IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES FOR LONG WOOL, SHORT WOOL, AND ALL OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Ludwig Klein and Gustav Hundt, both of
Dusseldorf (Prussia), for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING
ENGINES FOR LONG WOOL, SHORT WOOL, AND ALL OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIAL,"
1.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Ludwig Klein and
Gustav Hundt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
10th January 1881.
PETER LUDWIG KLEIN and GUSTAV HUNDT, both of Dusseldorf (Prussia).
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES FOR LONG WOOL, SHORT WOOL, AND ALL
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL."
It is long since a known fact that the carding machines employed for long and
short wool spinning do not at all answer the purpose with regard to cleaning, feeding,
and carding of the wool, as none of the systems known at present are so
constructed that it answers to these three main-features, even when the raw-
material is much worked.
The long-wool spinner is especially interested to keep up the staple-length of the
wool as much as possible; therefore he would not allow it to pass through the
willow or picker in order to open and clean it, and he is obliged to bring it direct
after washing upon the carding machine, where consequently an insufficient
cleaning, an uneven feeding, and a very injurious carding is obtained, with
considerable noils, combings, etc., and fast wearing off of the clothings.
The object of our new carding machine is to avoid these inconveniences by giving
to the fibres of the wool at the same time a certain amount of draught by means
of new appliances to be described hereafter.
The endless feeding table 1 (Figure 1) carries the wool in large flakes towards
the rollers 2 and 3, which, in place of the ordinary clothing, are provided with
teeth extending over the surface in a spiral line. A spiral furrow or groove is cut
into the material of the rollers between the teeth (Figures II. and IV.), these double
spirals winding to the left roller on 2 and to the right on roller 3, that is to say, in
opposite directions. The two rollers are so placed that the teeth. of one enter the
groove of the other, and vice versa.

page_text: The wool while fed to the carding machine is caught up by the points of the
teeth only, and pressed against the bottom of the corresponding groove, whereby
the usual irregular feed of large flakes and the resulting tear of the fibres is avoided.
The wool fills hereby the grooves, and glides easily on the smooth surface forward
without any other obstruction than the frictions necessary for its soft and even
progress; thus the roller 5 (Figures I. and III.), provided with equal spiral groove
and teeth, can only take up small flakes, being of but half the size of those fed by
the table, as the lower part gliding on the polished surface of the groove faster on
is softly taken from the upper part held by the teeth, and gliding on slower by the
said roller 5 in the direction of the fibres.
This way of dividing cannot be injurious to the staple of the wool, as it is done
in the direction of its length, but it greatly assists to equalize the wool during the
beginning of the feed. For the better sparing of the fibre the cylinder 5 is provided
with the spiral groove and teeth, as already stated, and a great quantity of wool
may be allowed to pass, and short teeth standing far apart may be employed,
instead of forcing it through the long and narrow teeth of the ordinary clothing,
which tears the fibre, as every spinner knows. Also the stripping roller 4 can, for
the better security, be provided with the spiral groove and teeth, its teeth entering
the groove of roller 5 in the same manner as the rollers 2 and 3 match together.
It is obvious that by means of such a soft and regular feed the wool is not torn,
but preserves its original length, which has the great advantage (especially for the
long-wool spinner) that the carding engine makes less waste and produces
proportionately so much more sliver. Before the wool is taken up by the picking
roller (which in the ordinary carding machines is done in the most brutal and
incomplete way) we allow the cylinder 7 to take it up from roller 5, which, having
a greater circunferential speed, draws the wool softly through the teeth of roller 6,
which turns slower than roller 5, and consequently presents a certain resistance to
the passage of the wool. By means of this soft and regular draft the woo! is not
torn, but the burrs, etc., contained therein are loosened, so that the separation on
the picking roller is made easier. The picking roller 9 turns faster than 7 and 8,
and draws the wool again through the teeth of this cylinder, whereby the fibres
are laid parallel and are again loosened from the burrs, which are now taken by
the guard or burring roller 10, and thrown upon the sheet-metal receptacle 11.
