IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Holden, of St. Denis, near Paris, in the
Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING WOOL
AND OTHER FIBRES."
Sealed the 28th April 1857, and dated the 30th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION .left by the said Isaac Holden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
January 1857.
I, ISAAC HOLDEN, of St. Denis, near Paris, in the Empire of France, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate, first, to the application of heat in carding engines
to the pair of card rollers which receive the fibre from the feed apron, as also
to the first opening cylinder, when another or other opening rollers with
workers, such as hereafter described, are employed, intermediate thereof and
the main cylinder.
Also, my improvements relate to arrangements and adaptations of parts of
carding engines, with a view to lessen, if not altogether to avoid, the formation
of knots, and to separate the staple during the carding process without
breaking the fibres.
By the present method of working carding engines this object is obtained
by commencing at once to separate as much as possible individual fibres,
for which purpose the card feed rollers which take the fibre from the feed
apron are employed of as small diameter as possible, say, about two inches, in
order that their point of nip may be brought the closer to the surface of the
cylinder to which they feed.
Now, the object of this part of my improvements is, in the first operation, by

page_text: the carding process, to separate the staples or tufts of fibre into other tufts or
staples of smaller dimensions rather than into such individual fibres, and then
gradually to reduce such tufts down to individual fibres, for which purpose
I employ feed rollers of much larger diameter, say, not less than four inches,
in order to adapt the distance of point of nip thereof from the surface of the
cylinder, to which they feed, to the length of fibre under operation, and yet
retain the surfaces of these feed rollers_ near that of the cylinder, fed in such
manner that the delivery to such taking roller or cylinder may be by division
into the smaller quantities referred to, and I also give motion to the working
rollers of these two opening rollers at the introductory or fore part of the
carding engine in the reverse direction to that at present generally adopted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Isaac Holden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC
HOLDEN, of St. Denis, near Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, 'in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Isaac Holden, Her special licence that I, the said Isaac Holden, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Isaac
Holden, 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 term therein expressed, should and lawfully might 'make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN CARDING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Isaac Holden, my executors or administrators, 'by an
instrument in writing under, my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Isaac Holden, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
The improvements relate, first, to the application of heat in carding engines
to the pair of card rollers which receive the fibre from the feed apron, as also
to the first opening cylinder, when another or other opening rollers with
workers, such as hereafter described, are employed, intermediate thereof and
the main cylinder.
Secondly, my improvements relate to arrangements and adaptations of parts
of carding engines, with a view to lessen, if not altogether to avoid, the for-
mation of knots, and to separate the staple during the carding process without
breaking the fibres. By the present method of working carding engines this
object is obtained by commencing at once to separate as much as possible
individual fibres, for which purpose the card feed rollers which take the fibro
from the feed apron are employed of as small diameter as possible, say, about
two inches, in order that their point of nip may be brought the closer to the
surface of the cylinder to which they feed.
Now, the object of this second part of my improvements is, in the first
operation by the carding process, to separate the staples or tufts of fibre into
other tufts or staples of smaller dimensions rather than into such individual
fibres, and then gradually to reduce such tufts down to individual fibres, for
which purpose I employ feed rollers of much larger diameter, say, not less
than four inches, in order to adapt the distance of point of nip thereof from
the surface of the cylinder to which they feed to the length of fibre under
operation, and yet retain the surfaces of these feed rollers near that of the
cylinder fed in such manner that the delivery to such taking roller or cylinder
may be by division into the smaller quantities referred to, and I also give
motion to the working rollers of these two opening rollers at the introductory
or fore part of the carding engine in the reverse direction to that at present
generally adopted.
But that the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner I carry the
same into effect; may be more fully understood, I will proceed to describe the
Drawing annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING,
which shews a sectional view of some of the working parts of a carding
engine sufficient to illustrate my improvements; the general arrangement and

page_text: rollers 6, 6; and d is another opening roller, which takes the fibre from the
opening roller c and delivers it to the main cylinder e, a portion only of which.
is shewn, as such is well understood by persons engaged in such processes;
f and 9 are working rollers. The roller h is for the purpose of taking loose
fibres, and any fibre remaining on the cylinder e, and laying it on to the roller d,
thereby preventing such fibre.falling to the ground, whilst it at the same time
permits the dust and small particles to fall.
These rollers are all covered with card teeth, and the direction of motion
given them is indicated by arrows. The relative speeds of the rollers c, d,
and cylinder e are such that the roller c may be stripped by the roller d, and
the roller d by the main cylinder e, as is well understood..
I apply heat to the pair of card rollers b, b, which receive the fibre from
the feed apron, as also to the first opening cylinder c, when there is another
opening roller or other opening rollers and working rollers intermediate thereof,
and the main cylinder; by which arrangement, although heat is applied to the
rollers b, b', and c, to assist in better working the fibre, that heat will be at
such a distance from the main cylinder that its wood and card clothing will
not be injuriously affected thereby; and it is the application of heat to the
rollers b, b, and c, when there is a roller or rollers d intermediate thereof and
the main cylinder, as explained, which constitutes. one peculiarity of these
improvements.
Feeding rollers to carding engines are usually made about 2 inches diameter,
and as much smaller as possible, the object being to bring the nipping surface
of the feed rollers close up to the working surface of the licker-in breast or
the main cylinder, thereby to hold the staples close up to such working surface,
in order to separate at once every fibre as completely as possible. On the
contrary, I make my feeding rollers even, for the finest and the shortest wool,
about 4 inches diameter, increasing in diameter with fibre of longer staple,
my object being to deliver the wool or other fibre progressively and at a dis-
tance equal to the length of fibre being treated, so as to deliver the staples to
the first opening or dividing roller c whole, or only divided into two or more
parts. The roller c then takes hold loosely of the whole staple or a large part
of it, and in passing the large feed roller another division of the bunch of
fibres takes place.
Another advantage which I have discovered in having the feed rollers of a
large diameter is that the heat applied to them is more effective in drying the
fibre and rendering the staples more easily divided. and opened; and it is the
adaptation and combination of parts, as explained, by which I am enabled to

page_text: employ in carding engines feed rollers of a diameter not less than four inches
(including the card clothing), which constitutes another peculiarity of my
Invention.
The direction of motion to the working rollers f, g, is in the reverse direc-
tion to that usually adopted for working rollers. My object being on this
preparatory part of the carding process merely to divide the staples into
smaller and still smaller parcels of fibre, which object is by these means
gained, whilst no knots, or very few, are formed; whereas by the existing
direction of motion given to the working rollers of carding engines, the
wool, while worked by them in staples or bunches of fibres, is formed into a
profusion of knots, which must be taken out by the succeeding operation of the
cards; and it is the giving the reversed direction of motion to these working
rollers which constitutes another peculiarity of my improvements.
Having tbus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shewn; but
what I claim is, the mode of arranging and combining and operating parts
of apparatus for carding wool and other fibres, substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Holden, have hereunto set my
hand and seal; this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
73, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.
ISAAC HOLDEN. (L.S.)