Improvements in Flat Grinding Mechanism for Carding Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flat Grinding Mechanism for Carding Machines.
I, JONATHAN EATOUGH, of 34, Appleton Avenue, Pawtucket, in the County of
Providence, and State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Mechanic, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
In revolving-flat carding-machines the card clothing requires to be ground as the
flats are passed in the inserted position back, over and above the portion of the flats.
in contact with the cylinder of the carding-machine. In the passage of the flats
under the grinder, the same require to be guided and controlled so as to secure
microscopic accuracy in the uniform grinding of the wires in the clothing of all
the flats.
The object of the invention is to secure greater accuracy in control of the flats
during the grinding, and reduce the errors caused by the wearing of the parts.
To this end, the invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction by which
the flat guiding device is controlled by a cam moved through a greater distance than
the flat, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side view of part of a carding-machine showing the flat grinding-
mechanism.
Figure 2 is a side view of the flat supporting-mechanism.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the flat grinding-mechanism on one side
of the carding-engine.
In the drawing 4 indicates the bracket extending from each side-frame of the
carding-engine and forming the support of the flat grinding-mechanism; 5 the
grinding-roll; 6 the adjustable bearing for the grinding-roll; 7 the revolving-flats;
8 the chain connecting the flats. The flats of revolving-flat carding-machines are
provided at the back, near each end, with a projecting gudgeon which registers with
the sprocket-wheels by which the endless series of flats are operated. To these
gudgeons 9 the links of the endless-chain 8 are pivotally secured. On the back
of the flats, between the gudgeon 9 and the rib of the flat, the finished guiding-
surface 10 forms one bearing of the flat, and the surface 11, on the end of the face
of the flats, the other bearing-surface by which the flats are guided as they move
over and nearly in contact with the carding-cylinder; and these guiding-surfaces on
the flats are utilized to control the flats when in the reversed position. The wires
of the clothing are ground, as is shown in the drawings.
On the stud 12, which is secured to the bracket 4, a double sprocket-wheel is
journalled. The sprocket-wheel 13 is in line with and engages with the gudgeons 9
on the flats 7, while the sprockets 14 operate the flat guiding-device consisting of
On the upper part
the lever 15 pivotally supported at one end on the bracket 4.
of the lever 15 is the inwardly-projecting guide 16 which forms the upper guide
for the flats and bears on the surface 11 at the end of the face of the flats. The

page_text: lever 15 has, at its free end, the toe 17 and is provided with an arm supporting
the stud 18 on which the lever 19 is pivotally supported; this lever 19 has the
weight 20 adjustably secured near one end. The arm 21 of the lever 19 bears on
the surface 10 on the back of the flat, and holds the same against the curved-
guide 16; the toe 17 rests on the heel 22 of the lever 23 pivotally supported near
the heel on a stud secured to the bracket 4. The free end of the lever 23 is provided
with the pattern 24 coacting with the sprockets 14.
To enable others skilled in the art to apply and use my improved flat grinding-
guide, I will more fully describe the operation of the same. The pattern 24 on
the lever 23 is four times as far from the fulcrum of the lever 23 as is the contact
point of the toe 17 with, the heel 19; the movement of the pattern-end of the
lever 23 is, thereby, transmitted to the lever 15 reduced to one-fourth and, as the
arm 21 bears on the flat at a point about half way between the toe 17 and the ful-
crum of the lever 15, the movement of the flat between the bearing of the arm 21
and the guide 16 is reduced one-half, or to one-eighth of the movement of the
pattern 24.
The
This proportion may be altered if a larger or smaller cam is preferred.
pattern 24 is shown in the drawings of such length that before the sprocket 14, in
contact with the pattern, leaves the same, the next sprocket will be over the
pattern and serve to control the levers 23 and 15. The shape of the pattern is
such that the flats will be gradually raised as they pass under the grinding-roller
to give to the wires the required inclined surface. As the flats pass under the
grinding-roller in the direction indicated in Figure 1, the gudgeons on the successive
flats engage with and turn the sprocket-wheels 13 on each side of the carding-
machine and with them the sprockets 14 which, in passing over the pattern 24,
depress the end of the lever 23 and gradually raise the toe-end of the lever 15.
The weighted-lever 19 holding, by the arm 21, the flat against the guide 16 follows
this movement. As each successive sprocket 14 comes in contact with the pattern 24
and as each successive flat passes under the grinding-roll, all the flats are succes-
sively guided and controlled by the pattern 24 and all are ground uniformly.
The sprocket 14 and the pattern 24 are the only parts subjected to wear, and any
difference in the wear will effect the control of the flats only a fraction of the actual
wear, but these parts can be made of material that will resist wear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Claim 1. In a flat grinding-mechanism for carding-machines, the combination with
the flats, the grinding-roll, and the guides, of sprockets rotated by the moving flats,
a lever, and a pattern on the lever; whereby the grinding of the several flats is
controlled by a pattern, as described.
2. In a mechanism for grinding the flats of revolving-flat carding-machines, the
combination with the adjustable guides supporting the flats in their passage under the
grinding-roll, of a pattern, mechanism for operating the pattern, and a lever
constructed to transmit the movement of the pattern to the guides at a reduced scale,
as described.
3. In a flat grinding-mechanism for carding-machines, the combination of the
following instrumentalities:-the flats provided with gudgeons, a sprocket-wheel
engaging with the gudgeons on the flats, sprockets rotated by the sprocket-wheel, an
upper guide supported on a pivoted-lever, a lever having a short arm controlling the
guide-supporting lever, a pattern on the long arm of the lever, and a counter-weighted
lever; whereby the movement of the flats under the grinding-roll operates the guides
and controls the grinding of the flats by a pattern moving through a greater distance
than the flats, as described.
4. In a flat grinding-mechanism for carding-machines, the combination with the
flats, the grinding-roll, and the bracket 4, of the lever 15, the guide 16, the toe 17,
and the weighted-lever 19 on the lever 15, of the sprocket-wheel 13, the sprockets 14,

page_text: the lever 23, the heel 22 near the fulcrum of the lever 23, and the pattern 24 on the
long arm of the lever 23; whereby the grinding of the wires of the flats is controlled
by the pattern, as described.
Dated this 17th day of March A.D. 1898.
presence of :-
JONATHAN EATOUGH.
JOSEPH A. MILLER, JR.
B.. M. SIMMS.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.