IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Foster Barker, of Manchester, Lancaster County,
England, at present of the City of Boston, State of Massachusetts, one of the
United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING
ENGINES,"
Sealed the 6th November 1877, and dated the 24th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Foster Barker at the
Office, of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th July 1877.
ROBERT FOSTER BARKER, of Manchester, Lancaster County, England, at present
of the City of Boston, State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES."
One object of my Invention is to so construct a carding engine that whilst the
same shall be self stripping and entirely automatic no waste shall be made on the
same.
Another object of this Invention is to remove as much as possible the impurities
contained in the fibre by the taker-in, and to remove the rest of the impurities
when the carding is completed and before the fibre reaches the doffer cylinder.
The said Invention consists, first, in the arrangement with reference to the taker-
in of a series of bars, which allow some of the impurities to pass between the same
and a concave plate fitting close to the taker-in and extending upward between the
main cylinder and the taker-in roll so as to prevent atmospheric action on the fibre
by which the same would be forced into the carding needles.
The said Invention further consists in the arrangement of a series of alternate
combing or carding rollers and comb cleaners, both of the same, or nearly the same
diameter, in combination with the main cylinder, so that the combing or carding
rollers may raise the fibre fairly off the main cylinder a distance equal to half the
diameter of the comb roller, and the comb cleaner will return the same and allow
the main cylinder to strip the fibre from the cleaner roll. The fibre being so raised
from the main cylinder, and in a loosened condition presented again, is more
thoroughly straightened and laid even and smooth without any strain on the fibre,
IPorine 621

page_text: which passes straight from one combing roller to the other, and never beyond the
centres of the comb and cleaner rolls. Whilst therefore a small quantity of fibre is
operated upon at any given time a large quantity of fibre of a superior quality is
produced, which is smoother, softer, more uniform, and straighter than fibre carded
in the old manner.
The said Invention further consists in providing a raising cylinder running at a
greater surface speed than the main cylinder, and which will, after the process of
carding is completed, raise the fibre off the main cylinder and subject the same to
the action of an impurity stripper acting in connection with an adjustable knife and
impurity box or receptacle, so that all the dirt and foreign matter will be removed,
the well-opened, loose, and straightened fibre offering but little resistance to its
removal. From the dirt or impurity stripper the large cylinder draws the clean
and well-carded fibre over the adjustable knife edge, and delivers the same to the
doffer cylinder in perfect condition. This part of the said Invention is applicable
to existing carding engines, and forms a valuable addition, producing results not
heretofore practicable.
Another part of the said Invention consists in producing an adjustable knife to
act on the doffer cylinder and take off the leaves which hang loosely on the under
side of the fibre, and deliver the same to the leaf box under the doffer.
The said Invention further consists in the arrangement of a partition to extend
upward between the doffer and main cylinder to prevent atmospheric action on the
main cylinder and prevent the adhesion of the fibre to the same, so that the main
cylinder will arrive at the taker-in perfectly clean.
To prevent atmospheric suction the said partition is made to extend upward
between the main cylinder and the doffer to form an abutment and direct the air
currents towards the doffer and assist the taking off of the fibre. The main cylinder,
perfectly clean, passes on to the taker-in to repeat the first operation..
When properly built and proportioned these carding engines may be used for all
kinds of fibre, and most of the said improvements may be connected with carding
engines now existing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Foster Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
January 1878.
ROBERT FOSTER BARKER, of Manchester, Lancaster County, England, at present
of the City of Boston, State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES."
One object of my Invention is to so construct a carding engine that whilst the
same shall be self stripping and entirely automatic no waste shall be made on the
same.
Another object of this Invention is to remove as much as possible the impurities
contained in the fibre by the taker-in, and to remove the rest of the impurities when
the carding is completed and before the fibre reaches the doffer cylinder.
In the Drawing,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved carding engine showing the con-
nections and the relative speed at which the different parts are running.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through the line a, b, in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the line c, d, and shows the
relative position of all the parts, the needles or wire hooks being shown in their
proper direction to perform their proper functions.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the centre of the main cylinder, the doffer
and the taker-in on the line e, f.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
The said Invention consists, first, in the arrangement with reference to the taker-
in of a series of bars which allow some of the impurities to pass between the same,
and a concave plate fitting close to the taker-in and extending upward between the
main cylinder and the taker-in roll so as to prevent atmospheric action on the fibre
by which the same would be forced into the carding needles.
The said Invention further consists in the arrangement of a series of alternate
combing or carding rollers and comb cleaners, both of the same or nearly the same
diameter, in combination with the main cylinder, so that the combing or carding
rollers may raise the fibre fairly off the main cylinder a distance equal to half the
diameter of the comb roller, and the comb cleaner will return the same and allow
the main cylinder to strip the fibre from the cleaner roll. The fibre being so raised
from the main cylinder, and in a loosened condition presented again, is more
thoroughly straightened and laid even and smooth, without any strain on the fibre,
which passes straight from one combing roller to the other, and never beyond the
centres of the comb and cleaner rolls. Whilst therefore a small quantity of fibre
is operated upon at any given time, a large quantity of fibre of a superior quality is
produced which is smoother, softer, more uniform, and straighter than fibre carded
in the old manner.
The said Invention further consists in providing a raising cylinder running at
greater surface speed than the main cylinder, and which will, after the process of
carding is completed, raise the fibre off the main cylinder, and subject the same to
the action of an impurity stripper acting in connection with an adjustable knife and
impurity box or receptacle, so that all the dirt and foreign matter will be removed,
the well-opened, loose, and straightened fibre offering but little resistance to its
removal. From the dirt or impurity stripper the large cylinder draws the clean and
well-carded fibre over the adjustable knife edge, and delivers the same to the doffer
cylinder in perfect condition. This part of the said Invention is applicable to
existing carding engines, and forins a valuable addition, producing results not here-
tofore practicable.
Another part of the said Invention consists in producing an adjustable knife to
act on the doffer cylinder and take off the leaves which hang loosely on the under
side of the fibre, and deliver the same to the leaf box under the doffer.
The said Invention further consists in the arrangement of a partition to extend

