IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER. FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Taylor, of the Firm Taylor, Lang, & Co.,
of Castle Iron Works, Stalybridge, in the County of Chester, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER.
FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 19th June 1863, and dated the 24th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Taylor at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th December
1862.
I, JAMES TAYLOR, of the Firm Taylor, Lang, & Co., "of Castle Iron
Works," Stalybridge, in the County of Chester, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR..CARDING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to arrangements and mechanism for removing the
fibrous material from the "doffers" of carding engines, and consists,
firstly, in the employment of a fixed comb extending across the doffer so as
to come in contact with the card teeth and strip the fibrous material from it
combined with a roller plain, fluted, or covered, which also extends across the
doffer, and is placed in front and close to the teeth of the comb, and also a bar
or rib forming a straight edge which also extends across the doffer, and it is
placed so that its upper edge is a little below the teeth of the comb and under
the roller, its upper edge being made concave to fit the convex surface of the
roller, against which it is slightly pressed by weights or springs so as to pinch
the fibrous material between the concave and convex surfaces and draw it
from the teeth of the comb (as fast as it is taken from the doffer) by the
rotation of the roller.
My Invention consists, secondly, in an arrangement for working a vibratory

page_text: comb to strip the fibrous material from the doffer of carding engines, namely,
in a shaft passing across and in front of the doffer, having two excentrics
upon it. These excentrics give motion to two short excentric rods, the upper
end of each rod being jointed with a very short radius rod having its fulcrum
fixed on that side nearest the doffer. The comb is attached to the two
excentric rods a short distance below the junction of the excentric and radius
rods, so that by rotating the excentric shaft in the same direction as the doffer
the points of the teeth of the comb will describe a figure of elliptical form
which is modified by the short radius rods which flatten or curve the figure on
the doffer side, so that the points of the comb will coincide or nearly so with
the surface of the doffer in the down stroke, but will be withdrawn from the
doffer at the lower part of the stroke, and will be clear of it in the up stroke.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TAYLOR, of the Firm of "Taylor, Lang, & Co.," of "Castle Iron Works,"
Stalybridge, in the County of Chester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Taylor, Her special license that I, the said James Taylor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
torm therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usė, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES FOR
CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Taylor, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Taylor, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
:. My Invention relates to mechanism to be used for the purpose of stripping
the carded fibrous material from that card cylinder termed the "doffer" in
carding engines; and it consists in the application to the "doffers " of carding
engines of a combination of a roller and concave straight edge or surface.
The roller rotates against the concave straight edge or surface, which is pressed
slightly against the periphery of the roller for the purpose of giving it sufficient
adhesion to take hold of and strip the material from the card surface of the
"doffer" and carry it past the concave straight edge or surface in the form of
an endless fleece. I am aware that two rollers working together have been
used for stripping fibrous material from the doffers of carding engines, but it is
obvious that the point of "nip" or point of contact between such rollers could
not be placed so near the surface of the doffer as by my improved combination
by which I am enabled to get the nip of the roller and concave straight edge
or surface practically close or touching the card surface of the doffer. The
Figures.on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings illustrate my Invention
and its variations and mode of application.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the mechanism, and Fig. 2 a plan view
of one end of the same; both views are full size, and illustrate one modifi-
cation of my Invention.
A, framing; a, part of a doffer; b, delivery rollers through which the
sliver passes when removed from the doffer. The roller c and concave straight
edge or surface d, are carried by fixings e, one at each side of the engine.
These fixings are provided with slots and adjusting set screws (e³), by which
they may be moved to and from the card surface of the doffer, and they are
also provided with screws (e³), by which they may be firmly secured when
adjusted, as will be readily understood by inspecting the Drawings. These
fixings (e) form the bearings for both the rollers (c) and the concave straight
edge or surface (d). The roller c can turn freely and the concave straight
edge or surface (d) can oscillate freely on its axis (d'). I find that the
roller c will strip and drag the fibrous material from the doffer and between
itself and the concave straight edge or surface d when slightly roughened, but
from a number of experiments I prefer to flute it in the manner shewn in the
Drawing, as it acts most satisfactorily when so fluted. That portion. of the
concave straight edge or surface (d) in contact with the surface of the flutes
should be made to fit as accurately as possible to the curve described by the

