CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SPINNING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Higgs Hawksworth, of Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS FOR SPINNING."
Sealed the 1st March 1864, and dated the 9th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Higgs Hawks-
worth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th September 1863.
I, WILLIAM HIGGS HAWKSWORTH, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
"CERTAIN
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS FOR SPINNING," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates, first, to that description of apparatus known as the
"Oldham willow," and employed to open and prepare fibrous materials for
subsequent spinning, and consists, first, in the use and adaptation of a per-
forated or wire cage in connection with an exhausting fan, such cage having
an endless creeper or another cage beneath it, upon which the fibrous material
is delivered at intervals from the main or "willowing cylinder" and chamber,
and as it passes over such creeper the dust and dirt is extracted through the
upper cage by means of a fan.
A second part of the Invention consists in forming the hinge of the door
through which the fibrous material is delivered at a point considerably abore

page_text: the centre or shaft of the "willow cylinder," by which arrangement more space
for "grating" is obtained below, and another portion of the Invention con-
sists in regulating and actuating the means used to deliver the material from
the cylinder on to the creeper direct from the cylinder either by means of
worm and worm wheels or by friction pulleys or boxes, or other equivalent
mechanism.
Fourthly, the Invention consists in the application of rollers to hold the
cotton, (such rollers acting as a "gin," to keep back dirt or seed), whilst it
is struck by beaters, and carried to an opener, scutcher, or lap machine to be
made into a roll or lap, which application and combination constitutes a
fourth part of the Invention.
My Invention relates, lastly, to the carding engine also used to prepare
fibrous materials for spinning, and consists in making the eccentric which
drives the doffing or stripping comb adjustable by mounting it on a slide or
screw to increase or decrease its length of throw from the centre of revolution
so as to lengthen or shorten the movement of the said comb.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Higgs Hawksworth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HIGGS HAWKSWORTH, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
send greeting.
WHERAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Higgs Hawksworth, Her special license that I, the said William
Higgs Hawksworth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Higgs Hawksworth, my, executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON, AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS POR SPINNING," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Higgs Hawksworth, my executors or adminstrators,

page_text: by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Higgs Hawksworth, do hereby
declare the nature of the said 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 (that is to say) :-
The Invention relates, first, to that description of apparatus known as the
"Oldham willow," and employed to open and prepare fibrous materials for
subsequent spinning, and consists, first, in the use and adaptation of a per-
forated or wire cage in connection with an exhausting fan, such cage having"
an endless creeper or another cage beneath it, upon which the fibrous material
is delivered at intervals from the main or "willowing cylinder" and chamber,
and as it passes over such creeper the dust and dirt is extracted through the
upper cage by means of a fan.
A second part of the Invention consists in forming the hinge of the door
through which the fibrous material is delivered at a point considerably above
the centre or shaft of the "willow cylinder," by which arrangement more space
for grating is obtained below.
Thirdly, the Invention consists in the application of rollers, (such rollers
acting as a "gin" to keep back dirt or seed), whence it is carried to an opener,.
scutcher, or lap machine to be made into a roll or lap, which application and.
combination constitutes a fourth part of the Invention.
My Invention relates, lastly, to the carding engine also used to prepare-
fibrous materials for spinning, and consists in making the lever in connection.
with the doffing or stripping comb adjustable so as to lengthen or shorten the.
movement of the said comb.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in,
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale of
about one inch and a half to the foot having similar letters of reference marked
upon corresponding parts of the apparatus.
Fig. 1, represents a side elevation of the machine termed a "willow" used
For opening fibrous materials. Fig. 2 is a detached view more clearly illus-
rating the action of the catches upon the wheel of the bottom feed roller:.
Fig. 8 represents a side elevation of that part of the carding engine to. which.
he doffing or stripping comb is applied and exhibits the improved methods.of
egulating the "throw," or vibration of the combs, and also the method of

page_text: causing it to "strip the fleece "from the doffer at any required place, and
Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the link or lever.
In Fig. 1, a, a, is the framing of the machine carrying the feed rollers,
beaters, blowers, and dilivery rollers, all of which is now well known; 6 is the
perforated or wire cage, which is connected with the exhausting fan c, which
extracts the dust and dirt from the cotton as it is delivered at intervals from
the main or "willowing" cylinder and chamber d to another cage e or endless
creeper which supports the material whilst the said operation proceeds.
The material is supplied to the said cages through the door f, which is to be
hinged as shewn at a point considerably above the centre of the "willow
cylinder," which also effect a great improvement by leaving more space for
"gratings" or "grids "below, which are channelled or grooved as shewn in
Fig. 5, to render them more readily sharpened or pointed. The door fis
opened and closed at intervals by means of the rod g, which is acted upon by
the cam h, which is so arranged as to open the door once in every revolution
of the shafi, the "willowing cylinder" d is to be recessed between the teeth,
or formed in cavities as shewn to act as a fan. to blow the cotton so as to
assist in delivering it from the teeth. The rollers k, k, are applied to act as a
"gin" in keeping back dirt and seeds, the cotton is then carried forward to
the rollers k¹, k, which hold the fibrous material whilst it is struck by the
porcupine beaters 1, 1, of an ordinary opening or scutching machine, which
may be attached or applied as indicated. I would also remark that I employ
two ratchet wheels, and two pawls m, m, at the ends of the feeding rollers
n, n, and so arranged that the pawls take up the teeth alternately, and the
teeth of one ratchet being set opposite the spaces of the other, so that a very
gradual motion is obtained, and the rollers n, n, are prevented from revolving
in the contrary direction, which sometimes occurs from irregularities in the
cotton. In Fig. 8, a is the portion of an ordinary carding engine where the
doffing comb is situated, and to which my improvements are shewn applied;
t is the variable link or lever, by which the vibratory motion is imparted from
the eccentric to the comb, the comb stock or counter shaft s being made
adjustable in the slot in the link t, so as to be brought nearer to or further
from the stud r, so as to adjust the comb to the doffer. The comb may
also be adjusted so as to strip the doffer at any necessary and required part
by the use of the stud in the vertical slot u in the connecting link or lever t
in which the connecting rod pin r is made adjustable by screws and nuts or
other equivalents.
* Having now described the nature of the said Invention together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly

page_text: understood that I claim the application and use of the perforated or wire
cages in connection with an exhaust fan to extract the dust and dirt from
fibrous materials.
Secondly, the peculiar position of the hinge, and the means of opening and
closing the door f.
Thirdly, the application and use of the "gin" rollers to retain dirt and
seeds, and as a means to convey the fibrous material to another following
machine or process.
Fourthly, the combination of an "opener," or a scutcher or a lap machine
to the aforesaid willowing cylinder.
And, lastly, I claim the combination of the horizontal and vertical slots in
the plate t, for adjusting the doffing comb vertically and laterally, or either,
as herein-before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings
attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Higgs Hawksworth, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
WILLIAM HIGGS HAWKSWORTH. (L.S.)
Witnessed by
JOHN L. DAVIES,
Office for Patents,
4, St. Ann's Sqre.
Manchester.