CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND CARDING WOOL
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
PORRITT, of Edenfield, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eleventh day of January, in the eighth year of Her reign, and
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five, did, for
Herself, Her leirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel
Porritt, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Samuel Porrit, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said Samuel Porritt, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the Town
of Berwick-up-Tweed, my Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND CARDING WOOL;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Samuel Porritt, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-

page_text: diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YOU, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Porritt, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):
My improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Preparing and Carding
wool consist,
Firstly, in a novel arrangement or construction of the feeding end of
the ordinary wool-carding engine, and in a particular mode of applying
artificial heat thereto, whether by means of chests or chambers, pipes, hollow
rollers, or cylinders, heated by steam, hot water, hot air, or otherwise. The
principal object of this part of my improvements is to effect a great economy
in the oil which is commonly mixed with the wool before or between the
different processes of opening or teazing and carding, and by the application of
this Invention I have found such saving to be very considerable, as well as a
great improvement effected in the working of the wool, as by this novel
method of applying heat to the wool whilst on the feed cloth or fore part of
the carding engine the wool is much softened, the greasy matter generally
found in wool is rendered liquid, and answers instead of oil, and the oil
that is used is more thoroughly dissipated through the mass of wool which is
thereby more readily and evenly wrought, and the fibres freely opened or
drawn out, instead of being so liable to injury by being torn asunder or
broken up as in the ordinary machinery. This first part of my improvements
is accomplished by the application or employment of a chamber or chest, and
a pair of hollow rollers heated by steam or otherwise, to the feeding end of
the ordinary wool-carding engine, placed near or fixed and attached to the
engine itself, immediately in front of the feed rollers or the "breaker" or
"licker-in or the first carding or main cylinder, and may also be employed
with great advantage to the machinery used for preparing wool, that is, the
'teazer" or "willow as well as to the scribler" or "tummer" and the
finishing or carding engine.
Secondly, my improvement in machinery or apparatus for carding wool
consists in the application or employment of two "doffers" and two fluted
rollers at the finishing end of the carding engine, which two doffers" are to
be so arranged in the machine, and so clothed with strips of card teeth, that

page_text: both revolving at the same speed, the strips of card teeth placed longitudinally.
upon the one doffer shall be opposite to the spaces left between the strips of
card teeth upon the other doffer, and thus strip or doff all the carded wool
brought to them by the main carding cylinder, instead of allowing that portion
of wool which was formerly left on the cylinder by the spaces between
the card teeth on the doffer to pass again round the main cylinder, and
workers and clearers. This part of my Invention also prevents the cardings
being spoiled by the long fibres of wool stretching across the narrow
spaces left on the ordinary single doffer, and thereby tying two cardings
together; as well as the capability of producing a greater amount of
work in a given time, when compard with the ordinary construction of
carding engines.
Such being the nature of my said improvements, I will proceed to shew
the manner in which the same are to be performed; and in order that my
improvements may be more readily explained in detail, and their application
to this part of woolen manufacture perfectly understood, I have attached to
these Presents a Sheet of Drawings representing the peculiar features of
novelty, which I claim as my Invention, as attached or supplied to wool
preparing and carding engines of the ordinary construction, such part as I
consider as constituting my present improvements being represented as
shaded with colour, and the other parts drawn in outline only, the whole
being on a scale of about one inch to the foot; Figure 1, representing a top
or horizontal view of a wool-carding engine as seen from above, and Figure 2
a vertical section taken longitudinally through about the middle of the
machine. Similar letters of reference are marked upon the corresponding
parts of the machine in both the Figures. The ordinary and elementary parts
of the carding engine are as follows:-A, A, is the framing of the machine,
supporting the "breaker" or "licker-in" roller B, the first main carding cylinder
C, the middle doffing cylinder D, and the second carding cylinder E, which
are furnished with the working and clearing rollers F, F, F, and driven by
gearing chains and straps in the ordinary way, power being communicated to
the fast driving pulley G. The first part of my improvements is represented at
the left-hand or feeding end of the carding engine; a, a, being the ordinary
feeding cloth and rollers, upon which the wool is placed as usual, on being
submitted to the process of carding; immediately underneath, and in contact
with this feeding cloth, is placed a chest or chamber b, b, extending the whole
width of the carding engine, heated with steam (as preferable), hot air, or
other convenient means attached to side guide plates c, c, supporting a lid or

page_text: cover d, dover part of the feed cloth. I have also represented in these
Figures a pair of hollow rollers e, c, also heated by steam, by means of the
pipes ff between which hollow and heated rollers the wool slowly passes,
moving at the rate of the feed cloth and rollers. Either the chest or chamber
bb, or the hollow rollers e, e, may be used separately or both together, as
may be found preferable. I wish it to be understood that I am aware
that a heated atmosphere and other imperfect contrivances have been adopted
during the preparing and carding processes, but not as above described, nor
with the effect as before stated, which beneficial effect I have practically
accomplished by the direct application of heat to the wool after being laid on
'the feed cloth, and immediately before entering on the feed rollers, "breaker,
or "licker-in," or the first carding cylinder, and which I claim as my Inven-
tion; whether it be applied by means of an apparatus placed in connection
and niade part of the carding engine itself, as shown in the Drawings, or
applied detached at or near the carding engine for similar purposes. I also
claim this, as my Invention, whether it be applied to the machinery for
preparing wool, that is, the "teazer" or "willow," or to the "scribbler" or
tummer, or to the carding engine
"
The second feature of novelty in my improvements is represented at the
right-hand or delivering end of the carding engine, the two doffers being
shown at g, g, with their respective combs; or bars h, h, and fluted rollers i; i,
for rolling and delivering the the cardings alternately into or upon the
receiver . The principal novelty in this part of my Invention is the appli-
cation, employment, or use of two doffing cylinders, and two fluted rollers
instead of one of each at the finishing end of the carding engine, the two
doffing cylinders being so arranged in the machine, and revolving at one
speed, being connected with, the pinion 7, 7, and being so clothed with longi-
tudinal strips of card teeth m, m, that they doff and form into cardings all
the wool brought to them, by the cylinder E, in consequence of the card
teeth upon the one doffer taking the wool from the cylinder at the time
when the space between the card teeth on the other doffer is passing the
cylinder, which peculiar arrangement of doffing apparatus I also claim as niy
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Porritt, have hereunto set my
jac hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
dw thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
SAMUEL (L.S.) PORRITT.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Ninth day of July, in.
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Samuel Porritt came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Eleventh day of July, in the year above written.