IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE BARS OR FOUNDATIONS OF CARDING ENGINE FLATS, AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE CLOTHING TO SUCH BARS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth, both of Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE BARS OR FOUNDATIONS OF CARDING ENGINE FLATS, AND IN
THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE CLOTHING TO SUCH BARS."
Sealed the 16th April 1878, and dated the 3rd November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ashworth and Elijah
Ashworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd November
1877.
GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, both of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BARS OR FOUNDATIONS OF
CARDING ENGINE FLATS, AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE CLOTHING TO
SUCH BARS."
Our Invention relates to the flats used in certain descriptions of carding engines
employed in the carding of cotton and other fibrous materials. The said flats con-
sist in each case of a bar covered with a strip of wire card. In some descriptions
of carding engines the said bars are formed of metal, and it is to bars so formed that
our Invention is particularly applicable, although it may be employed in the
covering of wooden bars. Previously to our Invention the wire card has been
attached to the metal bar by means of leaden rivets or of nails. This method of
attachment has necessitated the formation of the strip of card with wide margins
to receive the rivets, and as a consequence the carding surface has been much
narrower than the bar to which it has been fixed, and the projecting heads of the
rivets or nails have been objectionable. To remedy these defects is the object of
our Invention, and this we accomplish in the first place by sewing or stitching the
card clothing to the bar.
In the method of proceeding which we now consider to be most suitable, we cut
or form a number of nicks or saw gates in the edges of the bar, the distance apart
of the said nicks corresponding to the required length of each "stitch." We prefer

page_text: to form the said nicks by arranging a number of bars edge upwards upon a
travelling table, whereby they are submitted to the action of a circular saw or
cutter, or of a cutting tool, or of a series of saws, cutters, or cutting tools, but we do
not confine ourselves to this method of formation.
The material we prefer to employ in the securing of the card clothing is soft
charcoal-iron wire, and we believe metal wire to be more suitable than a fibrous
material, but any other description of metal wire or of sewing material which may
be suitable to the purpose may be used. The card clothing is placed in position
upon the nicked bar, and is secured thereto by passing the wire to and fro through
the foundation of the card clothing, as in the operation of sewing each of the loops
formed on the back or under side of the clothing, being caused to enclose, embrace,
or take hold of the part of the edge of the bar extending from one nick to another.
As the securing wire may pass through the said foundation very closely to the card
teeth, or even through spaces between the teeth, if considered to be advisable, the
margin on each side of the dents of the cards may be very narrow. If preferred for
any reason the bar inay be perforated to permit the passage of the securing wire,
but we do not consider this plan to be so suitable or efficient as the plan of nicking
the edges of the bar.
We may form longitudinal grooves near the edges of the bar, at the back or front
of the bar, or at both back and front to receive the wire, or into which the founda-
tion material would be pressed to some extent by the securing wire ; and if considered
to be advisable we may cast the nicks in the bar, or we may cast or form the bar
with sides which are reduced in thickness for a distance from the edge, corresponding
about with the depth of the nicks. In the second place we employ pointed wire
clamps similar to card dents or to paper fasteners, driven or forced into the said
nicks or into perforations and clenched; or pins or lengths of wire, or wire clamps
driven or forced into the said nicks, or into perforations; the pins, clamps, or wires
fitting tightly therein, so that when forced in they will hold without requiring to be
clenched or rivetted on the back of the bar.
When securing the card clothing to wooden bars we propose in some cases to
attach a plate of metal to the said bar and to secure the card clothing to the metal
facing by the means herein indicated, the said metal plate projecting beyond the
wood on each side sufficiently to enable the attachment of the clothing to be
effected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd May 1878.
66
GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, both of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineers. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BARS OR FOUNDATIONS OF
CARDING ENGINE FLATS, AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE CLOTHING TO
SUCH BARS."
Our Invention relates to the flats used in certain descriptions of carding engines
employed in the carding of cotton and other fibrous materials. The said flats consist
in each case of a bar covered with a strip of wire card. In some descriptions of
carding engines the said bars are formed of metal, and it is to bars so formed that
our Invention is particularly applicable, although it may be employed in the covering
of wooden bars. Previously to our Invention the wire card has been attached to
the metal bar by means of leaden rivets or nails. This method of attachment has
necessitated the formation of the strip of card with wide margins to receive the.
rivets, and as a consequence the carding surface has been much narrower than the
bar to which it has been fixed, and the projecting heads of the rivets or nails have
been objectionable. To remedy these defects is the objects of our Invention, and
this we accomplish in the first place by sewing or stitching the card clothing to
the bar.
In the method of proceeding which we now consider to be most suitable we cut
or form a number of slots, nicks, or saw gates in the edges of the bar, the distance
apart of the said nicks corresponding to the required length of each stitch, and we
secure the clothing to the bar by means of wire or other sewing material which is
passed to and fro through the nicks in the bar.
If preferred for any reason the bar may be perforated to permit the passage of
the securing wire or material, but we do not consider this plan to be so suitable or
efficient as the plan of nicking. In the second place we employ pointed wire
clamps similar to card dents, or to paper fasteners, driven or forced into the said
nicks or into perforations and clenched; or pins, or lengths of wire, or wire clamps
driven or forced into the said nicks, or into perforations; the pins, clamps, or wires
fitting tightly therein, so that when forced in they will hold without requiring to
be clenched or rivetted on the back of the bar.
When securing the card clothing to wooden bars we propose in some cases to
attach a plate of metal to the said bar, and to secure the card clothing to the metal
facing by the means herein indicated, the said metal plate projecting beyond the
wood on each side sufficiently to enable the attachment of the clothing to be
effected.
And in order that our Invention may be readily described and fully under-
stood, we have appended hereunto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of
reference and illustrative of the methods whereby we carry the said Invention into
effect.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a portion of a
metal bar prepared for the attachment of the card clothing. In each edge of the
said bar are cut nicks a, a. We form the said nicks by means of circular saws.
We arrange a number of circular saws at the required distances apart upon a shaft,
and we secure the bar to a carriage which can be slid towards the saws, so that all
the nicks in one edge of the bar can be cut at one operation. We do not however
confine ourselves to this method, as any other suitable means may be adopted, as,
for example, a number of bars may be arranged together upon a travelling table
with the edges to be nicked upwards, and be submitted to the action of a circular
saw, or of a series of circular saws, or to the action of a cutter or of cutters.
Fig. 2 represents a portion of a nicked bar with a length of clothing A attached
thereto, the nicks in the bar being wider than in the previous example. The clothing

