Improvements in Condensing Fibrous Material Preparatory to Spinning.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Condensing Fibrous Material Preparatory to
Spinning.
I, FELIX VICTOR MAX RAABE, otherwise called Max Raabe, of 5 Copthall
Buildings, in the City of London, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
As the complete condensing or conversion of fibrous material into threads
preparatory to spinning, is of the greatest importance for the successful carrying
out of the subsequent spinning operation, and as this condensing operation presents
great difficulties, especially when dealing with very long fibres, many attempts
have been made to construct an apparatus that would effect a perfect division of
the material after the same had been properly prepared on the carding engines.
One of the best apparatus hitherto used for this purpose is that in which the
division of the web coming from the doffer of the condensing carding engine is
effected by means of leather tapes which are placed cross wise on two cylinders
driven in opposite directions the web being drawn between the tapes and the
cylinders and by the crossing of the tapes is divided into as many uniform ribbons
as there are leather tapes.
The
In order to produce a division of the web, the surface of each cylinder is
composed of a number of annular raised parts or projections to carry the leather
tapes, and with intermediate grooves, the raised parts or projections and grooves
being all of the same width and corresponding with that of the tapes.
cylinders are so relatively arranged that the raised parts or projections of the one
are opposite to the grooves of the other. Although this condensing apparatus has
been specially constructed for treating long fibres it has been found that owing to
the great number of long fibres which some fibrous materials contain it does not
produce an entirely perfect division of the web, as it frequently happens that such
long fibres extend across several leather tapes and so cause entanglement and
frequent breakage of the rovings, with the result that the bobbins produced there-
from under these circumstances, are faulty and offer great difficulties in spinning.
To obviate this and produce a more perfect division of the web coming from
the doffer of the condensing carding engine, thereby rendering it possible to spin
long fibres or fibrous material containing long fibres, advantageously and into fine
counts, I use in conjunction with condensing apparatus of the kind referred to, a
dividing apparatus comprising two rollers, each consisting of a number of tubular
sections secured upon a shaft by means of nuts. These sections are each formed
or provided with a number of lentil-shaped annular collars or projecting parts
which must be perfectly smooth and free from sharp edges, and are made to corre-
spond in position and approximately in shape with the grooves of the tape
cylinders.
As the collars or projecting parts are intended to work in the grooves of the
tape cylinders, each of these cylinders requires a dividing roller, which must
revolve in the opposite direction to the corresponding tape cylinder and in so doing
will clear the spaces between the leather tapes and bring all projecting or crossed
fibres back to the leather tapes to which they originally belong.
In order to render the dividing apparatus effective, and to avoid any dis-arrange-
ment of the web before the same enters the rubbers, it is necessary to arrange the
dividing rollers near those parts of the tape cylinders at which the divided web is
tightly held between the leather tapes and the cylinders, namely, as near as possible
to the crossing point of the leather tapes and on the delivery side of the cylinders.

page_text: The dividers should revolve at a moderate speed to prevent the material from
gathering round them; and they may be driven from any suitable part of the
carding engine to which the condensing apparatus is attached.
From the above
description it will be seen that condensing apparatus of the kind referred to
provided with dividers according to this invention will possess two dividing points
instead of one as heretofore, and for this reason will be more effective than other
systems of condensing with one dividing point only.
Dated this 25th day of July 1891.
FELIX VICTOR MAX RAABE.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Condensing Fibrous Material Preparatory to
Spinning.
I, FELIX VICTOR MAX RAABE, otherwise called Max Raabe, of 5, Copthall
Buildings, in the City of London, Manufacturer, 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:-
As the perfect condensing or conversion of fibrous material into threads
preparatory to spinning, is of the greatest importance for the successful carrying
out of the subsequent spinning operation, and as this condensing operation presents
great difficulties, especially when dealing with very long fibres, many attempts
have been made to construct an apparatus that would effect a perfect division of the
material after the same had been properly prepared on the carding engines.
One of the best apparatus hitherto used for this purpose is shewn in Figs. 1 and 2
of the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 being an elevation of such apparatus; and
Fig. 2 a plan of part of one of the tape cylinders used therein.
In this apparatus the division of the web 1 of fibrous material coming from the
doffer 2 of the condensing carding engine, is effected by means of leather tapes 3
which are placed cross-wise on two cylinders 4 driven in opposite directions; the
web is drawn between the tapes 3 and the cylinders 4, and by the crossing of the
tapes, is divided into as many uniform ribbons as there are leather tapes. In order
to produce this division of the web, the surface of each cylinder is composed of a
number of annular raised parts or projections 5, (Fig. 2) to carry the leather
tapes, and with intermediate grooves 6, the raised parts or projections and the
grooves being all of the same width and corresponding with that of the tapes.
The cylinders 4 are so relatively arranged that the raised parts or projections of
the one are opposite to the grooves of the other. Although this condensing
apparatus has been specially constructed for treating long fibres, it has been found,
in practice, that owing to the great number of long fibres which some fibrous
materials contain, it does not produce an entirely perfect division of the web, as it
frequently happens that such long fibres extend across several leather tapes and
BO cause entanglement and frequent breakage of the rovings, with the result that
the rovings 1 produced therefrom under these circumstances, are faulty and offer
great difficulties in spinning.
To obviate this and produce a more perfect division of the web coming from the
doffer of the condensing carding engine, thereby rendering it possible to spin long
fibres or fibrous material containing long fibres, advantageously and into fine
counts, I construct or provide a condensing apparatus of the kind referred to with
a dividing apparatus as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, which are respectively side and
front views of apparatus for condensing fibrous material according to this invention.

