Improvements in Carding Wool and other Fibrous Material.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 13th May 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carding Wool and other Fibrous Material.
I, ERNST GESSNER of Aue in the Kingdom of Saxony, Machine Builder, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to that system of carding engine wherein two or
more doffers are employed in combination with one drum, a full fleece being taken
from each of such doffers.
In these carding engines as hitherto employed the fleeces taken from several
doffers are united or laid one upon another to form a layer, band or sliver which is
transferred to the finisher card to obtain slubbings or ends.
This method of uniting several fleeces has the disadvantage that the material
worked in this way is unequal as to length of fibre and condition for the reason
that during the process of carding the material to be worked is accumulated on the
surface of the drum or main cylinder in layers, that part of the material which is
clearer or more finely worked as well as the short stapled portion being undermost,
while the other portion which is coarser or long stapled lies uppermost on the
drum.
In ordinary carding engines having only one doffer, only the upper layer con-
stituting the coarser or long stapled portion of the fibre is taken off by the doffer,
the finely worked and short stapled portion generally remaining in or on the teeth
of the drum, the consequence being that this portion of the fibre is repeatedly
passing through the machine and worked so as to become waste or short material
of inferior value.
In machines where two fleeces are obtained from one drum, as above mentioned,
it is obvious that the first doffer will take off the coarser or long stapled part, while
the second doffer will clear away the remaining portion, that is, the short or finely
worked fibre. Thus, two fleeces are obtained which are dissimilar as to length of
fibre and condition. By uniting such fleeces and transferring the same to a second
or third machine the same process is repeated, the short stapled portion again
laying undermost on the drum and being sorted from the upper layer whereby it
becomes shorter and of less value. When two of such fleeces are united and
brought to a condenser to be divided, the ends carried upward and worked by the
upper rubbing motion, differ in condition and appearance from those which are
carried downward.
These disadvantages of the carding engine as hitherto in use are overcome by
the following method whereby that portion of the fibre which lies undermost on
the surface of the drum, being already worked, is cleared from the drum by a
second doffer to be immediately brought to a condenser to obtain ends, or to produce
slivers for the drawing frame, while the coarser or longer portion of the fibre, being
not yet thoroughly worked, is carried forward to be transferred to a second machine
or finisher card to be worked again.
This method enables yarns to be produced of which the fibre is of uniform length
while on the other hand it prevents one portion of the material from being so
excessively worked as to become short stapled and depreciated in value. More-
over, by the action of the second doffer the surface of the drum is kept cleaner so
as to admit of a greater feed and increasing the out-put to nearly double the
quantity as compared with the ordinary carding engine.
The material cleared off by the first doffer is carried to the finisher card where
it is thoroughly worked and then again sorted, according to the length of fibre, by
being cleared from the drum of the finisher card by two doffers, a condenser or
divider being placed before each of the two doffers to obtain ends. Instead of

page_text: placing dividers before the doffers, the fleece may be divided by employing an
ordinary ring doffer and rubbers or rubbing leathers. In preparing worsted,
cotton, flax, hemp or jute, a sliver may be produced from each doffer to be worked
separately through the usual drawing spinning machinery.
The combination and arrangement of machines to form one set of carding
engines to carry out this method, may be varied according to different purposes and
to suit different kinds of material to be worked.
The accompanying drawings represent in Sheet 1 such a set of carding engines
for preparing wool, consisting of the first breaker cards, Figures 1 and 14, the two
second carding machines, Figures 2 and 2^, and the finisher card, Figure 3.
Each of
The material to be worked is laid on the feed table % of the first breaker cards I
and I either by hand or an automatic feeder, passing thence in the ordinary way
through a pair of feed rolls b, a licker-in d, workers a, and strippers w.
the two first breaker cards is provided with a first doffer pacting in combination
with a fancy V, taking off the upper layer of the fleece from the drum T, and also
with a second doffer p' acting in combination with a fancy V₁ clearing away the
remaining portion of the fleece which is clearer and more finely worked or short
stapled than the upper layer.
