Improvements in Feeding Mechanism for Carding Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by DANIEL CALVIN FISHER, Salesman, of
No. 8, Webster Avenue, Allston, and GEORGE GAVITT STILLMAN, Manu-
facturers' Agent, of No. 1, Pine Place, both of Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America.]
Improvements in Feeding Mechanism for Carding Engines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:—
The invention relates to feeding mechanism of that class in which the stock is
taken from a supply or receiving chamber or space by means of a toothed elevator
or transferrer, and, after being discharged from the latter, is passed onward to the
feed-rolls of a carding engine by means of a delivering device, the latter usually
being in the form of a travelling endless feed-apron on which the wool discharged
from the elevator or transferrer is accumulated. The object of the invention is to
provide improved means whereby automatically to secure uniformity and regularity
in the bulk and density of the sheet or layer of wool fed or delivered to the feed
rolls of the carding engine.
In the drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 are opposite end views of a wool-feeding mechanism embodying the
invention.
Fig. 3 is a view thereof in transverse section, on a plane parallel with the ends of
the wool-box.
At 123 in the drawings, is shown a wool-box, which may be of any suitable
size or shape, and at 1 is a receiving chamber or space in the said wool-box
into which a supply of wool is thrown from time to time, as may be required.
At 20 is an endless apron forming the bottom of the receiving or supply
chamber 1, it being operated in known and usual manner for the purpose of
leading or directing the wool to the toothed elevating or transferring device 4.
The toothed elevating or transferring device 4 may be of the character of any
of the known devices for performing a similar function, it operating to take or
draw wool gradually from the receiving or supply chamber and carry it into
position to be discharged into a secondary chamber 2. At 31 is a moving comb
or evener for removing surplus material from the surface of the clevator or
transferrer and returning it to chamber 1. At 5 is a moving comb or brush for
combing or brushing the wool from the teeth or projections of the elevator or
transferrer, and thereby discharging the same into the secondary chamber 2, and
at 8 is a stationary comb or brush serving as a stripper for the discharging
comb or brush 5. At 21 is a delivering device by means of which the wool
discharged from the elevator or transferrer 4 into the secondary chamber or
space 2 is carried onward to the feed-rolls 211, 211, of a carding engine, the
said delivering device being shown as constituted by the endless travelling feed-
apron usually employed, and which in practice may be actuated by any suitable
or known means. In Fig. 1 is shown the outer roller 212 of the delivering
apron 21 driven by gears 213, 214, 215 from one of the feed-rolls, the said apron
At 6 is shown a
being thereby operated in unison with the said feed-rolls.
matting device whereby the wool in the secondary chamber or space 2 is pushed
forward onto the upper surface of the delivering apron 21 and compacted or
matted together thereon, the said matter acting at each advance thereof to push

page_text: the wool at the bottom of the chamber or space 2 forward onto the apron until
it is carried against the wool already accumulated on the apron, and then to
compress or compact the whole to a predetermined density. The wool thereby
is formed into a compact layer of a thickness dependent upon the height of the
throat 3, which is the space existing between the upper surface of the delivering
device 21 and the adjacent surface of a plate or board 22, which may be fixed
in position, but, preferably, is pivoted at its forward edge at 224, and at its rear
edge is free to swing toward and from the delivering device, the plate bearing
downward upon the wool, as it is accumulated upon the delivery device, with a
pressure proportionate to its weight. At 23 is shown a pressure roller journalled
in arms at the free edge of plate 22 and bearing by its periphery against the
wool, its weight adding to the pressure exerted upon the wool. The latter is
pushed by the matter 6 into the throat 3, and compressed or compacted therein
into a layer of suitable density. The matter 6 shown in the drawings is formed
of a series of fingers 61 which are secured to a transverse bar or strip 62 that
is carried by arms 63 on a vibrating shaft 24. At 9 is a guard or grating,
between the bars or strips whereof the fingers 61 pass, the said guard or grating
serving to strip the wool from the fingers 61 as they are retracted, and permit
it to fall from the elevator or transferrer into position to be engaged by the said
fingers when projected and caused to move rearwardly.
