IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Roger Tatham, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES
FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Roger Tatham at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th July 1880.
ROGER TATHAM, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS."
My Invention consists, firstly, in an arrangement whereby I am enabled to
remove the motes, seeds, and shell contained in the material to be carded before it
passes to the main cylinder. To accomplish this I place one or more knives or bars
having angular edges in contact or nearly so with the surface of the "taker in,"
and I also use a roller provided with wings or blades, and which I cause to revolve
with considerable velocity, the said wings or blades as they revolve being in contact
or nearly so with the surface of the said "taker in."
As the "taker in" revolves and takes the cotton from the feed rollers the motes,
seeds, and shell strike against the aforesaid knives or bars, and if not removed
thereby are raised up and are then struck off by the blades or wings of the before-
named roller, and fall either upon the floor or into a suitable receptacle.
The aforesaid knives or bars and roller are provided with suitable adjustments
for setting them accurately in position relatively to the "taker in."
Secondly, in combination with the above described arrangement, I use the first
roller of the carding engine as a dirt roller, and adapt a reciprocating comb thereto,
which comb I actuate by means of an excentric driven from any convenient part of
the machine, and beneath the said stripping comb I place a receptacle to receive the
strippings.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Roger Tatham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th January
1881.
ROGER TATHAM, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS."
16
"
My Invention consists, firstly, in an arrangement whereby I am enabled to
remove motes, seeds, and shell contained in the material to be carded before it
passes to the main cylinder. To accomplish this I place one or more knives or
bars having angular edges in contact or nearly so with the surface of the "taker in,"
and I also use a roller provided with wings or blades, and which I cause to revolve
with considerable velocity, the said wings or blades as they revolve being in
contact or nearly so with the surface of the said "taker in." As the taker in
revolves and takes the cotton from the feed rollers the motes, seeds, and shell strike
against the aforesaid knives or bars, and if not removed thereby are raised up
and
are then struck off by the blades or wings of the before named roller, and fall either
upon the floor or into a suitable receptacle. The aforesaid knives or bars and
rollers are provided with suitable adjustments for setting them accurately position
relatively to the "taker in."
Secondly, in combination with the above described arrangement I use the first
roller of the carding engine as a dirt roller, and adapt a reciprocating comb thereto,
which comb I actuate by means of an eccentric driven from any convenient part of
the machine, and beneath the said stripping comb I place a receptacle to receive the
strippings.
In order that my Invention may be more thoroughly understood, I will now
proceed to describe the same by reference to the Drawings thereof hereunto annexed.
Fig. is a vertical section of a portion of a carding engine taken in a plane at
right angles to the axis of the main cylinder; and Fig. 2 is a partial end
view at right angles to Fig. 1, some of the parts being omitted to avoid
confusion, the same figures of reference being placed upon corresponding parts in
each of the Figures.
Upon the main framework A is as pedestals 1, carrying the journal of one end of
the "taker in" at 2; at 3 is a portion of the main cylinder; at 4, 5, are the usual
feed rollers for supplying the material to be carded to the "taker in." Beneath the
"taker in" 2 is placed a bar 6, the angular edge 6× thereof being almost in contact
with the circumference of the card surface of the "taker in" 2. The bar 6 is
secured by bolts 7, 7x, passing through slots in a projecting) part formed on the
end of the bar and also through other slots formed in the main frame A; these
slots allow the bar 6 to be adjusted in any desired position relative to the
"taker in" 2. At 8 is another bar or knife having an angular edge 8*, and so
placed as to be almost in contact with the card surface of the "taker in" 2, but not
touching it.
Beneath the "taker in" 2 I placed a roller 9, one end thereof being supported by
the bracket 10, which is secured to the main frame A by the bolts 11, 11*.
The roller 9 is provided with longitudinal blades or wings 12 extending across
the entire card surface of the "taker in" 2, and is driven from any convenient part
by means of the pulley 9*. The action of the above described parts is as follows:-
The lap 14 of material to be carded is supported by the usual roller 14*, and is fed
by the feed rollers 4, 5, to the "taker in," which,, revolving in the direction of the
arrow thereon, carries the material which it has taken from the feed rollers 4, 5,
against the knife or bar 6, and as the angular edge 6* of the bar is set close to the
card surface of the taker-in, as previously described, any mote or seed in the

page_text: material is caused to strike against the edge 6* of the bar 6, and if not removed
thereby becomes raised up from the surface of the "taker in," and is carried
forward thereby and then brought within the path of the blades or knives 12 of
the roller 9, which is caused to revolve with considerable velocity in the direction of
the arrow placed thereon.
