IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Warburton, of Low Mills, Addingham, near
Otley, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES."-Partly
a communication.
Sealed the 3rd September 1858, and dated the 12th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Warburton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
March 1858.
I, JAMES WARBURTON, of Low Mills, Addingham, near Otley, do hereby
5. declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES,"
. to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in carding engines, and
consists, firstly, in an improved apparatus for raising the "flats" or sheets of
cards from the card cylinder, and for cleaning such "flats" or sheet cards
when lifted. For this purpose each "flat" or sheet card is arranged to slide
. on radial.fixed guides, so that it may be moved to and from the centre of the
card cylinder, and the lifting of the "flats" or sheet cards is effected by means of
two lifting bars supported by a carriage which slides around the card cylinder.
The ends of the.lifting bars pass under the ends of a "flat" or sheet card, and

page_text: the lifting bars are then moved outwards by means of a crank action or
suitable gearing, by which means the "flat" or sheet card is moved away and
held at a distance from the card cylinder; a stripping roller carried by the
sliding carriage is then moved under the "flat" or sheet card, and rotated so as to
strip or cleanse the "flat" or sheet card. The stripping roller is then moved, and
the "flat" or sheet card is returned to its former position. The sliding
carriage is then moved a distance, and the lifting bars are caused to raise
another "flat" or sheet card, and so on until all the "flats" or sheet cards
have been stripped or cleansed, when the sliding carriage is caused to return
to its starting place. On the sliding carriage there is another roller which
strips or cleanses the stripping roller, and this roller is in its turn cleaned by
a stationary brush which can be removed and cleaned at intervals.
The other improvement in carding engines is more especially applicable to
engines for carding silk, & consists in speeding the stripper and taking it a
certain distance from the cylinder to allow the long silk to accumulate upon
the strippers, and then to doff the long silk off to be combed and spun. As
the strippers nearest the after part accumulate more than the after strippers,
.I prefer placing more than one feeding apparatus on one cylinder..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Warburton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WARBURTON, of Low Mills, Addingham, near Otley, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Warburton, Her special licence that I, the said James Warburton;
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Warburton, 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
CARDING ENGINES," partly a communication, upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said James Warburton, 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 Inven-
tion, 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 James Warburton, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in carding engines, and
consists, first, in an improved apparatus for raising the "flats" or sheets of
cards from the card cylinder, and for cleaning such fláts or sheet cards when'
lifted. For this purpose each "flat" or sheet card is arranged to slide on
radial fixed guides, so that it may be moved to and from the centre of the
card cylinder, and the lifting of the "flats" or sheet cards is effected by means
of two lifting bars supported by a carriage which slides around the card'
cylinder. The ends of the lifting bars pass under the ends of a "flat" or
sheet card, and the lifting bars are then moved outwards by means of a crank
action or suitable gearing, by which means the "flat" or sheet card is moved
and held at a distance from the card cylinder; a stripping roller carried:
by the sliding carriage is then moved under the flat or sheet card, and rotated
so as to strip or cleanse the "flat" or sheet card. The stripping roller is then
moved back, and the "flat" or sheet card is returned to its former position.
The sliding carriage is then moved a distance, and the lifting bars are caused
to raise another "flat" or sheet card, and so on until all the "flats" or sheet
cards have been stripped or cleaned, when the sliding carriage is caused to,
return to its starting place. On the sliding carriage there is another roller
which strips or cleanses the stripping roller, and this roller is in its turn cleaned
by a stationary brush, which can be removed and cleaned at intervals.
away
The other improvement in carding engines is more especially applicable to
engines for carding silk, and consists in speeding the stripper and taking it a
certain distance from the cylinder to allow the long silk to accumulate upon
the strippers, and then to doff' the long silk off to be combed and spun. As
the strippers nearest the after part accumulate more than the after strippers;
I prefer placing more than one feeding apparatus on one cylinder.
i
-Having thus described the nature of the Invention, I will proceed to'
describe the manner of performing the same.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 shows a right-hand side view, and Figure 2 a left-hand side view;
of a carding engine constructed according to the first part of this Invention,
the same letters of reference referring to the same parts in cach Drawing.
