Improvements in Mechanism for Grinding the Travelling Flats of Carding Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Grinding the Travelling Flats of
Carding Engines.
We, BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of Bolton in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, and WILLIAM ISHERWOOD BROMILEY, of the same place,
Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our improvements have reference to the grinding of the top flats of carding
engines with the wiro downwards this being the position in which they work upon
the card; and the object of our improvements is to avoid the deflection existing
when grinding in the usual way.
We describe two arrangements of mechanism for applying our invention to
carding engines:
==
The first arrangement is applicable to ordinary makes of travelling flat carding
engines, without the addition of extra carrying bowls or extra flats. In this case we
apply to the ordinary slide which carries the shaft and bowls upon which the flats travel
as they enter upon or leave the flexible and the position of which is regulated by
the flexible, an arm to which is pivoted a lever carrying the grinding roller. This
lever may be partially balanced and may be kept up to its work by a spring, and
has upon its upper surface a curved incline or cam; centred on the shaft of the
flat bowl is a lever which has in its length a slot or slide; in this slot or slide is an
intermediate piece, the upper surface of which is made preferably to the radius of
the flexible; the lower surface having a finger working upon the surface of the
incline or cam already mentioned.
On one end of this intermediate piece is a spring or other catch having a finger
or incline which will take against an incline or finger fixed upon the upper surface
of the onm lever.
The radial lever has a spring which tends to place this lever in a position which
is fixed originally for commencing the operation of grinding.
If the apparatus be fixed at the taker-in end of the card and the flats enter on
the flexible at that end the sliding intermediate piece is pressed by the counter-
balanced cam lever against the working surface of the flats which is outward, the
flats travelling towards the cylinder. The catch takes against the edge of the flat
and the intermediate piece and the radial lever are thereby carried round by the
motion of the flat, and the flat consequently passes over the grinding roller which
can be set as hereafter described :-
The finger on the underside of the intermediate piece takes upon the cam surface
of the cam lever, which is shaped so that the passage of the flat in travelling round
the centre of the flat bowl and moving the intermediate piece finger over the cam
causes the grinding roller to approach or recede in such a manner as is necessary. to
grind the bevel desired.
We have spoken of a cam lever as being in one piece, it is however necessary for
the purpose of adjusting the grinding roller to place upon this lever a slide carrying
the grinding roller and with means of adjustment or we may make the lever in two
parts both pivoted and with an adjusting screw connecting them: it is obvious
however that where we have spoken of a pivoted cam lever that this might be
replaced by a cam working in a slide and kept up by weights or springs.
When the flat has passed over the surface of the grinding roller the incline or
finger on the catch comes into contact with the finger or incline on the cam lever,
the catch is disengaged thereby allowing a spring to return the radial lever and
intermediate piece to their original position then the catch engages the next
succeeding flat and the operation is recommenced.

page_text: The second arrangement according to this invention is only applicable to carding
engines made under the Patent numbered 19519 dated December 5th 1889 and
granted to us the said B. A. Dobson and W. I. Bromiley where the flats are reversed
on their pivots for the purpose of being ground, and where the grinding roller is
placed between the upper and the lower flats.
In this case the flat ends slide upon a stationary piece which is of the same width
and radius as the flexible. There is a cam lever pivoted below the grinding roller
and upon the same fixing which carries the curved grinding piece; this cam lever
has at its upper end a catch piece with an incline, the said catch piece being kept
in contact with the end of the flat by means of a spring.
There is an incline also fixed to the curved grinding piece with which the incline
of the catch piece of the cam lever comes in contact.
The centre of the grinding roller is in the vicinity of a line drawn from the centre
of the pivot of the cam lever and the centre of the flat; and some distance on one
side of the centre of the grinding roller is the pivot of the grinding lever, which is
made in two parts as described in our first arrangement with the same provision for
the adjustment of the grinding roller.
The operation of this second arrangement is almost identical with that already
described. When the flat is travelling along the curved grinding piece and comes
within range of the operation of this apparatus, the spring catch or an equivalent
engages the edge of the end of the flat and is carried forward, thus moving the
pivoted lever on its centre. On one portion of this centre is a cam upon which the
grinding roller lever rests and the oscillation of the cam lever raises or lowers
the grinding lever and roller sufficiently to allow of the correct bevel of the wire of
the flat being given.
When the spring-catch is disengaged by the incline on the curved grinding piece
the cam lever is returned to its correct position by a spring.