The fleece F¹ taken from the second doffer p by the doffing knife or comb h¹, is
carried by aprons L and L' towards the first doffer p and is united with the fleece F
either by being transferred to the first doffer as shown in Figure 1, or by being
united to the fleece Fat the point f, as shown at Figure 14, after it has been
stripped from the doffer. In certain cases the material obtained by the second
doffer p may be worked or divided separately instead of being united with the
fleece of the first doffer p. The second doffers p' might be used without employing
a fancy V. Instead of the doffer p', another doffer p* might be employed arranged
above the doffer p as indicated by dotted lines, or a second doffer might be placed
below the feed table Z, provided the feed table be raised to allow sufficient space.
The accumulating and forming of the fleeces taken from the first breaker card,
and the transporting of the same to the second carding engine, may be carried out
by any apparatus used in practice.
After the material has been worked again on the second carding engines II
and II", the uppermost layers of material on the two drums, not being yet thoroughly
worked, are taken from the drums by the first doffers p, a fleece is cleared from each
doffer by a comb to be accumulated by hand rolls B so as to form a band or
sliver F, and these two bands or slivers are carried by the belts L' and L³ towards
each other, so as to be united and laid on the table Z of the finisher card, after the
manner of the so-called "Scotch feed." The remaining portion of the fibre upon
the drums of the two second carding engines, being sufficiently worked and
constituting the short stapled material, is cleared from each of the drums by the
second doffer p', the fleece F¹ taken from said doffer by a comb being immediately
brought to a divider Fl. The second carding engines II, II might also be
provided with a third doffer p' as indicated by dotted lines, and the fleece taken
from said doffer might be brought to a divider.
In certain cases the fleeces taken from the second doffers p' might be united and
transported to the finisher card, like those taken from the first doffers p.
The material to be worked on the finisher card III constituting the long stapled
portion of the material is again sorted, the first doffer p picking out the longer
staple which is brought to a divider F the remaining portion being cleared from
the drum by the doffer p', from which a fleece F¹ is taken and carried by an apron L
to a second divider F³. The material might be sorted still more by employing
more than two doffers, or by repeating the same process upon another carding
engine.
It will be understood that in treating cotton, flats are used in place of workers a
and strippers w.
When worsted, cotton, hemp or jute is to be worked, the place of the
dividers F 1, F 1, F 1, F P will be filled by other apparatus whereby the material

page_text: after having been sorted in the mauner described is formed into slivers to go to the
drawing, spinning and twisting machinery to produce yarns which, being of uniform
length of fibre, can receive a good twist, so as to become of good strength and
quality.
In treating material which has already been worked before, for instance, shoddy
and mungo, or waste, the first breaker cards I, I may be dispensed with. A set of
carding engines for sorting the material in the manner described can be arranged
so as to be composed of only one first breaker card, one second machine, and one
finisher card, an arrangement of this kind being especially preferred for preparing
wool in the cloth manufactory. With this arrangement the two fleeces taken from
the second machine are united and in this state brought to the finisher card at
which two doffers are employed, the first doffer picking out the longer staple for the
spinning of warp yarns, the second doffer clearing away the short stapled portion
for the production of weft yarns.
This method can also be carried out with a combined carding engine, as shown in
Figure 4. The material is transferred from the first drum T to the second drum T¹
by two intermediate doffers p³ p acting in combination with fancys V³ V* and
strippers 30. Two fleeces are taken from the second drum T¹ by a first and
second doffer p and pl to be brought to the dividers F and F or to be worked
and treated in the drawing frames separately from each other.
Instead of two drums, the carding engine may have three or more drums, the
material being transferred from one drum to another by two intermediate doffers.
At the top part of the drums there may be workers and strippers or flats, and the
fancys may be dispensed with, according to the kind of material to be worked.
The arrangement of a first and second doffer with two dividers placed one above
another, as on the drum T of Figure 4, might also be applied to the finisher card
shown in Figure 3, instead of placing the second doffer below the feed table, as
shown at that figure.
Dated thi. 10th low of Lul., 1900
ERNST GESSNER,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carding Wool and other Fibrous Material.
