IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Rawdon Thornton, of Cleckheaton, in the County
of York, Machine Maker, and Benjamin Wear, of the same Place,
Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES
Sealed the 26th September 1871, and dated the 28th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Rawdon Thornton and
Benjamin Wear at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 28th March 1871.
We, RAWDON THORNTON, of Cleckheaton, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, and BENJAMIN WEAR, of the same Place, Mechanic,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS

page_text: follows:-
This Invention relates to means or apparatus for taking the wool
or other fibrous substances from the doffer of the scribbler carder and
preparing or mixing and equalizing the same for feeding a second or
other carder in a regular or uniform manner. For this purpose we
employ a creeper or endless apron placed at an incline in front of the
doffer to receive the sheet of fibre as it is stripped by a comb in the
usual manner. This creeper delivers it to a pair of rollers which are
caused to traverse or move laterally as well as rotate, and these rollers
deliver the same to another creeper or endless apron placed underneath
them and caused to travel at right angles to the first-named endless
apron. The traversing of these rollers lays the sheet of fibre in folds
upon the creeper, and in passing under a roller or between a pair of
rollers it is compressed into a sliver, which is thence conducted over
another roller or rollers to an ordinary "Scotch feed motion" or pair
of travelling rollers and creeper, applied either to the said scribbler
carder above the first-named creeper for the fibre to be delivered direct
into the feed rollers of the second carder when placed with its feeding
end to the delivery end of the scribbler, or if the second carder be placed
side by side with the scribbler then we place the Scotch feed motion on
the said second carder in the usual manner. The travelling rollers
or carriage of the "Scotch feed is caused to reciprocate or travel to and
fro across the creeper by means of a spirally grooved shaft driven by
reversing gear, or by having two bevel wheels fixed thereon face to face,
and another bevel wheel fixed on the end of another shaft which receives
rotary motion from the doffer shaft or other intermediate shaft, and
capable of being moved laterally so as to place the said wheel in gear
with one of the other two wheels alternately, thereby to reverse the
rotation of the spirally grooved shaft so as to produce the required
reciprocation of the said rollers. This reverse motion is rendered self-
acting by having a rod extending across the creeper, and on which
rod are two adjustable stop pins or fingers. This rod is attached at
one end to a tumbling lever which is jointed to another similar lever
connected to the moveable bearing of the driving shaft. When the
travelling and reciprocating carriage comes into contact with either
one or other of the pins or fingers the rod is moved endwise thereby in
that direction when one of the levers is caused to tumble over, and by

page_text: so doing tumbles the other lever over, which moves the shaft and
removes the driving wheel thereon out of gear with one and into gear
with the other wheel on the grooved shaft, and so on. By means of
these adjustable stops or fingers any desirable length of travel or stroke
can be effected.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Rawdon Thornton and Benjamin Wear in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RAWDON
THORNTON, of Cleckheaton, in the County of York, Machine Maker, and
BENJAMIN WEAR, of the same Place, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Rawdon Thornton and Benjamin Wear,
Her special licence that we, the said Rawdon Thornton and Benjamin.
Wear, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Rawdon Thornton and Benjamin Wear, our 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 AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition.
(amongst others) that we, the said Rawdon Thornton and Benjamin
Wear, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing,
under our, or their, or one of our or 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Rawdon Thornton and Benjamin
Wear, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, and the two accom-
panying Sheets of Drawings (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to means or apparatus for taking the wool
or other fibrous substances from the doffer of the scribbler carder, and
preparing or mixing and equalizing the same for feeding a second or
other carder in a regular or uniform manner. For this purpose we
employ a creeper or endless apron placed at an incline in front of the
doffer to receive the sheet of fibre as it is stripped by a comb in the
usual manner. This creeper delivers it to a pair of rollers which are
caused to traverse or move laterally as well as rotate, and these rollers
deliver the same in cuttles or folds to another creeper or endless apron
placed underneath them and caused to travel at right angles to the
first-named endless apron. The traversing of these rollers lays the
sheet of fibre in folds upon the creeper and in passing under a roller
or between a pair of rollers it is compressed into a sliver which is thence
conducted over another roller or rollers to an ordinary "Scotch feed
motion," or pair of travelling rollers and creeper applied either to the
said scribbler carder above the first-named creeper for the fibre to be
delivered direct into the feed rollers of the second carder when placed
with its feeding end to the delivery end of the scribbler, or if the second
carder be placed side by side with the scribbler then we place the
"Scotch feed motion on the said second carder in the usual manner.
The travelling rollers or carriage of the. "Scotch feed" is caused to
reciprocate or travel to and fro across the creeper by means of a spirally
grooved shaft driven by reversing gear or by having two bevel wheels
fixed thereon face to face, and another bevel wheel fixed on the end of
another shaft which receives rotary motion from the doffer shaft or other
intermediate shaft, and capable of being moved laterally so as to place
the said wheel in gear with one of the other two wheels alternately
thereby to reverse the rotation of the spirally grooved shaft so as to
produce the required reciprocation of the said rollers. This reverse
motion is rendered self-acting by having a rod extending across the
creeper, and on which rod are two adjustable stop pins or fingers.
This rod is attached at one end to a tumbling lever which is jointed to
,,