A is the cylinder, which is supported in bearings on the frame B. To the
frame B on each side of the cylinder A, and concentrically therewith, are
fixed two half circles C, C¹; through the upper half circle C the radial guides
D pass, and are fixed to the, lower half circle C¹ by means of the screw nuts
a, a; to the upper half circle are also attached the stands E by means of
screw nuts, on which stands E there are rollers b, b; the radial guides D pass
through holes in the "flats" F, F, so that each "flat".F can be moved to
and from the cylinder A. On the axis of the cylinder A, on the right-hand
side of the machine (see Figure 1), are the fast and loose pulleys G, G₁; the
fast pulley G is driven by a belt H, which can be moved on and off the pulley
G by the belt guide I, which turns on the centre 1' on the, axis of the
cylinder A; there is also another pulley K, which gives motion by means of
a belt to the loose pulley L, which can be put in and out of connection with
the licker-in roller M by means of the guard M', which turns on the centre,
I*; on the axis of the roller M is also a twenty-five toothed wheel N, which
gears with another toothed wheel O, on the axis of which there is a twenty
toothed pinion O', which gears with a ninety toothed wheel P, the axis of which
p1 passes through to the other side of the machine, and forwards the motion
there, as will be hereafter described; on this axis there is also a thirty toothed
pinion P", which gears with a seventy-eight toothed wheel Q, on the axis of
which there is a loose twenty toothed pinion, which can be put in and out of
gear with the seventy-eight toothed wheel R on the inlet roller by means of a
guard I". The axis of the cylinder A also forwards the motion to the stripping.
roller and doffer, as shown at Figures 1 and 2.
I will now proceed to describe the apparatus for stripping the flats F, and
also the manner of giving motion thereto. On each side of the machine there
is a half circle toothed rack S, which is supported at its lower end by an arm
S¹, which turns loosely on the axis of the cylinder A. The upper ends of the
toothed racks S are connected together by means of the stand or carriage T,
which carries the apparatus for cleaning the flats; the stand or carriage T
moves between the radial guides D, and the under side of the circular racks
S move over the rollers on the stands E; this motion is caused by means of
two toothed wheels U (one on each side of the machine) on the axis U³,
which gear with the circular, racks S; the manner in which motion is com-

page_text: municated to the toothed' wheels U will be shown hereafter in the descrip-
tion of the Drawing of the left-hand side of the machine, Figure 2. Оп
each side of the stand T is a loose plate V, the bottom of each of which
slides in a guide in the stand T, and on the top of each of the plates V there
is a toothed rack in each plate; there is also a slot through which the ends
of the axis of the roller W pass. On the axis of the roller W on the left-
hand side of the stand T is a band pulley, to which motion is constantly given
by a band, not shown in the Drawings; and on the axis of the roller W on
the right-hand side of the stand T there is a small toothed wheel. The loose
plate Vou the left-hand side of the stand T is kept in position by the band
pulley, and the loose plate on the right-hand side is kept in position by the
toothed wheel; the loose plates V are also kept in position by the axis of the
stripping roller X passing through them; on the axis of the stripping roller
X is a toothed wheel c, which gears with a toothed wheel d, and the toothed
wheel d gears with a toothed wheel e. The toothed wheels d and è turn on
studs on the loose brass plate V; the small toothed wheel on the roller W
sometimes gears with the toothed wheel d and sometimes with the wheele,
and so turns the stripping roller X in different directions according as it is
stripping a flat or is being. cleaned by the receiver on the roller W. Y is a
shaft which goes from side to side of the machine, and is supported by the
stand T, which shaft is caused to make a partial revolution backwards and
forwards by means of an arm Y fixed to the shaft Y, and a connecting rod
Y", which is connected to a wheel Y* that turns loosely on the axis of the
cylinder A on the left-hand side of the machine (see Figure 2), and to which
a rotatory motion is communicated, as will be hereafter described. Attached
to the shaft Yare two circular rack segments f; g, and a lever arm h.
