Improvements in Mechanism for Feeding Openers, Soutchers, and like Machines with Cotton or other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Feeding Openers, Soutchers, and
like Machines with Cotton or other Fibrous Materials.
I, EDWARD BUCKLEY of the Firm of Taylor Lang & Co. Limited, of Castle
Iron Works, Stalybridge in the County of Chester, Machine Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of mechanism
for feeding cotton or other fibrous materials to openers, scutchers, and like
machines. In suitable framing having sides to form a receptacle or hopper for the
fibrous material when thrown in, there is an endless lattice inclined at an angle of
about 45 degrees working over rollers or pulleys on shafts one at its upper and the
other at its lower end, which are driven by suitable gearing. The laths of the
lattice are toothed, with teeth inclined upwards on the ascending side of the lattice.
In front of the lattice first named which I will call the carrying lattice, opposite
its upper end, but at some distance from it, there is another endless toothed lattice
(which I will call the gauging lattice) working upon two rollers or on pulleys on
two shafts suitably driven one at its upper and the other at its lower end. The
lower roller of the gauging lattice is by preference smaller in diameter than the
upper roller, and the face of gauging lattice which comes opposite the upper part
of the carrying lattice is at an inclination to the latter being further from it, at its
lower than at its upper end, thus leaving an inclined space between the two the
width of which space can be adjusted, by adjusting the position of the rollers
against which the back of the ascending side of the carrying lattice works. The
fibres which may adhere to the teeth of the upper delivery end of the carrying
lattice are removed by an oscillating comb or bar having teeth, which comb or bar
is carried upon an arm at each end one end of which is jointed to a crank pin in a
wheel or disc driven by suitable gearing. Each arm between the crank pin and
comb bar is jointed to the end of a rod the other end of which is jointed upon a
stud in the framing so that comb thus receives an eccentric movement causing the
fibres to be driven from the teeth quickly downwards upon a grid surface which
will allow seeds and dirt to pass away the fibre falling upon an ordinary feeding
lattice that carries it to the opener or scutcher-or-like-machine-to-be fed.
There is a comb similar to that for stripping the fibre from the carrying lattice
for stripping fibre from the teeth of the returning descending side of the gauging
lattice, throwing such fibre back to the feeding box or hopper at the lower part of
which there is a fluted or corrugated roller to feed forward the fibre to the face of
the carrying lattice.
In place of the combs described there may be a rotating roller having teeth or
blades parallel to its axis alternately of metal teeth or blades and strips of leather
or like material to clear the fibre from the teeth of the carrying and gauging
lattices.
Dated the 6th day of Antil 1803.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Feeding Openers, Scutchers, and
like Machines with Cotton or other Fibrous Materials..
I, EDWARD BUCKLEY, of the Firm of Taylor Lang & Co. Limited, of Castle
Iron Works, Stalybridge, in the County of Chester, Machine Makers, 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:-
My invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of mechanisin
for feeding cotton or other. fibrous materials to openers, scutchers, and like
machines. In suitable framing having sides to form a receptacle or hopper for the
fibrous material when thrown in, there is an endless lattice inclined at an angle.of
about 45 degrees working over rollers or pulleys on shafts one at its upper and the
other at its lower end, which are driven by suitable gearing. The laths of the
lattice are toothed with teeth inclined upwards on the ascending side of the lattice.
In front of the lattice first named which I will call the "carrying lattice" opposite:
its upper end, but at some distance from it, there is another endless toothed lattice,
which I will call the "gauging lattice," working upon two rollers or on pulleys on-
two shafts suitably driven, one at its upper and the other at its lower end.
The lower roller of the gauging lattice, is by preference smaller in diameter
than the upper roller, and the face of the gauging lattice which comes opposite the
upper part of the carrying lattice is at an inclination to the latter, being further
from it at its lower than at its upper end, thus leaving an inclined space between
the two, the width of which space can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the
rollers against which the back of the ascending side of the carrying lattice works.
The fibres which may adhere to the teeth of the upper delivery end of the
carrying lattice are removed by an oscillating comb or bar having teeth, which
comb or bar is carried upon an arm at each end, one end of which is jointed to a
crank pin in a wheel or disc driven by suitable gearing. Each arm between the
crank pin and comb bar is jointed to the end of a rod, the other end of which is
jointed upon a stud in the framing, so that the comb thus receives an eccentric
movement causing the fibres to be driven from the teeth quickly, downwards upon
a grid surface which will allow seeds and dirt to pass away, the fibre falling" upon
an ordinary feeding lattice that carries it to the opener or scutcher or like machine
to be fed.