page_text: another similar lever connected to the moveable bearing of the driving
shaft. When the travelling and reciprocating carriage comes into
contact with either one or other of the pins or fingers the rod is thereby
moved endwise in that direction, when one of the levers is caused to
tumble over and by so doing tumbles the other lever over, which moves
the shaft and removes the driving wheel thereon out of gear with one
and into gear with the other wheel on the grooved shaft, and so on:
By means of these adjustable stops or fingers any desirable length of
travel or stroke can be effected.
Fig. is a side clevation of the delivery end of a SCIIDDier carding
engine with our improvements applied thereto, Fig. 2 is the end
elevation, and Fig. 3 is the opposite side view of the same.
A is the doffer cylinder with the ordinary doffing comb or apparatus B
operated by rods C from a crank shaft D in the usual manner; E is
the creeper or endless apron carried on rollers F and F¹, and placed
at an incline (as will be seen) with one end in position to receive the
sheet of carded wool or other fibre as it is stripped or doffed from
the cylinder, and the other in position to deliver it to a pair of rollers G
and G, which traverse or move laterally to and fro across another
creeper or endless apron H which receives the fibre as delivered by
the rollers G in folds or cuttles, and this creeper conducts the same
to a pair or a series of three rollers I, that by their action thereon
compress it into a sliver, which may then be conducted away by other
rollers to an ordinary "Scotch feed-motion," or pair of travelling rollers.
for feeding a second carder or carding engine, and which apparatus
may be applied either to the feeding end of the said second carder
when placed side by side with the scribbler in the usual manner, or
to the delivery end of the scribbler, as here shewn in Fig. 1, where
J and J are the said pair of rollers of the "Scotch feed motion,"
which being mounted on a carriage K having wheels K' suitable to

page_text: and caused to run upon rails L to and fro across another creeper M
and lay the said sliver in folds thereon, which creeper may con-
duct the said sliver thus folded either to the ordinary feed rollers N
placed at the feeding end of a second carder (as shewn in Fig. 1)
when the said second carder is placed in line or with its feeding
end to the delivery end of the scribbler or first carder. The travelling
rollers J, J, or carriage of the " Scotch feed " is caused to reciprocate
or travel to and fro across the creeper M by means of a spirally
grooved shaft a driven by reversing gear or by having two bevel
wheels b, b, fixed thereon face to face, and another bevel wheel c
fixed on the end of another shaft d, which receives rotary motion
from the doffer shaft or intermediate shaft e, and capable of being
moved laterally, so as to place the said wheel c in gear with one
of the other wheels b, b', alternately, thereby to reverse the rotation
of the spirally grooved shaft a, so as to produce the required
reciprocation of the said rollers. This reverse motion is rendered
self-acting by having a rod f extending across the creeper, and
on which rod are two adjustable stop pins or fingers g, g¹. The
rod is attached at one end to a tumbling lever h, which is jointed
to another similar lever k connected to the moveable bearing
of the driving shaft d. When the travelling and reciprocating
carriage comes into contact with either one or other of the pins
or fingers g, g¹, the rod is moved endwise in that direction, and the
lever is caused thereby to tumble over, and by so doing tumbles
the other lever K over, which moves the shaft d and removes the
driving wheel c thereon out of gear with one and into gear with
the other of the wheels band b' on the grooved shaft, and so on. By
means of these adjustable stops or fingers any desirable length of
travel or stroke can be effected.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and shewn
by Drawings in what manner the same is or may be performed or
carried into practical operation, we would have it understood that we
do not confine ourselves to the precise details shewn and described, nor
do we claim any of the parts when separately considered; but what we
claim as our Invention is,-
Firstly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism or apparatus
for the purpose set forth, in manner substantially as shown and described.

page_text: Secondly. The application and use of a spirally grooved shaft with
reversing gear for giving reciprocatory motion to "Scotch feed motions,"
as shewn and herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Wear, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Rawdon Thornton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
TASKER & BRIERLEY,
Patent Agents,
Halifax & Bradford.
BENJAMIN WEAR. (L.S.)