Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 23rd Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 24th May, 1887.
RESER
I JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON of the Vulcan Works, Pollard Street, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to the Carding Engines which are provided in each case
with an endless chain of travelling flats as is well understood. As ordinarily con-
structed the main cylinder of such a carding engine revolves between fixed bends or
checks and to prevent the escape of the fibrous material through the spaces between
the ends of the cylinder and the inner sides of these bends it has been customary to
apply curved making up pieces to the inner sides of the said bends these appliances
projecting a little over the periphery of the cylinder. Upon the outer sides of the
same bends have been fixed the curved rails known as flexible bends upon which the
flats travel and which determine the working relations of the flats and the card
clothing on the main cylinder. In order to improve the general working of the
engine and to shorten the length of the same and to lessen the length of bearing of
the flats I dispense with the said making up pieces and I apply flexible bends inside
the fixed bends. The inner vertical faces of the said flexible bends are by preference
truly turned and the said bends are so fitted and fixed in position as that in the
finished engine the turned ends of the main cylinder may revolve very closely to the
said vertical faces. The said card clothing of the main cylinder is by preference
extended to the ends of the cylinder so that the outer wire dents may run as closely
as is practically convenient to the inner vertical faces of the flexible bends. As the
vertical faces prevent the escape of the fibres past the cylinder ends more effectually
than the ordinary making up pieces the carding surface of the cylinder may ho fully
utilised for its full width or nearly so wheroby the length of the cylinder may be

page_text: reduced as compared with the width of the lap from which the cylinder is fed with
fibrous material. The bearing surfaces for the flats being inside instead of outside of
the fixed bends the length of bearing is reduced in addition to the reduction
resulting from the shortening of the main cylinder so that the lengths of the flats are
greatly reduced whereby there is a saving in weight and an increase in stiffness.
The contact of the flat ends with the flexible bonds which are brought close to the
edges of the card clothing encloses the cards more effectually than in the case of the
ordinary engine. The parts whereby the flexible bends are adjusted in form and
position are arranged to be conveniently accessible.
Dated this 23rd day of Julv 1886.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carding Engines.
1 JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON of the Vulcan Works, Pollard Street, Manchester in
the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, 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 and accompanying
drawings
My Invention relates to the carding engines which are provided in each case with
an endless chain of travelling flats as is well understood. As ordinarily constructed
the main cylinder of such a carding engine revolves between fixed bends or cheeks
and to prevent the escape of the fibrous material through the spaces between the
ends of the cylinder and the inner sides of these bends it has been customary to apply
curved making-up pieces to the inner sides of the said bends these appliances pro-
jecting a little over the periphery of the cylinder. Upon the outer sides of the same
bends have been fixed the curved rails known as flexible bends upon which the flats
travel and which determine the working relations of the flats and the card clothing
on the main cylinder. In order to improve the general working of the engine and to
shorten the length of the same and to lessen the length of bearing of the flats
I dispense with the said making-up pieces and I apply flexible bends inside the fixed
bends. The inner vertical faces of the said flexible bends are by preference truly
turned and the said bends are so fitted and fixed in position as that in the finished
engine the turned ends of the main cylinder may revolve very closely to the said
vertical faces. The card clothing of the main cylinder is by preference extended to
the ends of the cylinder so that the outer wire dents may run as closely as is
practically convenient to the inner vertical faces of the flexible bends.
My invention will be most clearly understood when described with reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings wherein Fig. 1 represents a Side View and Fig. 2
a Vertical Cross Section of so much of a carding engine as is necessary to the proper
illustration of my invention. In the said Figs. a is a part of one of the aforesaid
fixed bends or cheeks; b is a portion of one of the said flexible bends; c is a portion
of the cylindrical shell of a carding engine main cylinder and d is one end of a flat.
The fixed bend a is formed with a face at a' which faco is turned, planed or faced to
a plane surface which is arranged to be square with-that is to say at right angles
to the axis of motion of the said cylinder. The flexible bend is planed, turned or
faced on both sides the inner vertical face 6' which is opposed to the turned edge c¹
of the main cylinder being parallel with the face a¹ and being as a consequence
parallel with the said turned edge of the cylinder so that the latter can be revolved
with tho said edge almost touching the said face. The said flexible bend is secured to
the fixed bend a by means of bolts one of these bolts being represented by e.. Each
bolt passes through a slot in the fixed bend these slots radiating outwardly from the
direction of the cylinder axes or thereabouts. The flexible bend is secured by the

page_text: usual number of bolts or by such a number as is considered to be suitable or necessary.
In the example a bowl j is mounted upon the said bolt which is turned to receive such
bowl and the slot is made wide enough to receive the said bowl the intention being
that the said bowl shall roll in the said slot and revolve upon the bolt when the
flexible bond is adjusted, friction and the tendency of the bolt to bind in the slot being
thereby reduced. If not considered to be necessary the said bowl may be dispensed
with and also the means for securing the flexible bond and for adjusting the same
may be varied.
In the example the adjustment is effected by means of screwed rods.
One of these rods is indicated by f. One end of the said rod is screwed fast into a
tapped hole in the flexible bend. The other end of the rod is also screwed and passes
through a flange. a upon the fixed bend, nuts 9 g furnishing means for adjusting the
flexible bend and for locking fast the rod when the adjustment has been effected as
will be readily understood. Access to the upper or outer nut is obtained through an
opening which is formed in the fixed bend a. The chain which connects together.
the chain of flats is represented in section at i. As the said inner vertical faces of the
flexible bends 6 prevent the escape of the fibres past the cylinder ends more effectually
than the ordinary making-up pieces the carding surface of the cylinder may be
.utilised for its full width or nearly so whereby the length of the cylinder may be
reduced as compared with the width of the lap from which the cylinder is fed with
fibrous material. The bearing surfaces for the flats being. inside instead of outside of
the fixed bonds the length of bearing is reduced in addition to the reduction resulting
from the shortening of the main cylinder so that the length of the flats, is greatly
reduced whereby there is a saving in weight and an increase in stiffness. Another
advantage arises from the fact that the contact of the flat ends with the flexible bends
which are brought close to the edges of the card clothing encloses the cards more
effectually than in the case of the ordinary engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
(1) In a carding engine the flexible bends or curved guide rails upon which the
flats travel secured to the inner faces of the fixed bends so that the inner edges of the
main cylinder just clear the trued vertical faces of the said flexible bends, for
the reasons and substantially as set forth and indicated.
(2) In a carding engine the trued face a¹ prepared on the inner side of each fixed
bend a on each side of the engine and the flexible bend b bolted to the said face and
having a turned or prepared face which is intended to be as nearly as possible
parallel with the edge c¹ of the main cylinder substantially as set forth and indicated.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1887.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchestor,
Agents.