An Improved Mechanism for Grinding the Flats of Carding Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mechanism for Grinding the Flats of Carding
Engines.
I SAMUEL WALKEY GILLETT, of the Firm of H. B. Barlow and Gillett, of
17 St. Ann's Square Manchester in the County of Lancaster Registered Patent
Agents which invention has been communicated to me by Edwin Brown of
518 Main Street Worcester in the State of Massachusetts, United States of
America Treasurer 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 :-
.
This invention relates to an improved mechanism for grinding the flats of carding-
engines, and the especial object of the invention is to provide a construction in
which the flats may be ground and finished in substantially the same position as
when co-operating with the main cylinder of a carding engine and in the act of
carding.
To these ends, the invention consists of the parts and combinations of parts, as
hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end
of this specification.
In the accompanying two sheets of drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side-view of a machine for grinding the flats of carding engines
constructed according to this invention,
Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, and illustrating
the flat-actuated mechanism which is preferably employed for moving the grinding
tables,
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,
Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the means preferably employed for
pivotally supporting one of the movable grinding tables, and
Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating a spring catch which may be employed for
connecting a flat to the chain.
A mechanism for grinding the flats of carding-engines constructed according to
this invention comprises movable grinding tables adapted to support the flats in a
position substantially corresponding with their position when in actual use, a grinding
wheel for engaging the flats as they pass along over the grinding tables, and
mechanism actuated by the forward movements of the flats for moving the grinding
tables.
The successful operation of a carding-engine depends in a very large measure
upon the accurate grinding or finishing of the card-clothing carried by the flats
which co-operate with the main cylinder.
In practice, a clearance of five one-thousandths of an inch or more is allowed
between the clothing on the flats and the clothing on the main cylinder of a carding-
engine.
If for any reason, a single flat is defective or differs in any way from the rest
of the flats employed in a carding-engine, it will prevent the successful operation
of the machine, and will produce imperfect or cloudy work.
A flat for a carding-engine consists essentially of a narrow cast-iron bar, and is
ordinarily formed with a longitudinal strengthening web or rib.
The lower surface of the flat, upon which the card clothing is secured, is

page_text: accurately ground or finished, and, in practice, the edges of the flat are also ground
or planed off.
At its ends, the flat is provided with "working surfaces," which are ground off
at a slight pitch or angle with respect to the bottom surface of the flat.
When mounted in a carding-engine, the working surfaces of the flats travel
over what are known as "flexible bends," which are guide-ways arranged
substantially concentric with the main cylinder of the carding-engine.
In order to produce uniform sets of flats, it is essential that the flats should be
ground or finished from their working-surfaces, and, on this account, the flats can
only be supported and guided at their extreme ends while they are being ground
and finished.
In practice, it has been found that a flat which is supported simply at its ends
will sag or bend down slightly at its centre.
Moreover, as it is impossible to produce perfectly uniform bars out of cast-iron,
the amount of sag or bend will vary among the individual flats.
The grinding mechanisms for the flats of carding engines which have heretofore
been employed, in which the flats are finished and ground in an inverted position,
have been found to be defective, as the natural bend or sag of the flats will be
opposite to that which takes place when the flats are in use, and the pressure of the
grinding-roller will also add to the inaccuracies which result from grinding or
finishing the flats in this position.
Flats which are ground and finished in this manner will therefore be "low" in
the centre, and will produce cloudy and imperfect work in the engine.
Moreover the individual flats, on account of their various strengths and stiffness,
will differ somewhat among themselves, thus adding to and increasing the difficulties
which result where the flats are ground in this manner.
The essential object of this invention is to overcome such defects, and to provide
a mechanism in which the flats are supported and ground in substantially the same
position which they occupy when on the carding-engine and in actual use, and in
which position a complete set of flats for use on a carding-engine can be ground at
one operation.
To provide for the necessary pitch between the working-faces of the flats and
the clothing, flat-actuated mechanism is provided for moving the grinding-tables
over which the flats are made to travel, and in practice, cam-wheels having series
of pins arranged to extend up in position to be engaged by the front edges of the
flats as they travel along over the grinding-tables, are used for this purpose.
By means of this construction, the motion of the flats themselves will be utilized
to allow for the necessary pitch, and, as the fronts of the flats are ordinarily trued
off or finished, the shifting devices will be actuated from a finished part or
surface.
Referring to the drawings and in detail, A designates the main frame of a
grinding-machine constructed according to this invention.
The frame A is mounted upon and carried by suitable legs a.
Fastened upon and carried by the frame A are suitable arches or side-frames B.
The flats 15 to be acted upon are connected together by endless chains 14 in the
ordinary manner, and are arranged to pass over driving-sprockets 10 at one end of
the machine, guide rollers 12, adjustable sprockets 11 and guide-rollers 13.
The guide-rollers 13 are located slightly below the driving-sprockets 10 so that,
as the flats travel between the guide-rollers 13 and the driving-sprockets 10, they
will move in a slightly inclined path, for a purpose hereinafter explained.
The grinding mechanism is arranged to act upon the flats as they pass from the
guide-rollers 13 to the driving-sprockets 10.
driving-sprockets 10. A plurality of adjustable grinding-
rolls are preferably arranged to act successively.
As shown, three grinding-rolls D, E and Fare used. It is obvious, however,
that a single grinding-roli may be employed, if desired, or any different number
from that illustrated may be used.
Any ordinary or preferred driving-gear may be used for actuating the machine.

