Improvements in what are known as Revolving Flat Carding Engines" and employed for Carding Cotton and other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 29th Nov., 1890
TRUVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
66
Improvements in what are known as Revolving Flat Carding
Engines" and employed for Carding Cotton and other Fibrous
Materials.
1, THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH, of 68, Marlborough Road, Hightown, Cheetham,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention consists in an improvement upon those arrangements for which
Letters Patent dated February 19th 1884 and numbered 3556 were granted
unto me.
According to my present invention 1 mount upon or secure to the bend of the
carding-engine a circular surface having the same axis as the main cylinder of the
carding-engine. Upon the circular surface and capable of being turned thereon I
mount a disc or plate a portion of the circumference of which disc or plate I form as a
spiral curve which spiral curve supports a number of brackets each of which may be
moved longitudinally upon or in suitable guides secured to or formed in the "bend" of
the carding-engine. The outer ends of the brackets above mentioned support the
"revolving flats" when such "flats" are carding. In order to form the outer ends of
the brackets above mentioned of a curve concentric with the axis of the main cylinder
I secure a "grinding roller ** or milling tool or cutter to the main-cylinder, such
roller, milling tool or cutter being so mounted as to be capable of being adjusted
nearer to or further from the axis of the main cylinder. In order that the grinding
roller, milling tool or cutter may he readily attached to the main cylinder or removed
therefrom I form upon the arms of the main cylinder, facings to which the brackets
for supporting the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter may be attached, such
brackets being provided with suitable screws by means of which the grinding roller,
milling tool or cutter may be adjusted into position for operating upon the ends of the
brackets along which the flats travel when at work.
In some cases to traverse the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter so as to operate
upon the brackets before referred to I cause the cylinder to be turned by the "Hats"
to accomplish which I connect the cylinder to the revolving flats in any convenient
and suitable manner one or more of the flats being removed from the chain of flats so
as to leave a space which is occupied by the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter
above referred to.
After the outer ends of the brackets have been formed of a curve concentric with
the axis of the main cylinder by the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter the grinding
roller, milling tool or cutter and the parts for carrying it are removed from the main
cylinder. When it is desired, the flats may be adjusted nearer to or further from the
axis of the main cylinder by the disc or plate being turned upon the circular surface
by which it is carried or supported.
A further part of my invention consists in a mode of supporting the revolving or
travelling flats when they are travelling while away from the main cylinder. For the
purpose of this part of any invention I place between the rollers around which the
travelling flats revolve when at work curved brackets or guides by means of which
the flats are supported and guided.
By supporting the flats upon the above mentioned curved brackets or guides I am
enabled to apply the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter to grind the brackets over
which the flats travel while at work, without it being, necessary to remove any parts

page_text: other than those flats which have to be removed to allow room for the grinding roller,
milling tool, or cutter.
Dated this Twenty-third day of January 1890
W. T. CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in what are known as "Revolving Flat Carding
Engines" and employed for Carding Cotton and other Fibrous
Materials.
I, THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH, of 68, Marlborough Road, Hightown, Cheetham,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, 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 an improvement upon those arrangements for which
Letters Patent dated February 19th 1884 and numbered 3556 were granted
unto me.
According to my present invention I mount upon or secure to the bend of the
carding-engine a circular surface having the same axis as the main cylinder of the
carding-engine. Upon the circular surface and capable of being turned thereon I
mount a disc or plate a portion of the circumference of which disc or plate 1 form as
a spiral curve which spiral curve supports a number of brackets each of which may
be moved longitudinally upon or in suitable guides secured to or formed in the
"bend
"of the carding-engine. The outer ends of the brackets above mentioned
support the "revolving flats" when such "flats" are carding. In order to form the
outer ends of the brackets above mentioned of a curve concentric with the axis of the
main cylinder I secure a grinding roller" or milling tool or cutter to the main
cylinder. such roller, milling tool or cutter being so mounted as to be capable of being
adjusted nearer to or further from the axis of the main cylinder.
In order that the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter may be readily attached to
the main cylinder, or removed therefrom I form upon the arms of the main cylinder
facings to which the brackets for supporting the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter
may be attached, such brackets being provided with suitable screws by means of
which the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter may be adjusted into position for
operating upon the ends of the brackets above referred to along which the flats travel
when at work.
In some cases to traverse the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter, so as to operate
upon the brackets before referred to I cause the cylinder to be turned by the "Hats"
to accomplish which I connect the cylinder to the revolving flats in any convenient
and suitable manner one or more of the flats being removed from the chain of flats so
as to leave a space which is occupied by the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter
above referred to.
