IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th November
1855. A communication.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES FOR
CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," a communication from George
Wellman, of Lowell, in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to various modifications of and improvements in
certain of the mechanical details for cleaning and elevating the top cards of a
carding engine described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me on or
about the 25th day of November 1853, for "Improvements in carding engines
for carding cotton and other fibrous materials," whereby greater economy and
simplicity in the construction of such mechanism is obtained.
According to this Invention I have so modified and arranged the different
parts of the top card-cleaning and elevating mechanism, described in the Speci-
fication of my Patent herein-before referred to, as to render the entire apparatus
for raising, stripping, and depressing the top cards, and for moving the frame
which carries the same from top to top, dependant for its motion upon one
single pulley or wheel fixed upon the doffer shaft, and by altering the size of
this pulley or wheel I am enabled to regulate at pleasure the number of tops
to be stripped per minute.
Another improvement consists in the combination of a short shaft fitted
with a segment toothed wheel and rim, with an upper and lower shaft,
in such a manner that the short shaft being in constant motion shall, by

page_text: means of its segment toothed wheel and rim, give motion first to the
upper shaft and then to the lower shaft, and vice versa, and shall hold the one
shaft stationary whilst the other is in motion. The upper shaft drives the
mechanism for raising, stripping, and depressing the top cards, and the lower
shaft effects the movement or traverse of the frame, carrying such mechanism
from one top to the other.
Another improvement consists in the application of a segmental pin or
mangle wheel to the upright bars of the traversing frame, by which means the
traversing motion is communicated direct by bevil pinions worked from the
lower one of the two shafts herein-before referred to. The levers which carry
the stripper card work on bearings or stud centres in the upright bars of the
traversing frame near the centre of the machine. The requisite movements
of these levers are obtained from suitable cams working loosely upon the
shaft of the main carding cylinder, and driven by endless chains, or other
suitable contrivance. The top card is secured in its elevated position by a
combination of rods or pins, and springs carried in the cross bar of the
traversing frame. The pins are used to prevent lateral motion of the top
card whilst it is being operated upon by the stripper card, and the springs
serve to hold it in its seat on the lifting jaws. These lifting jaws are raised
or depressed direct from the cams on the shaft of the main carding cylinder,
motion being communicated to them by slide rods worked by the cams, and
sliding in the upright arms of the traversing frame.
Another improvement consists of a contrivanco for keeping the teeth of the
stripper card cleaner in contact with the teeth of the stripper card whilst it
is being cleaned by it. This is effected by a small projection on the arm of the
cleaner, which comes in contact with a wedge-shaped block attached to a
blade spring whenever the cleaner strikes the stripper card. The wedge-
shaped block is thereby caused to recede until the projection is forced below
it, whereupon, by the action of its spring, it closes over the end of the
projection, and holds it upon the surface of the stripping card. The
wedge-shaped block forms the entrance to a groove or channel on the
stripping card, and the projection being entered into this groove will hold
the cleaning comb upon the surface of the stripping card whilst it is moving
forward to clean a top card, and will escape from the opposite end of the
groove, which is long enough to hold the projection until the cleaner has passed
in contact with the whole surface of the stripper card.