Improvements in Feeding Machines for Carding Engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements in Feeding Machines for Carding Engines.
I, LUTHER ANDREW PECKHAM, of 16 Armington Avenue, in the City of
Providence, County of Providence, State of Rhode Island, United States of
America, Boss Carder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN FEEDING MACHINES FOR CARDING ENGINES," and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming
part of the Specification :-
This invention relates to apparatus for supplying stock to carding machines or
engines.
The objects of my invention are to improve the uniformity of the feed and to render
the mechanism more efficient and positive in its operations.
My invention consists, principally, in the scale or balance and means for discharging
the same the intermittent-motion lifting-apron; means for operating the clutch on
the main-shaft by the scale-balancing devices, so as to connect and disconnect the
driving power and thereby start or stop the lifting apron, the vibrating evener and
vibrating stripper, and the invention further consists in the constructional details of
the various parts of the mechanism.
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have illustrated in the
accompanying drawings and will proceed to describe the best forms thereof so far
devised by me with the knowledge, however, that such forms may be variously modified
without making a substantial departure from the spirit of my invention.
In the accompanying drawings;-
Figure 1 is a side view of my improved card feeding device showing the balanced
levers of the balance and the gearing for revolving the scale receptacle, also the means
for vibrating the stripper.
Figure 2 is a view of the opposite side of my improved card-feeding device and
shows the gearing and connections whereby an intermittent motion is imparted to the
endless lifting apron.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of my improved card-feeding device showing the
endless lifting apron, the scale receptacle, the evener, the stripper and the movable
back.
Figure 4 is an enlarged side view of a device for regulating the movement of the
lifting apron.
Figure 5 is a sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, showing a portion
of the side frame in section as well as the lifting apron.
Figure 6 is a side view of the latch device for locking the upper end of the rod
connecting with the clutch and also the knock-off cam and the device for operating the
latch to release the upper end of the rod.
Figure 7 is a top view of the latch device and latch-releasing device.
Figure 8 is a front view of the evener showing the method of adjusting the blades
provided with teeth, and
Figure 9 shows another way of supporting and operating the evener.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of part of the lifting apron.
Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of a modified form of
card-feed.
Figure 12 represents enlarged detail perspective views of portions of the guard, the
equalizer and evener, and the catch shelf, respectively.
Figure 13 is an enlarged view of a portion of the vibrating stripper.
In the said drawings like numbers of reference designate corresponding parts
roughout.
Referring to the drawings the number 10 designates the sides of the case for.
го

page_text: holding the fibrous stock and on which are mounted in suitable bearings the various
parts of the mechanism. The endless lifting-apron 11 passes about the rollers 12, 12ª,
and receives its motion from the drive-shaft. 13 passing through the top roller 12",-
the apron travelling upward, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 3 of the drawings.
The two rollers 14, 15, are placed on the inside of the endless apron to relieve the
strain on the apron, by reason of the force exerted by the movable back in holding
the stock against the apron. The movable back is made in two parts the inner part 16
being supported on suitable brackets or side pieces 17 secured to the outer portion 18.
In Figure 3 the inner part of the back is shown as being pivoted to the bracket
at 19, the top portion of the bracket forming a stop to prevent the top of the inner
back being pushed backward. The spring 20 is secured in a suitable holding device
near the bottom of the bracket and in contact with the lower portion of the back 16,
thereby allowing a slight backward movement of the same so as to relieve it from any
unusual strain that might be brought to bear against it. The evener 21 is provided
with the semi-circular guard 28, which forms a movable continuation of the fixed top
piece 29, and is supported on and reciprocates with the cross-bar 30 forming part of
the evener, the evener is also provided with an adjustable comb. A front view of
the comb and part of the evener is shown in Figure 8 of the drawings, in which it is
seen that the comb is made in two parts. The plates 23 carrying the teeth 22 and
forming the comb are provided with the slots 24 through which the bolts 25 pass, so
that the comb may be readily adjusted by loosening the bolts 25 then lifting or
lowering the plates 23 and then tightening the bolts 25 to securely hold the plates in
the desired position.
