Improvements in Machines for Feeding Flax, Tow, or similar Fibres to Carding and other like Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1892.
Complete Specification Left, 20th May, 1893-Accepte 1, 23rd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Feeding Flax, Tow, or similar Fibres
to Carding and other like Machines.
I
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n
I, JOHN ERSKINE of Wolf hill Mill, Ligoniel, Belfast, Ireland, Manager, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:.
This invention relates to improved apparatus for purpose aforesaid chiefly
applicable to machines such as are now commonly used instead of hand feeding, but
are also applicable to the old "hand feed" arrangements. The object of the inven-
tion is to obtain an uniform feed, or supply of fibre and thereby to make a better
sliver and consequently produce a regular and better yarn.
According to this invention I employ a regulating, or differential motion which
may control the feed sheets or aprons of the machine, or the feeding rollers, or
both of these, or the whole machine may be governed by the regulating motions.;
The regulating motion may consist of a "sun and planet" or "jack" wheel motion
which will control the delivery or “feed ” sheets, aprons, or rollers, and other parts
if desirable.
in
"
The "jack" motion is controlled by a varying motion which may be constructed
any of the well known ways, such as expanding, and contracting cones, or disc
and friction pulley, or tapes, and cones, or one tape, cone, and pulley or other
similar motion. This motion may be acted upon by a lever, or levers which may
be operated by any variation, or uneveness in the thickness; or amount of: "feed."
A roller, or rollers may press the material on the feed sheet, or apron of the
card and as the thickness varies it will lift or lower the levers pressing on it, which
levers will act on the aforesaid motions causing the speeds to vary as the thickness
of the "feed" varies.
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When desirable-say when the feed is light the "jack" wheel may be dispensed
with and the varying motion obtained direct from the cones, disc, or other motion
to the desired parts of the machine.
i
There may be employed a ratchet wheel, and catch, or catches the latter being
acted upon by the before mentioned levers which are moved by the thickness of
"feed" varying or the catch and ratchet may be controlled by a weighing, or
balancing arrangement and levers or arms so that more or less teeth would be
caught according as the thickness of the "feed" might vary.,
"
Any, or all of these motions may be applied to existing feeding machines, or to
ordinary "hand feed" machines.
The speed may be regulated and controlled by hand while the machine is at
work.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Feeding Flax, Tow, or similar Fibres
to Carding and other like Machines.
I, JOHN ERSKINE of Wolf hill Mill, Ligoniel, Belfast, Ireland Manager 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:-
This invention relates to improved apparatus for purpose aforesaid chiefly
J

page_text: applicable to machines such as are now commonly used instead of hand feeding but
the improvements are also applicable to the old "hand feed" arrangement.
The object of the invention is to obtain a uniform feed or supply of fibre and
thereby to. make a better sliver and consequently produce a regular and better
yarn.
According to this invention I employ a regulating or differential motion which
may control the feed sheets or aprons of the machine or the feeding rollers or both
of these or the whole machine may be governed by the regulating motions. The
regulating motion may consist of a sun and planet or "jack" wheel notion
which will control the delivery or "feed sheets" aprons or rollers and other parts if
.desirable.
<
"
The "jack "motion is controlled by a varying motion which may be constructed
in any of the well known ways such as expanding and contracting cones or disc and
friction pulley or taper cones or one taper cone and pulley or other similar motion.
This motion may be acted upon by à lever or levers which may be operated by any
variation or unevenness in the thickness or amount of the "feed."
A roller or rollers may press the material on the feed sheet or apron of the card
and as the thickness varies it will lift or lower the levers pressing on it which
levers will act on the aforesaid motions causing the speeds to vary as the thickness
of the feed varies.
When desirable say when the feed is light the "jack" wheel may be dispensed
with and the varying motion obtained direct from the cones disc or other motion to
the desired parts of the machine.
Any or all of these motions may be applied to existing feeding machines or to
ordinary "hand feed" machines.
The speed may be regulated, and controlled by hand while the machine is at
work.
Such being the nature and object of the said invention the following is a complete
description of the same reference being had to the accompanying drawings in
which:-
:-
Fig. 1. is an end elevation showing the general arrangement of the machine or
apparatus.
