IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application; 19th July 1887
Complete Left, 6th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 11th May, 1888
I THOMAS BISPHAM KAY of 3 Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Mechanical Engineer_do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to certain modifications of and improvements in the mechanical
details for setting and adjusting the top cards or flats of a Carding Engine as described
in the Specon of Letters Patent granted to me the said Thomas Bispham Kay on
the 14th day of May 1868 for "Certain Improvements in Carding Engines to be
employed for Carding Cotton and other Fibrous Substances."
According to the Invention therein specified, the flats are shown and described
as lying in contact with and traversing upon the curved tops of a series of guide rests
which rest upon the inclined surface of a segment of a frustrum of a cone and against
turned surfaces on the face of the bend by the adjustment of which they are set to
the main carding cylinder.
Now according to my present Invention I interpose a flexible band between the
undersides of the flats and the upper surfaces of the said sliding guide rests, by
which I secure a better sliding surface for the flats and more uniform carding action
between them and the main carding cylinder.

page_text: Improvements in Carding Engines.
THOMAS BISPHAM KAY of 3 Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Mechanical Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to certain modifications of and improvements in the mechanical 5
details for setting and adjusting the top cards or flats of a Carding Engine as described
in the Specon of Letters Patent granted to me the said Thomas Bispham Kay on
the 14th day of May 1868 for "Certain Improvements in Carding Engines to
be employed for Carding Cotton and other Fibrous Substances."
According to the Invention therein specified, the flats are shown and described as
lying in contact with and traversing upon the curved tops of a series of guide-rests
which rest upon the inclined surface of a segment of a frustrum of a cone, and
against turned surfaces on the face of the bend, by the adjustment of which they are
set to the main carding cylinder.
Now according to my present Invention I interpose a flexible band between the 1
undersides of the flats and the upper surfaces of the said sliding guide-rests, by which
I secure a better sliding surface for the flats and more uniform carding action between
them and the main carding cylinder.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements in.
Carding Engines" I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which
the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order
that the same may be clearly understood I have annexed hereto a Sheet of Drawings
illustrative thereof and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation. As both sides of the Carding
Engine are alike so far as this my present Invention is concerned I shall describe that
on one side only.
In Figs. I & II. A represents a portion of the bend of the Carding Engine having a
projecting flange A¹ upon which rests and slides the segment of a frustrum of a cone B,
hereinafter called the segment, actuated by the setting screws about five in number
one of which is shown at B¹. The upper inclined surface of the segment supports the
guide-rests CC, which lie against two curved beadings D, D, cast upon the bend about
one inch apart between which project a number of radial ribs E, E proportioned to
the number of guide-rests to sustain the same in position laterally. Each guide-rest
is made about the width of a flat and is provided with two flanges F F which bed
against the beadings D D and also with a third flange having a recess G therein to
receive its radial rib E. The flexible band H lies upon the tops of the guide-rests in
grooves or recesses formed therein and being maintained in a state of tension by
tightening motions at each end binds the guide-rests firmly down upon the segment B
and against the beadings D, D and also serves to bridge over the intervals of space

page_text: necessarily left between the guide-rests to permit of their free radial motion to and
from the cylinder centre as the flats are adjusted. The flange A¹, the segment B and
the guide-rests C, C are turned or milled on their bearing surfaces and the flexible
band His gauged throughout its entire length so as to be of uniform thickness
throughout. I thus provide a smooth continuous and rigid surface for the flats
to travel upon and at the same time secure a true and simple mode of adjusting the
flats to the main carding cylinder.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same may be carried into practical effect, I wish it to be
distinctly understood that what I claim as secured to me under the above in part
recited Letters Patent is
1. The novel arrangement or combination of parts marked B, C, H.
2. The novel arrangement or combination of parts marked A¹, D, D, E.
3. The novel formation of the guide-rest marked F F, G, & C.
4. The general arrangement of parts for supporting and setting the flats of
Travelling-Hat Carding Engines or any mere imitation of the above described
arrangements of parts respectively, when used substantially in the same manner and
for the same purposes as hereinbefore described set forth and illustrated.