IMPROVE- MENTS APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY FOR CARDING, SCRIBBLING, AND CONDENSING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Ferrabee, of Phoenix Iron Works, "Stroud,
in the County of Gloucester, Engineer, and Charles Whitmore, of
Stroud, in the same County, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY FOR CARDING, SCRIBBLING, AND CONDENSING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
1.
1.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Ferrabee and
Charles Whitmore at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 26th October 1857.
We, JAMES FERRABEE, of Phoenix Iron Works, Stroud, in the County of
Gloucester, Engineer, and CHARLES WHITMORE, of Stroud, in the same County,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY FOR CARDING, SCRIBBLING, AND CONDENSING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention of improvements applicable to machinery for carding,
scribbling, and condensing wool and other fibrous substances, relates, first, to
a novel mode of "stripping" the doffers of scribbling and carding engines,
and of laying or depositing the fleece on a travelling feed cloth. This part
of the Invention consists in dispensing with the ordinary vibrating doffing
comb, and employing in place thereof a roller, which being driven at a suit-
able speed will "strip" or take off the fibres from the doffing cylinder, and
deliver them in the form of a sheet to a pair of rollers, which will conduct the

page_text: sheet to a carrying roller, whereby it will be deposited in a kind of trough
formed by an inclined board and a rotating roller, under which is placed a
travelling endless belt or feed cloth that forms the bottom of the trougb, and
on to which the fleece falls in folds. By the rotation of the trough roller,
which revolves at much greater speed than the travelling endless cloth moves,
the fleece is drawn from the bottom of the trough and is crowded up in folds,
so as to form a kind of bat on the travelling endless cloth, which is made to
move slowly onwards, and convey it either in a direct line, or at an angle to
the next machine. This mode of forming a bat may also be employed when
the fleece is removed from the doffer cylinder by the ordinary vibrating comb,
which will form the fleece in the same manner as the roller above mentioned,
and will deposit the fleece in the trough above the travelling endless belt, all
the other parts above described remaining the same.
We would observe that the fleece may be delivered on to the travelling belt
or cloth at any desired angle, so that when fed into the next machine the
fibres may be crossed and mixed.
Our next, improvement relates to a novel mode of forming a bat, and
consists in delivering from a scribbling or carding engine a fleece, in folds of
any required thickness, on to a travelling endless belt or cloth, at right angles
or any other convenient angle thereto. As this travelling endless belt forms
the feed cloth of another scribbling or carding engine, it will be seen that the
fibres of the wool will be crossed, and not drawn out longitudinally, as is now the
case; and therefore by means of this novel mode of feeding-in we are enabled
to produce yarns that will felt better, and produce better cloth than yarns of
the ordinary description..
The above described improved mode of stripping the doffers of scribbling
or carding engines may also be applied to the stripping of the doffers of
condensers.
Another improvement relates to a novel mode of forming slivers or ribbons
direct from the doffer cylinder of a carder or scribbler, and consists in dividing
the fleece into ribbons or slivers by means of revolving discs or vibrating wires,
which are made to take into grooves cut in the carrying roller. The fleece
being thus divided longitudinally into any desired number of widths, the
ribbons or slivers thus produced are taken up by suitable rollers, which convey
them to the condensing rolls. The taking-up rollers are so disposed that one
pair takes up one set of slivers or ribbons at an angle upwards, while the other
set takes them at a similar or other angle downwards, so as effectually to
separate the contiguous ribbons or slivers from one another laterally.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Ferrabee and Charles Whitmore in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
FERRABEE, of Phoenix Iron Works, Stroud, in the County of Gloucester,
Engineer, and CHARLES WHITMORE, of Stroud, in the same County, Mechanic,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Ferrabee and Charles Whitmore, Her special license that we, the
said James Ferrabee and Charles Whitmore, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Ferrabee and Charles Whitmore,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
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 APPLICABLE TO
MACHINERY FOR CARDING, SCRIBBLING, AND CONDENSING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRous
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James
Ferrabee and Charles Whitmore, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Ferrabee and Charles Whitmore,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
Our Invention of "Improvements applicable to Machinery for Carding,
Scribbling, and Condensing Wool and other Fibrous Substances," relates, first,
to a novel mode of "stripping" the doffers of scribbling and carding engines,
and of laying or depositing the fleece on a travelling feed cloth. This part of
the Invention consists in dispensing with the ordinary vibrating doffing comb,