In the preferred form of construction, that is the form illustrated in Figures 1, 2
and 3, the evener is shown as supported and having movement in the slots 26, one
being formed in each of the side frames 10, 10. A reciprocating movement is
imparted to the evener 21 from the main shaft 31 through the gear 32, intermediate
gear 33, gear 34, shaft 35, bevel-gear 36, bevel-gear 37, shaft 38, bevel-gear 39, bevel-
gear 40 secured to shaft 41 carrying the two disks 42, 42, one on each end. The
adjustable links 43, 43, are pivotally connected to the cross-bar 30 at one end and to
the bearing bolts 44, 44, adjustably secured in the slots 45, 45, formed in the
disks 42, 42. The comb of the evener extends across the path of the apron, and, when
vibrated, it moves so as to sweep over the top portion of the apron and comb and even
the stock off so that it may be properly fed to the stripper.
The clearer or guard 46 extends across the receptacle from one side to the other,
and is provided on its upper side with the teeth 47. The objects of the clearer or
guard are to prevent any of the stock being whipped off from the apron and also to
remove from the teeth of the evener any of the stock that might cling thereto and in
turn to be cleared from any adhering fibre by the teeth of the evener.
The endless lifting-apron 11 receives its movement through the ratchet-gear 48
provided with the outwardly extending hub and secured to the shaft 13 by a spline 49.
Mounted upon the hub of the gear 48 is the segmental rack or gear 50 provided with
the spring-pressed L-shaped pawl 51, one arm of which extends outwardly and rides
on or over the top surface of the cam 52.
The cam 52 is loosely mounted on the shaft 13 and extends outwardly therefrom
and is provided with the loosely pivoted pawl 53, and the spring-pressed bolt 54 for
holding the pawl 53 against the ratchet-gear 48, and has the handle 55 for lifting or
lowering the can, so that the outwardly extending finger of the pawl 51 will ride a
longer or shorter distance on the cam surface. The bolt 56 passes through the semi-
circular slot 57 formed in the outwardly extending portion and serves to hold the cam
in the desired position.
It will be readily seen that, as the ratchet-gear 48 is securely held to the shaft
carrying the top roller over which the apron 11 moves, the movement of the apron
will depend upon the movement of the ratchet gear, and consequently upon the
number of teeth the pawl 51 will take up. The largest movement of the apron is
obtained by loosening the bolt 56 and depressing the handle 55 to its lowest point,
when the cam surface will be entirely removed from contact with the outwardly

page_text: extending finger of the pawl 51, and consequently the pawl will, upon being
reciprocated, take up the largest number of teeth of the ratchet-gear 48 and con-
sequently move the apron the greatest distance, whereas, if the handle be lifted
to its highest point, the cam surface will be brought forward and the outwardly
extending finger of the pawl 51 will ride on it and engage with the smallest number
of teeth of the ratchet-gear 48 and the apron will be lifted the shortest distance. It
is, therefore, evident that the cam surface can be so set as to give just the desired
amount of lift to the apron, the variation in the lift of the apron depending upon the
quality and quantity of stock used.
:
The vibrating stripper 58 is provided with the comb 59 lying across the path of the
apron and the stripper is mounted upon the rocking shaft 60, which is rocked by the
sector-gear 61 secured thereto, which gear receives an oscillating motion from
reciprocating mechanism hereinafter described.
This stripper is also provided with the adjustable hrush 62 which is held in position
and is adjusted by the bolts 63 and 64. The stripper sweeps over a portion of the
apron and across the catch-shelf 65, which is slightly curved with the concave face
lying upwardly, and upon which are placed the comb-teeth 72. Upon each longi-
tudinal edge of the shelf is disposed a toothed blade 73. The vibrating stripper 58 and
the evener 21 are located at the upper end of the apron and are operated simultaneously
to even the fibre and strip the same from the apron.
