Improvements in Lap Machines or Scutchers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lap Machines or Scutchers.
We, JOHN WITHAM, of Finsley Mill, Burnley, in the County of Lancaster,
Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, and JAMES LORD, of 140, Branch Road,
Burnley aforesaid, Carder, 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:—
This invention has reference to lap machines or scutchers used in the prepara-
tion of cotton, woollen or other fibres. In this class of machine, it sometimes
occurs that hard substances, such as a wire nail or the like, is carried by the lap
into the calendar rollers, damaging the surface of such rollers, or breaking the
rods or weighted levers connected to them, or otherwise doing serious damage.
The present invention is designed to provide a stop motion so arranged in
connection with the weighted lever or rods of the calendar rollers, that on the
passage of any hard substance between either or any of the calendar rollers, the
said stop motion will act upon the knocking-off motion of the machine for
stopping the machine, when the cause of the stoppage may be ascertained, and the
object removed. In the same way, any excess in the thickness of lap passing
through the rollers will bring our improved stop motion into operation. This
applies to machines whether double connected, such as exhaust lap machines, or
single scutchers, in the former case both machines being stopped by the action of
our invention. Our improvements are also devised to stop the machine should
the calendar rollers run empty of lap owing to the breakage of a beater strap,"
or fan strap, or other cause.
In carrying out our present invention, we mount a lever or feeler on a cross
shaft, which extends from side to side of the machine frame, and is provided
with collars fixed by set screws to prevent end movement.
One of these feelers is placed at each side of the machine, and is disposed over
the weighted end of the lever connected to the slide rods for giving the necessary
nip to the calendar rollers.
Within the interior of the frame of the machine, we fix on the said cross shaft
an arm or rod, which extends downwards, and to which is attached one end of a
rod, which extends to the front of the machine. Here, the rod is adjustably
connected to a pivotted lever formed half moon shaped at its upper extremity,
which bears against the tumbler catch of the knocking-off motion of the machine.
This pivotted lever is carried by a bracket bolted to the front of the machine.
To the tumbler catch is attached a spring, whose other end is secured to the said
bracket, so as to keep the tumbler catch pressed against the half moon extremity
of the pivotted lever.
Any hard or foreign substance carried by the lap into the rollers will have the
effect of raising the weighted lever in the usual manner, thereby also raising the
extremity of the said feeler, giving, a partial turn to the cross shaft. .By. this
means, a backward movement is given to the arm and rod connected thereto,
and has the effect of pulling the lower end of the pivotted lever, and bringing

page_text: forward its half moon extremity, thereby raising the tumbler catch, and dis-
engaging the setting-on handle from its detent in the usual manner.
We also use in conjunction with the said stop motion an arrangement, by
means of which we can stop the calendar rollers should they run empty through the
breakage of a strap or some such cause. We provide a Llever so arranged that
it will raise the said feeler on the depression of the weighted lever-caused by the
failure of the lap, when our stop motion comes into play exactly as hereinbefore
described. For the purposes of our invention, the said Llever is preferably
composed of two separate arms provided with bosses, one of the said bosses sliding
over the other, and securel by set screws, so that the position of either arm with
respect to each other may be adjusted according to circumstances, and the desired
end accomplished with unerring certainty.
The said lever is mounted by its central boss as aforesaid upon a stud fixed
to the frame of.the.machine.. One of its arms comes, under a small stud fixed to
the weighted end of the lever in connection with the calendar rollers, whilst its
other arm is provided with a stud, which,bears against the underside of the feeler
of our improved stop motion:
If from any cause the calendar..rollers should run. empty of lap, the. weighted
lever falls in the usual manner. The stud fixed thereon depresses one end of
the lever, and causes its other end to raise the feeler attached to our stop.motion,
stopping the rollers as already described.
The accompanying drawing is a detached side view of a lap machine or
scutcher, provided with a stop motion, constructed in accordance with our
invention.
A are the calendar rollers, B the slide rods connected to the weighted lever C
for giving the necessary pressure.
Disposed near the weighted end of lever C is a feeler D, secured by a set
screw to cross shaft E. The latter is prevented from- end movement by two
adjustable collars not shewn, within the interior of the frame on each side:
Mounted on the said cross shaft E is arm F connected to rod G, which extends
to the front of the machine. This rod is screw threaded at H to receive the
slotted attachment J and check nut J by means of which the said rod may be
lengthened or shortened as required. The open' slot of such attachment is passed
over the pin of pivotted lever L to permit of ready disconnection. The lever L
is pivotted at M to the bracket M' fixed to the front of the machine. The other
end of the lever L is half moon shaped, and against it presses the tumbler catch N
by the pressure of spiral spring Nattached thereto; and also to bracket M.
Any hard substance passing with the lap through the calendar rollers A will
raise the weighted lever C in the usual manner, and thereby also raise the feeler D,
giving a partial turn to cross shaft E. The same result will also be accomplished
by any excess of thickness in the lap as it is passing through the rollers. A back-
ward movement is thereby given to arm F, which acting on the rod G, pulls the
lower end of lever L also backwards, thereby drawing forward its half moon
shaped extremity, which raises the tumbler catch and disengages the knocking
off handle from its detent, thus stopping this part of the frame.
-In combination with our stop motion may also be used an arrangement, whereby
we are enabled to stop the machine in case the calendar rollers run empty of
lap from any cause.
We effect this by a Llever, preferably taking the form of two separate arms
and 0, one of the said arms being formed with a boss, which slides on a smaller
boss on the other, and is secured by set screws. The position of the arms with
respect to each other can thus be regulated to a nicety. The arms are mounted
on a stud P fixed to the frame of the machine.
The arm O bears against a small-pin Q, whilst the arm 01 is provided with a
stud R, which bears against the underside of feeler D. If at any time the
calendar rollers A should run empty of lap from any cause, and the weighted
lever C fall in the usual manner, the arm is pushed downward by the pin Q,

page_text: and the arm 0¹ is consequently raised, and raises also the lever D bringing into
operation our stop motion exactly as hereinbefore described in the preceding
arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: —
1. In a lap machine or scutcher, the use of a stop motion so arranged that on
the passage of any hard or foreign substance or excess in thickness of lap through
the calendar rollers, such stop motion will act upon the knocking-off motion
of the machine, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. A stop motion for lap machines, consisting of feeler 1), cross shaft E, arm F,
rod G adjustably connected to pivotted lever L, and arranged and acting sub-
stantially as described and illustrated.
3. The means for effecting the stoppage of a lap machine on the calendar rollers
running empty of lap, substantially as described and illustrated.
4. The means for effecting the stoppage of a lap machine on the calendar rollers
running empty, in combination with the means for stopping the machine on any
hard or foreign substance in the lap entering the calendaring rollers, substantially
as described and shewn.
5. The arms O and O¹ adjustably arranged and constructed substantially as
and for the purpose described and illustrated.
Dafad this 8th dot of June 1899
RICHMOND & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 12, Standish Street, Burnley.