Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Feeding Cotton and other Fibrous Materials to the Machines commonly called Exhaust Openers and Lap Machines, and Used in the Preparation of Cotton and other Fibrous Materials for Subsequent Manufacturing Processes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Feeding Cotton
and other Fibrous Materials to the Machines commonly
called Exhaust Openers and Lap Machines, and Used in
the Preparation of Cotton and other Fibrous Materials for
Subsequent Manufacturing Processes.
We WILLIAM RICHARDSON of the firm of Messieurs Platt Brothers and Company
Limited of Hartford Works Oldham in the County of Lancaster Engineer and
JAMES FIDLER also of Hartford Works aforesaid Machinist do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
FEEDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS TO THE MACHINES COMMONLY
CALLED EXHAUST OPENERS AND LAP. MACHINES AND USED IN THE PREPARATION.
OF COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SUBSEQUENT MANUFACTURING
PROCESSES to be as follows: —
Our invention relates to arrangements of machinery for feeding cotton and other
fibrous materials to those exhaust openers or lap machines to which the cotton or
other fibrous material to be operated upon is supplied by means of a tube or pipe
along which the said cotton or other fibrous material is carried by means of a
current of air-In the arrangements hitherto in use for feeding cotton and other
fibrous materials to the exhaust openers or lap machines above mentioned the axis
of the feeding machine and fan connected therewith has been placed at right angles
to the axes of the beaters and cage or cages of the openers or lap machines to which
such feeding machines have been applied.
Our invention consists firstly in arrangements by which we are enabled to place
the axis of the feeding machine parallel with the axes of the beater and cage or
cages of the opener or lap machine to which such feeding machine is applied.
In carrying our invention into effect we provide each of the feeding machines
above mentioned with blades or beaters mounted fast upon an axle supported in
any suitable manner upon which axle at opposite sides of the blades or beaters
aforesaid we mount plates or discs formed with vanes or wings which plates or
discs with their vanes or wings constitute fans-The blades or beaters above
referred to and the above mentioned plates or discs with their vanes or wings we

page_text: enclose within a casing-The cotton or other fibrous material to be operated upon
is conducted to the interior of the above mentioned casing by means of a pipe or
tube along which it is drawn by the action of the vanes or wings previously
mentioned The pipe or tube above mentioned conducts the cotton or other fibrous
material to the casing before referred to so that one half of the cotton or other
fibrous material is delivered to such of the vanes or wings previously mentioned as
are situate on one side of the machine and the remaining half of the cotton
or other fibrous material is delivered to the vanes or wings at the other side of the
machine.
In order to enable the vanes or wings previously mentioned to distribute the
cotton or other fibrous material upon the cage or cages aforesaid we employ trunks
or openings formed at opposite ends of the casing before mentioned which trunks
or openings we form wider towards the cage or cages above named to which the
cotton or other fibrous material is to be fed-By the employment of the trunks or
openings above mentioned we cause the cotton or other fibrous material to be dis-
tributed upon the surface or surfaces of the cage or cages previously mentioned in
an even and uniform thickness.
The second part of our invention relates to and consists in arrangements for
stopping the breaking up or other feeding machine by means of which cotton or
other fibrous material is supplied to the tube or pipe for feeding exhaust openers
or lap machines before the said exhaust openers or lap machines are stopped
thereby preventing an accumulation of cotton or other fibrous material in the tube
aforesaid while the exhaust opener or lap machine is stopped and our invention
also consists in and relates to arrangements by means of which we start the
breaking up or other feeding machine previously referred to so as to supply cotton
or other fibrous material to the above mentioned tube or pipe before starting the
exhaust opener or lap machine and thus prevent a thick place being formed in the
"lap" formed by the exhaust opener or lap machine.