An intermittent motion is imparted to the apron 11 by means of the following
mechanism Upon the drive-shaft 31 is mounted the gear 32 intermeshing with the
intermediate gear 33 which intermeshes with the gear 34 mounted on the shaft 35 and
provided with the slot 66 in which is secured the bearing pin 67. One end of the
connecting rod 68 is pivotally secured to the hearing pin 67, the other end being
secured to the bearing pin 69, mounted on the sector-gear 70, which intermeshes with
the gear 71 intermeshing with the rack 50 carrying the pawl 51, which pawl operates
the ratchet-gear 48 and imparts intermittent motion to the apron 11. The gear 71
also intermeshing with the sector-gear 61 will at the same time impart reciprocating
motion to the stripper 58.
The scale or balance and the discharging mechanism for the same consist of the
following parts-The receptacle formed with the two circular end-plates 74, one at
each end, the division plates 75 abutting against the end plates and strengthened by
the arms 76, the whole being attached to and supported on the shaft 77 which extends
through the two side-frames 10, 10, and is connected at one side to the balanced
lever 78 by the link 79, which is pivoted to the lever 78 at one end and supports the
end of the shaft 77 in a suitable bearing at the other end. The lever 78 is pivoted on
the fixed pin 80, the two rods E1 and 82 extend from the lever 78 to the lever 83,
thereby causing both the levers to move together; the lever 83 is pivoted on the fixed
pin 4 and carries the weight 85, a similar weight being carried by the lever 78. The
free end of the lever 83 is connected to the lever 86 by the strap 87. This lever 86
is pivoted to the bracket 88 and carries a weight 89 and latch-releasing device,
consisting of the sliding-rod 90 which is held in normal position by the spring 90°
and carries the outwardly extending adjustable pin 93 and the upwardly extending
finger 91, which finger 91 is acted on by the cam 92 attached to one end of the
shaft 60 to force the pin 93 against the bevelled upright fingers of the latch 94, thus
releasing the upper end of the rod 95 and allowing the same to drop, and, through the
bell-crank 96, release the friction-clutch 97 and stop the entire operation of the feed.
The friction-clutch 97 may be of any of the ordinary and well-known forms of
friction clutches. The latch 94 is supported on the bracket 104 and is held closed by
the spring 105, one end of which is held by the pin secured to the bracket and the
other end by the pin which passes through a slot in the bracket and is fastened to the
latch, as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.
The vertical support bar 98 is pivoted to, the balanced lever 83 at 99 and supports
the end of the shaft 77 provided with the gear 100 and carries the intermediate
gear 101 and the gear 102 on suitable bearings, and is held against sidewise move-
ment by the link 103. The gear 102 is provided with a number of pins 106.
7

page_text: One side of the receptacle is formed by the division plates 75 and the other side
by the swinging plate 107 which is hinged to the under side of the catch-shelf 65,
the bottom being always formed by one of the division plates 75 and the ends by the
circular ends of the rotary scale. The corrugated presser roller 111 is supported over
the endless delivery apron 18, which passes over the rollers 109, 110. The presser
board 112 is pivoted at the top, one of the pivots extending through the side frame 10,
and has the L-shaped lever 113 secured to it. One arm of the lever 113 carries
the weight 114,-to the lower end of the other arm is attached the link 115 carrying
a friction roller at its free end. The cam 116 is mounted on the shaft 117 and
operates against the friction roller so as to swing the presser board outward, the
weight 114 returning the presser board to the normal position, as soon as the curved
face of the cam has passed. The gear 118 is secured to the shaft 117 on the same side
as the cam 116 and intermeshes with the gear 119 secured to the shaft of the presser-
roll 111, thereby causing the presser-roll to be revolved when power is applied. On
the opposite end of the shaft 117 is secured the gear 120, this gear carries two sets of
pins, one set 121 on the inside comes in contact with the end of the support-bar 98
and lifts the same and with it the balance and receptacle into the normal position.
The other set of pins 122 on the outside of the gear 120 serve to lift the clutch-
operating rod 95 into normal position, by coming in contact with the lower surface
of the cam finger 123 which is secured to the bar 98. The wiper bar 124 is secured
to the shaft 117 outside of the gear 120 and carries at its ends the adjustable
fingers 125, 125. The fingers 125 being adjustably secured to the wiper bar 124
by the screws 126, 126, which pass through the slots 127, 127, formed near the ends
of the wiper bar.
