Improvements 'in and connected with Carding Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug.. 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements 'in and connected with Carding Engines.
A. communication to me from CARL KUSTER, Technical Director, and JULIUS
KUSTER, Engineer, both of the Société de Tissage "Le Phalère," Piræus, in
the Kingdom of Greece.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firin of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 65, and 66, Chancery Lane, in t'ie County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this 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 drawings, that is to say :-
The essential features of the construction and operation of the carding engines
hitherto ordinarily used and known are as follows:-
(a) The main cylinder is provided at its circunference with a certain number of
working cylinders which take the material operated on from it, this material being
then carried on to strippers of smaller dimensions which return it to the principal
cylinder, whereby the workers become empty and are ready for the reception of
more material.
(b) After the whole material has entirely passed all the workers, it is removed
as much as possible by means of a "Ay," and partly or eutirely taken up by one or
more doffers or doffing cylinders.
(c) After the cleaning of the full card teeth, which in this state are incapable of
effective carding (this proceeding must be repented more or less often, according to
the quantity of dirt in the material and the length of the Intter,) the cleaned teeth
become again filled up by degrees with the new material until the required level
has been attained.
During this process the fleece is for a certain time more or less exposed t injury.
(d) In the case of a self-acting feeding apparatus being made use of, the material
to be carded is applied, (from the fact that such apparatus is of more or less
inefficient construction) to the principal cylinder in a very irregular mauner, since
as soon as the feeding box is freslily filled the transmitting roller rotating slowly,
or the endless band travelling slowly, its teeth take in and supply much more
material than later on, when the box has been gradually emptied. This
disadvantage is very objectionable, especially in double carding engines, and
particularly in the case when the fleece is directly transforred from the first to the
second card the uniformity of the roving is materially affected.
The improvements which form the subject of the present invention have for
their main object the avoiding of these various disadvantages. They are illustrated
in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 to 6, and 11, represent the
usual arrangement of a carding engine, whilst a double engine having a self-acting
feeding apparatus and arranged to automatically transmit the fleece from the first
to the second card, is illustrated in Figures 7 to 9. The working parts of the
carding engine are specially shewn in Figures 1 to 3, where also the travelling of
the material and the separate application of the fleece can be seen, the spocial
features of this invention being introduced in the said illustrations. Figure 4
shews an arrangement of the frames, by which all the rollers which have to
be raised from their bearings during the clearing of the cards, and even the fly V,
can be removed without any part of the frame having to be unscrewed, the bearings
and rollers being lifted out of accurately adjustable fixed bars, as shewn on a

page_text: larger scale in Figure 10. Figure 2 shews the chain-motion of the workers A
and a', due to that of the doffer P. In Figure 5 the band motion of the fly V
and that of the rums and the wire brushes B, in connection with the main
cylinder T, are shewn. Figure 6 is a view from above of the differential gearing
of the feeders, partly shewn also in Figure 3. This gearing serves to check the
waste of material which occurs immediately after the cleaning of the cylinder
cards.
Figures 7 and 8 shew the invention applied to a double carding engine, combined
with self-acting feeders and fleece transmission; and the differential gearing of the
feeders, which is represented in Figures 3 and 6, is also shewn in a modified form
in Figures 7 and 9, in which the separate differcutial motion of the feeding table
of the self-acting feeding apparatus is indicated. A detailed description of this
apparatus will be given later on.
Figure 10 represents the method of working of the rollers, as more particularly
described below, and shews the special bearings for the same, whilst Figure 11
represents a frame carrying the bearings P of the doffer, the sliding portion of this
frame being intended to carry the novel arrangement of the doffers shewn in plan
in Figure 9. The part of the frame carrying the doffer at P, (Figure 11) is
attached to the remainder so that it can be readily withdrawn and replaced, by
means of the toothed rack and pinion shewn. Figure 12 represents another
special feeding cylinder set in motion by level gear only, without making use of a
special or conical differential gearing, as shewn in Figure 9.
The
process mentioned above under (a) renders it necessary, first, that all the
material should be passed between the principal cylinder and the various small
workers and strippers, hefore it is further worked upon.