In carrying our invention into effect we connect any apparatus suitable for
starting the feed rollers of the breaking up or other feeding machine by which
cotton or other fibrous inaterial is supplied to the pipe or tube above referred to, to
the previously mentioned portion of a lap machine which forms the lap so as to
start the said feed rollers so. that the pipe or tube aforesaid will become charged
with cotton or other fibrous material prior to the starting of the portion of the
lap machine by which the lap is formed during the working of the lap machine
In order that the feed rollers above mentioned shall be caused to start before the
portion of the lap machine which forms the lap is started we mount the wheel by
which the portion of the lap machine which forms the lap is driven loosely upon
its axle and cause the said wheel to impart rotary motion to the said axle by
means of a stud or projecting part secured to such wheel aforesaid which stud or
projecting part acts against a projection fast with the axle above referred to-To
the axle before mentioned we secure one end of a spring the remaining end of
which spring is secured to the wheel above named so that such spring removes the
stud or projecting part previously mentioned away from the projection against
which it acts-When the handle or lever by which the portion of the lap machine
which forms the lap is caused to start or to stop is moved in order to start the said
portion of the lap machine the pinion carried by such handle or lever will cause
the wheel before mentioned to revolve and will at the same time cause the feed
rollers of the breaking up or other feeding machine previously mentioned to start
and will thereby cause cotton or other fibrous material to be supplied to the pipe
or tube above referred to-The stud or projecting part before mentioned makes a
portion of a revolution before it arrives against the projection by which projection
the said stud or projecting part imparts motion to the portion of the lap machine
which forms the lap thus allowing the pipe or tube previously referred to, to
become charged with cotton or other fibrous inaterial before the portion of the lap
machine which forms the lap is started-To enable the pipe or tube above
mentioned to be emptied of cotton or other fibrous material before the portion of

page_text: the lap machine which forms the lap is stopped we affix to the regulator wheel
ordinarily used for regulating or governing the size of the lap formed in lap
machines an additional cam or incline which cam or incline at certain times with-
draws a catch or detent so as to liberate a rod which rod is secured or connected to
another rod or to a lever which rod or lever operates through any suitable means
to stop the feed rollers of the breaking up or feeding machine above mentioned by
means of which cotton or other fibrous material is supplied to the pipe or tube
previously referred to-The cam above referred to is so adjusted that the motion
of the feed. rollers of the breaking up or other feeding machine by which breaking
up or other feeding machine cotton or other fibrous material. is supplied to the
pipe or tube above referred to, is arrested before the stoppage of the portion of
the lap machine which forms the lap a time sufficient to enable the pipe or tube.
previously referred to, to become emptied of cotton or other fibrous material.
Dated this twenty fifth dow of Anril 188k

page_text: Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Feeding Cotton
and other Fibrous Materials to the Machines commonly
called Exhaust Openers and Lap Machines, and Used in
the Preparation of Cotton and other Fibrous Materials for
Subsequent Manufacturing Processes.
We WILLIAM RICHARDSON of the firm of Messrs Platt Brothers and Company
Limited of Hartford Works Oldham in the County of Lancaster Engineer and
JAMES FIDLER also of Hartford Works aforesaid Machinist do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
FEEDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS TO THE MACHINES COMMONLY
CALLED EXHAUST OPENERS AND LAP MACHINES AND USED IN THE PREPARATION
OF COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SUBSEQUENT MANUFACTURING
PROCESSES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
Our invention relates to arrangements of machinery for feeding cotton and other
fibrous materials to those exhaust openers and lap machines to which the cotton or
other fibrous material to be operated upon is supplied by means of a tube or pipe
along which the said cotton or other fibrous material is carried by means of a
current of air.
In the arrangements hitherto in use for feeding cotton wool and other fibrous
materials to the exhaust openers and lap machines above mentioned the axes of the
feeding machine and fan connected therewith have been placed at right angles to
the axes of the beaters and cage or cages of the openers or lap machines to which
such feeding machines have been applied.
Our invention consists firstly in arrangements by which we are enabled to place
the axis of the feeding machine parallel with the axes of the beater and cage or
cages of the opener or lap machine to which such feeding machine is applied.
In order that our invention may be thoroughly understood and readily
carried into effect we will now proceed to describe such invention by reference to
the drawing hereunto annexed and we will affix similar letters of reference to
corresponding parts throughout the whole series of figures-In the drawing here-
unto annexed Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan partly in section, of so
much of an exhaust opener and lap machine as is necessary to illustrate this part
of our invention. a. a. are the side frames of the exhaust opener and lap machine
to which side frames a. a. are secured pedestals b b which support an axle c which
is capable of being rotated in the pedestals bb and prevented from moving longi-
tudinally by collars formed upon the axle c. We place the axle c parallel to the
axes of the beater e and cages f g hj of the opener or lap machine to which our
invention is applied-We mount upon the axle c and secure in any convenient
manner thereto blades or beaters k-Also fast upon the axle c we mount plates or
discs provided with vanes or wings m m¹ respectively which plates or discs (l¹

page_text: with their vanes or wings m m³ constitute fans-Upon the axle c is mounted the
pulley c¹ by means of which rotary motion is communicated to the axle c and the
parts mounted thereon-We enclose the plates or discs and their vanes or
wings m m² by casings n n¹ respectively-We enclose the blades or beaters k by a
casing o secured by its ends to the casings n n¹ and through the sides of the
casings n n we form openings p p¹ respectively by which the interior of the
casing o communicates with the interiors of the casings nn-By the tube or
pipe q the interior of which communicates with the interior of the casing o, cotton
or other fibrous material to be operated upon is conducted to the blades or beaters /
-To the casings n n¹ respectively we connect trunks or passages the interiors.
of which trunks or passages communicate at one end with the casings n n¹
respectively and at their other ends with the space or cavity A which encloses the
cages fg-We form the openings * * of the trunks or passages rr wider.
towards the cages ƒ g.
