AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES TO SCRIBBLING AND CARDING MACHINERY
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cliffe, of Golcar, near Huddersfield, in the
County of York, Machine Maker, and Thomas Edward Ainley, of Golcar
aforesaid, Scribbling Engineer, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES TO SCRIBBLING
AND CARDING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cliffe and Thomas
Edward Ainley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June
1881.
WILLIAM CLIFFE, of Golcar, near Huddersfield, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, and THOMAS EDWARD AINLEY, of Golcar aforesaid, Scribbling Engineer.
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBRES TO SCRIBBLING AND CARDING MACHINERY."
This Invention relates, firstly, to that class of feeding apparatus known as the
Scotch, or "Evans and King's," and the improvements consist in the combination
and arrangements of parts whereby the apparatus is rendered more efficient. The
mechanism employed consists of a single or double trough, into which the fibre
falls previous to being placed on the travelling apron of scribbling or carding
machinery. The trough is attached to one end of a lever or weigh beam, and on
the stud or shaft on which the trough is hinged is a pinion capable of gearing in
the teeth of a rack having a backward and forward movement, for the purpose of
tilting the trough and upsetting its contents onto the travelling apron.
The
necessary backward and forward motion is given to the rack by means of pegs or
studs on the face of a spur wheel coming into contact with an incline on the said
rack. When the trough is empty the pinion is raised above the teeth of the rack
by means of a weight placed on the end of the lever or weigh beam, but when the
necessary weight of fibre has dropt from the delivery part of the apparatus into
the said trough, the weight thereof causes it to lower into gear with the teeth of
the rack in. order that it may be tilted and emptied; but to ensure the pinion

page_text: lowering far enough and getting properly into gear with the rack, a rotating pulley
or face plate with pegs or studs is brought into contact with the said lever or weigh
beain, and forces the pinion into the teeth of the rack, and keeps it there until
released. When the scale pan is tilted a pin fixed in a revolving wheel comes into
contact with a finger on the scale beam, and forcing the same to its lowest position
holds it in position. In its descent the scale beam strikes a nut on the end of a
vertical rod attached to a lever which actuates a second lever, and throws out of
gear the worm and wheel which communicates motion from the fan to the feed
roller or drum. As the spur wheel which operates the rack continues to revolve, it
places the scale pan in its upright position, and a pin on the said spur wheel
actuates a rod and series of levers, which place the worm and wheel again in gear,
at the same time lifting the scale pan into the proper position for receiving the
material. Secondly, our improvements consist in forming the hopper or chamber
rectangular in the lower portion, and providing a moveable bottom suspended by
chains. The chains pass over chain wheels, which have motion imparted to them
so as to raise the moveable bottom as the material leaves the hopper. By this
means the hopper can be made much larger than heretofore, and therefore requires
less attention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Cliffe and Thomas Edward Ainley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd December 1881.
WILLIAM CLIFFE, of Golcar, near Huddersfield, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, and THOMAS EDWARD AINLEY, of Golcar aforesaid, Scribbling Engineer.
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBRES TO SCRIBBLING AND CARDING MACHINERY."
This Invention relates,―
Firstly. To that class of feeding apparatus known as the Scotch, or Evans and
King's, and the improvements consist in the combination and arrangement of parts
whereby the apparatus is rendered more efficient. The mechanism employed
consists of a single or double trough, into which the fibre falls previous to being
placed on the travelling apron of scribbling or carding machinery. The trough is
attached to one end of a lever or weigh beam, and on the stud or shaft on which
the trough is hinged is a pinion capable of gearing with a rack having a backward
and forward movement, for the purpose of tilting the trough and upsetting its
contents onto the travelling apron. The necessary backward and forward motion
is given to the rack by means of a crank, wheel, and connecting rod. When the
trough is empty the pinion is raised above the teeth of the rack by means of
weights placed on the ends of the levers or weigh beams, but when the necessary
weight of fibre has dropped from the delivery part of the apparatus into the said
trough, the weight thereof causes it to lower into gear with the teeth of the
rack in order that it may be tilted and emptied; and to ensure the pinion lowering
far enough and getting properly into gear with the rack, a rotating pulley or face
plate, with pegs or studs in the rim thereof, is brought into contact with the said
lever or weigh beam, and forces the pinion into the teeth of the rack, and keeps it
there until released. In its descent the scale beam strikes the end of a hinged lever,
one end of which enters a notch in a sliding rod, to which is connected apparatus
for throwing the driving wheels of the swift in and out of gear.
The scale pan when emptied is placed in position by means of levers actuated by
peg wheel, the said levers also placing the driving wheels of the swift in gear with
each other. Secondly, our improvements consist in forming the hopper or chamber
rectangular in the lower portion, and providing a moveable bottom suspended by
cords or wires. The wires pass over wheels, and are wound upon a scroll which
imparts a variable upward motion to the hopper floor as it becomes empty.
Such being the general nature of our Invention, we will now proceed to describe
the same in detail by the aid of the accompanying Sheets of Drawings marked
with letters of reference, the same letter indicating the same part in the various
Figures.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, opposite side elevation
thereof; Fig. 3, section of hopper; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6, are detached views or
details.
A is the hopper provided with a spiked roller or swift B and a fan C, which
deliver the material into the scale pan C', being assisted by the two oscillating
combs A and B'. This pan is hinged to the beams a which are mounted upon
pivots and balanced by weights in the usual manner. D is a lever mounted upon
a stud b and kept in about a vertical position, whilst the fan is filling by means of
a spiral spring c which pulls the lever against a pin or stud d in the end of a lever
E which is mounted on a shafte extending across the machine. The lever D carries
a pulley F, on the inner face of which are two pins f. G is a sliding rod for
effecting the engagement and disengagement of the wheels G1, G2, the latter of

