Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 15th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Feb., 1887.
We GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the firin of Ashworth Brothers
of the Moss Brook Works Collyhurst Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the travelling flats of Carding Engines and has for one of
its objects to improve the means for preventing the accumulation of fluff or dirt upon
the ends of the flats. It is of importance that matters should not be allowed to
accumulate upon the ends of the flats for the reason that such accumulations would
find their way to the faces of the slides and guides which should be kept as free from
dust as possible. Previously to our present invention we have cleaned the slide sur-
faces at the flat ends by means of brushes applied at the ends of a revolving wire
brush which we have employed to brush the card surfaces of the flats but the said
brushes have become less efficient through wear. To remedy this defect we fix the
bristles of the brushes in holders which are secured by means of bolts or screws so
that they can be readily applied and be replaced with new ones the said holders being
slotted or otherwise former so that the brushes can be adjusted at any time to com-
pensate for wear or the said holders may be formed with shanks which can be adjusted
in slots or holes in the brush shaft. In some cases we might apply these adjustable
brushes to a revolving shaft other than the shaft which carries the said wire brush. To
brush the backs of the flat ends we apply adjustable brushes to the curved rail or
frame of the engine near to the point of first contact of the flat with the guides. These
brushes can be adjusted to press more or less upon the flats and answer a double pur-
pose namely to clean the backs of the flat ends and also to press the flats into close
contact with the flexible bends or guides. In addition to these last named brushes or
in substitution therefor we may employ wheels covered with suitably soft leather or
with felt or with a suitably elastic material such wheels being mounted to revolve by
contact with the flat backs and exerting a degree of pressure upon the flats sufficient
to press them into close contact with the flexible bends or guides or we may employ a
non revolving leather or elastic presser or a presser acted upon by a spring.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.

page_text: We GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the firm of Ashworth Brothers
of the Moss Brook Works, Collyhurst Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Engineers 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 and accompanying drawings:
―
"dirt"
Our Invention relates to the travelling flais of carding Engines and has for one of
its objects to improve the means for preventing the accumulation of fluff or
upon the ends of the flats. It is of importance that matters should not be allowed to
accumulate upon the ends of the flats for the reason that such accumulations would
find their way to the faces of the slides and guides which should be kept as free from
"dirt" as possible. Previously to our present invention we have cleaned the slide
surfaces at the flat ends by means of short brushes applied at the ends of a revolving
wire brush which we have employed to brush the card surfaces of the flats but the
said brushes have become less efficient through wear. To remedy this defect we
arrange for the said short brushes to be secured by means of bolts or screws so that
they can be readily applied and be replaced with new ones the parts being slotted or
otherwise formed so that the brushes can be adjusted at any time to compensate for
wear.
Our present improvement in the said brushes will be clearly understood when
reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a side view and
Fig. 2 an end view of part of a compound brush constructed in accordance with our
invention the part represented in Fig. 1. being supposed to have been broken off from
one end of the complete brush. In the said Figs. a is the wire brush which we use
for cleaning the Carding surfaces of the flat cards and is one of the two brushes
which we use for cleaning the slide surfaces at the flat ends as aforesaid there being a
corresponding brush at the other end of the stock e which carries the brushes. The
said stock is fixed to a shaft d which is caused to revolve as is usual. The brush /
is usually composed of bristles this material being more suitable than wire for the
particular purpose for which we employ the said brush. The bristles are fixed in a
block or holder e which is screwed or secured to a slotted metal plate and the said
plate is secured by means of a screw or bolt g to the stock c or to the shaft d or to a
block fixed upon the shaft as preferred. It will be clearly seen that as the bristles
become shorter in proportion to the wires of the brush a in consequence of the more
rapid wearing of the bristles the block e can be moved further away from the axis of
the shaft d and be secured in its adjusted position by tightening the fastening 9. The
brush can be readily replaced with a new brush when too much worn for efficient
use. By making the brushes badjustable we are enabled to maintain their efficiency
for our purpose. The method of adjusting the last named brushes may be varied as
for example the block e or the part in which the bristles are fixed might be provided
with a shank which would be adjustable in slots or holes formed in the stock c or in
the shaft d. In some cases we might mount. the adjustable brushes b upon a special
shaft or upon a shaft other than the shaft d so long as they acted to brush the said

page_text: slide surfaces of the flat bars. To brush the backs of the flat ends we apply adjustable
brushes to the curved rail or frame of the engine near to the point of first contact of
the flat with the guides c. The method of application of these brushes is indicated in
Figs. 3 and 4.
In the said Figs. h represents a side view of a portion of the curved
guide rail or of the part sometimes termed the "flexible bend "that is to say of the
part with which the aforesaid slide surfaces of the flat bars are in sliding contact
when the flat cards are at work. To this rail is screwed bolted or secured a bracket i
to which is secured the stock of a brush. In the making of this brush we prefer to
use hardened and tempered steel wire instead of bristles. The bracket i is slotted so
that it can be adjusted upon the rail whereby the brush can be caused to press more
or less forcibly upon the flat bars. In practice we so adjust this bracket as that the
wires of the brush shall exert an amount of pressure upon the backs of the bars
sufficient to ensure the close contact of the bars with the guide rail. It will be under-
stood that a corresponding brush is applied at the other side of the engine, to act upon
the other end of the bar. The brackets are applied as near as may be to the wheels
partly around which the flais pass when being brought into their working positions so
that each flat as it is brought into working position comes immediately or quickly
under the influence of the elastic brushes and is pressed into close contact with the
guides. The brushes being made of tempered steel wire will exert a yielding pressure
upon the bar and at the same time fulfil the office of brushes in removing fluff and
dirt from the prepared surfaces which are formed on the backs of the bars at their
extreme ends as is well understood. In addition to these brushes or in substitution
therefor we may employ wheels covered with suitably soft leather or with felt or with
a suitably elastic material such wheels being applied in the indicated places and
mounted to revolve by contact with the backs of the flat bars and being adjustable upon
brackets or parts as in the cases of the brushes so as to exert a yielding pressure upon
the bars sufficient to press them into close contact with the guide rails but we prefer
to use the tempered steel wire brushes alone as they are efficient for the purpose and
answer a double purpose as hereinbefore mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
(1) In combination with a wire brush a end brushes & mounted to he adjustable so that
they can be set further from the axis of revolution to compensate for wear substantially
as and for the purpose set forth and indicated hereinbefore and in the accompanying
drawings.
(2) The construction of revolving compound brush as and for the purpose set forth
and indicated with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
(3) As attachments for a Carding engine the tempered steel wire brushes applied
substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated with reference to Figs. 3
and 4 of the drawings.
(4) As attachments for carding engines brushes or revolving elastic appliances
adjusted to press each flat bar into contact with the curved guides at the time when
such bar is brought into working position substantially as set forth and indicated.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.