IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CARDING COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Worrall, of Staley Bridge, in the County of
Chester, Innkeeper, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR CARDING COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
1
Sealed the 10th October 1854, and dated the 20th June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Worrall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
June 1854.
I, HENRY WORRALL, of Staley Bridge, in the County of Chester, Innkeeper,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CARDING COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
Instead of using a separate machine for making the lap, after the cotton or
other material comes from the carding engine, I propose to attach to the
carding engine itself a creeper and compressing rollers, which will deliver a
long lap at once, and dispense with the necessity of using the lap machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Worrall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WORRALL, of Staley Bridge, in the County of Chester, Innkeeper, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Worrall, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Worrall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Henry Worrall, my executors, administrators, and 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CARDING COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Worrall, 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 performed, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Worrall, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):
My Invention relates to an improved method of making the lap of cotton
or other fibrous material, and taking it from the carding engine without the
use of the present lap machine. I attach to the carding engine a large roller
or lap drum, with any convenient number of small compressing rollers. At
each end of the lap drum and compressing rollers I sink grooves. I make an
endless creeper of any suitable woven fabric; cotton cloth I find to answer the
best. I make a large hem at each side of the endless cloth creeper, through
each of which I pass a cord or rope, which fit in and traverse the aforesaid
grooves as the endless creeper passes round the said drum and rollers. The
lap will adhere to the under surface of the creeper, and each presser roller
will press against it. I convey and guide the creeper with the lap adhering
to it along the ceiling of the room, or any other convenient position, by means

page_text: of carrying rollers, so as to gain the longest possible lap. I must here remark
that the creeper must not be either too rough or too smooth; if the former,
the lap will adhere too strongly; if the latter, it will not adhere at all. I find a
common cotton cloth, occasionally sized with a weak size, will answer the
purpose, as experience will direct. The rollers must also be fixed exactly
level, and the hems for the ropes or bands must be sufficiently wide to allow
them full play, or they will twist the creeper. The creeper must also be a
little wider than the grooves are apart from each other, (say about one-sixth
part,) and about one twenty-fifth part longer than the driving bands attached
to it. This my Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, in which I represents the carding engine; 2, a
conductor, which guides the lap from the engine to the lap drum; 3, com-
pressing rollers, which press the lap to the surface of the endless creeper 5;
4, the lap drum, which by its revolving motion, and the bands at the edges of
the creeper working into the grooves aforesaid, cause the creeper with the lap
adhering to its under surface to traverse the whole distance by the carriers 6,
in the direction of the arrows.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact
details herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing
from the principle thereof. But I claim as my Invention, and which, to the
best of my knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used within this
realm, the use of an endless creeper with lap drum, compressing rollers and
carriers, for the purpose of making the lap of cotton or other fibrous sub-
stances, as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Worrall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and fift. Love
HENRY WORRALL. (L.e.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Henry Worrall, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.