IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Mason, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING."
Sealed the 7th June 1853, and dated the 28th December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Mason at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th December 1852.
1, JOHN MASON, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING" to be as
follows:-
My improvements consist, firstly, in a method of preparing the
feed for the first wool carding process. This I effect by causing the
material to be taken from the "tenzer" in the form of a sliver or
slivers; a number of which I then combine into a lap or laps, and in
that form submit the wool to the action of the first carding engine.
Secondly, my improvements relate to applying oil or equivalent

page_text: matter to wool or other fibrous substances preparatory to carding,
and consists in the adaptation of rollers, cylinders, or other appa-
ratus situate between the first and second "teazers," whereby the
oil or other such matter is conveyed to the material, as it passes
from the one machine to the other. Also this part of my Invention
consists in a peculiar method of applying oil, &c. to wool and
other fibrous substances, which may be used in the aforesaid posi-
tions, or may be otherwise applied. By this method I conduct the
wool, &c., in the state of a sheet or sliver, through a vessel con-
taining oil, or an equivalent thereto, and subsequently squeeze or
throw out the superfluous quantity by revolving rollers or cylinders;
or I conduct the material over a vessel, and allow the oil, &c. to fall
upon it, the superfluous quantity being squeezed or thrown out and
caught by the said vessel.
Thirdly, in the application of certain apparatus in carding engines,
for the purpose of equalizing the quantity of material supplied
thereto in a given time; the peculiar feature of this part of my
Invention being the employment of the rising or falling motion of
rollers or other guides, between or through which the material
passes as a means for regulating the speed at which it is fed into a
the machine. Thus, I connect one end of an apparatus to the
feed rollers, and the other to a suitable connection for shifting a
strap, which drives the said rollers along a conical pulley or pulleys;
as therefore, the material passes onward, a varying thickness will cause
the roller or rollers to rise or fall, and through the intervention of
the connection with the driving strap move it backward or forward
along the conical pulley or pulleys, and thus regulate the speed of
delivery according to the quantity of material passing onward; or,
instead of the foregoing arrangement, I derive a motion for regu-
lating the drawing off from rollers or guides, between or through
which the material passes at the delivering end of the machine.
Fourthly, iny Invention consists in the application of a self-
stripping apparatus to those machines employed in carding wool
which produce endless cardings. To effect this, I adopt a revolving
roller provided with wire cards or other points, which run in

page_text: contact with the main carding cylinder, and the teeth of which are
so directed as to strip the accumulating material therefrom. The
wool so removed I transfer to the "taker in," or to any other of
those parts by which it will be again submitted to the carding
process.
Fifthly, my Invention relates to a method of mounting the rings
of cards, or of other material used in place thereof, employed in
condenser carding engines, the novelty of which consists in placing
such wire cards or their equivalents, upon surfaces which are of
greater diameter than the spaces between them, in contradistinction
to placing them upon a roller which is of the same diameter
throughout its length.
Sixthly, in the application of washers or plates to the edges of
the rings of cards or other material on the strippers of condenser
carding engines.
Seventhly, my Invention relates to "drawing
"drawing frames," the
rollers of which are so constructed that there is but one fluted part
for each delivery, and consists in causing the material to traverse
over that part of the said rollers, in the direction of their length,
which has hitherto been spaced and not fluted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Mason in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN MASON, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Mason, Her special licence that I, the
said John Mason, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Mason, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUB-
STANCES FOR SPINNING," upon the condition (amongst others). that
I, the said John Mason, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 John Mason, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement and accompanying Draw-
ing (that is to say):
My improvements relate, firstly, to applying oil or equivalent
matter to wool or other fibrous substances preparatory to carding,
and consist in the adaptation of rollers, cylinders, or other appa-
ratus situate between the first and second "teazers," whereby the
oil or other such matter is conveyed to the material as it passes
from the one machine to the other; also this part of 'my Invention
consists in a peculiar method of applying oil, &c. to wool and other
fibrous substances, which may be used in the aforesaid position, or
may be otherwise applied. By this method I conduct the material,
in the state of sheet or sliver, through a vessel containing oil or its
equivalent, and subsequently squeeze out the superfluous quantity;
or I conduct the material in a sheet or sliver, so that the oil, &c.
shall fall thereon.
Secondly, my Invention consists in the application to carding
engines of certain apparatus for equalizing the quantity of
material supplied thereto, the peculiar feature of this part of my
Invention being the employment of the rising or falling motion

