CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES FOR CARDING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
PORRITT, of Edenfield, in the County of Lancaster, Woollen Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fourteenth day of March, in the eleventh year of Her reign, and
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
Porritt, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said James Porritt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said James Porritt, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARDING ENGINES FOR CARDING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said James
Porritt, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled; in
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Porritt, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
'the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
.and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):-
My Improvements in Carding Engines for Carding Wool and other Fibrous
'Substances consist, firstly, in certain novel arrangements for "doffing" or taking
the carded wool from the last main cylinder of the carding engine in the form
of continuous slivers or threads by means of one "doffing cylinder," having rings
or fillets of cards placed circumferentially thereon, spaces being left between
each ring or fillet for the purpose of separating or dividing the wool into slivers.
"The slivers are taken from the "doffing cylinder" by means of an endless
twisting strap running across the carding engine, or by tubes, being assisted by
a roller above, and drawn between the strap or through the tubes by drawing
rollers. The doffing cylinder, with its fillets or rings of cards, either separately
or together with the dividing plates or "separators," twisting strap or tubes,
and drawing rollers, being mounted in a sliding frame, traverses across the
surface of the last main carding cylinder as it revolves, by which means the
"doffer clears all" the wool from the said cylinder, which is then delivered in
the form of slivers or threads, in a regular, perfect, and even manner.
method I prefer for the purposes of "woollen warp," as the fibres of the
material are laid longthwise; but it will also answer for woollen "weft," when
the threads are not required to be much 'covered when the cloth is milled or
finished. This constitutes the first feature of novelty in my improvements.
This
The second part of my improvements consist in a certain novel arrangement
of mechanism for the purpose of connecting or 'piecing and drawing the
cardings of wool, to be applied to that class of carding engines wherein the
wool is "doffed," or taken from the last main carding cylinder in sheets (by
means of a doffing cylinder having strips or sheets of cards placed longitudi-
nally thereon) and afterwards rolled, by means of a fluted-cylinder and "rolling
dish," into the form of a carding or roll of wool, corresponding in length to the
width of the carding engine. These cardings or rolls of wool are deposited at
regular intervals. upon an endless travelling cloth, or other suitable material,
passing over rollers, one of which is caused to advance and carry the cloth
(with the rolls or cardings: thereon)-above a cylinder which is placed at right
angles thereto. When the roller arrives over the extreme end of the said
cylinder it is caused to recede, and the cloth still progressing! and the roller
revolving, will cause the cardings or rolls of wool to fall between suitable
guides upon the cylinder, which is caused to revolve at such a speed that

page_text: whenever the roller in receding arrives over any of the spaces it shall-cause the
end of the carding or rolli of wool to fall 'upou or in contact with the end of
the roll or carding last deposited in that space. The ends of the cardings thus
in contact then. pass. under a pressing. roller. Immediately after, leaving the
cylinder and pressing roller, the cardings pass between an endless twisting strap,
tape, or other suitable band, or through tubes, and thence between drawing
rollers, and are thus connected or pieced, and at the same time. drawn
out. These drawing rollers may be run at any requisite 'speed," so as to draw
out the cardings into the form of slubbings or threads, according to the fineness
of the thread desired, and these, being wound upon bobbins, may then be taken
to the "billy" or "mule" to be spun. The above method I prefer, more
particularly for producing woollen weft; but it may also be employed for
woollen warps, especially when an even and fine surface is desired, and the
threads require to be well covered when the cloth is milled or finished.
In order fully to illustrate the practical application of my improvements, and
to describe the same more in detail, I have attached to these Presents two
Sheets of Drawings exhibiting my improvements on an ordinary woolleni
carding engine, in which the parts constituting or necessary to my Invention are
represented as shaded with color, the other parts of the carding engine being
drawn in outline only. The Figures (with the exception of Fig. 3, Sheet 1',
which is on a reduced scale) are drawn to a scale of about one inch and a half
to a foot, and are marked with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following description thereof. In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is
a side view of the doffing end of a carding ongine, shewing the appli
cation of the first part of my Invention thereto; and Fig. 2 is an end view of
the same. A, A, is part of the main framing of the carding engine, and B, B,
is part of the last main carding cylinder. C, C, is the doffing cylinder,
furnished with narrow rings or fillets of cards. a, a; b, b, is the roller
which assists in taking the slivers of wool from the rings or fillings of cards;
c, c, is the endless twisting strap; and d, d, are the drawing rollers. The
doffing cylinder C, C, the roller b, b, the pulleys'e, e (which carry the twisting
strap c, c, and the drawing rollers d, d), are all mounted in suitable bearings
attached to the sliding frame f, f. This frame is supported upon friction.
rollers g. 9, and upon pins j, j, sliding in V-shaped bearings h, h (see Fig. 2),
in which the ends of the frame f,f, are removed in order to shew this part
more clearly. The frame f, with its hollow rollers, &c., is caused to traverse so
as to "doff" or take all the wool from the last main carding cylinder in a
regular and even manner by the following means:-To the centre of the said
frame (see Fig. 2) is attached the upper end of a lever i, i, which has its

