IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY. FOR CARDING JUTE, FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND IN PART APPLICABLE TO THE DELIVERING PARTS OF OTHER MACHINERY
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cunningham, of Dundee, in the .County
of Forfar, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY. FOR CARDING JUTE, FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS, AND IN PART APPLICABLE TO THE DELIVERING PARTS OF OTHER
MACHINERY."
Scaled the 6th February 1874, and dated the 3rd December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cunningham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
'the 3rd December 1873.
I, WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CARDING JUTE, FLAX, HEMP,
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND IN PART APPLICABLE TO THE DELIVERING PARTS
OF OTHER MACHINERY," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery specially
designed for carding jute, flax, and hemp, but also more or less

page_text: applicable for operating on other fibrous materials and in connection
with the delivering parts of other machinery.
In carrying out the Invention according to one modification the raw
materials are fed or supplied simultaneously to two distinct parts of the
circumference of the carding cylinder by means of separate feed aprons
and feed or taker-in rollers.
The materials from the two feeds combine and are delivered as a
single card end down a conductor with inclined sides which contract its
width, and from the bottom of which it is led off between a pair of
endless belts in any required direction, or the card end or fleece may be
taken off in two or more slivers, and may be contracted in width without
a conductor or conductors.
The card end is equalised as delivered by the action of a roller under
which it passes and which causes the speed of delivery to be varied so
as to compensate by a drawing action for any variation in the thickness
of the card end.
In one convenient arrangement for effecting the desired compensation
the roller as it rises or falls with the thickness of the card end acts on a
lever which puts into action continuously running gear connected to the
fork for shifting a belt that transmits motion between a pair of reversed
cones forming part of the delivery driving gear.
In some cases, as for example when the fibrous materials do not
require much carding, they may be delivered from two different parts of
the cylinder as well as be fed at two parts.
In another modification of the improved machinery specially designed:
for carding or "snipping" the ends only of "stricks" of jute, flax,
hemp, or similar fibrous materials, the materials are fed or supplied as
in the first modification at two parts or sides of the carding cylinder, but
there are two feed aprons side by side at each side of the machine, the
whole four being made to reciprocate whilst the individuals of each
move alternately or in opposite directions.
"
The feed aprons are actuated so as to move the stricks or layers of
fibrous materials slowly towards the cylinder and more quickly back
again after the rough tow or material has been taken off their ends by
the action of the machine.

page_text: As one strick is being moved towards the cylinder on one apron the
worker has ample time for changing the strick on the other apron.
The material taken off the ends of the stricks is operated on by the
carding cylinder and is delivered in the form of a regular card end, and
not as hitherto generally the case in an irregular heap.
The arranging of a pair of feed aprons side by side and acting
alternately is an improvement which is advantageously applicable even
when the material is fed or supplied to one part only of the carding
cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Cunningham in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CUNNINGHAM, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Cunningham, Her special licence that I,
the said. William Cunningham, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Cunningham, my 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 IN
MACHINERY FOR CARDING JUTE, FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND
IN PART APPLICABLE TO THE DELIVERING PARTS OF OTHER MACHINERY," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Cunningham, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Cunningham, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and 5
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say :-
:―
My said Invention relates to improvements in machinery specially
designed for carding jute, flax, and hemp, but also more or less.
applicable for operating on other fibrous materials, and in connection 1
with the delivering parts of other machinery.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing
modifications of my improved apparatus as arranged in what I believe 1
to be a practically advantageous manner. In these Drawings the same
reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever
they are repeated.
In carrying out my Invention according to one modification the
fibrous materials to be carded are fed or supplied simultaneously to two 2
distinct parts of the circumference of the carding cylinder by means of
separate feed aprons and feed or taker-in rollers.
The materials from the two feeds combine and are delivered as a
single card end in a manner herein-after described in connection with
a second modification of my improved apparatus. Or the card end or 2
fleece may be taken off in two or more slivers.
What I consider to be the best positions for the two feed aprons are
those of two pairs of feed aprons used in my second modification, and
shown on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
The advantages of my herein-before described plan of feeding over 3
that heretofore in use are that,―
1. The feeds can be driven much more slowly, thereby giving the
workers more time and convenience for equally spreading the materials.
2. The fibre is better carded in consequence of being fed more
slowly.
3