page_text: and employing in place thereof a roller, which being driven at a suitable speed
will strip" or take off the fibres from the doffing cylinder, and deliver them
in the form of a sheet to a pair of rollers, which will conduct the sheet to a
carrying roller, whereby it will be deposited in a kind of trough formed by an
inclined board and a rotating roller. As the fleece is fed on to the inclined board
at greater speed than it would be taken up in its natural state by the next
pair of rollers,, it becomes crowded up on the inclined board, and consequently
is taken by the next pair of rollers doubled up in short folds, and is conducted
to another machine, which is also provided with an inclined--board or trough.
An endless belt or feed cloth forms the bottom of the trough, and on to which
the fleece falls in folds from the conducting roller. By the rotation of the
trough roller, which revolves at much greater speed than the travelling endless
cloth moves, the fleece is drawn forward, and is crowded up in folds, so as to
form a kind of bat on the travelling endless cloth, which is made to move
slowly onwards and convey it, either in a direct line or at an angle to the next
machine. This: mode of forming a bat may also be employed when the fleece
is removed from the doffer cylinder by the ordinary vibrating comb, which will
form the fleece in the same manner as the roller above mentioned, and will
deposit the fleece in the trough, or on the travelling endless belt, all the other
parts above described remaining the same.
We would observe that the fleece may be delivered on to the travelling belt
or cloth at any desired angle, so that when fed into the next machine the
fibres may be crossed and mixed.
...
Our next improvement relates to a novel mode of forming a bat, and
consists in delivering from a scribbling or carding engine a fleece, in folds of
any required thickness, on to an endless belt, or cloth, or roller, travelling at
right angles or any other, convenient angle thereto. As this travelling endless
belt forms the feed cloth of another scribbling or carding engine, it will be
seen that the fibres of the wool will be crossed, and not drawn out longitudinally,
as is now the case; and therefore by means of this novel mode of feeding-in
we are enabled to produce yarns that will felt better, and. produce better cloth
than yarns of the ordinary description.
The above-described. improved mode of stripping the doffers of scribbling
or carding engines may also be applied to the stripping of the doffers of
condensers.
Another improvement relates to a novel mode of forming slivers or ribbons
direct from the doffer cylinder of a carder or scribbler, and consists in dividing
the fleece into ribbons or slivers, by means of revolving narrow discs or
surfaces. Or, vibrating wires, which should be made to take to take into

page_text: grooves cut in the roller, may be employed in place of the narrow discs or
surfaces. The fleece being thus divided longitudinally into any desired number
of widths, the ribbons or slivers thus produced are taken up by suitable rollers,
which convey them to the condensing rolls. The taking-up rollers' are so
disposed that one pair takes up one set of slivers or ribbons at an angle
upwards, while the other sét takes them at a similar or other angle down-
wards, so as effectually to separate the contiguous ribbons or slivers from one
another laterally.
:
In some cases we find that the taking-up rollers themselves are sufficient to
divide the fleece into slivers without the assistance of any rotating discs or
vibrating wires, but then the doffer cylinder should be covered with rings of
wire card, instead of the surface being covered uniformly with the cards.
"
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal "section of 'a systemi
'or combination of scribbling and carding machinery, in which all our several
improvements are combined.
Fig. 2 is an elevation drawn upon an enlarged scale of that part of the
machinery in which the first and second improvements are combined, and
shewing our mode of stripping the doffer and forming the fleece in a sliver,
and conducting and feeding it to the second preparing machine.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the above; Fig. 4 is a front elevation, showing the
slivering machinery and conducting roll; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the slivering
rollers and the gearing for actuating the same; and Fig. 6 is a front view of
the apparatus for effecting the traversing motion of the sliver, and for laying
it upon the inclined trough or its equivalent, but which traversing motion
forms no part of our present improvements, although we find it convenient to
use it therewith. In Fig. 1, A is the doffing cylinder of the preparing machine;
B is the stripping roll, which is covered with wire card; C is a smooth roll,
that nearly touches the roller B, and is driven by means of toothed gearing in
connection with the roller B. A pressing roller D rests on the roller C, and
is set just to clear the card stripping roll B. E is a conducting roll, that is
driven a little faster than the doffing cylinder A, and conducts the fleece to the
slivering apparatus F, F, from whence the sliver falls on to the endless band G,
which supports the sliver to the conducting roll H.; from thence the sliver
passes between the vertical guide rolls I, I, of the traversing machinery, which
is traversed to and fro across the machine, as will be hereafter explained. The
taking-in rolls K, K; conduct the sliver to the inclined plate k, from whence
passes to the feed rolls L of the preparing machine; all this part of the
apparatus is shewn on an enlarged scale in Figures 2 and 3; a set of
stripping rolls, the same as those described above, are adapted, as at N, Fig. 1,
it

