CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND CLEANING WOOL, COTTON, AND SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALs
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
SYKES, of Hollinwood, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and
ADAM OGDEN, of Hey Chapel, in the Parish of Ashton under Lyne, in the said
County, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty, by Her Letters Patent
under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the
Eighth day of March, in the eighth year of Her reign, and in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five, did, for Herself, Her
heirs, and successors, give and grant unto us, the said John Sykes and Adam
Ogden, our exors, adñors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said John Sykes and Adam Ogden,
our exors, adñiors, and assigns, and every of us, by ourselves, or by our
deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as we, our exors, adñiors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, as to us, our exors, admors, or assigns, or
any of us or them, should in our or their discretions seem meet, our Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND CLEANING WOOL,
COTTON, AND SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIAL;" in which said Letters Patent is

page_text: contained a proviso that we, the said John Sykes and Adam Ogden, shall
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, and
cause the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear inter
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
John Sykes and Adam Ogde
Ogden, do hereby declare the nature of our Invention of
"Certain Improvements in Machinery-for. Preparing.and.Cleaning Wool, Cotton,
and similar Fibrous Material," to consist in the application and arrangement
of certain machinery forming, a machine, by which wool, cotton, and similar
fibrous material may be prepared and cleaned, or freed from dirt, seeds, and
other extraneous matter, previous to their being submitted to the action of the
carding engine, or any subsequent preparation machine; and the manner in
which the same is to be performed and carried into effect will be seen by
reference to the annexed-Drawings, and the following description thereof,-
The scale to which the Drawings are made is marked thereon, and the same
letter or figure of reference indicates the same part throughout the whole of
the Drawings, while the direction of motion is indicated, tas far as practicable,
by small arrows, and the parts distinguished, in some cases. by tints. of colour.
Figure 1 represents a side view or elevation of one form of machine con-
structed with our improvements and Figure 2a longitudinal section.
Figure 3 is axplan; Figure 4 an end view; and Figure. 5. a transverse
section of the same. The remaining, Figures are detached parts; drawn
enlarged scale for the purpose of explaining, the construction of certain parts
of our Invention herein after referred to
mi
In Figures 12,3 and 4.A represents the fast and loose, pullies for, receiv
ing the driving strap of the machine. The driving pullies, are placed on a
shaft, which carries the circular drum B, provided with a series of projections
or, beaters: a, which revolve, in the direction indicated by the small arrow on its
periphery free of the feed rollers and the grid f From the opposite end of
the shaft, which supports the drum B, motion is conveyed by a train of spur
wheels.C'to the feeding rollers D and feeding cloth. E, upon which the wool,
cotton, or similar fibrous material is spread carefully by hand when designed
to be operated on.by this machine... The feeding rollers D, are set free of, the
drum beater B, and lightly weighted by means of the lever and small-weight d
so that the drum: beater B cannot break the fibre of the material, but merely

page_text: strikes it' and carries it forward to the surface of the endless cloth F, which
moves, slowly. in the direction of the small arrows. On the shaft of the drum
beater Bis placed the pulley 6, which conveys motion by means of a strap to
a similar pulley c placed on the shaft of a smaller drum beater G, the direction
of rotation of which is the contrary to that of the drum beater B. From the
opposite end of the shaft on which the drum beater G is supported, motion is
again conveyed by means of a strap' from the pulley g to the pulley h; placed
on a revolving shaft provided with the two strip brushes H H from the shaft
on which the strip brushes H; Hare" placed; "a decreasing motion is again
conveyed through the train of spur-wheels I to the cylinder K. The peculiar
construction of this cylinder K, which constitutes one important part of our
Invention, we shall now proceed to describe in reference to Figures 6 and 7,
which'shew end and side views of part of this cylinder on an enlarged' scale, and
Figures 8, 9, and 10, to which we shall also refer. It consists of two or moré
circular disks or wheels (which are best seen at K Figures 8 and 10)
keyed firmly on a shaft, and turned accurately cylindrical, and on them a series
of lags or plates of irony are screwed, as best seen at Figure 8, a'space being
left between each lag or plate for the admission of the combs 1, 2, as repre-
sented. But before the combs i; i, are attached to the cylinder it is again
turned up upon its necks to an accurate and uniform surface. On the side of
these disks or wheels, to which the lags or "plates y are attached, are cast
circular projections or flanges, tinted blue in these Figures, which are per-
forated at regular distances to receive the set screws pwhich carry the metal
bars, to which are attached the combs These set screws'p adjust the
combs by nuts in the usual manner at the side flanges of the disks; and are
tapped or screwed into the metalic-bar x from which they can be removed
so as to allow the comb and bar to be removed or drawn out when the
cylinder is made perfect, as will be hereafter seen: The combs and bar i and
being adjusted accurately and conscontric, with the cylinder, they are held firm
and prevented from springing by means of the wedge-shaped-pieces, tinted 'red
and marked r (see Figures 8, 9, and 10), which tendency to spring arises from
the action of the nuts in-screwing the bars firm to the flange of the disk upon
the set screws p.. These pieces are forced' down to a proper position against
pieces of metal rivited to the metal bars, which pieces are thicker than the
comb-nut heads' and washers which hold the combs to the metal bar a; and
are fastened by a small bolt moving in a slot or opening formed in the
exterior of the disk, as seen in the Drawing. The position of the combs i, i,
and sitheir appendages, will be best seen at Figure 9, where the lags -y are
removed. But when the cylinder is complete the intermediate space between

