IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINES FOR COMBING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of
Harris and Mills, of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARDING ENGINES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER
MACHINES FOR COMBING FIBROUS MATERIALS."-A communication from
abroad by J. S. Bolette, of Pépinster, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office, of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th July 1873.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and
Mills, of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARDING ENGINES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO
OTHER MACHINES FOR COMBING FIBROUS MATERIALS," a communication to me

page_text: The Invention relates,-
Firstly. To the application of a self-acting feeding apparatus to
carding engines, and to other machines for combing fibrous materials.
And the Invention relates, secondly, to the application of improved
means for dividing the fleece or sliver after it leaves the carding cylinder
into ribbons or fillets, which are employed to form the rovings.
In carrying the first part of the Invention into effect the ordinary
feeding apron of the carding engine is made to serve the purpose of the
bottom of the feeding apparatus or supply box, which arrangement
enables the ready reestablishment of the ordinary feeding apron, if such
should be thought necessary. The fibrous material is placed in bulk or
in large quantities in the feeding box and rests on the ordinary feeding
apron, which is however placed at an inclination. The fibre is taken by
a regulating breaker composed of bars of teeth carried by spring arms
mounted on an axis of motion to be distributed at the entrance to the
cards in quantities of a thickness determined by a roller which is
adjustable according to the quantity of fibrous material it is desired to
feed to the carding engine. The excess of fibrous material is thereby
constantly returned to the feeding apparatus.
Beyond the advantages presented by this apparatus with respect to the
automatic feeding of the carding engine or other machine it further
offers that of being readily transformed into the ordinary feeding apron,
for which purpose it is only necessary to dismount the regulating
breaker and to raise the feeding apron to the usual horizontal
position.
This part of the Invention is also applicable to feeding other machines
for combing fibrous materials.
In carrying the second part of the Invention into effect the improved
apparatus for dividing the fleece or sliver into small ribbons or fillets to
be employed to produce rovings is arranged as follows:-A series of
toothed plates are fixed each to the side of a disc or washer. These discs
or washers are according to one arrangement all mounted on the same.
axis, but so that one half of them may be capable of turning to the right, a
and the other half to the left. This is effected by keying half of the

page_text: discs or washers to the shaft whilst the other half which are intermediate
of the former are mounted loosely thereon, and are rotated by means of
toothed wheels gearing into teeth formed thereon.
The fleece or sliver held between rollers at the entrance of the
dividing apparatus is separated into small ribbons or fillets by the
toothed plates, which ribbons or fillets are conducted by detaching
rollers each to its own side to deliver them to the ordinary rotary
rubbers, which transform them into rovings; these rovings are thence
conducted to the drawing rollers which wind them on to bobbins resting
thereon. Instead however of mounting all the toothed plates upon the
same axis they may be mounted in pairs upon two axes one above
another. The pairs of toothed plates on the one axis have between them
the required distance to admit in each space separating them a pair of
those mounted on the other axis, which plates are each fixed upon a face
of a disc or washer. These two sets of toothed plates turn in the same
direction, and travel the one between the other.
Rings or washers turn freely in the spaces between one set of toothed
plates, and consequently form with the other set of toothed plates a
conductor to carry the slivers, ribbons, or fillets between the corres-
ponding toothed plates to form the lower rovings, whilst the other
slivers, ribbons, or fillets of the adjoining spaces are detached by the
others, and are conducted so as to form the upper rovings.
The fleece or sliver on leaving the carding cylinder passes under a
guide roller, and is then taken by one set of toothed plates which carry
it to the point of contact between them and the other toothed plates,
where it is divided into as many parts as there are pairs of toothed plates
in the machine. The ribbons or fillets are then conducted by suitable
guide rollers to the rotary rubbers.
If desired the loose rings or washers may be replaced by fixed plates.
or by other means of pressure capable of preventing the upper plates
from taking all the ribbons or fillets instead of only half of them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said
Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN &
JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 35, South-
ampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of 1
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, Her
special license that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my 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 CARDING ENGINES,
PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINES FOR COMBING
FIBROUS MATERIALS," a communication to me from abroad by J. S. Bolette,
of Pépinster, in the Kingdom of Belgium, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 on or before the Fourth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: Firstly. In means for feeding the carding engine automatically, which
is effected in a very simple manner by causing the ordinary feeding
apron of the carding engine to serve for the bottom of the feeding
apparatus or supply chamber, which arrangement enables this apparatus
to be reconverted at will into the ordinary feeding apron if such should
be thought necessary.

