Improvements in Hopper Feeders Employed in Machinery for Preparing Textile Fibres.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1000
Complete Specification Loft 14th Dec. 1800 Accented 20th Jan
1000
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec. 1800-Accented, 20th Jan, 1000
Improvements in Hopper Feeders Employed in Machinery for
Preparing Textile Fibres.
We, JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON, of John Hetherington and Sons Limited,
of Vulcan Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker,
THOMAS THOMPSON, Manager, of 127, Hyde Road, Ardwick, and JameS HEYWOOD,
Foreman, of 191, Palmerston Street, both in Manchester aforesaid, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in means for regulating and controlling
the supply of cotton or other fibrous materials (hereinafter designated cotton) to
the hopper or automatic feeder of an opener, scutcher or other machine for pre-
paring cotton, and our improvements consist essentially in the arrangement, uso
and application of a balanced box or receptacle which is free to move vertically
up or down and is arranged to automatically control the feed of cotton to the
hopper according to the quantity of that material in the box or receptacle.
In carrying our improvements into effect we dispense with the usual travelling
apron or lattice at the bottom of the hopper and instead we mount inside the
hopper the aforesaid box or receptacle which is counterbalanced and arranged
to rise or fall according to the weight of cotton contained in it.
We utilise these rising and falling movements of the box to regulate and con-
tol the supply of cotton to such box, and consequently the feed to the machine
which it supplies.
We effect this automatic regulation by connecting the box or its connections
to the driving mechanism of the travelling feed lattice, the valve or equivalent
which controls the feed trunk or pipe or to any equivalent device by which the
supply of cotton to the hopper can be controlled and determined.
We prefer to make the box with an open side next the inclined or needle
lattice and with an inclined bottom sloping towards a rotating roller mounted in
bearings near the bottom of the needle lattice. We prefer to employ this rotating
roller in all cases although it is not essential to our invention as the vibrating
box is not dependent upon it and might be used without it.
DOL
1000
Improvements in Hopper Feeders Employed in Machinery for
Preparing Textile Fibres.
We, Joux MUIR HETHERINGTON, of John Hetherington and Sons Limited,
f Vulcan Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker,
Price 8d.1

page_text: THOMAS THOMPSON, Manager, of 127, Hyde Road, Ardwick, and JAMES HEYWOOD,
Foreman, of 191, Palmerston Street, both in Manchester aforesaid, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
5
Our invention relates to improvements in means for regulating and controlling
the supply of cotton or other fibrous materials (hereinafter designated cotton) to
the hopper or automatic feeder of an opener, scutcher or other machine for pre-
paring cotton, and our improvements consist essentially in the arrangement, use
and application of a balanced box or receptacle which is free to move vertically 1
up or down and is arranged to automatically control the feed of cotton to the
hopper according to the quantity of that material in the box or receptacle.
In carrying our improvements into effect we dispense with the usual travelling
apron or lattice at the bottom of the hopper and instead we mount inside the
hopper the aforesaid box or receptacle which is counterbalanced and arranged
to rise or fall according to the weight of cotton contained in it.
We utilise these rising and falling movements of the box to regulaté and con-
trol the supply of cotton to such box, and consequently the feed to the machine
which it supplies.
We effect this automatic regulation by connecting the box or its connections
to the driving mechanism of the travelling ferd lattice, the valve or equivalent
which controls the feed trunk, or pipe or to any equivalent device, by which the
supply of cotton to the hopper can be controlled and determined.
We prefer to make the box with an open side next the inclined or needle
lattice and with an inclined bottom sloping towards a rotating roller mounted in
bearings near the bottom of the needle lattice. We prefer to employ this rotating
roller in all cases although it is not essential to our invention as the vibrating
box is not dependent upon it and might be used without it.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings-
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a hopper feeder to which our improve-
ments are applied, Fig. 2 is an end view of the rear of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4
are detailed views.
In the drawings, designates the hopper, 6 the ordinary travelling inclined
or nerdle lattice for carrying the cotton into the opening or other machine, c the
ordinary feed lattice for supplying the hopper with cotton, intermittent motion
being given to the feed lattice c by a belt d from a pulley e secured upon a driven
shaft f, the belt passing to a pair of fast and loose pulleys g on a shaft h; all
these parts are or may be of the ordinary construction.
In the interior of the hopper is mounted a box or receptacle i, which has an
open side next the inclined lattice, and an inclined bottom sloping toward a
rotating roller mounted in bearings on the hopper sides near the bottom of the
inclined lattice b. The box rests upon the ends of a bifurcated lever k, see
Fig. 4, which pivoted at to a bracket m bolted to the back of the hopper and
an adjustable weight is secured to the lever k to counterbalance the box i when
supplied with cotton. The lever is connected by a rod p, elbow lever
rod's to a pivoted strap fork lever o for controlling the belt d.
and a
In Fig. 1, the box is shown in its highest position being supplied with a full
charge of cotton, the belt being upon the inner or fast pulley g and the feed
lattice being consequently in motion; as soon, however, as the weight of the
cotton in the box i is further increased, the weight is raised and moves the
strap fork o, by the connections p, q, s and so shifts the belt d from the fast to
the loose pulley g whereby the lattice e is stopped until the cotton in the box i
begins to diminish when the weight a overbalances the box i and the belt d is by
the upward movement of the box again shifted to the fast pulley g and the feed
re-started.
This starting and stopping action is therefore effected automatically according
to the quantity of cotton in the box i.

page_text: It is obvious that the movement of the box and weighted lever could be
easily arranged to open and close a valve or door or any equivalent device for
controlling the feed from a trunk or pipe or other feed to a hopper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
-
1. In a hopper feeder the use and application of a balanced box or receptacle
which is free to move vertically up or down and is arranged to automatically con-
trol the feed of fibrous material to the hopper according to the quantity of material
in the said receptacle substantially as herein set forth.
2. The combination with the feed mechanism of a hopper feeder, of the counter-
balanced box arranged to rise or fall according to the weight of fibrous material
therein and connections whereby such rising and falling movements are utilised
to regulate and control the supply of fibrous material to the box i substantially
as herein set forth.
3. The general combination and arrangement of parts substantially as and for
the purposes herein described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of December 1899.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants, 17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.