The seed or mote having been already raised up and partly detached by being
struck against the edge 6× of the bar or knife 6, will now be struck from the card
surface of the taker in by the blades 12 of the roller 9. In case where motes
or seeds may have passed the blade or knife 6, the roller 9, and have not been
removed thereby, they will be carried by the taker in against the edge 8× of the
bar 8, which will effect a further separation of the motes or seed contained in the
material beening operated upon. The material, after passing the bar 6, is delivered
by the taker in to the main cylinder 3.
From the side frame A of the carding engine to the opposite one I fix a plate 13,
secured to the main frame A by the brackets 14, 15, and bolts 14*, 15*. At 16 is
the end or cross frame of the carding engine secured to the main frame A by the
brackets 17, 18, and bolts 17*, 18*. The space between the cross frame 16 and
plate 13 forms a receptacle to receive the motes, seeds, and other foreign matter
removed from the material being operated upon by the blades or knives 6, 8, and
roller 9, or, if it be desired, a box or drawer may be placed within the space between
the plate 13 and frame 16 to receive the motes and seeds, instead of allowing them
to fall upon the floor, as previously described. The angular edges 6x, 8*, of the
bars 6 and 8 may either be plain or serrated as desired. In some cases I
propose to
impart a to and fro motion to the bar 6 and 8 in a direction parallel to the axis of
the "taker in."
If it be desired additional rollers 9 and knives or bars 6, 8, may be used.
Secondly, in combination with the previously described arrangement, I use the
following:
At 20 is a roller, one end journal thereof 21 revolves in a bracket 22, secured to
the bend B in the usual manner; the surface of this roller is covered with " card,"
and revolves in contact or nearly so with the card surface of the main cylinder 3.
Upon the axle 21 of the roller 20 I mount a wheel 23 fast thereon; this wheel
gears into a wheel 24, turning loosly upon a stud 25, carried by the bracket 22;
this bracket also carries the journal 21 of the roller 20, fast with the wheel 24, and
also turning loosly. Upon the stud 25 is an eccentric 26, around the periphery of
which passes one end of a connecting rod 27; the other end of this rod is jointed to
a one end of a bell crank lever mounted upon one end of a shaft 28** extending
from one side of the carding engine to the other, mounted in bearings formed in the
bend B. Upon the opposite end 28% of the bell crank lever 28 is mounted a
bracket 29, secured thereto by a bolt, and having an arm 29*, which carries one end
of a stripping comb 30, secured thereto by a bolt 30*.
The stripping comb 30 acts upon the card surface of the first roller of the
carding engine, which in this arrangement constitutes a dirt roller. In front of the
roller 31 is a plate or guard 32, secured to the bend B by set screws or otherwise,
and extending across the front of the carding engine, and at its upper end carries a
trough or receptacle 33, extending from one side of the carding engine to the other
beneath the reciprocating comb 30. The parts above referred to operate in the
following manner :-Motion being imparted as usual to the roller 20, the wheel 23,
mounted thereon drives the wheel 24, and with it the eccentric 26, such motion of
the eccentric causing the bell crank lever to reciprocate and impart a to and fro
motion to the comb 30, and thereby strip the dirt roller 31, the strippings removed
from the roller 31 by the comb 30 falling into the receptacle 33, and are removed
therefrom by hand. The comb 30 may be adjusted to the card surface of the
roller 31 by means of the screw 34 and nut 35. I have in the preceding description
referred to one side only of the carding engine, but it will be readily understood
that some of the parts will be repeated at the other side of the machine.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly. The use of the knives or bars with plain or serrated edges, in combination
with a roller or rollers provided with blades applied to the "taker in," substantially
in the manner and for the purpose above described.
Secondly. The use of the first roller of a carding engine as a dirt roller provided
with a stripping comb when used in combination with the above described knives
or bars and roller or rollers provided with blades acting upon the "taker in."
In witness whereof, I, the said Roger Tatham, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty second day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.