After the outer ends of the brackets have been formed of a curve concentric with
the axis of the main cylinder by the grinding roller, milling tool or cutter, the
grinding roller, milling tool or cutter, and the parts for carrying it are removed from
the main cylinder. When it is desired, the flats may be adjusted nearer to or further
from the axis of the main cylinder by the disc or plate being turned upon the circular
surface by which it is carried or supported.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 a cross section showing
so much of a carding-engine as is requisite to illustrate one portion of my invention.
a is one side framing of the carding-engine upon which is mounted a bend b. 1
form or mount upon the bend a circular surface 6' and capable of being turned upon
the said circular surface b¹ I mount a disc or plate c a portion of the circumference d
of which disc or plate c I form of a spiral curve. The surface d supports a number of

page_text: brackets e each of which may be moved longitudinally upon and is guided while being
moved longitudinally by a rib f which passes into a groove g formed in the bend b. A
portion of the flange of the disc or plate e passes between projections e¹ e² formed
in each of the brackets e.
The outer ends e³ of the brackets e support the ends of the revolving flats A when
such flats A are carding.
If the disc or plate che moved longitudinally upon the surface & the spiral surface d
of the disc or plate c will cause the brackets e to be moved nearer to or further from
the axis of the main cylinder B of the carding-engine, according as the disc or
plate c is moved in one direction or the other. To enable the disc or plate c to be
readily moved upon the surface 'I form on such disc or plate c teeth into which
gears a toothed wheel carried by a bracket secured to the bend b. Into the teeth
of the wheel e gears a worm e³. By the worm es being rotated the plate c may be
moved longitudinally upon the surface 1. In some cases instead of employing for the
purpose of my invention brackets e constructed as previously described 1 employ
brackets constructed and arranged as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, Fig. 3 being a front
elevation and Fig. 4 boing a cross section taken on the line C D of Fig. 3. Each of
the brackets I form with two projecting parts which rest upon the surface d
when the bracket is in position upon the circumference d of the disc or plate c. Ι
also form on each of the brackets h a projection ³ through which I pass set screws h*
one end of each of which bears against the underside of the flange 2 of the disc or
plate c upon which is formed the surface d. Projecting from the bracket is a stud i
which projects into a groove formed in the bend b. The outer ends j of the
brackets & support the ends of the revolving flats A when such flats A are carding.
By providing each of the brackets with the projecting parts, 2 I ensure the said
brackets "bedding" firmly upon the surface d. By adjusting the set screws to the
underside of the flange d² I ensure the brackets being drawn downward when the
plate c is moved in the direction for moving the brackets h towards the axis of the main
cylinder B of the carding-engine.
A modification of this part of my invention is shown by Figs. 7 and 8, Fig. 7 being
a side elevation and Fig. 8 a cross section of so much of a carding-engine as is
requisite to illustrate this modification of this part of my invention. According to
this modification of this part of my invention 1 form upon each of the bends of the
carding-engine a boss upon which I mount a dise u. The circumference u³ of the
disc u I form as a spiral surface upon which spiral surface rest brackets e or h arranged
and constructed in a manner similar to the brackets e or previously referred to.
By the disc u of which there is one at each side of the carding-engine being turned
in the direction indicated by the arrow G the brackets e or h will be caused or allowed
to approach nearer to the axis of the main cylinder B. By the discs u being turned
in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow G the brackets e or h will be
moved further away from the axis of the main cylinder B. In order to lessen the
weight of the discs u 1 form such discs with arms u³. In order that the discs u may
be readily rotated and adjusted and retained in any desired position, I form upon each
of the discs u a ring of teeth ³ into which gears a toothed wheel v carried by the bend b
such toothed wheel v being capable of being turned when desired by means of the
worm w.
The brackets e and above described are simpler and consequently cheaper in con-
struction and less liable to derangement as well as simpler in use than the brackets
described in the ('omplete Specification filed in respect of my application for the Letters
Patent No. 3556 dated February 19th 1884 above mentioned.
In order to form the outer ends of the brackets e or h of a curve concentric with the
axis of the main cylinder B I employ the arrangement of apparatus of which the
following is a description
Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section of so much of a carding-engine as is requisite to
illustrate this part of my invention. Upon the arms at each end of the main
cylinder BI form facings m. Upon each of such facings m I secure a bracket a

page_text: screw 9.
shown in side view in Fig. 5 and indicated in front view by dotted lines in Fig. 1.
Mounted upon the bracket n is a bracket o which bracket o is capable of being moved
longitudinally by means of an adjusting screw p. After the adjustment by means of the
screw has taken place the bracket o may be secured upon the bracket n by means of the
When it is desired to grind the surfaces or I mount a shaft ? in the
bearing of formed in the upper part of the bracket o. The shaft is supported at one
side of the carding-engine by the bracket o and at the opposite side by a similar
bracket secured to the opposite end of the main cylinder B. Upon the shaft r and
above the surface e³ or of the bracket e or to be ground I secure at each side of the
cylinder a grinding roller milling tool or cutter s. 1 impart rotary motion to the
shaft in any convenient manner.
