IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FEEDING CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Acton and John Mustard, both of
Stroud, in the County of Gloucester, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
Sealed the 27th May 1870, and dated the 30th November 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Acton and
John Mustard at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 30th November 1869.
We, BENJAMIN ACTON and JOHN MUSTARD, both of Stroud, in the
County of Gloucester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FEEDING CARDING ENGINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery for
feeding carding engines with wool or cotton, especially with hard
wool or cotton, the object being to facilitate the supply to the carding
rollers.
In applying these improvements to carding engines we propose to use
a shaft set in bearings traversing the standards or frame, such shaft

page_text: carrying a bar provided with teeth or spikes, which oscillate between a
corresponding series of wire gratings in order to bring down the wool or
cotton to be carded on to an apron and to convey it to the carding
engine. An apron brings the wool or cotton forward to the toothed or
spiked bar, which is operated by means of its shaft, on which a crank is
keyed worked by a connecting rod from a lower crank of less throw, so
that the second crank gives a reciprocating motion to the crank and
shaft of the spike bar. At the upper part of the carding machine an
apron or endless band is set on rollers and bearings and carries a series
of beaters, which by their revolution regulate the supply of the wool or
cotton to be carded. In order to press the wool or cotton to the grating
we employ a vertical descending lever set on a fulcrum, and carrying a
stem or pin working in a slotted quadrant in the frame of the machine;
to this lever a series of diagonal levers and a pressing bar are attached,
so that by the revolution of the machine a to-and-fro action is given
to the pressing motion whereby the wool or cotton is pressed to the
grating.
By these improvements it will be evident that by the combination of
the beaters, the pressing apparatus, and the reciprocating or oscillating
toothed or spike bar, carding engines may be supplied or fed with hard
wool or cotton without difficulty, and with perfect regularity. The
Invention is also applicable to picking machines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Acton and Jolin Mustard in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 30th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, BENJAMIN
ACTON and JOHN MUSTARD, both of Stroud, in the County of Gloucester,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the a
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Benjamin Acton and John Mustard,
Her special licence that we, the said Benjamin Acton and John Mustard,

page_text: our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Benjamin Acton and John Mustard, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FEEDING CARDING ENGINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Benjamin Acton
and John Mustard, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 we, the said Benjamin Acton and John
Mustard, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery for
feeding carding engines and picking machines with wool or cotton,
especially with hard wool or cotton, or with any other material for
manufacture into cloth, the object being to facilitate the supply to the
carding rollers.
In applying these improvements to carding engines we propose to use
a shaft set in bearings traversing the standards or frame, such shaft
carrying a bar provided with teeth or spikes which oscillate between a
corresponding series of wire gratings in order to bring down the wool or
cotton or other material to be carded on to an apron and to convey it
to the carding engine.. An apron brings the wool or cotton or other
material forward to the toothed or spiked bar, which is operated by
means of its shaft, on which a crank may be keyed worked by a con-
necting rod from. a lower crank of less throw, so that the second crank
gives a reciprocating or oscillating motion to the crank and shaft of the
spike bar. But we also use as a substitute for this method of driving.
the spike bar a disc or an excentric, or a belt with a revolving or
oscillating motion, but we prefer to employ the disc motion, as hereafter
described. At the upper part of the carding machine an apron or
endless band is set on rollers and bearings, and carries a series of beaters,

page_text: which by their revolution regulate the supply of the wool or cotton to
be carded. In order to press the wool or cotton to the grating we
employ a vertical descending lever set on a fulcrum and carrying a stem
or pin working in a slotted quadrant in the frame of the machine. To
this lever a series of diagonal levers and a pressing bar are attached, so
that by the revolution of the machine a to-and-fro action is given to the
pressing motion whereby the wool or other material is pressed to the
grating.
By these improvements it will be evident that by the combination of
the beaters, the pressing apparatus, and the reciprocating or oscillating
toothed or spiked bar, carding engines may be supplied or fed with.
hard wool, cotton, or other material without difficulty and with perfect.
regularity.
In order that our said Invention may be completely understood we
annex the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents an internal
view of a portion of the machine, and shewing the spike bar; Figs. 2.
and 3 being side views thereof.
:
A shews the frame or standard of the carding engine, on part of which
frame our machine is supported, and is fixed to the engine when at
work. B is the connecting rod for driving the spike bar C, which
receives an oscillating or reciprocating motion. The shaft which works
this rod and bar is supplied with a disc D and a pulley D¹ driven direct
from the carding engine, which drives a shaft D2 passing under the
machine connected to the disc, thereby giving motion to the spike bar.
E is a pinion keyed on the same shaft working in the cog wheel F, thus
giving motion by bevel gearing to the worm wheel G and the chain
wheel H which actuates the aprons, beaters, and pressing frame. The
spike bar C works through the grating I which brings down the wool,
cotton, or other material on to an apron and takes it to the carding
engine. K is an apron for bringing forward the wool, cotton, or other
material to the spike bar C, and L are the beaters attached to an apron
for regulating the supply of the material. M, shewn in dotted lines in
the side elevation, Fig. 2, is the apparatus for pressing the material to
the grating I. In this plan the aprons and beaters L are also shewn in
side view. N is a disc for driving the pressing frame. The various
portions of the machine and their mode of operation will thus be readily
understood by those conversant with the work of carding engines. O is
a fan in front of the beater to spread the wool before carried to the

page_text: grating or spike bar, motion being given from the disc of the pressing
frame.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we would remark in conclusion
that we do not limit ourselves to the precise details and configuration of
parts we have expressed and shewn, as modifications or variations may
be made without in any degree departing from the principles of tho
Invention; for example, we have shewn in the Drawings a method of
actuating the spike bar by a disc motion, but we could with similar
effect use the crank motion first mentioned, or we could use an excentric
motion, or a belt, or a revolving or another oscillating motion; but what
we claim and desire to be secured to us by the herein in part recited
Letters Patent are, the general arrangement, combination, and con-
struction of machinery with special reference to the spike bar and its
mode of working by an oscillating motion, to the pressing apparatus,
and to the beaters constituting our improved machinery for feeding
carding engines and picking machines with cotton, wool, or other material
for the manufacture of cloth and other fabrics, substantially to all intents
and purposes as herein specified and shewn by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Benjamin Acton and John Mustard,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
Witness,
WILLIAM VINCE, Jun.,
Wallbridge, Stroud.
BENJAMIN ACTON. (L.S.)
JOHN MUSTARD. (L.S.)