The cotton or other fibrous material to be supplied to the blades or beaters / is
supplied to the tube or pipe q by means of any breaking-up or other feeding
machine suitable for being used for supplying cotton or other fibrous materials to
exhaust openers or lap machines-The rotation of the vanes or wings m m¹ causes
the cotton or other fibrous material which is to be operated upon to be drawn
along the tube or pipe q and be delivered to the blades or beaters kin such manner.
that one half of the said cotton or other fibrous material is delivered to the vanes
or wings m situate at one side of the machine and the remaining half of the said
cotton or other fibrous material is delivered to the vanes or wings m¹ at the other
side of the machine-In some cases we mount flanges or discs 8 & fast upon the
axle c which flanges or discs 8 8¹ serve to control the passage of the cotton or other
fibrous material to be operated upon and guide such cotton or other fibrous material
in its passage from the blades or beaters to the trunks or passages r r¹.
The vanes or wings m m³ deliver the cotton or other fibrous material to the.
smaller ends of the trunks or passages rr. The cotton or other fibrous material
in passing along the trunks or passages becomes spread out so as to be
distributed upon the cages f g in an even and uniform manner.
The feeding apparatus or machine shown in the drawing hereunto annexed and
above described in reference to this part of our invention forms a part of the
exhaust opener and lap machine in conjunction with which the said feeding
apparatus or machine is employed but we would have it understood that a feeding
apparatus or machine to which this part of our invention is applied may be
employed in conjunction with an exhaust opener or lap machine of which the said
feeding apparatus or machine does not form a part.
We would have it understood in reference to this part of our invention that we
do not confine ourselves to the precise arrangements hereinbefore described and
shown in the drawings bereunto annexed as such arrangements may be somewhat.
modified without departure from the principles of our invention."
By means of the above described part of our invention we are enabled to place
the axle of the feeding machine parallel with the axes of the beaters and cage or
cages of the exhaust opener or lap machine to which such feeding machine is
applied and we are also enabled to cause the cotton or other fibrous material
supplied to exhaust openers or lap machines by means of a tube or pipe to be.
delivered to the cages of such exhaust openers or lap machines in a more even and
uniform thickness than has hitherto been possible.
The second part of our invention relates to and consists in arrangements for
stopping the breaking-up or other feeding machine by means of which cotton or
other fibrous material is supplied to the tube or pipe for feeding exhaust openers
or lap machines before the said exhaust openers or lap machines are stopped thereby
preventing an accumulation of cotton or other fibrous material in the tube or pipe
aforesaid while the exhaust opener or lap machine is stopped and this part of our
invention also relates to and consists in arrangements by means of which we start the
bieaking-up or other feeding machine previously referred to so as to supply cotton or.

page_text: other fibrous material to the above mentioned tube or pipe before starting the portion
of the exhaust opener or lap machine which forms the lap and thus prevent a thick
place from being formed in the lap formed by the exhaust opener or lap machine.
In order that this part of our invention may be thoroughly understood and
readily carried into effect we will now proceed to describe this part of our invention
by reference to the drawing hereunto annexed a portion of which drawing has
been above referred to in reference to the first part of our invention.
qis the pipe or tube by means of which cotton or other fibrous material is
supplied to the cages f g of the exhaust opener or lap machine from which
cages fg the said cotton or other fibrous material passes to the beater e whence it
passes to the cages j and thence between the calender rollers t u v w to the
rollers xy by means of which the lap is formed. The shaft. z by which the
calender rollers t u v w are rotated is carried at one end by a bracket or bearing 1-
mounted upon the lever 2 which lever 2 is capable of being turned upon the stud 3
carried by the side frame a of the exhaust opener or lap machine-Fast upon the
shaft is the usual wheel 4 by means of which the portion of the exhaust opener
or lap machine which forms the lap is driven-The wheel 4 gears into a wheel 5
which we mount loose upon the axle 6 of the roller w. The wheel 5 and certain
parts connected therewith are shown upon an enlarged scale in Figs. 3 and 4 of the
drawings hereunto annexed in which figures Fig. 3 is a front view and Fig. 4 a
side view of the wheel 5 and the said parts connected therewith. Fast upon the
axle 6 is a wheel 7 which wheel 7 gears into the usual gearing by means of which
the cages fghj and feed roller 8 are rotated.