The roller 12 has the same, rollers 13 and 14 a greater velocity than roller 9, which
produces another draught of the wool in the teeth of roller 12, and as the second
picking roller 15 revolves faster than roller 14, the fibre is here again exposed to a
certain draught. By this manner of operating the fibres are loosened from the
burrs in such a way (instead of removing them by hard blows, as it is done now)
that the guard or burring roller 16 removes the rest easily, throwing it upon the
receptacle 17. This draught, repeated several times, facilitates, as indicated above,
the cleaning of the wool, and produces at the same time its combing even between
the picking roller 15 and the clearer 19, which in stripping the latter inverts the
said wool in such a way that the third picking roller 20 (revolving only with the
speed of an ordinary worker, but in opposite direction) takes up but the upper half
which was not cleaned by the guard roller 16, presenting it to the guard or burring
roller 21, which removes the remaining parts of burrs, etc. While the clearer 19
presents the one half of the wool placed on the bottom of its teeth to the main
cylinder, the picking roller 20 offers the other half. These two rollers have a
smaller circumferential speed than the main cylinder 22; consequently the wool is
stretched out by the latter once more, instead of being crowded upon the main
cylinder in irregular. flakes, as it is done on the ordinary carding engines, on
account of the excessively high speed of the rollers, leading the material towards
the main cylinder. The portion of the material carried by the main cylinder to the
worker 23 is here caught up by the teeth of the faster revolving roller 25, and thus
drawn again through the clothing of the worker, and is then by the clearer' 24
returned to the main cylinder. This process of drawing out is repeated upon every
following worker, and supports most efficaciously the carding of the wool, sparing

page_text: at the same time the wool and the clothings. The fancy roller and the doffer
work in the ordinary way, but it is obvious that the fleece taken off by the
vibrating comb will be better worked, equalized, and opened than on the carding
engines of the present system.
Suppose we give each time a draught of 1:2 we should have have from the
entrance of the wool into the card till the point of leaving it a draught by degrees
of about 1: 100, while by the ordinary carding machines only one single draught of
1:70 is effected (between feed rollers and picking roller), which by its brutal action
does not draw out the wool, but simply tears and shortens it, which inconvenience
is well known to all spinners.
Our new improved carding engines presents the following advantages
:-
1. The wool-fibres are not torn on their passage through the machine as before,
but their original length is maintained, so that less offal results, and the spinner is
able to employ either shorter and cheaper material, or to produce finer yarn.
2. Better cleaning of burr-wools, even of the spiral burrs, etc.
3. Higher value of the noils, being cleaner and consequently easier to sell. .
4. Saving of clothings, as the same have to endure less wear, and work better in
every respect.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Peter Ludwig Klein and Gustav Hundt in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th June 1881.
PETER LUDWIG KLEIN and GUSTAV HUNDT, both of Dusseldorf, Prussia.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES FOR LONG WOOL, SHORT WOOL, AND ALL
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL.”
It has long been known that the carding machines employed for long and short
wool spinning do not at all answer the purpose with regard to cleaning, feeding,
and carding of the wool, as none of the systems known at present are so constructed
that they answer to these three main features, even when the raw material is much
worked.
The long wool spinner is especially interested to keep up the staple length of the
wool as much as possible, therefore he would not allow it to pass through the
willow or picker in order to open and clean it, and he is obliged to bring it direct
after washing upon the carding machine, where consequently an insufficient
cleaning, an uneven feeding, and a very injurious carding is obtained, with con-
siderable noils, combings, etc., and fast wearing off of the clothings.
The object of our new carding machine is to to avoid these inconveniences by
giving to the fibres of the wool at the same time a certain amount of draught
by means of new appliances to be described hereafter.
The endless feeding table 1 (Figure 1) carries the wool in large flakes towards
the rollers 2 and 3, which in place of the ordinary clothing are provided with teeth
extending over the surface in a spiral line. A spiral furrow or groove is cut into
the material of the rollers between the teeth, Figures II. and IV., these double
spirals winding to the left on roller 2 and to the right on roller 3, that is to say,
in opposite directions.
