IMPROVE- MENTS IN CARDING ENGINES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES.
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Randal Harris, of the City of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARDING ENGINES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE
TO OTHER PURPOSES.".
Sealed the 15th November 1864, and dated the 19th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Randal Harris
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Pétition, on the
19th May 1864.
I, WILLIAM RANDAL HARRIS, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
First, I employ improved arrangements for working the doffing comb of
the doffing cylinder of carding engines. The comb is fixed to arms on a tube
or shaft in the ordinary manner, but for working the comb up and down I
employ an endless strap or band fixed at one part to the tube or shaft, and at
another part to a stud or projection on one of the supports or pedestals.
Between the inner sides of the strap I place a bowl or roller working on, a
stud or shaft made eccentric with another shaft, of which it forms part, so that
as this eccentric shaft revolves, the bowl has an eccentric motion, and presses
the strap first on one side and then on the other, and causes the comb to

page_text: vibrate up and down, and as the strap gives way to the eccentric with great
ease, and there is no strain on the eccentric at the top and bottom of the
stroke, the comb can be worked at a great speed, with very little power
without the shocks and wear and tear arising from the present modes of
working the combs; or instead of one eccentric bowl between the sides of the
strap, I employ two bowls having eccentric motion one on each outer side of
the strap. I form the straps or bands of leather, metal, or other suitable
material, but I prefer to make them from that description of leather known
as picker leather, used for the pickers of looms.
In another arrangement I connect one end of a flexible plate or spring to
one of the arms which carry the comb, or to a lever or arm connected to
the tube or shaft which carries the arms, and attach the other end of the
plate or spring to a stationary stud or screw fixed to one of the pedestals or
framework of the machine. I cause the aforesaid flexible plate or spring to
be bent out of the straight line by means of a revolving crank or eccentric,
and allow.. it to become straight by its own elasticity, and thereby give
two up-and-down motions to the comb for one revolution of the crank or
eccentric. Or instead of one flexible plate I employ two, and cause a cam
to work between them, so that when the cam is in one position the plates
will be bent, and bring down the arms and comb, but when the cam is in
another position the plates will be free to extend and raise the arms and
comb, there being with either the single or double flexible plates spiral
springs employed when necessary to assist the plates in their return to their
straight forms.
Secondly, I employ an improved reversing motion, which can be applied
advantageously to an Invention entitled "Improvements in Carding Engines
for Carding Cotton and other Fibrous Materials," for which Letters Patent
were granted to George Wellman, on the Eleventh day of September, 1860,
No. 2190. In that Invention there was an arrangement of machinery for
stripping or cleaning the flats of carding engines, in which arrangement there
was a long double rack with a pinion travelling round it for shifting the
stripping apparatus to the right position for cleaning the flats alternately in a
uniform manner. Instead of the double rack I employ a single rack with a
pinion geared in it, and give the pinion alternate to-and-fro motion on the
rack by means of the aforesaid improved reversing motion, the arrangement
of which I will now describe. On the pinion shaft I place two bevil wheels
working loose, and gearing into another bevil wheel on a shaft or stud at
right angles with the first shaft. The last bevil wheel which carries a spiral
or scroll thread geared into the teeth of a spur wheel in such manner that one

page_text: revolution of the scroll thread turns the spur wheel one tooth or more
according to the form of the scroll. At the sides of the spur wheel there are
bosses and cams and the sides of the wheel itself are placed in the groove of
a clutch box between the first-mentioned two bevil wheels, there being
stationary inclines or cam surfaces, against which the revolving cams can
come in contact and shift the spur wheel and clutch box in gear with either
one bevil wheel or the other, and thereby give reversed motion to the shaft,
which carries the pinion gearing into the long rack; the instant at which
these changes are to be made being regulated by a projection on one of the
bevil wheels coming in contact with one of a number of projections on
one of the bosses. The number of times for reversing can be increased or
diminished according to the number of cams in the revolving bosses or
stationary cam surfaces.
I apply this improved reversing motion to any purpose where it can be
used with advantage, such as traversing the length of the lift of the throstle
bobbin or winding frame, or for performing the work in any machine that
has hitherto been performed by a heart motion, mangle motion, rack, or any
other contrivance employed for giving a uniform or varied reverse motion..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Randal Harris in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RANDAL HARRIS, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Randal Harris, Her special license that I, the said William
Randal Harris, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Randal Harris, my 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, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO

page_text: APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I
the said William Randal Harris, my executors or administrators, by an instru
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Randal Harris, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
First, I employ improved arrangements for working the doffing comb of the
doffing cylinder of carding engines. The comb is fixed to arms on a tube or
shaft in the ordinary manner, but for working the comb up and down I employ
an endless strap or band fixed at one part to the tube or shaft, and at another
part to a stud or projection on one of the supports or pedestals. Between
the inner sides of the strap I place a bowl or roller working on a stud or
shaft made eccentric with another shaft of which it forms part, so that as this
eccentric shaft revolves the bowl bas an eccentric motion, and presses the
strap first on one side and then on the other, and causes the comb to vibrate
up and down, and as the strap gives way to the eccentric with great ease, and
there is no strain on the eccentric at the top and bottom of the stroke, the
comb can be worked at a great speed with very little power without the shocks
and wear and tear arising from the present modes of working the combs.
Or instead of one eccentric bowl between the sides of the strap I employ
two bowls having eccentric motion one on each side of the strap. I form the
straps or bands of leather, metal, or other suitable material, but I prefer to
make them of that description of leather known as picker leather, used for
the pickers of looms, or I use metal and leather combined.
In another arrangement I connect one end of a flexible plate or spring to
one of the arms which carry the comb, or to a lever or arm connected to the
tube or shaft which carries the arms, and attach the other end of the plate or
spring to a stationary stud or screw fixed to one of the pedestals or framework
of the machine. I cause the aforesaid flexible plate or spring to be bent out.
of the straight line by means of a revolving crank or eccentric, and allow it to
become straight by its own elasticity, and thereby give two up-and-down
motions to the comb for one revolution of the crank or eccentric. Or instead
of one flexible plate I employ two, and cause a cam to work between them, so
that when the cam is in one position the plates will be bent and bring down

page_text: the arms and comb, but when the cam is in another position the plates will be
free to extend and raise the arms and comb, there being with either the single
or double flexible plates spiral springs employed when necessary to assist the
plates in their return to their straight forms.
Secondly, I employ an improved reversing motion which can be applied
advantageously to an Invention entitled "Improvements in Carding Engines
for Carding Cotton and other Fibrous Materials," for which Letters Patent
were granted to George Wellman on the Eleventh day of September One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, Number 2190. In that Iuvention there
was an arrangement of machinery for stripping or cleaning the flats of carding
engines, in which arrangement there was a long double rack with a pinion
travelling round it for shifting the stripping apparatus to the right position for
Instead of the double
cleaning the flats alternately in a uniform manner.
rack I employ a single rack with a pinion geared in it, and give the pinion
alternate to-and-fro motion on the rack by means of the aforesaid improved
reversing motion, the arrangement of which I will now describe. On the
pinion shaft I place two bevil wheels working loose and gearing into another
bevil wheel on a shaft or stud at right angles with the first shaft. The last
bevil wheel carries a spiral or scroll thread geared into tho teeth of a spur
wheel in such manner that oue revolution of the scroll thread turns the spur
wheel one tooth or more according to the form of the scroll. At the sides of
the spur wheel there are bosses and cams and the sides of the wheel itself are
placed in the groove of a clutch box between the first-mentioned two bevil
wheels, there being stationary inclines or cam surfaces against which the
revolving cams can come in contact and shift the spur wheel and clutch box
in gear with either one bevil wheel or the other, and thereby give reversed
motion to the shaft which carries the pinion gearing into the long rack; the
instant at which these changes are to be made being regulated by a projection
on one of the bevil wheels coming in contact with one of a number of pro-
jections on one of the bosses. The number of times for reversing can be
increased or diminished according to the number of cams in the revolving
bosses and stationary cam surfaces..
I apply this improved reversing motion to any purpose where it can be used
with advantage, such as traversing the length of the lift of the throstle bobbin
or winding frame, or for performing the work in any machine that bas
hitherto been performed by a heart motion, mangle motion; rack, or any
other contrivance employed for giving a uniform or varied reverse motion.
This Invention will be clearly understood by referring to the figures and
letters on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2