Supported by the stand T there is also another shaft Z, which passes from
side to side of the machine, on which shaft there is a circular toothed
segment k, which gears with the segment f. On each side of the .shaft Z
there is a crank arm l, to which one end of a connecting rod m is: attached;
the other end of which is attached to the lifter rod n. This apparatus for
stripping the flats is shown in the Drawings in three different positions. The
first position is that which the apparatus is in before it commences to strip the
flats. The axis Y first turns in the direction of the arrow until it arrives
at the position shown in the Drawings of position two; the circular rack
segment f. first gears with the rack segment k on the shaft Z, and thereby
lifts the lifter arms n; these arms have at their lower ends two projections,
which pass above and below the ends of the flats, so that when the lifter arms
are lifted they take a flat.up with them. When this is done, the segments g

page_text: gear with the rack on the top of the loose plates V and force them.forward,
so that the stripping roller X is directly under the flat that lias to be stripped,
and at the same time causes the toothed wheel on the roller W, which moves
constantly, in one direction, to gear with the toothed wheel e, and thereby
causes the stripping roller X to turn in the direction of the arrow in the
Drawing of the second position, which is the direction necessary for it to strip
the flat. This is the second position.
"
.. As soon as the stripping of the flat is finished the axis Y turns back again
by means of the crank Y, as before explained, and moves the stripping roller
from below the flat, and then lets the flat down again to its former position.
The motion of the stripping roller X is also reversed by the return of the
plates. V. (which are constantly pressed towards the back of the stand T by a
spring Vattached to them pressing against the axis Y), causing the toothed
wheel in the roller W to gear with the toothed wheel d, and thereby allows
the receiver on the roller W to strip the roller ✗; and at the back of the
receiver there is a brush W', which constantly presses the wool into the
receiver, so that the receiver need only be stripped every 2 or 4 hours. After
these motions are finished, the carriage is moved the distance of one flat
forward, and the same, movements are repeated when the carriage is again
moved forward, and so on until all the flats are cleaned.
has been cleaned the carriage is moved forward again, as if to clean- another
flat; this is position three of the Drawings. The carriage T is then moved
back again into position 1; as will be hereafter described, and the same
operation is repeated.
After the last flat
DESCRIPTION OF THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE MACHINE, FIGURE 2.
On the axis of the cylinder A on the left-hand side of the machine there is
a fixed twenty-five pinion o, which forwards the motion to the doffer and coiler,
and in front of this fixed pinion there is a loose twenty pinion o', in which
there is a groove in which the knocking-off lever p which turns on the
centre p¹ works. The pinion o¹ is twice as broad as the one hundred and fifty-
six toothed wheel with which it gears, so as to allow it to be knocked in and
out of connection with the cylinder. On the axis of the toothed-wheel- q
there is a twenty toothed pinion q¹, one side of which gears with the one
hundred and fifty-six toothed wheel Y*, which turns loosely on the axis of
the cylinder. A, and which causes the axis Y to make partial revolutions
backwards and forwards. The other side of the pinion q¹ gears with another
156 toothed wheel r, to which are attached two levers or projections 2, 3.
The lever on the front of the wheel r lifts at each revolution the catch out

page_text: of the teeth of the wheels, and thereby allows the lever (on the inside of
the wheel r), which comes against the pins s¹ on the wheels to shift the
tooth s one tooth further. The wheel s is fixed to the axis U₁ on which there
are two toothed wheels Ụ which gear with the racks S, to which are attached
the carriage of the flat cleaning apparatus, and as for every revolution of the
wheel r the wheel Y* makes one also, it will be seen that after every revolution
of the wheel Y* the wheel s will be caused to shift one tooth further, and so
by means of the wheels U move forwards the carriage of the flat cleaning
apparatus the distance of one flat, and to prevent the apparatus moving
backwards there is a catch s², which catches in the teeth s¹ of the wheels, and
prevents it turning backwards.