ין
To traverse the grinding rollers or milling tools or cutters so as to operate upon the
brackets e or h I cause the main cylinder B to be turned by means of the chain of
flats A to accomplish which I secure the cylinder B to the chain of flats A in any
convenient manner. I remove one or more of the flats A as shown in Fig. 6. The
removal of one or two flats leaves a space through which the grinding rollers or
milling tools or cutters s can act upon the surfaces of the brackets e or h. Although
for convenience of illustration the bracket n is shown in Fig. 1 as being in a vertical
position the grinding rollers or milling tools or cutters which operate upon the
surfaces of the brackets e or h will be traversed from the point E to the point F.
When the outer en is e³ or j of the brackets e or are to be operated upon by the
grinding rollers or milling tools or cutters the strap or belt by means of which the
carding-engine is driven must be placed upon the loose pulley of the carding-engine
which loose pulley is provided or formed with a pulley from which motion may
be transmitted to a pulley upon the shaft by which the flats are driven by means of a
band or strap which may be the band or strap ordinarily employed for transmitting
motion from the pulley formed upon or secured to the fast pulley to the pulley upon
the shaft by which the flats are driven. By motion being so imparted to the chain of
flats A by means of the loose pulley of the carding-engine the chain of flats A will be
moved at a slow rate such that the grinding rollers or milling tools or cutters s may
in their passage over the outer ends e orj of the brackets e or h operate upon the
outer ends e orj of the brackets e or h so that the outer ends e orj of such brackets e
or will be rendered precisely concentric with the main cylinder. It is obvious that
when the grinding rollers or milling tools or cutters s have acted upon the last of the
brackets e or the movement of the main cylinder B must be arrested in order that
the grinding rollers or milling tools or cutters s or the shaft r may not arrive in contact
with the brackets attached to the bends of the carding-engine. Motion may be
imparted to the shaft and grinding roller or milling tool or cutter s when the outer
ends e orj of the brackets e or h are to be operated upon by such grinding rollers
milling tools or cutters & by means of the loose pulley of the carding-engine a band
placed in the groove usually formed in such loose pulley serving to transinit motion
from such loose pulley to the shaft r upon which the grinding rollers milling tools or
cutters s are mounted.
After the outer ends e³ orj of the brackets e or have been formed of a curve
concentric with the axis of the main cylinder B by the grinding rollers or milling
tools or cutters s the grinding rollers or milling tools or cutters s and the brackets n, o,
for carrying the same are removed from the main cylinder B.
To support the revolving or travelling flats when they are travelling while away
from the main cylinder I place between the rollers around which the travelling flats
revolve when at work curved brackets or guides by means of which the flats are
supported and guided.
Upon each of the bends 6 of the carding-engine I secure a curved bracket or guide 2.
Upon the brackets a 1 mount brackets which support the axles of the pulleys y which
support the revolving flats A when revolving or travelling away from the main
cylinder B.
The chain of revolving flats A is indicated by the dotted line A. During the time

page_text: the grinding rollers milling tools or cutters s are operating upon the brackets e or h
the chain of flats A will be partly supported by and travel along the curved upper
surfaces of the brackets x.
By supporting the flats A upon the above mentioned curved brackets or guides I
am enabled to apply the grinding rollers milling tools or cutters s to grind the
brackets over which the flats travel while at work, without it being necessary to
remove any parts other than those flats which have to be removed to allow room for
the grinding rollers milling tools or cutters. Although I have in some cases only
referred to parts at one side of the carding-engine I would have it understood that
where necessary like parts are employed at both sides of the carding-engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. For use in a carding-engine of the kind to which my invention relates brackets
such as e constructed arranged and employed for the purposes and in the manner
herein before described in reference to and indicated in and by the accompanying
drawings.
2. For use in a carding-engine of the kind to which my invention relates the
brackets each constructed arranged and employed substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to and indicated in and by the accompanying drawings and
provided with two projecting parts h³, h³ to bear upon the surfaces by which such
brackets are supported and with a screw by means of which each bracket is caused to
move towards the axis of the main cylinder of the carding-engine when the surfaces
by which the said brackets are supported are moved in order to cause such brackets
to move towards the axis of the said main cylinder.
3. In the hereinbefore described arrangement of apparatus for rendering the outer
ends of the brackets employed in a carding-engine of the kind hereinbefore described
to support the revolving flats when such flats are carding precisely concentric with the
main cylinder of such carding-engine, the brackets n and o mounted upon the main
cylinder for the purpose and substantially in the manner hereinbefore described in
reference to and indicated in and by the accompanying drawings.
4. In the hereinbfore described arrangements of apparatus for rendering the outer
ends of the brackets employed in a carding-engine of the kind herein before described
to support the revolving flats when such flats are carding precisely concentric with
the main cylinder of such carding-engine the hereinbefore described method of
traversing the grinding rollers or milling tools or cutters employed over the brackets
to be operated upon thereby, which consists in securing the main cylinder to which
are secured the brackets by which the said grinding rollers milling tools or cutters are
supported to the chain of flats substantially as hereinbefore described.
STT
of Anchor 1800