IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CARDING AND PREPARING WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eli Wilkinson, of Marsden, near Huddersfield, in the
County of York, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR CARDING AND PREPARING WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
6t
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eli Wilkinson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th September 1880.
ELI WILKINSON, of Marsden, near Huddersfield, in the County of York.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CARDING AND PREPARING
WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES.”
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for carding and preparing
wool, cotton, and other fibrous substances; also for opening wool and worsted
waste, and is equally applicable to machinery with ordinary wire card teeth or
what are known as Garnett's teeth.
My improvements consist in dispensing with the workers and strippers now
used, and employing instead thereof a series of combs composed of iron or of
hardened and tempered steel. These combs I fix at intervals over the upper part
of the swift in such a manner that the teeth shall form a tangent to the circum-
ference of the swift, and any lumps or knots of fibrous material which may be
carried round on the surface of the swift will be intercepted by the comb and
retained thereby, thus giving the swift an opportunity of lashing or breaking up
the same. Those portions of fibre which adhero firmly to the comb are removed
by a spiral brush, composed either of bristles or wire set or woven in wood or
leather, and this brush places the fibres in contact with the swift, so that they will
again be caught by one of the fixed combs in another place until the fibres are
thoroughly separated. If found advantageous the combs instead of being fixed
may have a vibratory motion imparted to them.
My Invention has also reference to further improvements in apparatus employed
in this class of machinery, for which Letters Patent were granted to me, dated 16th
October 1878, No. 4106. In the Specification thereof I described the use of rows
of teeth or reeds made of flat, hardened, and tempered steel woven into wood laths
or lags, and my present improvements consist in constructing similar reeds from
continuous lengths of drawn wire, which may be of hardened and tempered steel,
the teeth being round in section and of equal thickness throughout their length.
The wire after being cut into suitable lengths may be woven between strips of
wood, leather, cloth, felt, or gutta percha.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Eli Wilkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th March
1881.
_ELI WILKINSON, of Marsden, near Huddersfield, in the County of York.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CARDING AND PREPARING
WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for carding and preparing wool,
cotton, and other fibrous material; also for opening wool and worsted waste, and
is equally applicable to machinery with ordinary wire card teeth, or what aro
known as "Garnett's" teeth.
My improvements consist, firstly, in dispensing with the workers and strippers
now used, and employing instead thereof a series of combs composed of iron or of
hardened and tempered steel. These combs I fix at intervals over the upper part
of the swift in such a manner that the teeth shall form a tangent to the circum-
ference of the swift, and any lumps or knots of fibrous material which may be
carried round on the surface of the swift will be intercepted by the comb and
retained thereby, thus giving the swift an opportunity of-lashing-or breaking up
Those portions of fibre which adhere firmly to the comb are removed
-by-a-brush, composed-either-of-bristles.or_wire_set_or woven into wood or leather,
and this brush places the fibres in contact with the swift, so that they will again-
be caught by one of the fixed combs in another place until the fibres-are-thoroughly
separated. If found advantageous the combs instead of being fixed may have a
vibratory motion imparted to them.
the same.
In order that this part of my Invention may be more fully understood I have
hereto annexed a Sheet of Drawings marked with Figures and letters of reference.
Fig. 1 represents a side view of a machine shewing the manner of employing the
combs, and Fig. 2 is a detail of the said comb and the manner of fixing the same.
A is a licker-in and B, C, D, are Garnett toothed rollers, having combs E mounted
over them and brushes F for the purpose of stripping or brushing the material
retained by the comb teeth back to the rollers until all the hard or felted material
is opened before it arrives on the card cylinder or swift G. This cylinder has four
combs shewn over it, and two "fancies" H with cleaning reeds J, constructed
according to the second part of my Invention. These cleaners not only raise the
fibres but keep the cards on the swift from filling up with short fibres to such an
extent that once cleaning by hand is sufficient, where five times has been previously
necessary, thus saving 80° of hand cleaning.
According to my Invention neither the Garnett rollers nor the swift require to
run at more than half the speed they have been accustomed to run at hitherto, thus
effecting a saving of power, and preserving the length of staple in the material
operated upon, which is combed or opened out without breaking the fibres by too
much carding. Another advantage is that the teeth do not become clogged up, nor
do they loose their point, as the stripping roller has a tendancy not only to keep
them clean but also to preserve the point of the comb. The manner of applying
the comb is shewn in Fig. 2. The coinb E is fixed to a bar of angle iron a carried
by brackets b attached to the ordinary "bends" of the machine. The same
brackets also support the brush F, which may consist of a few rows of bristles
arranged spirally round the axis, or of parallel rows. The brush may be composed
of wire if preferred, the construction being immaterial, so long as it clears the comb
effectually. The points of the comb teeth should not dig into the card teeth, but
should run as closely to them as possible, without damaging the points, so as to
intercept all knotty or unopened material.
My Invention has also reference to further improvements in apparatus omployed
in this class of machinery, for which Letters Patent were granted to me, dated

page_text: 16th October 1878. In the Specification thereof I described the use of rows of
teeth or reeds made of flat, hardened, and tempered steel, woven into wood laths or
lags, and my present improvements consist in constructing similar reeds from
continuous lengths of drawn wire, which may be of hardened and tempered steel,
the teeth being round in section and of equal thickness throughout their length.
The wire may be woven between strips of wood, leather, cloth, felt, or gutta
percha.
In applying such reeds I prefer to use wire of the same thickness as the cards
they are intended to clean as, in this case, the reeds being longer possess greater
flexibility than the card teeth, and do not damage them.
Having now described the naturo of my Invention, and in what inanner the
same is to be or may be performed, I would have it understood that I claim,—
Firstly. The application of combs E to the surface of the cylinders of carding
machinery, in manner and for the purpose herein shown and described.
Secondly. The combined use of the comb E and brush F, in manner substantially
as herein shewn and described.
Thirdly. The use of reeds made of round wire of uniform thickness, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eli Wilkinson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-one.
ELI WILKINSON. (L.S.)