The delivery apron 108, the presser-roll 111, the cam 116, the gear 120 and
the wiper bar 124 are operated from the gear 128, which is driven by the gear 129,
which gear is attached to one of the revolving shafts of the carding engine at its
receiving end. The gear 128 intermeshes with the gear 130 secured to the shaft of
the roller 110 and operates the delivery apron 108. The gear 128 also intermeshes
with the gear 12 causing the shaft 117 to revolve and with it the wiper bar 124,
the cam 116, and the gear 118, which gear 118 intermeshes with the gear 119
mounted on the shaft of the presser roll 111, thereby causing the roll to revolve and
compress the stock as the same is carried to the carding engine by the delivery
apron 108.
The back 18 is secured to the shaft 131 which extends through the side frames 10, 10,
and is provided with the sector-gears 132, 132, at each end into which the sector-
gears 133, 133, formed on the ends of the weight rods 134, intermesh. The
weights 135, 135, are moved outwardly until the weight of the back will be slightly
overcome, when the back will be caused to keep a constant pressure on the stock and
force the same against the lifting apron 11.
In some instances it may be desirable to automatically adjust the cam 52, as the
back 18 moves inward, so as to cause the lifting apron 11 to move a longer distance
and consequently lift a larger quantity of stock In such a case all that is required
is to connect the handle 55, forming part of the cam device, by the rod 136 to the
weight rod 134, by means of the adjustable collar 137, (the rod 136 and collar 137
are shown in broken lines in Figure 2 of the drawings), when as the weight rod
descends, the cam surface will be carried backward allowing the pawl 51 to take up
a larger number of the teeth of the ratchet-gear 48 and consequently lift the apron 11
a greater distance. The bevel-faced notch 138 is cut in the side of the vertical
support-bar 98 and the spring-pressed catch 139, having a bevelled face, is secured
to the side-frame 10, so that as the vertical support-bar 98 starts to descend, the catch
will enter the notch and assist in forcing the vertical support bar downward and also
hold the same against any rebound, the catch 139 acting as a spring-pressed bolt
having a bevelled or pointed end which enters a V-shaped notch on the edge of the
bar 98.
From the foregoing the following description of the operation of the mechanism
will be readily understood. As the wool or other stock is lifted by the apron 1-1

page_text: from the receptacle formed by the sides 10, 10, and back 18, which latter keeps
a constant pressure on the stock forcing the same against the apron, and approaches
the top, the vibrating evener 21 sweeps backward over it and combs and evens the
wool or other stock off, so that it may be properly fed to the delivery side of
the apron. The wool is then stripped from the apron by the comb and brush of the
vibrating stripper 58, it being swept across the catch-shelf 65 and carried off the
same by the motion of the stripper. After leaving the shelf 65 the wool falls into
the receptacle, which may be of any of the well-known forms now in use or of
that form shown in the drawings in which the receptacle of the scales is formed
by two of the partition plates 75, the hinged plate 107 and the circular ends.
Upon a predetermined quantity or weight of stock having been swept into the
scale-receptacle by the stripper 58, the weights 85, supported on the balanced
levers 78 and 83, will be over-balanced and the scale will descend and with it the
vertical support-bar 98, causing the weighted end of the balanced lever 86 to be
lifted up until the finger 91 is brought into the path of the vibrating cam 92
causing the bar 90 to be moved and the pin 93 to be brought into contact with the
bevelled finger of the latch 94, thus releasing the clutch-rod 95 and allowing the
same to fall and disengage the clutch from the power pulley 140 and stopping
the machine. At the same time that the machine has been stopped and the scale
has reached its lowest point, the wiper-bar 124 has assumed the position shown in
broken lines in Figure 1, and will soon be brought into contact with one of the
pins 106, revolving the gear 102, the intermediate gear 101, and the gear 100, and
with it the shaft 77, turning the scale-receptacle down and allowing the contents
to drop on the delivery apron 108. The pin 121 on the gear 120, following closely
on the movement of the wiper-bar 124, will be brought into contact with the lower
end of the vertical support-tar 98 and will lift the same, and the scale, into their
norinal positions. The pin 122 following directly after the pin 121 will come in
contact with the cam-finger 123, thereby lifting the rod 95 and forcing the clutch 97
into contact with the power pulley 140 and starting the machine. The foregoing
operations will be repeated and, as the quantity of stock held between the apron and
the back decreases, inore stock may be supplied by pulling the back outward and
placing the stock between the two parts 16 and 18 of the back.
