IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FEEDING FEEDING SLIVERS OF WOOL AND OTHER MATERIAL TO CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Lloyd Braithwaite, of Kendal, in the County
of Westmorland, Manufacturer, and Joseph Hirst, of the same Place,
Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FEEDING
Sealed the 2nd November 1863, and dated the 8th May 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Lloyd Braithwaite
and Joseph Hirst at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th May 1863.
We, CHARLES LLOYD BRAITHWAITE, of Kendal, in the County of West-
morland, Manufacturer, and JOSEPH HIRST, of the same Place, Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR FEEDING SLIVERS OF WOOL AND OTHER MATERIAL TO CARDING
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention essentially consists in the employment of a V-shaped frame
in the feeding apparatus used in carding engines for feeding the slivers to the
machine, and in driving the shuttle by toothed gearing and chain bands, all as
hereafter described. We groove the V-frame at its apex, and pass round it an
endless chain, which, at the base of the frame, passes round wheels, one of
which is toothed. The shaft on which this toothed wheel is mounted is set
vertically, and carries bevil gearing, which receives motion from the engine
through a chain band. The V-frame carries a shuttle or guide for guiding
and laying the sliver on to the feed. This feed carries narrow strips of card.

page_text: with the teeth set at a contrary angle to the direction in which the feed moves.
As the endless chain works the shuttle is carried with it, following the course
of the V-shaped frame, and the sliver from the guide is thereby laid on the
feed and kept in position by the cards in V-shaped rows as the feed advances
towards the feed rollers of the engine. We employ at each end of the base
of the V-frame a knife blade for regulating the length of the slivers. This
blade is free to move up and down in a slot, and is acted on by the shuttle at
each course, whereby the knife edge is raised and clips the sliver. Sometimes,
instead of only grooving the apex of the V-frame, we groove the frame the
whole of its length. The shuttle carries, by preference, fluted rollers (but any
other suitable rollers may be employed), between which the sliver passes.
The employment of endless chain bands for driving the shuttle in connection
with the feeding apparatus in carding engines form one of the chief features
of our Invention, whether the said chains be fitted to a V-frame, as before
described, or to any known description of frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Lloyd Braithwaite and Joseph Hirst in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 6th November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
LLOYD BRAITHWAITE, of Kendal, in the County of Westmoreland, Manu-
facturer, and JOSEPH HIRST, of the same Place, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Charles Lloyd Braithwaite and Joseph Hirst, Her special licence that
we, the said Charles Lloyd Braithwaite and Joseph Hirst, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Lloyd
Braithwaite and Joseph Hirst, our 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FEEDING SLIVERS OF WOOL AND OTHER MATERIAL
TO CARDING ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Charles Lloyd Braithwaite and Joseph Hirst, our executors or administrators,

page_text: by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 we, the said Charles Lloyd Braithwaite and
Joseph Hirst, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say:-
Our Invention essentially consists in the employment of a V-shaped frame
in the feeding apparatus used in carding engines for feeding the slivers to the
machine, and in driving the shuttle by toothed gearing and chain bands, all as
hereafter described. We groove the V-frame at its apex, and pass round it an
endless chain, which, at the base of the frame passes round wheels, one of
which is toothed. The shaft on which this toothed wheel is mounted is set
vertically, and carries bevil gearing, which receives motion from the engine
through a chain band. The V-frame carries a shuttle or guide for guiding
and laying the sliver on to the feed. This feed carries narrow slips of card
with the teeth set at a contrary angle to the direction in which the feed moves.
As the endless chain works the shuttle is carried with it, following the course
of the V-shaped frame, and the sliver from the guide is thereby laid on the
feed and kept in position by the cards in V-shaped rows as the feed advances
towards the feed rollers of the engine. We employ at each end of the base
of the V-frame a knife blade for regulating the length of the slivers. This
blade is free to move up and down in a slot, and is acted on by the shuttle at
each course, whereby the knife edge is raised and clips the sliver. Sometimes,
instead of only grooving the apex of the V-frame, we groove the frame the
whole of its length. The shuttle is suspended by a grooved pulley or wheel,
which rests upon and fits a bar fixed to the top of the V-frame, and the sliver
passes between two rollers, grooved or otherwise, which are carried by the
shuttle. The employment of endless chain bands for driving the shuttle in
connection with the feeding apparatus in carding engines form one of the chief
features of our Invention, whether the said chains be fitted to a V-frame, as
before described, or to any known description of frame.
And that the Invention may be fully understood we will proceed to describe
the Sheet of Drawings bereunto annexed and forming part of this Specification,
in which Fig. 1 represents a front elevation; Fig. 2, a sectional plan through
the line X, Y, in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation through the line Y, Z,