We provide the wheel 5 with a projecting stud 9 secured by means of a nut 10
in a curved slot 11 formed in the wheel 5 Fast with and projecting from the
wheel 7 is a projection 12. The uses of the projecting stud 9 and of the pro-
jection 12 will be hereinafter described. Fast upon the axle 6 is a flanged dise 13
to which at the point B is secured one end of a coiled spring 14 the other end of
which spring 14 is secured at the point C to the boss 5ª of the wheel 5. Fast
upon the axle y¹ of the roller y is a worm y gearing into a worm wheel 15
mounted fast upon a shaft 16 supported and capable of being rotated in bearings 17,
18 one 17 of which bearings 17, 18 is carried by the lever 2 and the other 18 of
which bearings 17. 18. is carried by a bracket 19 secured to the side frame a, a
front view of which bracket 19 and certain parts carried thereby is shown by the
detached view Fig. 5. Fast upon the shaft 16 is a wheel 20 gearing into the
regulator wheel 21 ordinarily used for regulating or governing the length of
the lap formed in lap machines-To the wheel 21 we secure a cam or incline 22
which cam or incline 22 at times acts upon a stud 23 secured to a rod 24 so as to
draw the rod 24 in the direction indicated by the arrow D. One end of the rod 24
is jointed to the lower end of a rod 25. Upon the rod 24 is mounted a spring 26
one end of which spring 26 abuts against the bracket 19 while the other end of the
spring 26 abuts against a collar 24ª upon the rod 24. The spring 26 tends to
force the rod 24 in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow D. The
lower end of the rod 25 passes through a slot or opening formed through one end
of the lever 2 and is provided with a projecting part 25 which forms a catch
which when in the position shown in the drawing prevents the rod 25 from being
moved in the direction indicated by the arrow E.
The rod 25 is connected to any arrangement of mechanism suitable for being
employed for stopping and starting the feed rollers of any breaking-up or feeding
machine by means of which cotton or other fibrous material is supplied to the tube
or pipe q-The rod 25 must be so connected to the mechanism suitable for stopping
or starting the feed rollers of the breaking-up or feeding machine which supplies.
cotton or other fibrous material to the tube or pipe q that when the said rod 25 is
moved in the direction indicated by the arrow E the motion of the feed rollers
above mentioned will be stopped and when the rod 25 is moved in a direction
opposite to that indicated by the arrow E the feed rollers above referred to will be
started.

page_text: In the position of the parts as shown in the drawing cotton or other fibrous
material is being supplied to the exhaust opener or lap machine by means of the
tube or pipe and the wheel 5 is being rotated in the direction indicated by the
arrow F and the projecting stud 9 is acting against the projection 12 and carrying
the wheel 7 and axle 6 in the same direction and by means of the axle 6 and
wheel 7 drives the part of the exhaust opener or lap machine which forms the lap.
The regulator wheel 21 is being rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow G
and when it has been rotated a certain distance will cause the cam or incline 22 to
act upon the stud 23 so as to draw the rod 24 in the direction indicated by the
arrow D and withdraw the projecting part 25 from beneath the lever 2 the rod 25
will then be at liberty to move in the direction indicated by the arrow E and stop
the feed rollers of the breaking-up or other feeding machine above mentioned-
A further rotation of the regulator wheel 21 will cause the ordinary projecting
part 27 upon the regulator wheel 21 to act upon the catch 28 so as to withdraw a
catch 29 which supports the end 2 of the lever 2 and allow the end 2ª of the
lever 2 to descend-The descent of the end 2 of the lever 2 will remove the
wheel 4 out of gear with the wheel 5 and arrest the motion of the portion of the
exhaust opener or lap machine which forms the lap-The cam or incline 22 is
caused to act upon the stud 23 so as to liberate the catch 25a and stop the .feed
rollers of the breaking-up or other feeding machine by which breaking-up or other
feeding machine cotton or other fibrous material is supplied to the tube or pipe q
as long before the end 2 of the lever 2 is allowed to descend as is necessary to
allow sufficient time for the tube or pipe q to become emptied of cotton or other
fibrous material-The descent of the end 2 of the lever 2 will cause the other
end 2 of the said lever 2 to be raised so as to bring the said end 2b of the lever.2
above the projecting part 25. upon the rod 25-As soon as the wheel 4 is taken
out of gear with the wheel 5 the coiled spring 14 will rotate the wheel 5 upon the
axle 6 in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow F until a projecting
part 30 fast upon the wheel 5 arrives against the projection 12.