page_text: apron
to the second preparing machine... A conducting roll O is provided to carry
the sliver forward, and a pressing roll P is mounted above an endless feed
Q, on to which the sliver or fleece is dropped from, the conducting
roller O. Another set of feed rolls R conduct the sliver to a third preparing
machine. S is the doffing cylinder of the third preparing machine, and is
covered with rings of wire card; T and U are two sets of stripping rolls for
taking the fibres from the rings on the doffing cylinder S, as seen in Fig. 1.;
the ribbons, thus divided into two sets, are passed under the rubbing rolls V, V,
of the condensing machine, and are rolled or rubbed into a roping.
It will be seen on referring to the enlarged views, Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6,
that the stripping rolls B, C, D, are mounted in suitable carriages, with
adjusting screws for regulating their distance to or from each other. The
rollers B and C are driven by tooth wheels from the doffing cylinder; the
conducting roll is driven from any convenient part of the gearing of the
preparing machine. The rolls F, F, F, of the slivering machinery are carried
in a framework a, a, (see Fig. 5,) and are driven by the wheels b, b; the
upper pair of rolls F have their axes at right angles to the conducting roll E,
while the under pair of rolls are set at right angles to those immediately
above. One roll in each set is retained by a spring, and the lower pair of
rolls is driven somewhat faster than the upper pair. These rolls F, F, gather
in the sheet from the conducting roll E, and compress it into a sliver of any
desired size, and discharge it underneath the framework on to the band G,
which is driven from any convenient part of the machinery at the same speed
as the sliver is discharged. The conducting roll H, (Figures 2 and 3), is
mounted in suitable bearings in front of the traversing feeding frame, and is
driven a very little faster than the sliver is discharged; the sliver is passed
over it and between the vertical guide rolls I, I, of the traversing feeding
frame X. The rolls I, I, are mounted, as seen best in Fig. 6, in a carriage c, c,
having a slot d made in it. The traversing carriage c, c, is supported by the
rod e, on which it slides freely, being further supported by the guide f. 9, 9,
are two pulleys, carrying a strap or belt h, to which a small stud j is fixed;
this stud works freely in the slot d as the carriage is traversed to and fro;
and i, i, are two levers, moving freely on studs fixed in the framework X.
A small cord is passed partly round grooves or pulleys made in the rolls I, I,
and a small pulley on the carriage c, c, the ends of the cord being fastened, to
the framework.X; on motion being given from any part of the machinery to
one of the pulleys 9 by means of the bevel wheels 1, 1, (Fig. 3), the strap or
belt h will move and traverse the carriage c, c, backwards and forwards by
means of the pin or stud j attached to the strap being made to work in the