An important feature of this invention consists in a casing 145 which completely
surrounds and protects all of the working parts of the scale mechanism. The casing 145
is secured to one of the side frames and has an opening for the link 79 to pass through,
and on the other side frame of the feed is secured the casing 146 which is open at
the bottom and has an opening on one side for the link 103 to pass through, as clearly
shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The sides of the boxes or cases being shown in
section projecting from the frames, the ends opposite the frame are closed by a plate
or cover secured against the projecting sides of the casings 145 and 146 so as to form
a closed box provided only with the openings heretofore mentioned. It will be seen
that by thus enclosing all the parts of the scale mechanism, that they will be protected
from flying dust or fibre, also tha; the machine may be wiped or cleaned, without in
any manner interfering with the balanced levers of the scale mechanism, while the
feed is in full operation.
I prefer to construct the lifting apron with the double slats 146, 147, so that the
pins 148 will be passed through the outer slat 146 and the inner slat 147 will act as
a backing to prevent the pins being forced back through the webbing 149 forming
the apron proper.
In some instances it is desirable to place the springs 141 on to the frame to assist
the back in maintaining its pressure against the stock, but in all ordinary cases I find
the weights 13; sufficient.
It may also be found preferable to support the evener in the manner shown in
Figure 9 of the drawings in which the evener 21 is hung, by the arm. 142, to a shaft
supported in the brackets 143, one bracket being mounted on top of each of the side
frames 10, 10. The arms 144 are also secured to said shaft and, by reason of their
connection with the rods 43, reciprocating motion will be imparted to the evener.
2

page_text: In Figure 11 a pivoted equalizer 150 provided with a toothed or serrated edge is
shown as being used in connection with the evener 21 and the object of which is to
prevent bunches being drawn upward by the lifting-apron 11. The equalizer 150 is
connected at each end with the supporting shaft of the evener 21 by the rods 151 so
that the two may be moved closer to or further from the apron 11, the said adjust-
ment depending upon the quality of the stock used. In the modified form shown in
Figures 11 and 12, motion is imparted to the evener 21 by means of the rod 152
which is eccentrically connected to a shaft corresponding to the shaft 35 shown in
Figure 2 by which the said evener is operated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sail inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with a lifting apron, of a two-
part back hinged at the base thereof, capable of moving toward and away from the
apron, and forming the back of the stock receptacle, and a lever, substantially as
described, for rocking said back toward the apron.
2. In an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, the combination with the stock
receptacle, and the lifting apron, of a two-part back, the inner portion being pivoted
on the side brackets forming part of the outer portion, the whole forming the back
of the stock receptacle, substantially as herein set forth.
3. In an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, the combination with the main-
shaft, the lifting-apron and its drive-shaft, of the gears 32, 33, 34, connecting rod 68,
sector-gear 70, gear 71, rack 50, pawl 51, cam 52 and ratchet gear 48, whereby the
apron may be run with an intermittent motion, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described.
4. In an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, the combination with the lifting
apron and its drive shaft, of a ratchet-gear secured to the said drive-shaft, a rack
carrying a pawl which engages with the teeth of the said ratchet gear, mechanism
for actuating the rack, and a cam, substantially as herein shown, for lifting the pawl
above the line of the ratchet-gear teeth, as and for the purpose herein shown.
