Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 15th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted. 16th Dec., 1887
1, JAMES MACQUEEN of Withington near Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Engineor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in methods of grinding the flats from the face which
rests on the elastic bend when working. To any convenient part of the Engine Framing
I attach a bracket which carries a horizontal shaft the inner end of which carries a
wheel which geers into the snugs on the flats by which they are driven. This
wheel is formed so that the part which comes into contact with the snug on the flat
is held up by a spring or its equivalent. On the other end of said shaft is fixed a
Bevel which geers into another on an upright shaft which is carried in any suitable
bracket and on the top end of this shaft is fixed a wheel with projections on its
under side made to suit the angle and width of the flats.
The motion of the flats is transmitted to the last named wheel from the elastic
wheel which is driven by the flats through the pair of Bevels. The elastic wheel
lifts the flats up against the projections on under side of the wheel on top of upright
and brings the points of the wire on the flats into line when passing under the
grinding roller and so makes all the flats alike in the relation of the working parts to
the points of the wire which is of the utmost importance in producing good
carding.
In another method I place an endless chain above the flats each link of which
corresponds to the end of the flats in width and angle. By the action of the
elastic wheel the flats are lifted up against the links of the chain which are held in
line by a straight piece fixed inside of the chain. The chain is driven from the flats
in a similar way to the other method.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grinding the Revolving Flats of Carding Engines.
I, JAMES MACQUEEN of Withington near Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Engineer 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 :-
My invention consists in new methods for grinding the Flats of Carding Engines
from their faces that rest on the elastic Bends when working whereby the points of
the wire on the Flats shall be equal distance from and equal angle to the wire on the
Cylinder when working. The accompanying Drawings illustrate the methods I prefer in
carrying out my improvements. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a Carding Engine.
Fig. 2 is a front sectional elevation of the same and Fig. 3 shews the geering
detached so that it may be easier understood I have only shown one side of a Carding
Engine but a similar arrangement is employed on each side. The same part is
indicated by the same letter in all the Figures. a is part of the Bend of a Carding
Engine is the elastic Bend upon which the Flats move when working are the
Flats resting on the elastic Bend and 63 are the same when grinding and which rest
on the top end of the bracket c. e is the grinding roller carried in the bracket
which is bolted to the bracket c this bracket carries the two chain pullies g and
chain each link of which corresponds with the ends of the Flats both in width and
angle i is an adjustable plane carried by the studs on which the chain pullies 7, 9,
revolve above the links of the chain h. The lever is also carried on a stud in the
bracket c one end of this lever is attached to a spring j³ the other end of which is
fixed to the bracket c. The other end of lever j carries a shaft on the inner end
of which is fixed a star wheel j and on its outer end the wheel k geering into the
wheel which gears into m and this again into n on one of the chain pully
shafts this range of wheels are best seen in Fig. 3. The action of this arrangement is
as follows The chain is driven from the Flats through the train of wheels shown
in Fig. 3. The star wheel being driven by the snugs on the Flats by which they are
driven each link of the chain moves at the same speed as each Flat. The spring j³
acting on the lever and star wheel j presses the star wheel up against the snugs of
the Flats & thereby brings the working face of the Flat into contact with a link of the
chain and raises the back of the link up against the fixed plane i along which the
links move in a line paralell to the points of the wire on Flats and equal distance and
angle from the working face of the Flats and consequently inust be also the same
distance from and angle to the wire on the Cylinder when working. By another
method shewn in Figs. 4 and 5 I dispense with the train of wheels shewn in Fig. 3.
On the centre of each link of the chain h at o, o I raise a projection which takes into
3

page_text: a hole in each Flat and they are thus driven by the Flats directly and instead of the
Flats being raised by the spring lever and wheel & they may be raised by the
spring e as shewn in Figs. 4 & 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st. The use of an endless chain with link of unequal thickness substantially as
and for the purpose set forth and described.
2nd. The combination of an endless chain and fixed plane substantially as and for
the purpose set forth and described.
Dated thi. 14th Ja
Nahan 1007