IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING, CLEANING, AND PREPARING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Alton Calvert, of the City of Manchester,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING,
CLEANING, AND PREPARING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 15th January 1864, and dated the 20th July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Alton Calvert at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1863.
I, FRANCIS ALTON CALVERT, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR OPENING, CLEANING, AND PREPARING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be
as follows:-
My improvements consist in a machine for opening, cleaning, and pre-
paring fibrous substances to be used in lieu of the ordinary carding engine.
The machine contains a drum or cylinder to which combs of steel or other
metal are attached, the teeth being tapered towards their outer circumference
so as to continuously keep the teeth from being clogged or loaded, and thus
preventing the necessity for stripping. The upper combs or retainers are
provided with similar toothed combs which form the points of contact for the
combs on the cylinder; these upper combs are also self-stripping. The combs
are secured to the drum and retainer bars by first planing a groove in the
drum or bar a little wider than the thickness of the comb, which is held in its

page_text: place by a blank wire pressed into the groove, thus holding the comb firm and
allowing it to be casily replaced when injured or worn. The comb bars or
retainers are made adjustable and are hinged at one side, so that they may rise
when any hard substance passes between them.
The improved comb drum and comb and bar above described can be applied
either separately or combined with advantage to other machines for opening,
cleaning, and preparing fibrous substances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patont, filed
by the said Francis Alton Calvert in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th January 1864.
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 Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Jer heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Alton Calvert, Her special license that I, the said Francis Alton
Calvert, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 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 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 FOR OPENING, CLEANING, AND PREPARING FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis
Alton Calvert, 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 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 improvements consist in a machine for opening, cleaning, and preparing

page_text: fibrous substances (to be used in lieu of the ordinary carding engine), the
stationary combs and those on the drum or cylinder of which are self-
stripping.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved machinery; Figure 2 is a plan,
and Figure 3 a side view of part of the same.
a is the feeding trough, and 6 the feeding roller which delivers the fibrous
substances to be operated upon over the rail c to the licker-in d, the surface of
which is covered with my improved toothed wire, for which former Letters
Patent were granted to me on the Nineteenth day of September One thousand
eight hundred and sixty, No. 2276, or in any other convenient and substantial
manner. The licker-in d gives the fibres to the main drum or cylinder e, to
which combs of steel or other metal are attached, the teeth being tapered
towards their outer circumference so as to continuously keep the teeth from
being clogged or loaded, and thus preventing the necessity for stripping. The
upper combs or retainers are provided with similar toothed combs which
form the points of contact for the combs on the cylinder; these upper combs
are also self-stripping. The combs are secured to the drum e and retainer
bars in any convenient manner, so that they may be easily removed and
replaced when injured or worn. The comb bars or retainers f are made
adjustable and are hinged at one side, so that they may rise when any hard
substance passes under them. After the fibres have been carded or combed
they are deposited upon the doffer g, from which they are stripped by a comb
or otherwise in the usual manner.
In clothing doffers with my improved toothed wire it is necessary to place
twelve or more threads to an inch, and in order to accomplish this with ease
and economy I stamp or cut the teeth in narrow flat wire, and then I wind
this toothed wire with a fine round wire on to the circumference of the doffer
or other roller to be covered.
The improved comb drum and bars above described can be advantageously
applied either separately or combined to other machines for opening, cleaning,
and preparing fibrous substances.
The peculiar advantage of this machine is that the combs never clog, and
consequently the stripping which has either to be performed by hand or by
complicated self-acting machinery, is dispensed with.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim the combination of revolving
and stationary toothed comb bars or plates in the manner and for the purposes

page_text: described; and I also claim the improved mode described of covering doffers
and other rollers with fine toothed wire.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Alton Calvert, have hereto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
F. A. CALVERT. (L.S.)