Improvements in Machines for Balling Slivers.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 30th Apr.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Balling Slivers.
I, GEORGE JAMES TORRANCE, of 14, Davis Street, in the Township of Harrison,
County of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manu-
facturing Machinist, 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 :-
The objects of my invention are to secure a more regular and uniform balling
operation and to obtain a more perfect product.
The invention consists in the improved balling machine and in the arrangements
and combinations of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally
embraced in the clauses of the claim.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a side
elevation of the improved machine; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same;
Figure 3 is a detail of a certain sliver guide in side elevation; Fig. 3ª a front
elevation of the same, and Figure 4 is a detail side view, showing means for
regulating the operations of certain levers.
Figure 5 is a sectional view illustrating the relation of the drum, spindle,
flanges, pushing head, etc., to each other more clearly.
In said drawings, A, A¹, indicate the side or bed plates of the machine.
B, is a drum or wheel, rotating between said side plates and actuated by a
suitable driving mechanism, such as the shaft B¹, and driving wheel, B".
C, C, are the flanges arranged between the side plates concentric with the
spindle D, and lying at the opposite sides of the upper part of the drum, extending
above the periphery of said drum to receive the spool E, upon which the wool or
sliver is wound. Said spool E, is given rotary motion on the said spindle D, first
by engaging the periphery of said drum and afterwards by the engagement of the
wound sliver or wool on said spool with said drum. The flanges C, serve to keep
the loose wool in place on the spool while the said wool is being wound.
F, is a vertically sliding bearing arranged in slot G, in the upper part of the
side plate A¹, and through which bearing the spindle D, extends and is adapted
to move longitudinally. As the spool, rotating on the spindle, fills with the
wound wool or sliver to form the ball, the said bearing is forced upward in its
slide ways formed by said slot G, to increase the space between the peripheries
There is
of the drum and spool and permit of the enlargement of the ball.
a corresponding slide located in a similar slot in the opposite side plate A, as will
be understood.
The operation of removing the filled ball and inserting a new spool is
accomplished, by the levers K, K', operated by the cams L, L. Said cams are
loose upon the shaft B', and adjacent to them is a ratchet wheel 2, keyed to the
shaft; a pawl 3, is pivoted on the end of the cam L, in position to engage the
teeth of the ratchet wheel, when released as hereinafter described, and cause said
cams to rotate with the ratchet wheel.
The pawl 3, has an arm 4, which projects upward, when said pawl is in a

page_text: disengaged position, into sliding contact with the lower end of vertical rod 5,
supported on the bearing F. As said bearing is pushed upward as the ball
increases to its full size, the lower end of said rod 5, is carried out of contact
with the pawl rod 4, and said pawl is released and drawn into engagement with
the ratchet wheel by a spring.
The cams, thus caused to rotate, engage a projection on the lever K, and move
the upper end of said lever outward from the side plate. Said lever K, is a bell
crank lever pivoted at the side of the frame of the machine near the bottom, and
having its short arm connected with a similar bell crank lever K¹, similarly
arranged at the opposite side of the frame.
The upper end of the lever K, is slotted to receive the head of the spindle D,
and as said lever is moved outward by the cam L, it withdraws the spindle from
the filled ball, thereby releasing the ball.
At the same time, the upper end of the lever K¹, at the opposite side of the
frame, being correspondingly moved outward, carries with it the pushing
head K, which allows an empty spool to drop in front of said pushing head from
the holder N.
By the last half of the revolution, the cams force the levers K, and K¹, inward
to their normal positions, thus pushing the empty spool through an opening in
the flange into place on the spindle.
At the end of a complete revolution of the cams, the arm 4, of the pawl 3, again
engages the vertical rod 5, and throws the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet
wheel 2, thereby stopping further motion of the cam until the new spool is filled,
when the same operations are repeated:
On withdrawal of the spindle, when the ball is full or complete, said ball is free
to be pushed by the bat and forced into a suitable receptacle therefor, in the manner
common in the art, and the sliding bearings F, fall to their lowest position.
way
from
The bat P, and the sprocket wheels and chain for rotating the same, whereby the
longer arm thereof is adapted to throw the full spool out of place between the
flanges, are common in the art. They receive motive power in the usual
the cams L, L, which have one end peripherally cogged for that purpose.
The traversing sliver guide or spreader M, which is slowly oscillated by a cam in
connection with suitable gearing in any ordinary manner, is also old.
The oscillating spreader, M, had heretofore at its upper end, an eye through
which the end of the sliver had to be threaded prior to being inserted between the
spool and roller or drum. This operation frequently occupied considerable time, in
which the sliver, issuing from the side drawing machine or first carding machine
formed a slack in said sliver. When this slack or fullness was considerable it
rendered it necessary to break the sliver, to form a new end, and required a new
attempt at threading the eye and inserting the end in the balling machine. The
broken off end involved a loss. In the present case, I have dispensed with such
eye, and have provided an open guide notch a Figs. 3 and 34, at the upper
extremity of the spreader M, through which the sliver can be inserted without
delay; 1 have provided also, a tension c, by means of which any slack may be taken
up and the said sliver be given the proper tension in entering between the drum
and spool as it is fed to the balling machine, thus insuring a more even and regular
supply of sliver to the spool and insuring a more perfectly uniform product.
The tensioning device I prefer, consists of a forked piece pivoted upon the outer
face of the spreader as shown in Figure 2 and provided with means for clamping
upon the said spreader when the proper adjustment is obtained.
The means employed for pivoting and clamping the tensioning fork is a simple
screw a', other means may be employed to secure the desired result.
To regulate the lever, K¹, and more effectually operate what I have heretofore
called the pushing head, by means of which the empty spool, guided by the spool
holder N, in position upon the machine, is thrust into position on the drum to
receive the sliver, I have provided adjusting means shown in Figures 2 and 4, to
maintain the necessary pressure by which said empty spool is completely and fully

page_text: brought into position even after the parts are worn by usage. I have provided at
one side of the machine and near its bottom a bracket d, having ears e. Through
slots in said ears extends a pivotal bolt, f, on which the lever K¹, is fulcrumed.
On the outer side of said ears are suppleinental brackets, g, adjustably secured by
means of bolts, h. Said supplemental ears, at one end are provided with bearings, g¹
for the pivotal or fulcrumal bolt f, and at their upper ends are provided with
bearings gl for adjusting screws, i, the said adjusting screws being arranged in
lugs j, of the bracket d, and engaging the bearings of the supplemental brackets,
so as to change the fulcrumal relation of the lever at will to secure the desired
operation in inserting the empty spool into position effectively.
The spindle D is threaded at the end at which it passes through the nuts m, m,
as shown in Figure 2, to permit said nuts to be varied in relation to the lever K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The balling machine, substantially as herein set forth, having a drum, B,
flanges C, C, a spindle D, adapted to receive the spool and to be withdrawn
therefrom, and a device for pushing the empty spool in position upon said drum;
levers K, K', for operating said spindle and pushing device, the said levers being
fulcrumed one on the frame and the other on an adjustable bracket having supple-
mental adjustable ears, and adjusting screws for regulating the movement of the
said lever K¹, substantially as set forth...
2. The combination in a balling machine with the drum flange, spindle, bat,
spreader, pushing head and means for operating the said parts, of an adjustable
tension device arranged upon said spreader and adapted to increase or reduce the
tension upon the sliver as it enters the balling machine, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the drum, flanges, spindle, and spreader and means for
operating the same, of a forked tension device pivotally adjustable upon the said
spreader, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the drum, flanges, spindle, bat, spreader and means for
operating the same, of a tension device consisting of a fork and a clamping screw
serving as a pivot for said fork, the said spreader being provided with an open
guide aperture, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with the drum, flanges, spindle, D and lever, K for
withdrawing the said spindle from the spool of nuts and lock nuts arranged on the
outer threaded extremity of the spindle on opposite sides of the slotted end of the
lever, whereby the said lever may be adjusted in its relation to the spindle,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 30th day January 1897.
(Signature) GEORGE JAMES TORRANCE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.