Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Cleaning Cotton and other Fibrous Substances.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 5th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Jan., 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Cleaning Cotton and
other Fibrous Substances.
We JOHN GREENHALGH, RICHARD GREENHALGH, and JOSIAH GREENHALGH all of
Vulcan Iron Works, Oldham in the County of Lancaster Machine Makers do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of that class of apparatus for opening and
cleaning cotton or other fibres, known as a "Willow;" our object being to improve
the action of the machine and especially the mechanism which effects the delivery of
the opened and cleaned cotton or other fibres and also the means of opening and
closing the "flake" or grid of the apparatus.
Hitherto a door at the top of the machine has been opened at intervals and the
material treated has been projected therefrom by the "cylinder" upon a roller at the
upper end of a fixed incline.
The roller caused the material to travel down this incline upon a lattice whereby it
was removed from the machine.
This delivery, however was not always certain in its action, as if any fibre adhered
to the roller, instead of being passed on to the inclined plate it revolved with the said
roller and, drawing other fibres with it, finally clogged the machine.
Some of the cleaned cotton or other fibre also remained on the incline in corners
formed by the framework of the machine and impeded the action of the delivery
mechanism.
The roller also was mounted close to the cylinder in order to deliver as much as
possible of the cleaned and opened fibre but the latter whilst being treated was liable
to be pinched and shortened between the roller and the cylinder and consequently
deteriorated in value.
The cotton or other fibre under treatment was also liable to spread towards the ends
or edges of the cylinder and cause friction between the latter and the frame.
Our invention consists mainly in dispensing with the roller above named and in
mounting the delivery door upon a pivot at its lower edge (instead of at its upper
edge as usual) and in providing the said door at or near its hinge with an excentric

page_text: "
roller or other equivalent device for automatically widening or narrowing the passage
between the said hinge and the cylinder, in providing suitable guide plates or flanges
at the ends of the "cylinder" and also in opening and closing the "flake' or grid by
positive mechanism instead of employing counterbalance weights or merely unlocking
the said "flake" or grid as hitherto and trusting partly or entirely to the attendant to
open and close the same.
.
In carrying out our invention we prefer to mount the delivery door upon the
excentric roller so that when the said door is closed there is a sufficient distance
between the roller and the cylinder to allow the fibrous substance under treatment to
pass freely, but when the door is opened the roller (or its equivalent) is brought quite
close to the cylinder and ensures the delivery of the cleaned and opened fibres.
When open, the door forms a shoot or incline to guide the material delivered by the
cylinder upon the lattice, and in cases where the opened and cleaned fibre is such that
it has a tendency to remain upon the door instead of falling on the said lattice, we
arrange above the same a flap or other sweeper or clearer which will cause the removal
of the adhering fibre from the said delivery door.
As soon as the latter has been closed again we cause the "flake" or grid to be
automatically and by positive mechanism opened and closed (for the insertion of a
fresh supply of material to be "willowed") in the manner herein before described.
We may actuate the aforesaid delivery door by the cone pulleys, large toothed
wheel and other connections usually employed, but we prefer to make use of the
following mechanism which we have invented for this purpose.
At one end of the machine we mount two short shafts one of which is driven
directly from the cylinder-shaft and the second is actuated therefrom by a spur wheel
and pinion geared together by a pair of reversing carrier pinions mounted on a lever
pivotted on the first shaft.
Upon the second shaft is keyed a spur pinion driving, by means of a carrier, a
spur-wheel attached to a pinion which is loose on the first shaft.
In gear
with the last named pinion is a sliding rack (preferably horizontal) which
is provided with a groove or grooves or other means for attaching pins or other
adjustable projections thereto.
Two of these pins or projections are so placed as to act either directly or through a
lever upon the lever which carries the above-named reversing pinions and thus we
cause the sliding rack to travel backwards and forwards.
At the
A third projection is so situated on this rack that at the proper moment it comes
against a lever which pushes forward a slide or a lever and puts a rack (mounted on a
bar or rod) in gear with a pinion fast on the second shaft above referred to.
other end of this bar or rod is another rack which is constantly in gear with a pinion
on the axle or pivot of the delivery door of the "Willow," and the movement of this
bar or rod opens the said door as the aforesaid sliding rack moves on, the bar then
falls out of gear again and a second lever is caught by the said projection when the
rack is reversed which puts the bar into gear with its pinion, this time revolving in
the reverse direction and closes the said delivery door; the bar then falls again out of
gear.
We would here remark that other equivalent. connections may be substituted for
this bar or rod and pinions.
Similar connections are made between this sliding rack and the axle or shaft of the
pulleys to which the "flake" or grid is attached, thus making the action of the latter
quite positive, and also between the sliding rack and the above named clearer or
sweeper when such is employed.
A rocking sector or wheel may be substituted for the above named sliding rack.
It will be observed that by these means the "willowing" action may be regulated
without altering that of the door or of the "flake" whereas by the use of cone
pulleys and the large toothed wheel, as usual at present, all these motions must be
accelerated or made slower at the same time, our invention will therefore greatly
improve the working of the machine.
In order to prevent the cotton or other fibre under treatment from spreading.to the

