IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE CARDS OF CARDING ENGINES OR MACHINES HAVING CYLINDERS OR ROLLERS CLOTHED WITH CARDS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF WOOL, COTTON, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Tolson, of Dalton, near Huddersfield, in
the County of York, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE CARDS OF CARDING ENGINES OR
MACHINES HAVING CYLINDERS OR ROLLERS CLOTHED WITH CARDS USED IN
THE PREPARATION OF WOOL, COTTON, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 16th July 1869, and dated the 30th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Tolson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th January 1869.
I, JAMES TOLSON, of Dalton, near Huddersfield, in the County of York,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MEANS OF APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE CARDS OF CARDING ENGINES
OR MACHINES HAVING CYLINDERS OR ROLLERS CLOTHED WITH CARDS USED IN THE
PREPARATION OF WOOL, COTTON, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
Heretofore the cleaning or "fettling" the cards of such machinery has
been effected by hand combs, which is not only a tedious process, but
the cards are liable to be and frequently are damaged thereby.

page_text: Now my Invention consists in the employment or use of self-cleaning
revolving combs or a series of combs of suitable length, according to
the length of the card cylinders or rollers to be cleaned, working in
eccentric grooves within a rotary cylinder so as to move in and out
through slits in the rim thereof as the cylinder rotates, and so that at
one part or position of the cylinder in its rotation the comb teeth will
protrude through the slits, and at the opposite part the said tecth will
be withdrawn within the surface of the cylinder. These revolving
combs or this comb cylinder I mount in or upon suitable framework,
and apply or fix it temporarily to the framing of the carding engine
with its surface in contact with the surface of the card cylinder or
roller required to be cleaned, and I give to both of them a rotary motion
in opposite directions to each other, and so that the surface of the
cylinder or roller to be cleaned shall be brought evenly and regularly
under the action of the combs; and as there is a great variation in the
diameter of the different card cylinders and rollers it is necessary that
there should be some simple and efficient means provided whereby a
suitable surface speed may be given to them and to the combs, and
so that the relative speeds may be varied as may be required without
special castings or gearing having to be provided for each diameter.
I therefore for this purpose construct racks by punching or cutting
holes at regular distances apart in hoop iron or malleable iron in strips
of convenient lengths, which I bend around one end of each card
cylinder or roller, and fix same thereon by screws, thus forming a rack
or spur wheel on each to receive the teeth of a spur pinion in gear
with the comb, by which means and the use of change gear I am
enabled to turn the said cylinders or rollers at any given speed
(simultaneously with that of the combs) which may be required, and
thereby readily and effectually clean or "fettle". the card clothing;
and as the surface of the comb cylinder is subject to become coated
with grease and fibrous substances, which for the effective working of
the machine should be removed, I apply to the said surface a rotary
brush or beater driven in a contrary direction, or I affix a stationary
brush or a scraper covered with leather or other suitable substance in
contact therewith to remove the said grease and fibrous substances.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Tolson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TOLSON, of Dalton, near Huddersfield, in the County of York, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Tolson, Her special licence that
I, the said James Tolson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Tolson, 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 "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING
THE CARDS OF CARDING ENGINES OR MACHINES HAVING CYLINDERS OR ROLLERS
CLOTHED WITH CARDS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF WOOL, COTTON, OR OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Tolson, 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 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 James Tolson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is
to say): :-
Heretofore the cleaning or "fettling" the cards of such machinery
has been effected by hand combs, which is not only a tedious process,
but the cards are liable to be and frequently are damaged thereby.

page_text: Now my Invention consists in the employment or use of self-cleaning
revolving combs or a series of combs of suitable length, according to the
length of the card cylinders or rollers to be cleaned, working in eccentric
grooves within a rotary cylinder so as to move in and out through slits
in the rim thercof as the cylinder rotates, and so that at one part or
position of the cylinder in its rotation the comb teeth will protrude
through the slits, and at the opposite part the said teeth will be with-
drawn within the surface of the cylinder. These revolving combs or
this comb cylinder I mount in or upon suitable framework, and apply
or fix it temporarily to the framing of the carding engine with its
surface in contact with the surface of the card cylinder or roller required
to be cleaned, and I give to both of them a rotary motion in opposite
directions to each other, so that the surface of the cylinder or roller to be
cleaned shall be brought evenly and regularly under the action of the
combs; and as there is a great variation in the diameter of the different
card cylinders and rollers, it is necessary that there should be some
simple and efficient means provided whereby suitable surface speed
may be given to them and to the combs, and so that the relative speeds
may be varied as may be required without special castings or gearing
having to be provided for each diameter. I therefore, for this purpose,
construct racks by punching or cutting holes at regular distances
apart in hoop iron or malleable iron in strips of convenient lengths,
which I bend around one end of each card cylinder or roller, and fix same
thereon by screws, thus forming a rack or spur wheel on each to receive
the teeth of a spur pinion in gear with the comb cylinders, by which
means and the use of change gear I am enabled to turn the said
cylinders or rollers at any given speed, simultaneously with that of the
combs, which may be required, and thereby readily and effectually clean
or "fettle" the card clothing; and as the surface of the comb cylinder
is subject to become coated with grease and fibrous substances, which
for the effective working of the machine should be removed, I apply to
the said surface a rotary brush or beater driven in a contrary direction,
or I affix a stationary brush or a scraper covered with leather or other
suitable substance in contact therewith to remove the said grease and
fibrous substances.