Fig. 2. is an end elevation of part of card feed with the improvements applied
thereto.
▸
Fig. 3. is an end elevation from the other side of the machine to that shewn by
Fig. 2.
Fig. 4. is a front clevation of feed rollers driving and top shafts and expansion
cone.
Fig. 5. is an end elevation of as much of the card feed as will shew the application
thereto of the differential motion.
Fig. 6. is a side elevation of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7. is a differential motion and cones drawn to enlarged scale.
Fig. 8. is a top view of the cones, and cone axle.
A. is the ordinary revolving vertical sheet extending the full length of the
apparatus the space A (Figs. 1 and 3) at back of the apparatus forms a receptacle
for the tow or fibres which are to be operated upon; the hinged part B. being
provided so that the capacity of the receptacle can be adjusted as required.
The arms C. are fixed on to a rocking shaft D. (see Fig. 3) which receives its
motion through the lever E. connecting rod F. and wheel G. said wheel G. receiving
its motion through the driving pulley H. (see Fig. 4) and wheel I.
On the end of
the arms C. is fixed a serrated knife or gill K which extends the full width of the
vertical sheet A.
On the one side of the apparatus is an arm or series of arms L. which are fixed to
the rocking shaft M. said shaft receiving its motion through the lever N. connecting
rod O. and crank or disc P. (see Fig. 3) fast on the ordinary driving shaft. The
arms L. carry a brush L₁ running parallel with the sheet A. A. S. is a board
running the full length of the vertical sheet A. and said board is armed at its

page_text: bottom edge with a serrated knife T. U. is a conductor extending the length of
the machine and open at the top and bottom, the front longitudinal side V. being
capable of swinging on a stud W. so as to allow of the bottom or underside being
more or less opened or closed. X. and Y are two delivery rollers extending the
full length of the machine and at least equal in length to the breadth of the card
table.
The roller Y revolves in a fixed bush i while the roller ✗ revolves in a sliding
bush 2. At the back of the sliding bush 2 is a spring 3 which presses the roller X
into contact with roller Y. 4. is a lever swinging on a stud 5 said lever being
provided with a sliding bush 6 which embraces the axle of roller X. 7. is a bell
crank lever working on a stud 8. this lever having an eccentric slot 9 which engages
with a stud or pin 10 fixed in the bush block 11 which forms the bearing of the
rocking shaft D.. The lever 4 and bell crank lever 7 are connected by means of a
rod 12. 13 (Fig. 1) is a hand wheel with the boss screwed to receive the end of
the rod 12 (see Fig. 1) the function of which is to adjust the position of the slot 19
with pin 10 and consequently the position of the shaft D and knife K.
14 is a lever for regulating the hinged front of the conductor U, swinging on a
stud 14 actuated by the lever 4, 15 is a quadrant (see Figs. 1 and 2) from which
chains or rods 16 and 17 are attached to the lever 4 and cone carriage 18. The
cone 19 is of the usual expanding pulley type and is driven by a pulley 20 on the
shaft 20 by the band 20".
At 21 is a wedge shaped block of ordinary construction for expanding or con-
tracting the cones 19 as is well understood, and hereinafter described.
The cones 19 are connected by a train of gearing a aa (see Fig. 1) to the top
roller of vertical sheet A and at the end of said roller is another wheel which
by chain 21 (see Fig. 3) drives the wheel b. b. leading up to the delivery roller Y.
The action is as follows. On motion being transmitted to the driving pulleys
the vertical sheet travels in the direction shewn by arrows in Fig. 1. The
receptacle A being full of tow or fibre the pins or hackles on the vertical
sheet A carry the tow or other fibres upwards until it meets the oscillating
knife K which being parallel to the vertical sheet A only allows of a uniform,
thickness of tow passing over the top roller of the sheet. The oscillating arm L
with brush L' attached to it sweeps or brushes the tow or fibres off the pins
or hackles of the revolving vertical sheet down onto the board S and so into
the conductor U. On the return stroke of the brush L' the serrated knife T
which is attached to the board S prevents the return of any tow or fibres that
may have become attached to the brush.
