Improvements in Speed Regulators for Feeding Cotton Lap Machines and for like purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Regulators for Feeding Cotton Lap Machines
and for like purposes.
We, JOSEPH ARTHUR RATCLIFFE, of Charlesworth, Mill Manager, and TOM
BEARD, of Chisworth, Mill Mechanic, both in the County. of Derby, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the manner in which we construct and arrange the
feeding mechanism particularly applicable to cotton lap machines whereby the
varying thicknesses of laps may be as far as possible avoided by the regularity
of feeding which we introduce according to the manner herein set forth. Another
part of the invention has reference to the manner in which we vary the speed of
the feeding mechanism so as to dispense with the usual double cone driving
arrangement of pulleys with belting. The inconvenience and difficulty attending
the employment of belting for driving with the double cone pulleys, being the
liability of the belt to slip and slacken thereby causing great irregularity of
motion, with consequent want of uniformity in the thickness of the lap produced.
In carrying our invention into effect when applying it to cotton lap machines of
ordinary construction, we utilize the present form of rollers for delivering any
desired number of laps, and we employ the usual and ordinary form of creepers
and any form of beaters, dust cages and other usual fittings without alteration
being involved to admit of our improvements being applied to the machine. But we
dispense with the ordinary belt cone pulleys and arrange instead upon the worm feed
shaft on which one of the cones is usually mounted, a face wheel or weighted disc
working in conjunction with a friction roller or "bowl" driven by means of suit-
ably arranged bevil gearing from the side shaft upon the machine. The friction
roller or bowl" we keep in contact with the disc or face wheel by means of a
weighted lever which causes the shaft or spindle of the roller to rise in its
bearings; the bearings being of trunnion form with open jawed brackets or other
ordinary supports for permitting a rising or falling motion to be given to the shaft
by means of the suspended weight and the connected lever. Instead of employing
a weighted lever and a rising shaft to work the roller against a fixed disc or face
wheel, we sometimes employ a spring to keep the lever in position, or we reverse
the arrangement and make the face wheel or disc to rise and fall by means of its
weight, or by a weighted lever, or by a spring, instead of fixing it to one position
upon its spindle, in which case we cause the friction roller shaft to remain in fixed
bearings of any ordinary description.
To cause the disc to revolve at variable rates we provide or form upon the roller
or we attach to it in any well known manner, a recessed collar for receiving the
ends of a forked lever, or for receiving segments on to which the forked arms of
our controlling lever is connected. We cause the collar with its attached friction
driving der or "bowl" to slide along the shaft in such a manner that while
revolving and bearing against the under surface of the disc, it may be freely moved
to or from the centre of the disc wheel and thus cause it to revolve at a quicker
or slower speed-to suit the thicknesses of the cotton passing through the feed
rollers.
We cause the forked lever or its equivalent sliding action lever to be moved
by means of a regulating screw behind the lap machine, in such a manner that
when the cotton is matted, or unevenly spread upon the lattice or feeder causing
a thick portion to go between the roller, the lever is pressed down and the free
forked end is made to move the friction roller or "bowl" along the under surface
of the wheel or disc, thereby regulating the speed according to the requirement.

page_text: We cause our roller lever to be controlled from the first or second seutcher, and
apply it with but slight modification of its connected roller and disc arrangement
to any type of lap machine, or machine for like purpose when an alteration of
the speed is required to be produced in an automatic, instantaneous, and positive
manner.
•
Dated this 12th day of June 1891
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Regulators for Feeding Cotton Lap Machines
and for like purposes.
We, JOSEPH ARTHUR RATCLIFFE, of Charlesworth, Mill Manager, and TOM
BEARD, of Chisworth, Mill Mechanic, both in the County of Derby, 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 manner in which we construct and arrange the
feeding mechanism particularly applicable to cotton lap machines whereby the
varying thicknesses of laps may be as far as possible avoided by the regularity
of feeding which we introduce according to the manner herein set forth. Another
part of our invention relates to the manner in which we vary the speed of the
feeding mechanism so as to dispense with the usual double cone driving arrange-
ment of pulleys with belting. The inconvenience and difficulty attending the
employment of belting for driving with the double cone pulleys being the liability
of the belt to slip and slacken, thereby causing great irregularity of motion with
consequent want of uniformity in the thickness of the lap produced.
