Improved Mechanism for Adjusting the Flats of Carding Engines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1887
Complete Left. 23rd Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 24th Feb., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Mechanism for Adjusting the Flats of Carding Engines.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention, which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by La Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques,
of Belfort in the Republic of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relating to improved mechanism for adjusting the flats of carding
engines consists in the employment of a support for the ends of the flats or cards
which is capable of being adjusted with great precision in such a manner as to enable
the distance between the flats or cards and the main cylinder or drum to be adjusted
with precision and regulated when necessary owing to the wear of the cards or other
causes.
In carding engines, whether provided with revolving or travelling cards on the
Evan Leigh principle or with other ordinary or stationary flats, the ends of the flats
are supported by an arch at the sides of the drum and in order that the flats may be
adjusted at the same distance from the cylinder the upper or outer surface of this
support should be capable of being moved nearer to or farther from the centre of the
main cylinder without ceasing to be concentric with the said cylinder.
According to this Invention this result is obtained by means of a novel arrangement
of mechanism hereinafter described.
In a carding engine provided with this improved mechanism the side frames are
provided with a projecting ring or flange the outer surface of which is truly concentric
with the axis of the cylinder. On this ring there is a rigid but adjustable segment.
the under or inner surface of which corresponds exactly with the outer surface of the
aforesaid ring but the upper surface of this segment forms a curve of the nature of a
spiral. The arch forming the actual or direct support of the flats rests upon this
seginent and is made sufficiently flexible to enable it to accommodate itself to the
varying curvatures at different parts of the adjustable segment against which it is

page_text: pressed by bolts or the like. The piece forming the arch must evidently be made
thicker at one end than at the other in order to maintain its outer surface invariably
circular and concentric with the cylinder.
By shifting the adjustable segment, the outer surface of which being of the nature
of a spiral is excentric to the cylinder, in a circular direction upon the fixed concentric
ring or support by means of a rack and pinion or other suitable mechanism the arch
or segment supporting the ends of tho flats is caused to movo radially towards or away
from the axis of the cylinder and when thus adjusted to the required distance can be
secured in position by bolts and nuts or other similar devices.
n

page_text: COMT LEIE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Mechanism for Adjusting the Flats of Carding Engines.
I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by La Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques
of Belfort in the Republic of France and in what manner the same is to bo
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention relating to improved mechanism for adjusting the flats of carding
engines consists in the employment of a support for the ends of the flats or cards
which is capable of being adjusted with great precision in such a manner as to enable
the distance between the flats or cards and the main cylinder or drum to be adjusted
with precision and regulated when necessary owing to the wear of the cards or other
causes.
In carding engines whether provided with revolving or travelling cards on the
Evan Leigh principle or with other ordinary or stationary flats the ends of the flats
are supported by an arch at each side of the drum and in order that the flats may be
properly adjusted at the same distance from the cylinder the upper or outer surface of
this support should be capable of being moved nearer to or farther from the axis
or centre of the main cylinder without ceasing to be concentric with the said
cylinder.
According to this Invention this result is obtained by means of a novel arrangement
of mechanism hereinafter described.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the soveral
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of an arrange-
ment of mechanism for adjusting the flats of a carding engine according to this
Invention and Figure 2 is a transverse section through the mechanism on one side of
the machine.
In this drawing G figure 1 represents the axis of the main cylinder and B one of
the side frames. Both of the sido frames (only one of which is seen in the drawing)
are provided with projecting rings or flanges b the outer surfaces of which are truly
concentric with the axis of the cylinder. On these rings there are adjustable
segments. Cthe under or inner surfaces of which are concentric and correspond exactly
with the outer surfaces of the aforesaid rings but the upper or outer surface c.of each
segment is excentric to the axis of the cylinder and forms a curve of the nature of a
spiral. A flexible arch forming the actual or direct support of the flats (which are
indicated at F figures 1 and 2) rests upon each segment C being made sufficiently
flexible to enable it to accommodate itself to the varying curvatures at different parts
of the segment or support C against which it is pressed by bolts S or the like. The

page_text: .
arch A must evidently be made thicker at one end than at the other (so that the
total thicknesses of the segment and arch at y a, y x¹, y all are constant) in
order to maintain its outer surface a invariably circular and concentric with the
cylinder.
By shifting the adjustable segments in a circular direction upon the fixed con-
centric rings or supports 6 by means of a rack and pinion K figure 1 or other suitable
mechanism the flexible arches or segments A supporting the ends of the flats F are
caused to move radially towards or away from the axis G of the cylinder and when
thus adjusted in the required position can be secured in position by tightening the
bolts and nuts S or by other similar means. The distance between the Hats and the
cylinder is thus enabled to be adjusted with great regularity and accuracy the flats
being set closer to or farther from the cylinder so as to compensate for wear or modify
the action of the machine as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A mechanism for regulating the flats of a carding engine or machine by means
of adjustable excentric segments C supported on concentric rings & in combination
with flexible arches or segments A whose under surfaces form corresponding oxǝentric
or spiral curves and whose upper surfaces are concentric with the axis of the cylinder
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. The combinations and arrangements of parts constituting mechanism for adjust-
ing the flats of carding engines substantially as herein before described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.