IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GINNING COTTON, AND FOR CLEANING AND CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Alton Calvert, of the City of Manchester,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GINNING
COTTON, AND FOR CLEANING AND CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 3rd July 1857, and dated the 6th March 1857.
'PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Alton Calvert
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th March 1857.
I, FRANCIS ALTON CALVERT, of the City of Manchester, Engineer; do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR GINNING COTTON, AND FOR CLEANING AND CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in machinery for ginning cotton consists in imparting an
oscillating motion to a roller, the circumference of which is partly covered
with combs or fine teeth; these combs or teeth strip the cotton from the seeds
and convey it under a fixed guard and under a comb, by which the cotton on
the combs or teeth of the roller is stripped; the cotton to be operated upon is
fed into a hopper in the usual manner.
My improvements in machinery for cleaning cotton and other fibrous

page_text: materials consist in the combination of a comb roller for taking the fibrous
material from the feed rollers and for delivering it to a fine-toothed cylinder,
near to which is a revolving guard and one or more stationary guards; the
impurities struck out of the fine-toothed cylinder by the revolving guard fall
on a dirt cylinder covered with teeth; this dirt cylinder and the comb roller
are partly surrounded by grids, through which the impurities drop, and a
casing is applied between the revolving guard and the comb roller. The
fibrous material is removed from the fine toothed cylinder by a brush, in the
manner described in former Letters Patent granted to me.
My improvements in machinery for carding cotton and other fibrous
materials consist in the application and adaptation of two or more combs with
cleaning edges to the licker-in, and other rollers acting in combination with
the main drum or other parts of the carding engine. Also in the application
of a suitable comb roller, to which a rotary or intermittent motion is given,
acting in connection with the main drum of the carding engine, for the purpose
of taking up and holding the motes or other impurities.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Alton Calvert in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
ALTON CALVERT, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of March, 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 Francis Alton Calvert, Her special licence that I, the said Francis
Alton Calvert, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
ns I, the said Francis Alton Calvert, 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 s
Jawfully 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GINNING COTTON, AND FOR
CLEANING AND CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis Alton Calvert, my executors 3
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of

page_text: 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 Francis Alton Calvert, 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
following statement (that is to say):-
My Invention relates, first, to improvements in machinery. for ginning
cotton, and consists in the combination of an oscillating comb or toothed roller
with a stationary comb and box for containing the seed cotton.
Secondly, my Invention relates to improvements in machinery for cleaning
cotton and other fibrous materials, and consists in the application of a dirt
roller working in combination with a comb drum, and in the application of
one or more stationary serrated guards acting in combination with a fine wire
cylinder.
Thirdly, in an improved application of a grid and receptacle for col-
lecting impurities loosened from the fibrous materials during the operation of
cleaning.
And, lastly, in the application of combs to the licker-in or breaker and
main cylinder of carding engines working in combination with worker and
stripper rollers or otherwise.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Drawings.
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improvements in machinery for
ginning cotton. a is a roller, made by preference of iron, and twenty-four
inches long, but other material and dimensions may be employed. To this
roller are fixed three or other convenient number of combs or bars with
toothed or serrated edges, or the whole circumference of the roller may be
covered with fine-toothed. wire. Above the roller, a is a comb b, fixed to the
partition c; this partition and the curved partition d form the sides of the
trough for containing the seed cotton, which is fed into the trough by hand
from the box e. An oscillating motion is given to the roller a by the crank
pin and strap f, which is attached at f to the circumference of the
pulley a. The strap passes under the guide pulley 9,. and both the ends
thereof are fastened to the crank pin f, which fits in a slot in the fly wheel h,
or in a crank fixed to the axle of the fly wheel. When rotary motion is

page_text: given to the fly wheel by hand or other power the roller a oscillates, thereby
causing the combs or fine-toothed wire to strip the cotton fibres off the seeds
and carry them under the comb b, into the teeth of which the fibres are
lashed on the return stroke of the roller. As soon as the seeds are cleared of
the fibre they drop between the roller a and the end of the partition d, the
supply in the hopper being kept up by hand, or by a feeding apron
if pre-
ferred. It is evident when the roller a is covered with fine-toothed wire that
when a portion of the circumference is worn a fresh portion is brought into
operation by shifting the point of connection of the strap f¹ and pulley a³.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of a machino for cleaning cotton and
other fibrous materials; Figure 3 is. a detached view of part of the same. a
is the feeding apron; and b, the feed roller, to which a slow rotary motion is
imparted in the ordinary. manner; c is a drum, furnished with straight edges
or rulers c², into which the teeth are rivetted or otherwise fixed to form
combs, as shewn in Fig. 3; and c³ is a sheet metal or other casing to fill up
the spaces between the rulers c¹; this casing may be dispensed with. The
teeth and the rulers c¹ are so placed that the points of the teeth project
rather more from the circumference of the drum than the outer edges of the
rulers c, consequently the points of the teeth first penetrate the fibrous
material and prepare it to be acted upon by the rulers in which the teeth are
set, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on the
Thirty-first day of May, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six. The
grid d is placed under the drum c in the usual manner. The fibrous material
carried forward by the combs c³ is delivered to the fine-toothed cylinder g, tho
circumference of which is formed of serrated flat steel wire wound around
a cast-iron or other roller, in the manner described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me on the Eighteenth of January, One thousand
eight hundred and forty-nine. The motes, seeds, or other impurities pro-
jecting beyond the teeth of the fine-toothed cylinder g are struck off by the
revolving guard k and-by the stationary serrated guards e and f. I wish to
remark here that one or more of these stationary guards may be employed.
The motes, seeds, and other impurities struck off the fine-toothed cylinder g
by the revolving and stationary guards drop on the revolving dirt roller h, and
then into the box j through the grid d', while the fibres separated from the
motes are again presented to the comb drum c, and taken forward to the fine-
toothed cylinder g. The partitions x and y are to convey the motes, seeds,
and other impurities on to the dirt roller h, which is covered with strong
teeth cast, or otherwise fixed to lags attached to the circumference of the
roller. The fibrous material is stripped from the cylinder 7 by the revolving

