IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS OR APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SLIVER PASSING BETWEEN ROLLERS OF DRAWING MACHINERY USED IN THE PREPARATION OF COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, IN PART APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES WHERE GOVERNING BY MEANS OF HYGROMETRIC APPARATUS IS DESIRABLE
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Phillips Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th May 1883. A communi-
cation to him from abroad by Henry Augustus Chapin, of Springfield, in the
State of Massachusetts United States of America
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Liverpool and London Agency, for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Civil
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS OR APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE
SLIVER PASSING BETWEEN ROLLERS OF DRAWING MACHINERY USED IN THE
PREPARATION OF COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, IN PART APPLICABLE TO
OTHER PURPOSES WHERE GOVERNING BY MEANS OF HYGROMETRIC APPARATUS IS
DESIRABLE"-a communication to me from abroad by Henry Augustus Chapin,
of Springfield, in the State of Massachusetts United States of America.
This Invention relates to trumpet-governors for Railway Heads, and consists in
the combination with an ordinary Railway or Drawing Head for reducing and
drawing the slivers of cotton or other fibrous material, of a hygrometric trumpet-
governor, the object being to so regulate the vibratory movements of the trumpet
through which the sliver passes, on said machines, that said movements shall not
occur in consequence of more or less moisture in the atmosphere, whereby the
resistance which the aperture through the trumpet opposes to the passage of said
sliver through it is varied, but that said vibratory movements of the trumpet-
lever, whereby the drawing of said sliver is varied, shall be induced only by actual
variations in the weight of the sliver being drawn and delivered by the machine.
The trumpet is secured to the upper end of a lever, and the latter to a horizontal
shaft which is hung in suitable bearings on the front of the machine, so that the
vibratory movements of said trumpet as the sliver passes through it, causes an arm
to which it is attached to vibrate vertically, and through its connection with the
usual belt-shipping devices by a connecting rod, to actuate the latter, whereby the
drawing-rolls shall be made to rotate at such speeds as will secure as nearly as
practicable a sliver of uniform weight. The size of the opening in said trumpet
is such as to permit a sliver of a certain bulk and weight per yard to pass through
t with a certain amount of resistance, and it is customary to provide the lever

page_text: attached thereto with a movable weight, which can be located by the operator at
such a point thereon as will counter-balance said resistance, and when the proper
weight of sliver is passing, prevent such a degree of vibration of said arın as
will cause any increase or diminution of the amount of cotton contained in the
drawn sliver.
After having started the machine under the above-named conditions of adjust-
ment, it will operate fairly well until there comes a change in the humidity of the
atmosphere. If the latter becomes dryer, the bulk of the sliver increases and it
draws the trumpet over towards the front rolls of the machine, swinging the
weighted lever upward and operating to so shift the driving belt as to vary the
amount of cotton drawn into the sliver, where no such variation is demanded to
keep its weight to the standard; and if the atmosphere becomes more humid the
bulk of the sliver decreases, occasioning a contrary effect upon said trumpet and
its connecting devices, and resulting also in a variation, in a reverse sense from
the above, in the amount of cotton in the sliver.
The within described improvements provide a remedy for the aforesaid variations
in the weight of said sliver, by providing novel devices for moving a counter-
balance weight (which is adapted to slide on a frame, attached to the weighted
lever) which are actuated by the variations of the humidity of the atmosphere, so
that when by dryness the sliver-resistance in the trumpet is greater, the counter-
balance weight is moved towards the end of the lever, and when it is less by
reason of greater humidity, the weight is moved in the opposite direction.
The aforesaid hygrometric governor consists of one or more posts which are
made from soft wood or other suitable material which is capable of action by the
increase or decrease of moisture in the atmosphere.
Said posts are in the form of wooden strips cut transversely to the grain thereof,
and the strip so cut is secured against end motion by having its upper end covered
with a cap, and its lower end enter a socket, on a suitable base, a metallic strap
being secured to said cap and socket, and covering one side of said post.
Any other material than metal may be substituted for that, in said strap, which
is flexible, has sufficient tensile strength, and is unaffected by more or less humidity
in the atmosphere.
Two of said posts may be connected to act together, but one only is required
except in cases where the dynamic force of one might be inadequate for the
purpose.
These posts are secured in the sockets on the base, and the latter is secured on
the table of the machine. A lever-stand provided with a slot is likewise secured
on said table. A lever is pivoted to the stand by a bolt which passes through the
slot, and through a slot in the lever, whereby the pivot-bolt may be moved to
different positions relative to the upper end of the lever.
A connecting rod is pivotally connected to the caps on the posts and to the upper
end of the lever pivoted to the stand.
The lower end of this lever is pivoted to a sleeve on a nut, and the latter is
located on the screwed end of a connecting-rod, whose opposite end is pivoted to
one end of the counterbalance weight.
A weight-frame is secured to one side of the arm weight lever, upon which the
counter-balance weight is adapted to be moved.
The operation of the improvements is as follows namely:-The hygrometric posts
will stand about vertical when there is about a normal amount of moisture in the
atmosphere. When they assume a position with their tops inclined towards the
trumpet, it indicates a dry atmosphere and a consequent shrinking of the material
composing said posts. The change to a moist atmosphere reverses their position,
by causing their ends to incline in an opposite direction, and the movements of
posts are communicated to the counter-balance weight through their connection
with the latter by connecting rods and levers.
Thus when by reason of a dry atmosphere, the sliver draws the trumpet unduly
towards the front rolls of the machine, causing weight lever to be swung upward,

page_text: the posts gradually spring forward and move counterbalance weight backward,
thus counter-acting said undue action of the sliver upon the trumpet. The
presence of much moisture in the atmosphere produces the reverse effects upon
the posts and counter-balance weight. Hence said weight is so moved by variations
of the humidity of the atmosphere through its connections with the posts, as to
compensate for the variable resistance of the sliver in the trumpet which arises
from like atmospheric variations.
The manner of attaching the hygrometer to Railway Heads may vary of course
according to the manner in which the trumpet-balancing weights are applied
thereto.
Parts of this invention will be found applicable to other purposes than those
described, as Hygrometers may be made with one or more posts of moisture-
absorbing material for use in many ways, and with other machines or apparatus
than those Specifically mentioned.