page_text: same for the cleaning of the swift or the doffer, and also card rollers of
carding engines.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation, and Fig. 2 is part of the front or side
elevation of same.
A is the rotary cylinder, which is mounted on a shaft B supported at
each end in suitable framework. Longitudinally of this cylinder, and
obliquely in the bearings thereof, are formed slits or slots in which are
introduced four combs C, to the end of which are pivots and friction
rollers Centering into eccentric grooves or grooved plates D fixed to
the framework eccentrically to the shaft or periphery of the cylinder, so
that as the said cylinder rotates the said combs will slide in and out of
the slots; and these grooves are so arranged that the combs will protrude
out of the cylinder at that part which is in contact with the swift or the
doffer E, to which the apparatus may be applied for cleaning it, and
withdrawn within its surface at the opposite part, when a rotary brush G
removes the fibre and dirt therefrom which has remained upon the
cylinder after having been combed out from the card teeth.
This comb cylinder is shewn in full size section at Fig. 3, and the end
of one of the combs with its friction roller is shewn at Figs. 4 and 5;
and I would here remark that I have found it necessary to have the
combs slightly arched or stretched in the middle to allow for the
elasticity of the steel, otherwise they may not clear the middle portion
of the card clothing on the said cylinders or rollers so effectually.
The manner of applying this apparatus to a carding engine, and the
means of working or operating the same, is as follows (that is to say) :-
The framework of the said apparatus is constructed and arranged so as
to fit and rest upon the side frames H of the carding engine, and guide
pins I are fixed thereon in suitable places to enter holes in the apparatus
to guide or adjust and hold the same in proper position in relation to
the cards J to be cleaned. Racks K. are formed by preference of hoop
or malleable iron (but any other suitable flexible material may be used
in strips of convenient lengths) by punching, cutting, stamping, or
otherwise forming holes of suitable size and arrangement to receive the
teeth of a spur wheel. These strips are bent around the ends of the
swift or the doffer E, and also the card rollers of each engine, and fixed
thereto in regular order, thus forming equivalents for spur wheels for

page_text: the spur wheel L on the apparatus to gear into. This wheel L is loose
on the shaft B, and gears with a pinion M fixed on a short-shaft N, on
which is also fixed a change wheel P, which gears into a stud wheel Q
in gear with a pinion Q' fixed on the shaft B, by the turning of which
gearing it will be seen that motion will be given to both the comb
cylinder and to the swift, but in opposite directions and at different
surface speeds, which may be varied as required by a change of the
wheel P for another of a different diameter, the stud wheel being capable
of adjustment for such purposes. It will also be seen that rotary
motion will be given to the brush G by means of the chain R and the
wheels S and T from the shaft B to clear the surface of the comb
cylinder of the dirt, grease, shoddy, refuse, or fibrous substances left
thercon by the withdrawal of the combs within the cylinder. For the
convenient collecting and removal of the dirt or shoddy cleaned from the
cards I employ an apron made either of wood latticework or of any
suitable kind of cloth, one end of which I attach by means of hooks to
the shaft B or to some convenient part of the engine, so that the said
lattice or cloth shall hang down under the brush and the comb cylinder
at a small distance from the point of contact between the combs and the
card clothing, the other end of the said apron being hooked up or
attached to any other convenient part of the framework of the engine
so as to form a hollow into which the dirt, shoddy, refuse, or fibrous
substances may fall, thus keeping it off the cards and preventing it being
brought a second time under the operation of the combs.
Fig. 6 is a plan of these racks formed of hoop iron, and Fig. 7 shews
that the same may be constructed of or formed into angle iron, so as to
be screwed to the end of the swift doffer or roller without the use of
brackets to carry them. The mode of fixing, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2,
is by small brackets F fixed to the end of the swift at intervals,
supporting the racks which are secured thereto.
Fig. 8 is one end elevation of a frame or stand to place the cleaning
apparatus and the card rollers upon for cleaning them. The two
bearings U and V are for different sizes of rollers, and the plate W with
its guide pin I applied to each end frame are capable of being raised or
lowered by screws X, worms and wheels Y, and the cross shaft Z, by the
turning of which both ends are operated simultaneously so as to adjust
the combs to the cards at the point of contact thereof. In some cases I
use bevil wheels instead of the worms and wheels shewn.

page_text: Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention, and
shewn by Drawings how the same is to be performed or carried into
practical operation, I would have it understood that I claim as my
Invention,
Firstly. The apparatus for cleaning or "fettling" the card clothing of
the cylinders and rollers of carding engines herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which self-cleaning
revolving combs or a series of combs are worked in eccentric grooves
placed within a rotary cylinder constructed, arranged, and applied in the
manner substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
Drawings.
Secondly. The construction and application to the cylinders and
rollers of carding engines of racks, as herein shewn and described, for
the teeth of a wheel to take or gear into for giving or communicating
motion thereto.
Thirdly. The application and use, in connection with apparatus for
cleaning or "fettling" the card clothing of the cylinders and rollers of
carding engines, of a rotary brush or beater or a stationary brush or
scraper to remove the refuse from the surface of the said apparatus, in
the manner herein-before described and illustrated in the Drawings.
Fourthly. The mode of adjusting apparatus for cleaning or "fettling"
the card clothing of the cylinders and rollers of carding engines to
the surface of the said card clothing, as herein-before described and
illustrated in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Tolson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.