5. In an apparatus. for feeding fibrous material, the combination with the stock
receptacle and the lifting apron, of a scale consisting of a rotating receiver divided
by partitions into receptacles supported by two balanced levers, and suitable gearing
whereby the scale receptacle may be partially revolved, substantially as herein shown
and described.
6. In an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, the combination with the stock-
receptacle, of the two-part back, the reciprocating evener, the intermittent-motion
lifting-apron, the vibrating stripper, the scale. receptacle supported on the pivoted
balanced levers, the rod 90, spring 105, lever 86, and strap 87, the shipper-bar,
the latch for locking the upper end of the shipper bar, the latch-releasing device
consisting of the finger and pin and the cam, and mechanism, substantially as herein
shown, for revolving the scale-receptacle and for infting the clutch-bar.
7. In an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, a back, consisting of the inner
portion 16, the side brackets 17, 17, the outer portion 18, the shaft 131, the gears 132,
the gears 133, the weight rod 134, and the weight 135, substantially as herein shown.
8. In an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, the combination, as herein set
forth, of the end pieces 74, the division plates 75, the shaft 77 with the levers 78 and 8,
the link 79, the support-bar 98, the gears 100, 101, and 102, and the pins 106, the
wiper fingers 125 and wiper bar 124, constructed to partially rotate the scale
receptacle, as described.
9. The combination in an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, of the driving
pulley 140, clutch 97, the bell-crank 96, clutch-bar 95, latch 94, balanced-lever 86
carrying the sliding-rod 90 provided with the finger 91 and pin 93, the cam 92
whereby the latch 94 is caused to release the clutch-bar 95 upon the free end of the
balanced lever 86 being lifted by the scale mechanism, substantially as and for the
purpose herein described.

page_text: 10. The combination in an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, of the stock-
receptacle, the intermittent motion lifting-apron 11, the evener 21 provided with the
adjustable comb 23, rods 43, shaft 41, bevel gears 40 and 39, shaft 38, bevel-
gears 37 and 36, shaft 35, gears 34, 33 and 32, and shaft 31 whereby recipro-
cating motion is conveyed to the evener 21, substantially as herein shown and
described.
11. The combination in an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, of the two-part
back supported on the shaft 131, the lifting-apron 11, the rollers 14, 15, clearer 46,
evener 21 provided with the comb 23, mechanism, substantially as herein shown, for
conveying reciprocating motion to the evener, the vibrating stripper 58 mounted on
shaft 60 and provided with the comb 59 and brush 62, sector-gear 61, gear 71, sector-
gear 70, connecting rod 68, and gears 34, 33 and 32, whereby the stripper is caused:
to vibrate across the path of the lifting apron, substantially as and for the purpose
herein shown and described.
12. The combination, in an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, with the stock
receptacle, the intermittent-motion lifting-apron, the reciprocating evener, the
vibrating stripper, the scale receptacle and balance mechanism, the delivery apron,
the presser board and the presser roll; of the gear 128, gear 130 for driving the
delivery apron, gear 120, the shaft 117, the gear 118 for driving the gear 119 and
with it the presser roll, the cam 116, link 115 and arm 113 for moving the presser
board 112 outward by means of the link 115 and arm 113, substantially as herein
shown and described.
13. The combination with the stock receptacle, the lifting apron, the reciprocating
evener, the vibrating stripper, the scale receptacle and balance mechanism provided
with the support-bar 98, the clutch-bar 95 and cam finger 123, of the gear 129, the
gear 128 and gear 120 carrying the pins 121 and 122 for lifting the scale receptacle
to its normal position through the support-bar 98, and the clutch-bar through the
cain-finger 123, substantially as herein described.
14. The combination with the stock receptacle, the lifting apron, the reciprocating
evener, the vibrating stripper, the scale receptacle and balance mechanism provided
with the gears 100, 101, and 102, of the gear 128, gear 120, shaft 117, and the
wiper-bar 124, whereby the scale receptacle is revolved through the gears 102. 101,
and 100, substantially as herein shown and described.