When it is desired that the formation of another lap be commenced in the
exhaust opener or lap machine the end 2ª of the lever 2 is raised so as to be
supported by the catch 29-This raising of the end 2 of the lever 2 will draw
down the end 2b of the lever 2 and also draw down the rod 25 in the direction
opposite to that indicated by the arrow E so as to start the feed rollers of the
breaking-up or other feeding machine above referred to and cause cotton or other
fibrous material to be supplied to the tube or pipe q-The raising of the end 2 of
the lever 2 will cause the wheel 4 to gear with the wheel 5 which wheel 5 will be
revolved upon the shaft 6 in the direction indicated by the arrow F until the
projecting stud 9 arrives against the projection 12 when rotary motion will be
imparted to the wheel 7 and axle 6 and the part of the exhaust opener or lap
machine which forms the lap will be started-The projecting stud 9 is so adjusted
in position relative to the projection 12 that when the end 2 of the lever 2 is
raised to start the feed rollers of the breaking-up or other feeding machine above
mentioned the projecting stud 9 will not cause the axle 6 to rotate until the tube
or pipe q has become charged with cotton or other fibrous material.
By this part of our invention we are enabled to stop the breaking-up or other
feeding machine by means of which cotton or other fibrous. material is supplied to
the tube or pipe q for feeding an exhaust opener or lap machine before the part of
the exhaust opener or lap machine which forms the lap in exhaust openers or lap
machines is stopped and thereby prevent the accumulation of cotton or other fibrous
material. in the tube or pipe q and by this part of our invention we are also
enabled to start the breaking-up or other feeding machine above referred to so as
to supply cotton or other fibrous material to the tube or pipe q above mentioned
before the part of the exhaust opener or lap machine by which the lap is forined is
started so as to prevent a thick place from being formed in the lap formed in the
exhaust opener or lap machine to which this part of our invention is applied.

page_text: Although we have only shown and described our invention as applied to an
exhaust opener or lap machine having one beater we would have it understood
that our said invention may be applied to exhaust openers or lap machines each
having more than one beater.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is
1. In a feeding apparatus or machine to be used in conjunction with or.forming
a part of an exhaust opener or lap machine the axle c placed parallel to the axes of
the beater e and cages fg hj and provided at each end with plates or discs 1
carrying vanes or. wings m m¹ constituting fans and with blades or beaters k and
enclosed within casings no for the purpose and substantially as herein before
described in reference to and shown in and by the drawing hereunto annexed.
2. In a feeding apparatus or machine to be used in conjunction with or forming
a part of an exhaust opener or lap machine the trunks or passages rr formed
I wider towards the cages fg for the purpose and substantially as hereinbefore
described in reference to and shown in and by the drawing hereunto annexed.
3. In conjunction with an exhaust opener or lap machine to which cotton or
other fibrous material is supplied through a tube or pipe q the apparatus herein-
before described in reference to and shown in and by the drawing hereunto annexed
for stopping the breaking-up or other feeding machine by means of which cotton or
other fibrous material is supplied to the tube or pipe q. before the said exhaust
opener or lap machine is stopped which apparatus hereinbefore described consists
in the incline 22 carried by the wheel 21, stud 23, rod 24 provided with a collar 24°
spring 26 rod 25 and its projecting part 25ª and the end 2b of the lever 2 and
is constructed and arranged and operates substantially as hereinbefore described in
reference to and shown in and by the drawing hereunto annexed.
4. In conjunction with an exhaust opener or lap machine to which cotton or
other fibrous material is supplied through a tube or pipe q the apparatus herein-
before described in reference to and shown in and by the drawing hereunto
annexed for starting the breaking-up or other feeding machine by means of which
cotton or other fibrous material is supplied to the tube or pipe q before the part of
the exhaust opener or lap machine which forms the lap is started which apparatus
herein before described consists in the rod 24 provided with a collar 24° rod 25 with
its projecting part 25 end 2b of the lever 2 wheel 5 mounted loosely upon the
shaft 6 adjustable projecting stud 9 curved slot 11 projection 12 projecting part 30
spring 14 and flanged disc 13 and is constructed and arranged and operates
substantially as herein before described in reference to and shown in and by the
drawing hereunto annexed.
WILLIAM RICHARDSON.
JAMES FIDLER.