page_text: This dividing apparatus comprises two hollow rollers each formed or provided
with a number of annular projections 10 which must be perfectly smooth and free
from sharp edges, and are made to correspond in position and approximately in
shape with the grooves 6 of the tape cylinders 4. For convenience of manufacture
I have shewn the two rollers as made each of a number of tubular sections 7, each
section (of which however only one is shewn) being about 6 inches in length, and
secured upon a shaft 8 by means of nuts 9.
The annular projections 10 are intended to work in the grooves of the tape
cylinders 4, each of which cylinders is therefore provided with a dividing roller
having as many annular projections 10 as there are grooves in the tape cylinder.
Each dividing roller must be caused to rotate in the opposite direction to the corre-
sponding tape cylinder; in so doing it will clear the spaces between the leather
tapes, and will bring all projecting or crossed fibres back to the leather tapes and
consequently to the ribbons to which they properly belong.
In order to render the dividing apparatus effective and to avoid any disarrange-
ment of the web before the same enters the rubbers 11 (Fig. 1,) it is necessary to
arrange the dividing rollers near those parts of the tape cylinders 4 at which the
divided web is tightly held between the leather tapes and the cylinders, namely, as
near as possible to the crossing point 12 of the leather tapes, and on the delivery
side of the cylinders 4 as shewn.
The shaft 8 of each dividing roller is carried in bearings 13 which are made
adjustable on the bracket 13ª. This bracket is made with slots through which pass
the screws 13 by which the bearings can be fixed in order to properly adjust the
dividing rollers to the respective tape cylinders. The bracket itself is also adjust-
able, being for this purpose formed with vertical slots.
The dividing rollers should revolve at a moderate speed to prevent the material
from gathering around them. They may be driven from any suitable part, as for
example from the swift of the carding engine to which the condensing apparatus is
attached as for instance by a groove-pulley 14, the two shafts being geared together
by cog wheels 15 as shewn in Fig. 4. From the above description it will be seen
that condensing apparatus of the kind referred to instead of having one dividing
point only viz. where the tapes cross each other at 12, will, when provided with
dividing rollers according to this invention possess two dividing points viz. one
where the leather tapes cross at 12, and one where the spaces between the leather
tapes are cleared by the dividing rollers 7. For this reason the apparatus will be
more effective than other systems of condensing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The hereinabove described improvement in condensing fibrous material
preparatory to spinning by dividing into ribbons, by means of two series of endless
tapes, a web of fibrous material passing from the doffer of a carding engine
according to which whilst the advancing ribbons are tightly held between the tapes
and the corresponding tape cylinder projecting or crossed fibres are returned to
their proper places and made to form part of the ribbons the spaces between which
are likewise cleared by means of dividers working between the said ribbons in the
manner set forth.
2. For the purpose referred to in the preceding claim, the combination with two
oppositely rotating grooved cylinders and two series of endless tapes placed cross-
wise on such cylinders, of dividing apparatus comprising two rollers each having a
number of smooth annular projections arranged to work in the grooves of the
corresponding tape cylinders so as to straighten fibres projecting into and extending
across the spaces between the tapes, and to return such fibres to the ribbons to
which they properly belong, substantially as herein described for the purpose
specified.

page_text: 3. My improved apparatus for condensing fibrous materials preparatory to
spinning, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 21st day of April 1892.
FELIX VICTOR MAX RAABE.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.