The various operative parts are actuated as follows: At 12 is a shaft carrying
a pulley 25 around which passes a driving band 251. Shaft 12 is provided with a
pinion 121 meshing with a gear 11 on a shaft 111. At 113 is a radial slot in an
arm of gear 11 in which is adjustably secured a crank pin 112, with which is con-
nected one end of a rod 14, which rod at its opposite end is connected to an
arm 261 on one end of the shaft 26 of the discharging comb or brush 5. Thereby
the said comb or brush is vibrated. An arm or arms 262 on the said shaft 26 is or
are connected with the pivoted evener 31, by a rod or rods 263, and thereby the
said evener is actuated. On one end of the shaft of the elevator or transferrer 4
is a gear 41 which is engaged by a pinion 27 fast with a ratchet wheel 271. The
teeth of the said ratchet wheel are engaged by a pawl 19 pivoted to an arm 16
which is free to turn around the stud supporting the pinion 27 and ratchet wheel 271,
the said arm being connected by a link 161 to the rod 14. By these devices the
elevator or transferrer is actuated. The pin 167 connecting the rod 161 to the
arm 16 is placed in a radial slot 168 to permit adjustment. On the end of
the shaft 111 opposite to that carrying gear 11 is mounted a crank-disk 15, the
pin whereof has connected thereto one end of a rod 10. At or near its other end
the said rod has slipped thereon collars 101, 102, which are secured in place at a
short distance apart by clamping screws 103, 103, as shown. Between these collars
there is mounted on the rod a sliding collar 104, which is pivotally connected with
the arm 7 on one end of shaft 24 of the matter 6. A fourth collar 105 is mounted
on the rod 10 at a suitable distance from the collars 101, 102, and 104, it being held
in place by a clamping screw 106, and to the collar 105 is attached one end of a
spring 107, having its other end attached to the sliding collar 104, the said spring
being of sufficient strength to hold the collar 104 normally drawn against collar 102,
as shown. On the other end of shaft 24 is an arm 241 which is connected by a
rod 18 to a shield or guard 17 that is pivoted on the same stud with the pinion 27
and ratchet wheel 271. The connection between the arm 241 on the shaft 24 of
the matter 6 and the shield or guard 17 is such as to cause the matter and guard
or shield to move in unison. The connections are so arranged, and the movements
of the various parts are so timed, as will be apparent, that during the regular
working of the mechanism and as long as the matter is permitted to move
unobstructedly through its usual length of stroke, the guard or shield 17 will be
withdrawn or moved away from the pawl 19 just prior to the advancing movement
of the latter in which it engages with and turns the ratchet wheel 271, leaving
it free to engage with the ratchet wheel and advance it the predetermined maximum
number of teeth, thereby rotating the elevator or transferrer at its highest or

page_text: maximum rate of speed. It will be observed that in the case of the wool accumu-
lating in the throat 3 at a rate faster than the delivery device passes it onward to
the feed rolls of the carding engine, the advance of the matter will be resisted until
the point is reached at which the spring 107 yields, when the matter will be
arrested in its advance, the extent to which it is advanced depending upon the
amount of wool which has accumulated in the throat 3. In consequence of the
arrest of the advancing movement of the matter, the guard or shield will be with-
drawn only partially from the arc of movement of the pawl, and, in consequence,
the number of teeth by which the ratchet wheel will be advanced by the pawl in
its next forward movement will be proportionately lessened, and the speed of
rotation of the elevator or transferrer will be reduced, thereby reducing the amount
of material transferred to the secondary chamber or space 2. The elevator or
transferrer will continue to be rotated at a reduced rate of speed proportionate to
the extent of the accumulation of wool in the throat 3, as will be understood,
until the wool on the delivery device has been passed on to a sufficient extent to
permit of the matter being moved by its actuating devices throughout its full
sweep.
Although in the drawings is shown an elevator or transferrer formed as a toothed
cylinder, it should be understood that it is contemplated employing in lieu of such
cylinder any other known and suitable elevating or transferring device. Also, it is
to be understood that the illustrated forms of variable speed devices whereby said
elevator or transferrer is actuated, the matter itself, the means for operating the
same, and the connections through which the matter in its movements serves to
control the action of the said variable-speed devices, may variously be modified
in minor mechanical respects and replaced by their mechanical equivalents without
any departure from the spirit of the invention.
On the underside of the board 22 are provided teeth 221 for holding the wool
which has been crowded into the throat 3 by the matter from returning with the
said matter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with a wool-box having a receiving chamber or space into
which a supply of wool is thrown and a secondary chamber or space, a toothed
elevator or transferrer taking the wool from the receiving chamber or space, means
for discharging the wool from the said elevator or transferrer into the secondary
chamber or space, and a deliverer for carrying the wool away from the secondary
chamber or space, of a matter for compacting the wool upon the said deliverer,
means for actuating the said matter, variable speed devices for driving the elevator
or transferrer, and devices controlled by the movements of the matter whereby the
action of the said variable speed devices is regulated and the speed of the elevator
or transferrer is altered, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a wool-box having a receiving chamber or space into
which a supply of wool is thrown and a secondary chamber or space, a toothed
elevator or transferrer taking the wool from the receiving chamber or space, means
for discharging the wool from the elevator or transferrer into the secondary
chamber or space, a deliverer, and an opposing surface forming between the same
and the deliverer a throat, of a matter for crowding the wool into said throat,
means for actuating the said matter, variable speed devices for driving the elevator
or transferrer, and devices controlled by the movements of the matter whereby the
action of the said variable speed devices is regulated and the speed of the elevator
or transferrer is altered, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a wool-box having a receiving chamber or space into
which a supply of wool is thrown and a secondary chamber or space, a toothed
elevator or transferrer taking the wool from the receiving chamber or space,
means for discharging the wool from the said elevator or transferrer into the

page_text: secondary chamber or space, and a deliverer for carrying the wool away from the
said secondary chamber or space, of a matter for compacting the wool over
the deliverer, yielding means for actuating the matter, variable speed devices for
driving the elevator or transferrer, and devices connected with the matter whereby
the action of the said variable speed devices is regulated and the speed of the
elevator or transferrer is altered, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a wool-box having a receiving chamber or space into
which a supply of wool is thrown and a secondary chamber or space, a toothed
elevator or transferrer taking the wool from the receiving chamber or space, means
for discharging the wool from the elevator or transferrer into the secondary
chamber or space, a deliverer, and an opposing surface forming between the same
and the deliverer a throat, of a matter for crowding the wool into said throat,
yielding means for actuating the matter, variable speed devices for driving the
elevator or transferrer, and devices connected with the matter whereby the action
of the said variable speed devices is regulated and the speed of the elevator or
transferrer is altered, substantially as described.
5. The combination with a wool-box having a receiving chamber or space into
which a supply of wool is thrown and a secondary chamber or space, a toothed
elevator or transferrer taking the wool from the receiving chamber or space, means
for discharging the wool from the said elevator or transferrer into the secondary
chamber or space, and a deliverer for carrying the wool away from the said secondary
chamber or space, of a matter for compacting the wool over the said deliverer,
means for actuating the said matter, a ratchet-wheel and pawl for actuating the said
elevator or transferrer, means for moving the pawl, and a movable shield or guard
adapted to be interposed between the ratchet and pawl and controlled in its position
by the movements of the said matter, whereby the speed of the elevator or
transferrer may be varied, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a wool-box having a receiving chamber or space into
which a supply of wool is thrown and a secondary chamber or space, a toothed
elevator or transferrer taking the wool from the receiving chamber or space, and
means for discharging the wool from the said elevator or transferrer into the
secondary chamber or space, of a matter for compacting the wool over the said
deliverer, yielding means for actuating the matter, a ratchet-wheel and pawl for
actuating the said elevator or transferrer, means for moving the pawl, and a
movable shield or guard adapted to be interposed between the ratchet and pawl and
controlled in its position by the movements of the said matter, whereby the speed
of the elevator or transferrer may be varied, substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of October 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the 'Applicant.