page_text: 3. The feeding at two separate points causes the materials to be better
equalised. The combined result is a considerable improvement in the
quality or uniformity of the yarn made from the materials.
The principles of the described improvement may be further practically
extended by feeding at more than two parts of the cylinder.
In some cases, as for example when the fibrous materials do not
require much carding, they may be delivered from two or more different
parts of the cylinder as well as be fed at two or more parts.
The second modification of my improved machinery is specially
designed for carding or "snipping" the ends only of "stricks" of jute,
flax, hemp, or similar fibrous materials.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings are a plan and a side
view; and Figure 3 on Sheet 2 is an end view. These Figures showing
the machinery not complete in every minute detail, but sufficiently for
making my improvements easily understood, parts not referred to or not
fully shown being supposed to be constructed or arranged as in existing
carding machinery. In this modification the materials are fed or
supplied, as in the first modification, at two parts or sides of the carding
cylinder 1, but there are two endless feed aprons 2, 3, and 4, 5, side
by side at cach side of the machine, the whole four being made to
reciprocate, whilst the individuals of each pair move alternately in
opposite directions.
When the machinery is arranged for the first modification one feed
apron occupies the place of the two 2, 3, on one side, and the other that
of the other two 4, 5, on the other side, in the second modification now
being described.
The feed aprons 2, 3, 4, 5, which are as usual distended on rollers 6
carried by frame-pieces 7, are actuated so as by preference to move the
"stricks" or layers of fibrous materials slowly towards the cylinder 1,
and more quickly back again after the rough tow or material has boen
taken off their ends by the action of the machine. As one strick is
being moved towards the cylinder on one apron 2, 4, the worker at each
side has ample time for changing the strick on the other apron 3, 5, or
vice versa.
The feed aprons 2, 3, 4, 5, are moved by means of pinions 8 fixed on

page_text: being driven by gearing, indicated by red circles in Figure 2, from the
spindles of the taker-in rollers 9. The taker-in rollers 9, which, arc cach
half as long as the cylinder 1, are driven by means of pinions 10 on their
outer journals, and these pinions are in gear with arc-shaped lever
racks 11 centred on a transverse shaft or studs 12 above. The lever
racks 11 are moved by grooved cams 13 on a transverse revolving
shaft 14, antifriction pulleys fitted to the lever racks being entered into
the cam grooves which may be shaped to give any convenient motion to
being driven by gearing, indicated by red circles in Figure 2, from the
spindles of the taker-in rollers 9. The taker-in rollers 9, which, arc cach
half as long as the cylinder 1, are driven by means of pinions 10 on their
outer journals, and these pinions are in gear with arc-shaped lever
racks 11 centred on a transverse shaft or studs 12 above. The lever
racks 11 are moved by grooved cams 13 on a transverse revolving
shaft 14, antifriction pulleys fitted to the lever racks being entered into
the cam grooves which may be shaped to give any convenient motion to
the feed aprons.
The arranging of a pair of feed aprons side by side and so as to act
alternately is an improvement, which is advantageously applicable even
when the materials are fed or supplied to one part only of the carding
cylinder 1.
The various red circles in Figure 2 indicate the wheel gearing, whilst
the blue circles indicate the surfaces of the cylinder 1, and of the various
rollers which operate on the fibrous materials, all of which parts may be
constructed and arranged as in existing carding machinery.
The material taken off the ends of the stricks after being operated on
by the carding machinery is delivered in the form of a regular card
end 15, Figure 3, and not as hitherto generally the case in an irregular
hcap. This card end 15 passes down a conductor 16 consisting of a
plate slightly inclined from the vertical, and having curved and inclined
retaining sides which cause the card end to contract in width as it
descends. The card end 15 as it contracts in width in this way naturally
falls into gathers which get more and more brought together until at
the bottom the whole becomes folded together in a series of plies
arranged edgeways to the conductor plate. The card end then passes
sideways between a pair of rollers 17, the axes of which are at right
angles, or nearly so, to the narrow bottom part of the conductor
plate 16, so that the plies or folds are not applied edgeways but flatways
to the rollers. Two endless inclined belts 18 are passed round the
rollers 17, and round a second pair of rollers 19, and the narrow folded
or doubled card end is carried up between these endless belts 18 and is
delivered as a doubled sliver 20 from the upper rollers 19 in a con-
venient position for being received in a can or other receptacle. This
mode of delivering the card end, fleece, or sliver, is of course applicable
to various carding machines, and it yields a very superior card end