The two rollers are so placed that the teeth of one enter the groove of the other,
and vice versa.
The wool while fed to the carding machine is caught up by the points of the
teeth only and pressed against the bottom of the corresponding groove, whereby
the usual irregular feed of large flakes and the resulting tear of the fibres is
avoided. The wool fills hereby the grooves and glides easily on the smooth surface
forward, without any other obstruction than the friction necessary for its soft and
even progress. Thus the roller 5 (Figures I. and III.) provided with equal spiral
groove and teeth is allowed only to take up small flakes, being of but half the
size of those fed by the table, as the lower part gliding faster on the polished
surface of the groove is softly taken from the upper part held by the teeth, and
gluing on slower by the said roller 5 in the direction of the fibres.
This way of dividing cannot be injurious to the staple of the wool, as it is done
in the direction of its length, but it greatly assists to equalize the wool during the
beginning of the feed. For the better sparing of the nbre the cylinder 5 is pro-
vided with the spiral groove and teeth, as already stated, and a great quantity
of wool may be allowed to pass, and short teeth standing far apart may be
employed instead of forcing it through the long and narrow teeth of the ordinary
clothing, which tears the fibre as every spinner knows. Also the stripping roller 4
can for better security be provided with the spiral groove and teeth, its teeth
entering the groove of roller 5 in the same manner as the rollers 2 and 3 match
together.
It is obvious that by means of such a soft and regular feed the wool is not torn
but preserves its original length, which has the great advantage (especially for the
long wool spinner) that the carding engine makes less waste and produces pro-
portionately so much more sliver.

page_text: In order to obtain this result in still higher perfection we arrange between the
rollers 2 and 3 and roller 5 another pair of rollers 2 and 3' similar to 2 and 3,
having annular grooves instead of the spiral grooves already described, as shown
in Figure V.
This arrangement is represented in Figure VI., wherein the rollers 2 and 3 are the
spiral grooved rollers, and 2' and 3¹ the rollers with annular grooves. The latter
rollers are intended to act at the same time for the feed and draft, and also to
support and facilitate to a great extent the separation of the wool from the
adhering burrs. These annular grooved rollers are constructed in a similar way
to the spiral grooved rollers, only with the difference that the grooves and teeth
extend over the surface in rings, while the rollers first spoken of have the furrows
and teeth arranged in a spiral line. The position of rollers 21 and 3¹ to each
other is such that the teeth of one roller move in the grooves of the other, and
vice versa.
The circumferential velocity of both rollers 21 and 3' is the same, but they
revolve at a greater speed than the spiral grooved rollers 2 and 3, thereby drawing
out the wool passing from the pair of rollers 2 and 3 to the rollers 2' and 3¹, which
draft can be regulated by changing the speed of rollers 21 and 31. The wool is
then taken from the rollers 21 and 3' by the roller 5 and lead on for further
treatment.
All these rollers can be arranged for being heated by steam.
Before the wool is taken up by the picking roller (which in the ordinary carding
machines is done in the most rough and incomplete way), we allow the cylinder 7
to take it up from roller 5, which having a greater circumferential speed draws the
wool softly through the teeth of roller 6, which turns slower than roller 5, and
consequently presents a certain resistance to the passage of the wool.. By means
of this soft and regular draught the wool is not torn, but the burrs, etc., contained
therein are loosened, so that the separation on the picking roller is made easier.
The picking roller 9 turns faster than 7 and 8, and draws the wool again through
the teeth of this cylinder, whereby the fibres are laid parallel and are again
loosened from the burrs, which are now taken by the guard or burring roller 10
and thrown upon the sheet metal receptacle 11. The roller 12 has the same
velocity, rollers 13 and 14 a greater velocity than roller 9, which produces another
draught of the wool in the teeth of roller 12, and as the second picking roller 15
revolves faster than roller 14 the fibre is here again exposed to a certain draught.