page_text: of rollers or other guides, through which the material passes
as a means for regulating the speed at which it is fed into the
machine or drawn thereon.
Thirdly, my Invention consists in the application of a rotatory
stripping apparatus to those machines employed in wool carding,
which produce "endless cardings."
Fourthly, in a method of mounting the rings of cards, or the
equivalents therefor employed in condenser carding engines, the
feature of which consists in placing such rings upon surfaces which
are of greater diameter than the spaces between them.
Fifthly, in the application of plates to the edges of rings of
cards or their equivalents on the strippers of condenser carding
engines.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, I
will proceed to describe the same, by aid of the Drawings ac-
companying this my Specification.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a sectional view of two ordinary teazer machines
A, B, with my first improvement adapted to them. An endless
apron a, is passed over rollers b, c, the former situate at the
delivery end of the teazer A, and the latter at the feeding end of B.
Above the apron a, is a revolving cylinder or "cage" d, similar to
those employed in scutcher machines, the interior of which is in
communication with a passage c, leading to an exhausting apparatus
f. The apron a, is bent out of its straight course by passing
between rollers g, so as to cause it pass in contact with a portion of
the periphery of the cylinder or cage d. Attached to the side
framing is a reservoir h, at the bottom of which an aperture is
formed filled up by a roller i. Beneath this roller is situate a cylin-
drical brush j, partly surrounded by a casing k. The roller i, is
caused to revolve slowly by any convenient gearing, so as to
convey oil or equivalent matter to the brush j, by means of grooves
cut along it in the direction of its length. The wool or other mate-
rial is fed upon the apron l, and passes through the teazer A, in the
ordinary manner; after which it is received upon the endless apron.
a, and carried forward beneath the cage d, by which dust and other
•

page_text: impurities are withdrawn; after this the wool passes through the
rollers 9, and from thence to the second teazer B, receiving on its
way the oil or its equivalent, thrown from the brush j, by the rapid
revolution thereof, which oil, &c. will become equally distributed
over the material by the operation of the second teazing. I have
not thought it necessary to shew the manner in which the severul
'rotatory parts are driven, as the same may be effected by many
means which will readily suggest themselves to all competent
persons. The quantity of oil or other such material conveyed to the
brush will of course regulate that supplied to a given quantity of
material, and this may be adjusted by altering the speed of the
roller i, or of the apron a, which conveys the wool, &c. forward.
Fig. 2, Sheet 1, shews a detached view in section of another ar
rangement of oiling apparatus, by which this part of my improve-
ments may be modified. In this instance the oil or its equivalent is
placed in a vessel m, in which is partly immersed a cylinder n; a
scraper or doctor o, being caused to act upon the periphery thereof;
this cylinder being caused to revolve conveys the oil or other such
matter to another revolving cylinder p, the quantity passed forward
being regulated by adjustment of the scraper or doctor o. In
contact with the periphery of the cylinder p, is the rapidly revolving
brush, which, taking the oil, &c. therefrom, throws it upon the
wool which is passing upon the apron beneath, as in arrangement
first described.
My other improvement in oiling wool or such like material
is shewn at Fig. 3, which represents in section one form of
apparatus I employ. Within a vessel q, containing the oil or its
equivalent are situate rollers r, over which is conducted an endless
apron 8, the upper portion thereof passing under the periphery of a
wire gauze cylinder t. Upon one end of the vessel 9, is mounted a
roller u, provided with an endless apron v; and at the other end are
rollers w, the several parts being caused to revolve by any con
venient means in the directions of the arrows. The material is fed
upon the apron b, from which it is conducted by the roller *, so as
to pass between the endless flexible s, and periphery of the wire