page_text: A modification of my improved equalising delivery apparatus is shown
in plan in Figure 4, in side elevation in Figure 5, and in end elevation
in Figure 6, all on Sheet 2 of the Drawings.
The card end or sliver 20 is equalised as delivered by the action of a
roller 21 under which it passes, and which causes the speed of delivery
to be varied so as to compensate by a drawing action for any variation in
thickness. In order to obtain an increased action by the movement of
the roller 21 it is set at the end of a series of rollers 21, 22, 22, round
and between all which the sliver 20 is passed, so that the movement of
the upper or last one is the aggregate of the several movements by
which each roller is separated from those next it by the sliver passing
between. The rollers 21, 22, have journals which turn in blocks fitted
to move freely in a line in guide grooves in a pair of frame pieces 23,
and they are geared together and driven simultaneously by spur
wheels 24 fixed on their journals at one side. A saddle piece 25 rests on
the bearing blocks of the top or end roller 21, and when raised by the
sliver passing between the rollers acts on the under side of a lever 26, 27,
centred on one of the frame pieces 23. The inner end of this lever 26, 27,
is connected by a link 28 the length of which is adjustable by means of
a screw coupling to a transverse weighted lever 29 moving in a vertical
plane at right angles to that of the lever 26, 27, and centred at 30 on a
frame bracket 31. The transverse lever 29 has jointed to it two weighted
finger pieces 32 which have between them a longitudinal shaft 33
carried so as to be capable of a slight lateral movement, and driven by
means of a spur wheel 34 fast on it and in gear with one of the roller
wheels 24. The shaft 33 has also on it a frictional pulley 35 which lies
between two discs 36, 37, fast on a transverse screw shaft 38, which is
consequently turned in one direction or the other whenever the pulley 35
is pressed into contact with one of the discs 36, 37. The parts are
adjusted so that when the sliver 20 is of the proper thickness the
pulley 35 touches neither disc; and it follows that when the sliver is too
thick the screw shaft 38 is turned in one direction, and in the opposite
direction when it is too thin. This screw shaft 38 has on it a corre-
'sponding internally screwed`nut or boss 39 which has fixed to it fork
points for shifting a driving belt 40 which transmits motion between
two reversely placed cones 41, 42. With these arrangements it is
obvious that the speed of the driven cone 42 will vary in accordance
with the action of the equalising apparatus. The variable motion thus

page_text: derived may be communicated simply by any convenient gearing to the
rollers 21, 22, or it may be communicated instead or conjointly to other
parts of the carding machinery so as to have an equivalent effect; or on
the other hand it might be communicated to an additional pair of rollers
through which the sliver would pass after leaving the rollers 21. A
long light lever 43, centred on a bracket 44, is jointed to the screw
nut 39, and serves as a pointer to show on a scale formed on 'the
bracket 44 whether a thin or thick sliver is being delivered from the
machine, and acts as a guide to the workers feeding the machine. The
› longitudinal lever 26, 27, which transmits the movement of the roller 21
is made in two parts jointed together to avoid breakage in the event of
some unusual action tending to move it further than its inner end is free
to go, in which case the inner part 27, which is weighted to keep it
straight under ordinary circumstances, turns on the joint connecting the
two parts.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe
to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The fitting of carding machinery with improved feeding and
delivering apparatus, substantially such as is herein-before described.
2. The feeding of fibrous materials to carding machines at two or
more parts of the circumference of the main cylinder, substantially as
and for the purposes herein-before described.
3. The providing of a machine for snipping or carding ends of jute
and similar fibrous materials with a pair of alternate reciprocating feed
cloths at one part, or at each of two or more parts of the circumference
of the main cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
‣ described.
4. The arranging of machinery for snipping or carding ends of jute
and similar fibrous materials so as to deliver the tow or carded material
in one or more continuous card ends, fleeces, or slivers, as and for the
purposes herein-before described.
5. The arranging of delivery rollers in such relation to a card end,
flecce, or sliver, which is gradually gathered together transversely by

page_text: means of or without a conductor, as that the folds pass flatways and not
edgeways between the said rollers, substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before described.
6. The equalising of the delivery from carding machinery by
mechanism arranged to vary the relative speed of the delivering parts
in accordance with the greater or less displacement of a roller by the
sliver or card end passing under it, as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cunningham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM.
(L.S.)