Improvements in Opening and Scutching Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Opening and Scutching Machines.
We, BENJAMIN ORMEROD, of 15 Wellington Street, Blackburn, in the County
of Lancaster, Manager, GEORGE HAWORTII, of 38 Audley Range, Blackburn
aforesaid, Chief Carder, and JoHN FROST DAVIES, of 3 Audley Lane, Blackburn
aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to opening and scutching machines provided with a hopper
feed in which a travelling lattice apron with pins or teeth is employed for con-
veying the cotton or other fibre from the horizontal travelling apron or direct
from the hopper to the machine, and the object of our invention is to obtain a
more even feed and so increase the quantity of cotton opened by the machine
and improve the quality of the work.
In opening machines provided with a hopper feed the fibre is very liable to
roll off the apron as there is nothing beyond the pins to cause it to cling on to
it. We propose to employ a variable weighted presser consisting of a grid, door,
or shutter pivoted or otherwise supported by the frame of the hopper; this grid
hangs a short distance from the inclined apron and divides the hopper in two
parts and is so arranged that the cotton or other fibre placed in the hopper
passes under the grid which is weighted to place more pressure on the fibre on
the inclined apron, as the quantity of cotton in the hopper decreases, and so
equalizes the amount of fibre fed into the machine.
The grid or door could be pivoted from the top or from the bottom portion
of the hopper and in place of the grid or door a number of plates of wood or
metal, rollers or equivalents could be so mounted in a frame that each plate
roller or equivalent, could swivel or move independently of the others. The grid
door or the frame carrying plates or rollers is weighted in any convenient manner,
in one instance two globes partially filled with mercury or shot etc., and connected
by a tube could be employed.
As an alternative we could employ an additional travelling apron mounted on
rollers in the hopper, and working parallel or thereabouts with the inclined feed
apron; one of the rollers carrying the additional apron could be held in swivel
bearings.
In addition to any of the arrangements described a combing off roller, that is, a
roller with teeth which are moved outward and drawn in automatically at different
points of its revolution or other suitable roller, could be placed near the bottom of
the hopper to assist the feed.
The usual horizontal travelling apron could be mounted in a swing frame so that
one end of the apron could rise as the weight of cotton in the hopper decreased
thus pressing the fibre on to the inclined toothed apron.
In a combined opening and scutching machine provided with a hopper feed in
which a lattice apron with pins and a combing off roller for combing surplus fibre
off the lattice apron is employed, we propose to connect the regulating lever of the
pedals by rods to an arm connected to an eccentric secured to the shaft of the
combing off cylinder, so that the movement of the regulating lever is transmitted
to the arm and eccentric the latter moving the cylinder shaft and causing the pins
to be moved further out through the cylinder shell or withdrawn thereby combing
more or less fibre from the apron and regulating the feed of fibre to the machine.
Dated this 29th day of June 1893.

page_text: Improvements in Opening and Scutching Machines.
We, BENJAMIN ORMEROD, of 15 Wellington Street, Blackburn, in the County
of Lancaster, Manager, GEORGE HAWORTH, of 38 Audley Range, Blackburn
aforesaid, Chief Carder, and JOHN FROST DAVIES, of 3 Audley Lane, Blackburn
aforesaid, Engineer, 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 :-
Our invention relates to opening and scutching machines provided with a hopper
feed in which a travelling lattice apron with pins or teeth is employed for con-
veying the cotton or other fibre from the horizontal travelling apron or direct from
the hopper to the machine, and the object of our invention is to obtain a more even
feed and so increase the quantity of cotton opened by the machine and improve the
quality of the work.
In opening machines provided with a hopper feed the fibre is very liable to roll
off the apron as there is nothing beyond the pins to cause it to cling on to it. We
propose to employ a variable weighted presser consisting of a grid, door, or shutter
pivoted or otherwise supported by the frame of the hopper; this grid hangs a
short distance from the inclined apron and divides the hopper in two parts and is
so arranged that the cotton or other fibre placed in the hopper passes under the
grid which is weighted to place more pressure on the fibre on the inclined apron, as
the quantity of cotton in the hopper decreases, and so equalizes the amount of fibre
fed into the machine.
The grid or door could be pivoted from the top of the hopper and in place of
the grid or door a number of plates of wood or metal, rollers or equivalents could
be so mounted in a frame that each plate roller or equivalent, could swivel or
move independently of the others. The grid, door, or the frame carrying plates,
or rollers is weighted in any convenient manner, in one instance two globes
partially filled with mercury or shot etc., and connected by a tube could be
employed.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the accompanying three sheets of drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side clevation, partly in section, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of our
improved hopper feed for an opening or scutching machine.
Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of an alternative arrangement and Fig. 4 is a
sectional end elevation of Fig. 3 showing two kinds of pressers. Fig. 5 is a
sectional side elevation of a modification of our improved hopper feed for an
opening or scutching machine.
In Figs. 1 and 2,-a represents part of the frame of the opening or scutching
machine, the hopper frame, e the ordinary inclined needle lattice and d the
ordinary horizontal travelling lattice, which lattices for the sake of clearness are
omitted in Fig. 2, they are mounted and travel round rollers, one roller for each
lattice being driven in any convenient manner so that the fibre from the hopper is
carried from the lattice d by the needle lattice c into the opening machine.
To equalize the feed we employ according to our improvements any convenient
form of weighted presser or grid such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, where a
shaft e is supported in bearings on the frame band has a number of curved, or it
may be straight, bars of metal / passing through it and secured in any convenient
manner; between and below the bars are prongs i formed with bosses and
arms which may or may not be weighted with adjustable weights ³ as shown;
these bosses i¹ are fitted loosely on the shaft e the weight of the arms always acting

