IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRE PARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ralph Waller, of the City of Manchester, Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRE
PARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 25th July 1856, and dated the 4th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ralph Waller at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th February
1856..
I, RALPH WALLER, of the City of Manchester, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, to be as follows:--
The nature of this Invention consists in applying to carding engines certain
improved machinery, whereby the fleece of fibrous material after being carded.
is separated into several parts, each of which is formed into a roving. In order
to effect this, the card clothing is put on the doffer in rings, leaving a space
between each ring; and in order to prevent the accumulation of fibrous mate-
rial on the main drum, in the parts corresponding to the spaces between the
rings on the doffer, I cause the fancy roller to move laterally; by this means
the fleece is divided into as many parts as may be required. Each part of
the fleece is conducted through a trumpet mouth, and then between a pair
of rollers, the upper one of which is covered with cloth or other suitable
material, and has a lateral motion imparted to it, for the purpose of rolling
or rubbing the fibrous material passing between the rollers. This rolling or
rubbing action forms the portion of sliver into a roving, and this roving may
then be passed between another pair of rollers, acting in the same manner,
and then deposited in a revolving can, furnished with a coiling apparatus of

page_text: the usual construction. The rovings thus produced may be employed to
supply the slubbing or roving frames, thereby dispensing with the drawing
frames generally employed.
My Invention also consists in the application of the coiler for collecting
the produce of condensing carding engines of the ordinary construction, and
in taking the produce of the billy carding engine, when pieced up into suit-
able lengths, to the slubbing or roving frame, or to the throstle spinning frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ralph Waller in the Great Scal. Patent Office on the
4th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RALPH
WALLER, of the City of Manchester, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Ralph
Waller, Her special license that I, the said Ralph Waller, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ralph Waller,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Ralph Waller, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that. I, the said Ralpli Waller, do bereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the Specification
thereof (that is to say):-
The nature of my Invention consists in applying to carding engines certain
improved machinery whereby the fleece of cotton from the main cylinder i

page_text: separated into several parts, each of which is formed into a roving, and depo-
sited into a can by means of a coiler, or without the aid of a coiler.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference
being bad to the accompanying Drawing, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a carding engine, to which my improve-
ments are applied, and which I denominate a rubbing carding engine;
Figure 2 is an end view; and Figure 3, a plan of part of the same. a is the
main cylinder; b, the fancy roller; c, a clearing roller; d, the doffer; e, e, a
pair of rollers, which are covered with cloth or other suitable material; and
f, f, are coilers, similar to those usually applied to drawing frames and
other machines employed in the preparation of cotton, which coilers being well
understood to persons conversant with cotton, spinning, do not require to be
particularly explained.
The fleece of cotton from the main cylinder is divided into six or other con-
venient number of parts, in the following manner:-The card clothing is put
on the doffer in rings, as shewn in Figures 2 and 3, leaving a space between
cach ring; and in order to prevent the accumulation of the cotton on the main
drum, in the parts corresponding to the spaces between the rings on the doffer,
I cause the fancy roller 6 to move laterally, by means of the excentric b' on
the side shafts, see Figure 2, acting on the lever 62, the upper end of which
is forked, and takes into a circular groove in boss 63, fixed to the axle of the
fancy roller 6; or the lateral motion may be given by any other suitable
mechanism. The doffer may also be made to move laterally by means of the
wheel d', see Figure 3, the circumference of which has diagonal projections
upon it, passing between two antifriction rollers d², or by other suitable
mechanism. The doffer is made to revolve in the usual manner by the spur
wheel d, the boss of which is suported in the bearing d', to allow the doffer
to be moved laterally without communicating the lateral motion to the wheel.
The fleece of cotton is struck off the doffer by the comb g in the usual
manner, and each portion of the fleece is conveyed to one of the trumpet
mouths h, and then between the rollers e, e, which have a lateral as well as a
revolving motion given to them. The revolving motion is given to the bottom
roller e by the carrier pinions e¹, driven by the wheel on the doffer shaft, and
by the carrier pinion gearing into the pinion e³ on the axis of the roller e.
This pinion has a boss revolving in the bearing e, and the shaft is connected
to it by a groove and key, to admit of the lateral motion which is imparted to
both the rollers e by the upright shaft i, and excentrics and, each of which

page_text: is connected by a link to one of the rollers. The surfaces of one or both
rollers e are covered with cloth or other material, to cause friction, for the
purpose of rubbing or rolling the cotton as it passes between the rollers, thereby
'converting each sliver into a roving having a certain amount of twist in both
directions. The rovings may then be taken between another pair of' rollers
similar to e, e, to increase the rubbing or rolling action; or they may be 'con
veyed direct from the'rollers e, e, to the coilers f, f, by which they are deposited
into the cans j; or the cans without the coilers may be placed under the
rollers e, to collect the rovings. The rovings thus produced may be employed
to supply the slubbing or roving frames, thereby dispensing with the drawing
frames generally 'employed.
My Invention also consists in the application of the coiler for collecting the
produce of condensing carding. engines of the ordinary construction, and in
taking the produce of the billy carding engine, when pieced up into suitable
lengths, to the slubbing or roving.frame, or to the throstle spinning frame.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I wish to remark that I do not limit myself to the details
herein set forth, but what I do claim is,
First, giving lateral motion to the fancy roller, for the purposes described.
Secondly, collecting the produce of the rubbing carding engine, sliewn in
Figures 1, 2, and 3, into cans, either with or without. coilers.
Thirdly, taking the produce of the rubbing carding engine, shewn in Figures
1, 2, and 3, to the slubbing or roving frame, and then spinning the rovings
thus produced in the ordinary manner.
Fourthly, the application of coilers for collecting the produce of condensing
carding engines of the ordinary construction.
And, lastly, taking the produce of the billy carding engine; when pieced up
into suitable lengths, to the slubbing or roving frame, or to the throstle
spinning frame.
In witness whereof I, the said Ralph Waller, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of August,: in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,"
H. B. BARLOW,.
Manchester,
RALPH WALLER. (L.S.)