Improvements in Automatic Hopper Feeders for Feeding Openers, Scutchers, and Similar Machines with Cotton or other Textile Materials.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 25th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Hopper Feeders for Feeding Openers,
Scutchers, and Similar Machines with Cotton or other Textile
Materials.
We, ASA LEES AND COMPANY LIMITED, of Soho Iron Works, Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinists, and THOMAS BOSWORTH, of the same address,
Foreman of the Scutcher Department, do hereby declare the nature of this Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in automatic hopper feeders for feeding
openers, scutchers and similar machines. with cotton or other textile materials.
The object of our Invention is to automatically equalize and regulate the amount
of fibre fed into the hopper and so automatically equalize and regulate the amount
deuvered to the opener or other machine and we accomplish this object, without the
use of any mechanism for stopping or interrupting the travelling lattice, rollers
or other feed motion by which the fibre is supplied to the hopper, in the manner
and by the means hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
The Drawing is a longitudinal sectional elevation of an automatic hopper feeder
fitted with our improvements.
In this view a designates the frame and a¹ the front of the hopper, oa travelling
feed lattice by which fibre is supplied to the hopper, c the ordinary travelling
Doom lattice, d the inclined spiked or needle lattice, e the spiked clearing roller,
f the beater or delivery roller and g the travelling delivery lattice which feeds the
fibre forward into the opener or other machine.
For the purposes of our Invention we mount inside the framing of the hopper,
and near the feed lattice b, a hinged door h free to move backwards or forwards
as required. This door may either be a single part or be made in two or more
parts each free to move independently of the other or others and it may be allowed
to hang free or it may be weighted as shown by an adjustable weight i on a lever j
fixed on the shaft k which carries the door to counter-balance the weight of a pro-
jecting foot or angle plate m which we prefer to secure to the bottom of the door
across the full width of the hopper. Above the delivery end of the feed lattice b
we fix a deflecting plate or plates n extending the full width of the hopper.
In operation, the fibre is fed into the hopper a by the travelling lattice b and
is deflected downward by the plate n, passing under the end of the door h on to
the travelling bottom lattice e by which it is delivered to the travelling needle
lattice d which raises and caries it forward to the delivery lattice g. Any surplus
or excessive accumulation of fibre in the hopper acts on the door h and foot m
and pushes the door back towards the front a¹ at the feed end of the hopper thereby
partially or wholly cutting off the supply from the feed lattice 6 according to the
extent of the accumulation of fibre in the hopper but without in any way checking
the travel of the feed lattice b which continues constantly running thus conducing
to an even and regular feed and delivery of fibre.

page_text: When the needle lattice d has disposed of the surplus fibre in the hopper the
door h returns to its normal position thus allowing the fibre accumulated behind it
to fall down into the hopper and the feed to be renewed.
We have shown and described a travelling feed lattice b but we wish it to be
understood that we may employ an equivalent feed motion such for example as
rotating rollers.
We also wish it to be clearly understood that we are aware that prior to our
present Invention various means have been employed for equalizing the feed and
delivery of fibre to and from hopper feeders. For example, a weighted presser has been
employed to press the fibre on to the inclined needle fattice in order to equalize the
delivery of fibre fed forward into the opening or scutching machine but in this
azrangement there was no regulation of the fibre fed into the hopper.
Also various arrangements of swinging doors, prongs or the like have been
employed to regulate the feed to the hopper the movement of such doors or the like
being caused by means of connected mechanism to stop or start some moving part
which controls the feed to the hopper.
We lay no claim to any such arrangements as those above indicated, as the
essence of our Invention consists in effecting the automatic regulation of the feed
to the hopper directly by the movement of the hinged door or doors without in
any way checking the movement of the travelling feed lattice or any equivalent
moving part in connection with the feed mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
ton and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
clair is:
In combination, a hopper feeder, means such as a constantly travelling lattice or
the like for feeding the same and the swinging door or doors for shutting off
the feed from the hopper, when an accumulation of fibre takes place therein, sub-
stantially, as herein set forth.
100"
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.