In this arrangement, as the weight of the grinding roller is downwards upon the
cam, there is no necessity to counterpoise the grinding roller by weight or spring.
Dated this 8th day of September 1891.
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Grinding the Travelling Flats of
Carding Engines.
We, BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, and WILLIAM ISHERWOOD BROMILEY, of the same place,
Foreman, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in mechanism for grinding the travelling
or top flats of carding engines with the wire downwards, this being the position they
occupy when at work upon the card; and the object of our improvements is to avoid
the deflection existing when grinding in the usual way with ordinary appliances.
We describe two arrangements for applying our invention to carding engines.
The first arrangement is applicable to ordinary makes of travelling flat carding
engines, without the addition of extra carrying bowls or extra flats.
The second arrangement is only applicable to carding engines made under the
Patent numbered 19519 dated December 5th 1889 and granted to us the said
Benjamin Alfred Dobson and William Isherwood Bromiley, where the flats are
reversed on their pivots for the purpose of being ground, and where the grinding
roller is placed between the upper and the lower flats.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried

page_text: into effect we will describe the accompanying three sheets of drawings reference
being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carding engine showing the first arrangement of
our improved mechanism for grinding the travelling flats applied in two different
positions.
Figure 2 is a side elevation. Figure 3 an end elevation and Figure 4 a part plan
of said first arrangement.
Figure 5 is an end elevation. Figure 6 a side elevation. Figure 7 a part
plan and Figure 8 a side sectional elevation of the second arrangement of our
improved mechanism.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
-
In Figure 1, a designates the main cylinder, the doffer, c the licker-in, d th
engine bend or side framing, e the chain of travelling top flats, and ff the ordinary
slides which carry the bowl shaft g and bowls or pulleys upon which the flats travel
as they enter upon or leave the flexible bend h.
The first arrangement of our improved mechanism for grinding the flats is
illustrated by the detail views Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and may be applied to the carding
engine in either of the positions shown in Figure 1; namely at the licker-in cylinder
end, or at the doffer end as may be most convenient. We will describe it as applied
at the licker-in end to the slide f, which is fitted in the bracket 9 secured to the
bend d.
Upon the bowl shaft 9 or in close proximity thereto is mounted loosely a lever i,
in one arm of which is fitted a slide or intermediate piece j, the upper surface j¹ of
which is made preferably to the same radius as that of the flexible bend h, and the
lower surface has a finger working upon the curved surface of a "dummy” or
guide k. The dummy or guide k is centred shaft which is supported in an
arm of the slide f the position of which is in some engines regulated by the flexible
bend h, as for example in the type of engine specified in Letters Patent granted to
us the said Benjamin Alfred Dobson and William Isherwood Bromiley numbered 874
and dated 20th January 1886. On the said shaft 7 is also fulcrummed a lever m, in
which is supported at one end the grinding roller n, and the other end is depressed
by means of a coiled spring o, or by means of a weight suspended from the end of
the lever m, so as to keep the grinding roller n up to its work; and further the
lever m is connected to the short arm of the lever i by a coiled spring p.
At the back of the lever m is a threaded snug or projection m in which is
fitted a screw the end of which supports the dummy or guide k, the spring o
or its equivalent being sufficient to counterpoise the dummy as well as the grinding
roller.
On the arm of the slide is an inclined surface f" which forms a fixed stop for
the corresponding inclined surface on the slide or intermediate piece j.
In operation the prepared working surface of each flat e comes in its turn upon
the prepared surface of the intermediate piece j, the back of the flat being in
contact with the bowls on the shaft g. The spring o, exerting a downward pressure
on the lever m, and acting through the screw r, dummy or guide k, and finger 1³,
presses the surface j' of the slide or intermediate piece j upward against the working
surface of the flat. As the flat moves forward its edge engages the projection * at
the back of the inclined surface, and so carries with it, in its traverse, the
intermediate piece j, and the arm of the lever i, in which said piece is fitted, and
also raises the other arm of the lever i thereby extending the spring p. The
finger as it travels on the curved surface ¹ causes the grinding roller n to
approach or recede from the flat as the latter travels round the bowls, and so the
wire on the flat is ground to the "bevel" required.
When the flat has passed over and left the surface of the grinding roller n, the
incline on the piece comes into contact with the fixed incline f*, thus disengaging
the flat, and allowing the spring p to return the lever i and intermediate piecej to
their original position ready for the next flat.