The short and open material is thereby pressed, according to and in relation to
the number of the workers, much more strongly towards, and deeper into, the
principal cylinder; consequently the following clearing of this cylinder is rendered
much more difficult and has never been able to be done in a perfect manner; a
further consequence being, that the principal cylinder is soon over-crowded and
the cleaning of the card teeth becomes much more often necessary, so that a great
waste of. time, and therefore increase of cost, is the result. Moreover, a consider-
able waste of material is also usually caused. Further, in order to prevent the
material from losing much of its natural length, it becomes necessary to regulate
the speed of the principal cylinder, that is to say, to keep its speed within narrower
limits. All these disadvantages are avoided by the present invention, with the
result that the strippers are completely dispensed with, and that a series of workers,
earb series consisting of two workers A and a', and a drum-like cylinder ', are
substituted for each pair of the ordinary workers and strippers hitherto used.
The number of these series may be determined according to requirement, whilst the
cylinder may be provided with small wire brushes B, in case the material to be
carded required such addition.
By the process mentioned under (b) the material is never completely removed
from the principal oylinder,-in case only one fly and one doffer are made use of,-
and therefore the disadvantage of the workers becoming speedily filled up and making
repeated cleaning necessary, becomes greater, whilst the waste of material and of
the goods produced, is increased. The latest improvement in these contrivances,
that is to say, the recent method of making use of two or more drum-like strippers,
is only of real value, in case au additional Hy is provided for each principal
cylinder. Such drum-like cylinders or strippers are however of such large
dimensions and take therefore so much room at the circumference of the principal
cylinder, that the application of a sufficient uumber of different pairs of workers
and strippers is rendered impossible. Moreover, the continual grinding of the fly
upou the principal cylinder causes the card teeth arranged upon it, to be worn out
very soon.
These disadvantages are all avoided by the present invention, by making use
of G (Figure 1), the last of the mentioned series of workers for directly

page_text: transferring the material accumulated upon them to the main doffer P by means of
the two workers A aud a', and of the two drum-like cylinders and t, whilst at
the same time the fly V is now enabled to sufficiently remove the material, left in
small quantity upon the principal cylinder T, in order either to forward the same
directly to the doffer P, or, as is indicated by Figure 3, to transfor first to
another series G, so that the material may again be carded-whereby the so-called
travelling rollers, that is to say, rollers the speed of the circumference of which is
higher than that at the periphery of the principal cylinder-are entirely dispensed
with. The disadvantages of the process mentioned above under (c), referring to
the formation of a thinner fleece and roving (or slubbing) after the cleaning of the
main cylinder card teeth, are avoided in the present invention by applying to the
improved carding-engine mechanism, which is shown in various modifications in
Figures 3, 6, 8, and 12. This mechanism is made use of with the object of
imparting a greater speed to the feeders 2 and 3 and therefore of ensuring a
quicker and better feeding of the principal cylinder T, it being necessary that
more material should be ready for working at the beginning of the operation,
in order to compensate the difference of quality of the roving. As the speed of
the said mechanism is diminished by degrees, its influence upon the feeders
becomes more and more weak, until the mechanism is entirely disengaged, thus
causing the feeders to be again normally actuated by the driving contrivance
ordinarily in use. Moreover, the velocity of the said mechanism and the right
time for stopping it, may be regulated by suitable means, say, for instance, by
change gearing. Thus the new mechanism is engaged only immediately after the
cleaning of the carl teeth is done, whilst it is automatically disengaged as soon as
the required time has elapsed.
The apparatus 12-28, represented by Figures 3 and 6, is provided with
differential gearing and a controlling rack; and its operation is as follows:-
Upon the axle of one of the feeders, say of 2, a differential gearing of bevelled
wheela is arranged in such a manner, that its centre-wheels 20 (Fig. 6) may
loosely rotate upon a stud firmly connected to the said axle of the feeder 2. The
wheel 19 is set in motion in the usual way by the doffer-axle, by means of the
bevelled gear 18 and 17, the screwed axle 27, the bevelled gear 15 and 14, and
the toothed wheels 13 and 12.
