Improvements relating to Fly Combs or Doffing Knives of Carding Engines
Year: 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Fly Combs or Doffing Knives of Carding
Engines.
GEORGE CARVER, Machine Maker of Cleckheaton in the County of York and JOAH
CARVER Machine Maker of Cleckheaton in the aforesaid County, 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 :-
The said invention relates to giving the fly comb or doffing knife of a carding
engine a parallel motion corresponding to the surface of the doffer and receding
from the teeth of the card clothing on the upward stroke so that the knife will strip
the wool or other fibres operated on from the doffer cylinder without any injury to the
teeth of the clothing, preventing the wool or other fibres from being, wrapped in a
tight band and thereby spoiling or destroying the clothing.
For this purpose we fit on the main frame of a carding engine brackets which are
fitted at each side and in front of the doffing cylinder; the top of the brackets are
made with long bearings through which passes a shaft extending across the doffing
cylinder.
On the ends of the shaft to the inside collars of the bearings are fitted eccentrics;
over the eccentrics at each end are placed rings having dependent levers, which hang
down perpendicularly from the eccentrics and in front of the doffing cylinder:
jointed to the bottom ends of the levers by bolts and nuts are links or connecting
rods, the other ends of which are jointed to the brackets by bolts and nuts.
The doffing knife is fixed securely to the ring levers immediately above the links
and extending across the doffer cylinder.
The shaft and eccentrics are actuated by a pulley fitted to the eccentric shaft, the
pulley is actuated by a band or strap from another pulley fixed on a shatt in any
convenient part of the carding engine.
The eccentrics in rotating in the ring levers cause the fly comb or doffer knife to
have a parallel motion to the curved face of the doffer cylinder receding on the
upward stroke of the fly comb from the teeth of the doffer cylinder, preventing
injury to the teeth of the doffer cylinder and the formation of tight bands also
stripping or drawing the wool or other fibres in a perfect manner on the downward
stroke of the fly comb or doffing knife,

page_text: But in order to enable our improvements to be better understood we will proceed
to describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1
represents a front elevation of our improved fly comb or doffing knife apparatus
fitted to a carding engine. Figure 2 side elevation and figure 3 plan of the same,
figure 4 represents a sectional front elevation of the eccentric and bracket with ring
lever and link drawn to an enlarged scale and part of the comb knife.
Figure 5, side view of apparatus with section of eccentric and ring lever.
Similar letters of reference are used to represent similar parts.
A framework of carding engine on which are fitted brackets, B, the tops of these
brackets are made with long bearings C, the brackets are fitted in slides made in
hearing plates D, and the brackets are secured in position by set screws E, through
the bearings C, passes a shaft F, extending across the doffer cylinder G, and on the
ends of the shaft are fitted eccentrics Hover which work the ring levers I: The
eccentries in revolving within the ring levers, give the doffing knife, J, a motion
paralel to the doffer cylinder G, having a receding motion on the upward stroke, of
the fly comb from the teeth of the doffing cylinder G, the ring levers 1, and conse-
quently the dofter knife J, are guided when in operation by the links M, which are
jointed to the ends of the ring lovers I the other ends of links M jointed to the
brackets B, thus giving to the comb knife a parallel motion, corresponding to the face
of the doffer cylinder.
The shaft F, and eccentrics H, are actuated by a pulley N, fitted on the end of the
shaft F, and the pulley N, is worked by a strap 0, which receives motion from a
pulley P fitted on a shaft of the carding engine.
The eccentrics H rotating in the ring levers I, cause the fly comb to have a receding
motion from the teeth of the doffer cylinder on the upward stroke preventing injury
to the feeth and the formation of tight bands also stripping or drawing the wool or
other fibres in a perfect manner on the downward stroke of the fly comb or dofting
knife.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of the said invention
and the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the same into effect; we
would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details shewn
and described, as they may be varied without departing from the peculiar character
of the invention; but what we do claim is :
The giving to the fly comb or doffing knife of a carding engine, a parallel motion
by means of eccentrics working in conjunction with levers which cause the fly comb
or doffing knife to describe the same curve as the surface of the doffer cylinder and
receding from the teeth of the card clothing on the upward stroke, so that the knife
will strip the wool or other fibres operated on from the doffer cylinder without
causing any injury to the teeth of the clothing, substantially as and for the purpose,
berein-before described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
In witness whereof we the said George Carver and Joah Carver have hereto set
our hands and seals this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One Thousand eight hundred and eighty seven.