IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES AND DRAWING FRAMES.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tatham, of the Firm of William Tatham
and Company, of Vulcan Works, Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Makers, in which Firm William Tatham and
William Tweedale Heap are the Copartners, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES AND DRAWING FRAMES.
. PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tatham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd December 1871.
I, WILLIAM TATHAM, of the Firm of William Tatham and Company, of
Vulcan Works, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Makers,
in which Firm William Tatham and William Tweedale Heap are the
Copartners, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES AND DRAWING FRAMES," to be as follows,
that is to say :-
My first improvement refers to the calender rollers of carding engines.
Hitherto these rollers placed in front of the carding engines have been

page_text: set in a horizontal position, with fixed bearings at each end. This
necessitates the gathering together the loose sliver in front, putting the
end of it through a small hole, and then through the rollers; and then
the operative must wait until the sliver becomes tightened by the con-
tinued rotation of the said calender rollers.
My first form of this improvement consists in placing these rollers
vertically, leaving off one bearing entirely, that is to say, in this form the
top bearing. By this method I am enabled to gather up the loose sliver
and put it between the calender rollers at once, without the usual loss of
time or other inconvenience. The rollers may either work in stationary
or swivel bearings. When in stationary bearings I taper the top ends of
the rollers slightly, so as more easily to lay hold of the sliver. When
placed in swivel bearings they are kept in position by a spring or weight,
which admits of the rollers being separated so that the sliver can be
readily drawn between them. To give motion to these rollers I place a
line shaft receiving motion from the line of wheels leading from the
doffer to the calender or other rollers and coiler, underneath the front or
card box plate.
With regard to this first improvement, the old system of horizontal
rollers may be retained by one of the end bearings being taken away.
There would thus be obtained approximately the same advantages as by
the first method referred to, but I should regard this as a modification of
my Invention.
My second improvement refers to drawing frames, and a more sen-
sative and suitable arrangement of mechanism for stopping the frame
when the sliver is attenuated or broken between the front drawing
rollers and the calender rollers. This consists in combining with the
usual funnel conducting the sliver to these calender rollers a compression
channel, which I make to turn upon a hinge, by which I am enabled to
pass the sliver more easily through the said funnel or to remove the
sliver when it becomes fast in it. I place the end of a lever so con-
structed and arranged as to bear on the sliver either vertically or
horizontally, and to rise and fall or move horizontally as the sliver is
thickened, attenuated, or broken. This lever I connect to the usual
motion by which the frame is stopped.
"
My third improvement relates to the so-called "tumblers or balance
sroons connected with the motion for stonning the frame T taka

page_text: sheet of steel or other similar material; from it I cut a strip or strips,
polish the strips, heat them, and then place them under a stamp or block
of suitable form, and so apply them to the strip or strips that they are
brought to the form required. The lightness and durability of the
5 material of these "tumblers or balance spoons make them specially
applicable to the stop motion of the drawing frame.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Tatham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TATHAM, of the Firm of William Tatham and Company, of Vulcan Works,
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, of which Firm William Tatham
and William Tweedale Heap are the Copartners, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Tatham, Her special licence
that I, the said William Tatham, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Tatham, 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 CARDING
ENGINES AND DRAWING FRAMES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Tatham, 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 Seal 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 Tatham, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My first improvement refers to the calender rollers of carding engines.
Hitherto these rollers placed in front of the carding engines have been
set in a horizontal position, with fixed bearings at each end. This
necessitated the gathering together the loose sliver in front, putting the
end of it through a small hole, and then through the rollers; and then
the operative must wait until the sliver becomes tightened by the con-
tinued rotation of the said calender rollers.
My first form of this improvement consists in placing these rollers
vertically, leaving off one bearing entirely, that is to say, in this form the
top bearing. By this method I am enabled to gather up the loose sliver
and put it between the calender rollers at once, without the usual loss of
time or other inconvenience. The rollers may either work in stationary
or swivel bearings. When in stationary bearings I taper the ends of
the rollers slightly, so as more easily to lay hold of the sliver. When
placed in swivel bearings they are kept in position by a spring or weight,
which admits of the rollers being separated so that the sliver can be
readily drawn between them. To give motion to these rollers I place
a line shaft, receiving motion from the line of wheels leading from the
doffer to the calender or other rollers and coiler underneath the front or
card box plate.
With regard to this first improvement the old system of horizontal
rollers may be retained by one of the end bearings being taken away.
There would thus be obtained approximately the same advantages as by
the first method referred to, but I should regard this as a modification of
my Invention.
My second improvement refers to drawing frames, and is a more sen-
sative and suitable arrangement of mechanism for stopping the frame
when the sliver is attenuated or broken between the front drawing
rollers and the calender rollers. This consists in combining with the
usual funnel conducting the sliver to these calender rollers a compression
channel, which I make to turn upon a hinge, by which I am enabled to
pass the sliver more easily through the said funnel or to remove the
sliver when it becomes fast in it. I place the end of a lever so con-
structed and arranged as to bear on the sliver either vertically or
horizontally, and to rise and fall or move horizontally as the sliver is