The other wheel 21 (Figure 6) is set in motion ouly after the cleaning of the
cylinder cards is completed, and it then rotates fuster ut the beginning, and slower
and slower by degrees, until the pin 24 (carried by the rack 23, and moved
end ways by the screw 27) drops into the space, left free between the screw 27 and
the bearing 16, when the said wheel 21 will be brought to a standstill, the rack 23
acting on the toothed pinion 22, carried by the wheel 21. This variable speed of
revolution of the wheel 21 is effected by means of the screwed axle 27, which is
provided (in a way similar to the screw vice of the self-actor) with threads the
pitch of which becomes less and less as they approach 16, so that the movement of
the rack 23 and wheel 21 becomes slower and slower. The velocity of the axle of
the feeder 2 is normally equal to half the sum of the various speeds of the bevelled
gear 19 and 21. Therefore as soon as the wheel 21 is stopped, that is to say, when
the normal carding is to take place, the speed of the said axle will be equal to half
of that of the bevelled gear 19. The variable speed of the axle 2 is dependent
upon the varying pitch of the threads ou 27. The toothod wheels 12, 13, 14, 15,
17, 18, and 22, are arranged so as to be changeable according to requirement, and
they can therefore be selected beforehaud, with reference to the material to be
carded.
In the variation 62-81 of the said mechanism, shewn by Figures 7 and 9, the
bevelled wheel 76 of the differential gearing is actuated by means of the wheels 77,
78, 79 and 81, and by the chain 80, whilst the other wheel 62° is set in motion
through the wheels 62, 63, spindle 64 and worm-gear 66, 67, and by pulleys of
conical shape 68 and 69, the speed imparted thus becoming gradually slower and
slower. To the pulley 69 the rotating motion is communicated either by means of the

page_text: spindle 74 arranged underneath the principal cylinder, and through the cord and
cone pulley arrangement 73; or by ineans of the transmission gear 82 (Figure 7),
by which also the doffer is driven. The band or bolt 70 (Figure 8), is moved
upon the pulleys 68 and 69 by a guide-roller 72 which is caused to slide along the
rod 71. This roller 72 moves slowly in the direction indicated by the arrow
(Figure 9), by means of a cord 72", which is rolled on the cylinder 65, the latter
being fastened to the spindle 64 by means of a set-screw.
As soon as the belt 70 reaches the disc 68, the roller 72 will be stopped, so that
this driving mechanism is then automatically discugaged. After the engine has
fairly started, after the cleaning of the cylinders has taken place, the screw fixing
the cylinder 65 upou its axle must be loosened.
The said cylinder 65 is arranged so that it is readily changeable and may have,
according to requirement, a greater or less diameter. The guide-roller 72 then
automatically slides back into its normal position, and the operation begins again
as soon as the cylinder 65 has been again fixed upon the spindle 64 by the set-
screw. The return of the guide-roller 72 is effected either by the helical spring 72b,
or by means of a weight which may be made use of for the same purpose.
The time consumed during each operation may be regulated either by the cone
pulley and cord arrangement 73, in which the cord runs in the corrugations or
grooves of the pulley, or by exchanging the worm wheel 66 and mounting another
cylinder 65 of greater or smaller diameter.
The velocity of the apparatus, that is to say, the quantity of the material fed
immediately after the cleaning of the cylinder card-teeth, is regulated by the
bevel-gear 63, and also simultaneously by the worm-wheel 66 and by the arrange-
ment of the said coned pulley aud cord 73.