page_text: sides or edges of the cylinder and causing friction between the same and the framing
of the machine, we place at each end of the said cylinder a flange or guide plate
(of greater diameter than the extremities of the teeth) which we prefer to form or
provide on the inner face with suitable inclines or corrugations which as they revolve
with the cylinder will direct the cotton or other fibro towards the centre of the
machine.
This arrangement will also concentrate the delivery of the opened or cleaned cotton
or other fibre and lessen its liability to get to the sides of the delivery doorway and
impede the action of the door.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Cleaning Cotton and
other Fibrous Substances.
We, JOHN GREENHALGH RICHARD GREENHALGH, and JOSIAH GREENHALGH all of
Vulcan Iron Works, Oldham in the County of Lancashire, Machinists, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to the construction of that class of apparatus for opening or
cleaning cotton or other fibres known as a "Willow" our object being to improve the
action of the machine, and especially the mechanism which effects the delivery of the
opened and cleaned cotton or other fibres.
Hitherto a door at the top of the machine has been opened at intervals, and the
material treated has been projected therefrom by the "cylinder" upon a roller at
the upper end of a fixed incline.
The roller caused the material to travel down this incline upon a lattice whereby it
was removed from the machine.
This delivery however was not always certain in its action, as if any fibre adhered
to the roller,.instead of being passed on to the inclined plate, it revolved with the said
roller and drawing other fibres with it finally clogged the machine.
Some of the cleaned cotton or other fibre also remained on the incline in corners
formed by the frame-work of the machine and impeded the action of the delivery
mechanisin.

page_text: The roller also was mounted close to the cylinder in order to deliver as much as
possible of the cleaned and opened fibre, but the latter whilst being treated was liable
to be pinched and shortened between the roller and the cylinder, and consequently
deteriorated in value.
The cotton or other fibre under treatment was also liable to spread towards the 5
ends or odges of the cylinder and cause friction between the latter and the frame.
Our invention consists mainly in dispensing with the roller above-named, and in
mounting the delivery door upon a pivot at its lower edge (instead of at its upper
edge as usual) and in providing the said door at or near its hinge with an eccentric
roller or other equivalent device for automatically widening or narrowing the passage
between the said hinge or surface of the eccentric roller and the cylinder, & in
providing suitable guide plates or flanges at the ends of the cylinder.
And in order that our invention may be more fully understood we have caused to
be appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference indicating
like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the machine and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the
cylinder of the same, showing our improvement applied.
A is the cylinder, B the covering, C the delivery lattice, I the delivery door, E the
eccentric roller, F the fixed incline, G the sweeper or clearer, H the flake or grid,
I the side frame-work.
In carrying out our invention we prefer to mount the delivery door 1) upon the
eccentric roller E provided with pivots e, and suitably mounted in the side frame-
work I of the machine, so that when the delivery door D is closed (as shown in full
lines) there is a sufficient distance between the roller E, and the cylinder A, i.e.,
teeth 6 of the same, to allow the fibrous substance under treatment to pass freely, but
when the door D is opened, on having received a partial rotation, (as shown in dotted
lines) the roller E (or its equivalent) is brought quite close to the cylinder A, i.e.,
teeth of the same, and ensures a better delivery of the cleaned and opened fibres
than heretofore has been the case.
When open, the door D forms a shoot or incline, above or on the fixed incline F,
to guide the material delivered by the cylinder A upon the delivery lattice C, and in
cases where the opened and cleaned fibre is such that it has a tendency to remain upon
the delivery door D instead of falling on the lattice C, we arrange above the same a
flap or other sweeper or clearer G which will cause the removal of the adhering fibre
from the said delivery door D. The latter we may actuate by the cone pulleys, large-
toothed wheel and other connections usually employed, or other suitable mechanism,
which will ensure a periodical and automatic opening and closing of the same.
The sweeper or clearer G, may consist of a plate or frame g furnished at its free
end with a strip of leather g', the other end being fixed to or formed on a shaft J
suitably mounted on the side frame I of the machine and capable of being rotated
partially.
The sweeper or clearer G may be operated by the mechanism aforementioned which
actuates the delivery door D or any other suitable mechanism.
In order to prevent the cotton or other fibre under treatment from spreading to the
sides or edges of the cylinder A, and causing friction between the same and the side
frame work I, of the machine, we place at each end of the said cylinder A a flange d
or guide plate (of greater or about the same diameter than the extremities of the
teeth b) which we prefer to form or provide on the inner face with suitable inclines a
or corrugations, which as they revolve with the cylinder A will direct the cotton or
other fibre towards the centre of the machine.
This arrangement will also concentrate the delivery of the opened or cleaned cotton
or other fibre and lessen its liability to get to the sides of the delivery doorway, and
impede the action of the door D.
In our provisional Specification mention was made of a positive mechanism fo
opening and closing the flake or grid H. This mechanism, in practise, we have foun
not to answer so well, owing to its complexity, we therefore do not wish to put any
further claim to it as being a part of our invention,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim, is :-
In apparatus for opening and cleaning cotton and other fibrous substances:-
1st. Automatically widening or narrowing the passage between the hinged end of
the delivery door D, or surface of roller E, and cylinder A, by means of the eccentric
roller E. having the delivery door D fixed thereto, and acting as a hinge for the same,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The combination of the delivery door D and eccentric roller E, specified in
the preceding claim, with a sweeper or clearer G, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
3rd. Providing the sides or edges of the cylinder A, with flanges or shields 09 with
or without inclines a' or other equivalents, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.