CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING, SCUTCHING, AND CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Noton, of Oldham, in the County of Lan-
caster, Cotton Spinner, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR OPENING, SCUTCHING, AND CARDING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 16th August 1864, and dated the 2nd March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Noton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd March 1864.
I, WILLIAM NOTON, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of tho said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING, SCUTCHING, AND CARDING COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates principally to certain improvements upon the Inven-
tion for which former Letters Patent were applied for by me on the 19th day
of December 1863, No. 3201. In the Provisional Specification filed on
making the said application I stated that a friction apparatus or toothed
wheels were employed to impart motion to or arrest the motion of the strap
guide of the cone or cones. I now wish to add, that an arrangement of fast-
and-loose pulleys or a stud projecting from a sliding bush, which stud takes
alternately between projections on the faces of two bevel wheels, may be
employed for the same purpose.
Another part of my present Invention consists in applying a flexible plate

page_text: or plates to the surface of the feeding rollers of machines for opening,
scutebing, and carding. This flexible plate is pressed against the fleece of
fibrous substances, passing between the plate and the roller by springs, or by
a series of blocks, which are weighted by a series of levers united in a single
lever, which is in connection with the apparatus by which the strap is
traversed along the cones, so that the inequalities in the thickness of the feed
at different parts may be compensated for. Or a series of blocks weighted
and acting in the manner above described, may be applied to the feed roller
without the flexible plate or plates. These blocks fit between two cross bars,
over one of which the fibres are struck by the beater or roller, and I place
the nip or point of contact between the roller and block or plate at some dis-
tance from the edge over which the fibres are struck, thereby preventing
injury to the staple, and more effectually removing the impurities from the
fibres.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Noton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NOTON, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Noton, Her special license that
special license that I, the said William
Noton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Noton, my executors, administrators, and 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING, SCUTCHING, AND CARDING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Noton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: 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 William Noton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
This Invention relates principally to certain improvements upon the Inven-
tion for which former Letters Patent were granted to me on the Nineteenth
day of December One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, Number 8201.
In the Specification of the said Patent I described how a friction apparatus
and toothed wheels were employed to impart motion to or arrest the motion
of the strap guide of the conc or conos. My present improvement consists in
an arrangement of fast-and-loose pulleys, or a stud projecting from a sliding
bush, which stud takes alternately between projections on the faces of two
wheels for effecting the same object.
Another part of my present Invention consists in applying a flexible plate
or plates to the surface of the feeding rollers of machines for opening,
scutching, and carding. This flexible plate is pressed against the fleece of
fibrous substances, passing between the plate and the roller by springs or by
a series of blocks, which are weighted by a series of levers united in singlo
lever, which is in connection with the apparatus by which the strap is
traversed along the cones, so that the inequalities in the thickness of the feed
at different parts may be compensated for. A series of blocks weighted and
acting in the manner above described, may be applied to the feed roller
without the flexible plate or plates. These blocks fit between two cross bars,
over the edge of one of which the fibres are struck by the beater or roller,
and I place the nip or point of contact between the roller and block or plate
at some distance from the edge over which the fibres are struck, thereby
preventing injury to the staple and more effectually removing the impurities
from the fibres.
And in order that my Invention may be readily carried into operation, I
will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the machinery for varying the speed of the feed
rollers of openers, scutchers, and other machines of the like nature to which
my improvements are applied.
9 is the lower cone, which is driven at an uniform velocity by a strap
passing around the pulley g'; the cone 9 imparts a varying motion to tho

page_text: upper cone h by a strap in the usual manner. The guide of the said strap is
moved to and fro along the cones by the screw k, and this screw is turned
round in contrary directions when required by the pulley g' fixed on the axle
of the lower cone 9; to the prolongation of the screw is fixed tho pulley k
and on it are mounted the loose pulleys k² and k³, the former being turned
round by the crossed strap 1, and the latter by the open strap 1', both these
straps are guided by the double strap fork p', cast with or fixed to the lever
p; this lever vibrates on the shaft n¹, which is moved to and fro in contrary
directions according to the thickness of the feed, in the manner described in
the Specification of the Letters Patent above referred to. By this arrange-
ment of fast-and-loose pulleys, when the feed is too thick, the crossed strap
is brought partly on the pulley &³, and drives the screw & in the proper direc-
tion for moving the cone strap towards the larger end of the cone h, thus
reducing the speed of the fccd roller. The contrary action takes place when
the feed is too thin, the strap being then brought partly on to the pulley k'.
The Drawing represents the parts in their relative positions when the feed is
right, and when both straps are off the fast pulley k¹.
г
Figure 2 represents a modification of this part of my Invention. k is tho
screw for moving the cone strap guide. On the prolongation of the screw are
mounted the two pulleys or wheels * and *, working in contrary directions,
either by straps as shewn in Figure 1, or by geering. On the inner faces of
the pulleys or wheels k' and ' are cast projections; m is the sliding bush,
with studs loose on the screw k, but connected to it by a key and groove; this
sliding bush is moved to and fro by the lever p, p, acting on the lever q
jointed to it The studs on the sliding bush m are thus brought in contact
with the projections on either of the pulleys or wheels k' and ke, and such
motion is imparted to the screw as may be required to put the strap guide in
its proper position on the cones to correspond with the irregularities in the
thickness of the feed.
Figure 3 is an elevation and Figure 4 a transverse section of my improved
feeding apparatus applicable to machinery for opening, scutching, and carding
cotton and other fibrous substances. 6 is a toothed feeding roller; c is a
flexible plate of steel or other suitable metal or material, between which and
the roller 6 the fibres pass. The feed roller in revolving delivers the fibres to
the actton of the usual beater or drum of the opener or scutcher, or to the
licker-in, or other roller of the carding engine. The plate c is fixed to the cross
beam d, between which and the beam d' are placed the series of blocks f bearing
against the under side of the plate c. I have in this instance shewn sixteen
blocks, but the number may be increased or diminished according to the

page_text: width of the machine to which my improvements are applied. Each pair of
blocks is acted upon by a saddle f', and these saddles are acted upon by the
saddles, which are in like manner acted upon by the saddles f³, both of
which are united by the saddle f. The under side of the saddle f is con-
nected to the levere by the pin e', and the fulcrum of the lever e is the
adjustable bracket o²; the outer extremity of the lever e is in communication
with the apparatus by which the strap is traversed along the cones in the
manner described in the Specification above referred to, or in any other
manner. When the machine is at work the fibres are struck by the beater,
drum, or roller over the edge of the beam d', and the irregularities in the
thickness of the fibres passing between the roller 6 and the flexible plate c
cause some of the blocks f to be depressed more than others, but the average
thickness of the feed is transmitted to the lever e, and by it the position of the
cone strap and speed of the feed roller are governed as described in the Speci-
fication above referred to. By this arrangement it is evident that as the fibres
are struck over a fixed bar or beam that is separate from the holding or
indicating part, the latter is therefore not affected by the scutching or striking
of tho fibres.
Figures 5 and 6 are two views of a modification of my Invention. In these
views 6 is the feed roller, and c the flexible plate fixed to the cross rail c', and
to the under side of the plate care fixed the eight or other convenient number
of blocks f; these blocks may be united by saddles as shown in Figure 3, or
cach block may receive pressure independently of the others by the weighted
levers fo, which are hinged on the edge of the beam or cross bar d². In both
Figures 4 and 6 it will be seen that the nip or point of contact between the
feed roller b and the plate c is at some distance from the edge over which tho
fibres are struck by the beater, drum, or roller, and the fixings of the roller b
are so constructed that the roller can be adjusted nearer to or further from
the edge of the bar or beam according to the length of the staple, thereby
preventing injury to the staple, and more effectually removing the impurities
from the fibres.
I wish to observe, that in some cases springs may be used to act on the
flexible plate c instead of the weighted blocks f. I would also remark, that
the combination shewn in Figures 5 and 6 is suitable for carding engines, as
well as for openers and scutchers.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First, the combination of the pulleys for traversing the strap along the
cones, as shewn and described in reference to Figure 1.

page_text: Secondly, the combination of pulleys or wheels with projections, and tho
sliding bush for traversing the strap along the cones, as shewn and described
in reference to Figure 2.
Thirdly, the series of blocks and saddles for compensating and indicating
the irregularities in the feed of openers, scutchers, and carding engines, as
shewn and described in reference to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Fourthly, the flexible plate marked c acting in combination with the feed
roller, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6.
And, lastly, the fixed bar or beam over which the fibres are struck, in com-
bination with a moveable and adjustable holder by which the fibres are held,
as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Noton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of August, Ono thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.