IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN THE PREPARATION OF WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Leach, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED
IN THE PREPARATION OF WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 19th June 1874, and dated the 23rd December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Leach at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd December 1873.
I, JOHN LEACH, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
USED IN THE PREPARATION OF WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to carding engine condensers, and to machinery.
or apparatus in connection with them.
In the single doffer condenser I dispense with the doffer having
projecting card fillets or rings, and use one with a plain card surface
from end to end, and instead of the ordinary revolving stripper for

page_text: taking off the slivers I employ for dividing a fly comb mounted with
pointed blocks or spaced in the stock the comb working in connection
with a break or dividing roller. The slivers pass from this roller either
to the ordinary rubbers or to an improved rubber formed as an endless
travelling apron having at the top a concave part in contact with a plain
or corrugated roller to which revolving and traversing motions are given,
and from the rubbers the rolled slivers pass to the ordinary winding-on
bobbins.
If more rubbing should be required to give the sliver a rounder form
or more compact body, the endless apron may also have traversing
motion imparted to it, and when desired instead of passing the slivers
from the rubbers to the ordinary winding-on bobbins they may pass
between rollers to revolving spindles and flyers to have twist given to
them and be wound on bobbins.
By the use of the plain doffer and dividing comb, and break or dividing
roller, the slivers are not only more efficiently divided but the doffer is
enabled to clear the cylinder or swift entirely, and by varying the
divisions on the comb stock and the break or dividing roller slivers of
different widths can be obtained without the necessity of changing the
rings of cards on the doffer as at present.
In condensers having two or more doffers I dispense with the revolving
strippers and used instead of them fly combs in conjunction with break
or dividing rollers which deliver the slivers to the ordinary or improved
rubbers, from which they pass to the ordinary winding-on bobbins or to
a twisting frame.
•
Another part of my Invention consists of an improved method of
producing the oscillations of the fly combs. To one end of the comb
.shaft I fix a lever, having at its outer end a slot in which is placed an
adjustable stud fastened to the face of a band pulley, which as it
revolves moves the stud to and fro in the slot and causes the lever comb
shaft and comb to oscillate as required; and for preventing incessant
noise so usual in fly combs as hitherto constructed I line the slots in
the comb levers with wood, leather, or any other noiseless material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
BCH US
filed by the said John Leach in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 23rd June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LEACH, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-.
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Leach, Her special license that I,
the said John Leach, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Leach, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN THE
PREPARATION OF WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Leach, 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 John Leach, 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, reference being had to the figures on the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked
thereon, that is to say :—
This Invention consists in certain improvements in carding engine
condensers.
In the single doffer condenser I dispense with the doffer having pro-
jecting card rings and use one with a plain card surface from end to end;

page_text: and instead of the ordinary revolving stripper for taking off the slivers I
employ for dividing a fly comb mounted with pointed blocks, or a comb
spaced in the stock, the comb working in connection with a break or
dividing roller. The slivers pass from this roller either to the ordinary
rubbers or to an improved rubber formed as an endless travelling apron
having at the top a concave part in contact with a plain or corrugated
roller to which revolving and traversing motions are given, and from the
rubbers the slivers pass to the ordinary winding-on bobbins.
If more rubbing should be required to give the sliver a rounder form
or more compact body, the endless apron may also have traversing
motion imparted to it, and when desired instead of passing the slivers
from the rubbers to the ordinary winding-on bobbins they may pass
between rollers to revolving tubular flyers and be wound on small
bobbins or formed into cops.
By the use of the plain doffer and dividing comb, and break or dividing
roller, the slivers are not only more efficiently divided but the doffer is
enabled to clear the cylinder or swift entirely, and by varying the
divisions on the comb stock and the break or dividing roller slivers of
different widths can be obtained without the necessity of changing the
rings of card on the doffer as at present.
In condensers having two or more doffers with projecting card rings
.I dispenso with the revolving strippers and use instead of them fly combs.
in conjunction with break or dividing rollers which deliver the slivers to
the ordinary or improved rubbers, from which they pass to the ordinary
winding-on bobbins or to a condensing and winding frame.
Another part of my Invention consists in an improved method of
producing the oscillations of the fly comb. To one end of the comb
shaft I fix a lever having at its outer end a slot in which is placed an
adjustable stud fastened to the face of a band pulley, which as it revolves
moves the stud to and fro in the slot and causes the lever comb shaft 3
and comb to oscillate, as required, and for preventing incessant noise so
usual in fly combs as hitherto constructed I line the slots in the comb
levers with wood, leather, or any other noiseless material.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figs. 1 and 2 arc front and
end views of part of a fly comb mounted with pointed blocks.
Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are front and side views of blocks of different
2

page_text: Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that I claim, the improvements in machinery used in the
preparation of wool, cotton, and other fibrous materials, as herein
described and illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Leach, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within-named John Leach,
in the presence of
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JOHN LEACH. (L.S.)