IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN TOOLS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thompson, of the Firm of Messieurs Curtis, Sons,
& Co., of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, William
Barker, of the same Place, Engineer, and Henry Morton, of Salford, in the
same County, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN TOOLS
EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
"
Sealed the 29th December 1877, and dated the 13th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thompson, William
Barker, and Henry Morton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 13th July 1877.
JOHN THOMPSON, of the Firm of Messieurs Curtis, Sons, & Co., of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, WILLIAM BARKER, of the same Place,
Engineer, and HENRY MORTON, of Salford, in the same County, Mechanic.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUB-
STANCES, AND IN TOOLS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
The first part of our Invention relates to self-stripping carding engines, and
consists in certain improvements upon former Letters Patent granted to William
and Thomas Barker on the 31st day of October 1876, Number 4209.
In our present improvements we make use of crank pins projecting from discs at
each side of the carding engine, to which crank pins are jointed links connected to
slot pieces which lift the top flat, as described in the Patent before referred to, but
in lieu of the pinions and racks for turning the top flats partly round, we now employ
cams, which are fixed to the slot pieces, and slide against a projection on the radial
arm, and in each slot piece is a stud for a slotted link, the slots fitting on studs
fixed in the radial arms. As the discs revolve the slot pieces are raised, and the
slotted links coming against the studs on which they fit cause the slot pieces with
the top flat to be turned partially round; the stripping is then effected, and the top
flat is lowered again into its original position in any convenient manner.

page_text: Provision is made by set screws or otherwise to regulate the amount of the
partial rotation of the top flat, the regulating screws or other equivalent being
connected to the slotted links or to the studs on which they fit.
Our improved tool is for making true the segmental mangle racks employed in
self-stripping carding engines. The tool consists of a cutter, which revolves in the
groove of the mangle rack, and the rack is mounted on a face plate, on which it is
made to vibrate by a crank pin fitting in a disc; the ends of the grooves of the rack
are made true by the cutter, which revolves in the spindle of a vertical headstock;
the spindle is eccentric to the cutter, and is turned about half round at each end of
the mangle rack by a worm and wheel or other equivalent.
Our Invention consists also in adapting spiral springs in lieu of dead weights for
weighting the top rollers of the draw boxes of carding engines, whereby great
economy of material is effected, weight reduced, and more uniform drawing of the
fibres is obtained. This substitution of spiral springs for weights is applicable to
all machines used in preparing cotton and other fibres.
In performing this part of our Invention we place the spiral spring on the wire
suspended to the hook, and we place two lock nuts at the bottom of the wire to
regulate the tension of the spring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Thompson, William Barker, and Henry Morton in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 12th January 1878.
JOHN THOMPSON, of the Firm of Messieurs Curtis, Sons, & Co., of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, WILLIAM BARKER, of the same Place,
Engineer, and HENRY MORTON, of Salford, in the same County, Mechanic.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUB-
STANCES, AND IN TOOLS EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
,,
The first part of our Invention relates to self-stripping carding engines, and
consists in certain improvements upon former Letters Patent granted to William
Barker and Thomas Barker on the 31st day of October 1876, Number 4209.
The second part of our Invention consists of an improved tool for making true
the segmental mangle racks employed in self-stripping carding engines.
And the last part of our Invention consists in adapting spiral springs in lieu of
dead weights for weighting the top rollers, of drawing rollers.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of our improvements in machinery for raising, partially
turning, and lowering the top flats of self-stripping carding engines.
Fig. 2 represents the parts in the positions they occupy when the top flat has
been raised and partially turned for stripping; and Fig. 3 represents an edge view
of part of the apparatus.
c is part of one of the radial arms; g, the cross shaft, which is driven from the
axle of the main cylinder. A short shaft revolves in each radial arm c, and at one
end of the said shaft is fixed or keyed the disc ; to each disc is fixed a crank
pin or stud i², to which is jointed the lower end of the connecting rod or link j.
.