The self-acting feeding apparatus 29-56 (sec Figures 7 and 9), is also effected
by degrees by the slower speed of the feeders after the cleaning is finished, the
feeding cylinder 31 or that 32 being set in motion by means of the bevelled
gears 37, 36, spindle 38, worin 39 and its wheel 40. But at the same time the
spindle 38 communicates motion to the bevelled gear 41 and 42, the latter of which
is arranged on the axle of the cylinder 30 (Figure 7), which drives the endless
travelling table 29. The disadvantage occurring frequently with self-acting
feeding apparatus-mentioned under (d) at the beginning of this specification-is
thereforo completely surmounted: That is to say the feeding belts of this
apparatus, or their cylinders, take up much more fibre immediately after the
feeding box has been filled, than afterwarde, when little by little-or by degrees,
this box lins become emptied. In this improved carding-ongino however a metal
plate 54 is arranged as a "feeler" upon the material, which lies upon the
travelling table 29. The said plate 54 (Figure 7) being counter-balanced by the
weight 56 and the double armed lever 55, causes the guide-pulley or roller 52,
which is connected with the rod 53 and slides upon rod 51, to nct in such a manner
that when the feeding box is full, the pulley 49 will rotate slowly, and as it
becomes empty, the quicker will be the rotation of the said pulley 40, which is
actuated through the pulley 50, the latter receiving motion by means of the
cord 50º.
The worm 47 being mounted upon the same spindle 48 as the conically shaped
pulley 49, communicates rotation to the worm-wheel 46, in such a manner that tho
bevel-gear 45 of the differential gearing mentioned above, which is connected
with 46, rotates slowly at the beginning and faster and faster afterwards, when the
feeding box becomes empty by degrees.
Moreover, the cylinder 30 upon the axle of which are fixed the studs which
carry the bevel-gear 44, (the latter being placed in the middle), aud with the said
cylinder also the endless table 29 will rotate faster and fastor, as the feeding box
becoines empty by degrees.
Of course it is quite possible in this case to totally dispense with the differential
gearing 43, 44, 45, by mounting the worm-wheel 40 directly upon the axle of the
said cylinder, but it would not then be practicable to impart the same speed of the

page_text: feeders 2 and 3 to the feeding table also, after the cleaning has been done, and to
diminish afterwards this speed by degrees.
The differential gearing 62, 75, 76 (Figure 9), which serves for driving the
feeders 2, 3, 4, might also be got rid of by dispensing with the parts 62, 75,
76, 77, 78, 79, 80 and 81, and by mounting the bevel-gear 62 directly upon the
axle of the said cylinder. 3, or, other equivalent devices of the ordinary wellknown
kinds may be used.
The arrangement shown in Figure 12, is however much simpler, in which the
pulleys 68 and 69 are of special shape. In this case the guide-roll 72 reaches the
point only after about 7 to 10 days work, when the cylinder card teeth have
again to be cleaned.
It is preferable in this case to impart motion to the cord 73 through the
connecting gear 82 of the doffer, in order that the feeders 2, 3, may also be stopped
directly, if the doffer belt 83 (Figure 7) happens to break.
The conical pulley: 69 should therefore be brought into direct connection with
the driving arrangement 82.
The working of the carding-engine represented in Figures 1 to 6, is us
follows:-
Figure 1 shews a breaking card or breaker having an ordinary feeding table 1
and a fleece-drum M, the cylinders 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 9, and the catcher 7 being of
the same construction as those hitherto in use.
They carry the rough or coarse material to the principal cylinder T, from which
it is taken in the ordinary manner to the series G, by means of the cylinders A
and 8, where it undergoes the first preparatory treatment.
The material is then taken to the first improved series of cylinders G", it being
carried on to the worker A, which gives it up to a cylinder t, the latter rotating so
fast, that its speed is proportional between that of the worker A and that of the
cylinder T.
After being again carded by
cylinder T.
21
cylinder a¹, the material is returned to the
If required, a wire brush B, may be arranged in order to continually keep clean.
and sharp, the drum t. It may be placed underneath t, for working the empty
drum t, or above for working the full drum t. A safety plate S (Figure 10) ns.
well as a laterally arranged metal-plate H, protect the apparatus against any
injurious draught.
