IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING AND PREPARING SILK WASTE AND Tow
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Souter, of Castleton, in the County of Lancaster,
Silk Manufacturer, and Joseph Entwisle, of Bury, in the same County,
Clothier, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING
AND PREPARING SILK WASTE AND Tow."
Sealed the 22nd August 1876, and dated the 30th June 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Souter and Joseph
Entwisle at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th June 1876.
WILLIAM SOUTER, of Castleton, in the County of Lancaster, Silk Manufacturer,
and JOSEPH ENTWISLE, of Bury, in the same County, Clothier.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING AND PREPARING SILK WASTE AND Tow."
Our Invention consists in an improved arrangements of parts for opening or pre-
paring raw or boiled silk waste or tow.
The machinery consists of a feeding apron and a series of rollers covered with card
fillets, which deliver the fibres on to a toothed drum. When the toothed drum is full
the fleece of fibres is cut across and removed by delivering rollers or otherwise; the
fleece of fibres then passes to the ordinary filling machine to be prepared for the
dressing frame, in which an endless belt of combs with straight or bent teeth acts
on the fibres contained in the holders; these combs are stripped by a revolving
brush, which deposits the fibres on a card or toothed drum.
In some cases the fibres are allowed to accumulate on the drum, and then are
removed by cutting across the fleece, or they may be doffed by a comb, as in a
carding engine. The fibres are then taken to a machine consisting of an endless
belt, and a feed roller provided with a shell, which delivers them to the combs on a
revolving drum. By this machine the fibres are prepared for the subsequent
operations of dressing..
Our Invention consists also in removing knots or other impurities from the
rovings when distended over rollers by means of a card roller, which is stripped by
a brush, which brush is stripped by a fixed card. Under the card roller is a
grinding roller to keep the card teeth in proper working order. The card roller is
moved sideways when passing the roving around the tension rollers by a forked
lever.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Souter and Joseph Entwisle in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd December 1876.
WILLIAM SOUTER, of Castleton, in the County of Lancaster, Silk Manufacturer,
and JOSEPH ENTWISLE, of Bury, in the same County, Clothier.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING AND PREPARING SILK WASTE AND Tow."
Our Invention consists in certain improved arrangements and combinations of
machinery for opening or preparing raw or boiled silk waste or tow more effectually
and economically than was heretofore practicable.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 represents our improved machinery for opening or preparing raw silk
waste or tow. The machine consists of the feeding apron a, on which the silk waste
or tow is spread by hand, and by which it is carried forward to the rollers b, b,
which carry it forward to the feed rollers c, c, which deliver it to the main toothed
drum d, on which the fibres of silk waste or tow accumulate. The roller e, covered
with card fillet, acts on the surface of the upper feed roller c, and on the main
drum d, and assists in straightening the fibres. When the drum is full the fleece of.
fibres is cut across and removed by the delivering rollers f, f, or otherwise.
Fig. 2 represents an ordinary filling machine. The fleece of fibres from the
machine shewn in Fig. 1 is spread on the feeding apron g, and after passing between
the rollers h and i the fibres are delivered to the combs j on the drum j¹; the
brush e presses the fibres into the combs. As this drum revolves the fibres accu-"
multe in the combs j, and when the combs are filled the machine is stopped, and
the fibres are removed from the combs in the usual manner. The fibres are then
taken to our improved dressing frame shewn in Fig. 3.
The fibres of silk waste or tow taken from the combs j are placed in the holders
of the frame k, above which is the endless belt of combs ; these combs are provided
with straight or bent teeth, and as the endless belt moves around the drums m and
n the combs act on and dress the fibres projecting from the holders. As the combs
pass round the drum n the fibres are continuously stripped out of the combs by the
revolving brush o, which deposits them on the lap drum p, on which they are
allowed to accumulate. When the drum is full the fleece is cut across and removed,
or the fibres may be deposited on a doffer, from which they are removed by a
doffing comb, as in carding engines of the usual construction. The holder frame k
is made to rise and fall in the usual manner by means of the cams q and levers q³,
which are connected by the rod r¹ and chain to the drum 8, and this drum is
turned partly round by the catch m¹ actuated by an eccentric on the axle of the
drum m taking into a ratchet wheel which is connected to the drum 8 by a train of
wheels and pinions. As soon as the holder frame k has reached its full height the
catch m¹ is lifted out of contact with its ratchet wheel, and the holder frame is then
lowered in the usual manner.
The fleece of fibres from the dressing frame is now taken to the filling machine
shown in Fig. 4. In this machine the fibres are spread on the feeding apron t,,
which delivers them to the toothed roller u, above which is the shell u³, the lower
edge of which comes nearly in contact with the circumference of the combs on the
drum v; these combs collect the fibres presented to them by the roller u, and these
fibres are combed over the edge of the shell u¹. The combs when full are taken
back to the holder frame k of the dressing machine shewn in Fig. 3, where the
fibres are again dressed, and these operations are repeated as many times as may
be required.
Figs. 5 and 6 represent an elevation and plan of our improved machinery for
w is a bobbin con-
removing knots or other impurities from rovings of silk waste.
taining the roving to be cleaned. The roving is taken from the bobbin w around

page_text: the guide wire w¹, and then around the rollers x, x¹, and it is crossed between the
two rollers to give the requisite friction. Near to the roller x¹ is the card roller y,
which is set so as to act on the roving distended over the roller a¹; this action of
the card roller y removes the impurities from the roving which is carried from the
roller x through a guide wire, and then wound on the bobbin A by the drum A¹. The
card roller y is stripped by the brush z, and the brush is stripped by the fixed
card z¹. Under the card roller y is the grinding roller B, which keeps the card
teeth in proper working condition, and the card roller is moved gradually to and
fro on its axis when acting on the roving by the forked lever y¹ actuated by hand
or power.
Having thus stated the nature and particulars of our Invention we declare that
we claim,-
Firstly. Dressing or preparing silk waste or tow by the system of machines shewn
in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, as described.
Secondly. The improved dressing machine shewn in Fig. 3, in which the fibres
are continuously stripped from the combs, and collected in the form of a fleece, as
described.
And, Thirdly. The improved machinery for cleaning rovings of silk waste, as
shewn and described in reference to Figs. 5 and 6.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Souter and Joseph Entwisle, have
hereto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of December One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM SOUTER,
JOSEPH ENTWISLE. (L.S.)
(LAD)