There is a comb similar to that for stripping the fibre from the carrying lattice
for stripping fibre from the teeth of the returning descending side of the gauging
lattice; throwing such fibre back to the feeding box or hopper at the lower part of
which there is a fluted or corrugated roller to feed forward the fibre to the face
of the carrying lattice. In place of the combs described there may be a rotating
roller having teeth or blades parallel to its axis alternately of metal teeth or
blades, and strips of leather or like material to clear the fibre from the teeth of the
carrying and gauging lattices..
There is or may also be a stationary bar with teeth between the rotary stripper
and upper part of the carrying lattice to hold back lumps of fibre until reduced by
the teeth of the carrying lattice or stripping mechanism.
Fig. 1, is a plan view.
Fig. 2, an elevation on the right hand, and
Fig. 3, an elevation on the left hand side of the machine, when facing the
feeding or hopper end of the machine.
a, are the two side frames.
6', is the upper shaft or roller for the inclined carrying lattice in suitable
bearings in the framing.
62, the lower shaft or roller for the lattice having its bearings in brackets which

page_text: can slide in the lengthway of the lattice b, which is kept tight by screws screwing
through the bracket on each side.
"
The lattice b, is formed by belts and laths of wood or metal in an ordinary
manner, the laths having each a row of teeth inclined upwards or into about a
vertical position as shown on the ascending side of the lattice.
c', is the upper shaft or roller for the gauging lattice c, in suitable bearings in
the side frames, and c², the lower shaft or. roller for this lattice which roller or
shaft is arranged in brackets adjustable for tightening, same as the carrying
lattice.
The teeth on the laths of the gauging lattice c, are about vertical to the face of
the lattice (as shown) which is inclined towards the ascending face of the carrying
Inttice, being further from. it at the lower than at the higher end of the gauging
-lattice c.
1.
There are three rollers 63, 64 and 65, in suitable bearings in brackets on the
framing a, which rollers work against the back of the ascending side of the carrying
lattice b.
The brackets for the bearings of the rollers 61 and 6º, are adjustable to bring the
face of the ascending side of the carrying lattice nearer to or further from that
side of the gauging lattice c, which faces the carrying lattice b.
- .L!
Near the lower roller 62, for the carrying lattice there is or may be a fluted
roller d, in suitable bearings on the side frames and between the side frames there
is an inclined end and bottom a', of sheet iron or other material forming the front
part of the hopper (which is the space within the side frames between the inclined
end and bottom a', and the ascending side of the lattice b,) into which the cotton
or fibre is fed, and it falls or comes against the ascending face of the carrying
lattice b, and the fibre at the lower part of the hopper is fed towards the lattice b,
by the fluted roller d.
The fibre which has been carried past the gauging lattice c, to its top roller b',
of the lattice b, is stripped from its teeth by a roller e, in suitable bearings on
the framing having plates or teeth or alternate plates or teeth and pieces of
leather of similar material which as the roller rotates come close (without
touching) to the teeth on the carrying lattice b, and strip the fibre therefrom, and
drive it downwards so that dirt and seeds will pass through a grid e¹, into any
suitable receptacle below.
In order to detain any lumps of fibre that may be brought by the carrying lattice b,
there is a bar f, across the machine having teeth in it, the points of which face the
teeth of the carrying lattice, and this bar f, of teeth, acts to detain lumps of fibre
until they are reduced so as to pass it, by the action of the teeth on the lattice b,
and the teeth, plates or strips of feather on the rotary roller e.
The roller e, is cased in, and there is a partition a³, between the toothed bar f
and the upper part of the casing to prevent the escape of air. In place of the
stationary comb f, there may be if preferred a spiked or toothed roller slowly
rotated in a reverse direction to the roller b', for the carrying lattice. There
is also a sheet metal partition a³, from the lower to the upper part of, the
machine.
The fibre stripped by the roller e, passes from the partition a, and falls upon
the feeding apron or feed lattice of the machine to be supplied with fibre.
The fibre which may adhere to the teeth of the gauging lattice c, on its
descending side, is stripped by a comb and falls back into the hopper.