The series of the cylinders G works under the same condition, but in case the
carding of certain material is required, the cylinders A and a rotate in reversed
directions to each other, so that the wire brush B may be enabled to engage with.
both the cylinders and a', that is to say, the brush B may simultaneously clean
and sharpen both these cylinders. The series G works in the same manner as the
series G, but the material is carried on in another way. The cylinder A takes up
the material from the principal cylinder T and gives it up to the cylinder, and
after the material has been coujointly worked by the cylinders A and a', it is.
returned to the principal cylinder T. Here also a wire brush B may be arranged
if desired for cleaning the cylinder t'. Any desired number of these series G", G
and G may he arranged according to requirement, and according to the space
round the circumference of the principal cylinder and between the foeding
appliances 1 to 9, and the doffer P or rather its fly V.
The particular kind of arrangement depends upon the quality of the material
to be carded in each case.
The feeding appliances 1 to 9 could of course be arranged somewhat further
down below the principal cylinder T; they could even be placed quite near and
adjoining the duffer P.
In Figure 1, a similar series of cylinders consisting of A, a', t, and t" is shewn
at G, arranged for carding the material three times. This carding takes place
first between T and A, then between t' and a', and finally between the cylinders t
and the duffer P, so that most of the material of the principal cylinder T is taken

page_text: up just above the fly V, and is then given up to the doffer P by means of the
cylinder It is therefore possible for the fly V to thoroughly work upou the
principal cylinder T (which is very often nearly empty), in such a manner, that
though the material is deeply embedded in it, it may be completely lifted and
- removed to the doffer P.
As has already been said, the principal cylinder T will therefore be completely
emptied without making use of a second fly for this cylinder, and without
employing travelling-rollers, that is to say, rollers rotating at a higher speed at
their circumference, than that of the periphery of the principal cylinder T.
After this, the material which has been taken from the principal cylinder T in
two different ways, is collected upon a common doffer P and taken in this
accumulated state from the comb 10, when it is either conveyed further on as a
Bo-called fleece, or divided into coarse and fine slubbing.
The result of the method used in the arrangement shown in Figure 1, that is to
say, by the series G and four cylinders, may also be obtained by making use of
the arrangement shown in Figure 3, wherein two series G and G having each
three cylinders, card the material, which is taken by the two workers A and A
from the principal oylinder T, after having been carded by them. This operation
is then repeated by the cylinders t', t, and the common doffer P. In this case.also
A second Hy for the principal cylinder T is dispensed with, and travelling-rollers
between the latter and the doffer P are unnecessary. The cylinders and
(Figure 1), and the two last cylinders t' of the series G and G" (Figure 3),
may be provided according to requirement each with a special wire brush B, or
they may be kept clean by the fly V.
In Figure 2, a breaker or cleaner is represented, the arrangement of which is
. similar to that in Figure 1 with regard to the series of the cylinders, the taking off
: the material, and the further conveying of the same.
.
The improved means and the special arrangement of the driving chain for
nctnating the workers A and a' through the doffer P may howover be seen in
Figure 2.
The fleece taken out by the comb 10 in the direction from above to below, is
here applied to an apparatus M' for working long fibres,-but of course it could
be as well applied to any other apparatus of the same kind.
In Figure 3, similar series of cylinders to those represented in Figures 1 and 2
are shown; the driving mechanism of the feeders 2 and 3 and that of the feeding
table 1, are however differently arranged.
They are set in motion after the cleaning of the cylinder card teeth has taken
place, for the purpose of accelerating the feeders of the machine until the card teeth
are filled up by degrees to the normal level, when the driving mechanism will be
automatically disengaged, the feeders 2 and 3 being then norinally actuated in the
. ordinary way.
Figures 7 and 8 shew an entirely self-acting carding engine, constructed according
to this invention, but in slightly modified form, consisting of two sets of cards.
In this machine the attendant has to fill from time to time the box of tho feeding
apparatus with new rough material, and to remove the roving-cylinders filled aud
ready for further work. These cylinders are much better filled and have a much
better appearance than those of the carding-engines hitherto ordinarily in use, even
when the latter consist of three sets of 5 workers and 1 doffer each. The improved
engine not only produces more goods than the old ones, but it is also-according to
the description above with reference to Figure 1-much cleaner, and is therefore
capable of working much longer, whilst the waste of material will be greatly
Jessened.