I, ERNST GESSNER, of Aue, in the Kingdom of Saxony, Machine Builder, 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:―
The present invention relates to that system of carding engine wherein two or
more doffers are employed in combination with one drum, a full fleece being taken
from each of such doffers. In these carding engines as hitherto employed, the
fleeces taken from several doffers are united or laid one upon another to form a layer,
band, or sliver, which is transferred to the finisher card to obtain slubbings or
ends. This method of uniting several fleeces has the disadvantage that the
material worked in this way is unequal as to length of fibre and condition, for the
reason that during the process of carding the material to be worked is accumulated
on the surface of the drum or main cylinder in layers, that part of the material
which is clearer or more finely worked, as well as the short stapled portion, being
undermost while the other portion which is coarser or long stapled lies uppermost
on the drum. In ordinary carding engines having only one doffer, only the upper
layer, constituting the coarser or long stapled portion of the fibre is taken off by
the doffer, the finely worked and short stapled portion generally remaining on the
drum, the consequence being that this portion of the fibre is repeatedly passed
through the machine and worked so as to become waste or short material of inferior

page_text: value. In machines where two fleeces are obtained from one drum, as above
mentioned, it is obvious that the first doffer will take off the coarser or long stapled
part, while the second doffer will clear away the remaining portion, that is the
short or finely worked fibre. Thus two fleeces are obtained which are dissimilar as
to length of fibre and condition. By uniting such fleeces and transferring the same
to a second or third machine the same process is repeated, the short stapled portion
again laying undermost on the drum and being sorted from the upper layer whereby
it becomes shorter and of less value. When two of such fleeces are united and
brought to a condenser to be divided, the ends which are carried upward and
worked by the upper rubbing motion differ in condition and appearance from those
which are carried downward..
These disadvantages are overcome by the following method which consists in
sorting or separating the material from a carding engine according to the length of
fibre and condition, by employing several doffers to one drum so as to obtain several
fleeces or layers, the long stapled or coarser portion lying uppermost being cleared
away by the first doffer and the short or finely worked portion being taken by the
second doffer, and then, instead of uniting the two fleeces as.hitherto, treating or
dividing the fleeces separately from each other whereby on the one hand yarns are
enabled to be produced of which the fibre is of uniform length while on the other
hand the subjecting the one portion of the material to such an excessive amount of
working as to render it short stapled and depreciated in value is prevented. More-
over, by the action of the second doffer the surface of the drum is kept cleaner so
as to admit of increasing the rate of feed and consequently the out-put to nearly
double the quantity as compared with the ordinary carding engine. The material
cleared off by the second doffer on the second carding engine, being sufficiently
worked need not be worked again and can be immediately brought to a condenser
or divider to obtain ends or a sliver may be produced from the same to be treated
in the drawing frames, etc., while the coarser or long stapled part taken away by
the first doffer is carried to the finisher card where it is thoroughly worked and
then again sorted, according to the length of fibre, by being cleared away from the
drum of the finisher card by two doffers, a condenser or divider being placed before
each of the two doffers to obtain ends. Instead of placing dividers before the
doffers, the fleece may be divided by employing an ordinary ring doffer and rubbers.
In preparing worsted, cotton, flax, hemp, or jute, a sliver may be produced from
each doffer to be worked separately through the usual drawing frames and spinning
machinery. The combination and arrangement of machines to form one set of
carding engines, to carry out this method, may be varied according to different
purposes and to suit different kinds of material to be worked.
My invention is illustrated in the drawings left with my Provisional Specification,
which represent in Sheet 1 such a set of carding engines for preparing wool, con-
sisting of the first breaker cards, Figures 1 and 14, the two second carding machines,
Figures 2 and 24, and the finisher card Figure 3.
The material to be worked is laid on the feed table % of the first breaker cards I
and I, either by hand or an automatic feeder, passing thence in the ordinary way
through a pair of feed rolls b, a licker-in d, workers a, and strippers 10.
Each of
the two first breaker cards is provided with a first doffer p acting in combination
with a fancy V taking off the upper layer of the fleece from the drum T and also
with a second doffer p' acting in combination with a fancy V₁clearing away the
remaining portion of the fleece which is clearer and more finely worked or short
stapled than the upper layer. The fleece F' taken from the second doffer p¹ by
the doffing knife or comb is carried by aprons L and L' towards the first doffer
and is united with the fleece F either by being transferred to the first doffer, as
shewn in Figure 1, or by being united to the fleece F at the point f, as shewn at
Figure 14, after it has been stripped from the doffer. In certain cases, the material
obtained by the second doffer p may be worked or divided separately, instead of
being united with the fleece of the first doffer p. The second doffers p' might be
used without employing a fancy V₁. Instead of the doffer p' another doffer p
P

page_text: might be employed arranged above the doffer p, as indicated by dotted lines, or a
second doffer might be placed below the feed table z, provided the feed table be
raised to allow sufficient space. The accumulating and forming of the fleeces
taken from the first breaker card and the transporting of the same to the second.
carding engine may be carried out by any apparatus used in practice.
