Improvements in Rolling or Packing Cotton Wool and in Apparatus Employed therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 24th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rolling or Packing Cotton Wool and in Apparatus
Employed therefor.
: I GEORGE FREDERICK EYRE of Union and Bengal Street Mills; Ancoats,
Manchester in the County of Lancaster Doubler and Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the rolling or packing of cotton wool and to the apparatus
to be employed therefor, my object being to make the said cotton compact and evenly
wound throughout the entire roll, thereby rendering it especially suitable for surgical
and medical purposes.
The lap or roll of cotton from the carding engine is first subjected to pressure by
passing between two rollers and it is then wound upon a suitable rod or maundrel as
hereafter described together with a sheet of tissue paper gauze or other light fabric
which thus separates the layers or laps of the cotton.
The latter may consequently be very tightly rolled without the said laps
adhering together and causing irregularities in the sheet when unwound; and being
compressed as it is being rolled it is very compact and smooth, and more suitable for
surgical and similar purposes than cotton which has been loosely packed in the usual
way.
The apparatus which I employ is constructed as follows:-
Upon a convenient frame are mounted suitable bearings for supporting the lap
from a carding engine, and parallel with this lap is a pair of pressing rollers (the
pressure being applied by weights or other well known means); beyond these rollers,
and parallel therewith is a rod or maundrel which rests upon and between two other
rollers of suitable diameter which are placed side by side and revolving in the same
direction and at the same speed, cause the said rod or maundrel to revolve also.
The framing also carries a roll of tissue paper or other suitable material.
The cotton from the carding engine 'lap is passed together with the tissue paper
or other suitable material between the pressing rollers and is then laid upon the two
rollers upon which the above named rod or maundrel rests; the latter is then laid upon
the cotton wool and the rolling commences.
A differential or varying pressure is applied at the ends of the rod or maundrel so
that, as the diameter of the cotton roll increases, more pressure is applied and the
cotton is evenly wound upon the rod or maundrel from first to last; whereas, if the
same pressure were applied throughout the process the cotton would be more and
more loosely wound in proportion to the increase in the diameter of the roll.
I apply this differential pressure in the following manner.
Each end of the rod or maundrel is connected by a link or equivalent means to a
weighted lever which is so mounted that the weight is lower than the centre or fulcrum
of the lever, and rises nearer to a level with the centre as the roll is being formed, but
does not rise above this level when the roll is completed. Other means may however
be adopted for applying this varying pressure.
The rod or maundrel is made tapered from one end to the other so that it can be
removed after the roll has been completed.
It is evident that the above apparatus may be used for rolling the cotton-wool
without the tissue paper or other material, but in this case it is not desirable to
apply so much pressure on the mandrel as when the said tissue paper is employed.

page_text: I propose in some cases to put flanges (one of which is removable) upon the rod or
maundrel above described to guide the cotton wool so that the ends of the roll may
be more perfect.
Doted this 91st dass of Fahru 1890.
GEO. DAVIES & SON;
`4, St. Ann's Square,' Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
:
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4, St. Ann's Square,' Manchester, Agents for the Appucant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rolling or Packing Cotton Wool and in Apparatus
Employed therefor.
I GEORGE FREDERICK EYRE of Union and Bengal Street Mills Ancoats Manchester
in the County of Lancaster Doubler and Manufacturer 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 the rolling or packing of cotton wool and to the apparatus
to be employed therefor, my object being to make the said cotton compact and evenly
wound throughout the entire roll, thereby rendering it especially suitable for surgical
and medical purposes.
For this purpose I take a roll of cotton wool as wound from the carding engine,
and I unwind the same and after subjecting it to pressure by passing it between two
rollers 1 roll it upon a suitable rod or mandrel as hereafter described together with a
sheet of tissue paper, gauze or other suitable fabric which thus separates the layers or
laps of the cotton.
The latter may consequently be very tightly rolled without the said laps or layers
adhering together and causing irregularities in the sheet when unwound; and being
compressed as it is rolled it is very compact and smooth and more suitable for surgical
and similar purposes than cotton which has been loosely packed in the usual
way. Each length or roll also is much smaller than usual and more convenient for
transport.
The apparatus which I employ will be readily understood from the following
description on reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of my improved apparatus and Fig. 2 a plan view
shewing the rollers and gearing thereof.
Upon a convenient frame a are mounted suitable bearings for supporting the roll or
lap 6 taken from the carding engine, and parallel with this lap is a pair of pressing
rollers c, c¹ (the pressure being applied by weight or by a screw c* as shown, or other
'well known means,) beyond these rollers c, and parallel therewith is a rod or
mandreld which rests upon and between two other rollers e, e¹ of suitable diameter
which are placed side by side and, revolving in the same direction and at the same
speed, cause the said rod or mandrel d to revolve also.
The framing also carries a roll of tissue paper for other suitable material.
The cotton b¹ from the roll 6 is passed together with the tissue paper f¹ or other
suitable material between the pressing rollers c c and is then laid upon the two
rollers e, e upon which the above named rod or mandrel d rests; the latter is then
laid upon the cotton wool and the rolling commences.
A differential or varying pressure is applied at the ends of the rod or mandrel d so
that as the diameter of the cotton roll d¹ increases, more pressure is applied and the
cotton is evenly wound upon the rod or mandrel from first to last; whereas if the
same pressure were applied throughout the process the cotton would be more and
more loosely wound in proportion to the increase in the diameter of the roll. I apply
this differential pressure in the following manner.
Each end of the rod or mandrel d' is connected by a link g or equivalent means to
a weighted lever h (see Fig. 1.) which is so mounted that the weight h¹ is lower than
the centre or fulcrum 2 of the lever hand rises nearer to a level with the centre as

page_text: the roll dis being formed, but does not rise above this level when the roll dis
completed.
Other means may however may be adopted for applying this varying pressure.
I prefer to connect each of the levers h by a chain i or cord to a pulley or drum i
fixed upon a shaft k running across the machine and provided at one end with a
lever by means of which the weighted levers h and the hooked links 9 can be raised
for removing the roll d' and rod or mandrel d; a ratchet wheel and catch A³ or
equivalent device being provided to maintain the levers in the raised position until
it is desired to restart the machine. I prefer also to connect the levers h together by
a rod or equivalent means.
Any suitable gearing may be used for driving the rollers C₁ c¹ and e, e¹.
In the machine illustrated on the drawings the driving pulley 1 (see Fig. 2) is
loose, on the shaft of the roller ol but is provided with a pinion m actuating a wheel m
and pinion m loose on the shaft of the roller e the pinion m³ gearing with the wheel n
fixed on the shaft of the roller e¹.
The rollers and are actuated from this roller e¹ by the toothed wheels &
and, and the carrier pinions e* and c. The upper pressing roller c is actuated by
the toothed wheel c gearing with a similar wheel upon the shaft of the roller c; o ís
a strap fork mounted on a convenient sliding rod or bar o' for stopping and starting
the machine.
The rod or mandrel d is made slightly tapered from one end to the other so that it
can be removed after the roll d' has been completed.
It is evident that the above apparatus may be used for rolling the cotton wool
without the tissue paper or other material but in this case it is not desirable to
apply so much pressure on the mandrel as when the said tissue paper is employed.
I propose in some cases to put flanges as shown at d (one of which is removable)
upon the rod or mandrel d above described to guide the cotton wool so that the ends
of the roll d' may be more perfect.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
―
First. Rolling or packing cotton wool by first pressing the same and then rolling it
under increasing pressure with an intervening layer of tissue paper or other suitable
material substantially as herein before described.
Secondly. The general construction for the above purposes of apparatus substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
..1 1000
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.