page_text: The upper ends of the links j are jointed to the studs k projecting from the slot
pieces k, shewn in Fig. 3; these slot pieces are made with a V recess to catch
hold of a correspondingly shaped projection at each end of the top flats; by this
means the top flats are held firm while being stripped. To the slot pieces k¹ are
fixed studs supporting the claws l, which bear upon the ends of the top flat, and
assist in holding it while being raised, stripped, and lowered. The claws are acted
upon by the spring .
The parts above enumerated are made in the manner described in the Specification
of Letters Patent granted to William Barker and Thomas Barker on the 31st day
of October 1876, No. 4209.
Our present Invention consists in dispensing with the pinions and racks for
turning the top flats partly round, and in employing in lieu thereof the cams m,
which are fixed to the slot pieces k', and slide against a projection c¹ on the radial
arm c. At the upper end of the projection is the guide bowl m³, the position of
which can be regulated to compensate for the wear of the cam m. In each slot
piece is a stud for the slotted link n, the slots fitting on the cross shaft g or on studs
fixed in the radial arms c. As the discs revolve the slot pieces are raised, and
the ends of the slotted links coming against the shaft g (or when studs are used
instead of the shaft g against them) cause the cam m and the slot pieces k¹, with the
top flat that has been raised by them to be turned partially round, the stripping is
then effected as usual, and the top flat is lowered again into its original position in
any convenient manner.
Provision is made by set screws or otherwise to regulate the amount of the
partial rotation of the top flat, the regulating screws or other equivalent being.
connected to the slotted links or to the studs on which they fit.
Fig. 4 is an elevation; Fig. 5, a side view; and Fig. 6, a plan of our improved
tool for making true the segmental mangle racks employed in self-stripping
carding engines.
The tool consists of a table supported on a framing, and of the headstock o, in
which is a socket o¹, into which the spindle o³ fits eccentrically. The cutter ? is
fixed in the end of the spindle o², and revolves in the groove of the mangle rack e,
which is mounted on a segmental face plate p¹. This face plate with the mangle
rack is made to vibrate on the fulcrum p2 by a crank pin fitting in the disc t
or other equivalent actuating the connecting rod p³.
When the mangle rack has traversed to near the end, the worm is put into gear
with the worm wheel o fixed to the socket o¹, the said socket is then turned about
half round, and by this means the cutter p is caused to act on the rounded ends of
the grooves in the mangle rack, thereby making them true.
The worm q is brought into gear when required by the attendant moving the
handle to bring the sliding clutch box into gear with the clutch box 8, which is
driven by worm and wheel, as shewn in the Drawing, or in any other convenient
manner.
The last part of our Invention, which consists in adapting spiral springs in lieu
of dead weights for weighting the top rollers of drawing rollers, is illustrated in
Fig. 7.
The spiral spring is placed on a wire suspended to the ordinary weight, hook, or
saddle of the top rollers, and the tension of each spring is regulated by lock nuts, as
shewn, or in any other convenient manner. By this means great economy of
material is effected, weight is reduced, and a more uniform drawing of the fibres is
obtained; the substitution of spiral springs for weights is applicable to all machines
used in preparing cotton and other fibres.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention and described the manner of
performing the same, we declare that we claim,—
First. The improved combination of machinery, shewn and described in reference
to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 for raising, partially turning, and lowering the top flats of self-
stripping carding engines, and particularly the cams m, the regulating bowls m', and
slotted links n.

page_text: Secondly. The improved combination of machinery, shewn and described in
reference to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, for making true the segmental mangle racks of carding
engines, and particularly the use of the eccentric socket o', in combination with the
disc t and connecting rod p³, by which means the face plate plis caused to vibrate.
And, Thirdly. The application of spiral springs in lieu of dead weights for
weighting the top rollers of drawing rollers, as shewn and described in reference to
Fig. 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thompson, for myself and on behalf of
the within-named William Barker and Henry Morton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-eight.
JOHN THOMPSON. (L.S.)