IMPROVEMENTS IN CARD-GRINDING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Standring Dronsfield, of the Firm of Dronsfield,
Brothers, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Makers of Card Grinding
Apparatus, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARD-GRINDING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Standring Dronsfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th April 1880.
"
JOSEPH STANDRING DRONSFIELD, of the Firm of Dronsfield, Brothers, of Oldham,
IMPROVEMENTS
in the County of Lancaster, Makers of Card-grinding Apparatus.
IN CARD-GRINDING MACHINES."
My Invention relates to the machinery employed in the grinding of the carding
surfaces of rollers, and particularly to the arrangements for sustaining the rollers,
and for moving them towards and from the grinding cylinders. In the first place
I mount the axles of the card roller in bearings which are formed in or mounted
upon levers which are fitted to swivel upon brackets or parts attached to or formed
on the framing of the machine, the said brackets being formed with curved slides
or annular bearing surfaces and the said levers being formed and turned to fit upon
such surfaces, whereby more steadiness is obtained than when the levers are
mounted only upon joint pins. Each bearing surface may be a complete ring or
circle, or a part of a ring or circle, and the lever may fit entirely around or on one
or more parts of the said bearing surface. The bearing surfaces may be cylindrical,
flat, or conical. in form, and the parts fitting theroon may or may not be adjustable.
The levers may or may not turn upon a centre pin or bolt in addition to the said
bearing surface or surfaces, and the parts may or may not be held together by
means of a bolt or of bolts, which may be adjustable to obtain the desired tightness
of contact between the parts. The said levers are actuated to move in unison by
means of cranks acting upon sliding blocks as in a former Invention for which
Letters Patent bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the year 1871, and
numbered 2479, have been granted to ine or may be actuated by any other suitable
arrangement of parts, as for example, I may move the levers by means of spur
pinions gearing with toothed segments formed or fixed on the said brackets.
A second part of my Invention relates to the cases wherein the rollers are carried
by levers which are hinged to the framing, as for example, to the machine for
which Letters Patent were granted to me as aforesaid. I suspend the levers from

page_text: fulcra, which are above the bearings for the card roller, and I act upon the levers
at points below the said bearings. In one arrangement each lever is jointed by its
upper end to the framing, or to a standard or bracket attached thereto, and is
actuated by means of a crank or excentric which acts upon its lower end. An
intermediate part of the lever is formed to receive the axle of the roller, and has
or may have two or more bearings to suit rollers of different diameters, such
bearings being formed in the lever or in an adjustable part mounted thereon. In
the arrangement I prefer, crank pins fit in bearings in sliding blocks which are
mounted upon the lower ends of the said levers, the gravity of the levers tending
to prevent backlash or unsteadiness of action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lettors Patent filed
by the said Joseph Standring Dronsfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th October 1880.
JOSEPII STANDRING DRONSFIELD, of the Firm of Dronsfield, Brothers, of Oldham,
in the County of Lancaster, Makers of Card Grinding Apparatus. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CARD-GRINDING MACHINES."
-
My Invention relates to the machinery employed in the grinding of the carding
surfaces of rollers, and particularly to the arrangements for sustaining the rollers,
and for moving them towards and from the grinding cylinders. In the first place
I mount the axles of the card roller in bearings, which are formed in or mounted
upon levers which are fitted to swivel upon brackets or parts attached to or formed
on the framing of the machine, the said brackets being formed with curved slides
or annular bearing surfaces, and the said levers being formed and turned to fit
upon such surfaces, whereby more steadiness is obtained than when the levers are
mounted only upon joint pins. A second part of my Invention relates to the
cases wherein the rollers are carried by levers which are hinged to the framing.
I suspend the levers from fulcra which are above the bearings for the card roller,
and I act upon the levers at points below the said bearings.
And in order that my Invention may be well understood, I will now refer to a
Sheet of Drawings which I have attached bereunto. In the said Drawings, which
are made to a scale of about four inches to the foot, Fig. 1 represents an end elevation,
and Fig. 2, a front elevation of so much of a card-grinding machine as has been
considered necessary to the illustration of the first part of my Invention. In the
said Figs. a represents the upper part of one of the end standards, which carry the
grinding roller indicated by the dotted circle b. To the said standard is bolted a
bracket c, which is separately represented in section by Fig. 3. The said bracket
is formed with a projecting flanch d, and the outer circunference of this flanch is
truly turned to the form of a segment of a circle. A lever frame e is also formed
with a segmental flanch, which is truly turned on its inner surface to fit the turned
surface of the flanch d, so that when the two parts are put together the flanch on

page_text: g
the frame e turns smoothly around the centre of the circular part of the bracket.
The formation may be varied by forming a part of the lever frame to fit inside the
turned flanch on the bracket. A hole is bored in the said bracket exactly concentric
with the flanch d, and a corresponding hole is bored in the frame e, and a central pin
fis fitted in the two holes, and is provided with an adjustable collar, whereby the
frame eis kept in position. A bolt may bo substituted for the said pin or a
projecting stud may be cast or formed upon one of the parts, and be turned to fit
in the hole in the other part. A slot is formed in the frame e, and the sides of the
said slot are truly planed or faced so that a block g may slide to and fro. In tho
example ribs are cast upon the frame on each side of the slot in order to increase
the width of the bearing surfaces with which tho said block is in sliding contact.
The block is mounted upon the pin of a crank which is fixed or formed upon the
end of a rocking shaft h, which is mounted in a bearing i, and passes through an
opening in the bracket. The action of the shaft h is similar to that of the corre-
sponding shaft in a former Invention, for which Letters Patent bearing dato the
Twentieth day of September, in the year 1871, and numbered 2474, have been
granted to me. In the said former Invention the rocking shaft was actuated by
means of a hand-wheel which turned a worm, which geared with a worm segment
fixed upon the rocking shaft, and I uso a corresponding arrangement to give motion
to the shaft h, but it must be understood that I do not confine myself to the
indicated arrangement nor to the use of cranks. If preferred a spur-pinion fixed
on a shaft mounted in bearings on the bracket may gear with a segmental spur
wheel upon the lever-frame, or the shaft may be carried by the lever-frame, and
the pinion may gear with a rack upon the bracket. The said lever-frame carries a
seating k for the axle of the card roller. In the example the said seating is fitted
to slide upon the lever-frame, and can be adjusted by means of screws C. It will
be understood that there is a corresponding arrangement at each end of the
machine, but it is not necessary that both of the seatings shall be adjustable.
When the shaft h is rotated the two lever-frames move in unison, and the.roller
is moved towards or from the grinding roller. The dotted lines m indicate rollers
of various diameters which the apparatus may be capable of grinding. In the
example the bearing i and also the curved flanch n which carries the under guard
for the card-roller are cast upon or carried by the bracket. The curved bearing
surfaces on the bracket and lever-frame may be complete circles, or be less or more
of a complete circle than the indication, and may be cylindrical or conical, or may
consist of two flat circularly formed bearing surfaces, and, if preferred, one part
sliding upon the other may be made adjustable in a similar manner, as in the case
of an ordinary lathe slide rest. When the parts are well fitted together I obtain
great steadiness of motion by means of this part of my Invention. Figs. 4 and 5
illustrate the second part of my Invention. In this example each axle of the card-
roller rests in a seating in a lever, and one of the two levers is represented by o.
The said lever is suspended by its upper end, which is mounted upon a stud p
which is fixed in the upper end of a standard q. This standard may be cast in one
piece with the end frame a of the grinding machine, or be bolted or secured thereto
as preferred. Upon the lower end of the lever a planed slide r is formed, and to
this is fitted a sliding block or carriage & which engages with the pin of the crank
disc which is fixed or formed on the rocking shaft, and may be actuated, as in
the provious example, or by any other suitable means. The lever o is made of a
cranked form in order that a part of it may form the seating for the card roller, as
will be readily understood. In the example three seatings are formed so that one
or the other may be used, according to the diameter of the card-roller, but this
formation may be varied. I prefer to make the seating on one of the two levers in
an adjustable sliding block, as in the first part of my Invention.
It will be seen
that the card-roller being between the fulcrum and the actuating shaft ha fine
adjustment is obtained, and also that as the entire weight of the roller and levers
is so suspended as that they tend to move inwards, the arrangement will be
conducive to steadiness and freedom from what is termed "back-lash." Cams or

page_text: excentrics to act upon the lower ends of the said levers might be substituted for
the cranks.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect, I would have it to be
understood that I claim,-
First. The combinations of parts arranged and acting substantially as 'and for
the purpose set forth and indicated hereinbefore, and in and by the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly. The levers or lever-frames fitted to swivel upon or in slides of circular
formation, substantially as set forth and indicated.
Thirdly. The brackets formed with annular or partly annular turned seatings,
upon or in which the levers carrying the card roller are mounted, substantially as
-set-forth-and-indicated._
-
And, Lastly. The levers suspended from fulcra situated above-the--axis-.of.tho.
card roller, and acted upon at their lower ends, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Standring Dronsfield, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight bundred and eighty.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the said Joseph Standring
Dronsfield, in presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
41, John Dalton St,
Manchester,
JOSEPH S. DRONSFIELD. (L.S.)
(Agent for the Patentec).