IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS BISPHAM KAY of 3 Arcade Chambers St Mary's Gate, Manchester in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to certain modifications of and improvements in the
mechanical details of setting or adjusting the top cards or flats' of a 'Carding
Engine' as described in Specification of Letters Patent granted to me the said
Thomas Bispham Kay on the thirty-first of January A.D. 1870. N° 275 for
Certain Improvements in Carding Engines to be employed for Carding Cotton
and other Fibrous Substances."
"
According to the Invention therein specified and to that part of it relating to
Carding Engines having revolving or travelling flats,-the flats are shown and
described as sliding or traversing upon the conical or inclined surface, one upon
each bend, by which they are "set' to the cylinder and are prevented from vibrating
laterally by flanges or curved guides fixed thereupon between which the flats
traverse, having their chain screw heads in contact therewith.-The flats are also
shown and described when in grinding position as being pressed against the inverted
conical surfaces by toothed wheels driven by the flats and carried upon oscillating
levers and actuating by cam surfaces the levers carrying the grinding roller by
which the bevil in the flats is obtained, and also as having their chain screw heads
in contact with the fixed guides thereupon.-The cone setting screws are also shown
and described as passing through and being held in position by the aforesaid fixed
guides.
Now according to my present Invention I remove the fixed guides as therein
shown and described, and fix them in parallel positions above the flats when in
carding position, so that the snugs thereupon slide in contact therewith instead of
the flat chain screw heads, as heretofore.-I also remove the oscillating levers
carrying the toothed wheels and grinding roller respectively and instead thereof
I cause the raid toothed wheels to rotate upon studs fixed on the radial supporting
brackets and I attach to them elastic rings or bands by which the flats when in
grinding position and in a state of tension are pressed in rotation against the
inverted conical surfaces, and are prevented from vibrating laterally by parallel

page_text: guides fixed thereon between which the snags thereupon slide in. close contact.—
I also support the grinding roller in radial slide brackets raised and lowered by
means of a series of cam surfaces on the toothed wheels actuating bowls carried on
adjustable studs affixed thereto by which the 'bevil' is obtained, and the grinding
roller adjusted to the surface of the flats.-I also pass the cone setting screws (with
or without the chain gearing) through the radial supporting brackets affixed to the
bends instead of through the fixed guides as heretofore.
By this arrangement I effect a simplification of mechanism and greater accuracy
in the grinding and setting of the flats.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I THOMAS BISPHAM KAY of Arcade Chambers St Mary's Gate, Manchester in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES," and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My Invention relates to certain modifications of and improvements in the
mechanical details of setting or adjusting the top Cards or flats of a Carding Engine
as described in Specification of Letters Patent granted to me the said Thomas
Bispham Kay on the 31st day of January A.D. 1870 N° 275 for "Certain
Improvements in Carding Engines to be employed for Carding Cotton and other
Fibrous Substances."
According to the Invention therein specified and to that part of it relating to
Carding Engines having "revolving" or "travelling flats," the flats are shown
and described as sliding or traversing upon the conical or inclined surface, one upon
each bend, by which they are "set" to the cylinder and are prevented from
vibrating laterally by flanges or curved guides fixed thereupon between which the
flats traverse having their chain screw heads in contact there with.
"
The flats are also shown and described when in "grinding" position as being
pressed against the inverted conical surfaces by toothed wheels driven by the flats
and carried upon oscillating levers and actuating by cam surfaces the levers carrying
the grinding roller by which the required "bevil" in the flats is obtained, and also
as having their chain screw heads in contact with fixed guides thereupon. The
'cone setting screws are also shown and described as passing through and being
held in position by the aforesaid fixed guides.
"
"
Now according to my present Invention I remove the fixed guides as therein
shown and described and fix them in parallel positions above the flats when in
carding position so that the "snugs" thereupon slide in contact therewith instead
of the flat chain screw heads as heretofore.
I also remove the oscillating levers carrying the toothed wheels and grinding
roller respectively and in lieu thereof I cause the said toothed wheels to rotate upon
studs fixed on the radial supporting brackets and I attach to them elastic rings or
bands by which the flats when in grinding position and in a state of tension are
pressed in rotation against the inverted conical surfaces and are prevented from
vibrating laterally by parallel guides fixed thereon between which the "snugs
thereupon slide in close contact.
"
I also support the grinding roller in radial slide brackets raised and lowered by
means of a series of cam surfaces on the toothed wheels actuating bowls carried on
adjustable studs affixed thereto by which the "bevil" is obtained and the grinding
roller adjusted to the surface of the flats.
"I also pass the cone setting screws (with or without the chain gearing) through
the radial supporting brackets affixed to the bends instead of through the fixed
guides as heretofore..
By this arrangement I effect a simplification of mechanism and greater accuracy
in the "grinding" and "setting" of the flats.

