Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec.. 1888
We GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the firm of Ashworth Brothers
of the Moss Brook Works Collyhurst, Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows :-
The
Our said Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
a certain part or of certain parts at the doffing end of the carding engine.
calender rollers which receive the web of fibre from the doffer are usually mounted in
bearings upon a stay plate or bracket commonly known as the front plate extending
between the side frames. A web guide is supported from the bracket carrying the
calender rollers, the said guide consisting merely of a flat plate carried on studs and
shaped so as to turn in the edges of the web as it passes over the guide and enters
between the rollers. To shield the web on its passage between the doffer and the
guide from disturbing air currents and draughts, cast iron plates have in a few
instances been mounted on the front plate which carries the calender rollers
such guard plates extending from the calender bracket to the side frames
of the engine, or to the end of the front or stay plate. These guard plates
did not however present an unbroken wind guard and did not shut off the brackets
which carry the doffing comb shaft bearings, which from the escaping lubricant are
peculiarly liable to gather fluff and dust from the doffer. According to our Invention
we secure to the front of the aforesaid front or stay plate a shield or plate of polished
steel. The front of the stay plate is preferably made of a continuous elliptical or
other curve from side to side of the carding engine and the steel plate is bent to the
same curve and secured by screws or bolts to a flange projecting downward from the
stay plate. The steel plate is brought close up to each end of the doffing cylinder and
extends uninterruptedly round from side to side shutting out the brackets and bearings
of the doffing comb shaft and also the bracket which supports the calender rollers.
At the point at present occupied by the web guide we fashion the plate of the same
shape as the guide so that a separate web guide can be dispensed with. We might how-
ever use the ordinary web guide in conjunction with the continuous shield plate. The
complete shutting in of the fleece or web prevents disturbance from draughts of air and
keeps the adjacent parts of the engine much cleaner. As the improved front plate extends

page_text: in a continuous curve from side to side, accumulating fluff can be easily removed by a
single sweep of the attendant's hand. In those cases where the shield is fashioned to
act also as a web-guide the supporting studs of the ordinary web guide being no longer
present, a clear space exists beneath the web between the guide and the calender
rollers so that the fluff which frequently settles on the studs and by rising to the level
of the web interferes therewith, woukl not under our Invention be such a source of
trouble.
We might however retain the usual web guide and carry the said protecting steel
plate from each side of the calender roller bracket round to each end of the doffer
cylinder so as to obtain the complete and unbroken shield which we find to be so
advantageous and both in the latter construction and in the arrangement herein before
referred to we might use a shield or shields of wrought or cast iron or other suitable
metal or material.
1
1009

page_text: Improvements in the Construction. of Carding Engines.
We GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the firm of Ashworth Brothers
of the Moss Brook Works, Collyhurst. Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, 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 and accompanying drawings :-
Our said Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement, of
a certain part or of certain parts at the doffing end of the carding engine. The
calender rollers which receive the web of fibre from the doffer are usually mounted in
bearings upon a stay plate or bracket commonly known as the front plate extending
between the side frames. A web guide is supported from the bracket carrying the
calender rollers, the said guide consisting merely of a flat plate carried on studs and
shaped so as to turn in the edges of the web as it passes over the guide and
enters between the rollers. To shield the web on its passage between the doffer
and the guide from disturbing air currents and draughts, cast iron plates have
in a few instances been mounted on the front plate which carries the calender
rollers such guard plates extending from the calender bracket to the side frames
of the engine, or to the end of the front or stay plate. These guard plates did
not however present an unbroken wind guard and did not shut off the brackets
which carry the doffing comb shaft bearings, which from the escaping lubricant
are peculiarly liable to gather fluff and dust from the doffer. According to our
Invention we secure to the front of the aforesaid front or stay plate a shield or
plate of polished steel. The front of the stay plate is preferably made of a con-
tinuous elliptical or other curve from side to side of the carding engine and the
steel plate is bent to the same curve and secured by screws or bolts to a flange
projecting down from the stay plate. The steel plate is brought close up to each
end of the doffing cylinder and extends uninterruptedly round from side to side
shutting out the brackets and bearings of the doffing comb shaft and also the
bracket which supports the calender rollers. At the point at present occupied by
the web guide we fashion the plate of the same shape as the guide so that a
separate web guide can be dispensed with.
The manner in which we carry our invention into effect is illustrated by the
accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 contains an elevation, Fig. 2 a Plan, and
Fig. 3 an end view of the said steel plate. In the said Figs. a is the said steel
plate is the said stay plate e is the extreme end of the carding engine under framing
at the doffer end of the engine and d is the comb shaft. A portion of one of
the doffer end casings appears at e in Fig. 3 and portions of both such end
casings at e. e in Fig. 2. In the example the plate a is bent to a semi elliptical
form as indicated in Fig. 2 and is attached by its two ends to the doffer end
casings e. e. The lower part of the plate is bolted or secured to a downward
projecting flange formed on the stay plate as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3

page_text: convex
the front edge of the said stay plate and the face of the said 'flange being curved
to suit the shape of the plate a. It will be seen that any oil which may trickle
from the bearings of the comb shaft will pass down behind the back or
side of the plate a and as the upper edge of the said plate extends nearly to the
comb shaft it will be apparent that the sliver will be prevented from coming into
contact with the oily surfaces of the framing or pedestals. The complete shutting in
of the fleece or web prevents disturbance-from draughts of air and keeps the adjacent
parts of the engine much cleaner. The upper edge of the plate is cut or shaped at a³
so as to serve the purpose of the ordinary web guide. As the studs which carry the
ordinary web guide are not required when the plate a is used a clear space exists
beneath the web between the guide and the calender rollers so that the fluff which
frequently settles on the studs and by rising to the level of the web interferes there-
with, would not under our Invention be such a source of trouble. We niight however
use the ordinary web guide in conjunction with the continuous shield plate. The
inner or concave vertical face of the plate is finished smooth and bright so that there
shall be a minimum of tendency for the fluff or fly to adhere to such surface. As the
improved front plate extends in a continuous curve from side to side, accumulating fluff
can be easily removed by a single sweep of the attendant's hand. We do not confine
ourselves to the use of steel in the formation of the plate a although we prefer to make
such plate of sheet steel. We do not confine ourselves to the making of the guard a
in one piece as it might be convenient in some cases to make it in two pieces especially
when the ordinary web guide is retained. In such cases curved plates might extend
from each side of the calender roller bracket to each doffer end casing so as to be
practically equivalent to the shield or guard plate a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1) The sheet steel guard plate or shield a substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and indicated.
(2) The curved shield applied in front of the doffer of a carding engine connected
with the doffer end casings and extending upward nearly to the comb shaft substan-
tially as set forth.
Dated this First day of November 1888.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.