IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BARS OF CARDING ENGINE FLATS, AND IN THE METHOD OF AND AP- PARATUS FOR ATTACHING THE CLOTHING TO SUCH BARS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth, both of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE BARS OF CARDING ENGINE FLATS, AND IN THE METHOD OF AND AP-
PARATUS FOR ATTACHING THE CLOTHING TO SUCH BARS."
Sealed the 15th October 1878, and dated the 18th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ashworth and Elijah
Ashworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April
1878.
GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, both of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BARS OF CARDING ENGINE FLATS, AND
IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING THE CLOTHING TO SUCH BARS."
Our Invention relates to the flats used in certain descriptions of carding engines
employed in the carding of cotton and other fibrous materials.
On the Third day of November in the year last ended we petitioned Her Majesty
to grant unto us Letters Patent for an Invention of certain improvements in such
flats and in the method of attaching clothing thereto.
In the said former Invention we attached the clothing to nicked metal bars by
means of pins, clamps, or staples, and in the case of wooden flats, we faced the
wooden bar with a nicked metal plate.
According to the first part of our present Invention we attach the clothing to the
wooden flat or bar by means of wire pins or staples, the margins for attachment
being comparatively narrow, and to enable the said pins or stables to be driven into
such narrow margins without splitting the wood we bevel the edges of the face of
the bar, and drive in the pins or staples in diagonal directions. The said staples
may be formed of wire bent into any suitable forms.
A second part of our Invention has for its object to facilitate the securing of the
clothing to the bars. To this end we employ a modification of card-setting
apparatus to form the staples from a continuous length of wire, and to fix in them
position to secure the clothing to the wooden or metal bar.

page_text: The clothing is stretched upon and secured to the bar, say, for example, to a bar
nicked in accordance with our said former Invention, and the said bar is secured to
brackets or parts, which hold it during the securing of the clothing, the edge to be
secured being downwards. To ensure correctness of adjustments a fixed part is
arranged to enter one of the nicks in the bar when the said bar is in position.
"
We prefer to form the staples from wire which has been flattened to some extent,
but we do not confine ourselves to the use of such wire. The wire is fed forwards
as in card-setting machines. The cutters are by preference so formed and arranged
as to sever the wire by a diagonal cut, or to remove a piece or two pieces of metal
from the wire in such a manner as to form sharp or acute points or ends on the
length of severed wire. The said length of wire is received and held by a tool
specially devised for the purpose, as the ordinary "crown which descends in front
of the said short length of wire would come into contact with the dents of the card
clothing when the edge to be secured is downwards. The said tool consists of a
pair of jaws, which nip and hold the wire. The lower jaw projects slightly beyond
the upper jaw, and also projects slightly upwards, so as to form an edge. The
length of wire is nipped between the said edge and the lower edge of the front end
of the upper jaw. To keep the wire in position a short pointed pin or pair of pins
projects slightly from the end of the upper jaw.
crown
The lower jaw may be hinged to the part upon which the upper jaw is formed,
and be actuated by the motion which is employed to actuate the "
" in the
ordinary card-setting machine. When the wire is fed forwards the lower jaw is raised
so as to nip the wire. The jaws advance and the "wings" bend the ends of the wire
past the ends of the front edge of the lower jaw, so as to form a staple. The
foundation material is pricked and the points of the staple are thrust through the
said material into two of the nicks of the bar. When the staple is nearly forced
home the lower jaw falls away to some extent, so as to clear the edge of the bar.
We prefer to cause the jaws to cease their advance for a time sufficient to enable
the lower jaw to properly clear the said bar. The forward movement of the jaws
then continues, whereby the staple is forced fully home by the upper jaw alone, the
short pointed pin or pins therein being pressed into the elastic foundation. The
ends of the staple projecting beyond the back of the bar are clenched or bent over
by levers or parts, which are caused to move in opposite directions, and are
actuated by sliding inclines or by other suitable means. When a staple is fixed
and the jaws have retired, or whilst they are retiring, the slide carrying the staple
fixing apparatus is moved a distance equal to the distance from the centre of one
nick in the bar to the centre of the next nick but one, and the operations are
repeated until the fixing of the one side is completed, when the movements of the
apparatus are arrested. The bar is then reversed, and the free edge of the founda-
tion is inserted between setting jaws of an ordinary or suitable construction, and
the foundation is drawn tight. The apparatus is then reversed, and set in motion
to complete the remaining side.
