Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding the Flats of Revolving Flat Carding Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding the Flats of Revolving
Flat Carding Engines.
.
I, JOSEPH HIGGINSON, the younger, of 20 Canal Street, Ancoats, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the type of flat grinding apparatus described in
McConnel & Higginson's Specification No. 6599 of 1888 and it consists in several
improvements in the details of the mechanism there described.
One part of the invention consists in a tumbling or oscillating piece or lever so
arranged that each flat in its movement comes into contact with one end of the
oscillating piece and so acts on it that the other end or another part depresses the
flat and both ends acting in conjunction displace the flat from the wedge slide by
pressing at the edge and the centre or other position on the face. Oue end may
act as a wedge piece and the wedge action may be combined with a lever action so
as to force away the flats at the proper time. Sometimes a double incline may
be used.
Another part of the invention consists in an arrangement whereby the flats
successively relieve the weighted lever which presses them against the sliding
wedge and keeps them well up to the grinding wheel. To effect this purpose a
projection from the weighted lever or any part of the weighted lever is connected
to the flats successively on either side of the grinding position in such manner
that as each flat is to be depressed the lever is moved to take off the pressure due
to the weight, from the back of the flat and so permit the flat to drop easily or be
casily forced away from the sliding wedge or wedges.
In addition to these devices I improve the action of the wedge slide or slides by
operating by means of a rack and pinion, the pinion being moved by a falling
weight attached by chain or cord. A segment piece may also be arranged to work
into the rack actuated by an oscillating weighted lever or a spiral or coiled spring
may be utilized for the same purpose. The wedge slide and rack may be made in
one piece or attached as most convenient.
The oscillating lever or piece is equally applicable to machines in which the flats
are ground when face downwards and so is the double incline arrangement as well
as the rack and pinion motion for the wedge slide.
Dated this 28th day of February 1891
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding the Flats of Revolving
Flat Carding Engines.
I, JOSEPH HIGGINSON, the younger, of 20, Canal Street, Ancoats, 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 relates to the type of flat grinding apparatus described in
McConnel and Higginson's Specification No. 6599 of 1888, and it consists in several
improvements in the details of the mechanism there described.

page_text: Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings;
Figures 1, 1, 2, 3, and 4 show my invention carried into effect in various
modifications.
One part of the invention consists in a tumbling or oscillating piece or lever, so
arranged that each flat in each movement comes into contact with one end of the
oscillating piece, and so acts on it, that the other end or another part depresses the
flat, and both ends acting in conjunction, displace the flat from the wedge slide, hy
pressing at the edge and the centre or other position on the face. One end may
act as a wedge piece and the wedge action may be combined with a lever action so
as to force away the flats at the proper time. This arrangement is shown at
Figures 1 and 1 where in Figure 1 the flat a travelling in the direction of the
arrow first comes into contact with the end of the oscillating piece or lever c, e;
the edge of the flat then causes the said lever or piece to oscillate about its axis b,
and the end e is thereby depressed, thrusting down the flat a so that when both
ends c¹, care in contact with the flat it assumes a position such as at a Figure M,
and is removed or liberated from the wedge slide. The ends c, ch may be so
arranged that when in contact with the face of a Hat such as a, a wedge action is
kept up, the line joining e, e¹ being inclined relatively to the line of travel of the
said flat. A stop e³ may be arranged to limit the oscillation.
Another part of the invention consists in an arrangement whereby the flats
successively relieve the weighted lever which presses them against the sliding
wedge, and keeps them well up to the grinding wheel.
To effect this purpose a projection from the weighted lever or any part of the
weighted lever is connected to the flats successively on either side of the grinding
position, in such manner, that as each flat is to be depressed, the lever is moved to
take off the pressure, due to the weight, from the back of the flat, and so permit
the flat to drop easily or be easily forced away from the sliding wedge or
wedges.
Instead of acting on the weighted lever directly, I sometimes act on it through
the flat above it, by one end of a lever controlled as hereinbefore described, by the
passage of the successive flats, and such a device is illustrated at Figure 3; but an
arrangement intermediate between Figures 1 and 3 is shown at Figure 2. The
weighted lever e (Figure 2) is forcing up the flat to its position against the wedge
slide, and the oscillating lever or piece a, d¹ is being so oscillated by the flat a that
the end d rises, and the end is depressed, and the lever is arranged that one end
is on the rising flat, and the other is on the falling one, so that as the flat a rises
the flat a¹ is depressed and forced clear of the sliding wedge.
In Figure 3 a lever, is shown as pivoted at fand the end comes into
successive contact with the flats a, a, a, as they move over the bend of the machine
in the direction indicated by the arrows. Each passing flat thus moves the end f
and causes the other end to force down the flats a', a in succession, as they are
required to be removed from contact with the grinding surface and engagement
with the wedge slide. In this manner a lever is connected to the flats successively,
and released between the flats.
It will be readily understood that the lever f³ may be so arranged that any
moving flat causes it to move by contact with it, at the proper time, and so the flats
may be accurately forced away from the wedge slide.
In addition to these devices I improve the action of the wedge slide or slides by
operating by means of a rack and pinion, the pinion being moved by a falling
weight attached by chain or cord, or attached directly to a lever. A segment piece
may also be arranged to work into the rack actuated by an oscillating weighted
lever, or a spiral or coiled spring may be utilized for the same purpose. The wedge.
slide, and rack may be in one piece or attached as most convenient. Figure 4
shows a wedge slide actuated by means of the rack part to which it is attached
or of which it forms part.
The toothed segment lever k is attached to the balance weight
back the rack when the flat a is forced away from the wedge slide.
which moves

page_text: The flat a moving in the direction of the arrow operates the wedge slide 1, and
so causes the rack to move the segment lever and raise the weight A'.
So soon
as the flat a is forced from the wedge slide the weight falls, and the slide /
moves rapidly into position to engage another flat.
The oscillating lever or piece is equally applicable to machines in which the flats
are ground when face downwards, and so is the double incline arrangement as well
as the rack and pinion action for the wedge slide.
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) In apparatus for grinding the flats of revolving flat carding engines, an
oscillating piece or lever so arranged, that each advancing flat comes in contact with
one end of the said piece or lever, and causes the other end to force the flat away
from the wedge slide at the desired position, after grinding, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2) In apparatus for grinding the flats of revolving flat carding engines, an
oscillating piece or lever, so arranged that successive flats act on one end of the
lever, and cause the other end to force away other successive flats at the desired or
predetermined position, after grinding, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(3) In apparatus for grinding the flats of revolving flat carding engines, a
weight or spring actuated rack and segment, or rack and pinion arrangement, for
moving the wedge slide, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of December 1891.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.