page_text: As shown, 17 designates a driving-shaft, to which power may be applied in any
of the ordinary or preferred manners.
Connected to and driven from the shaft 17 by means of a belt 18, indicated by.
dotted lines, is a shaft 19, which drives an inclined shaft 20 by means of suitable
worm-gearing.
The inclined shaft 20 is geared by means of a worm and worm-wheel to slowly
turn the driving-sprockets 10.
The grinding-wheels D, E and F are connected to and driven from the shaft 17
by means of belts 21, indicated by dotted lines.
In connection with the grinding mechanism, I also preferably employ a
burnishing-wheel for cleaning and burnishing the flats.
As illustrated, C indicates a burnishing-wheel, which may be driven by belt 22
from the grinding-wheel D, and is provided with card-clothing for brushing out or
burnishing the flats 15.
The devices co-operating with the grinding-rolls D, E and F are of similar
construction, and are duplicated at each side of the machine, so that a description
of one such set of devices will be sufficient.
As shown, the grinding-rolls are mounted in suitable side-frames 16 carried upon
the main frame A.
The movable grinding tables 27 along which the flats travel while being ground,
are preferably slotted longitudinally, as at 30, and are supported upon adjustable
pivots so that they may be set or adjusted to produce the desired pitch.
As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, a grinding-table 27 is pivoted on a stud 28, which is
adjustably secured in a slot 29 in the side-frame 16.
Co-operating with the grinding-table 27 and arranged to move the same is a
cam-wheel 23 journalled on a stud 24 in the frame 16.
The cam-wheel 23 is provided with a series of cams or projections 26, for
moving the table 27, and with a series of corresponding pins 25 arranged to extend
up through the longitudinal slot in the table 27, in position to be engaged by the
front edge of the flats 15, as they move along over the table.
In practice, the movable tables 27 are arranged at a slight inclination so that as
the flats 15 are drawn or moved thereover, a certain resultant part of the pull or
pressure exerted thereon will tend to hold the flats firmly down upon the grinding
tables.
In some cases, in order to provide means for readily and quickly connecting the
flats to the chains, the chains may be connected together by light rods or ties, not
shown, and provided with small spring catches for engaging the sockets in the ends
of the flats.
A catch which may be employed is shown in detail in Fig. 5. As illustrated in
this figure, the links of the driving chain 14 are pivotally connected by means of
a bushing 31.
Mounted inside of the bushing 31 is a small, spring-pressed plunger 32 having
a pointed end, and a knob or handle 33.
By means of this construction, an easily manipulated, detachable connection
may be provided between the chain and the flats..
It is obvious that flat-grinding mechanisin constructed according to this invention
may be employed with advantage upon the carding-engine itself, and may be
arranged substantially under one of the end sprockets of the engine.
It is not intended, therefore, that this invention should be limited to any
particular application of grinding mechanism, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The improvements in flat grinding machinery, substantially as described.
2. The detachable connections for securing flats to chains, substantially as

page_text: 3. In a mechanism for grinding the flats of carding engines, the combination of
movable grinding tables, a grinding wheel, means for feeding a series of flats along
the grinding tables so that they will assume substantially the same position as
when carding, and mechanism actuated by the forward movement of the flats for
moving the grinding tables, substantially as described.
4. In a mechanism for grinding the flats of carding-engines, the combination of
a movable grinding table, means for feeding the flats along over the grinding
table, a grinding roll, and a cam wheel for moving the grinding table, said cam-
wheel having projections or pins extending up in position to be engaged by the
forward edges of the flats, as they move along over the grinding table, substantially
as described.
Dated this 25th day of January 1897
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.