The feeding of the improved card engine is performed either by means of the
feeding apparatus 29-56 already described and shown in Figures 7 and 9, or it
may be done by means of other feeding apparatus of the ordinary well known
kinds.
The feeders 2 and 3 are driven either by the differential gearing Nos. 62-81

page_text: (Figures 7 and 9) already herein described, or by that 12-28 (Figures 3 and 6),
giving more speed after the cleaning has taken place, but diminishing the speed
afterwards by degrees until it reaches the ordinary normal velocity.
The material is then treated as already described in Figure 1. The lecce taken
from the doffer P by the comb 10 is conveyed to a second carding-machine
(Figure 8), by means of a supplementary apparatus or by an interposed conveyor.
If a direct trausmission is to be made use of a small preparatory card having a
drum T (Figure 8) should be used.
This drum or cylinder T which may, however, be dispensed with in case the
transmission takes place after the fibres cross each other, is provided with similar
series of cylinders to those shown of the principal cylinder T, in Figure 1. The
transport of the fleece to the doffor P as described above is performed in the same
manner.
Figure 10 shews ou a larger scale the arrangement of a series of cylinders G
(Figure 1). The material is here taken from the principal cylinder T, carried
forward under the worker a' and the brush B (Figure 10), and given up to the
worker A which rotates at a slower speed.
From here the material is taken by the drum-like cylinder which rotates at a
greater speed and works it again conjointly with the drum a', returning it then
to the principal cylinder T, and either the same proceedings are repeated by
forwarding the material again to the worker A, or it may be delivered to the next
series of cylinders. If required, a small brushing cylinder B may be added, this latter
being protected against injurious draught by a guard plate S and a laterally closing
device H. The drum t has its bearings in the ends of the rods L, L', the latter
being made adjustable as regards their respective length, and connected to each
other by the fork-shaped bearing L of the drum t'. The different bearings can be
readily removed together with their rollers, and hooked fastenings may hold them
down in their places, as shewn at a¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. Carding-engines capable of increased productiveness, and making rovings of
great uniformity out of fibre, and so constructed and arranged that the material
must pass one or more workers and undergo a second treatment before it is returned
from the ordinary worker to the principal cylinder (Figure 1, G, G, G), and
further so that the material is partly taken from the principal cylinder by means of
one or more sets of cylinders G (Figure 1, and G, G Figure 3) to a common
doffer, but without making use of travelling rollers-the speed at the circumference
of which is faster than that at the periphery of the principal cylinder-whilst the
feeding cylinders of the engine are provided with special driving apparatus, in
order to enable them to forward the material after the cleaning of the cylinder
card teeth has taken place, in such a manner, that they run faster at the com-
mencement of the working and diminish the speed by degrees (Figures 3, 6, 7
and 9); the improved apparatus being used either with or without a self-acting
feeding apparatus working in the same direction, substantially as described and
illustrated.
2. In carding-engines constructed according to the first claim, a driving arrange
ment in which, by means of a differential gearing, the feed is regulated in sucu a
manner, that the material is forwarded at the beginning of the work with greater
speed, such speed diminishing by degrees, and finally becoming the same as that
of the normal feeding oporation, substantially as described and illustrated.
3. In the carding-engine constructed according to the first claim, the driving
arrangement of the feeders, so constructed and arranged that the feeders 2 and 3
are driven by means of band-pulleys of conical or other equivalent shape, either
with or without the use of a differential gear, substantially as described and
illustrated.

page_text: 4. In carding-engines constructed according to the first claim, a self-acting
feeding apparatus 80 constructed and arranged, that the feeding table is set in
motion at a speed proportioned to the amount of material in the hopper, that is to
say, increasing in the same proportion as the quantity of raw material diminishes;
this apparatus being controlled by a metal plate, which is arranged and balanced
as a "feeler," above the raw material, substantially as described and illustrated.
5. The variation of the carding-cugine constructed according to the first claim,
consisting in making the cylinders with their bearings in rods L' which are
nade adjustable in their length, substantially as described and illustrated, in
Figure 10.
Dated this 24th day of August 1896.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.