IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PREPARING FIBRES
Year: 1885

page_text: Freparing Flores.
We GEORGE LITTLE, of Hartford Works, Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and THOMAS CHARLES EASTWOOD, of 10 Northgate, Bradford, in the
County of York, Machinery Agent, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PREPARING
FIBRES" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved apparatus or appliances to be employed in the
preparatory process, and comprises an improved construction arrangement and
combination of interchangeable instruments suitable for preparing fibres such as
worsted woollen silk flax and other fibres, and other like purposes and uses in
operating on fibres such as long wool preparing machinery screen gill boxes and
the like.
The improved apparatus according to this our invention consists of a number of
annular rings or discs mounted upon an axis, spaced thereon and securely held by
means of end nut or nuts--The periphery of the several rings or discs are cut or
indented so as to form teeth thereon, and in some cases the outer portion of each
ring or disc is in section or double inclined, and steps, grooves, or ridges
formed therein, such steps grooves or ridges constituting separate series of operating
teeth-The rings or discs will be varied from the section just described to plain
plates of metal in some cases very thin, all however toothed and designed for the
particular class of work, and fibre to be operated upon, as also in regard to the
operation being performed.
As illustrations of practical application of the improved apparatus, in some
cases say of feed rollers, the toothed discs would be secured on their axis and two
or more or two or more pairs of such rollers, would be so mounted and operated, as
that the teeth upon one roller, would just clear the teeth upon the next like roller,
and in addition to the rotary motion, end wise and opposite reciprocating motion, so
that there would be pulling or elongating also rubbing and opening actions and
operations simultaneously performed on the fibres-In other cases the toothed discs
would be spaced and the rim and teeth of one disc would work within the space
formed by two such discs, upon the opposite roller, the spacing being effected either
by means of like toothed disc of smaller diameter, so as to form additional operators,
or spaced by means of washers.

page_text: In constructing a machine or arrangement of a series of the improved appliances,
there may be a series of pairs of rollers as described, these act as feed rollers the
fibre thereon by endless belt or hopper passes to one main or central roller enclosed
or partially surrounded by a series of rollers as aforesaid, having rotation imparted
thereto, in such direction as to pass the fibre to a stripper or cylinder or in lieu of
the outer rollers a series of segmental radius toothed plates having adjusting screws
and yielding springs will be arranged in conjunction with the main central roller
but the arrangement and construction of such apparatus it is evident may readily
be varied to adapt it to the particular requirement as also the degree of fineness of
the pitch of the teeth upon the several rings or discs.
It will be seen that in addition to the facility by which any particular pitch or
coarseness of teeth may be removed from the axle and replaced by others of
different pitch so as to adapt one machine to several uses and requirements there
is the further advantage over toothed rollers as heretofore that whereas in the old
construction damage to a part rendered the whole useless or necessitated removal
of main part of its covering in the improved apparatus damaged part may be
removed and replaced without loss or any other portion of the whole roller.
Nam 100K

page_text: Preparing Fibres.
We GEORGE LITTLE of Hartford Works, Oldham in the County of Lancaster
and THOMAS CHARLES EASTWOOD, of 10 Northgate Bradford in the County of
York Machinery Agent do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PREPARING FIBRES, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improved apparatus or appliances to be employed in
the preparatory process, and comprises an improved construction arrangement and
combination of interchangeable instruments suitable for preparing fibres such as
worsted, woollen, silk, flax, and other fibres, and other like purposes and uses in
operating on fibres such as long wool preparing machinery, screw gill boxes, and
the like.
The improved apparatus according to this our invention consists of a number of
annular rings or discs mounted upon an axis spaced thereon and securely held by
means of end nut or nuts.-The periphery of the several rings, or discs, are cut or
indented so as to form teeth thereon, and in some cases the outer portion of each
ring or disc is in section or double inclined, and steps, grooves, or ridges
formed therein, such steps, grooves or ridges constituting separate series of
operating teeth.
The rings or discs will be varied from the section just described to plain plates
of metal in some cases very thin, all however toothed and designed for the
particular class of work, and fibre to be operated upon, as also in regard to the
operation being performed.
As illustrations of practical application of the improved apparatus, in some cases
say of feed rollers, the toothed discs would be secured on their axis and two or
more pairs of such rollers, would be so mounted and operated, as that the teeth
upon one roller, would just clear the teeth upon the next like roller, and in
addition to the rotary motion, end wise and opposite reciprocating motion, so that
there would be pulling or elongating also rubbing and opening actions and
operations simultaneously performed on the fibres. In other cases the toothed
discs would be spaced and the rim and teeth of one disc would work within the
space formed by two such discs, upon the opposite roller, the spacing being effected
either by means of like toothed disc of smaller diameter, so as to form additional
operators, or spaced by means of washers. In constructing a machine or arrange-
ment of a series of the improved appliances, there may be a series of pairs of
rollers as described, these act as feed rollers the fibre thereon by endless belt or
hopper passes to one main or central roller enclosed or partially surrounded by a
series of rollers as aforesaid, having rotation imparted thereto, in such direction as
to pass the fibre to a stripper or cylinder or be thrown out by the velocity of the
cylinder, or in lieu of the outer rollers a series of segmental radius toothed plates
having adjusting screws and yielding springs will be arranged in conjunction with

