IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR OPENING AND PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR OPENING AND PREPARING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to machines for opening and preparing fibre, and it
consists in certain improvements in the machine described in the specification of
former Letters Patent granted to me and dated April 19th A.D. 1881, N° 1697, all
substantially as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the evener mechanism of a cotton
opener provided with the present improvements, the front side of the casing being
removed to show the construction more clearly.
Figure 2 is a section on the line A, A, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a top view of the compound levers detached from the other parts.
Figure 4 is a side view of a portion of a cotton opener, showing the method of
attaching the compound levers to the belt of the cone driving pulleys.
Figure 5 is an end view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 4.
R is the upper sectional roller of a cotton evener feed mechanism and R¹ R' are
the bottom feed rollers between which and the upper roller, the cotton is fed to the
beater.
The roller R is composed of a number of short sections r, each capable of
moving freely up and down independently in proportion to the varying thickness
of the sheet of cotton passing between them and the bottom feed rolls R¹ R¹. On
the top of each section of the roll R is placed a saddle r which is held and retained
in a socket in the end of one of the levers E; each lever_E having the saddles of
two adjacent sections 7 thus held in its ends, as shown. Each of the levers E has,
midway between its ends upon its upper side, a wedge-shaped projection with tho

page_text: •
edge uppermost as shown. Resting upon these projections are the levers DD,
each of which has notches cut in its lower side near each end, to embrace the
projections. On top of the levers D D rests the lever B¹; the levers D D
having similar central projections and the lever B¹ similar notches to receive them.
All these parts are similar in construction and operation to like parts shown and
described in the said former specification and are well understood.
In place of the sector and chain mechanism shown in the said former
specification the lever B' is now connected with the lever A' by the bearing point C
of the latter being made to rest upon the centre of lever B¹, and provided with
a fulcrum C' supported against the top of the casing M as shown. This lever A¹
and fulcrum Care bifurcated and extend downward-on-each-side-past--the-
levers B D as shown. This construction enables the entire lever mechanism to be
condensed into a small compass without interfering with its freedom of operation,
and the lever A¹ by means of it, serves to hold the levers B', D, in position, as well
as to receive and convey the notion of the divided roll R and system of levers to
the belt and cone pulley mechanism in the usual manner.
To the end of the lever A' which projects outside the casing M is attached a
rod a which connects the lever A' to the belt shifting forks, and shifts the belts on
the cone pulleys and regulates the speed of the rolls R R¹ by mechanism.
substantially the same as shown in the said former specification.
The lower end of rod a is pivotted to the lever I, which is attached to the
casing M of the opener by a pivot i, and has suspended upon its free end
the weight S. This lever extends between the casing M1 of the opener and
the casing M2 of the cone pulleys. Towards its outer end a finger / extends
through the slot h¹ in the casing M2 and engages with one of the levers ; by
passing through a slot in it. This lever jis pivotted to the casing M³ at j¹, and
carries on its short end the usual toothed sector which meshes with the toothed
sector upon the short end of the other lever j which is pivotted at j'. The usual
pins or fingers project outward from the longer ends of the levers j. j upon each
side of the belt 2 passing around the cone driving pulleys J, J.
The fulcrum C is made adjustable vertically by means of a set screw c¹, and
two set screws c³ c² passing through slots in the casing M (as shown in dotted lines
in Figure 1) into the opposite sides of the fulcrum. By loosening the set
screws c² c² and turning the sot screw c', the fulcrum piece C³ may be adjusted up
and down as desired. This adjustable fulcrum C' is of great advantage in this
mechanism as well as the means of adjusting it by a screw with great delicacy,
because it is an exceedingly efficient method of regulating the thickness and
comparative weight of the lap produced. The latter, as is well known, depends
upon the average speed at which the feed rolls run, a greater speed feeding
more cotton through the machine in a given time and producing a thicker and
heavier lap.
As the set screw c¹ is turned backward, or withdrawn, it allows the fulcrum C¹
to rise and lowers the opposite end of lever A¹ carrying rod a, and allows lover I
to drop downward carrying with it levers j, j and belt. The average position of
this belt will, therefore, be lower upon the cone pulleys J, J', than before, and it
will drive the feed rolls by J' from J faster. By turning the set screw c¹ in
the opposite direction, the contrary effect will be produced, and a very slight
adjustment of the movable fulcrum C¹ in this way is sufficient to produce an
appreciable effect upon the speed of the feed rolls.
It is obvious that the arrangement of the rod and lever connections between the
outer end of lever A' and the belt on the cone pulleys may be varied somewhat,
without departing from the nature of the invention of the movable fulcrum.
The bearing piece C of the lever A¹, which rests upon the lever B' is made to
cross the space between the two parts of the bifurcated end of the lever A¹, to
which it is joined at each end, thus strengthening that part of the lever. It is to
be understood that this invention may be applied to a roll R having a greater or
less number of divisions r, r, in which case the number of levers between E E

page_text: and B will vary accordingly. Also that the fulcrum C may be placed entirely
above the path of lever B¹, in which case it need not be bifurcated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my Foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First. In combination with the lower feed rolls R¹ R' and the feed roll R, tho
series of levers E, D, B, and the bifurcated lever A¹ adapted to allow the
levers D, B¹ to pass through its bifurcation, substantially as described.
Second. In combination with the divided feed roll R and the series of
levers E, D, the lever B¹, the adjustable fulcrum C¹, the cone pulleys J, J', and
their belt connected to said lever B₁ by a series of intermediate actuating rods
and levers, substantially as described.
Third. In combination with the divided feed roll R and the series of levers E, D,
the lever B¹, the adjustable fulcrum C¹, its adjusting screw c¹, and the cone
pulleys J J and their belt j connected to said lever B¹ by a series of intermediate
actuating rods and levers, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.