page_text: Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements in
Carding Engines" I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and
in order that the same may be clearly. understood I have annexed hereto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference corresponding with those in the following explanation, all the Drawings
being one half the real size. As both sides of the Carding Engine are alike so far
as this my present Invention is concerned I shall describe that on one side only.
Figs I. II and V represent partial sectional and side views of my improved
arrangement of mechanism for controlling and "setting" the flats.
Figs III, IV and VI represent partial sectional and side views of my improved
arrangement of mechanism when "grinding" and "bevilling" the flats.
In Figs I and II, A is the conical or inclined surface upon which the flats slide,
B is the supporting flange, C one of the flats, C₁ one of the snugs thereupon, E one
of the setting screws, D one of the parallel guides, L one of the fixed radial
supporting brackets, and R the lower part of one of the adjustable radial supporting
brackets.
In Figs III and IV, R is the upper part of one of the adjustable radial supporting
brackets carrying the chain of travelling flats CC, K is the stud affixed thereto,
F the toothed wheel rotating thereupon, G the series of cam surfaces of uniform
shape and diameter attached thereto and corresponding in number to the teeth
therein, F¹ the elastic ring also affixed thereto, M one of the sliding brackets for
carrying the grinding roller P, and which is supported by the bowl O carried by
a stud affixed thereto and resting upon the aforesaid cam surfaces, K¹ and N are
adjusting screws for regulating the positions of the toothed wheels and the grinding
roller respectively to the flats, J is one of the inverted conical grinding surfaces
similar in form to the surface upon which the flats slide when carding, and D is one
of the parallel guides to prevent lateral vibration of the flat when grinding,―both
the latter are fixed upon the bracket R in the position shown in the Drawing.
Having thus described my improved arrangement of mechanism, I shall now
proceed to explain the action of the same.
In Figs I and II the flats are shown as sliding or travelling forwards upon the
conical or inclined surfaces A, A, with their snugs C¹¹ in close contact with the
parallel guides D, D, carried by the fixed radial supporting brackets L, L, attached
to, the bend, and are "set" by the screws E, E, held by the aforesaid brackets, to
the surface of the main carding cylinder. It will be obvious that the parallel guides.
while maintaining the flats when travelling from any lateral vibration nevertheless
permit of their rising or falling freely as the conical or inclined surfaces upon which
they rest, are moved in or out by the setting screws during the operation of
"setting."
Again in Figs III and IV the chain of flats is shown as travelling back over the
shoulders of the adjustable radial supporting brackets, between which a gap equal
to the width of about four flats is cut out, and that portion of the said chain
hanging between the said shoulders and beneath the grinding roller is depressed or
forced downwards by the grinding surface so as to assume a concave form, so that
the flats composing the said portion are kept when in grinding position and in
a state of tension in close sliding contact with the said grinding surfaces when
approaching and leaving the grinding roller and during the operation of "grinding."
The snugs on each flat at the same time gearing with the toothed wheels cause the
same to rotate and consequently the cam surfaces attached thereto to act upon the
bowls carried by the sliding brackets supporting the grinding roller so as to elevate
and depress the same; whereby the "bevil" in each successive flat is obtained, the
elastic rings at the same time pressing upwards against the snugs, assist in steadying
the same against the grinding surfaces during the operation of "grinding."
In some cases the parallel guides may be arranged so as to act upon the flat
snugs from beneath as in Fig V, and where "flexible bends" are employed the
grinding surfaces would be shaped as in Fig VI.

page_text: "
By this my improved arrangement of mechanism I can ensure greater accuracy
in the "setting" and "grinding" of the flats, and I also cause each flat to regulate
its own "grinding" more completely and I am enabled to " grind." the whole
series of flats from their working surfaces to one uniform "bevil" with greater
precision and certainty than heretofore..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
(1) Arranging the parallel guides so as to bear against the snugs on the flat ends
for steadying and controlling the flats during the operations of "carding" and
grinding."
"
(2) Causing the toothed wheels with their cam surfaces for actuating the grinding
roller brackets to rotate upon fixed centres carried by the adjustable radial
supporting brackets for carrying the flats.
(3) Applying elastic rings to steady the flats against the grinding surfaces during
the operation of "grinding."
(4) Keeping the flats in grinding position and in a state of tension in close
sliding contact with the grinding surfaces when acted upon by the grinding roller
as herein shown and described.
(5) Supporting the grinding roller in radial slide brackets actuated by the series
of cam surfaces for producing the "bevil" during the operation of "grinding."
(6) Attaching the screws for "setting" the flats to the fixed radial supporting
brackets.
(7) The general arrangement of mechanism for "setting" and "grinding" the
flats of Travelling Flat Carding Engines or any mere imitation of the above
described arrangements of parts respectively when used substantially in the manner
and for the same purposes as herein before described, set forth, and illustrated.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1885.
THOS B. KAY.