page_text: cylinder t, and thus become saturated with the oil or its equivalent
passing upward. It is now conducted over the roller, and between
a pair of rollers y, the axes of which are drawn powerfully to.
gether by means of levers and weights, or by other means; at this
point, therefore, the superfluous oil is squeezed out and returns to
the vessel 7, the wool or other material passing onward between the
rollers w, to any convenient receptacle or machine, or to the second
teazer, if this apparatus be employed in conjunction with my first
improvement. Instead of the squeezing rollers being employed, the
saturating wool may be placed in a centrifugal machine, and the
superfluous quantity thrown out, or the rollers may be employed as
a preparatory operation.
My second improvement is shewn at Figs. 4, and 5, Sheet 2,
which represent in partial elevation and plan views a carding
engine with my Invention applied. The pulley froin which the
feed motion is derived is shewn at a, over which a strap b,.
passes to a pulley c, mounted upon an upright shaft
upon which
is fixed a conical pulley e.
From this motion is communicated
to a shaft f, by means of a strap g, and second conical pulley h.
The upper end of the shaft f, turns in a bearing i, and carries a
worm j, taking into a worm wheel k, mounted upon the axis of the
bottom feed roller 1, and thus the material is caused to be con-
veyed into the machine equalized to a certain extent in quantity by
the following ineans: The upper end of a rod m, bears upon the
axis of the top feed roller *, and its lower end supports, by means
of a knife edge n, a lever o, the fulcrum of which is upon the frame-
work of the machine at p. The outward end of the lever o, carries
a horizontal bar q, by a projecting knife edge, and these two parts
are kept together by a link of elastic material passing over pins
attached thereto. At the other side of the machine there is a
similar arrangement of rods and levers m*, o", so that the bar q, is
supported at both ends. At a central point between the two levers
o, o, a rod 7, 7, is attached to the bar q, formed in two portions,
as hereafter to be described, and jointed at its upper end to a lever
s, turning upon a stud centre at t, and formed with a notch at its

page_text: end, which extends on either side of a lever u. This lever u, turns
upon a centre at v, and is provided with a fork a, at one end, em-
bracing the strap 7, of the conical pullies c, h; the other end is fur-
nished with a link w, which establishes a connexion with another
lever u*, turning upon a centre at *, and carrying a second fork *,
also adapted to the strap g; by which arrangement the same amount
of vertical motion imparted by the one fork will be communicated
in the same direction by the other. The operation is as follows:
Suppose a constant amount of material to be received by the rollers
, *, the several parts above described will continue in the same
relative positions; but if a greater quantity of material (for instance)
be applied, then the top roller *, will be forced upward and will
carry with it the rods m, m*. By this movement the levers o, o*,
will be turned upon their fulcrums p, 2*, and through the interven-
tion of the knife edges carry upwards the bar q, and consequently
rod t, which, by causing the lever s, to turn on its centre t, will effect
a like motion of the lever u, thus bringing the fork a, to bear upon
the strap g, so as to lower it to a smaller diameter of the conical
pulley e; simultaneously with which the second fork *, will, as
before mentioned, be brought into operation, and in such manner as
to lower the strap g, on to an increased diameter of the pulley h, and
thus motion will be communicated to the roller l, at a diminished
rate, until the quantity of material passing onward shall have been
reduced, and then the consequent fall of the top roller t*, will
restore the rods and levers, and consequently the strap 7, to its
forner position. The rollers 7, 14, are, of course, during the opera-
tion of the machine, kept a certain distance apart by the material;
if, therefore, a deficient quantity be passed on the top, roller l*, will
fall and allow the lever o, and consequently bar 1, to descend, so as
to effect the contrary action to that above described, and by which
the strap g, will be shifted on to a small diameter of the pulley h.
In order to provide for a given amount of material being passed
into the machine, it is of course necessary that the strap g, should
occupy a certain position upon the pulleys e, h, corresponding to
the speed of the rollers when the correct quantity is being operated