page_text: are side and front elevations, and Fig. 3 a plan of one of my improved arrange:
ments for working the doffing comb of the carding engine, and Figs. 4, 5,
and 6 are side elevations of modified arrangements for the same purpose;
Figs. 7 and 8 are front and side elevations of my improved reversing motion;
Fig. 9, a side view of one of the parts detached; and Fig. 10 is a side
elevation of part of a carding engine having the reversing motion attached.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the comb a is mounted on arms fixed to the hollow
shaft b, and the comb has its vibrating or to-and-fro movement imparted to it
by means of the strap c, the two ends of which are fastened by a bolt d to a
bracket e fixed to or forming part of the standard f, which forms one of the
bearings for the hollow shaft b, and is bolted to the framework g of the machine.
The top of the strap c is fastened to the hollow shaft b by the bolt h, and
between the two bands of the strap there is a bowl or roller i working on a
cranked or eccentric part of the shaft j, in order to act as an eccentric, and
the shaft carries at its other end the driving pulley k, there being when
desired at the front and back of the hollow shaft, or at the back only, a flat
plate, as shewn at z, Fig. 3, for enabling the resistance of the air to counteract
the shock at each reverse movement of the comb, or springs may be used
instead. It will be readily seen that at each revolution of the eccentric each
band of the strap is forced outwards and afterwards pulled inwards, the effect
of which is to cause the comb to vibrate up and down with great ease and
efficiency. The bowl or roller i is shewn perfectly round, but when desired I
make it slightly oval or of a cam shape.
In Fig. 41 shew the arrangement in which I use two eccentric bowls or
rollers instead of one. The shaft j is mounted with a driving pulley, as in the
former example, but on the cranked or eccentric part of the shaft I place two
bowls or rollers, and pass one side of the strap c over one bowl, and the other
side of the strap over the other bowl. The top of the strap is fastened to the
hollow shaft b, and the bottom to the bracket e, and as the two eccentrics
revolve cach side of the strap is moved in and out alternately and causes the
comb to vibrate up and down, there being one or more resisting plates,
similar to that shewn in Fig. 3, or springs.
In the arrangement shewn in Fig. 5 the comb a is mounted on the hollow
shaft b, and has its two-and-fro motion imparted to it by means of a disc and
crank and metallic spring, instead of the eccentric and strap. The disc is
shewn at 7, and in it there is a crank pin m, which turns freely in its bearing,
and has at one end a recess or groove, in which is placed a metallic spring n,
fixed at the bottom to a stationary bracket or projection o, and at the top by
the bolt p to the hollow shaft b, the disc being fixed to the driving shaft j,

page_text: mounted with a pulley, as in the former examples. Or instead of the disc I
make the driving shaft of the same diameter as the disc, and bore through it a
hole for the notched pin m to work freely in it. For keeping the parts firm,
and facilitating the steady working of the comb, I employ the spiral spring q,
and it will be seen that by this arrangement two vibrating or to-and-fro move-
ments are obtained for one revolution of the driving shaft and pulley.
In the modification shewn in Fig. 6, instead of employing an eccentric or
eccentric pin, I fix on the driving shaft j a double tappet r, placed between
two metal springs 8, 8, fixed at the bottom to a stationary bracket or projection
and at the top to the hollow shaft b, and as the tappet revolves it gives by its
alternate action two vibrating movements of the comb for one of the driving
shaft, there being, as in Fig. 5, a spring 7 for keeping the parts steady, which
springs may be of other shapes as well as spiral, and the position of the spiral
springs and springs n and s, s, may be reversed.
The second part of my Invention consists in an improved arrangement of
mechanism by means of which I convert motion always turning in one direction
to rotary motions turning alternately in different directions, the change in the
direction and the relative duration of each rotary motion being effected as
desired by self-acting arrangements.
In Figs. 7 and 8, representing my improved reversing motion, the bevil
wheel a, and the circular plate b, which are formed of one piece, turn freely
on the pin or stud c, and are the parts which receive the rotary motion always
in one direction, and which by means of various intermediate parts cause the
shaft d to have rotary motion sometimes to the left and sometimes to the
right. The intermediate parts for causing these changes of motion are the
bevil wheels e and f, loose on the shaft d, the clutch h, held on the same shaft
by means of a key or feather, and the tootbed wheel i, mounted on the shaft k,
to which are held the collars l, m. It is the bevil wheels a, e, and f, which
give motion to the shaft d, and the parts b, i, h, 1, and m, which regulate the
changes of its motion, or the reverse directions of its rotation; that is, the
action of these parts consist in transmitting motion alternately to the shaft d,
sometimes by the bevil wheel e and sometimes by the bevil wheel f. In
Fig. 7 it is the bevil wheel e, which is geared into the wheel a, and gives
motion to the shaft d. To the plate 6 is fixed a worm or scroll g gearing
into the wheel i, of twenty-four teeth, so that for one revolution of the plate
and worm the wheel is turned the distance of a tooth, the said wheel being
held to the shaft k by the key n, Fig. 8, which key also turns the two
collars and m. The collar 1, shewn detached in Fig. 9, carries two
teeth o and o', each of which, after the passage of twelve teeth of the wheel i,

page_text: comes in contact with a projection p on the boss of the wheel f, which pro-
jection turns the collars a fraction of a revolution in the same direction as it
was turning, as indicated by the arrow, the effect of which is to bring the cam
m on the collar m in contact with the stationary cam m³, which thereby
pushes to the right the shaft k, with the collars l, m, and toothed wheel i,
until the cam on the collar is nearly in contact with the frame, and as the
sides of the wheel i are enclosed between the flanges of the clutch h the latter
is also moved to the right, so as to disengage it from the projection or clutch on
the wheel e, and cause it to clutch with the projection or clutch on the wheel f,
and thereby give a reverse motion to the shaft d, which continues its rotation
until the other twelve teeth of the wheel i have turned, and then the reverse action
takes place in consequence of the contact of the teeth o' with the projection p,
and that of the cam with the stationary cam 1, and so on continually.
For enabling the collars and m and shaft k to move a short distance
without any effect upon the wheel i, I make the key way in the wheel wider
than the key on the shaft, as shewn at n, Fig 8.
It will be seen that the motion of the shaft d is reversed at each twelve
revolutions, corresponding, with half a revolution of the shaft k, but if it is
desired to cause the reversion to take place more rapidly there must be more
teeth on the collar l, and more fixed cams and m². For example, if the
change of motion should take place after the passage of six teeth of the wheel
i, or at six revolutions of the shaft d, the collar 1 should have four teeth, and
there should be two fixed cams and two m², and if it is desired to obtain a
varied reversing motion at four, eight, five, and seven teeth of the wheel i, for
twenty-four revolutions of the shaft d, the effect is obtained by placing the
teeth on the collar 1, corresponding with the desired reversion.
It has been stated that the wheel i has twenty-four teeth, but it is evident
that any other number may be employed, and that the dimensions of the parts
and numbers of revolving and stationary cams can be varied according to
circumstances. The plate b, worm 9, and
motion in one direction imparted to it
of the plate and wheel, or either of the
a collar working loose on the shaft d to any other toothed wheel having
continuous or intermittent motion always in one direction.
bevil wheel a may have its rotary
either by a spur wheel on the boss
wheels e, f, may be connected by
In Fig. 10 I shew the application of this reversing motion to the carding
engine, as an improvement upon an Invention for which Letters Patent were
granted to George Wellman on the Eleventh day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty, Number 2190.
According to that Invention it was proposed to employ two segmental mangle

page_text: racks, secured one to each side of the box or framing of the carding engine, for
obtaining the desired to-and-fro travelling motion of the rocker frame which
carries the "top" raising and stripping mechanism and driving gear for
actuating the same. This rocker frame worked round the boxes which carry
the ends of the main shaft of the carding drum and carried near its upper end
a double cam gear which imparted all the motions requisite for raising and
stripping the top cards as well as that for traversing the rocker frame from one
top card to another. The rotatory motion of this double cam gear was derived
either from the doffer shaft or from the shaft of the main carding drum itself.
One portion of the periphery of each double cam gear was provided with an extra
segment of teeth, which geared into and imparted rotation to a pinion carried
on the end of a swinging arm jointed to the rocker frame, the axis, of this
pinion being provided with a set plate, which by bearing upon a set rim on the
double cam gear
held the pinion stationary after each revolution. A second
pinion was fitted on to the axis of the first pinion and geared into the teeth of
the mangle racks secured to the framing of the carding machine. Instead of
a mangle rack and swinging frame at each side of the machine I employ a
single rack and fixed arm, and gear the aforesaid second pinion into the rack,
which pinion is fixed to the shaft d of the reversing motion, by which it can be
turned alternately in different directions, either at uniform distances for
cleaning the flats one after the other alternately, or at varied distances for
cleaning a portion of the flats a greater number of times than the others. In
Fig. 10 represents the rocker frame before mentioned'; s the first pinion
which is worked by the toothed segment on the double cam gear t, which
pinion is connected by a collar with one of the wheels e, f, of the reversing
motion, to the shaft d of which is fixed the pinion u gearing into the stationary
rack v, there being a set plate w connected to the pinions for keeping it
steady after each revolution. When desired the rack and reversing motion
may be placed nearer the centre of the main cylinder than shewn in the
Drawing, and thereby enable short movements on the rack to give the rocker
frame and parts connected their required to-and-fro movements.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim,
First, the straps c, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and modes of working them for
giving one to-and-fro motion of the comb for one revolution of the driving shaft,
and the springs n, 8, 8, Figs. 5 and 6, and modes of working them for giving
two to-and-fro motions of the comb for one revolution of the driving shaft and
also the resisting surfaces z, Figs. 3 and 4, or their substitution by springs, and

page_text: the springs q, Figs. 5 and 6, for counteracting the shocks arising from the
reverse motions of the comb.
Secondly, the worm or scroll g, Figs. 7 and 8, the toothed wheel i, the
collars l, m, the projections o, o¹, on the callar 1, the revolving cams l', m', and
the stationary cams 1, m³, used in combination with the bevil wheels a, e, f, t
and the clutch box h for giving a varied or uniform reverse motion, and the
application of this improved reversing motion to the carding engine, as shewn
and described, and also its application to spinning and winding machinery, or
to any other purpose in which it can be advantageously employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Randal Harris, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named William Randal Harris, in the
presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
W. R. HARRIS. (L.S.)