In carrying our invention into effect when applying it to cotton lap machines
of ordinary construction, as illustrated in the two sheets of drawings appended
hereunto, we utilise the present form of rollers A, A for delivering any desired
number of laps, and we employ the usual and ordinary form of creepers B and
beaters C, and any form of dust cages and other usual fittings without alteration
being involved to admit of our improvements being applied to the machine.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation showing a portion of an ordinary scutching
machine; Figure 2 is a plan with our improvements added thereto. Figure 3
and 3 show a detailed arrangement of a modification of the actuating levers for
our improved feed regulator. We dispense with the ordinary belt cone pulleys
and arrange instead upon the worm feed shaft E on which one of the cones is
usually mounted, a face wheel or friction disc F working in conjunction with and
driven by a friction roller or "bowl" G driven by means of suitably arranged
bevil gearing H, K from the shaft L upon the machine. The friction roller or
bow! Gwe keep in contact with the disc or face wheel F by means of a weighted
lever M working upon a pivot or pin m which causes the shaft or spindle N of
the roller G to rise in its bearings O, the bearings O being of trunnion form as
shown in sectional plan at Figure 5, with open jawed brackets P, P' or other
ordinary supports for permitting a rising or falling motion to be given to the
shaft by means of the suspended weight and the connected lever. Instead of
employing a weighted lever and a rising shaft to work the roller against a fixed
disc or face wheel, we sometimes employ a spring to keep the lever in position, or
we reverse the arrangement and make the face wheel or disc to rise and fall by
means of its weight, or by a weighted lever; or by a spring R as shown in elevation
at Figure 6 instead of fixing it in one position upon its spindle, in which case
we cause the friction roller shaft N to remain in fixed bearings P', P³ of any
ordinary description.

page_text: To cause the disc F to revolve at variable rates we provide or form upon the
roller G or we attach to it in any well known manner, a recessed collar e for
receiving the ends of a forked lever S, or for receiving segments on to which the
forked arms of our controlling lever are connected. We cause the collar e with
its attached friction driving roller or bowl G to slide along the shaft in such a
manner that while revolving and bearing against the under surface of the disc, it
may be freely moved to or from the centre of the disc wheel and thus cause it.
to revolve at a quicker or slower speed to suit the thicknesses of the cotton passing
through the feed rollers.
We cause the forked lever S or its equivalent sliding action lever to be moved
by means of a regulating screw T behind the lap machine, in such a manner that
when the cotton is matted, or unevenly spread upon the lattice or feeder B causing
a thick portion to go between the rollers X, Y, the lever U, and its connecting
rod U (pivoted on the pin U2 and balanced by the weight U³) is pressed down and
the free forked end S is made to move the friction roller or bowl G along the under
surface of the wheel or disc F thereby regulating the speed according to the
requirement.
When dispensing with a bottom roller Y and employing instead a series of key
levers a as shown at Figures 3 and 34, we attach the connecting rods U to a
bar U³ which rests upon the hooked ends of the key levers a, so that when the
matted lap passes between the top roller X and the ends a' of the key levers, the
levers are depressed, the connecting rod U' is raised to control or move the sliding
bowl G as before described.
We cause our roller lever to be controlled from the first or second scutcher,
and apply it with but slight modification of its connected roller and disc arrange-
ment, to any type of lap machine, or machine for like purpose when an alteration
of the speed is required to be produced in an automatic, instantaneous, and positive
manner.
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. The construction and arrangement of a moving bowl or roller for pressing
against or engaging with the surface of a face disc or wheel substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a cotton lap machine, the application of a feed regulator having a sliding
bowl or roller for giving motion to a face wheel or disc operated and controlled
by levers substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The construction of feed regulators having a rising shaft for bringing a roller
or disc into contact with a face wheel substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The construction and arrangement of a feed regulator having a face wheel or
disc with rising and falling motion for bringing it into contact with a bowl or
roller, substantially as and for the purposes described, and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants..