Improvements in Travelling Flat Carding Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1894.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Travelling Flat Carding Engines.
We, WILL LORD, of the Canal Street Works, Todmorden, in the County of
York, Machine Maker, and JOHN STOCKS, of the same place, Foreman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in travelling flat carding engines, and
the chief objects of our improvements are to furnish a supporting surface for
the endless chain of travelling flats which will reduce the friction on the ends
of the flats to a minimum, and which will be capable of ready and accurate
concentric adjustment relatively to the main cylinder.
In carrying our improvements into effect we employ on each side of the carding
engine a flexible bend which is a complete ring of metal split or divided at one
or more points. This ring is mounted on and carried by a revoluble wheel con-
centric with the main cylinder, so that the ends of the travelling flats as they
come into work over the cylinder are supported on the ring and consequently
the flats, the ring and the wheel all travel together.
To enable the split or divided ring to be adjusted relatively to and concentric
with the main .cylinder we provide any convenient means such as screws and
bevel gearing, racks and pinions, radial brackets, scrolls, or any of the numerous
devices now employed for adjusting an ordinary flexible bend and which would
be suitable for the purposes of our invention.
Dated this 10th day of November 1893.
i
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Travelling Flat Carding Engines.
!
We, WILL LORD, of the Canal Street Works, Todmorden, in the County of
York, Machine Maker, and JOHN STOCKS, of the same place, Foreman, dọ
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 improvements in travelling flat carding engines, and the
chief objects of our improvements are to furnish a supporting surface for the
endless chain of travelling flats which will reduce the friction on the ends of
the flats to a minimum and which will be capable of ready and accurate concentric
adjustment relatively to the main cylinder.
In carrying our improvements into effect we employ on each side of the carding
engine a flexible bend which is a complete ring of metal split or divided at one or
more points. This ring is mounted on and carried by a revoluble wheel concentric
with the main cylinder, so that the ends of the travelling flats as they come into
work over the cylinder are supported on the ring and consequently the flats, the
ring and the wheel all travel together.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being had to
the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a carding engine fitted with our improvements

page_text: and with the side framing removed. Fig. 2 is a trausverse sectional elevation of
one side of the carding engine and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the flexible ring.
In Fig. 1, a is the shaft of the main cylinder, 6 the taker-in cylinder, c the
chain of travelling flats passing over pulleys d, and e is the doffer; on a fixed
boss a surrounding but clear of the shaft a and preferably inside the side framing
or bend fis mounted a revoluble wheel g in the rim of which are cut any desired
number of slots g'. A flexible ring of metal h, split at has shown clearly in
Fig. 3, has bosses h³ cast on it. To some of the bosses A' are cast pieces h³ in each
of which is a slot * concentric or parallel to the slots g cut in the revoluble
wheel g and the centre of each boss is drilled out to receive a studi and each of
these studs rests in one of the grooves g¹. The ring his securely attached to the
wheel by pinching screws ; which pass through the slots in the pieces h³ and
screw into the wheel g.
In Fig. 1 a short segment of spur teeth is shown secured to the wheel g and
gearing into this segment is a pinion m mounted upon a stud m¹ secured to the
engine bend or side; on this stud is secured a worm wheel n which gears into a
worm o on a short shaft o¹ carried in brackets secured to the engine bend or side
framing and a worm wheel p is also secured upon the shaft o into which gears
a worm q mounted upon a studs carried by the engine bend or side framing.
h
When the carding engine is at work the spur wheel, m and worm wheel n are
taken off their stud m' and the ring his firmly secured to the wheel g by the
pinching screws the weight of the chain of travelling flats c upon the ring / causes
it and the wheel g to rotate thereby reducing the friction on the ends of the flats c
to a minimum.
Fig. 1 represents the studs i in the ring h at the ends of the slots g' and when it
is necessary to reduce the diameter of the ring to compensate for wear of the card
clothing on the cylinder or flats the ring his clamped to the side framing fin any
convenient manner the screws ; are loosened and the wheels m and n are put on
their stud m¹ into gear with the rack on the wheel g, a handle is then applied to
the studs so as to turn the worm 9, worm wheel p, shaft o', worm wheel n and
wheel m which gears into the rack and turns the wheel g thus moving the slots gl
over or along the pins and contracting the diameter of the flexible ring h until
the necessary adjustment between the card clothing on the flats and the main
cylinder is obtained.
Previous to working the machine again the screws; must be tightened and the
wheels m and n removed until further adjustment is necessary.
To enable the flexible split or divided ring h to be adjusted relatively to and
concentric with the main cylinder we may employ any convenient means other
than those shown and described such as screws and bevel gearing, racks and
pinions, radial brackets, scrolls or any of the numerous devices now employed for
adjusting an ordinary flexible bend and which would be suitable for the purposes
of our invention.
We have described the flexible rings h as being caused to revolve by means
of the travelling flats; but if found advantageous or desirable we might drive
them positively at or about the same circumferential speed as the chain of flats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In a travelling flat carding engine-
.1. The arrangement use and application of a pair of flexible split rings one
on each side of the carding engine as a substitute for the ordinary flexible bend,
said rings being capable of being adjusted relatively and concentrically to the
main cylinder and being so mounted as to revolve with and preferably by means
of the chain of travelling flats.
2. The combination at each side of the engine with a wheel mounted and free
to revolve on a fixed boss surrounding but clear of the shaft of the main cylinder,

page_text: of an adjustable flexible split ring upon which the ends of the chain of travelling
flats travel as and for the purposes herein described.
3. In combination, the revoluble wheel g, the flexible split ring mounted on the
wheel g and means for adjusting the said ring relatively and concentrically to the
main cylinder substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 10th day of August 1894.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.