IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON OPENING AND LAPPING MACHINES AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LAPS THEREBY A
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine Lake
and Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. for au invention of
« IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON OPENING AND LAPPING MACHINES AND IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF LAPS THEREBY A communication from abroad by Richard
Kitson of Lowell, Massachusetts, United States of America
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1882.
"
A com-
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON OPENING AND
LAPPING MACHINES AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LAPS THEREBY
munication from abroad by Richard Kitson, of Lowell, Massachusetts, United States
of America.
This invention relates to machines commonly known as cotton openers and
lappers and comprises the combination with the beater and cage on which the lap
is formed, as ordinarily constructed, of calender-rolls, one of which is provided with
collars between which the pressure surface of the other acts; also to the
manufacture of a lamp having a straight and square edge and equal solidity at all
points.
A machine constructed according to my invention is provided with feed-rolls by
which the cotton is grasped and held while operated upon by the beater. There
are screens or cages on which the fibres of cotton are deposited when thrown
forward by the beater with the current of air created by it. These screens are
connected with an exhaust fan which creates a partial vacuum in the cages or
screens by exhausting the air from them so that the fibres of cotton thrown
forward by the beater will be felted upon the screens or cages from which they
are taken by draw-off rolls after which they pass to calender rolls, the upper and
larger one of which is made the exact length it is desired to have the width of the
lap. The lower calender roll is provided with collars which extend up past the
ends of the upper roll so that such roll moves freely, but closely between them.
As the sheets of cotton formed on the cages are passed between the calender-
rolls, the pressure surfaces of the rolls will be separated by the rise of the upper
roll between the collars of the lower roll, which leaves a space between the
surfaces of the rolls occupied by the sheets, which is at no time longer than the

page_text: width of the lap being produced, and therefore as the sheets pass between the rolls
and the pressure of the upper one is brought to bear on them to form them into
a lap, they are at their edges supported by the collars and prevented from widening
out or flattening into a lap of less density near its edges than at other places.
As the collars which support the edges of the sheets as the lap is formed, move
with the roll and lap, any desired support can be given to the sheets as they are
pressed into a lap, at their edges, without danger of tearing the edge by dragging
it over a fixed support at the place where the pressure is applied. The only
purpose of the guides used with my rolls is to gather the fibres or bunches over-
hanging the edges of the sheets in, while loose, so that they will properly enter
between the calender rolls between the collars. As cotton openers have heretofore
been constructed they have been provided with calender-rolls having straight sides
of a length considerably greater than the width of the lap to be formed and pressed
between them. When the lap was formed of a sheet deposited upon a single cage,
any fibres which might have been deposited upon it so that one of their ends
projected outside of the screen surface or any bunches of fibre which were so
deposited upon the cage, were crowded back into the lap by guide or cheek pieces
placed in front of the calender-rolls, but as these guides could not extend through
between the rolls adjacent to the point where the pressure came, they could not be
so kept and the edges of the lap would be unsupported at that point and would be
widened out, in degree according as the fibres were more or less firmly interlocked
with others forming more central parts of the lap. When the overhanging fibres
or bunches mentioned passed between the rolls, they would (because not so firinly
interlocked, with others as those not so projecting) be pressed out laterally so as to
make wider places in the lap or projecting points upon its edges.
When the lap was made of sheets formed upon two cages these points would at
one place be part of the sheet from one cage, and at another, from the other. As
the lap was unsupported at its edgo in a lateral direction the widening out of the
edge would permit a lap to be formed without its edge portion being compressed
with the same solidity as its middle portions so that the lap would readily separate
or split when one of the irregularities of the edge described was caught in
subsequent working at the card. With the ordinary rolls and guide pieces the
sheets as they are fed in to the rolls, are drawn past and over guide pieces placed
as near the nip of the rolls as may be, by the drag of which the edge of the lap is
often rendered irregular.