"
"
The apparatus may be constructed to operate upon the upper edge of the bar,
in which case the " crown may be employed, and the parts for forming and holding
the staple may be more similar to the corresponding parts in ordinary card-setting
machines, and also the " crown may be cranked to pass below the cards. The fixin
may be performed with the back of the flat turned towards the staple-fixing apparatus.
The staples may be formed with compound bends, as in the case of paper
fasteners, in which case the two ends of the staple might be fixed in one nick, and
be clenched by separating them and bending them in opposite directions. When
fixing to wooden bars the bars are bricked to receive the staples, but the clenching
apparatus would not be necessary.
According to a remaining part of our Invention we employ a shield, which
bridges over and covers the cards or a portion of the length of the card-covered
surface of a flat during the fixing operation. The said shield is formed with a thin
edge, which, when the shield is in position, is close to the staples of the cards, and,
it may be, bends the outer row or rows slightly inwards. Pins or staples may then

page_text: be driven close to the said edge of the shield without danger of damaging the cards.
The outer edge of the shield may be adjusted upon the back. A shield or shields
may be employed to clamp the clothing upon the flat preparatory to the fixing in
the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th October 1878.
GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, both of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BARS OF CARDING ENGINE FLATS,
AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING THE CLOTHING TO SUCH
BARS."
Our Invention relates to the flats used in certain descriptions of carding engines
employed in the carding of cotton and other fibrous materials.
On the Third day of November in the year last ended we petitioned Her Majesty
to grant unto us Letters Patent for an Invention of certain improvements in such
flats and in the method of attaching clothing thereto.
In the said former Invention we atached the clothing to nicked metal bars by
means of pins, clamps, or staples, and in the case of wooden flats we faced the
wooden bar with a nicked metal plate.
According to the first part of our present Invention we attach the clothing to the
wooden flat or bar by means of wire pins or staples, the margin for attachment
being comparatively narrow, and to enable the said pins or staples to be driven into
such narrow margins without splitting the wood we bevel the edges of the face of
the bar and drive in the pins or staples in diagonal directions. The said staples
may be formed of wire bent into any suitable forms.
A second part of our Invention has for its object to facilitate the securing of the
clothing to the bars. To this end we employ a modification of card-setting appa-
ratus to form the staples from a continuous length of wire, and to fix them in
position to secure the clothing to the wooden or metal bar.
According to a remaining part of our Invention we employ a shield which bridges
over and covers the cards or a portion of the length of the card-covered surface of a
flat during the fixing operation. The said shield is formed with a thin edge which,
when the shield is in position, is close to the staples of the cards, and, it may be,
bends the outer row or rows slightly inwards. The pins or staples may then be
driven close to the said edge of the shield without danger of damaging the cards.
The outer edge of the shield may be adjustable upon the back. A shield or shields
may be employed to clamp the clothing upon the flat preparatory to the fixing in.
the machine.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood we have appended here-
unto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of referrence, to which Drawings we
will now refer.
Fig. 1 illustrates the first part of our Invention, a representing a wooden bar in
section. The said bar is formed with bevilled edges, and the clothing is secured to

page_text: the bar by means of pins or staples driven in diagonal directions through the card
foundation material into the substance of the wood as indicated at b, b.
Fig. 2 is indicative of the kind of staple which we consider to be suitable to be
employed, such staples being formed from wire. Such staples hold the material
firmly and are more readily withdrawn than tacks or headed pins.
Figs. 3 to 7 illustrate the modifications which we make in an ordinary machine
used in the formation of sheets or strips of card clothing for covering flats. In such
machines the apparatus for forming and setting the dents is traversed upon a bed
as the setting proceeds as is well understood.
In Figs. 3 and 4, A, drawn partly in section, represents a portion of the bed, and
B a portion of the carriage upon which the setting apparatus is mounted.