page_text: upward between the doffer and main cylinder to prevent atmospheric action on the
main cylinder, and prevent the adhesion of the fibre to the same so that the main
cylinder will arrive at the taker-in perfectly clean.
In the Drawings a is the fiddle stand, in the slot of which the shaft of the lap
roll is placed, the fiddle stand is provided with the bracket a¹ arranged to receive
the shaft when first placed on the stand, and enables the operator to place the lap
roll into the slot without injuring the lap; b is the supporting roll on which the
lap roll rests, and by which the lap is unrolled and fed to the carding engine; c, c,
are the feed rollers which feed the fibre to the taker-in roll; d, e, is an open grate
made up of bars arranged so as to allow the loose dirt and impurities to pass
between them; f is a concaved plate,fitting closely to the taker-in roll, and connected
with the vertical partition fl; this concaved plate protects the taker-in from the
blast of the main cylinder A, whose surface, moving at high speed, produces a strong
blast of air, which being exerted against the taker-in has a tendency to force the
fibre between the needles, so that only a portion can be taken up by the cylinder A,
and the taker-in d returns to the feed rollers c, c, partially filled, and thus prevents
the free action of the needles or wires; g, g, g, are the carding or combing rolls, by
which the fibre on the cylinder A is retained and combed or carded; the surface of
the combing rolls g, g, rotates in the same direction as the surface of the main
cylinder A, but much slower. The fibre thus raised off the cylinder A by the
combing rolls is carried to or nearly to a point opposite the centre of the combing
roll, and is taken off from the same and again brought in contact with the main
cylinder A by the comb cleaner rolls h, h, h, each pair repeating the operation. The
combing and clearer rolls must be of the same or nearly the same diameter, they
both turn in the same direction, but the wires or needles are bent or keened" in
the opposite directions, as will be seen in the Drawing. By thus raising the fibre
off the main cylinder by the combing rolls and returning the same to the main
cylinder by the comb cleaner of the same or nearly the same diameter as the
combing roller, all tendency to roll the fibre is avoided, and the fibre is at each
operation straightened and evened, and when it has passed through the successive
operations a straight even fibre is produced.
"
As the fibre is prevented from passing around the combing roller, and is always
returned to the cylinder, a carding engine will produce a larger quantity of fibre
and still have a much smaller quantity operated upon at any point, producing a
better quality of work with less power, and also prevent all waste.
The fibre being now in the best possible condition, straight and loose, all the leaf
and other impurities being but feebly retained, the saine may be easily separated,
and to accomplish this I place the raising cylinder i close to the main cylinder A
and rotate the same at a greater surface speed than the main cylinder, and thus
raise the fibre off the main cylinder. is the impurity roll which separates all leaf,
dirt, and the like, and delivers a portion of the same into the receptacle or box m.
Above the box m and between the dirt or impurity roll and the main cylinder A
I place the adjustable knife l. The main cylinder taking hold of the fibre draws the
same over the knife edge and lays the same straight and even on the cylinder A,
and in this condition it leaves the cylinder and is taken up by the doffer n.
To prevent atmospheric suction the partition o is made to extend upward between
the main cylinder and the doffer to form an abutment and direct the air currents
towards the doffer and assist the taking off of the fibre. The main cylinder, per-
fectly clean, passes on to the taker-in to repeat the first operation.
Some light leaves will still adhere loosely to the under side of the fibre, and to
separate these I place the adjustable knife plate p, as shown, which separates all the
loose leaves and deposits the same in the leaf box. The fibre passes on to the front
of the doffer, and is taken off by the comb stock straight and even, free from leaf
and other impurities, and without having lost a particle in waste.
When properly built and proportioned these carding engines may be used for all
kinds of fibre, and most of the said improvements may be connected with carding
engines now existing.

page_text: Having thus described my Invention I claim as new and desire to secure by
Letters Patent,-
First. The combination in a carding engine with the taker-in of the grate e and
concaved plate arranged and operating as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. In a carding engine the combination with the cylinder A of the combing
and clearer rolls g, g, and h, h, both of the same or nearly the same diameter, and
arranged to turn with the main cylinder in the same direction, but at slower speed,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Third. In a carding engine the combination with the cylinder A of the raising
cylinder and impurity roll, arranged and operating substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Fourth. The combination with the cylinder i and impurity roll k of the recep-
tacle m arranged to receive, and collect the impurities, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Fifth. The combination with the cylinder A and roll of the adjustable knife
arranged and operating as and for the purpose described.
Sixth. A carding engine provided with alternate combing and cleaning rolls, a
raising cylinder, and impurity roll, arranged to raise and clean the fibre after the
same has passed the combing rolls, the whole operating in connection with the main
cylinder, as and for the purpose described.
Seventh. The combination with the main cylinder A and doffer n of the partition
o arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Eight. The combination with the doffer n of the leaf plate p, arranged to be
adjustable with reference to the doffer, as and for the purpose set forth.
Ninth. The combination with the cylinder A and the taker-in d of the partition f¹
and concaved plate farranged with reference to each other, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
Tenth. The combination with the main cylinder and doffer of the partition o
arranged to cut off the air and direct it towards the leaf box, and the adjustable
knife p arranged to separate the leaf, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, Robert Foster Barker, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
5 Witnesses,
JOSEPH A. MILLER,
THEO. VOELCKERS,
ROBERT FOSTER BARKER, (L.S.)