As there has heretofore been no way of compressing two sheets as fimly together
near their edges as at other more central parts, because of the side-wise escape of
the fibres at the edges, it has not been found practical to produce a lap on a two
screen machine, which would not split. This would especially be liable to happen
when the edge of one sheet over-reached the edge of the other at any place.
By means of my present invention the formation of a lap having an irregular or
ragged edge is prevented, and a lap is formed which has a straight edge and the
fibres are equally compressed in all parts of the lap so that when two cages are
used the two sheets formed by them are pressed together and united equally well
from one edge to the other and the possibility of a split resulting from a
separation beginning where a defective union of the edges exists, which being
begun extends back into the lap where the sheets are most firmly united, no longer
exists.
I do not, however, intend to confine the use of my improved calender-rolls to
machines having two cages but expect them to be applied to machines without
regard to the number of screens or the kind or style of beater used in them.
According to my invention I provide a lap having a perfectly straight edge of
equal solidity in all its parts, by pressing all the projecting bunches or fibres of
cotton into the lap at the time it is compressed by calender-rollers, so that they
will retain their places in, and form part of the lap.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
24th August 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patont Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON OPENING AND
" A com-
LAPPING MACHINES, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LAPS THEREBY
munication from abroad by Richard Kitson, of Lowell, Massachusetts, United States
of America.
This invention relates to Machines commonly known as Cotton Openers and
Lappers, and comprises the combination, with the beater and Cage on which the
lap is formed as ordinarily constructed, of Calendar rolls, one of which is provided
with collars, between which the pressure surface of the other acts; Also to the
manufacture of a lap having a straight and square edge, and of equal solidity at
all points.
In the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of a Cotton opener provided
with rolls constructed according to this invention
Figure 2 is an elevation of the Calender rolls arranged as in Figure 1, removed
from the machine.
Figure 3 is an end view of the same.
Figure 4 is a plan of three rolls arranged in a set
Figure
is an end view of the same.
In constructing a Machine according to this invention I provide feed rolls a, a,
by which the cotton is grasped and held while operated upon by the beater B.
Screens or cages C C are also provided, on which the fibres of cotton are deposited,
when thrown forward by the beater with the current of air created by it. These
screens are connected with an exhaust fan F which croates a partial vacuum in
the said cages or screens, by exhausting the air from them, so that the fibres of
cotton thrown forward by the benter will be felted upon the screens or cages, from
which they are taken by the draw off rolls c, after which they pass to the calender
rolls D, the upper and larger roll d is made the exact length it is desired to have
the width of the lap, the lower roll e is provided with collars g which extend
up past the ends of the upper roll, so that such roll moves freely but closely
between them.
As the Sheets of cotton formed on the cages are passed between the calender
rolls the pressure surfaces of the rolls will be separated, the upper roll rising
between the collars of the lower roll; also as the Sheets pass between the rolls, the
pressure of the upper one is brought to bear upon them to form them into a lap;
at the edges a lap is supported by the collars and prevented from widening out or
fattening and thus becoming thinner near its edges than at other places.
As the collars which support the edges of the sheets move with the roll, any
desired support can be given to the said sheets at their edges as they are pressed
into a lap, without danger of tearing the edge, by dragging it over a fixed support
at the point where the pressure is applied. The only object of the guides S used
with my rolls is to gather in the fibres or bunches overhanging the edges of the
sheets, while loose, so that they will properly enter the calender rolls between
the collars. Cotton openers as heretofore constructed have been provided with
Figure 18 all end view of the same.
In constructing a Machine according to this invention I provide feed rolls a, a,
by which the cotton is grasped and held while operated upon by the beater B.
Screens or cages C C are also provided, on which the fibres of cotton are deposited,
when thrown forward by the beater with the current of air created by it. These
screens are connected with an exhaust fan F which creates a partial vacuum in
the said cages or screens, by exhausting the air from them, so that the fibres of
cotton thrown forward by the beater will be felted upon the screens or cages, from
which they are taken by the draw off rolls c, after which they pass to the calender
rolis D, the upper and larger roll d is made the exact length it is desired to have
the width of the lap, the lower roll e is provided with collars g which extend
up past the ends of the upper roll, so that such roll moves freely but closely
between them.