After the material has been worked again on the second carding engines IP
and II, the uppermost layers of material on the two drums not being yet thoroughly
worked, are taken from the drums by the first doffers p, a fleece is cleared from
each doffer by a comb to be accumulated by band rolls B so as to form a band
or sliver F and these two bands or slivers are carried by the belts L2 and L³
towards each other, so as to be united and laid on the table Z of the finisher card.
after the manner of the so-called "Scotch feed." The remaining portion of the
fibre upon the drums of the two second carding engines, being sufficiently worked
and constituting the short stapled material, is cleared from each of the drums by
the second doffer p', the fleece F¹ taken from said doffer by a comb being
immediately brought to a divider F. 1. The second carding engines II, II", might
also be provided with a third doffer p³, as indicated by dotted lines, and the fleece
taken from said doffer might be brought to a divider. In certain cases, the fleeces
taken from the second doffers p' might be united and transported to the finisher
card, like those taken from the first doffers p.
The material to be worked on the finisher card III constituting the long stapled
portion of the material, is again sorted, the first doffer p picking out the longer
staple which is brought to a divider F. 1, the remaining portion being cleared from
the drum by the doffer p² from which a fleece F¹ is taken and carried by an
apron L' to a second divider F. 1. The material might be sorted still more by
employing more than two doffers or by repeating the same process upon another
carding engine.
It will be understood that in treating cotton, flats are used in place of workers a
and strippers w.
When worsted, cotton, hemp, or jute, is to be worked the place of the
dividers F., F., F., F., will be filled by other apparatus whereby the
material after having been sorted in the manner described is formed into slivers
to go to the drawing, spinning, and twisting, machinery to produce yarns which
being of uniform length of fibre can receive a good twist so as to become of good
strength and quality.
In treating material which has already been worked before, for instance shoddy
and mungo or waste, the first breaker cards I, I", may be dispensed with. A set of
carding engines for sorting the material in the manner described can be arranged
so as to be composed of only one first breaker_card, one second machine, and one
finisher card, an arrangement of this kind being especially preferred for preparing
wool in the cloth manufactory. With this arrangement the two fleeces taken from
the second machine are united and in this state brought to the finisher card at
which two doffers are employed, the first doffer picking out the longer staple for
the spinning of warp yarns, the second doffer clearing away the short stapled
portion for the production of weft yarns.
This method can also be carried out with a combined carding engine, as shewn
ir Figure 4. The material is transferred from the first drum T to the second
ulrum T by two intermediate doffers p³ p₁ acting in combination with fancys V³, V*,
and strippers to³, w. Two fleeces are taken from the second drum T¹ by a first
and second doffer P
and p to be brought to the dividers F. l. and F. l or to be
worked and treated in the drawing frames, separately from each other.
Instead of two drums, the carding engine may have three or more drums, the
material being transferred from one drum to another by two intermediate doffers.
At the top part of the drums there may be workers and strippers or flats and the
fancys may be dispensed with according to the kind of material to be worked.
The arrangement of a first and second doffer with two dividers placed one
above another, as on the drum T¹ of Figure 4, might also be applied to the finisher

page_text: card shewn in Figure 3 instead of placing the second doffer below the feed table
as shewn at that figure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
In the carding of wool or other fibrous material, the herein described method
which consists in sorting and separating the material from a carding engine,
according to the length of fibre and condition, by employing several doffers to
one drum (acting in combination or not with a fancy) so as to obtain several fleeces
or layers of different length of fibre from one drum, and then working or treating
such fleeces or layers separately from each other, so as to produce yarns from
cach separate layer or fleece.
Dated this 19th d
A
1 1000
E. GESSNER,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
E. GESSNER,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.