page_text: brush k. is a grid partly surrounding the brush ; and is a box for
collecting the heavy impurities loosened from the fibrous materials and
thrown up by the roller c. The fibrous, material is impelled by the brush
over the table against a grid 9 placed above the perforated cage m; this
grid is made of sharp-edged bars, as shewn in Figure 4, the object of which
is to allow any impurities loosened from the cotton or other fibrous material
to pass into the receptacle r. When the fibrous material is impelled by the
brush toward the grid 9, the partial vacuum formed in the cage m in tho
usual manner draws the fibrous material on to its circumference, the grid q
being placed at a sufficient distance from the brush to allow the fibrous
material to drop on to the cage m, while the impurities being heavier arc
carried to the grid and pass through it, as described. The peculiar form and
position of this grid prevent the accumulation of fibres thereon. The fibrous
material passes between the perforated cage m and the roller m², and is
delivered over the incline n into a suitable receiver; or the fleece of fibrous
material thus produced may, if preferred, be made into a lap by a lapping
machine, similar to those usually applied to blowers. In some cases it is
desirable to pass the fibrous material two or more times through the machine..
The working parts of this machine are surrounded by a casing, as shewn.
The fan p is to produce a partial vacuum in the cage m in the ordinary.
manner. The arrows on the Drawing indicate the direction in which tho.
various parts revolve, and the pulleys, strap, and wheels, indicated by dotted
lines, shew a convenient mode of communicating motion from one part of the
machine to the other. The velocities of the various parts of the machine may
be varied, but I prefer to drive the comb drum c, which communicates motion
to the other parts, at the rate of two hundred and fifty revolutions in a
minute.
.
On Sheet 2, Figure 5 represents a sectional elevation of my improvements
in machinery for carding; Figures 6 and 7 are detached views of the same.
The main cylinder q is furnished with twelve or other convenient number of
lags q', to each of which is fixed a comb q³, shewn full size in Figures 6
and 7. I prefer to make these combs of sharp steel pins with a back of
white metal cast around the thicker ends of the pins, but any other mode of
construction may be adopted. The licker-in or breaker, marked r, is also
furnished with combs similar to those on the main cylinder, but I prefer to
make them rather coarser. I have shewn two combs on the circumference
of the licker-in, but a greater number may be applied. is a roller, placed
above the licker-iu, and nearly in contact with the circumferences of the
combs on the main cylinder and licker-in; u, u, are working rollers, and

page_text: v, v, are stripping rollers, placed around the circumference of the main
cylinder; and w.is. & doffer, furnished with a doffing comb of the usual con-
struction. The circumferences of the roller t, working rollers u, strippers v,
and doffer w are all covered by preference with toothed steel wire, but
ordinary card fillet may be used for all or any part of them if preferred. The
fibrous material to, be carded is supplied by the feed rollers s, s, and delivered
to the licker-in r, from which it is taken by the main cylinder and carded
by the action of the roller t and workers u, u; it is then deposited on the
doffer w, from which, it is stripped by the doffing comb in the usual manner.
I wish it to be understood that my improvements in the construction of the
licker-in may be applied to carding engines of the usual construction.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do not limit myself
to the details.herein set forth, as the same may be varied without departing
from the peculiar character of my Invention; but what I claim is,-.
First, in machinery for ginning. cotton, the combination of an oscillating
comb or toothed roller, with a stationary comb and box for containing the
seed cotton, as shewn and described in reference to Figure 1..
Secondly, the application of. a dirt roller working in combination with a
comb drum, and the application of one or more serrated guards acting in
combination with the fine-toothed cylinder, as described in reference to
Figure 2.
Thirdly, the grid 9 and receptacle r, when used in the manner and for the
purposes described in reference to Figures 2 and 4.
And, lastly, the application of combs to the licker-in or breaker and main
cylinders of carding engines, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 5,
6, and 7, or in any other convenient manner.
In witness whercof, I, the said Francis Alton Calvert, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
ON CALVERT
(**)
FRANCIS ALTON CALVERT
NATO