Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, of 10 Windsor Terrace, Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of
carding machines such as are used for carding flax, jute, hemp, and other fibrous
materials.
In carrying out my Invention I prefer to employ what is known as a "full circular"
carding machine, with strippers and workers arranged so far round it that the delivery
is at the same side as the feed; my improvements are however applicable to other
arrangements of carding machinery and whether the fibrous materials are passed
through one or two carding machines; but at the same time I expect that with my
improvements as good results will be obtained by a single machine as are in many
cases obtainable by two of the machines heretofore in use.
I employ two or more doffers in connection with each cylinder or machine and I
cause to be delivered away from the machine the fibrous materials taken off the
cylinder by the last, or two last doffers; but the fibrous materials taken off the
cylinder by the first doffer, or by the first and second doffers, I pass through
the machine again along with the fibrous materials which are being freshly fed into
the machine. The fibrous materials taken off by the first doffer or doffers are only a
portion of the fleece on the cylinder and are heavier and less completely carded than
the portion taken off by the last or two last doffers and which is well and sufficiently
carded.
The fibrous materials taken off by the first doffer may be led in slivers into cans
by mechanism like the ordinary delivering mechanism. The cans when full are
transferred to the outer end of the feed apron and the slivers are led up out of them
on to the apron; and a pit may be formed at the place so that the cans may be of a
convenient length and not require changing too frequently. Or the fibrous materials
taken off by the first doffer may be led in the form of a fleece over part of the
delivering apparatus of the finished fibrous materials and then directly down upon the
feed apron; or the fleece may be thickened upon the feed apron by a folding process
of the kind described in the Specification of my Patent No. 1256 of 1886.

page_text: In consequence of returning the fleece as hereinbefore described from the first
doffer which takes the heavier or less carded fibre off the cylinder, and feeding it in
again so as to be additionally carded, the fibre when delivered from the last doffer or
doffers is very thoroughly carded and is reduced to very fine fibre, suitable for
making much finer yarn than can be otherwise made from an ordinary carding
machine.
When returning the fibrous materials from the first doffer or doffers in the form of
slivers it will be usual to feed from twelve to fifteen slivers upon the feed apron (so as
to practically cover its entire width). In this way the weights as well as the
variations in quality and color will get well equalised. What will he taken off by
the last doffer or doffers will not only be fine but also very regular in weight, the
first doffer or doffers taking off the irregular and uneven portions; but the returning
of such irregular and uneven portions in slivers will equalise them.
With some fibres sufficient carding is not is not attainable with the existing double
carding method without a large quantity of fibre falling from the under working
rollers of the second machine. This is owing to the fibre having got broken com-
paratively short when it gets on these rollers, the short fibre not being carried so
well by the rollers and cylinder; and a considerable portion of this short but
otherwise good fibre falls as waste. With my improved machinery, whilst a large
portion of the fibres is recarded the shorter fibres are sustained by the long fibres
which are being freshly fed into the machine along with them; and the result is, that
the product of a given size of machine or of two successively operating machines is
better and more finely carded and that there is less waste of good fibre.
Dated this Fourth day of October 1886.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Carding Machines.
I, WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, of 10 Windsor Terrace, Dundee, in the County of, Forfar,
North Britain, Engineer, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of
carding machines such as are used for carding flax, jute, hemp, and other fibrous
materials.
"full
In carrying out my Invention I prefer to employ what is known as a
circular" carding machine with strippers and workers arranged so far round it that
the delivery is at the same side as the feed; my improvements are however applicable

