AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Lister, of Rivers, near Dursley, in the
County of Gloucester, Machinist, Wire Card Maker, and Tanner, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARDING ENGINES."
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARDING ENGINES."
Sealed the 11th December 1857, and dated the 12th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Lister at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th June
1857.
I, GEORGE LISTER, of Rivers, near Dursley, in the County of Gloucester,
Machinist, Wire Card Maker, and Tanner, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARDING ENGINES," to be as
follows:-
In single doffer condensers, as at present constructed, the wool is stripped
or doffed from the doffing cylinder by means of an oscillating comb plate,
which moves in the arc of a circle. By this arrangement, the doffer comb is
liable, during its back or upward stroke, to take off the points of the card
wires. This has been found to be a great objection, for, as soon as the
points of the cards become blunted, the work produced by the machine is
imperfect.
Now, my Invention has for its object the substitution of a mechanical
movement for the one above described, whereby the evils just complained of
are prevented. Instead of the comb plates being carried by oscillating shafts, I

page_text: provide for the same doffer cylinder two comb plates, which I mount upon pairs
of rods, whose upper ends are connected by whalebone or other suitable elastic
material to some fixed points of the framing, their lower ends being connected
to the cranks of a pair of horizontal shafts, which receive motion by means of
bands from pulleys on the main driving shaft. As, therefore, the shaft
revolves, the combs will be raised and lowered alternately, and by means of
the whalebone attachment above alluded to, the points of the combs will be
caused to describe an ellipse or oval. The points of the comb in their upward
or back stroke will therefore pass at some distance from the points of the
cards of the doffing cylinder, and prevent the possibility of the card wires being
injured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Lister in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
LISTER, of Rivers, near Dursley in the County of Gloucester, Machinist, Wire
Card Maker, and Tanner, send greeting.
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 fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Lister, Her special license that I, the said George Lister,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Lister, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at 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
"AN IMPROVEMENT; IN CARDING ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Lister, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 I, the said George Lister, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
In that class of carding engines known as single doffer condensers, the wool
is stripped or doffed from the doffing cylinder by means of an oscillating comb
or combs moving in the arc of a circle; but by this arrangement the doffer
comb is liable during its back or upward stroke to take off the points of the
card wires. This has been found to be a great objection, for, as soon as the
points of the cards become blunted, the work produced by the machine is
imperfect.
•
Now, my Invention has for its object the substitution, for the mechanical
movement above described, of one that will remedy the evils just complained
of, and keep the doffer combs free of the card surface during their upward
motion. This result I obtain in the following manner :-Instead of the comb
being carried by arms projecting from an oscillating or rocking shaft, 1 pro-
vide for the same doffer cylinder two comb plates, mounted upon pairs of
rods whose upper ends are connected by whalebone or other suitable elastic
material to some fixed points of the framing, and their lower ends to the cranks
of a pair of horizontal shafts, which are rotated by means of bands from pullies
on the main driving shaft.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews in longitudinal sectional eleva-
tion so much of a carding engine or single doffer condenser, constructed
according to my Invention, as will serve to shew the nature and operation of
my improvement; and Fig. 2 is a partial end view of the same.
a, a, is the
main carding cylinder of the ordinary construction, and b, b, is the doffer
cylinder. For the doffing of the fibre from this cylinder I employ, as is now
commonly the case, two doffer combs or plates c, c", which operate upon
different portions of the card surface to produce lines of sliver or roping, as is
well understood. These combs c are bolted at their opposite ends to pairs of
rods or arms d, d, which are attached respectively to crank shafts e, e,
mounted in adjustable bracket bearings secured to the main framing of the
machine. To the upper ends of these arms d, d, are attached the elastic
rods ff, which are carried by adjustable cranked brackets g, 9*, bolted to
any convenient fixed piece or portion of the main framing. The office of these
rods f,f, is to control the movement of the combs as they are operated upon
by the crank shafts through their supporting arms, and ensure their recession
from the card surface of the doffer cylinder after the teeth have struck into
the carded fibres contained thereon. Rotary motion having been communi-
cated to the main driving shaft of the engine, and communicated through a

page_text: suitable arrangement of driving gear to the crank shafts e and e*, the combs
will be raised and lowered alternately, and by means of the elastic rods the
points of the combs will be caused to describe an elliptical figure, as shewn in
the Diagram, Fig. 3. The points of the comb will therefore, in making
their upward or back stroke, pass at some distance from the points of the
cards of the doffing cylinder, and thereby prevent the possibility of the points
of the card wires being injured by a back action.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improvement in
Carding Engines," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim, applying to the doffer combs of that kind of carding engines, known
as single doffer condensers, the novel movement above described with reference
to the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Lister, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eleventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven..
Witness,
OSWALD DIMERY,
Dursley, Gloucestershire.
GEO. LISTER. (L.S.)