page_text: each comb is covered over by a lag or plate y, which, fitting accurately to the
back of each comb, prevents the teeth or points giving way or receding, the
points being free at the other edge of the lag or plate to admit of the
material being put on for cleaning, as seen at Figure 8. Thus a perfect
cylinder is formed, which forms a plain surface, intersected by a series of lateral
openings which contain the combs i, i, the teeth or points of which are kept on
an exact level with the remainder of the surface, at the same time that such
combs can be removed or replaced when required by removing the set screws p,
without disturbing any other part of the construction of the cylinder K. The
rotation of the comb cylinder K, which proceeds from the shaft of the revolv-
ing strip brushes H, H, is so adjusted as to present a single comb to each strip
brush as they revolve in succession, so that the wool or similar material is
brushed out and deposited on the floor by each brush coming in contact with
a. comb as they pass in successive rotation, the strip brushes necessarily
moving a little faster than the combs, so as to brush off the material from the
comb at the instant of the teeth of the comb passing the line of centres.
This accurate movement between the combs and brushes we find requisite to
avoid what is called flocking or moiling the wool, which would otherwise take.
place. The construction of the beater drum G is also represented on an
enlarged scale at Figures 11 and 12 in end view and plan, and the part to
which the beaters are attached is seen at Figure 13. The beaters. on this
drum are screwed on to the disks, as seen at Figure 11, and the intermediate
spaces are made good by lags or covering. Immediately below the beater G
is placed the grid n, which consists of a series of curved bars placed edgewise
and parallel to each other, as seen at Figures 11 and 12, which position of
the bars allows any wool or similar material struck off the combs by the
beater G to pass over their surface and part with any free dirt without pro-
ducing that entanglement from lashing round the bars of the grid which takes
place when the bars are in the opposite direction.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, L represents an endless cloth which
has a slow motion imparted to it from the shaft of the drum beater B by
means of a strap and the train of wheels M, one of the carrying rollers of such
cloth being placed perpendicularly over the feed cloth E, and the other near to
the beater G, as best seen in section, at Figure 2; and N is a small revolving
ribbed roller for striking off any wool, cotton, or other fibrous material
which may adhere to this cloth L. On the opposite end of the shaft of the
comb cylinder K to that from which it is driven, is placed a spur pinion,
gearing into a train of spur wheels P, as seen at Figure 1. This train of
wheels imparts motion to the endless cloth F, and to the circular brushes