page_text: thickened, attenuated, or broken.
This lever I connect to the usual
motion by which the frame is stopped.
"
My third improvement refers to the so-called "tumblers or balance
spoons connected with the motion for stopping the frame in drawing
and roving frames and Derby doublers. I take a sheet of steel or other
similar material. From it I cut a strip or strips, polish the strips, heat
them, and then place them under a stamp or block, and so apply them
to the strip or strips that they are brought to the form required. The
lightness and durability of the material of these tumblers or balance
spoons make them specially applicable to the stop motion of the drawing
frame.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood, and
more readily and thoroughly carried into effect, I will now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
in which Fig. 1 represents an elevation partly in section, the section
being taken on the line y-z (Fig. 2), and Fig. 2 represents a plan of the
draw-box rollers of a carding engine set in a vertical position on the
draw-box plate. The calender rollers are shown tapered slightly at their
upper ends. Fig. 3 is an elevation and plan of the stop motion of the
drawing frame, with my improvements thereto attached. The third part
of my Invention is so easily understood that it will be readily com-
prehended by the statement thereof by any one sufficiently conversant
with the subject without any special illustration.
The draw-box rollers a and b (see Fig. 1) are shown placed in a
vertical position. They rotate upon the vertical studs a', 6', which studs
I make by preference of cast iron. The stud a¹ I fasten to the frame.
The stud 6', which I make to oscillate, I place upon the stud 6³, fastened
to the front frame of the engine or card box plate by the nut b³.
The spring is fixed to the stud b', which spring by pressing on the
O card box plate keeps the roller b against the roller a. The shaft c¹ in the
front of the engine conveys motion to the draw box and the coiler. It
receives motion from the doffer wheel (not shown) through the wheel d
fastened upon the end of the said shaft c¹. Motion is conveyed to the
rollera by the bevil pinions d³, ď³. Motion is conveyed from the roller a
5 to the roller 6 by the spur pinion d', which geers with and gives motion
to the pinion ď. The same shaft c³, as herein-before stated, gives motion
to the upright coiler shaft through the bevil pinions d', . That the

page_text: sliver may be easily entered between the rollers a and b I taper them
slightly at their top ends.
It is obvious that these calender 'rollers may be set horizontally by
placing them in horizontal bearings at one end, and by tapering the
opposite ends from the bearings. The advantage of easily passing the
sliver between the rollers in horizontal position would be also attained,
but this I should regard as an obvious arrangement of my plan which
would possess obvious features of advantage thereof in an approximate
degree.
My second improvement refers to drawing frames being a more sen-
sitive and suitable arrangement of mechanism for stopping the frame
when the sliver is attenuated or broken between the front drawing
rollers and the calender rollers. I fasten upon the cover of the calender
rollers (see Fig. 3) a hinged plate a, having the funnel a¹ therein for
conducting the sliver to the calender rollers, the hinge in the plate
permitting the funnel to be easily turned up. Nearly over this funnel I
place a compression channel a³, through which channel the sliver is led
forward to the funnel. To the roller beam c I fasten a T formed
bracket 6 by the set screw b'. Through the T end of this bracket I pass
a groove or channel, in which I fasten the lever by the pin c¹, having:
a limited amount of motion. In the end of the lever c' next the funnel
I fasten the stud c³. This stud c in oscillating almost touches the edge
of the compression channel a³, through which the sliver passes; so
nearly indeed does it touch the edge of this channel that whensoever any
change of material takes place therein, that is to say, when it becomes a
attenuated or broken, an oscillation instantly takes place, being caused
by the weight of the end of the lever c¹. This end of the lever c* next the
funnel is made in two parts, and the height of the part next the funnel is
regulated and adjusted by the set screw c³. The other end of the lever c*,
that is to say, the end furthest from the compression channel, I pass a
through the slot in the eye piece in the fixing co, fastened upon the
oscillating or rocking shaft d at the back of the frame. This shaft & is
caused to oscillate not positively but permissively, and when the lever c'
oscillates, a notch & on the upper side thereof comes in contact with the
eye piece through which it passes, stops the oscillations of the shaft d, a
and stops the frame in the usual manner.
"
My third improvement refers to the so-called "tumblers or balance
spoons connected with the motion for stopping the drawing frame, the

page_text: roving or slubbing frame, and the Derby doubler. I take a sheet of
steel or other similar material. From it I cut a strip or series of strips,
polish them, heat them or not as occasion requires, then place them
under a stamp or block of suitable form or a screw press, and so apply
the stamp, block, or press to the strips that they are brought to the form
required. The lightness and durability of the materials employed make
them specially applicable to produce the tumblers or balance spoons in
the machines named.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as
secured to me thereby,―
Firstly. The setting of the calender rollers in front of the carding
engine in a vertical position, whether the sliver be fed to them through
a funnel or not, as shown and described. .
Secondly. The setting of the calender rollers in a horizontal position
on a single bearing, whereby an approximate result is obtained.
Thirdly. The tapering of the rollers as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,
whereby the sliver is more readily passed between them.
Fourthly. The stop motion as applied to drawing frames acting as
herein-before described under my second improvement, and shown on
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
"
Fifthly. The method of making the so-called " tumblers or balance
spoons for stop motions, as described under my third improvement.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tatham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June 1872.
WILLIAM (L.s.) TATHAM.
WILLIAM (L.s.) TATHAM.