IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SPINNING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Higgins, of Salford, in the County of Lan-
caster, Machine Maker, and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, of the same
Place, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR
SPINNING."
Sealed the 29th April 1862, and dated the 1st November 1861,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Higgins' and
Thomas Schofield Whitworth, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 1st November 1861.
We, JAMES HIGGINS, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, and THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH, of the same Place, Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
FOR SPINNING," to be as follows:-
Our Invention refers, firstly, to those carding engines which are provided
with a roller or rollers furnished with cards beneath the "licker in," and has
for its object a facility of adjustment. To this end we mount the "licker in
in bearings capable of being altered in position so that the said "licker in "
may be removed, and subsequently properly adjusted after the under rollers
have been fixed in correct positions.

page_text: Another part of our Invention consists in a method of adapting the ends
and axes to cylinders or rollers of carding engines. For this purpose we screw
the one part to the other, and so as to bring a shoulder upon the one into
contact with the other. Another part of our Invention relates to the slubbing
or roving frame, and is applicable to those machines, in which one of the
cones is caused to swing upon a centre or is otherwise shifted, and has for
its object the gaining a correct position of the cones for a proper tension
of the strap. This we effect by adapting adjustable stops to the screw rack,
or other mechanism which moves the cone bodily, so that its working position
may be regained after doffing or altered according to the condition of the strap.
Also we adapt a click to the mechanism which supports the cone which by
arriving in contact with a ratchet wheel retains the differential motion so as to
cause the bobbin and spindle to turn at one speed when an accumulation of
material is required for attachment on the commencement of a fresh bobbin.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
HIGGINS, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and
THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH, of the same Place, Manager, send greet-
ing.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, Her special license
that we, the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James
Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, 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 OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON, AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SPINNING," upon the condition, amongst others, that we,
the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, by an instrument

page_text: in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
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
5 and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield
Whitworth, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, and accompanying Drawings, that is
to say:-
"
35
Our Invention refers, firstly, to those carding engines which are provided
with a roller or rollers furnished with cards beneath the "licker in," and
has for its object facility of adjustment. To this end we mount the "licker in
in bearings capable of being altered in position so that the said "licker in
may be removed, and subsequently properly adjusted after the under rollers
have been fixed in correct positions. This part of our Invention is illustrated
at Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings which represents a partial view of
a carding engine constructed according to our Invention. The main cylinder
is at a, and the "licker in" at b; beneath the latter are two rollers c, d, covered
with cards. These rollers are mounted in bearings capable of adjustment
so as to admit of their position being governed in reference to the main
cylinder, and to each other. The licker in is mounted upon an arm e, which
is capable of turning upon a centre at i, which therefore affords one support
for it. Its outward end bears upon a set screw g, which can be raised or
lowered so as to depress or elevate the "licker in;" the arm e is formed in
two parts e and e, upon the latter of which are two projections h, embracing
a nut i working upon a screw k, which is carried by the part e. The letter
of reference i is used to denote the nut as well as the centre in which the
lever turns, the one being before the other. If the bolt f be loosened, and
the nut i turned, the said part e may be moved inward or outward, so as to
bring the "licker in" nearer to or farther from the main cylinder. In ar-
ranging the machine for working "the "licker in 6, and the roller c, are
removed, and the bottom roller d adjusted in reference to the main cylinder.
This having been done, the roller c is applied and properly adjusted, the
arrangement for which, as shewn in the Drawing, is similar to that described
in reference to the "licker in." And lastly the licker in is adapted and
properly set to the main cylinder a by the nut i, and the roller c, by the set
screw g, after which the bolt f, having been tightened, the machine is ready
for work. Another mode which we have adopted for effecting the same

page_text: object is by mounting the axis of the licker in, in a bearing furnished with a
compound slide capable of adjustment to or from the cylinder, and also to
or from the roller c. It will be perceived that by this method of mounting
the licker in we are enabled to commence the adjustment of the several
surfaces at the bottom, and the whole may therefore be properly arranged
without the inconvenience of stooping under the machine.
Another part of our Invention consists in a method of adapting the ends and
axes to cylinders or rollers of carding engines, for this purpose we screw the
one part to the other, and so as to bring a shoulder upon the one into contact
with the other. This part of our Invention is shewn at Fig. 2, in which a is a
roller or cylinder, tapped at each end, and 6 the axes upon which are formed
the shoulders c and screws d. One end of the Figure shews the axis adapted
and the other separate. By this arrangement we are enabled to adapt the
axes with greater truth, and to see at once by the contact of the shoulder
any deviation therefrom.
Another part of our Invention relates to the slubbing or roving frame, and
is applicable to those machines in which one of the cones is caused to swing
upon a centre or is otherwise shifted, and has for its object the gaining
a correct position of the cones for a proper tension of the strap. This
we effect by adapting adjustable stops to the screw rack or other mechanism,
which moves the cone bodily so that its working position may be regained
after doffing or altered according to the condition of the strap. Also we
adapt a click to the mechanism which supports the cone, which by arriving
in contact with a ratchet wheel retains the differential motion so as to
cause the bobbin and spindle to turn at one speed when an accumulation
of material is required for attachment on the commencement of a fresh
bobbin. This part of our Invention is represented at Figs. 3 and 4 in
which a, b, are the two usual cones of a slubbing or roving frame. The
cone a is carried by levers, one of which is shewn at c, and which are
capable of turning upon a fixed centre at l. At d is another lever fixed to
the axis of c, and provided with a nut e capable of swivelling therein, and
which works upon a screw f. This screw is furnished with two nuts g, h,
which can be altered in position, and act as stops for the lever d. According
to the position shewn in the Drawing the apparatus is in its working condition,
but when the cone is to be shifted for the loosening of the strap, the screw
fis turned by means of the handle k, whereby the levers c, d, are caused to
turn upon their centre l, so as to elevate the cone a, and when the machine
is to commence working again, the screw fupon being turned in the other
direction, restores the parts to the position shewn, the nut 9 acting as a stop

page_text: for shewing when this has been effected. The other stop h is for the purpose
of preventing the cone from being lifted too much, and thus it will be
seen that the cone will always return to a certain position so long as the stop
g remains unaltered. During the working of the machine, however, it may
be perceived that the strap is not at the proper tension, in which case the
attendant has only to traverse the stop g to or fro to correct the evil.
Upon the axis of the cone a is a ratchet wheel m, and jointed to the
end of the lever c is a click n, which click, according to the position shewn
in the Drawing, is prevented from falling into the said ratchet wheel by a
pin o, carried by an arm p, which hangs loosely upon the axis of the ratchet
m, but is prevented from turning downward by an incline q resting against
a fixed pin r, but when the cone a is elevated as above described the lever
c, by turning upon its centre l, will prevent the pin o from supporting the
click n, and it will then fall into the ratchet wheel m, and thus the tendency
which the cone has to turn-will be prevented, so that the spindle and bobbin
may be caused to revolve at the same speeds upon the cone being restored to
its working position. The pin o will remove the click n from the ratchet wheel,
and the parts will again assume the positions shewn in the Drawing.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our Invention, and
the manner of carrying the same into effect, we desire it to be understood that
we claim as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters Patent,
firstly, in reference to carding engines of the above mentioned construction,
mounting the "licker in" in adjustable bearings substantially as above
described; secondly, the method described of adapting the ends and axes to
cylinders, or rollers of carding engines; thirdly, the use of adjustable stops for
regulating the position of the cone; fourthly, the application of a click or
analogous apparatus for preventing the cone from revolving under the above-
mentioned conditions.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Schofield Whitworth, have here-
unto set our hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH. (L.S.)