Improvements in and in connection with the Stripping of the Revolving Flats of Carding Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left. 25th May, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with the Stripping of the
Revolving Flats of Carding Engines.
JOSEPH JONES Parkville Chadwick Street Ashton-under-Lyne Mill
Manager, and WILLIAM HEAPS Rutland Street Ashton-under-Lyne Carding
Master, both in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for stripping the waste fleece or fibres from
the revolving flats of carding engines which are employed for preparing cotton
silk wool and other fibrous materials. Hitherto it has been usual to strip the
waste fibres by means of a vibrating comb carried on the ends of oscillating radial
arms moving through a fixed arc.
Should the comb be set too close or the links of the flats lengthen through
wear or through any other cause should the wire of the flats be brought too close to
the comb damage thereto results so that the quality of the work deteriorates.
Our invention is designed to minimise these risks and obviate the defects.
Retaining the movements of the radial arms vertically we combine therewith an
oscillating angular movement of the comb-bar upon its own axis or equivalent
thereto.
It consists essentially in constructing adjustable journals attached to the ends
of the radial arms for carrying the comb-bar; on one end we fix a pinion or half-
wheel gearing with a fixed or swinging rack following the movements "up and
down" of the arms and giving to the comb an angular movement by which the
stripping is effected.
Or we may dispense with the vibrating arms, carrying the journals of the comb-
bar instead by eccentric arm or arms operated by cam movement from the brush
shaft or other rotating part, oscillating motion being imparted to the comb-bar
by a fixed or accomodating rack and pinion gear or other suitable means through
a straight path or one curved in a direction either toward or from the direction of
the traverse of the flats.
Dated this 94th day of Lu 100
Improvements in and in connection with the Stripping of the
Revolving Flats of Carding Engines.
We, JOSEPH JONES of Parkville, 1 Chadwick Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the
County of Lancaster, Mill Manager, and WILLIAM HEAPS, of Argyll Street,
Price 8d.]

page_text: Ashton-under-Lyne in the County of Lancaster, late of Rutland Street, Ashton-
under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Carding Master, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:--
Our invention relates to apparatus for stripping the waste fleece or fibres known
as strips" from the revolving flats of carding engines which are employed for
preparing cotton, silk, wool and other fibrous materials.
In the arrangements ordinarily employed for stripping the waste fibre from
revolving flats the vibrating comb is mounted on radial arms which have u vibrating
er oscillating movement imparted to them so that the comb is moved through a
fixed are curved in the same direction as the path in which the flats travel while
being stripped and in such arrangements should the comb be set too close to the
flats or should the chain-links of the flats lengthen through wear or should the
wire of the flats be from any cause brought too close to the comb, damage will be
done to the wire of the flats and the quality of the work performed thereby will
be deteriorated.
The object of our invention is to minimise the risks and obviate the defects
inherent in the arrangements ordinarily employed.
According to our invention, we accomplish this object by combining u comb-
har or shaft or stripping comb oscilating about its own axis with carrying arms so
as to impart a vertical or nearly vertical movement to the comb-bar or shaft or
stripping-comb.
Our invention and the modes in which it may be carried into effect are illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings, in which are shown only such parts as are
requisite for the illustration of our invention and the manner in which it may be
carried into effect. The saine letters of reference are employed to indicate
corresponding parts throughout the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating one form of apparatus which we may
employ according to our invention.
Fig. 2 is a nlan of one side of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating a second form of apparatus which we may
employ according to our invention.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation illustrating a third form of apparatus which we may
employ according to our invention.
Fig. is a side elevation illustrating a fourth form of apparatus which we may
employ according to our invention.
Fig. 6 is a plan of one side of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5.
It is obvious that parts similar to some of those illustrated in the accompanying
drawings as applied to one side of the carding-engines of which portions are
illustrated in the said drawings are necessarily employed at the other sides of such
carding-engines.
The flats (F) which are only indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings are constructed and connected together and carried round by the discs
or bowls (L) in the usual way.
The combs (C) employed in accordance with our invention are in each of the
arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, secured by means of screws
or in any other suitable manner to a comb-bar or shaft (B) capable of being
oscillated about its axis and also capable of being caused to vibrate upwards and
downwards through a fixed are approximating in curvature to the path in which
the flats (F) to be stripped move while being stripped.