15. In an apparatus for feeding fibrous material, the combination of the stock-
receptacle and a lifting-apron composed of a webbing 149, slats 146, pins 148, and
slats 147, as described.
16. The combination, as uereinbefore set forth, with a travelling lifting-apron of
a card-feeder, of an equalizer mounted across the path of the apron apon the lifting
side thereof and near thereto, and provided with a toothed or serrated edge, a
vibrating evener provided with teeth and sweeping over the said edge of the equalizer,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
17. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with a travelling lifting-apron of
a card-feeder, of an adjustable stationary equalizer mounted near the apron and
having ineans for adjusting it relatively thereto in order to properly equalize stock
of different staple as the same is raised by the apron, substantially as and for the
purpose herein described.
18. The combination, as herein before set forth, with a travelling lifting-apron of a
card-feeder and an equalizer mounted near the apron upon the lifting side thereof
for equalizing the lifted stock, of a vibrating evener sweeping over the back of the
equalizer and a portion of the apron contiguous to the same and acting to even the
lifted stock as it is introduced to the equalizer, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described.
19. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with a travelling lifting-apron of a
card-feeder, of a guard mounted across the apron near the upper end thereof and
upon the delivery side of the apron to prevent the stock from whipping out from the
apron, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
20. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with a travelling lifting-apron of a

page_text: card-feeder and a guard mounted across the path of the apron upon the delivery
side thereof, of a vibrating toothed stripper sweeping over the outside of the guard
and over the adjacent portion of the apron to strip the stock therefrom, substantially
as and for the purpose herein described.
21. The combination, as herein before set forth, with a travelling lifting apron of a
card-feeder, of a pivoted equalizer mounted near the apron upon the lifting side thereof,
a vibrating evener mounted behind the equalizer, a shaft, and means for adjusting
said shaft horizontally, and the evener sweeping over the back of the equalizer and
part of the apron, and a link intermediate the equalizer and the shaft of the evener;
substantially as described.
22. The combination, as hereibefnore set forth, with the lifting-apron and the
main shaft and means for driving the apron from the shaft, and the scale-operating
devices of a clutch upon the main-shaft for connecting and disconnecting the power
to stop and start the lifting-apron, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described.
23. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth with the intermittent motion
lifting-apron and its drive-shaft having the ratchet wheel and cog-wheel provided
with the feed-pawl mounted on said drive-shaft and the operating mechanism for
imparting to the apron an intermittent motion, of the scale devices, and connections
intermediate the latch and clutch whereby the apron may be run with an intermittent
motion and then be checked at a predetermined time by the scale-operating devices,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
24. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth with the lifting apron and its drive-
shaft and the loose cog-wheel and the fast ratchet-wheel mounted upon the shaft,
and the reciprocating means for oscillating the cog-wheel, a feed-pawl located on
the cog-wheel and engaging and actuating the ratchet to feed the same forward, a
stationary retaining pawl for holding the ratchet, of scale devices provided with
an arm and connections intermediate the said arm and pawl for disengaging the feed-
pawl from the ratchet to stop the motion of the apron, substantially as and for the
purpose herein described.
25. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the main-shaft and the
travelling lifting-apron and the actuating means therefor the vibrating stripper
provided with a shaft and a gear-wheel of the reciprocating gear for engaging the
gear-wheel a shaft receiving its motion from the main shaft and provided with a
crank disc, a connecting rod intermediate the crank-disc and the reciprocating gear
for effecting the vibration of the stripper, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described.
26. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the main shaft and a
second shaft receiving its motion therefrom and provided with a wheel the travelling
lifting apron and the actuating means therefor, the vibrating evener located upon the
lifting side of the apron and provided with a shaft upon which it vibrates, and a rod
connected with the evener and eccentrically pivoted to the wheel on the said second
shaft for vibrating the evener, the vibrating stripper mounted on a rocking shaft on
the discharge side of the apron, and means intermediate the main shaft and the
rocking-shaft for rocking the same to vibrate the stripper whereby the stripper and
the evener may be vibrated simultaneously in opposite ways, substantially as and for
the purpose herein described.
T
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.