Improvements in or in connection with Carding Engines for Grinding Revolving Flats when in Situ.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1859
. Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Carding Engines for
Grinding Revolving Flats when in Situ.
I, JAMES EDGE, of Gorton, in the County of Lancaster, Mill Manager, do hereby,
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of carding-engine in which revolving flats
are employed, and is designed for the purpose of grinding such flats-without
removing them from the carding engine-truly and accurately, so that the face of the
wires or teeth shall all be of a uniform height or distance above the working surface at
the end of the flat which travels upon the flexible bend, and at the same inclination
thereto.
Hitherto it has been customary to rigidly adjust the grinding roller at the
required distance above the surface of the flats, and either pass the flats over a.
rigid supporting piece or bracket upon which their backs would rest while being
ground or raise and hold them up by means of a pivoted lever or spring to a.
guide piece against which the working surface of the flat would bear, to insure
the required uniformity of height and inclination in the wires or teeth of the flats.
This invention consists essentially in so mounting or adjusting the grinding
roller at each end that during the operation of grinding it will be supported from
the working surface of the flat while the flat is retained at the required angle 'by
bearing against an inclined piece or face on the under surface of the roller bearing,
and is supported in position by a fixed bracket over which it travels, thus securing to
the flats a uniform height and inclination to the face of the wires in relation to the
working surface.
In carrying out the invention I construct a bracket for the grinding roller which
will be attached to the side framing or bend of the carding-engine in the ordinary
Away. This bracket is made with a vertical socket at its upper end in which is
fitted a vertically sliding stud, which supports the journal of the grinding roller.
The journal of the grinding roller is of the usual form to receive the roller shaft
and has a projecting shank preferably pivoted thereto, which fits into the afore-
mentioned vertically sliding stud piece, its position therein being adjusted by a
screw and nut. A second bracket which may form part of the roller bracket is.
provided at its upper surface with an inclined or curved slide over which the flats
successively pass the back of each where it is curved to receive the link-stud
resting thereon. This curved or inclined slide is formed for a short distance at
its centre with a raised surface which as the flat passes over lifts it up to be
ground and at the same time the weight of the grinding roller brings the flat
into the proper position for grinding after which it recedes from the grinding
roller. The lower end of the vertically sliding stud which supports the grinding
roller projects below its socket and is. fitted with a wedge shaped piece or provided
with an inclined surface against which the working surface of the flat bears and
is by it held at the required inclination for grinding. When the grinding roller is
adjusted, the inclined surface below the vertical stud is a fixed distance from the
central axis of the grinding roller and resting on the working surface of each flat
they are all ground to an uniform height.
A small catch in the form of a bayonet joint or otherwise will hold the roller away
from the flats when not grinding.
Dated this 16th day of February 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Carding Engines for
Grinding Revolving Flats when in Situ.
1, JAMES EDGE, of Gorton, in the County of Lancaster, Mill Manager, 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 :-
This invention relates to that class of carding-engine in which revolving flats are
employed, and is designed for the purpose of grinding such flats without removing
them from the carding-engine-truly and accurately, so that the face of the wires or
teeth shall all be of an uniform height or distance above the working surface, at the
end of the flat, which travels upon the flexible bend or disc, and at. the same
inclination thereto.
'
Hitherto this has been done in a variety of ways and by means of different arrange-
ments of mechanism, the more usual being (a).to rigidly adjust the grinding roller
at the required distance above the surface of the flats and pass the flats over a rigid
supporting piece or bracket upon which their backs would rest while being ground';
(b) to rigidly adjust the grinding roller in position above the flats and to carry the
flats over the projecting end of a pivoted and counterbalanced lever which raises
each flat up as it passes and holds the working surface thereof against a guide piece
or bracket; (c) to support the grinding roller on a vertically sliding bracket raised
as each flat passes and to carry the flats over. a rigid supporting piece their ends
coming in contact with the vertically sliding bracket, or (d) to support the flat
against a sliding wedge which moves with it as it passes beneath the grinding
.roller.