To the lever i is pivoted a catch ♬ which, as the lever i is moved back to ita

page_text: initial position by the action of the spring p, bears upon and depresses the lever m
and dummy k so that the finger, following the lowered guide surface, allows the
slide or intermediate piece to come down and the projection to pass back under
and clear of the wire surface of the next flat.
To throw the grinding motion out of gear, when not required, the stop piece
fixed on the dummy & is lowered to permit the lever i and slide or intermediate
piece; to pass back beyond their ordinary travel over the stop piece where they
remain clear of the path of the travelling flats until again required.
The second arrangement of our improved mechanism for grinding the flats_is
illustrated by Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 as applied to carding engines made under the
aforesaid Patent numbered 19519 and dated December 5th 1889 where the flats are
reversed on their pivots for the purpose of being ground, and the grinding roller is
placed between the upper and lower flats.
In this case the ends of the flats e when reversed slide upon the curved upper
surface t of the bracket or fixing 9 which surface tis of the same width and radius
as the flexible bend. There is a cam lever u pivoted at below the grinding
roller ", and upon
the same bracket or fixing 9; this cam lever u has fitted in a
recess at its upper end a catch piecej with an incline and a projection ** at the
back of said incline, the catch piecej being kept in contact with the end of the flat
by means of a spring w. There is a stop piece also fixed near the upper surface
of the bracket g with which the incline of the catch piece j comes in contact in
order to release the flat engaged therewith.
The centre of the grinding roller n is in the vicinity of a line drawn from the
centre of the pivot of the cam lever u and the centre of the flat e in position to
he ground; and some distance on one side of the grinding roller n is the pivot / of
the grinding lever which is in two parts k and m as described in our first arrange-
ment with the same provision, namely the screw r, for the adjustment of the grinding
roller n.
The part of the grinding roller lever bears upon a cam = fixed upon
the pivot of the cam lever u, and the part m in which the grinding roller 7 is
supported bears upon the end of the screw which passes through the part k.
k
The operation of this second arrangement is almost identical with that already
described :-When the flat is travelling along the curved grinding surface t, and
comes within range of the operation of this apparatus, the edge of the end of the
flat is engaged by the projection on the catch piece j, which is carried forward
The oscillation
with the flat, thus moving the pivoted cam lever u on its centre v.
of the cam lever u by means of the cam z raises or lowers the grinding lever k, m,
and roller a sufficiently to allow the correct bevel to be given to the wire of the flat.
When the incline reaches the fixed stop piece the spring catch piece is
pressed down and the flat is thereby disengaged, the cam lever u with the catch
piece; being returned to its correct position ready for the next flat by the spring o.
In this arrangement as the weight of the grinding roller n is directly downwards
upon the cam, there is no necessity to counterpoise the grinding roller by weight
or spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination with the grinding roller supported in a counter balanced lever,
of the dummy or guide k, the slide or intermediate piece j, and the lever i, centred
on or near the bowl shaft, substantially as herein described with reference to
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings annexed.
2. The combination with the grinding roller and the guide surface both
supported and kept to their work by a lever and weight or spring e, of the slide or
intermediate piece j, one portion of which is prepared to receive the working surface
of the flat and another is supported by the aforesaid guide surface k¹, substantially
as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.
3. The combination of the slide the bowl shaft g, bowls, lever i, slide or

page_text: intermediate piecej with its prepared surfaces and finger ♬ as specified, dummy or
guide & with its prepared surface k, the balanced lever m, snug m', screw 7, spring p,
and incline fall substantially as and for the purposes herein described and as
illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4.
4. In an arrangement such as that illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4 for grinding the
travelling flats, we claim mounting the various parts comprising such arrangement
upon the slide for equivalent part so that when the flexible bend is adjusted the
grinding mechanism will be adjusted simultaneously.
5. The combination with a chain of reversible flats and the stationary grinding
surface t, with its fixed stop piece f³, of the spring catch piece supported in the
cam lever u and arranged to engage and move forward with each successive flat
while the latter is being ground until released by the action of the fixed stop piece
the grinding roller being supported between the chain of flats in a grinding lever
the movements of which are controlled by a cam on the pivot of the cam lever all
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and as illustrated by Figures 5
to 8 of the drawings annexed.
6. The several arrangements and combinations of parts which embody our
improvements in mechanism for grinding the travelling flats of carning engines,
substantially as herein described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
DAL! AL 1M 1000
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicants.