IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CARDING, COMBING, AND CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CARDING, COMBING, AND CLEANING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."-A communication from
abroad by Charles Nicolas Plantrou, of Paris, in the Republic of
France, Spinner.
Sealed the 3rd July 1874, and dated the 2nd February 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd February 1874.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CARDING, COMBING, AND
CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," a communication to me

page_text: France, Spinner to a
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the machinery for
carding, combing, and cleaning cotton and other fibrous substances, for
which Letters Patent were granted to Charles Nicolas Plantrou, the
communicator of the present Invention, bearing date August 2nd, 1866,
No. 1988, and has for its object to render such machinery more prac-
ticable and advantageous, and to enable the various operations to be
performed with greater facility than heretofore.
The improvements consist,―
1st. In providing the intermediate cylinder which receives the cotton
or other fibrous material from the tearer or opener and delivers it to the
card cylinder with needles in lieu of card teeth.
2nd. In the application to the tearing or opening cylinder and one or
more of the combers provided with needles of cleaning knives for the
purpose of removing the dirt and other extraneous substances therefrom.
3rd. In the application to the comber or third needle cylinder which
receives the cotton or other fibrous material from the clearing or card
cylinder of a stripper for the purpose of removing the impurities from
such comber. The stripper is provided with a detaching comb actuated
by a series of levers from a wheel fast on the axis of the card cylinder.
4th. In forming the regulating blades which hold the fibres on to the
card cylinders at the time when the combers are taking them therefrom
straight and flat in lieu of with teeth as in the Specification of the said
former Letters Patent.
5th. In the application of pedals beneath the fluted roller which
receives the cotton from the cylinder on which it is wound, such pedals
being provided with counterweights which maintain them in contact
with the roller and extending the entire width of the machine.
6th. In driving each succeeding cylinder of the second series only or
of both series of cylinders at a higher velocity than the cylinder which
precedes it in lieu of the whole of the cylinders working at a uniform
speed as in the Specification of the said former Letters Patent.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR CARDING, COMBING, AND CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," a communication to me from abroad by Charles Nicolas
Plantrou, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Spinner, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing, under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in the machinery

page_text: for carding, combing, and cleaning cotton and other fibrous substances,
for which Letters Patent were granted to Charles Nicolas Plantrou (the
communicator of the present Invention), bearing date August Second,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, No. 1988, and has for its
object to render such machinery more practicable and advantageous,
and to enable the various operations to be performed with greater facility
than heretofore.

page_text: This improved machine operates in a similar manner to ordinary
carding engines, but the fibres or filaments are much better divided and
the dirt and other extraneous matter is completely detached and expelled.
The cylinders H, I, K, M, (Figure 3) have formed in their circum-
ference a suitable number of grooves in which are disposed bars h¹
having welded thereto needles h, as shewn in Figure 4 (which is drawn
to the full size). The grooves are then filled with any suitable mastic or
cement r, or by any other means, in order to maintain the needles in the
position which they are to occupy, that is to say, so that the diagonal
position of the needles in the grooves may form their normal inclination.
J, L, N, are doffing or clearing cylinders provided with card teeth as in
ordinary carding engines. V is a stripper or cleaner which removes the
whole of the impurities contained in the cotton or other fibrous substance
conducted along by the cyliner K; this stripper or cleaner is provided.
with a detaching combo which derives its motion from a combination of
levers connected with a wheel O (Figure 1) which is keyed on to the
shaft of the cylinder J. Knives B, C, are adapted to the needle carding
or opening cylinder H and to the needle combing cylinder K respectively
for the purpose of removing dirt and other extraneous matter. The
knives Y, Z, form straight combs without teeth, and are provided for
the purpose of retaining the fibres or filaments on the card cylinders J, L,
respectively at the moment when the combing cylinders K, M, are in
the act of taking hold of such fibres or filaments in order to divide them
and lay them parallel. A knife X may also, if desired, be applied to the
cylinder M, as shewn in red lines in Figure 3.
An important feature of these improvements consists in applying
underneath the fluted roller D pedals A provided with counterweights a
which maintain them in contact. These pedals, which are about one
inch in width, are disposed parallel to one another (as shewn in the
plan, Figure 2), the contiguous pedals being in contact with each other
so as to leave no break or solution of continuity throughout the whole
width of the machine.
The cotton or other fibrous material which is wound upon a cylinder F
and rests freely upon a cylinder G passes successively over the combing
and doffing cylinders, which revolve respectively in the directions
indicated by the arrows (Figure 3), and arrives ultimately at the card

page_text: cylinder N, from which it is detached by a comb n, whence it passes
into the funnel P and between the two rollers 8, s¹.
The velocity of the cylinders is no longer uniform as in the arrange-
ment described in the said former Specification; on the contrary in the
case of the cylinders L, M, N, each succeeding cylinder works at a t
greater speed than the cylinder which precedes it, whereby considerable
advantage is obtained. The arrangement of gearing for obtaining this
result is clearly shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
The operation is performed under such conditions as to obviate the
necessity for the stripping or cleaning except at long intervals, the 1
spaces between the card teeth being always empty, whence it results
that the amount of motive power absorbed is considerably reduced,
whilst at the same time the production is greatly augmented.
As it is requisite that the machine should be covered in at every part
the frames are closed by panels, and the cylinders are surrounded with 1
a wooden casing T, the opening parts of which are hinged at t¹, as
shewn.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I 2
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. Fitting the intermediate combing cylinder I with needles in
lieu of with card teeth, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The application to the needle cylinders of cleaning knives
B, C, and X, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by
the accompanying Drawings.
2
Third. The application to the combing cylinder K of the stripper or
cleaner V, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described 3
and illustrated by the Drawings.
Fourth. Forming the combing knives Y and Z for retaining the fibres
or filaments upon the card cylinders J and L straight and flat in lieu of
with teeth, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by
the accompanying Drawings.
3

page_text: Fifth. The application of pedals beneath the fluted roller D, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Sixth. Causing the succeeding cylinders to work at a higher velocity
than the preceding cylinders, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth
day of July One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.