page_text: fulcrum at k, the other end of the said lever being connected by the rod l, l,
to the crank pin m, fixed in the spur wheel n, which is actuated by a spur
wheel o, keyed upon the shaft p, which carries the drum q for driving the
twisting strap c, c. The shaft p may be driven by means of a strap passing
around the pulle yr, and around another pulley upon the main cylinder shaft, or
in any other convenient manner. It will be evident that as the doffing cylinder
is thus caused to traverse to and fro across the surface of the last main carding
cylinder, it will "doff" or take off all the wool in the form of continuous
slivers or threads, which, passing onwards, are wound upon the bobbins D, D,
as usual:
In Sheet 1, Fig. 3 represents an elevation of a carding engine with the
bide framing removed, drawn to a scale of about one inch to a foot, and
shewing the method of applying the second part of my improvements thereto;
the apparatus being drawn more in detail in Sheet 2, in which Fig: 1 is a
plan view of my improved arrangement of mechanism for connecting or
piecing and drawing the cardings or rolls of wool; and Fig. 2 is an end view
of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus, and Fig. 4 a vertical
section of the same. A, A, represents part of the framing of carding engine,
and B, B, part of the last main carding cylinder; C, C is the doffing cylinder;
D, D, the fluted carding roller; and E, E, the rolling dish. The framing of
my improved apparatus is shewn at a, a, supporting in suitable bearings the
cylinder b, b, which is caused to revolve slowly in the direction of the arrow,
by being connected to the spur wheel c, c, upon the doffing cylinder shaft; by
the train of gearing d; d, d, d. The cylinder b, b; is furnished with divisions
br guides e, e, e, e, and a pressing roller f, which bears upon it, and revolves
by friction of contact. 9, 9, is the twisting strap, and h, h, are the drawing
rollers, which are driven from the journal of the cylinder b, b, by means of the
train of spur gearing i, i, i, i. k, k; k, k, is an ordinary winding apparatus; for
winding the cardings on to the bobbin l; l. m; m, is an endless travelling cloth,
which is kept constantly advancing in the direction of the arrow by passing
between the rollers n, n; which are coupled together by the spur wheels o, o,
the upper roller being driven by a strapp passing around a pulley upon the
doffing cylinder shaft (see Fig. 1) or other suitable gearing: The cloth m also
passes partly around three other rollers q, r, s. The front roller q is mounted in
steps fixed at the ends of two sliding rails t, t, moving in slides attached to the
main framing of the carding engine, and actuated in the following manner :-
It will be seen, upon referring to Fig. 3, Sheet 1, that there is a spur wheel u
keyed upon the doffing cylinder shaft taking into another spur wheel v, turning,
tipon a stud fixed to the framing. To the wheel v is attached the heart wheel

page_text: or cam w, acting between two friction rollers attached to the lever x, and
causing that lever to vibrate upon its fixed centre y. The lower end of the
lever is connected by the link z to the upright lever 1: The lower elid of
the lever 1 is keyed upon a transverse shaft 2, extending across the carding
engine, and to the other end of the said shaft another lever similar to the
lever 1 is keyed, and these two levers are connected to the two sliding
rails t, t, by links 4, 4. The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
Supposing the endless cloth m to be travelling in the direction of the arrow',
and the rails t, t, also bearing the roller ġ in the same direction and at the
same speed, then it will be evident that the roller q will not revolve, but
will merely advance, carrying the cloth with it, and drawing the roller & up the
inclined rails 5, 5, being balanced by the weight of the roller 6, at the end of
the strap 7, passing over the pulleys 8, 8. The trap q being opened at suitable
intervals (either by the arrangement shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 in the Drawing, or
by any other convenient means), will deposit each carding or roll of 'wool
straight and even at regular distances upon the cloth m, m. When the front
roller q has arrived over the extreme end of the cylinder b, b, the continued
revolution of the heart wheel or cam w will cause the rails t, t, to recede, and
the cloth m still progressing in the direction of the arrow, it will be evident
that the roller 9 will begin to revolve, and allow the cardings to fall upon the
cylinder, depositing one in each space between the guides or divisions e, e, e, e.
The revolution of the cylinder 6 will carry the cardings forward, so that by the
timo the cloth mi arrives again over the first space, the end of the carding last
deposited there will be nearly under the edge of the cloth m, and consequently
when the next carding falls it will slightly overlap the end of the former
one. The two ends being thus in contact, the revolution of the cylinder b will
carry them under the pressing roller f, which will cause the fibres to adhere
slightly, the cardings passing between the twisting strap 9, 9, or by passing
through revolving tubes, and being drawn out at the same time by the drawing
rollers h, h, are thus permanently pieced or connected together. Of course it
will be evident that the above remarks will be equally applicable to each of
the spaces contained between the guides e, e, e, e. The speed of the
rollers h, h, may be so regulated that the. cardings being sufficiently drawn by
the said rollers, and wound upon the bobbin 1, 1, may in many instances be
taken to the "billy" or "mule" to be spun without the intermediate opera-
tion of roving or slubbing.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Improvements in
Carding Engines for Carding Wool and other Fibrous Substances, together
with the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark that

page_text: what I claim as my Invention with respect to the first part of my improve-
ments, is the arrangement for doffing the wool or other material from the last
main carding cylinder, and delivering it in endless slivers or threads by one
doffing cylinder, with rings or fillets of cards, having small spaces left between
them, traversing laterally in combination with a twisting strap or tubes and
drawing rollers, as above described.
As regards the second part of my Improvements, I claim as my Invention
an arrangement of mechanism as above described, whereby the piecing and
drawing of the cardings are effected during one and the same operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Porritt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-eight.