In order to effect the return of the carriage of the flat cleaning apparatus
after all the flats' have been cleaned, there is on the axis of the wheel r a 41-
toothed wheel, which gears with a 42-toothed wheel t, on the axis of which
there is a 20-toothed pinion t', which gears with a 100-toothed wheel u, to the
axis of which there is attached a lever u¹. As the wheel u rotates the lever u¹
comes under the pin u² on the lever u³, and lifts it, and so causes the loose
piece on the end of the lever u³ to come under the end of the knocking off
lever v. In the lever there is an open space, and when as the wheel ⟫<<
rotates the pin 2 comes to the open space the lever u³ falls, and in falling
lifts the lever v, which by lifting in its turn the connecting rod v' releases the
knocking off lever p which it before held in position, and allows the lever p to
be shifted by the changing apparatus shewn at Figure 3, as will be hereafter
explained, and to knock the loose pinion o' with its clutch box out of its fast
clutch box on the axis of the cylinder, and all motion from thence is stopped;
this is the position in which the apparatus is shewn at Figure 2. The guide
rol p turns, as already stated, on the pin p', and the other end of the guide
rod p works in a groove in the clutch box of a loose 29 toothed pinion w on
the axis P', which passes through from the other side of the machine, and to
which motion is communicated as has been before described. The pinion wis
double the width of the 156 toothed wheel w¹ on the axis U¹, with which
gears, so that the pinion w may be knocked in and out of connection with the
axis P¹; and the guide rod P is constructed so that when the pinion o¹ is in
gear with the wheel 9 the pinion w is out of gear with the wheel w¹, and vice
When the pinion w, which constantly turns in the direction shewn by
the arrow, is put into gear with the wheel w¹, it causes the toothed wheels U
which gears with the racks S to revolve in the contrary direction to that in
which they.before revolved until the projection x on the wheels comes against
the lever y, which turns on a centre y', to which there is connected another
versa.

page_text: lever not shewn in the Drawing, which, as will be hereafter explained, causes
the pinion w to be thrown out of gear, and the pinion o¹ into gear when the
apparatus recommences to strip. the flats. In order to prevent too much strain
coming on the tooth wheels when the carriage T is returning, and when its
whole weight is thrown on the wheels, there is on the wheels a pulley, over
which a band passes, one end of which is fixed to the weighted lever u³, and
the other end is connected to a hook, which is connected to a strong spring.
I will now proceed to describe the Drawing Figure 3, which is an end view
of the changing apparatus which lifts the catch s², and which moves the lever p.
No. 1 is an iron plate which supports the changing apparatus; 2 is another
plate, which turns on a stud fixed to the plate i; this plate 2 has on each side
a projection 3, which lift the weights 4 and 5. 6 is a balancer, which turns
on a stud 7; this balancer 6 has on each end a pin, which works in a slot in
projections on the weights 4 and 5. On the upper part of the balancer 6 is a
fixed pin 8, which works against the lever 9. In the balancer 6 there is also
a slot 10; in this slot a pin 11 works, which is fixed to a plate 12, in which
there are two recesses, through which the ends of the knocking-off lever p
(see Figure 2) pass. 13 is a square stud, which is fixed to the plate 12
between the recesses; 14 is a slot in the plate I, in which the end of the
catch S, see Figure 2, slides; 15 is a lever, which turns on a centre on the
plate I, and is pressed forward by the incline 2" on the plate 2, when that end
of the plate rises, and the lever fälls back again into its former position when
the incline leaves it; 16 is a catch, which turns on a centre 16%, and in this
.catch there is a slot .17, to allow the pin 11 to move without hindrance; it has
also another slot 18, into which the square stud. 13 on the bar 12 works, and
it has also a moveable stud, which works in a space in the upright lever 19,
on the bottom of which there is a pin which works in a slot in the plate 2.