page_text: is attached to the bar by means of soft charcoal iron wire, which is passed to and fro
through the margins of the foundation material of the card clothing and through
the nicks in the bar, each of the loops formed on the back or under side of the
clothing being caused to enclose, embrace, or take hold of the part of the edge of
the bar extending from one nick to another. The portions of the securing wire
appearing above the said foundation are indicated at b, b.
It will be seen that the method of attachment does not require the margins of
the said foundation to be so wide as when the ordinary rivets are used, and as a
consequence the working card surface may be wider than usual, or the bars may be
made narrower than usual.
In some cases, if considered to be advisable, the stitches may pass through spaces
between the card dents, whereby a still wider card surface may be obtained.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of the said soft iron wire, although we
consider metal wire to be more suitable than a fibrous material, such as hemp, cotton,
or flax, but any suitable description of wire or of sewing material may be used.
We may cut or form longitudinal grooves on the upper surface of the bar, and
near the edges thereof, as indicated by Fig. 4, in order that the said foundation
material may be pressed into such grooves by the loops of wire and be held with a
greater degree of firmness; or we may cut or form similar grooves on the back of
the bar to retain the wire in position, as indicated by Fig. 5; or we may form such
grooves both on the face and on the back of the bar.
We may cast the slots or nicks in the bars, or form the slots or nicks by punching
or pressing, and we may form the bars with sides which are reduced in thickness
for a distance from the edge, corresponding about with the depth of the nicks, as
indicated by Fig. 6.
Fig. 3 illustrates the second method of attachment. In this example the bar is
nicked, as in the previous example, but the clothing is secured by means of pins.
A pin such as we employ is indicated by Fig. 11. The said pins are or may be
made of brass or other suitable metal wire in ordinary pin-making machines. The
pins are driven through the foundation material into the nicks, which are cut of such
a width as that the pins shall require to be driven into the nicks with a degree of
force. In practice we drive the pins home with a hammer and punch.
Fig. 7 represents a side view of a portion of a bar with three pins in position.
The ends of the pins projecting beyond the back of the bar are cut off, or clenched,
or hammered over, as preferred. If intended to be clenched the pins may be an
easier fit in the nicks or not, as preferred.
We do not confine ourselves to the form of pin or fastener illustrated, as we may
use lengths of wire instead of pins, and clench the ends of the wires upon the foun-
dation material, or we may use wire staples or fasteners of any suitable form, as, for
example, such staples or fasteners as indicated by Figs. 11 and 12.
Figs. and 10 illustrate the application of the staple indicated by Fig. 11, and
Fig. 9 the fastener, indicated by Fig. 12, the foundation material being represented
in section in the three Figs. The staples or fasteners may be driven tight into
the nicks so as not to require clenching, or be arranged to be clenched, as preferred.
The bars may be drilled or perforated instead of being nicked, but we do not con-
sider such method to be so suitable as the method illustrated.
Fig. 14 illustrates the method of attachment of the clothing to wooden bars. We
face the wooden bar B with a metal plate C, and we secure the clothing to such
metal plate by any of the means herein indicated.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of our said Invention, and
the methods whereby we carry the same into practical effect, we would have it to
be understood in conclusion that we claim,-
First. Forming slots or nicks in the edges of the metal bars of carding engine
flats, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
Secondly. Sewing the clothing to the bars, substantially as set forth and
indicated.

page_text: Thirdly. Sewing the clothing to the bars by means of interlacing lengths of
metal wire.
Fourthly. The methods of attaching the clothing to the bars by means of pins,
lengths of wire, staples, or fasteners, substantially as set forth and indicated.
And, lastly. Attaching the clothing to the bars by means of headed pins, or of
lengths of wire, or of wire staples or fasteners driven into nicks formed in the
edges of the said bars.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elijah Ashworth, for myself and on behalf of
the said George Ashworth, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth
day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight.
Signed and sealed by the
said Elijah Ashworth
in the presence of
HUGH GRANT,
Clerk to Edward K. Dutton,
Agent to the Patentee,
St. Ann's Churchyard,
Manchester.
ELIJAH ASHWORTH. (L.S.).