page_text: tops of the flutes. The flutes of the roller may be adjusted so as to touch
the points of the teeth of the card, but it will remove the fibrous material
satisfactorily even when at a distance of about one-eighth of an inch from the
points of the teeth. I prefer to make the flutes of the form and size shewn,
because they more effectually remove small pieces of leaf and dirt, which,
when the flutes are fine, tend to accumulate at the point of nip between the
concave straight edge or surface and the roller. The roller c may be made
of iron but I prefer steel, and the concave straight edge or surface of cast
iron, but I do not confine myself to these materials. The concave straight
edge or surface d is pressed against the roller by weights d² hung by links d³
upon the arms d³, projecting from the concave straight edge or surface. The
pressure required upon the roller c is but slight. Upon the upper side of the
roller ca "clearer "fis placed; it is formed by preference of metal not too
heavy, and is covered on its concave side by flannel or other suital material.
The clearer (f) rests upon pins (f¹) in the fixings (e) (one at each end) so
as to be able to rise if the roller (c) should happen to "lap" or become
covered with fibrous material. Sometimes small "lumps" or pieces of dirt will
collect at the nip of the concave straight edge or surface d and roller c, and
are kept back and prevented from passing with the fibrous material. For
the purpose of releasing such small lumps the arms d' from the concave
straight e.lge or surface (d) are made to project so as to form handles d**, so
that the attendant when passing can lift the handle slightly, and thus the
lumps of dirt will be released and will pass along with the fibrous material.
To prevent the concave straight edge or surface (d) from being moved too
much, by lifting the handle d* so as to press against and damage the card
surface of the doffer, an adjustable set screw e is used to place a limit to the
ascending movement of the handle. The rollers c may be driven by any
convenient arrangement of mechanism; I prefer to drive it by an endless
band as its surface speed and that of the doffer need not be exactly equal, in
fact the mechanism operates satisfactorily when the surface speed of the
roller c is either a little greater or a little less than the surface speed of the
doffer (a).
Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and Fig. 4 a front elevation on a scale of about
one-fourth the natural size, showing generally the application of the mechanism
to carding engines.
A represents the framing; 9, the main card cylinder; a, doffer card
cylinder; and 6 the rollers which deliver the "doffed sliver." It will be seen
that the roller c is driven by a band g¹ passing round a pulley c¹ on its axis
and one upon the axis of the main card cylinder. The other parts of these

page_text: views will be understood by the letters of reference marked thereon and the
preceding explanation. Sometimes (but rarely) the fibrous material from the
accidental presence of some gummy matter will lap upon the roller (c), and
if this takes place, and the material accumulates upon the roller to any con-
siderable extent before being observed, it may damage the card surface of the
doffer, to provide against such an accident I prefer to make a gap in the
fixings (e) forming the bearings of the roller (c), as shewn in Figs. 5 and 6,
(which are full size views corresponding to Fig. 1) which leaves the roller (c)
free to retire from the card surface as the material accumulates. The driving
band is sufficiently slack to permit the extent of movement required. A
stop is arranged to prevent the arm from descending too low, see Fig. 5.
The weight of the roller will be sufficient to keep it in its correct position, but,
if required, springs may be added so as to press upon its bearings. Instead of
a flat clearer (f), as shewn in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, a cylindrical clearer (f) may
be used arranged to rotate in bearings in the fixings e, and so as to be capable
of rising, and this clearer may be driven so that its surface will move either
slower or faster than the surface of the roller c, or in an opposite direction to
it by an endless band from the axis of one of the delivery rollers (6); as shown
in Fig. 6.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew full size modifications where the concave straight edge
or surface d is made into a lever where the mass of material at one side of its
fulcrum (d) is made to preponderate over that on the other side so as to give
sufficient pressure against the roller without detached weights. Fig. 6 shows
the adjusting screw (e') to prevent the end in contact with the roller c from
touching the surface of the doffer (a). The modification shewn in Fig. 7 is
one in which the concave straight edge or surface (d) is made of elastic
metal so as to conform more easily to the surface of the roller c.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention and mode of
carrying the same into effect, and claim as my Invention the combination of a
roller and concave straight edge or other equivalent surface acting substantially
in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JAMES TAYLOR. (L.s..)