width of the licker-in, also any required
distance from one another, and likewise a short and equal distance from the
face of the licker-in.
Secondly, I apply an improved apparatus for stopping the motion of the
carding engines, or of only stopping the motion of the feeding apparatus of
such carding engines when the carding ceases to be regularly supplied, or
when a larger quantity or lump is attempted to be delivered to the delivery
rollers than is required, thus, by the above means, I prevent a large amount
of waste and bad work from being made. The apparatus consists of the
well-known moveable delivery rollers, conductor, and the mechanism for

page_text: stopping drawing frames in the absence of a regular supply to the delivery
rollers. My improvement consists in placing another conductor between the
said moveable conductor and the doffer, so as to prevent undue lumps or
thick places in the carding passing to the said delivery rollers' conductor, and
thereby breaking the carding before it comes to the delivery conductor and
thus stopping the required motions. I attach this intermediate conductor
either to the moveable conductor, or it can be in a fixed position, and the
sizes of the apertures of the said conductors I can vary according to the
thickness of the carding required.
Thirdly, I apply the last-named apparatus to drawing frames for the
purpose of stopping the said machines when the quantity delivered from
the front drawing rollers is defective, or the sliver breaks between the
drawing rollers and the delivery rollers by placing the intermediate con.
ductor between the moveable delivery conductor and the front drawing
rollers, and by this means I prevent a great amount of roller laps and other
waste.