In Fig. 3 the comb (C) is indicated in its highest, middle and lowest positions
and thus such figure clearly indicates the motion which is imparted to the teeth
of the said comb (C). By causing the comb-bar or shaft (B) to both oscillate
about its axis and move upwards and downwards in the said manner we cause the
teeth of the comb (C) which we employ to move to and fro in a curved path, the
curvature of which is opposite to the curvature of the path in which the flats being

page_text: operated upon move while being stripped. In the first part of each downward
movement of the comb (C) the teeth of such comh approach the flat (F) in position
to he stripped at that moment, and in the latter part of such downward movement
turn away and recede from the flat, so as to hook into or pluck the "strips" upon
such flat and pull them out of it. In its upward movements the comb (C) is
liberated from the "strip" which it has removed from the flats (F). The comb (C)
may be caused to most nearly approach the path of the flats (1) to be stripped
either in the middle or in the eartier part of its downward movement as may be
considered preferable.
The upward and downward movements and the oscillation of the comb-bar or
shaft (B) may be accomplished in any of the ways to he hereinafter described.
In the forms of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 1 of the accompanying
drawings, the comb-bar (B) is mounted at each end in a bearing formed in a block
or bracket (1) capable of being slidden lengthwise of an arm (A) secured by means
of a key to a shaft (1) extending across the carding engine and capable of being
oscillated in bearings formed in the brackets (1) supporting the notch-block-shaft
on which the discs or bowls (L) are mounted. The blocks or brackets (D) are
adjusted into and secured in the required positions upon the arms (A) by means of
yokes (/) embracing the said blocks or brackets (D) and capable of being slidden
lengthwise of the arms (A) and adjusted into and secured in position by means
of nuts screwed upon sorow-threads () formed upon the said arms (A). The said
arms (A) receive an upward and downward movement, by one of them being pro-
vided with a illar (E) indicated only in Fig. 1 on which is mounted a bowl
which bears against a cam (E) mounted upon a suitable revolving shaft, the
arms (A) thus receiving motion similarly to the arms carrying the stripping combs
hitherto ordinarily employed in revolving flat-carding-engines.
In the form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the arm (A) at one side
of the carding-engine is furnished with a projecting pin (H) projecting from a
block capable of being adjusted and secured by set screws in position upon the said
arm (A) and the said projecting pin (H) is made to project into a slot formed
in a lever (C) capable of being oscillated about a stud (3) secured in the bracket (K)
which is adjacent to the said arm (A) and in a part of such bracket (K) nearer to
the axis of the comb-bar or shaft (B) than the axis of the shaft (I) so that the
upward and downward movements of the said arm (A) will cause the lever (G) to
also move upwards and downwards and to have an angular movement greater
than the angular movement of the arms (A) and cause the free end of the lever (G)
to have an upward and downward movement greater than the upward and down-
ward movement of the free end of the said armi (A). The lever (G) is formed with
a curved rack which is capable of engaging with a pinion or toothed sector (g)
provided to engage with it and secured by means of a set-screw in a suitable
position on the comb-bar or shaft (B) so that the upward and downward move-
inents of the arm (A) moving the lever (G) besides causing the comb-bar or shaft (13)
to move upwards and downwards cause the comb-bar or shaft (B) and comb (C)
to oscillate about the axis of such comb-bar or shaft (B) during the upward and
downward movements of the said comb-bar or shaft (B). Instead of the lever (G)
being rovided with a rack engaging with a pinion or toothed sector (g) mounted
upon the comb-bar or shaft (B), the lever (G) might be provided with a pin pro-
jedting into a slot formed in an arm secured in a suitable position upon the comb-
bar or shaft (B) so that such pin yould transmit motion to and oscillate the lever
fast upon the comb-bar or shaft (B) but as it is desirable to obtain the requisite
angular movement of the comb-bar or shaft (B) by the smallest possible movement
of the arm (A) and lever (G) it is preferable to provide the lever (G) with a rack
and the comb-bar or shaft (B) with a pinion or toothed sector (g) in the manner
hereinbefore described.