page_text: apron A to the usual horizontal position, as indicated by the dotted
lines F.
This arrangement is further modified by giving to the feeding
apron A, A, a greater speed than heretofore, which has the advantage of
presenting the wool more frequently to the regulating breaker or
opener B, and of giving a greater regularity of thickness to the supply
of wool or other fibre passing by the passage f, f. To produce this
advantageous result it is only necessary to accelerate the motion of the
feeding apron by a quarter, a third, or even double without changing
that of the ordinary feeding rollers of the carding engine. The feeding
apron by passing more quickly under the wool or other fibre collects and
presses a more compact mass of it towards the passage ƒ, ƒ, which
regulates the thickness of the supply of wool destined to form the nap or
sliver upon the carding engine, and gives it greater cohesiveness and
body. By these means a result is obtained which forms one of the most
important features of the present Invention, and which is of the
greatest importance practically with respect to the regularity of the
work. G is the mouth of the carding engine.
Figure 2 represents a sectional side view of an apparatus for dividing
the nap or sliver which cuts it into small ribbons or fillets destined to
form the rovings. This apparatus is composed of a series of toothed
plates fixed each upon one of the sides of a metal or wood washer or
short cylinder, as indicated upon a larger scale by Figures 5 and 6.
These washers or short cylinders are mounted upon two shafts or
axes O, P, superposed the one above the other. The plates fixed on the
axis P have between them the distance required to admit in each space
separating them a pair of those mounted on the axis O. They are
placed in the spaces between the plates of the axis P, and turn in
the same direction as indicated by the arrows, and work one within the
other.
Rings or washers q hollowed on their sides and partially on their
periphery (which arrangement has for its object to prevent the fibres.
passing from one fillet or ribbon to the other), turn freely in the spaces
between the plates of the axis O, and consequently form with the plates
of the axis P a mouth or conductor carrying the naps or slivers between
the plates to form the lower rovings, whilst the ribbons or fillets of the
adjoining spaces are detached from the others, and are conducted so as to
form the upper rovings.

page_text: The fleece or sliver R on leaving the carding cylinder passes under the
roller S, it is then taken by the plates T which carry it to the point of
contact U, where it is divided by the plates V into as many parts as
there are pairs of plates in the machine, the separated parts of the
5 fleece or sliver are then conducted to the rubbers M which transform
them into rovings, from which these rovings are conducted to drawing
rollers N which wind them on to bobbins resting thereon. W, W, repre--
sents the detaching rollers; x, x, are small rollers serving to hold the
ribbons or fillets against the rollers W.
The rings 9 may be replaced by fixed plates or by other means of
pressure capable of preventing the upper plates from taking all the
small slivers or ribbons instead of only half thereof.
.
Figure 3 is a cross section on an enlarged scale of the above described
arrangement for dividing the fleece or sliver; Figure 4 is a sectional
front view of the same on a similar scale, and Figures 5 and 6 are
respectively side and sectional views of one of the washers or short
cylinders upon which the two dividing plates are fixed.
The division of the fleece or sliver of the carding engine can also be
effected by mounting all the washers or short cylinders having toothed
plates on each side upon the same axis in such manner that half of them.
turn to the right, and the other half to the left. This movement is
obtained by keying one-half of the washers or short cylinders upon one
of the shafts or axes, whilst the other half is controlled by gearing
mounted upon a shaft or axis parallel thereto in such manner that one-
half of the washers or short cylinders can rotate in the one direction,
whilst the other rotates in the contrary direction.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode
in which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim as constituting the present Invention is,―
Firstly. The arrangement substantially as herein shown and described
for automatically feeding the carding engine or other machine for
combing fibrous substances, in which arrangement the ordinary feeding
apron of the carding engine is caused to serve for the bottom of the
feeding apparatus, thereby enabling the ordinary feeding apron to be
readily reestablished if such should be thought desirable.

page_text: Secondly. The employment of toothed plates crossing each others'
path, that is to say, one pair being mounted upon one axis, and another
pair upon another axis, the two pairs working the one in the other, and
so on with each pair of plates upon the entire length of the axes or
width of the machine, such arrangement constituting the improved 5
dividing apparatus, in manner substantially as herein shown and
described.
Thirdly. In causing the two dividing rollers to turn in the same
direction, each dividing roller taking with it one half of the fillets or
ribbons to be formed into rovings, in manner substantially as herein 1
shown and described.
3
Fourthly. I claim the mode of employing these dividing plates as
circular shears or cutters by causing them to turn in opposite directions
to each other, in manner substantially as herein described.
Fifthly. I claim the mode of arranging all the dividing plates on the 1
same axis, one-half only of which is fixed on the axis, whilst the other
half revolves freely thereon and is actuated by gearing, in manner sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
And, Sixthly. I claim the mode of constructing the toothed dises or
plates and mounting them on each side of a washer or short cylinder, 2
in manner and for the purpose substantially as herein shown
and described.