page_text: slot d formed in the carriage c, c, as seen in Fig. 6. At the same time the
guide rollers I, I, will revolve by means of the cord, and will carry with them
the sliver from the conducting roll H, as shewn in Fig. 3. Although we
prefer this mode of traversing the sliver for the purpose of laying it in
serpentine folds along the taking-in roller, we do not intend to confine ourselves
thereto, nor do we intend to claim it as new in principle, as we are aware that
it has heretofore been proposed to effect a traverse of the sliver in a somewhat
similar manner.
.Immediately behind the traversing carriage c, c, are the taking-in rolls K, K,
which receive the sliver from the traversing frame and deliver it in parallel
lines down the inclined plate to the feed rolls L of the preparing machine.
To ensure the uniform delivery of the sliver to the taking-in rolls, the
levers i, i, are moved outwards by a pin fixed to the carriage c, c, every time it
arrives at the end of its traverse, and they will thereby push the sliver with it
and deliver it to the bite of the taking-in rolls. As soon as the carriage c
with its pin commences to return, the lever i will move inwards and allow the
sliver to pass to the other end of the traversing frame.
On referring to Fig. 1, it will be understood that on motion being com-
municated to the preparing machines in any convenient manner, the doffing
cylinder A will revolve in the direction of the arrow, and by means of the
gearing above described the stripping roller B is driven, its surface speed being
a little faster than that of the doffing cylinder. At the same time the small
roller C is made to revolve a little faster than the stripping roll B, while the
pressing roller D revolves with it by friction of contact. The combined action
of these rolls will take off the fibres from the doffing cylinder A in a continuous
sheet, which is carried forward by the conducting roll E and delivered by it to
the rolls F, where it is compressed into a sliver and discharged on to the
travelling band G, as above explained, and which carries it forward in the
direction of the arrow till it is taken up by the conducting roll H, which leads
the sliver to the guide rolls I, I, of the traversing frame without stretching it,
the sliver being thus fed in parallel lines to the feed rolls L of the second
preparing machine. The doffer M of the second preparing machine is in its
turn stripped by the set of rolls N, in the same way as the doffer A has been,
and the sheet is led over the conducting roll O and allowed to fall in folds on
the apron Q, which carries it under the roll P, whereby it is crowded up, as
shewn by the red line in Fig. 1. The apron Q conducts it to the feed rolls
R of the third preparing machine. Instead of this mode of conducting the
sheet from the second to the third preparing machine, it may be formed into a
sliver or roping, and be fed by a traversing machine and taking-in rolls, in the

page_text: same manner as described above for feeding the second preparing machine.
To strip the rings on the doffer S. of the third preparing machine in connexion
with the condenser, two sets of rolls are preferred. The stripping roll of <the
first or under: set U being covered. with rings of wire card corresponding with
every alternate ring on the-doffing cylinder A; the rings on the stripping roll
being a little narrower in the wire than those. on the doffing cylinder: The
wires composing the rings are prevented" from spreading outwards by means
of thin washers, and the spaces between the rings are hollowed out in the roll
to allow the fibres on the doffer rings corresponding with the spaces in the
stripping roll to pass, uniformly to the upper set of stripping rolls. T. This
mode of constructing and arranging the stripping rolls produces more uniform
slivers, and keeps them more distinct than when only one stripping roll>is
used, whether it be covered; with rings having spaces between them corre-
sponding with those on the: 'doffing cylinder, or a fillet of wire.card. without
'spaces. After the sliver's are taken from the doffing cylinder by the sets of
stripping rolls T and U, they are taken forwards and condensed by the rubbing
bands and rolls V, V, and wound on spools in the ordinary way by the
rolls W, W.
We prefer to place the preparing machines in a line one before the other,
'as the operation of preparing the fibrous substances for the condensing or
spinning machines, by means of our improved machinery, can be more simply
and economically performed in this manner; but, if considered desirable,' they
may be placed side by side or at right angles to each other by using suitable
bands or conducting rolls for leading the sheet roping or sliver from one
machine to the other. We do not confine ourselves to the use of the rolls
F, F, for: compressing the sheet into a sliver, as a trumpet mouth and rolls
'may be used instead, and placed either in the middle or on one side of the
'preparing machine: In some instances the conducting roll E may be
dispensed with and the sheet gathered into a sliver or roping direct from
the stripping rolls or ordinary doffing combs and conducted, to the traversing
feeding frame.
By the use of our improved machinery a great. Saving of labor will be
effected, and a more even and uniform thread produced in the spinning
machine; power is also economized, and by the absence of all vibrating parts,
the wear and tear of the machinery is much reduced, while a greater speed
can be attained and a greater quantity of work produced than in the ordinary
preparing machine..!
Having now described our Invention of Improvements applicable to
Machinery for Carding, Scribbling, and Condensing. Wool and other Fibrous

page_text: Substances," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
we would observe, in conclusion, that what we consider to be new in the above
described machinery, and desire to claim as 'the Invention secured to us by
Letters Patent as aforesaid, is, the combination of the several improvements
in the processes of carding, scribbling, slivering, and condensing, as herein
shewn and described, for preparing wool and other fibrous substances for
spinning.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Ferrabee and Charles Whitmore,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-second day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.