In the form of apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3 we employ a band or strap of
flexible material passing around and secured by means of a set-screw and clip (S)
to a boss upon the comb-bar or shaft (B) and secured at its ends to suitable fixed

page_text: parts which may conveniently be one of the brackets (K) and an arm (N) secured
upon such bracket (K).
In the form of apparatus illustrated in Fig. 4 a bracket (G) capable of being
oscillated about a stud secured in one of the brackets (K) and having one face
covered with leather or other suitable material is employed in combination with a
diso (0) also covered in part with leather or other suitable material and secured
upon the comb-bar or shaft (B) and a spring is connected at one end to the said
bracket (K) and at the other end to the bracket (G) and made to press the
leather-covered face of such bracket (G) against the disc (0) so that such disc (0)
shall receive rotary motion as it is raised and lowered. Instead of being connected
to a spring the bracket (G) may be provided with a weight or so formed that its
own weight will cause it to bear sufficiently against the disc (0) or instead of an
oscillating bracket (G) a fixed bracket of suitable form may be employed. The
disc (0) is provided with projections (0) (0) which arriving in contact with the
leather covered face of the bracket employed in combination with such disc (0)
will prevent the comb-bar or shaft (B) on which such disc (O) is mounted from
being oscillated too far in either direction.
In the form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the comb-bar or shaft (B)
receives its upward and downward movement from excentrics (P) which are mounted
upon the brush-shaft (Q) employed in conjunction with the flats to be stripped and
are embraced by straps connected to excentric rods (P) which embrace the said
comb-bar or shaft (B) and in its upward and downward movements the comb-bar
or shaft (B) is guided by being passed through slots of suitable form provided in
brackets (R) one of which is provided at each side of the carding-engine and
secured to any suitable fixed part and a pinion or toothed sector secured by means
of a set-screw in a suitable position on the said comb-bar or shaft (B) is made to
engage with a rack (R) of suitable form provided on one of the brackets (K) 80
that as the said comb-bar or shaft (B) is moved upwards and downwards it will be
caused to oscillate about its axis in the manner requisite.
In consequence of a stripping comb arranged to operate in accordance with
our invention being made to oscillate and describe a large are of small radius about
the axis of the comh-bar or comb-shaft on which it is secured while such comb-bar
or shaft is moved downwards the teeth of the comb are caused to perform a large
angular movement which facilitates the stripping of the flats by causing such
teeth to rapidly approach and then turn away and recede to a considerable distance
from the flat being stripped at any moment and so enabling the "strips" to be
plucked from such flat and pulled out therefrom when the teeth of the comb are
receding from the flat in the lower part of the downward movement of such comb
instead of being merely scraped therefrom as in the arrangements ordinarily
employed.
Our invention also renders it unnecessary to cause the stripping comb to approach
the wire surface of the flats to be stripped as closely as has hitherto been the
practice and thus enables all risks of injury to the said wire-surface in either the
upward or the downward movements of the comb to be avoided.
Our invention can as is obvious from the accompanying drawings be easily 4
applied to carding engines already constructed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said In-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is -
1. For stripping the flats of a revolving flat carding-engine, a stripping comb 5
seoured upon a comb-bar or shaft made to receive an upward and downward move-
ment and also made to oscillate about its axis for the purpose, by the means and
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of
the accompanying drawings.
2. For stripping the flats of a revolving flat carding-engine, a stripping comb 5
secured upon a comb-bar or shaft made to receive an upward and downward move-

page_text: ment and also made to oscillate about its axis for the purpose, by the means and
substantially in the manner herein before described in reference to Fig. 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. For stripping the flats of a revolving flat carding-engine, a stripping comb
secured upon a comb-bar or shaft made to re eive an upward and downward move-
ment and also made to oscillate about its axis for the purpose, by the means and
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described in reference to Fig. 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. For stripping the flats of a revolving flat carding-engine, a stripping comb
secured upon a comb-bar or shaft made to receive an upward and downward move-
ment and also made to oscillate about its axis for the purpose, by the means and
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described in reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of
the accompanying drawings.
Doted this Tronty-fourth day of May 1897
HOWARD CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicants.