IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARD SURFACES EMPLOYED IN CARDING COTTON AND WOOL
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Holme Spencer, of Hathersage, near
Sheffield, in the County of Derby, Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARD SURFACES EMPLOYED IN
CARDING COTTON AND WOOL."
Sealed the 22nd July 1856, and dated the 23rd February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Holme Spencer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd February 1856.
I, GEORGE HOLME SPENCER, of Hathersage, (near Sheffield,) in the County
of Derby, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARD SURFACES EMPLOYED IN CARDING
COTTON & WOOL, to be as follows:-
The card surfaces heretofore employed in the carding of cotton & wool
have been formed of iron wire cut into short lengths, & bent so that the ends
project through leather or other suitable flexible material used as the back,
and by which they are held and fixed on to the card cylinder or other surface,
but such, by being necessarily formed of iron wire, have no points, but only
flat ends, which require frequent grinding, in addition to which they soon lose
their proper form, & are otherwise readily injured.
And my improvements consist in substituting for such card surfaces, pins
formed of steel, ground & tapered to points (like the points of needles),
hardened & tempered, & set in wood (beach or other suitable hard wood),
brass or other metal backs, of sizes suitable to be readily applied in place of
those set in leather or other such material. I would here state I am aware it
has been customary to employ steel points set in wood when opening flax,
but which have been of a large and coarse description, unsuited to the carding

page_text: of cotton & wool; and I mention this only to show that my improvements are
confined to the adaptation of points of a fine character, say not more than 3/8
of an inch in projection from the surface in which they are set, to the carding
of cotton & wool, and which will be found much more durable and effective,
whilst they are more readily cleansed, than the surfaces formed of iron wire,
without requiring sharpening.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Holme Spencer in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 23rd August..1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HOLME SPENCER, of Hathersage, near Sheffield, in the County of Derby,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Holme Spencer, Her special licence that I, the said George
Holme Spencer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Holme. Spencer, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an -In-
vention for. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARD SURPACES EMPLOYED IN
CARDING COTTON AND WOOL," upon the condition' (amongst others) that I, the
said George Holme Spencer, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under me, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of, the said Invention; and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Holme Spencer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be perfornied, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof; that is to say:
The card surfaces heretofore employed in the carding of cotton and wool

page_text: have been formed of iron wire cut into short lengths, and bent so that the
ends project through leather or other suitable flexible material used as the
back, and by which they are held and fixed on to the card cylinder or other
surface, but such, by being necessarily formed of iron wire, have no points, but
only flat ends, which require frequent grinding, in addition to which, such
teeth or points soon lose their proper form, and are otherwise readily injured.
And my improvements consist in substituting for such card surfaces, pins
formed of steel, ground taper to points (like the points of needles), hardened
and tempered, and set in wood (beach or other suitable hard wood), brass or
other metal backs, of sizes suitable to be readily applied by screws or other-
wise, in place of the bent iron set in leather or other suitable material.
Figure 1 shows a section of wood or metal with card points applied according
steel points set in wood for the purpose of opening flax, but such have been
of a large and coarse description, unsuited to the carding of cotton and wool;
and I mention this only to show that my improvements are confined to the
adaptation of points of a. fine character, say not more than three-eighths of
an inch in projection from the surface in which they are set, to the carding of
cotton and wool, and which will be found much more durable and effective,
whilst they are more readily cleansed than card surfaces formed of iron, and do
not require to be repeatedly sharpened.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the means
which I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown, so long as the
peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but what I do claim is the
adaptation of fine steel points hardened and tempered for the purpose of
carding cotton and wool.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Holme Spencer, have hereunto set
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
my
Witness,
JOHN SMITH.
GEORGE HOLME SPENCER. (L.S.)