Improvements in the Mode of and Apparatus for Preparing Fibrous Substances for Spinning.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 4th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 10th Feb., 1883
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Mode of and Apparatus for Preparing Fibrous
Substances for Spinning.
I WILLIAM CLISSOLD of Milton House, Cainscross. Stroud, in the County of
Gloucester, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improvement upon a process of preparing fibrous
substances for spinning, for which I obtained Letters Patent in conjunction with
James Apperly dated the 4th December 1856, No. 2874.
The fibre, after passing under the action of the first carding or preparing machine,
was taken in the form of a roping, and delivered to the feed apron of the second
preparing machine in parallel lines laid transversely of the apron.
By this means, such irregularities of thickness as occurred in the roping or slivers
became so thoroughly distributed through the mass, as to ensure the ultimate
production of an even yarn.-This yarn, however, was comparatively coarse and
rough, and although well suited for the manufacture of dressed goods, has proved
unsuitable for the smooth faced goods now in vogue.
In order to produce a smooth yarn with the fibres so arranged as to facilitate the
drawing operation, I now propose to employ a novel arrangement of sliver feeder,
which will deliver the sliver or roping to the licker-in roller of the carding engine at
right angles to such roller.-The sliver feeder consists of a pair of short card-covered
feed rolls, mounted on grooved axles, and fitted with means for traversing them close
to the licker-in roller.-These, rolls receive from their axles a rotary motion greatly
superior to that of the licker in roller, and, by means of traversing forks which
embrace them, they are caused to present the sliver or roping which they take up, to
the licker-in roller all along its length, but in such a manner that no lateral lay of the
fibres on the licker-in roller will take place.-The traversing forks are preferably
fitted to a travelling nut or carriage, which receives a traverse motion from an endless
reversing screw suitably timed to correspond with the surface speed of the feed
rolls. Upon this nut or carriage is also mounted a trumpet mouth for guiding the
roping to the bite of the feed rolls.

page_text: By this mode of feeding the sliver, the fibres will lie in the direction of working of
the carding engine, and consequently, little or no tendency of the carding surfaces to
break the fibres will arise. The result of this will be the production of a stronger
and a smoother yarn ihan heretofore; and, as the operation of drawing is facilitated
by the parallel lay of the fibres, yarn of high numbers may be readily obtained by the
use of my improvement.
An advantage incidental to this novel mode of treating the fibre, is, that the carding
process will be applicable, not only to wool but to cotton, a matter of considerable
moment in the production of yarns intended for the manufacture of lace and other
delicate textures.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Mode of and Apparatus for Preparing Fibrous
Substances for Spinning.
I WILLIAM CLISSOLD of Milton House, Cainscross, Stroud, in the County of
Gloucester, Gentleman 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 :-
This invention relates to an improvement upon a process of preparing fibrous
substances for spinning, for which I obtained Letters Patent, in conjunction with
James Apperly, dated the 4th December 1856, No. 2874.
The fibre, after passing under the action of the first carding or preparing machine,
was taken in the form of a roping, and delivered to the feed apron of the second
preparing machine in parallel lines laid transversely of the apron.
By this means, such irregularities of thickness as occurred in the roping or sliver
became so thoroughly distributed through the mass, as to ensure the ultimate
production of an even yarn. This yarn, however, was comparatively coarse and
rough, and although well suited for the manufacture of dressed goods, proved
unsuitable for the smooth-faced goods now in vogue.
In order to produce a smooth yarn with the fibres so arranged as to facilitate the
drawing operation, I now propose to employ a novel arrangement of sliver feeder,
which will deliver the sliver or roping to the licker-in roller of the carding engine at
right angles to such roller.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of so much of the feeding end of a carding engine, with my
invention applied thereto, as will serve to explain my method of feeding the sliver to
the licker-in roller.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and
Fig. 3 is a front view of my improved feed apparatus detached from the carding.
engine.
A is the main framing of the machine, B is the carding cylinder, and C is the
licker-in roller.
In front of this roller, I mount a pair of feed rolls D D, which, like the licker-in
roller, are clothed with card cloth.
These rolls are mounted on axles D', which turn in bearings bolted to the side
frames A.
The axles Dare grooved longitudinally to receive a feather, with which the rolls
are internally fitted, and the axles are thus enabled to rotate the rolls, which are
nevertheless free to traverse across the machine in front of the licker-in roller.
To provide for this traverse, the rolls are embraced by a frame E, composed of
side cheeks bolted to a front plate, to which is secured a trumpet mouth F opposite
the bite of the rolls.

page_text: Immediately below the trumpet mouth, the front plate of the frame E carries a
bracket E, through which is passed an endless screw G having its bearings on the
side frames.
The bracket E' is fitted with a switch e, which fits the thread of the endless
screw G, and serves, as the screw rotates continuously in the same direction, to
impart a to and fro traverse motion to the frame E.
The sliver or roping to be fed to the carding engine is led up through the trumpet
mouth to the rolls D, which deliver it to the licker-in roller.
The length of these rolls is about one eighth, more or less, the length of the
licker-in roller, and it is for the purpose of delivering the sliver or roping along the
whole length of the licker-in roller, that a traverse motion from side to side of
the machine is given to the feed rolls.
The feed rolls are shown as geared together and receiving their motion from a spur
pinion which takes its motion from any convenient part of the machine.
Similarly, the endless screw G is driven through a band and pulley from any
convenient part of the machine.
It should be remarked that the relative surface speeds of the licker-in roller Cand
the feed rolls D D will be such (in order to produce the best result), that the rolls
will deliver about an inch of roping for every rotation of the licker-in roller, while at
the same time they are travelling along their axles at a rate about equal to that of the
delivery of the roping or sliver.
The result of thus speeding the working parts is, that the fibre will be delivered to
the carding cylinder in lines nearly parallel to the side frames of the machine, and
that little or no breaking of the fibre will occur, the action being similar to that of
combing, while a thorough mixing of the opened fibre is ensured.
By this process, therefore, I am enabled to produce a stronger and a smoother
yarn than heretofore, and as the operation of drawing is facilitated by the parallel lay
of the fibres, yarn of high numbers may be readily obtained by the use of my
invention.
An advantage incidental to this novel mode of treating the fibre is, that the carding
process will be applicable, not only to wool, but to cotton, a matter of considerable
moment in the production of yarns intended for the manufacture of lace, and other
delicate textures.
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
1st. Feeding a roping or sliver to the licker-in roller of carding engines by means
of traversing feed rolls, whereby such roping or sliver is delivered at right angles, or
nearly so, to the axis of the roller, in the manner and for the purpose above set
forth.
2nd. The means above described for delivering slivers or ropings to the licker-in
rollers from end to end thereof, and preserving the parallelism of the fibres on their
passage to the carding cylinder.
Dated this 4th day of January 1888.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.