The teeth of this comb are in a bar g, secured at each end to one end of an arm g',
the other end of each arm being jointed upon a crank pin g', in a pulley or wheel on
a shaft g, having its bearings in the two side frames, and the pulley for each
crank pin is secured on the ends of this shaft.
-
Each arm g', is also jointed about midway of its length to the upper end of a
rod g, adjustable in length, the lower end of which is jointed on a stud go, in the
framing, and these. adjustable rods are or may be counter-balanced by a weighted
arm 9, from the lower end of the adjustable rod g*

page_text: The toothed comb bar g, passes through slots or openings in the side frames a,
to the arms g', upon the outside of the side frames.
The pulleys having the crank pins g³, have weights to counterbalance the
momentum of the crank pin g³, and connected arm 9, when working. These
pulleys for the crank pins g², may if desired be on studs in the side frames.
h, is the first motion shaft; h, the pulley (partly shown) for the driving belt;
2, is a toothed pinion on the shaft h, gearing with a wheel on a stud h³, in the
framing, having a pinion upon it gearing with a wheel 6º, on the upper roller or
shaft, for the carrying lattice b.
A spur wheel 6', on the shaft b¹, gears with an intermediate wheel on a stud c³,
that drives the wheel secured upon the upper roller or shaft c', of the gauging
lattice c.
A pulley, on the end of the first motion shaft h, drives by a belt i, a pulley i̇ª,
on a shaft, in bearings on the framing, which has a wheel 3, upon it that drives a
wheel, the shaft ³, for the pulleys having the crank pins 92, in them, the
wheel ', being the wheel or pulley for the crank pin g³, on one side.
A pulley, on the shaft, drives by a cross belt 3, a pulley e³, on the end of
the shaft e, of the roller e.
A spur wheel d¹, on the end of the lower roller or shaft 62, drives a wheel fast on
the end of the fluted roller d, through an adjustable intermediate wheel d³, on a
stud in a bracket secured to the framing.
The lower roller 6, for the carrying lattice is driven from the upper roller b¹,
by a jointed endless chain 6, working upon a wheel on each shaft.
There is also an endless jointed chain j, for driving the fluted roller j', in bearings
in brackets on the side frames which chain j, works upon a wheel secured to the
intermediate wheel on the stud c³, and upon one on the end of the shaft for
the fluted roller, which presses upon the fibre delivered from the feeder on to
the lattice of the machine to be fed.
The wheel 6, for driving the shaft 6', is loose upon the shaft and has one
half of a toothed clutch box upon it, the other half of which slides upon a fixed
key so that by the clutch fork groove in the boss of this half and a clutch fork
arm. k, on a vertical shaft k', in bearings in brackets secured on the side frame,
the feeder may be stopped and started by a rod from the end of the machine
which is being fed, which rod is or may be connected with an arm k³, on the
lower end of the vertical shaft k'.
The seeds or dirt driven or falling between the grid bars e', enter an enclosed
chamber formed between the side frames a, and the partitions a³, and a³, (see Fig. 2)
and a door e', hinged to a shaft e, in bearings in the side frames a, there being a
weighted lever arm e, secured to one end of the shaft e, that holds the door
closed against the cross rib e'.
The weight of dirt and seed, when sufficient, may cause this door to open and
allow the dirt to fall or the weighted lever e, may be lifted occasionally to
discharge the dirt from the compartment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination of au inclined endless toothed carrying lattice with a shorter
endless toothed gauging lattice, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. The combination of an endless inclined toothed carrying lattice, a gauging
lattice, and a stripping roller, or an oscillating comb, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. The combination of an inclined carrying lattice, a stationary comb (f) or a
toothed spiked roller for keeping back lumps of fibre until reduced, and a rotary
stripping roller (e) or an oscillatory stripping comb (9) substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings,

page_text: 4. The combination of an endless inclined toothed carrying lattice; a gauging
lattice, and a stationary comb or a toothed or spiked roller, for keeping back
lumps of fibre until reduced, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings.
5. The combination of an oscillatory comb with a gauging lattice for stripping
fibres therefrom, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings.
6. The combination of an oscillatory comb (9) arranged and actuated as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings when used for stripping a gauging
or inclined carrying lattice, substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. The combination and arrangement of mechanism substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this Twenty-second day of December 1893.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.