page_text: the main central roller, but the arrangement and construction of such apparatus it
is evident may readily be varied to adapt it to the particular requirement as also
the degree of fineness of the pitch of the teeth upon the several rings or discs.
It will be seen that in addition to the facility by which any particular pitch or
coarseness of teeth may be removed from the axle and replaced by others of
different pitch so as to adapt one machine to several uses and requirements there is
the further advantage over toothed rollers as heretofore, that whereas in the old
construction damage to a part rendered the whole useless or necessitated removal
of main part of its covering, in the improved apparatus damaged part may be
removed and replaced without loss of any other portion of the whole roller.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention the following is a
complete description of same reference being had to the accompanying drawings
forming a part of this specification in which:-
Fig. 1. is an elevation and Fig. 2 a section of the improved ring or disc of cast
metal having the steps, grooves or ridges formed thereon.
Fig. 1 and 2 are like views of the same apparatus in working position with
other and smaller like appliance.
Fig. 3. shews discs or rings, cut or stamped one out of the other from sheet metal
these being designed for operating on finer class of fibres, spun waste and other like
materials.
Fig. 4. is a side elevation of a machine adapted for preparing fibres for
subsequent operations and illustrating practical application of the improved rings
and discs.
Fig. 5. is a side elevation of a machine suitable for working the fibres after
passing the machine illustrated by Fig. 4.
Figs. 6. and 7. are side and end elevations of rollers suitable to act as feed rollers
which may be as shewn in Fig. 6. spaced at any required distance apart, according
to the nature of the fibre to be operated upon.
At 1. is a disc the periphery of which formes in section a double incline or cone 2.
which is notched or indented as clearly illustrated by Fig. 2. and it will be seen
that if a series of such appliances (see Fig. 2) be arranged upon axises and spaced
either by their bosses or by introduction of spacing washers a roller having
innumerable working or opening teeth or instruments is obtained and accordingly
as the several discs are spaced so will the pitch be determined. It will be seen
that inasmuch as each ridge or notch of each and every cone constitutes a separate
working tooth or surface and that by the use of such appliances arranged to work
one within the other the fibre operated upon is exposed to numerous working teeth
or instruments, and such are specially applicable for operating upon and opening
Oporto fribs, cotted-wools,-Turkey-beddings,-Kent-dagging, Camel-hair,―felts,
and other like cotted fibre.
Referring now to Fig. 3.-there is shewn like working instruments formed from
sheet metal having one row of teeth equal to the thickness of the plate from which
they are formed, these are arranged upon an axis and spaced by washers or by
smaller discs of like construction to the larger discs, these then forming inner
working discs illustrated by Fig. 6. ; this construction is designed and applicable
for dealing with fibres which have been subjected to some preparitory opening
operation. The several discs being as illustrated cut or stamped out of each other
so as to utilize the whole sheet of metal from which they are made.
As an example of the application of the apparatus illustrated by Fig. 1. 2. at
Fig. 4. is illustrated a machine suitable for opening fibres.
At A is an endless travelling sheet on which the fibre to be operated on will be
fed passing to hopper B from whence it passes to the rollers C. C. these rollers are
constructed of a series of the discs shewn at 1. and 2. and in addition to their
rotating motion have endwise reciprocating or two and fro motion in opposite
direction, thereby subjecting the fibre to a pulling or elongating and also to a
rubbing and opening action simultaneously, this is specially applicable to a first
operation upon clotted wool and other fibres.

page_text: The fibre and dirt pass to the inclined grid D. which has a shaking motion
imparted thereto, under the grid D. is an inclined plate or shoot E. which receives
the dirt, the fibre passing forward to the endless feed sheet F. thence to the series
of rollers G. consisting of the conical ridged teeth 2. the several pairs of such rollers
having accelerated speed so as to draw and elongate the fibre.-At 3. is a main
axis on which a series of spaced and large cone tooth discs are arranged
surrounded by like discs 4. of smaller diameter and intersecting the working
teeth of the discs and of each other whence it is discharged at the opening and
shoot 5. or instead of the discs 1. the fibre may be received on gill pins dabbed
thereon by brush and received by drawing off rollers.
Referring now to Fig. 5. wherein is illustrated a machine more specially
designed for the finer operations such as opening waste and fine short fibres.
At 1. is a feed apron.-2 are feed rollers similar to Fig. 6. and of which there
may be more than two employed.-6. is a licker in-7. are working rollers arranged
around the main cylinder 8. At 9. is a fancy for raising the fibre, at 7. are a
series of like workers, and at 10. is a fancy roller which raises fibre and passes it to
the doffer 11. from which it is stripped in the ordinary manner.
All the working rollers and cylinders are of construction similar to Fig. 7. the
fancy rollers 9. 10. and doffer 11. are covered with card clothing suitable to the
pitch of the teeth of the discs,-from which the fibre is stripped as and by ordinary
appliances. So that it will be seen that a single cylinder (such as 8.) may have
ten of the improved interspaced workers 7. and a fancy 9. which raises the fibre.
Wheron another like series of interworkers 7. come into operation followed by the
action of the fancy 10. and doffer 11. thereby obtaining greatly increased working
power within very limited space, with the advantage consequent on the workers
forming a screen under and partly round the cylinder 8. that fibre is not apt to
be dropped.
The driving gear is not illustrated as such will be of ordinary construction an
arranged as to speed according to requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The discs having the conical toothed periphery as herein described and
illustrated by annexed drawings.
2. The toothed plates of metal stamped or otherwise formed or cut out of each
other and for purpose herein fully described and illustrated by annexed drawings.
3. The conical toothed discs (or in combination therewith) the stamped toothed
plates arranged and combined for purpose aforesaid and as illustrated by Fig. 4, of
the annexed drawings and herein fully described.
4. The construction, combination and arrangement of the cylinder 8. workers 7.-
fancies 9. 10.-doffer 11.-having the improved toothed plates (and cards) as
herein fully described.