I will now describe the movements of. these several parts. The changing
apparatus is in the position shewn. at. Figure 3 when the flat stripping
apparatus commences its forward motion, and remains in that position until
the forward motion of the stripping apparatus is finished, when the projection
on the wheel s (see Figure 2) presses down the lever y, which turns on the
centre y', and so raises the opposite arm of the lever, which by a connecting rod
is connected to the end of one arm of another lever 20, and by this means
depresses the other arm of this lever 20, this arm of the lever 20 passes through
a slot in the plate 2, so that the end of the plate 2-is depressed with it. The
depressing of this end of the plate 2 leaves the plate 5, which before rested on
the projection 3, hanging free on the balancer 6, and the lifting of the other end
of the plate 2 lifts by its corner the weight 4, and allows the weight 5 to act

page_text: unhindered on the balancer 6, and cause it to assume the position shewn at
Figure 4. In moving into this position the pin 8 on the balancer 6 will have lifted
the lever 9, and the lever 9 will in its turn have lifted the end of the catch s³,
and so lifted the catch s out of the teeth s¹ on the wheel s; the balancer 6 will
further by the pin 11, which passes through the slot 10 of the balancer, press
the bar 12 to the right side, and thereby press the ends of the knocking-off
lever to the right also, and thereby press the pinion w (see Figure 2) into
gear with the wheel w¹; and the pinion o¹ out of gear with the wheel q, when
the return of the flat stripping apparatus will commence, and will continue
until the projection a raises the lever y into the position shewn at Figure 2,
when the other arm of the lever 7 will act on the lever 20, which will in.its
turn cause the plate 2 to assume the position shown at Figure 3; the plate 2
in assuming this position will have lifted the weight 5 and allowed the weight 4
to act on the balancer 6, causing it also to assume the position shewn at
Figure 2. The pin 8 on the balancer will also have come from beneath the
lever 9, which will retake its former position, and allow the catch s² to fall.
The plate 2 will also have lifted the rod 19, and thereby lifted the plate 16,
and allowed the incline on the plate 2, by pressing against the lever 15, to
press the plate 12 to the left hand, the plate 12 carrying with it the ends of
the knocking-off lever p, and so throws the pinion w out of gear with the
wheel w¹, and the pinion o¹ into gear with the wheel q, when the forward
motion of the flat stripping apparatus will recommence..
The second part of my Invention will readily be understood by reference to
the Diagrams marked Figure A and Figure B, which represent respectively
part of a carding engine with one feed apparatus, and another carding engine
with three feed apparatus. The number of feeding apparatus to a card
cylinder may, however, be varied. In each of these Figures, a, b, are the
feeding apparatus, which are of the ordinary kind, consisting of an endless feed
apron a, and licker-in b. The card cylinder c is of the ordinary kind, and such
is the case with regard to the doffer g. The workers & work near the card
cylinder to take all the long fibres, the knobs passing on with the shorter
fibres to. the doffer. The strippers e work near to the workers, so as to
remove the long fibres from them, and the strippers are set at such a distance
from the cylinder c as not to be robbed by the cylinder. The strippers are
also driven at a somewhat greater surface speed than the cylinder c. As the
strippers become full of the longer fibres, they are thrown out of gear and
removed to be stripped by hand, when they are to be again used to replace
others which are removed full of the longer fibres of wool, silk, or other
material. I prefer to use two or more feeding apparatus, as I find that when

page_text: only one feeding apparatus is used the stripper nearest to the feed becomes
filled whilst the next stripper takes very little; hence, by having several
feeding apparatus to one card cylinder a greater quantity of work is performed,
and by speeding the strippers and placing them at a greater distance from
the card cylinder the longer fibres are separated from the other fibres, and may
be spun or used separately.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Warburton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
WM M. WARD, Sol",
Bradford.
JAMES WARBURTON. (L.S.)