IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CARDING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Wilson, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CARDING FLAX,
HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 26th November 1878, and dated the 1st June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st June 1878.
"IMPROVED
RICHARD WILSON, of Leeds, in the County of York, Manager.
MACHINERY FOR CARDING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of carding engine, by the use of
which the fibres submitted to its action are carded or combed first towards one end
and then towards the opposite end, and that by passing the fibres once only
through the machine. The carding engine is provided with two feed rolls and two
doffers, situate at opposite sides of the main cylinder.
The first feed roll takes the fibres as they are brought forward by the feed apron
and delivers them to the carding cylinder, which as it rotates carries them round
to the first doffer. The direction of rotation of this doffer is such that it will meet
the fibres as they are carried round by the carding cylinder and strip them off
therefrom.
The doffer rollers are furnished between each section of clothing with tangent
plates, which are moved outwards at a given portion of their revolution to push out
the fibres from the pins of the doffer rollers. This sliding motion of the plates is
effected by means of excentric end guides. The fibres as they are thrust out of the
tangent plates from the first doffer are taken up by drawing-off rollers and
transmitted to a second feed roll, which delivers them back to the carding cylinder.
The fibres are then carried forward and brought under the action of the second

page_text: doffer, which, like the first doffer, meeting the fibres, strips them from the carding
cylinder and carries them round to the drawing-off rollers, which take the fibres
from the doffer pins (being therein assisted by the tangent plates of the doffer) and
deliver the fibres now carded or combed at both ends out of the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
November 1878.
"IMPROVED
RICHARD WILSON, of Leeds, in the County of York, Manager.
MACHINERY FOR CARDING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
.
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of carding engine, by the use of
which the fibres submitted to its action are carded or combed first towards one end
and then towards the opposite end, and that by passing the fibres once only
through the machine. For this purpose the carding engine is provided with two
feed rolls (or their equivalent) and two doffer rollers placed around the main
cylinder.
The first feed roll or its equivalent takes the fibres as they are brought forward
by the feed apron, and delivers them to the carding cylinder, which as it rotates
carries them round to the first doffer. The direction of rotation of this doffer is
such that it will meet the fibres as they are carried round on the carding cylinder,
and strip them off therefrom.
The doffer rollers are furnished between each section of clothing with tangent
plates, which are moved outwards at a given portion of their revolution to push
out the fibres from the pins of the doffer rollers. This sliding motion of the plates
is effected by means of excentric end guides. The fibres as they are thrust out by
the tangent plates from the first doffer are taken up by drawing-off rollers and
transmitted to a second feed roll, which delivers them back to the carding cylinder.
The fibres are then carried forward and brought under the action of the second
doffer, which, like the first doffer, meeting the fibres, strips them from the carding
cylinder and carries them round to the drawing-off rollers which take the fibres
from the doffer pins (being therein adjusted by the tangent plates of the doffer)
and deliver the fibres now carded or combed at both ends out of the machine; or
if desired, a third doffer roller may be employed to reverse the fibres once more
before delivering them to the drawing-off rollers.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn at Fig. 1 a longitudinal section of
a carding engine arranged according to my latest improvements, that is, with three

page_text: doffing rollers; but the object of my Invention, viz., the carding or combing of
the fibres towards their opposite ends by one passage of the fibres through the
machine, may be effected by the use of two doffer rollers only if thought desirable.
In this Figure, A is the main carding cylinder, and B, B1, B2, the three doffing
rollers;
C is the endless feed apron for carrying the fibre up to a set of feed rollers
B, D, D', for which, if thought necessary, a single feed roll working in a shell may
be substituted; E is the stripper for clearing the bottom feed roll D', as usual.
Round the under side of the card cylinder A is a series of knife-edged plates F
for cleaning or scraping the fibre, the dirt being allowed to fall down between the
plates.
In the Drawing I have not shewn the gearing for driving the various parts, but
its arrangement will be readily understood by any competent mechanic, the
direction of rotation of the main cylinder or roller being indicated by the arrows,
and the motion of all the parts being, as is well understood, derived from the shaft
of the main cylinder. The doffers B, B1, B2, are fitted between each segment of
their covering with tangent plates b, which are free to move outwards and inwards,
being guided at each end by means of fixed excentrics 6', shewn best in the detached
view, Fig. 2. The action of these excentrics is to force out the plates b, b, as they
severally approach the taking-off rollers, and thus to press out the fibres taken up
by the doffers clear of the doffer pins G, G, and G₁, G¹³, are the taking-off rollers,
and H, H', are the transferring rollers fitted with segment shaped shells I.
The fibre as it is fed to the cylinder A is carried round to the doffer B, where it
is stripped from the cylinder and carried by the doffer pins in the direction of the
arrow to the taking-off rollers G, G. As the pins laden with this fibre approach
the rollers G, G, the plates b, b. will be advanced by the fixed excentrics, and caused
to push the fibre off the pins into the bite of the rollers, which by their rotation will
deliver it to the transferring roller H, and by the rotation of this roller in the
direction of the arrow it will (assisted by the guiding shell I) be laid again on the
pins of the card cylinder A.
It will be observed that the end of the fibre which was first presented to the
cylinder by the feed rollers D¹, D', to be combed out will now form the tail, the end
which was last to pass through the feed rolls having been caught by the first
doffer B, and delivered foremost to the taking-off rollers, in order that it may be
presented by the transferring roller H or second feeder and its shell to the card
cylinder.
The doffer B¹ which next comes into operation acts in exactly the same manner
as the first doffer B, but the combed material instead of being delivered through a
pair of taking-off rollers passes direct from the doffer to a second transferring
roller H, which with the aid of its shell again delivers it to the cylinder.
The third doffer B² strips the fibre (which has now been combed from its opposite
ends) in like manner from the cylinder, and by means of the taking-off rollers G¹
and G it is formed into a sliver and delivered in the usual mannor out of the
machine.
The only use of the third doffer is to give the fibre an extra amount of combing.
In this arrangement of machine the covering of the second doffer is finer than that
of the first, and the covering of the third is finer than that of the second.
When the material does not require to be much combed, then two doffers will be
Bufficient.
Under the first doffer B is shewn a roller K, covered with pins to receive short
and dirty fibres, which will be stripped from the pins by means of the oscillating
doffing knife L.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved Machinery for
Carding Flax, Hemp, and other Fibrous Substances," 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, the arrangement of machinery above described,
whereby I am enabled to reverse the ends of the fibres under treatment, and

page_text: thus to card or comb the material in opposite directions during one passage of
the fibrous material through the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
RICH. WILSON. (L.S.)