page_text: to other arrangements of carding machinery, and whether the fibrous materials are
passed through one or two carding machines; but at the same time I expect that
with my improvements as good results will be obtained by a single machine as are in
many cases obtainable by two of the machines heretofore in use.
I employ two or more doffers in connection with each cylinder or machine and
I cause to be delivered away from the machine the fibrous materials taken off
the cylinder by the last or two last doffers; but the fibrous materials taken off the
cylinder by the first doffer, or by the first and second doffers, I pass through the
machine again along with the fibrous materials which are being freshly fed into
the machine. The fibrous materials taken off by the first doffer or doffers are only a
portion of the fleece on the cylinder and are heavier and less completely carded than
the portion taken off by the last or two last doffers, and which is well and sufficiently
carded.
The fibrous materials taken off by the first doffer or doffers may be led in slivers
into cans by mechanism like the ordinary delivering mechanism, the cans when full
being transferred to the outer end of the feed apron, and the slivers being led up out of
them on to the apron. Or the fibrous materials taken off by the first doffer or doffers
may be led in the form of a fleece over part of the delivering apparatus of the finished
fibrous materials, and then directly down upon the feed apron; or the fleece may be
thickened upon the feed apron by a folding process of the kind described in the
Specification of my Patent No. 1256 of 1886.
In consequence of returning the fleece or slivers as hereinbefore described from the
first doffer or doffers which take the heavier or less carded fibre off the cylinder, and
feeding it in again so as to be additionally carded, the fibre when delivered from the
last doffer or doffers is very thoroughly carded and is reduced to very fine fibre,
suitable for making much finer yarn than can be otherwise made from an ordinary
carding machine.
When returning the fibrous materials from the first doffer or doffers in the
form of slivers, it will be usual to feed from twelve to fifteen slivers upon the feed
apron (so as to practically cover its entire width). In this way the weights as well as
the variations in quality and color will get well equalised. What will be taken off by
the last doffer or doffers will not only be fine but also very regular in weight, the
first doffer or doffers taking off the irregular and uneven portions; but the returning
of such irregular and uneven portions in slivers will equalise them.
With some fibres sufficient carding is not attainable with the existing double
carding method without a large quantity of fibre falling from the under working
rollers of the second machine. This is owing to the fibre having got broken com-
paratively short when it gets on these rollers, the short fibre not being carried so well
by the rollers and cylinder; and a considerable portion of this short but otherwise
good fibre falls as waste. With my improved machinery, whilst a large portion of
the fibres is recarded the shorter fibres are sustained by the long fibres which are
being freshly fed into the machine along with them; and the result is, that the
product of a given size of machine, or of two successively operating machines is
better and more finely carded and that there is less waste of good fibre.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred and representing a single-cylinder or "full circular" carding
machine as arranged and constructed for carrying out my Invention.
Figure, 1, on sheet 1, of the accompanying drawings is a sectional side elevation,
and figure, 2, on sheet, 2, is a plan of part of the machine. These figures are
diagrams, numerous well known details of the carding machinery being omitted in
order to render the drawings simple and easily understood so far as relates to the
application of my improved system. In the drawings the same reference letters and
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The fibrous materials being as usual placed on an endless feed apron, F, are by it
carried inwards and transferred by a pair of feed rollers, R, to the cylinder, C, and
in passing round the cylinder are operated on in the usual manner by successive pairs

page_text: of stripper and worker rollers, S, W. As the fibrous materials pass over the top of
the cylinder towards the entering side they are operated on in succession by three
doffing rollers, D1, D2, and D3; but instead of the fibrous materials taken off by
all these doffers being collected and delivered together as in ordinary machines, the
portion taken off by the first doffer, D 1, is delivered separately whilst the portions
taken off by the other two doffers, D2, D3, are collected and delivered together
through the ordinary delivering mechanism which may be varied in different cases as
in existing machines. The delivering mechanism in connection with the first doffer, D 1,
is similar to that connected with the other doffers. The fleece passes in sections from
the doffer, D1, between pairs of drawing and pressing rollers, P1, and thence
turning over the edges of inclined guide slots, G 1, (figure 2) in a horizontal plate
(or it might be over inclined guide pins) proceeds across the machine to a pair of
rollers, H 1, which deliver the fibrous materials in the form of a sliver down a guide
shoot, J, into a sliver can, K. The fibrous materials delivered into these cans, K, are
passed through the machine again, as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
A number of the cans, K, containing the slivers are placed with their open ends a
little below the outer end of the feed apron, F. It is convenient to place them in the
inclined position as shown in figure, 1, being, by means of hooks fixed on them,
supported on a transverse rod, L, with their lower ends resting on what is by
preference a board, M, protected with an iron covering plate.
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 employment of two or more doffers in connection with each cylinder or
machine used for carding flax, jute, hemp, and other fibrous materials, combined with
separate delivering mechanism, in part arranged and worked so as to deliver away
from the machine the fibrous materials taken off the cylinder by the last or two last
doffers, and in part arranged and worked so that the fibrous materials taken off by
the first or first and second doffers are passed through the machine again along with
the fibrous materials being freshly fed into the machine, substantially in the manner
and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2-The feeding of partially carded fibrous materials separately delivered from a
carding machine into the same or a similar machine along with fresh fibrous materials
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
11
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T1 1007
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.