CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR GRINDING OR SETTING THE SURFACES OF CYLINDERS AND ROLLERS EMPLOYED IN CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Radcliffe, of Oldham, in the County
of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, and Knight William Whitehead,
of the same place, Manager, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR GRINDING OR SETTING
THE SURFACES OF CYLINDERS AND ROLLERS EMPLOYED IN CARDING
ENGINES."
Sealed the 17th May 1853, and dated the 19th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Radcliffe
and Knight William Whitehead at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th March 1853.
We, SAMUEL RADCLIFFE, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Cotton Spinner, and KNIGHT WILLIAM WHITEHEAD, of the same place,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "CER-
TAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR GRINDING OR SETTING
THE SURFACES OF CYLINDERS AND ROLLERS EMPLOYED IN CARDING ENGINES,"
to be as follows:-

page_text: Our Improvements are designed for the purpose of cleaning, grind-
ing, and setting the cards upon the main carding cylinders, and doffing
cylinders or rollers of carding engines, by self-acting means. Such cards
have been hitherto usually cleaned, ground, and set by means of what is
termed a "hand strickle." We employ an elastic "strickle," of some-
what similar construction, covered with coarse emery. This "strickle"
is nearly the width of the carding engine, and is attached to a rod or
shaft, the ends of which rest in the bearings of one of the "rollers," or
"clearers." The "strickle" is kept in contact with the cylinder or roller
by means of another rod, similarly supported, and furnished with a fric-
tion roller, bearing upon the back of the "strickle." A reciprocating
motion, backwards and forwards, across the face of the cylinders, is to
be imparted to the "strickle" by means of levers connected to a crank
pin, or in any other suitable manner; and the driving straps of the
cylinders must be so arranged as to impart a revolving motion to them;
care being taken at the same time that the cards run from the
"strickle." The result will be that the cards will be thus thoroughly
cleaned, ground, and set, by self-acting micans, in a much more efficient
and expeditious manner than the operation can be performed by the
ordinary method hitherto practised, and also the attendance of the
operative, during the process of grinding, &c., is dispensed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Radcliffe and Knight William Whitehead,
in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 9th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
SAMUEL RADCLIFFE, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, and KNIGHT WILLIAM WHITEHEAD, of the same place,
Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Samuel Radcliffe and

page_text: Knight William Whitehead, Her especial licence that we, the said
Samuel Radcliffe and Knight William Whitehead, our executors.
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Samuel
Radcliffe and Knight William Whitehead, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR GRINDING OR SETTING THE SURFACES OF
CYLINDERS AND ROLLERS EMPLOYED IN CARDING ENGINES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Samuel Radcliffe and Knight
William Whitehead, or one of us, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Knight William Whitehead, do
hereby declare the nature of our said 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 (that is
to say):
Our improvements are designed for the purpose of grinding and
setting the surface of the wire cards upon the main carding cylinders,
and doffing cylinders or rollers of carding engines, by self-acting means.
Such cards have been hitherto chiefly ground and set by means of what
is termed a "hand strickle." We employ a "strickle" of somewhat
similar construction, covered with coarse emery, but flexible and self-
acting. This "strickle" is nearly the width of the carding engine, and
is attached to a rod or shaft, the ends of which are supported in the
bearings of one of the rollers or "clearers." The "strickle" bears
upon the surface of the cylinder by its own gravity, and is furnished
with another rod or shaft bearing at each end upon a moveable incline,
by means of which the pressure of the "strickle" upon the surface of

page_text: the cylinder can be regulated and adjusted. A reciprocating motion,
backwards and forwards, across the face of the cylinder, is to be
imparted to the "strickle" by means of levers and rods connected to a
crank pin, or in any other suitable and convenient manner; and the
driving straps of the cylinders must be so arranged as to impart a
revolving motion to them, care being taken at the same time that the
cards run from the strickle. The result will be that the cards will be
thus thoroughly cleaned, ground, and set, by self-acting means, in a
much more efficient and expeditious manner than the said operations
can be performed by the ordinary method hitherto practised; and also the
attendance of the operative during the process of grinding, and will be
dispensed with.
I would here remark, that if each of the cylinders of a carding
engine is furnished with one of our improved "strickles," and the levers
and rods are suitably adjusted, they may all be ground and set at one
operation.
The peculiar form or construction of our improved "strickle," and
its application to the carding engine are clearly shewn in the sheet
of drawings hereto annexed. Fig. 1, being a plan view of the
"strickle," and Fig. 2, an end view of the same. a, a, a, a, are rails
and wood or other suitable material, connected by transverse stretchers,
b, b, b, b. The stretchers are furnished with bosses, through which
the rods pass, being secured by means of the screws c, c, c, c. d, d, d, d,
is a plate of thin metal, or other suitable flexible material, to the sur-
face of which is applied cloth covered with coarse emery.
The method of applying the said "strickle" to the main cylinder of a
carding engine is shewn in Fig. 3. e, e, e, c, represents the "bend" of
a carding engine, supporting the roller and clearer stands ffff; and
the dotted circle g, g, g, g, represents the outer surface of the main
carding cylinder. The ends of the rod h, h, connected to the "strickle,"
are placed in the bearings of the first "roller;" and the ends of tho
rod i, i, are supported upon the moveable inclines h, k, (one at each side
of the carding engine). It will be seen that the "strickle" thus bears
by its own gravity upon the surface of the cards, and that its pressure
thereon may be regulated by adjusting the inclines k, k, by means of the

page_text: thumb screws 1, l. I have not represented in the drawings any mechanical
means for giving or imparting the requisite reciprocating motion to the
"strickle," as the same may be applied in a variety of forms which will
readily suggest themselves to any practical mechanic; the only proviso
being that the mechanism must be capable of being readily adapted to
all the "strickles," so as to set and grind the cards of all the cylinders
at once.
Having thus described the nature and object of our said improve-
ments in machinery or apparatus for grinding or setting the surfaces of
cylinders and rollers employed in carding engines, together with the
manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in
conclusion, that we claim as our Invention the peculiar form or con-
struction of flexible "strickle," and the method of applying the same,
as shewn in the annexed drawings, and aboved particularly described,
whereby the surfaces of the cylinders and rollers of carding engines
may be ground and set by self-acting means.
In witness whereof, I, the said Knight William Whitehead,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of
September, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
KNIGHT WILLIAM WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)