This invention refers more particularly to that class wherein the grinding roller is
moved and is adjusted to each flat as it passes beneath it. The grinding roller at
each end is so mounted that during the operation of grinding the vertically moving
stud or bracket which carries the bearing for the roller shaft is supported upon the
working surface of the flat; each flat as it passes beneath the grinding roller is
adjusted to the required angle against the under surface of this bracket or stud which
surface is inclined to form an internal angle of from 170° to 176° or such angle as is
necessary to give the required bevel to the wires and the flats are raised to, or supported
in position by, a fixed bracket, upon which rests the curved projection which receives
the link stud, the flat being heeled or caused to move into the proper position for
grinding by the inclined surface and weight of the grinding roller bearing upon the
working face thereof."
The invention will be fully described by aid of the accompanying drawings, which
show sufficient of a carding-engine to illustrate the invention.
Fig. 1, is a front elevation.
Fig. 2. side elevation with parts in section.
Fig. 3, sectional side elevation of the upright bracket and vertical sliding stud.
Fig. 4, front elevation of vertical sliding stud.
Fig. 5, side elevation of modified form.
Fig. 6, plan and front elevation of inclined surface I, as adapted to Fig. 5.
Fig. 7, elevation showing addition of auxiliary bracket to existing supporting
brackets.
Fig. 8, side elevation of modified form of bracket to suit different make of card.
A is the bend and B the flexible bend or disc of the carding-engine upon which
the ends of flats travel. Care the several flats which are connected together by
links in the usual way and D is the grinding roller, all these being constructed of
any pattern or design now adopted for such parts.
The grinding roller 1) is supported by an adjustable bracket E, bolted to the bend.
This bracket is preferably formed in two parts, one secured to the other, the function
of the lower part being to lift up and support the flats as they pass forward to be
ground and of the upper part to support the grinding roller and regulate its position
with reference to the flats under operation.

page_text: To the upper part of the upright bracket E is, formed a socket F, to receive a
slide or sliding stud G, upon which rests or is carried the 'journal of the grinding
roller. The journal H, is of the usual half form for the spindle a of the grinding
roller to rest in, the shank is preferably bored out to receive the end of the stud g.
The slide or sliding stud G is as shown formed of two parts the outer part which
slides in the socket F of the upright' bracket and the inner stud g. The inner
study is preferably screwed into the slide G, and when adjusted to the required
height locked in position by the lock nut g¹. The stud y projects into the shank of
the journal H, acting as a pivot for the latter to move upon.
:
Instead of this arrangement however the shank of the journal, may be screwed
to receive a nut to regulate the height and fit into the slide:
4
The lower end of the sliding stud G, projects through the socket F, and is fitted
with an inclined surface against which the working surfaces of the flats each come
in contact as they are being ground. This surface is preferably formed on the
under side of a plate I, rivetted or otherwise securely attached to the slide G, and
is inclined in opposite directions from a point i, placed about half an inch in front
of the centre of the grinding roller. The inclination in the direction from which
the flats approach is about 21° from the horizontal, and in the direction in which
they recede about 130; forming an angle of 176° more or less at the point . The
inclined surfaces as they approach the point i may be straight or if desired curved
say to correspond with the curved surface of the flexible bend upon which the flats
travel when working with the cylinder.
Hitherto, so far as I am aware, in grinding these flats the aim has been to cause
the card wire surface of the flats to travel in a plane at right angles to a radial
line from the centre of the grinding roller or to a line which connects the centre
of the cylinder and grinding roller, for this purpose special devices such as a
sliding wedge or two fixed parallel surfaces at different heights have been employed.
I do not consider it essential that the card wire surface should travel throughout
in the same plane but by the inclined surface inclined in two directions as shown I
ensure that each row of wires shall successively be presented for grinding with their
bases at an equal distance from the centre of the grinding roller. The inclination
of the surfaces must be adjusted to correspond with the inclination in the flats to 'be
ground.