As the Sheets of cotton formed on the cages are passed between the calender
rolls the pressure surfaces of the rolls will be separated, the upper roll rising
between the collars of the lower roll; also as the Sheets pass between the rolls, the
pressure of the upper one is brought to bear upon them to form them into a lap;
at the edges a lap is supported by the collars and prevented from widening out or
flattening and thus becoming thinner near its edges than at other places.
As the collars which support the edges of the sheets move with the roll, any
desired support can be given to the said sheets at their edges as they are pressed
into a lap, without danger of tearing the edge, by dragging it over a fixed support
at the point where the pressure is applied. The only object of the guides S used
with my rolls is to gather in the fibres or bunches overhanging the edges of the
sheets, while loose, so that they will properly enter the calender rolls between
the collars. Cotton openers as heretofore constructed have been provided with

page_text: calender rolls, considerably longer than the width of the lap to be formed and
pressed between them, and having straight ends. When a lap was formed of a
sheet deposited upon a single cage only; any fibres which might have been
deposited so that one of their ends overhung the edge of the cage surface, and also
any bunches of fibre which were so deposited upon the cage, were pressed back
into the lap by guide or cheek pieces, placed in front of the calender rolls,
but as these guides could not extend between the rolls to the line of pressure,
they could not be retained in this position, and the edges of the lap being
unsupported on that line would be widened out in places in proportion as the fibres
were more or less firmly interlocked with others forming more central parts of the
said lap.
When the lap was composed of sheets formed upon two cages these widened
points would, at one place, be part of one sheet and, at another, part of the other.
As the lap was unsupported at its edges the widening out of the said edges would
permit a lap to be formed without the portion adjacent to the said edges being
compressed with the same solidity as the other portions, so that the lap would
readily separate or split, if one of the irregularities of the edges described was
caught in subsequent working at the card. With the ordinary rolls, the sheets in
feeding are drawn past and over guide-pieces, placed as near the line of pressure of
the rolls as possible, the edges of the lap are thus often rendered irregular by
dragging against the said guides. Heretofore there has been no way of compressing
two sheets as firmly together near their edges as at other more central parts,
because of the lateral escape of the fibres at the edges, whereby it has not been
found possible to produce a lap on a two screen machine which would not split.
This would especially be liable to happen when the edge of one sheet overhung the
edge of the other at any place.
By means of this invention the formation of a lap having an irregular or ragged
edge is prevented, a lap is thus formed which has a straight and square edge, the
fibres also being equally compressed in all parts, so than when two cages are used
the sheets formed upon them will be pressed together and united, equally well
from one edge to the other, the possibility of a split resulting from a separation, and
beginning where a defective union of the edges exists, is thereby greatly reduced. I
do not however confine my improved Calender rolls to machines having two cages,
for they can equally well be applied to machines having any number of cages, and
any kind or style of beater used in them.
According to another part of my invention I form a lap, having a perfectly
straight edge of equal solidity in all its parts; by pressing all the projecting
bunches or fibres of cotton into the lap, at the time it is being compressed
by calender rolls, so that they will retain their places in, and form part of,
the lap.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The combination, in a cotton opener and lapper, of a beater, a cage on
which a Sheet of cotton is formed, and a pair of calender rolls, one of which is
provided with collars which extend pass the ends of the other, substantially as
described.
Second In lap-forming mechanism, a pair of calender rolls, one of which has
two collars, the other working between the said collars and bearing against the
lap as it passes between the said rolls, substantially as described.
Third. The combination, in cotton lap-forming mechanism, of an opener, a cage,
and two guide-pieces to guide the cotton between the rolls, with two or more
calender rolls, the contact surfaces of which operate between collars fixed upon
one or more of the rolls, substantially as described.
Fourth. A lap of cotton, having straight edges, and of equal thickness in

page_text: all its parts, formed without cutting any of the fibres thereof, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty fourth day of August in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.