Improvements in Openers and Scutchers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1893-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Openers and Scutchers.
I, HENRY BRÜGGEMANN, Professor of the Theoretical and Practical Spinning
and Weaving School of Oranstaden 13th 1 Mülhausen, Elsass, in the Empire of
Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in openers and scutchers and the object
of this invention is to beat or act upon both sides of the fibres passing over the
pedal levers or other feeding apparatus, to improve the dirt bars forming a grid,
and the appliance for collecting the fibres into the form of a lap or fleece.
The openers and scutchers constructed at present are all founded on the principle
of beating the fibres from one side only.
Hitherto in order to increase the action of the beater the velocity of the beater
shaft has been increased or the beater has been supplied with a greater number of
beater bars; but in this beating of the fibres from one side only the beaters do not
act on the fibres to the best advantage. The natural elasticity of the tufts of fibres
being very small and the successive blows following each other very rapidly the
action of the beater is more a rubbing than a striking action and this rubbing
weakens the fibres and does not separate the tufts which pass at a moderate speed
over a grid.
The grid surrounds the beater for a certain portion of its path and guides the
fibre to the dust cages and is intended to permit the leaf and dirt to fall through
its bars; but as the grid is liable to become choked a large proportion of the
falling dirt passes with the fibres to the dust cages, which collect the fibres in the
form of a lap or fleece of considerable thickness, so that this dirt cannot be drawn
off by the fan and remains in the fleece.
In order to prevent this evil my machine has a special arrangement of grid in
which the bars are moved for preventing the obstruction of the grid, and the cages
run with great velocity in order to diminish the thickness of the lap or fleece which
is collected by a condenser or doffer.
To prevent the rubbing action of the beater against the fibres passing through
the feed mechanism my machine is provided with means for forcing the fibres into
the path of the beater or as an alternative with means for beating the fibres on
both sides.
And in order that this invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying two sheets of drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a cross section of part of an ordinary scutcher.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of part of a scutcher fitted with one application of my
improvements.
Fig. 3 is a cross section of part of a scutcher fitted with a second application of
my improvements.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of part of a scutcher fitted with a third application of
my improvements.
Fig. 5 is a cross section of a scutcher fitted with several applications of my
improvements.
Fig. 6 is a cross section of the dirt bars forming the grid.
Fig. 7 is a cross section of part of a scutcher fitted with an application of my
mprovements adapted for long stapled fibres.
In Fig. 1, D designates the feed roller, E a pedal lever, and F one arm of the
beater of an ordinary scutcher.

page_text: By this beater in which the blows succeed one another with great rapidity, the
fibre is acted upon on one face only, and is rubbed and weakened thereby.
In Fig. 2, D designates the feed roller, E a pedal lever of the ordinary scutcher,
and the first application of my improvements consists in a nozzle W in communi-
cation with a strong fan or other means for supplying air under pressure, which
forces back the fibres into the path of the beater after each blow.
In Fig. 3, D designates the feed roller, E a pedal lever and F one arm of the
beater of an ordinary scutcher and the second application of my improvements
consists in a brush or a small flexible blade x which supports the fibres passing
between the pedal levers E and the feed roller D and causes the fibres after each
blow to return into the path of the beater.
In Fig. 4, D designates the feed roller, E a pedal lever and F one arm of an
ordinary beater, and a third application of my improvements consists in a small
counterbeater preferably driven from the shaft of the principal beater F and
forcing the fibres passing between the pedal levers and the feed roller after each
blow of the beater F to return into the path of the said beater and in this manner
the fibres are beaten on both sides.
In Fig. 5, A designates the feed lattice, C a guide roller, D the feed roller, E a
pedal lever and F the beater arm.
In order to beat on both sides the fibres passing between the pedal lever and
feed roller this beater F oscillates. In the position shown, the beater F has struck
one side of the fibres and now by the returning of the beater to the position indicated
by dotted lines the fibres are struck on the other side. The oscillating beater Fis
driven by the crank axle G the connecting rod H H and the arm I fixed on the
beater shaft or by any other convenient arrangement of mechanism. The fibres
pass with a certain velocity over a grid in which the bars L L are moved in
order to prevent choking and obstruction. The dirt passes into the trunk or
boxes M M,, M, and the fibres are conveyed to the dust cages N in which the fan Q
is exhausting the dust through the passages P P. The dust cages are run at a
high speed and the lap is collected by the doffer R, which turns very slowly for
condensing the lap, and a pair of guide rollers S conduct the lap over a table T out
of the machine.
In Fig. 6, a series of oscillating dirt bars L are shown provided at both ends
with pivots L supported in steps or bearings in connecting links L, and L. are
teeth or projections fixed upon a travelling strap L, which passes over the drum L
Each tooth L oscillates the pivoted dirt bars L and thereby prevents the obstruc-
tion of the grid.
In Fig. 7, 1 and 2 desiguate the feed rollers, 3 the guide rail or bridge for the
long stapled fibres, 4 the chief beater with six arms or blades, which are smooth or
provided alternately with teeth. After each blow of the beater 4 follows a blow
of a second beater 5 with six arms or blades and in this manner the fibres are struck
on both sides. The fibres are conveyed in the ordinary manner by a fan to the
dust cages or the fibres are collected directly by a doffer 7 which turns at a
moderate speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination a beater and a nozzle the latter in communication with a
powerful fan or other appliance for supplying air under pressure and thereby
forcing back the fibres into the path of the beater after each blow, an arrangement
of dirt bars forming a grid, and means for collecting the lap all arranged and
operating substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. In combination a beater and a brush or flexible blade forming an elastic
support for the fibres being beaten, an arrangement of dirt bars forming a grid, and
means for collecting the lap all substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth.

page_text: 3. In combination a beater and a counter beater as illustrated by Fig. 4, or two
beaters as illustrated by Fig. 7, for beating the fibres on both sides, an arrangement
of dirt bars forming a grid, and means for collecting the lap all substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth.
4. In combination two beaters of which the arms or bars are smooth or alter-
nately smooth and provided with teeth for beating the fibres on both sides, and a
doffer for collecting the fibres directly and without passing them over a grid and
dust cages substantially as herein set forth.
5. In combination an oscillating beater for beating the fibres on both sides, an
arrangement of dirt bars forming a grid, and means for collecting the lap, all
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
6. The several constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts embodying
my improvements in openers and scutchers all substantially as herein described
with reference to the accompanying drawings, for the purposes specified.
Dated thie 24th day of July 1892
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.