page_text: upon. In order to adjust this starting point to suit various deter-
mined amounts of feed, the following contrivance is adapted: The
rod r, is formed in two portions, the one 7, for instance having a
right handed, and the other r, a left hand screw cut thereon, which
screws are provided with nuts i, i, both formed in the same piece
with a squared part 2. Fitting to which is a Plate 3, acting as a
key, the upper part thereof being carried at the junction of the rod
7, and lever s. If it be desired to alter the starting position of the
strap g, the key 3, is removed from the square 2, which being then
turned in the one way or the other, the two portions of the rod r, r*,
will be brought nearer together or farther from each other; by which
alteration the lever s, will be caused to turn the one way or the
other upon its centre, so as to shift the strap g, as above described.
When this has been effected, a restoration of the key 3, to its square
will retain the parts in the adjusted position. The usual lever for
stopping. the machine, when the motion of the doffer is arrested, is
shewn at 4; to the boss of which, so as to form a bell crank, is
attached an arm 5, connected at its lower end to a rod 6; this rod
is jointed to an upright lever 7, turning upon a centre at 8, and
connected to another lever 9, mounted upon a centre at 10, and
carrying at top the bearing i, of the worm j; when therefore
the doffer is thrown out of gear in the usual manner, the levers 4, 7,
9, will be caused to turn upon their respective centres, and the
bearing i, will be slidden so as to remove the worm from its wheel
h, and the motion of the feed rollers will be arrested. I have, in the
foregoing description, entered particularly into a certain apparatus
for accomplishing this part of my Invention; I desire it to be un-
derstood, however, that I do not confine myself thereto, for many
departures from the construction thereof may readily be made; and
I would instance particularly that an apparatus similar in general
operation may be applied at the delivery end of the machine for the
purpose of regulating the speed of the doffer, or of drawing off
rollers, through the agency of an increased or decreased action of the
material upon rollers, tubes, or other apparatus there situate, through
or in contact with which the material passes.

page_text: My third improvement is also shewn in Fig. 4, Sheet 2, above
referred to; in which, for the present purpose, I will suppose 12,
to be the cylinder of an "endless carding engine." In contact with
the periphery of this I apply a roller 13, covered or partly covered
with wire, cards, or other apparatus suitable for stripping the fibrous
material, and to which rotatory motion is communicated from any
convenient source. By the action of this roller the material left
upon the cylinder 12, will be removed, and it may be restored
thereto by a roller 14, suitably covered with cards; or the stripper
13, may be so situate as to run in contact with the taker in 15, by
- which the same effect will be produced.
My fourth improvement is shewn at Fig. 6, Sheet 1, upon
an axis a. I form or attach a series of bosses b, and upon these
are placed the wire cards or other apparatus c, suitable for con-
stituting the rollers of condensing carding engines, by which ar-
rangement a greater depth is gained for the spaces than is obtained
by the ordinary method.
My fifth improvement is shown at Fig. 7, Sheet 1, in which a, is
the axis of a stripper of a condensing carding engine; upon this
are formed or attached a series of bosses b, according to the fourth
part of my Invention; at the sides of the bosses are metal plates c,
projecting therefrom and bent inward so as to form boundaries
to the points of the cards.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I
desire it to be understood that I claim as secured to me,―
Firstly, the adaption of apparatus, in connexion with a first and
second teager, for conveying oil or equivalent matter to wool and
other fibrous materials as they pass from the one machine to the
other. Also conveying oil or equivalent matter to wool, by causing
the mass to be saturated as above described, and the superfluous
quantity subsequently squeezed or thrown out.
Secondly, as applied to carding engines, the employment of appa-
ratus for regulating the speed of the feed or drawing off rollers,
such regulation being effected through the agency of parts which

page_text: are caused to alter in position according to the quantity of material
passing in contact with them.
Thirdly, the application to condensing carding engines of a re-
volving stripper of wire cards or other suitable material.
Fourthly, mounting the rings of wire cards or their equivalents
used in condenser carding engines upon surfaces which are of
greater diameter than the spaces between such rings.
Fifthly, the application of plates to the edges of the rings of
cards or their equivalents employed in condenser carding engines.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Mason, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in
the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three
JOHN MASON. (L.S.)