page_text: in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a plan of the feeding apparatus, constructed substantially
according to our Invention ;. Fig. 5, 6, and 7 represent views of details. In
each of the above Figures the same letters of reference indicate like parts.
We will first describe the construction of the shuttle which carries and lays.
the sliver on to the feed rollers, indicated broadly by the letter A. The top
of the shuttle is suspended from the round bar B by means of the grooved
pulley or roller C, which rests and moves freely thereon, two small rollers.
D, D', being used to keep the wheel C in its place. At the bottom of the
shuttle is carried two rollers E, E', between which the sliver t passes to the
feed. In Fig. 7 is represented a side elevation of the shuttle. To lay the
sliver on the feed rollers G, G, G, in a V form, we make the frame upon which
the shuttle travels of that shape, see Figs. 2 and 4. Beneath the bar B, upon
which the shuttle runs, is a trough F, containing an endless chain H, indicated
in the Drawing by dotted lines, receiving motion from the chain pulley K,
fixed to the top of the small spindle M. (see Fig. 1), to which motion is
imparted by means of the bevil wheels L, L', from the chain wheel N through
the spur wheels N', N. The chain H gives motion to the shuttle A, a pro-
jecting piece O, fixed to the chain, passing through a long slot in the shuttle,
the slot being made to allow the piece O to traverse as it passes round the
chain pulleys K and K', when the direction of motion is reversed. P, P¹, shewn
in Fig. 2 and 3, are chain guides. The flat bar Q serves as a guide for the
bottom of the shuttle Q', the bar beneath keeps down the slivers as they are
laid; each sliver, as it is laid, is retained at each extremity of the V by what
is ordinarily termed a knife blade R (see Figs. 5 and 6), the former shewing
the blade R withdrawn from the last laid sliver and ready to secure the next;
when the shuttle has passed the latter shews the blade R before it is raised
by the shuttle. The motion is obtained as follows:-T is a tappet hanging
loosely on a pivot, and rests against the slotted bar S, a projecting pin fastened
to the blade R entering the slot in S; u is a pin fastened to S; when V, the
bottom of the shuttle, strikes against the tappet T, it presses against the pin u,
lifts the slotted bar S, and consequently the blade R, immediately the shuttle
has passed the tappet T, which rests thereon, as before described, it falls,
bringing with it S and the blade R; the shuttle has then arrived at the end
of the chain in the trough F, and its direction of motion is reversed; the blade
secures the sliver on its return, and the tappet T being free to move in the
opposite direction, permits the shuttle to pass without disturbing the blade R.
The slivers are retained in the shape laid by the shuttle by means of the strips
of card a, a', which retain the two ends, and 6 the apex; the teeth of these
cards are bent in an opposite direction to the motion of the feed; the two

page_text: cards a and a¹ are carried by two rollers, one fixed and turning with the
shaft d, the other carried by the fixing e, resting freely upon the shaft d; the
card 6 securing the apex is carried by the feed rollers G, G, which are driven by
means of small spur pinions, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and marked 9;
the point & determines the apex of the V and guides the sliver on the card b.
The weight e presses the slivers at the apex of the V and retains them in
position whilst taken off by l. The first feed roller of a carding engine e is
supported by, but rests loosely upon the shaft d. In Fig. 4 is shewn the
appearance of the feed when full of slivers, marked t, t, t.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into practical effect, we would have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the precise details herein delineated and described, as the
same may be varied without materially departing from our Invention; but
what we do claim is,-
Firstly, the general arrangement and construction of the shuttle.
Secondly, laying the slivers on the bed of the feed in carding engines in the
shape of a V, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, giving a positive motion to the feed and shuttle, that is, by means
of gearing and chains driven by toothed wheels.
Fourthly, the adaptation of rollers to form the bed of the feed in carding
engines.
Fifthly, the adaptation of a weight e to retain the slivers, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Lloyd Braithwaite and Joseph
Hirst, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three.
Witness,
W. M. MANN.
(L.S.) CHAS. LLOYD BRAITHWAITE.
(L.S.) JOSEPH HIRST.