other Fibres in Carding and other Machinery.
Year: 1886

page_text: other Fibres in Carding and other Machinery.
I ISAAC HOLDEN M.P. of Oakworth House Keighley in the County of York and
a Member of the firm of Isaac Holden & Sons of Bradford in the same County
Wool Combers 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 essentially in an endless apron composed of a series of
metal strips hinged or jointed together, provided with slat holding ears or
projections, the slats being provided with sharp teeth to enter the wool or other
fibre as will be described.
Other features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out and specifically
mentioned in the claims.
:41
Fig. 1 in section and by the full lines represents part of an apron embodying my
improvements, together with one of the cylinders or rolls to move the said apron,
part of the apron and the second cylinder or roll to
to move it being shown by
dotted lines.
Fig. 2. in side elevation shows part of one of the cylinders or rolls referred to.
Fig. 3. shows part of one of the strips used in the production of the endless metal
apron, before the said strip is bent to form a link of the apron.
Fig. 4. shows parts of two metal strips or links, completed and united together
as in the production of my improved apron, and
Fig. 5. is an enlarged sectional detail of one of the strips or links in the line x.
Figure 4, a slat being shown in place between the slat holding ears or projections.
Heretofore endless toothed aprons to carry wool and other fibre through the
machine in which it was being treated in the process of cleansing, assorting,
feeding &c have been composed of leather or canvas in whole or in part and in one
or more layers, and wooden slats with pins driven into them have been riveted to
the aprons.
Experiment has shown me that such class of apron is objectionable for many
reasons among which I'may state that 'the oil and other compounds in the wool act
11 +363

page_text: upon and rot the leather, and also soften the leather so that it looses its strength,
and so also that it stretches in which event the apron fails to feed evenly.
The slats attached to the flexible non-metallic backing by rivets are weakened
at the points where they receive the rivets, and they are also somewhat weakened
where the sharp needle-like teeth enter them, and it frequently happens that a slat
is torn from the apron, and also it frequently occurs that a tooth is forced back-
wards through the slat and the flexible backing thus destroyed the full efficiency of
the apron as a feeding device.
The class of apron referred to as in common use is quite expensive to make, and
much trouble and expense is experienced in making frequent repairs.
To obviate all the difficulties referred to and produce a more durable and efficient
apron, one which will not stretch or be affected by oil or moisture, and which may
be readily repaired in case of any accident to the teeth or slats, I have devised an
apron composed of metallic strips or links which cooperate as a chain to carry and
hold the slats and back up the slats and teeth therein. P
In the manufacture of my improved apron I take preferably sheet metal and cut
the same into pieces of a length substantially equal to the width desired for the
apron, and of a width to correspond with the width desired for each joint or link of
the apron.
+
I have shown part of such a strip at Fig. 3 wherein it will be seen that the strip
is so cut or shaped as to leave projections a, a at intervals, and between the said
projections, at opposite edges of the strip are other projections b, b', the latter
having slots 63, the projections b being reduced in width as compared with the
projections b¹ the said projections b corresponding in width substantially with the
length of the slots referred to.
A blank such as 'represented in Figure 3, it being of proper length, has its
projections a, a bent into the form represented in Fig. 4 where it will be seen that
the projections a, a'are made to constitute slat holding ears or projections marked c
the space left between the said ears or projections being adapted for the reception
endways of the wooden slats d carrying the sharp pointed pins or teeth g¹ driven
therein.
The metal strip or link constitutes a backing for the wooden slat, and prevents
the forcing of the teeth backwards through the said slat, the loss of teeth from a
slat resulting in imperfect feeding.
The projections 6 are bent to form hooks e, to enter the slots 6' referred to, the
hook of one strip engaging the slot of an adjacent strip the two cooperating as a
hinge to unite the strips together and form an endless apron or belt, the number of
strips or links employed varying according to the length of the apron.
In bending the projections a to form the slat holding ears or projections c, c there
is left in line with each other and between the hooks e, e, on one side, and the
projections b¹, b¹ on the other side, spaces g to receive the projections or teeth g¹ of
the cylinder g on the shaft g³, the said cylinder or roll being preferably many sided
to permit the strips or links to rest flat on the cylinder as the apron passes about
the cylinder, the cylinder herein shown having twelve flat faces.
In practice each apron will be passed over two cylinders, the shafts of one of
them being positively driven by suitable mechanism, such for instance as used to
drive the roller B in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to William Robert
Lake dated the 10th day of March 1879, N° 944 on, a communication from abroad
by William Calvert Bramwell.
The slat holding ears or projections c, c by embracing the wooden slats prevent
them from being easily split, the employment of the said ears obviating the use of
rivets to attach the slats in working position.
The slats when added to the strips or links are inserted longitudinally into the
recess between the ears, and so also in case of an accident to one of the strips it
may be readily drawn out and a new strip substituted for it.
An apron of this kind will not tear, and oil and moisture will not affect its
working quantities.

page_text: So far I have described the strips or lugs of the apron as composed of sheet metal,
which I prefer because, of lightness and cheapness, yet I do not desire to limit my
invention to the employment of only sheet metal, for the links may be made from
cast metal.
The toothed slats herein shown are substantially triangular, but it is obvious
that they might be of any other proper shape, the ears being bent or shaped to
correspond with the slats to be used and to be held in working position.
I do not desire to limit my invention to any particular number of pairs of ears or
projections a, or of hooks by which to connect the strips or links, nor to the exact
shape of each strip or link, nor to the exact shape of the hooks and ears or
projections.
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
1. An endless apron composed of a series of metal strips, hinged or jointed
together, and having slat holding ears or projections, and of toothed slats held by
the said strips, to operate, substantially as described.
2. An apron, composed of detachable metal links provided with slat holding ears
or projections, and a series of toothed slats embraced by the said ears or projections
the strips or links constituting a backing for the toothed slats and preventing the
backward movement of the teeth from the slats, substantially as described.
3. The cylinder g₁ provided with teeth, combined with an endless apron com-
posed of metallic strips hinged or jointed together, and provided with slat holding
ears or projections and having spaces g, and with a series of toothed slats,
substantially as described.
4. The arrangement or combination of parts of aprons or apparatus for feeding
or carrying wool and other fibres in carding and other machinery.
Dated this 27th day of May 1886.
WM BROOKES & SON,
Agents for the said Isaac Holden.