Improvements in Machinery for Preparing and Carding Cotton and other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1896.
Complete Specification Left. 23rd Feb:, 1897-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Preparing and Carding Cotton and
other Fibrous Materials.
I THOMAS RODGERSON MARSDEN of Bank View, Derker Street, Oldham, in
the County of Lancaster, Manager, in the employ of Messrs. Platt Brothers & Co.
Limited, of Oldham, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention refers to a class of machines for one of which Letters Patents
have been granted to me No. 17478 of 1894 and No. 5697 of 1895, for regulating the
automatic feeding of hopper feeders.
In an apparatus devised by me I combine the hopper feeder with the preparatory
machine in such a way that the automatic mechanism of the hopper feeder controls
not only the feeding devices leading the material to the hopper feeder but also
controls the movements of the preparatory machine. I am thus enabled to obtain
a continuous co-operation of the two sets of appliances without the intervention of
any manual labour.
According to my present invention I combine hopper feeders with a preparatory
machine in such a manner as to obtain a continuous co-operation of the two sets of
appliances without the intervention between them of any manual labour, by
introducing between them a receptacle into which the material is delivered by the
preparatory machine, such receptacle being provided with lattices for carrying on
the material to the hopper feeders and also with an automatic device of its own by
means of which when there is too great an accumulation of material in the
receptacle the preparatory machine is stopped and again started when the
accumulation has been reduced.
Hence in this arrangement one or more of the hopper feeders may be stopping
whilst the preparatory machine is still running, or the preparatory machine may be
stopping whilst the hopper feeders are still running, according to the accumulations
which may occur at the various points.
I will first illustrate my invention by describing it as applied to the combination
of an auxiliary "opener" provided with a feed lattice, breaker rollers, and opening
cylinder, connected by means of a trunk or pipe with a Crighton opener provided
with a delivery lattice which deposits the fibrous material in an intermediate
receptacle provided with feed lattices leading to the hopper feeders.
The hopper feeders are provided with automatic regulators, by means of which
their feed lattices can be stopped and started. The intermediate receptacle is
provided with an automatic device by means of which the feed lattice and the
first pair of feed rollers of the preparatory machine can be stopped and started.
By these means the amount of fibrous material which is deposited in the
intermediate receptacle can be regulated without interfering with the action of
the feed lattices of the hopper feeders which are controlled as heretofore by the
automatic devices of the hopper feeders themselves.
As another illustration I may describe the combination of an auxiliary opener
provided with a feed lattice, breaker rollers, opening cylinder, cage, and delivery
fattice, to deposit the fibrous material on to one or more feed lattices of one or
more of the patent filling apparatuses of one or more hopper feeders. The hopper

page_text: feeders are provided with automatic regulators, by means of which their feed
lattices can be stopped and started. The intermediate receptiele is provided
with an automatic device by means of which the feed lattice and the first pair of
feed rollers of the auxiliary opener can be stopped and started.
By these means, the amount of fibrous material which is deposited in the
intermediate receptacle can be regulated without interfering with the action of
the feed lattices of the hopper feeders which are controlled as heretofore by the
automatic devices of the hopper feeders themselves.
Dated the 22nd day of M... 1000
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
John Dalton Street, Manchester, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in Machinery for Preparing and Carding Cotton and
other Fibrous Materials.
I THOMAS RODGERSON MARSDEN of Bank View, Derker Street, Oldham, in
the County of Lancaster, Manager, in the employ of Messrs. Platt Brothers & Co.
Limited, of Oldham, Machinists, 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:-
My invention refers to a class of machines for one of which Letters Patents have
been granted to me No. 17478 of 1894 and No. 5697 of 1895, for regulating the
automatic feeding of hopper feeders.
In an apparatus devised by me I combine the hopper feeder with the preparatory
machine in such a way that the automatic mechanism of the hopper feeder controls
not only the feeding devices leading the material to the hopper feeder but also
controls the movements of the preparatory machine. I am thus enabled to obtain
a continuous co-operation of the two sets of appliances without the intervention of
any manual labour.