page_text: to press the prongs i down upon the fibre, and for the same purpose a weight ** is
also shown in Fig. 1 pivoted on the end of one of the prongs i.
Secured upon one end of the shaft e is a bracket j through which is passed a tube k
provided with a hollow ball k¹k at each end, a quantity of mercury, shot, or other
suitable shifting weight, sufficient say to fill one ball is placed in the tube k and the
position of the tube in the bracket can be regulated by means of a set screw 7 so as
to increase or diminish the action of the shifting weight.
Above the inclined lattice c is a spiked combing off roller m, which is mounted
in adjustable bearings, not shown and provided with convenient means for setting
its spikes or teeth near to or farther from the needles on the lattice c.
Fig. 1 represents the hopper charged with fibre and as the quantity of fibre
between the bars and the lattice c decreases the bars by their own weight aided
by the shifting weight in the ball ¹ exert a moderate pressure on the fibre to keep
it in contact with the needles of the lattice c. Similarly the prongs i which act
independently of the bars h, always follow up the fibre in the upper part of the
hopper and tend to press it on to the said needles so that the latter constantly
carry up a sufficient quantity of fibre to the roller m to supply the opening
machine with a regular and uniform feed so long as there is any fibre in the
hopper. A stop bar, or other means, not shown, may be employed to keep the
bars and the prongs i from coming into contact with the needle lattice. When
the hopper is again filled with fibre the grid bars are gradually moved back away
from the lattice by the movement of the fibre into the position shown, while the
prongs i take independent positions according to the quantity of bre near the top
of the lattice c. The prongs could be suspended from a shaft independent of the
one which supports the bars h.
In the alternative arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the shaft e is employed to
support a number of pairs of links n which carry rollers or bars o each roller or
bar being free to move quite independently of the others; in Fig. 4 chains pare
shown to support a roller o and bars q the bars q acting in place of or in addition
to the prongs i which are mounted loosely upon a shaft s and may be furnished with
weighted extensions 2 as shown, or may be otherwise suitably weighted if desired;
the rollers o, bars q and prongs i are all free to move quite independently of one
another to follow up the fibre in the hopper and press it toward or upon the needle
lattice.
In Fig. 5 grid bars h are employed these bars are carried in a carriage h
mounted upon wheels t which rest upon inclined rails u bolted to the sides of the
hopper b, prongs i with weight arms are mounted loosely upon the shalt e the
hopper is fitted with the needle lattice c, lattice d, and combing off roller m; in
action, when the hopper is filled or supplied with fibre the grid bars h are gradually
moved back from the lattice c while the prongs i press the fibre on to the top of
this lattice, and the carriage with the bars moves down the inclined rails u
toward the lattice as the fibre in the hopper diminishes and so ensures greater
regularity of feed.
Either of the arrangements shown and described for ensuring regularity of feed
may be used alone or any two or more of them in combination.
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:-
In a hopper feed for opening and scutching machines-
1. The combination with the inclined travelling feed lattice or equivalent part,
of a weighted presser such as a grid, door, shutter, or rollers arranged to press
the fibre on to the lattice, and thereby equalize the amount of the feed substantially
as herein set forth.
2. The combination with the inclined travelling feed lattice or equivalent part,
of the prongs i employed either alone, or in combination with a grid, rollers, or
other presser, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

page_text: 3. The several constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, embodying
our improvements in opening and scutching machines, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of April 1894.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.