The conductor leads the tow on to the delivery rollers X and Y which rollers
deliver the tow in a continuous sliver on to the card table.
The function of the lever 4 is to regulate the different parts and thus ensure
a sliver of an uniform thickness passing on to the card table. On the slightest
variation of the thickness of the sliver the rollers open or close as the case
may be, being assisted in closing by means of the spring 3 at the back of the
sliding bush, or by means of weights g¹ (see Figs. 1. 2. and 3) attached to the
bell crank lever 7.
The variation in thickness of the sliver causes the lever 4 to swing on its
centre and while so doing it acts on the bell crank lever 7 and through the
bush block 11 (which is capable of lateral movement) moves the doffing arm
or knife K either closer or further away from the sheet A and thus allows of
a larger or smaller quantity of tow or fibre passing over the vertical sheet A.
At the same time the lever 4 being attached to the quadrant 15, and through
it by chains 17 to the cone carriage 18 (or directly connected by chain 16, see
Fig. 5, the latter is caused to swing or turn on its centre 18.
The cones 19 are driven from the grooved pulley 20 which is fast to the driving
shaft 20. The pinion 30 which is fast to the cone axle 31 gears into the spur
wheel 32 which is free to rotate on the stud 33, this wheel 32 carries two bevel
wheels 34, 35 which gear into the bevel wheels 36, 37, the bevel wheel 36 being

page_text: attached to the wheel 38 which drives by a train of gearing "a" into the top
-sheet shaft 39, 36, and 38 being free to rotate on the stud 33. The bevel wheel 37
and the pulley 40 which are connected, and are free to rotate on the stud 33,
40 being driven by means of a belt 41 and pulley 42, fast to the driving shaft 20.
The cone carriage 43 is swung on the collar of the stud 33, and when the
regulating lever 4 is caused to move the cone carriage and cone axle due to the
connecting chain 16 and weight 44, is caused to move over the wedge 21. On
the pair of cones 19, 19ª is fixed fast to the cone axle 31, the cone 19 being
adjustable and is loose on the cone axle 31; a pin 45 with a button head at its
outer end, passes up the centre of the cone axle 31, and a pin passes through the
boss of the cone 19b, and is fastened to the pin 45, a slot being left in the cone axle
to allow of the pin which passes through the boss of cone 19, sliding as the cone
is being closed or opened. On the pin 45 being caused to pass over the wedge 21,
the pin and with it the cone 19" is through the tension of the band 20', pushed in
or drawn out as the case may be; slots being provided in the surfaces of the cones,
to allow of the one cone slipping into the other, and thus the working diameter of
the cone or expanding pulley is rendered larger or smaller.
By the connection as pointed out, the wheel 38 is the recipient of a variable
motion, and as this wheel gears by means of a train of wheels a into the top sheet
shaft, the sheet A is driven at a variable speed; that is if any lump passing through
the delivery rollers, causes the regulating lever 4 to act on the cone carriage 18.
On the same axle as the cones is a wheel 38 which through intermediate gear a,
transmits motion to the sheet and as the cone is driven off the pulley 20 which runs
at a regular speed, the speed of the cone and consequently the sheet increases or
decreases as the diameter of the cone decreases or increases, and the delivery roller
being geared direct from the top sheet roller, the speed of the delivery roller is
also increased or decreased in like manner.
The lever 4 is also connected to the lever 14 which acts on the swinging side of
the conductor and so regulates the size of the opening, through which the tow
passes on its way to the delivery rollers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is :-
1. The general construction arrangement and combination of parts, constituting
the improvements in card feeds as and for the purpose herein described and
substantially as illustrated by the annexed drawings.
2. The use in combination with a card feed of a regulating lever or levers such as
herein described for the purpose of automatically regulating the position of the
doffing arm.
3. The use in combination with a card feed of a regulating lever or levers such
as herein described for the purpose of automatically regulating the speed of the
vertical sheet and delivery roller in conjunction with the well known expanding
cone or pulley and a jack or differential motion, as and for the purpose herein
described and substantially as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. The use in combination with a card feed of a regulating lever as herein
described for automatically regulating the conductor as and for the purpose herein
described.
Dated this 10th dow of Mar 1902