According to my present invention I combine hopper feeders with a preparatory
machine in such a manner as to obtain a continuous co-operation of the two sets of
appliances without the intervention between them of any manual labour, by
introducing between them a receptacle into which the material is delivered by the
preparatory machine, such receptacle being provided with lattices for carrying on
the material to the hopper feeders and also with an automatic device of its own by
means of which when there is too great an accumulation of material in the
receptacle the preparatory machine is stopped and again started when the
accumulation has been reduced.
Hence in this arrangement one or more of the hopper feeders may be stopping
whilst the preparatory machine is still running, or the preparatory machine may be
stopping whilst the hopper feeders are still running, according to the accumulations
which may occur at the various points.
To render my invention clearly understood I will now proceed to describe
the same more particularly with reference to the aunexed three sheets of
drawings.
On Sheet 1 :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a combined apparatus arranged in conformity with
my_invention.
Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1 at the end marked *.

page_text: On Sheet 3 :-
of the apparat own heet 1.
Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations and plan views respectively of a modified
arrangement of apparatus also embodying my invention.
Referring first of all to Sheets 1 and 2 it may be explained that the drawings
represent my invention as applied to the combination of an auxiliary "opener" A,
Crighton opener B, intermediate receptacle C. feed lattices DD and hopper
feeders E E. The auxiliary opener is provided with a feed lattice a by which
the fibre is carried forward to the breaker rollers 6 and opening cylinder c the
whole arrangement constituting an auxiliary opener of the usual construction.
After passing the opening cylinder c, the fibre enters the Crighton opener B by a
trunk or pipe d. Leaving the Crighton opener the fibre is carried forward by a
delivery lattice e and is deposited in the intermediate receptacle C. This inter-
mediate receptacle, the bottom of which slopes to a central point as shown clearly
in Fig. 2, constitutes a species of receptacle or bay situated midway between the
feed lattices D D leading to the hopper feeders.
The said intermediate receptacle is provided with an automatic device which
consists of a loosely pivotted regulating board f at the back of the intermediate
receptacle. This board fis hung loosely so that it will act as a regulating board
and move or recede if an excessive weight of cotton should be fed into the
receptacle.
In the same manner the board f automatically resumes its normal position when
the weight or pressure has been relieved. A full description of the construction
and functions of automatic regulating devices of this nature is to be found in the
Specifications of Letters Patents No. 17478 of 1894 and 5697 of 1895 both granted
In the present case as in these former examples the regulating board fis
hung on a pivot shaft g.
to me.
About midway on the shaft I fix a lever carrying a counterbalance weight
which can be adjusted to maintain the regulating board at the required normal
angle. At the end of the shaft g is a lever i the lower end of which is connected
by a side rod j with a bell-crank lever k which is pivotted on a bracket attached
to the casing of the feed lattice a of the auxiliary opener.
The side rod jis supported because of its length by carrier pullies. The
bell-crank lever & also engages with the tail of a pivotted belt fork m which shifts
the belt on the fast and loose pullics n n whereby the movements of the feed
lattice a are governed.
Thus it happens that when by overfeeding or back pressure the regulating
board f is moved back, the lever i is similarly moved and thus by means of the side
rodj moves the bell-crank lever and belt fork so as to shift the driving belt from
the fast pulley n¹ to the loose pulley n whereby the feed lattice a is stopped and
the supply of cotton cut off. When the weight or pressure on the regulating
board has been relieved by the stoppage of the supply, the board automatically
moves forward to its normal position and by so doing moves the belt fork so as to
replace the driving belt on the fast pulley, thereby restarting the lattice a and
re-establishing the supply of cotton to the apparatus. The cotton thus fed in
regulated quantities into the receptacle C is removed therefrom by the two inclined
lattices DD which carry the cotton to the hopper feeders E E. These hopper
feeders are also furnished with automatic regulating boards o o whereby the move-
ments of the feed lattices D D are automatically governed in accordance with the
demands of the feed hoppers in the manner and by the means already described
and as set forth in the specifications of my said two former patents. For example
the side lever which is dependent from the pivot shaft q of the regulating
board o, is connected by a link r with the tail of the pivotted belt fork s, whereby
the belt is shifted on the fast and loose pullies t t so as to regulate the movements
of the lattice D in accordance with the requirements of the feed hopper.
By the indicated arrangements it will be seen that the amount of fibre deposited

page_text: in the intermediate receptacle can be regulated without interfering with the action
of the feed lattice of the hopper feeders which are independently, controlled as
heretofore by the automatic devices of the hopper feeders themselves.
As another illustration of the application of my invention I have in Sheet 3
illustrated the combination of an auxiliary opener provided with a feed lattice,
breaking rollers, opening cylinder, cage and delivery lattice, for feeding the cotton
into an intermediate receptacle provided with automatic regulating means as in the
former instance, the cotton being taken from the receptacle by lattices communi-
cating with the hopper feeders, also provided with automatic regulators for
governing the movements of the said hopper feed lattices.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation and Fig. 5 a plan view of such a combined apparatus.
As in the foregoing figs. the auxiliary opener is marked A. The cage is marked B
and the intermediate receptacle C. The travelling lattices for taking the cotton
from the receptacle C to the hopper feeders are marked D D.
The hopper feeders do not appear in Fig. 5 of Sheet 3, their position and
arrangement having been already clearly shown in Sheets 1 and 2. The lattice a
of the auxiliary opener conveys the cotton to the feed and breaking rollers 6 of the
opener. The cotton is then treated by the opening cylinder c and passed on to the
cage B whence it is transported by the lattice e to the intermediate receptacle C.
The intermediate receptacle is furnished with a pivotted counterbalanced regulating
board fand in connection with the said board I provide the parts consisting of
the lever i, rod j, bell-crank lever k and belt fork m as in the figs. hereinbefore
described. Thus the movements of the regulating board f in the receptacle C are
transmitted so as to regulate the movements of the feed lattice a and the first pair
of feed rollers of the auxiliary opener in accordance with the demands of the
receptacle C, the feed being interrupted if the receptacle is too full and re-established
when the receptacle is in a condition to receive more of the cotton. The lattices DD
are independently governed by automatic regulating devices in the hopper feeders.
Thus the amount of fibrous material which is deposited in the intermediate
receptacle C is regulated without interfering with the action of the feed lattices of
the hopper feeders, which are controlled as heretofore by the independent automatic
devices in the hopper feeders themselves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The general arrangement, construction and combination of apparatus for the
purposes and substantially as herein before described.
2. In arrangements where a hopper feeder or hopper feeders is or are combined
or placed in communication with other preparatory apparatus, the use of an
intermediate receptacle or bay at or about the point where the said preparatory
apparatus delivers the fibrous material to the feed lattice or lattices of the hopper
feeder or hopper feeders, the said intermediate receptacle or bay being furnished
with automatic regulating means whereby the feed of fibrous material to the said
preparatory apparatus is regulated without interfering with the independent automatic
regulator of the feed to the hopper feeder or hopper feeders, substantially as
herein before described.
3. The combination of a hopper feeder or hopper feeders having independent
automatic feed regulating devices as described, with an auxiliary opener and a
Crighton opener combined and delivering into an intermediate receptacle or bay
communicating with the feed lattice or lattices of the hopper feeder or hopper
feeders, the said intermediate, receptacle or bay being constructed with an
independent automatic regulating device which by suitable connections communi-
cates with the driving mechanism of the feed lattice of the auxiliary opener so as
to arrest or continue the feed of cotton to the said auxiliary opener in accordance
with the weight or pressure of material in the intermediate receptacle, substantially
as herein before described and as illustrated in Sheets 1 and 2 of the drawings.

page_text: 4. The combination of one or more hopper feeders having independent automatic
feed regulating mechanism as described, with an auxiliary opener provided with a
feed lattice, breaking rollers, opening cylinder, cage and delivery lattice, delivering
into an intermediate receptacle or bay communicating with the feed lattice or feed
lattices of the hopper feeder or feeders, the said intermediate receptacle or bay
being constructed with an independent automatic regulating device, communicating
with the driving mechanism of the feed lattice of the auxiliary opener so as to
regulate the amount of material fed to the auxiliary opener in accordance with the
weight or pressure of material in the intermediate receptacle, substantially as
described and as shown in Sheet 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1897.
For the Applicant,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, Chartered Patent Agents.