IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE ATTACHMENT OF CARD CLOTHING
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON of the firm of John Hetherington and Sons of
Manchester in the County of Lancaster Machine Makers do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE
ATTACHMENT OF CARD CLOTHING to be as follows:-
My Invention is particularly applicable for use in the covering of carding engine
flats. In the operation of covering flats one edge of the strip of clothing is secured
to the flat and the other edge is then gripped in the jaws of the stretching pliers
and the clothing is stretched by the operator preparatory to the securing of the
edge to the flat. It is important that the degree of stretching shall be uniform but
there has been no certainty of obtaining such uniformity as the amount of the
stretching has depended upon the force exerted by the operator. To remedy this
defect I arrange the apparatus so that when the required degree of stretching is
obtained a known load is lifted. The flat is fixed in a hinged holder having a
loaded lever arın or the holder is fitted to slide or move and to lift the load which
is connected with the holder or the load is applied to the pliers or the parts acting
thereon. In covering other surfaces with card clothing I stretch the cloth until a
known load is sustained by the clothing. Springs might be used in lieu of dead
loads but I prefer the latter.
Dated this Second day of January & D 1994
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent for the Applicant,

page_text: «
I JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON of the firm of John Hetherington and Sons of
Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Machine Makers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE
ATTACHMENT OF CARD CLOTHING" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and accompanying Drawing, that is to say :-
My Invention is particularly applicable for use in the covering of carding engine
flats. In the operation of covering flats one edge of the strip of clothing is secured
to the flat and the other edge is then gripped in the jaws of stretching pliers and
the cloth is stretched by the operator preparatory to the securing of the edge to the
flat. It is of importance that the degree of stretching shall be uniform but there
has been no certainty of obtaining such uniformity as the amount of the stretching
has depended upon the force exerted by the operator. To remedy this defect I
arrange the apparatus so that when the required degree of stretching is obtained a
known load is lifted.
In the accompanying Drawing which is made to a scale of about three inches to
the foot a represents a flat being covered, b is a pair of stretching pliers and c is
the said load. In the Drawing the flat and some other parts of the apparatus are
represented in section. The flat is held by means of pinching screws in jaws
formed in a holder d which is hinged at c to supports f which are fixed to the work
bench g. To a projecting part of the holder is secured a lever arm on which is
fixed the weight c which can be adjusted nearer to or further from the fulcrum e.
The said projecting part of the holder rests upon a support i excepting at the times
when the load is raised by the tension of the card clothing as hereinbefore
mentioned. The pliers are connected by a strap k with a hinged lever 7 somewhat
as usual the said lever having a spring pawl which engages with the teeth of a
fixed ratchet wheel so that the lever is held in the position into which it is turned
to stretch the card clothing. In the Drawing it will be seen that the pliers have
been caused to grip the unattached edge of the clothing. The lever is then
turned to stretch the clothing until the strain is sufficient to over-power the load c
when the projecting part of the holder leaves the support. When this tendency of
the holder to rise from its support is seen the part of the clothing which has been
stretched or drawn tight is secured to the flat. It will be seen that the tension of
the clothing cannot be increased after the load has been raised in the slightest
degree so that by always arresting the lever at the point which will cause the load
to be sustained or slightly lifted an uniform result is obtained. If less tension is
required the weight is fixed at a point nearer to the fulcrum e and on the contrary
if more tension is required the weight is shifted further away from the said
fulcrum. The details of the apparatus may be greatly varied so long as a fixed or
known load or weight is sustained or lifted by a strain passing through the
clothing so that at each stretching of the clothing at different points in its length
an uniform tension is produced. I may greatly vary the form of the holder and
may arrange for it to slide or to move in a straight line when the desired tension
is attained. In such a case the load might be connected with the holder by means
of a chain or cord or might act upon it through a rack and pinion or other arrange-
ments might be adopted for transmitting the strain of the load to the clothing.
Springs might be substituted for dead weights but I prefer to use the latter.
Although I have illustrated my Invention in its application to the covering of card

page_text: flats I do not confine myself to such application as other surfaces can be covered on
the same principle the clothing being stretched until a certain load is sustained by
the tension of the clothing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
1. The combination of the hinged holder loaded with a weight, with the
stretching pliers and the parts acting thereon substantially as and for the purpose
set forth and indicated.
2. In covering card flats arranging for the flat holder to turn or move on the
desired tension being attained such tension being determined by the raising of a
load which is sustained by the said holder substantially as set forth and indicated.
3. In covering surfaces with card clothing stretching the cloth against the
resistance of a determined load or weight so that when the desired maximum
tension is attained the said load is raised so that the said maximum tension cannot
be exceeded with the same adjustment of the load substantially as set forth and
indicated.
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent.