Improvements in Automatic Feeding Apparatus for Openers, Scutchers, and other Textile Machinery.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd June, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Feeding Apparatus for Openers,
Scutchers, and other Textile Machinery.
We THOMAS IVERS and SAMUEL ROGERS, Managers, for the Firm of Thomas
Barnes aud Company of Farnworth Cotton Mills, Farnworth, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
--
Our invention relates to the apparatus adapted to be used principally in the
feeding of cotton scutchers and openers and now well known under the designation
of automatic feed machines. In such machines the cotton is placed in a box from
which it is withdrawn by an endless apron which is furnished with spikes or
teeth.
In the working of the machine as ordinarily constructed there is a tendency for
the cotton to be carried forward too quickly at times and also for the cotton to be
turned over in the box by the combined action of the travelling aprons so that
there is not the necessary regularity in the feed.
The object of our invention is to remedy these defects.
We apply a second endless apron within the box such apron being mounted so
that the cotton has to pass below the apron and is carried upward between the two
aprons.
In practice we propose to use a lattice having bars linked or connected together
in the ordinary or in a suitable manner. This lattice is mounted upon two rollers
or carrying shafts and may be positively driven so that the part which is next to
the spiked apron travels in the same direction as such apron or the lattice may be
free to be moved by the passing cotton. The upper roller or shaft is carried by
swivel arms or links which are mounted to turn upon the axis of the bottom roller
or shaft so that the upper end of the lattice can vibrate or move toward and from
the spiked apron.
The bottom roller or shaft is mounted so that there shall be suitable spaces
between the lower part of the lattice and the two aprons.
We e may arrange for the lattice to be adjustable in position so that the said
spaces may be regulated.
Springs or loads are applied so that the upper end of the lattice is pressed
toward fixed stops but is free to yield to permit of the passage of masses of
cotton.
If preferred for any reason the bottom roller or shaft might be so mounted as to
be capable of yielding or moving away from the spiked apron. The lattice checks
the carrying forward of large masses of cotton and prevents the cotton in the box
from balling or being formed into a rolling mass so that a more regular feed is
obtained.
In place of the lattice we might use a board or plate hinged at its lower end or
mounted so as to swivel upon bottom fulcra and to be capable of yielding
elastically as in the case of the said lattice.
Dated the 1st of September 1903.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Automatic Feeding Apparatus for Openers,
Scutchers, and other Textile Machinery.
We THOMAS IVERS and SAMUEL ROGERS Managers, for the Firm of Thomas
Barnes and Company Limited, of Farnworth Cotton Mills, Farnworth, in the
County of Lancaster, 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:-
:-
Our invention relates to the apparatus adapted to be used principally in the
feeding of cotton scutchers and openers and now well known under the designation
of automatic feed machines. In such machines the cotton is placed in a box or
hopper from which it is withdrawn by an endless apron which is furnished with
spikes or teeth.
In the working of the machine as ordinarily constructed there is a tendency for
the cotton to be carried forward too quickly at times and also for the cotton to be
turned over in the box by the combined action of the travelling aprons so that
there is not the necessary regularity in the feed.
The object of our invention is to remedy these defects and to render our
improvements more clearly understood we have attached hereto a sheet of
illustrative drawings to which we will refer in the course of the following
description.
Fig. 1, is a vertical longitudinal section of the box or hopper of an automatic
feeding apparatus showing our improvements applied.
The box or hopper is marked a;, the spiked apron which lifts, the cotton from
the hopper is marked b; while the feeding lattice at the bottom of the hopper is
marked c.
This latter might be replaced by a roller or by rollers.
In accordance with our invention we apply a second endless apron'd within the
box such apron being-mounted so that the cotton has to pass below the apron and
is carried upward between the spiked apron b and the apron d.
In practice the apron d may constitute a lattice having bars linked or connected
together in the ordinary or in a suitable manner. The apron d is mounted upon
two rollers e' or carrying shafts and may be positively driven so that the part
which is next to the spiked apron b travels in the same direction as such apron and
as shown by the arrows, or the apron d may be free to be moved by the passing
cotton.
The upper roller e' or shaft may be carried by swivel arms or links which are
mounted to turn upon the axis of the bottom roller e or shaft so that the upper end
of the lattice can vibrate or move toward and from the spiked apron or otherwise
the bearings of the shaft of the top roller e¹ may be mounted to slide and be kept
against a fixed stop by a spring as indicated in Fig. 1.
We might however use any other convenient means for allowing the apron to
yield away from the spiked apron b at the top the object being to prevent
clogging. In practice we prefer that the space between the spiked apron b
and the apron
shall under normal conditions be wider at the bottom than at
the top.
This prevents choking of the cotton near the top.
The bottom roller e or shaft is mounted so that there shall be suitable
spaces, between the lower part of the apron d and the feed lattice c and
spiked apron b.
We may arrange for the apron d to be adjustable in position so that the said
spaces may be regulated.

page_text: If preferred for any reason the bottom rollere or shaft might be also so mounted
as to be capable of yielding or moving away from the spiked apron. The apron d
has an "evenning" effect and checks the carrying forward of large masses of cotton
and prevents the cotton in the box or hopper a from balling or being formed into a
rolling mass so that a more regular feed is obtained.
In place of the apron d we might as shown in Fig. 2 use a board or plate f
hinged at its lower end for mounted so as to swivel upon bottom fulcra and to
be capable of yielding elastically as in the case of the hereinbefore described
apron d.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
In automatic feeding apparatus of the indicated nature placing an endless apron
(whether positively driven or not) or it might be a board or plate in front of the
spiked apron which lifts the cotton from the hopper, the said endless apron or board
or plate being preferably hinged or pivotted at its lower end so as to yield at the
top or both at the top and at the bottom, for the purposes and substantially
as hereinbefore described and as illustrated.
Dated this 1st.
1804
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.