The lower part of the bracket E, has, at or near its upper edge, an inclined or
curved guide J, over which the flats successively pass, the back of the flat, at the
point c, where it is curved to receive the link stud, resting thereon. The guide J, is
formed for a short distance at its centre with a specially raised surface j, which raises
each flat.up into contact with the grinding roller as it passes. When not required to
grind the grinding roller D may be raised and held clear of the flats by the pin h,
being lifted into the slot ', somewhat in the form of a bayonet-joint.
The several letters of reference and the description of the parts, refer to like parts
in the several figures, which show the invention applied to carding-engines somewhat
differently constructed.
Referring to figs. 1 to 4 it is shown as applied to the form of carding-engine at
present most generally in use.
Referring more particularly to figs. 5 to 6 the carding engine is constructed with
the card wire surface of the flat brought up to the working surface and with the
flexible bend or disc so placed as to require but a very short projection of the flat
beyond the cylinder. The bracket E and slide F are constructed as herein before
described, but the plate provided with the inclined surface I, projects beyond the
centre of the sliding stud so as to engage with the ends of the flats.
In fig. 7, is shown an auxiliary guide bracket J" similar in construction to J,
but fitted to the arm j¹, of the old guide bracket shown. This bracket is placed to
engage with the raised curved surface of the flat instead of a specially planed
surface as has hitherto been the case. The bracket J may be removed when the
grinding roller is not in operation.
Referring to fig. 8, the bracket E is shown of somewhat different shape, the

page_text: inclined surface being arranged to project forward beyond the centre of the sliding
stud, as in figs. 15 to 6. The guide Jis arranged to be interchangeable and removable
from one carding-engine to another. It is carried at the end of a lever K, fulcrumed
on a knife edge at e, on the bracket E', and is secured in position for raising the
flats up to be ground by a pin ', passing, through the lever K and bracket k attached
to or forming part of the bracket E'. The bracket E is formed with a slide e¹ of
usual form, over which the flats travel when not being ground.
In the drawings and throughout the specification the apparatus attached to one side
only of a carding-engine is referred.to. It will, however, be. understood. that similar
apparatus are applied at both sides of the carding-engine to operate upon both ends
of the flats.
↓
When the invention is. in operation the flats will travel forward. in contact with
the carding cylinder.and back again over the top thereof in the usual way. As. the
flats approach the grinding roller they will travel up the inclined guide, the raised
under part c of the flats resting on the guide. Un nearing the centre of the guide J,
the flats mount up upon the raised surface j, which brings their working surfaces
into contact with the inclined surface I, carried by the slide G. The distance between
the surface I, and the. axis of: the grinding roller, having been adjusted and set by
the screw on the stud g, it remains constant and the position of the surface 1 is
adjusted so that each flat as it passes between it and the guide surface j, must raise it,
and bring the weight of the grinding roller to rest upon the working surface of each
flat. It follows therefore that the distance between the working surface of each flat
and the grinding roller is equal' and that the grinding of the flats will be all alike,
the inclined surface arranged as shown causing all the wires to be ground to an uniform
length with a level surface.
The invention may also be applied to the grinding of the card wire surface of
the flats in a stationary or other grinding machine. The inclined bearing surface I,
against which the working surface of the flats bear may also be used in conjunc-
tion with other apparatus such as are at present in use for grinding revolving flats.
!
Having now particularly described, and, ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In apparatus for grinding revolving flats when in situ the combination with an
upright supporting bracket having a socket at the upper end, of a slide or stud moving
therein fitted with a journal for the grinding roller at one end and at the other with
à guide surface for the flats, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for grinding the revolving flats of carding-engines, the combina-
tion with the upright supporting bracket, of the sliding stud G, having a bearing
surface at its lower end for the flats, study, screwed therein, and journal for axle of
grinding roller pivoted thereto, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for grinding the revolving flats of carding-engines the bearing
surface inclined in opposite directions forming an angle of about 176° or thereabouts
against which the working surfaces of the flats bear while being ground, substantially
as described and shown.
4. The apparatus for grinding revolving flats of carding engines in situ constructed
and arranged substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 15th day of November 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool and London, Patent Agents.