page_text: "3
which is on the shaft of the spiked roller or swift. The shaft H, which carries the
wheel G', is carried by the bracket H', a detail of which is shewn in Fig. 4. The
bushes are capable of sliding and the wheels are kept in gear by means of an
eccentric g mounted upon a pin within the arms of the bracket and connected by
lever with the rod G. A spring g acts upon the bushes in opposition to the
eccentric and tends to force the wheels out of gear. When the swift is working
" snick H² which
the contact of the wheels is preserved by means of a lever or
enters a notch in the rod G. This lever is mounted on a stud h and the other end
comes directly underneath a finger on the scale beam. Referring to Fig. 2, which
represents the opposite side of machine to the one described, it will be seen that on
the end of the stud supporting the scale pan is a pinion J, whilst underneath the
same is a rack J', which may have a reciprocatory motion imparted to it by crank,
pulley, and connecting rod J². A band passes round this pulley and also round
another pulley K on the stud . Whilst the pan is being filled the pulley J2 is
kept from rotating by a catch lever L, the band slipping over the face of the pulley.
Upon a stud M are mounted a bevil wheel M₁ and two peg plates M2 and M³.
These parts revolve slowly together, motion being communicated to the bevil wheel
from any convenient source of power.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the scale pan is sufficiently full of material to overbalance the weights it
descends until the pinion J gears with the rack J. During its descent it strikes
the arm of the lever H2, releasing the rod G, and the spring g² at once forces the
wheels G1, G2, out of gear, thus stopping the supply of material. The complete
descent of the scale pan is ensured by means of the pins in the face of the pulley F,
one or other of which will come in contact with the. finger h¹ and hold it forcibly
down, the rotation of the wheel being stopped. The rack and pinion are now in
gear, but the pan remains untilted until the peg or projection m on the wheel M³
comes into contact with the lever L and releases the pulley J2, which at once
commences to revolve, causing to rack to reciprocate and tilt the scale pan which
rights itself when empty, and the pulley J2 is again stopped after one revolution by
the lever L. A pin on the wheel M³ now commences to act on a finger N fixed
on the end of the rod or shaft c. The outer end of this shaft carries the lever E
and a finger N¹. As the finger N is depressed the lever E and finger N¹ at the
other end are elevated, and as the lever D is drawn back the latter releases the
scale pan and raises the beam, whilst the lever E pulls back the upright lever D, as
shewn in Fig. 5, and this acting on the sliding rod G through the medium of the
connecting rod P the said sliding rod is moved far enough back for the lever H to
fall into the notch therein, and the wheels G¹ and G2 are placed in contact and the
filling recommences.
The second part of our Invention will be understood by reference to Fig. 3. The
bottom of the hopper is supported by bars or rods Q which slide in grooves p. To
these bars are attached wire cords which pass over pullies R and thence in pairs
onto scroll pullies 8. These scroll pullies have slow rotation imparted to them by
means of large and small bevil wheels S1 and S2, actuated by worm and worm
wheel T and T', the former being mounted on the shaft of the swift. When the
hopper is completely full, the material at the top is more lightly compressed than
that at the bottom, so that the scroll takes up more quickly at this stage and
decreases in speed as the denser portions of material are reached. The motion of
the scrolls can be stopped at any time by operating the lever U and eccentric V,
which we employ for keeping the worm and wheel in gear. In the upper portion
of the hopper are two combs A', B', which have an oscillating motion imparted to
them from any suitable source of power, and these combs assist in feeding the
material to the scale pan. When the material in the hopper is nearly exhausted,
the door X can be opened inwards and secured in the position indicated by dotted
lines. The last portions of material thus rest upon the door, and will suffice
to keep the machine at work until the bottom is lowered and the hopper
refilled.

page_text: Having thus fully described the nature and object of our said Invention, and
shewn by Drawings the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practice, we would have it understood that we do not contine
ourselves to the precise details of construction or arrangement herein given, as the
same may be variously altered without departing from the main features of our
Invention, especially in the method of communicating motion to the various parts,
but what we claim as our Invention and desire to have secured to us are,-
Firstly. The employment of the sliding rod G, lever h, eccentric g, and spring g²,
operating in manner and for the purpose, substantially as herein shewn and
described.
Secondly. The employment of a rack and pinion for tilting the scale pan,
substantially as herein shewn and described.
Thirdly. The employment of a pulley F provided with pins f for depressing and
holding down the scale pan, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Fourthly. The employment of the peg wheel M², fingers N and N¹, and lever E,
for releasing and elevating the scale pan, substantially as herein shewn and
described.
Fifthly. The combination of a hopper having a moveable bottom with the scrolls
and bands for raising the same at a variable speed, substantially as herein shewn
and described.
Sixthly. The arrangement of the door of the hopper in such manner that it may
be converted into a support for the material in the upper portion whilst the lower
portion is being refilled, substantially as herein shewn and described,
In witness whereof, we, the said William Cliffe and Thomas Edward Ainley,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty first day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
WILLIAM CLIFFE.
(L.S.)
THOS. EDWD. AINLEY. (L.S.)