By this manner of operating the fibres are loosened from the burrs in such a way
(instead of removing them by hard blows, as is done now) that the guard or burring
roller 16 removes the rest, easily throwing it upon the receptacle 17. This draught
repeated several times facilitates, as indicated above, the cleaning of the wool, and
causes at the same time its coming even between the picking roller 15 and the
clearer 19, which in stripping the latter inverts the said wool in such a way that
the third picking roller 20 (revolving only with the speed of an ordinary worker
but in opposite direction) takes up but the upper half which was not cleaned by
the guard roller 16, presenting it to the guard or burring roller 21, which removes
the remaining parts of burrs, etc. While the clearer 19 presents the one half of
the wool placed on the bottom of its teeth to the main cylinder, the picking
roller 20 offers the other half. These two rollers have a smaller circumferential
speed than the main cylinder 22, consequently the wool is stretched out by the
latter once more, instead of being crowded upon the main cylinder in irregular
flakes, as is done on the ordinary carding engines, on account of the excessively
high speed of the rollers leading the material towards the main cylinder. The
portion of the material carried by the main cylinder to the worker 23 is here
caught up by the teeth of the faster revolving roller 25, and thus drawn again
through the clothing of the worker, and is then by the clearer 24 returned to the
main cylinder. This process of drawing out is repeated upon every following
worker, and supports most efficaciously the carding of the wool, sparing at the
same time the wool and the clothings. The fancy roller and the doffer work in

page_text: the ordinary way, but it is obvious that the fleece taken off by the vibrating comb
will be better worked, equalized, and opened, than on the carding engines of the
present system.
Suppose we give each time a draft of 1, 2, we should have from the entrance of
the wool into the card till the point of leaving it a draught by degrees of about
1.100, while in the ordinary carding machines only one single draft of 1.70 is
effected (between feed rollers and picking roller) which by its rough action does
not draw out the wool, but simply tears and shortens it, which inconvenience is
well known to all spinners.
Our new improved carding engine presents the following advantages:-
--
1. The wool fibres are not torn on their passage through the machine as before,
but their original length is maintained, so that less offal results, and the spinner is
able to employ either shorter and cheaper material or to produce finer yarns.
in
2. Better cleaning of burr wools, even of the spiral burrs, etc.
3. Higher value of the noils, being cleaner and consequently easier to sell.
4. Saving of clothings, as the same have to endure less wear, and work better
every respect.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood
that what we claim is,-
1st. The combination of the feed rollers 2 and 3 with grooves and teeth extending
over the surface in a spiral line, as shown and described, and for the purpose set
forth.
.
2nd. The system and the application of the feed rollers 2 and 3 with grooves
and teeth extending over the surface in a spiral line, running on one roller to the
left and on the other to the right, and gearing into each other, as shown and
described and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. The combination of the rollers 2 and 3 with the rollers 4 and 5, the latter
provided with clothing similar to that of rollers 2 and 3 for the purpose of forming
a feeding apparatus for carding engines as well as for opening, picking, and other
machines, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
Drawing.
4th. The system and the construction of the annular grooved rollers 2¹ and 3',
and the combination of these rollers with the spiral grooved rollers 2 and 3 and
the roller 5, also the application of these combined spiral and annular grooved
rollers to obtain a draft on the wool before it passes on to roller 5, as shown and
described.
5th. The system, the combination, and the application of the stretching rollers
with the transporting and picking rollers, in order to draw out the material slowly
and easily, as above described and represented by the Drawing.
6th. The system, the combination, and the application of the picking and burring
rollers to produce the perfect cleaning on both sides of the fleece turned upon
them, as described and shown.
7th. The system, the combination, and the application of the stretching rollers
with the workers and the clearers of the carding- engine in order to repeat and to
increase the draft on the fibres, as specified above and represented by the'
Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Peter Ludwig Klein and Gustav Hundt,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thorennd aight hundred and sight ona