page_text: Qand R, and also a slow rotation to the card roller S, best seen in section
at Figure 2. Supposing, therefore, the machine to be put in motion and
regularly fed with wool, cotton, or similar fibrous material, the action will
be as follows: The material placed on the feed cloth E will be first passed
through the feed rollers D and subjected to the action of the beater drum B,
taking out a certain amount of dirt, seed, and other extraneous matter which
falls through the grid fupon the floor, as seen at T, Figure 2. As before
remarked, the feed rollers D are set free of the beaters a, and only lightly
weighted, so that they (the beaters) cannot break the staple of the material or
forcibly beat out any substance which adheres to the fibre, but rather draw
it forward and deliver it along with the partially cleaned material on to the
endless cloth F. The cloth F carries the material forward to the revolving
brush Q, which takes it up and delivers it to the combs i, i, as best seen at
Figures 8, 9, and 10, which combs revolve with the cylinder K at a slightly
increased speed to that of the brush Q, which, drawing the material through
the bristles of the brush Q, again frees the material of a further amount of
dirt, seed, or other extraneous matter which falls on the floor at U; and it
will be remarked that, the combs being set level with the surface of the
cylinder K, it is by the elasticity of the brushes Q and R that the material is
forced in and placed on the comb teeth i, i. The material being now placed
in the revolving combs i, i, is carried forward to the carding roller S, which,
moving in the same surface direction (but much slower), opens, straightens,
and regulates the amount of material in each comb, arresting and holding
back a portion when the comb is overloaded, care being taken to set the card S.
so free as not to take too much of the material, or stretch or break the fibre.:
From this point the combs proceed forward, each with a portion of wool,
while the portion which was arrested by the card S is again taken off by the
revolving brush R, and replaced in the next comb which passes in contact:
with the brush R. Thus the amount in each comb is equalized and proceeds
forward to the beater G; and at this point one of the most important features
of our Invention is brought into operation. The wool or other fibrous
material, suspended in the comb i, i, in a partially clean state, is struck by the.
beaters in the drum G, and any dirt, seed, or other extraneous matter which
is sufficiently loose to part from the fibre, leaves it and falls through the grid-
n, accumulating in the receptacle. V (see Figure 2) while the material
proceeds forward in the comb in a prepared and clean state to the point at
which such comb comes in contact with one of the strip brushes H, which,
revolving in the same surface direction as the comb, brushes out the material
and deposits it in a finished state on the floor at W.
But, returning to the

page_text: beater G, and supposing a portion of wool or similar fibrous material in any
of the combs i, i, to be presented to its action in which the dirt or other
extraneous matter could not be struck out without breaking the fibres and
injuring the staple of the material; the support of the combs is not sufficient
to allow of such force, and; instead of the fibres being broken; the material is
drawn out of the comb. and carried backward by the beater over the grid'n
and déposited on the endless cloth L. By the. traverse of the cloth L this
unfinished: material is carried backward or returned and redelivered on the feed
cloth E, where the whole process is recommenced, the ribbed roller N. forcing
off any material which may adhere to the cloth. Thus; by repeated operations,
the dirt, seed, or other extraneous matter is: sufficiently loosened: to leave the
material without any injury to the fibre, while the discriminating property of
the machine, arising from the combined action of the comb cylinder K, and the
beater drum G, sorts or selects such portion of the material as is; in a prepared
and clean state to proceed forward to the strip brush.H, at the same time
that it rejects and sends back such portion as is. 'not: finally prepared and
cleaned to the endless cloth L; and thence, to; the feeder cloth; E, there to be
represented to the same process over and over again, until it is in a state to
part freely with the dirt, seed, or other extraneous matter, and proceed forward
in a prepared and cleaned state to the final deposit at; Wha
Having now described the nature of our Invention, together., with the
manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into; effect, we
hereby declare that we do not claim as of our Invention or, the exclusive use:
of the parts: of the machinery herein-before described when taken separately
and otherwise than herein-after mentioned; but we do claim as new and as of:
our Invention,
we
w
Firstly, the general construction; combination, and arrangement of ma
chinery whereby the material under operation is subjected, to the several and
successive processes of beating and selection; as above described.
Secondly, the peculiar construction; and arrangement of the drum beater B
and of the beaters d, whereby the material is beaten as delivered from between
two slightly. weighted rollers, as above described ads
fa
Thirdly, the peculiar construction of the comb cylinder K.for: receiving,
retaining, and delivering the material under operation;: as before described::
3:
In witness whereof, we, the said John Sykes and Adam Ogden, have
By September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
hereunto set our hands and seals, the First day
Lucrose cat

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the First day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1845, the aforesaid John Sykes and Adam Ogden
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Third day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.