Improvements in Hopper Feeders for Openers, Scutchers, and similar Machines Employed in the Preparation of Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1896-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hopper Feeders for Openers, Scutchers, and similar
Machines Employed in the Preparation of Fibrous Materials.
We, WILL LORD, of the Firm of Lord Brothers. of Canal Street Works,
Todmorden, in the County of York, Machine Makers, and FREDERICK
WOODHEAD, of the same place, Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the hopper feeders used in connection with openers
scutchers and similar machines employed in the preparation of fibrous materials,
and our invention consists chiefly in utilizing the travelling lattice which forms the
false bottom or floor of the hopper as a means for automatically regulating and
controlling the feed of fibrous material to the hopper according to the weight of
fibrous material therein.
In carrying our invention into effect we employ a movable device placed below
and in contact with the under side of that part of the travelling lattice which
forms the floor of the hopper. This device is so adjusted that when the weight of
fibrous material in the hopper exceeds a certain limit and the lattice is thereby
depressed the device is moved and by suitable connections interrupts or otherwise
regulates the feed and delivery of fibrous material to the hopper, until the
accumulation has been overtaken and the weight reduced when the food is
outernatically stored.
A convenient device for the purposes of our invention consists in a guide roller
or pulley mounted in say a pair of pivoted arms or levers which are connected by
adjustable rods and levers or other suitable connections to the trunk rollers lattice
or other feed delivery mechanism. The pivoted arms are preferably weighted by
adjustable weights to maintain the guide roller in constant contact with the under
side of the travelling lattice and to counterbalance a certain weight of fibrous
material in the hopper, and consequently by adjusting the weights on the arms, the
weight of fibrous material counterbalanced can be varied so as to cause the
automatic regulation of the feed to take place earlier or later as desired.
For hand feeding we may employ an auxiliary hopper into which the fibrous
material is thrown, and control the delivery of fibrous inaterial therefrom on to the
bottom lattice by the regulating mechanism.
Dated this 15th day of October 1895.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants.
Improvements in Hopper Feeders for Openers, Scutchers, and similar
Machines Employed in the Preparation of Fibrous Materials.
We, WILL LORD, of the Firm of Lord Brothers, of Canal Street Works,
Todmorden, in the County of York, Machine Makers, and FREDERICK
WOODHEAD, of the same place, Draughtsman, 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 :—
Our invention relates to the hopper feeders used in connection with openers
1 Price But I

page_text: scutchers and similar machines employed in the preparation of fibrous materials,
and our invention consists chiefly in utilizing the travelling lattice which forms the
false bottom or floor of the hopper as a means for automatically regulating and
controlling the feed of fibrous material to the hopper according to the weight of
fibrous material therein.
In carrying our invention into effect we employ a movable devire placed below
and in contact with the under side of that part of the travelling lattice which forms
the floor of the hopper. This device is adjusted that when the weight of fibrous
inaterial in the hopper exceeds a certain limit and the lattice is thereby depresse
the device is moved and by suitable connections interrupts or otherwise regulates
the feed and delivery of fibrous material to the hopper, until the accumulation has
been overtaken and the weight reduced when the feed is automatically restorel.
A convenient device for the purposes of our invention consists in a guide roller
or pulley noted in say a pair of pivoted arms or levers which are connected by
adjustable reds and levels or other suitable connections to the trunk rollers lattice
or other feed delivery mechanism. The pivoted arms are preferably weighted by
adjustable weights to maintain the guide roller in constant contact with the
under side of the travelling lattice and to counterbalance a certain weight of
fibrous material in the hopper, and consequently by adjusting the weights un
the arm, the weight of fibrous material counterbalanced can be varied so an
to cause the automatic regulation of the teed to take place earlier or later as
desired.
And in order that our invention may be fully undertood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the accompanying two sheets of drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hopper feeder fitted with one arrangement of
our feed regulating device.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a hopper feeder fitted with an alternative
arrangement of our feed regulating device.
Referring first to Figure 1,- designates the frame of the hopper to which
cotton or other fibrous material is supplied by a pipe or trunk, feed rollers,
travelling lattice or any other known form of feed mechanism, the inclined spiked
or needle lattier, and the travelling bottom lattice which is supported on pulleys
or guide rallers d d' as usual.
In this arrangement we mount the lattice block or guide roller in a pair of
arms or levers fulerumed at and adjustably weighted at 2. One of the
levers is slotted and to it is connected a rod which is suitably connected to the
regulating feed mechanisin.
r
The weight keeps the roller e normally raised and presses up the bottom
lattice and whilst in this position the feed mechanism is not affected; but when
the weight of fibrous material is sufficient to counteract the balance weight and
depress the lattice e and roller e and raise the weight into the position indicated
in dotted lines, the rod g being actuated regulates the feed mechanism and so checks
the amount of fibrous material being fed into the hopper until the inclined lattice
has removed the excess when the parts resume their normal positions and the feed
is restored.
In the alternative arrangement illustrated by Figure 2 the regulator is substan
tially the same device as that shown in Fig. 1, the chief difference being that in
this instance the end guide pulleys or rollers d and the lattice block e are mounted
on a pair of levers fulcrummed at to the sides of the hopper a. The rod is
jointed at to one of the levers h, and, as in Fig. 1, is connected at the other end
either directly or indirectly to any ordinary feed regulating apparatus.
The lever with balance weight is fulcrumed at to the side of the
hopper a and is jointed at g' to the rod g so as to normally raise or tend to
raise the rod g levers and guide rollers d into their highest position.
When the weight of fibrous material fed into the hopper is sufficient to
depress the end of the lattice c nearest the inclined lattice with the rollers a

page_text: and levers the weight is raised and the rod g is drawn down thereby
regulating the feed mechanism; but as soon as the inclined lattice b has removed
the excess of fibrous material and the lattice c with the other parts have regained
their normal positions the feed is restored.
For hand feeding we may employ an auxiliary hopper into which the fibrous
material is thrown, and control the delivery of fibrous material therefrom on to the
bottom lattice by the regulating mechanism.
We have shown the regulator applied to the middle of the under side and to
one end of the travelling lattice c; but it will be readily understood that it
might also be applied to the other end of the lattice if found advantageous or
desirable.
We also wish it to be clearly understood that we do not limit ourselves to
the details of the arrangements described and illustrated as the same may be
varied or modified by any competent mechanic familiar with this class of machinery
without departing from the nature of our invention the essential feature of which
consists in utilizing the travelling lattice forming the false bottom or floor of
the hopper as a means for automatically regulating and controlling the feed of
fibrous material to the hopper according to the weight of fibrous material
therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. Automatically regulating and controlling the feed of fibrous material to a
hopper feeder according to the weight of fibrous material therein by means of
connections from the travelling lattice upon which such fibrous material is
deposited in the hopper substantially as herein set forth.
2. The combination with the food mechanism of a hopper feeder, of a regulating
device actuated by the movement of the horizontal travelling lattice in the hopper
according to the amount of fibrous material deposited on said lattice substantially
as herein set forth.
3. The combination with the feed mechanism of a hopper feeder, of the regulating
device substantially as described with reference to Figure 1.
4. The combination with the feed mechanism of a hopper feeder, of the regulating
device substantially as described with reference to Figure 2.
Dated this 15th day of July 1896.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.