IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thompson, of Ardwick, in the County of Lan-
caster, Machinist, Edward Gerrard Fitton, of the same Place, Machinist,
and Frederick Alexander Fitton, of the same Place, Foreman, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Scaled the 2nd February 1864, and dated the 7th August 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thompson, Edward
Gerrard Fitton, and Frederick Alexander Fitton, at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 7th August
1863.
We, JOHN THOMPSON, of Ardwick, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
EDWARD GERRARD FITTON, of the same Place, Machinist, and FREDERICK
ALEXANDER FITTON, of the same Place, Foreman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES POR CARDING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the mechanism employed to give motion to the
comb used to strip the fibrous material from the doffer, and consists in fixing a
socket on the end of the shaft to which the doffing comb is attached, through
which socket we cause the stem of a connecting rod to pass. At the lower
end of the connecting rod is a journal or bearing which fits on an excentric.
The excentric may be driven from any convenient part of the engine in the

page_text: usual way. When the excentric revolves, the stem of the connecting rod
passes to and fro in the socket attached to the end of the comb shaft, and
gives the necessary vibrating motion to the comb.
Instead of a socket a slide may be employed, on which the connecting rod
may slide, and the connecting rod may receive its motion either from an
excentric or any other convenient mode.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Thompson, Edward Ferrard Fitton, and Frederick
Alexander Fitton, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th February
1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
THOMPSON, of Ardwick, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, EDWARD
GERRARD FITTON, of the same Place, Machinist, and FREDERICK ALEXANDER
FITTON, of the same Place, Foreman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said John Thompson,
Edward Gerrard Fitton, and Frederick Alexander Fitton, our executors
administrators, and assigns, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that we, the said John Thompson, Edward Gerrard Fitton, and
Frederick Alexander Fitton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John Thompson, Edward Gerrard Fitton, and
Frederick Alexander Fitton, our executors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said John Thompson,
Edward Gerrard Fitton, and Frederick Alexander Fitton, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, tho said John Thompson, Edward Gerrard
Fitton, and Frederick Alexander Fitton, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
accompanying Drawings on one Sheet, in which the same letters of reference
are used to indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the Figures in
which they occur. The several Figures are drawn to a scale of four inches,
equal one foot.
Our Invention relates to an improved mode of giving motion to the comb
used to strip the fibrous material from the doffer in carding engines, and
which, as is well known, is required to be vibrating, and consists in fixing a
socket on the end of the shaft to which the doffing comb is attached, through
which socket wo cause the stem of a connecting rod to pass. At the lower end
of which connecting rod is a journal or bearing which fits on an excentric,
from which the connecting rod receives the motion which is imparted to the
comb.
Figure 1 is a front view and Figure 2 is an end one shewing our arrange-
ment, in which the excentric which gives the vibrating motion is placed below
the shaft which carries the comb. In Figures 3 and 4 the excentric is
placed above, in other respects the mechanism is similar. It may be placed
in othor positions if more convenient. Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent the
principal parts detached and in detail.
The shaft A is one of those in common use to which the doffing comb B is
attached. The fixing C supports one end of the shaft A, the other end of
which is supported by another fixing at the other end. These fixings are, as
is well understood, attached to the frame sides of the carding engine. The
stud D is supported by the fixing C; it is formed hollow, and with a lid for
the purpose of inserting oil for oiling the excentric E and band pulley F which
rotate on it, and also the other working parts. The connecting rod G is at
one end formed to fit on the circular part of the excentric. The socket H
is attached to one end of the shaft A. Through the socket II the stem of the
connecting rod G passes. The excentric and band pulley are attached to
cach other to enable the motion from the pulley to be communicated to the
excentric. The side I of the excentric is formed in a separate piece to enable
it to be removed to allow the circular part of the connecting rod to be placed
on the circular part of the eccentric; when it is so placed, the part I is
fastened to the excentric by screws or other means. The sides I and l'aro
made thicker on one side than the other to act as a balance to the excentric
to cause the whole to run steady, which would not be the case if they were

page_text: out of balance. The pulley F is formed with two grooves in it, the one
smaller than the other, to enable the excentric to be driven quicker or slower
as required. It is shewn adapted to be driven by a band if preferred; it may
be adapted to be driven by a strap. Motion can be given to the pulley F
from any convenient part of the engine to cause it and the excentric E to
revolve, and as the excentric revolves it acts on the connecting rod G and
causes it to pass.to and fro in the socket H attached to the shaft A, and
thereby gives the necessary vibrating motion to the comb B. Instead of the
connecting rod passing to and fro in a socket as described, it may be made to
pass to and fro in or on a slide, and instead of its receiving motion from an
excentric as described, it may receive it from a crank, a pin placed excen-
trically on the face of a rotating disc, or from any other convenient mode.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Thompson, Edward Gerrard
Fitton, and Frederick Alexander Fitton, have hereunto set our hands
and seals, this Third day of February, One thousand eight hundred
and into four
(L.B.)
(L.S.)
JOHN THOMPSON.
EDWARD G. FITTON.
FREDERICK A. FITTON. (L.B.)
Witness to the signatures of John
Thompson, Edward Gerrard Fitton,
and Frederick Alexander Fitton,
W. H. WARNER,
Clerk with Messrs. J. P. Aston & Son,
Solicitors, Manchester.