IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BURRING, GINNING, CLEANING, AND CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Alton Calvert and Francis Calvert, both of
the City of Manchester, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR BURRING, GINNING, CLEANING, AND CARDING COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
1
Sealed the 4th December 1863, and dated the 12th June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Alton Calvert and
Francis Calvert at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 12th June 1863.
We, FRANCIS ALTON CALVERT and FRANCIS CALVERT, both of the City of
Manchester, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BURRING, GINNING, CLEANING, AND CARDING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in machinery for burring wool relate principally to a
modification of the machinery for which Letters Patent were granted to
William Newton on the Fifteenth March One thousand eight hundred and
forty-one, Number 8879, and consist in dispensing with those portions of the
machine which charged or loaded the burring cylinder, and producing the
same result by a feeding roller, a revolving brush, and an endless apron
furnished with angle bars of metal. When the burring cylinder is thus-

page_text: loaded it is acted upon by the usual revolving fluted guard which separates
the burrs, seeds, motes, and other impurities from the surface, and throws them
on to the endless apron above mentioned. This apron runs at an angle of
about forty-five degrees, and deposits the burrs and other impurities on a
suitably formed grate, through which they drop into a receptacle if cleared
from fibres; but should they not be cleared the apron carries them forward
and allows them to drop on the feeding apron of the usual construction, which
delivers them again to the feed roller. The clean fibres are stripped from the
burr cylinder by a brush in the ordinary manner, which is furnished with a
moveable plate beneath, forming an opening between the burr cylinder and the
brush for the escape of the finer impurities.
The machine above described forms the cleaning and ginning machine by
making the teeth on the burr cylinder more open and coarser. In connection
with the above machines, or other machines for cleaning cotton and other
fibrous substances, a trunk is employed through which the fibrous substances
are blown or drawn for separating the finer particles of dust, and, short fibres
from them. The trunk is provided with narrow cross ribs, not connected with
the bottom of the trunk, for supporting the wire net, and breaking the currents
of air passing through the trunk.
Our improvements in machinery for carding cotton and other fibrous sub-
stances relate to those carding engines in which the main cylinder is partly
surrounded by small working rollers, and consist in applying an endless belt,
set with card teeth, to the surfaces of the said working rollers for the purpose
of stripping them. The endless belt brings the strippings to the licker in,
which delivers them again to the main cylinder to be re-operated upon as
before, or the strippings may be collected from the endless belt without being
transferred to the licker in. This part of our Invention is applicable to those
carding engines in which the top flats are connected together and form an
endless chain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Alton Calvert and Francis Calvert in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANCIS
ALTON CALVERT and FRANCIS CALVERT, both of the City of Manchester,
Engineers, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, 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 Francis Alton Calvert and Francis Calvert, Her special licence that we, the
said Francis Alton Calvert and Francis Calvert, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Francis Alton Calvert and Francis
Calvert, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should in 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR BURRING, GINNING, CLEANING, AND CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others that we, the said Francis
Alton Calvert and Francis Calvert, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, 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 Francis Alton Calvert and Francis
Calvert, 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 (that is to say) :-
Our improvements in machinery for burring wool relate principally to a
modification of the machinery for which Letters Patent were granted to
William Newton on the Fifteenth of March One thousand eight hundred and
forty-one, Number 8879, and they consist in an improved arrangement and
combination of a retaining roller, a burring cylinder, a revolving fluted guard,
and a revolving brush for separating the burrs, seeds, motes, and other impu-
rities from the fibres of wool or other fibrous substances; also in an improved
mode of constructing the retaining roller and burring cylinder.
Our improvements in machinery for cleaning and ginning cotton consist in
making the teeth on the burring cylinder more open and coarser.
Our improvements in machinery for carding cotton and other fibrous sub-
stances consist in an improved mode of stripping the main cylinder and the
top flats when they form an endless chain, as in these carding engines known
as Evan Leigh's patent.

page_text: And in order that our Invention may be fully understood, we will proceed to
describe the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 represents in section
a burring machine constructed according to ous Invention; Figures 2 and 3
are detached portions of the same.
a is the feeding or retaining roller by which the wool or other fibrous sub-
stance is carried forward over a shell 6 to the burring cylinder c; the shell b
fits about one-fourth of the lower circumference of the roller a. The teeth of
this roller a are punched on the periphery of steel plates, and may be varied
in their form according to the fibrous substance to be operated upon. The
plates fit on an axle, as shewn in Figure 2, and are kept at the requisite dis-
tance apart for the purpose hereafter explained. The roller a is driven
intermittently by any suitable mechanism for giving time to operate upon the
fibres of the previous feed before a fresh portion is brought forward. The
fibres thus brought forward to the action of the burring cylinder c aro
quickly combed from the teeth of the retaining roller a, and carried for-
ward with the burrs, seeds, motes; and other foreign matters entangled
with the fibres, and brought into contact with the revolving fluted guard
roller d. The circumference of the burring cylinder c and guard roller d
move in opposite directions, the guard roller beating and throwing back
the foreign matters into the channels formed between the plates of the
roller a. Directly behind the burring and guard rollers c and d is placed a
receptacle h for receiving the finer portions of foreign matters thrown, back-
wards by the action of the burring cylinder c. The larger portions of foreign
matter are beaten back into the channels between the plates of the retaining
roller a, instead of on to an endless belt, as described in the Provisional Speci-
fication deposited by me on making the application for this Patent. The
foreign matters are finally discharged when they are entirely freed from fibre
thro' a gap between the burring cylinder c and the adjustable plate b'
screwed or fastened to the shell 6, while the wool thus freed from foreign
matter is carried. forward to the wire-toothed brush e, and thrown out of the
machine through the channelf on to a dusting cylinder of the ordinary con-
struction, or it is disposed of in any other convenient manner. The peculiar
construction of the burring cylinder c is shewn in Figure 3. The steel plates
with teeth having concentric backs are kept at the requisite distance apart
by discs made of any suitable metal; the edges of the discs, are bevelled off to
allow the fibres to be caught by the teeth formed on the circular plates, and
also to make a plain and smooth surface, from which the foreign matters, are
combed, and beaten off and discharged as above described. In- both the

page_text: rollers a and c the toothed plates and washers or discs between them aro
secured to their axles by screw nuts or wedges, and when any of the plates
are worn or injured, by slackening the nuts or wedges the injured ones can
be removed, and others put in their placés.
Instead of making the burring cylinder c of toothed plates of steel, as
described, they may be made with toothed wire wound spirally in a groove cut
in the roller, the toothed wire being held in position by a suitably formed
binding wire. In doffing or stripping the burring cylinder by the wire
brush e, the fibres are brought forward to the fixed adjustable comb g, which
arrests the progress of the fibres and allows the brush to strike out such small
portions of foreign matter as may have escaped the guard. These small
portions of foreign matter are thrown over the edge of the adjustable angle
bari, while the fibres are drawn in by the currents of air caused by the action
of the brush, and discharged at f, as above described.
Our improvements in carding engines may be described without reference
to Drawings. To an engine furnished with Evan Leigh's patent or other
endless chain of top flats, we apply a small stripping roller for stripping the
fibres from the surfaces of the said top flats, and delivering them to the action
of the licker-in, which delivers them again to the main cylinder to be re-
operated upon as before.
The burring machine above described may be applied to carding engines.
When thus applied the wire brush e becomes a self-acting stripper for the
main cylinder.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, we declare that we claim,--
First, the general arrangement and combination of the parts of the machine
for burring, cleaning, and ginning, as shewn and described in reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Secondly, the improved mode of extricating and discharging the burrs,
motes, seeds, and other foreign matters, as shewn and described.
Thirdly, the intermittent feed by the roller a, as described.
Fourthly, the peculiar construction of the feeding or retaining roller a for
the purposes described in reference to Figures 1 and 2.
Fifthly, the discs with bevelled edges placed between the plates, with
concentric back teeth, forming the burring cylinder, as described and shewn
in Figures 1 and 3.
Sixthly, constructing the burring cylinders of toothed wire worm spirally
as a roller, as described.

page_text: Seventhly, the stationary comb or plate in combination with the revolving
brush, as described.
Eighthly, in reference to carding engines we claim the improved mode of
collecting the strippings, as described.
And, lastly, the combination of a burring machine and carding engine, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Alton Calvert, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
F. A. CALVERT.
(L.S.)