Fig. 5 represents a back view of a portion of a metal bar which has been nicked
in accordance with our aforesaid former Invention, such bar also appearing at C in
Figs. 3 and 4. One of the ordinary clamps used in card-setting machines for holding
and straining the foundation material is indicated by D. The tool attached to the
end of the ordinary sliding bar which aids in the formation, and forces home the
dents or staples when making cards is represented by E, but we have modified the
arrangements for holding the staple as the ordinary "crown which descends in
front of the length of wire, would come into contact with the dents of the card
clothing, and we have therefore dispensed with its use.
"
The tool E is separately represented about double the full size by Figs. 6 to 8.
The end of the said bar is provided with a pair of jaws, the upper jaw being fixed.
The lower jaw is hinged at C. The front edge of the lower jaw is formed with a
lip which projects slightly beyond the front of the fixed jaw and also projects
slightly upwards. When the jaws are closed the length of wire is nipped between
this lip and the front edge of the upper jaw, which is, or may be slightly
recessed.
To aid in keeping the wire in position two pointed pins d, d, project slightly from
the front edge of the upper jaw. In the example the lower jaw is actuated by the
motion which is ordinarily employed to actuate the said "crown," the tail of the
said jaw being connected by a link e with the said motion. At the times when the
ordinary crown would be lowered the link e is pushed down, and the lower jaw
rises and nips the wire, the jaws being opened at the times when the crown would
be raised out of the way.
..
We prefer that the cutters shall be so formed and arranged as to sever the wire
by a diagonal cut, or to remove a piece or two pieces of metal from the wire in
such a manner as to form sharp or acute points or ends on the severed lengths of
wire.
Instead of the ordinary apparatus for bending the points of the dents we have
applied arrangements for clamping the staples at the back of the bar. Two
levers. f, f, are mounted upon fulcra at g. One end of each lever is formed with an
incline, and a double incline formed on the end of a lever h acts upon the two
inclines on the levers f. The lever h is fixed on a shaft i which is fitted to rock in
bearings, and on this shaft is fixed a second lever j, which is acted upon by a cam k
which is fixed on the cam shaft F. At each revolution of the said cam shaft the
cam depresses the free end of the lever j, and thereby forces the double incline on
the end of the lever h between the incline ends of the levers f, whereby the other
ends of the said levers are caused to approach each other. The return movement of
the lever j is effected by means of a spring 1. The strip of card clothing is stretched
upon the face of the bar, and is temporarily clamped thereto. A suitable form of
clamp will be described herein-after. The bar is now bolted or clamped to standards
or brackets which are attached to the bed of the machine, and are of any suitable.
form so long as the bar is held in position. When the bar is placed in position one
of the nicks in the edge of the bar is caused to engage with a tooth which is fixed
to one of the standards or brackets, or to any suitable fixed part, and is formed to
enter the nick in the bar. The correct adjustment of the bar is thus ensured. The
operations of the machine then commence. The wire is fed forwards as in ordinary

page_text: machines, and passes into the jaws on E, and is severed, and the length of wire is
bent into a staple by the ordinary "wings." The pricker advances and perforates
the foundation material, the adjustment of the bar C being such as that the two
points of the pricker may pass into two of the nicks in the bar. It has not been
considered necessary to represent the pricker nor other parts which are of ordinary
construction, and act in the ordinary manner. The tool E now advances and pushes.
the points of the staple through the pricks in the material and through the nicks in
the bar. When the staple is nearly forced home the link e is lifted, whereby the.
lower jaw falls in order that it may clear the lower edge of the bar C. To give
time for this movement of the lower jaw we so form the cam. which acts upon E as
that the jaws cease their advance until the lower jaw can clear the bar C. The
advance of the jaws is then continued, and the front edge of the upper jaw forces
the staple fully home, the short pins & being pressed into the foundation material..
The ends of the staple pass between the two ends of the levers f, as seen in Fig. 4.
The can now acts upon the lever j, whereby the ends of the levers fare caused to
approach as herein-before mentioned, and by so doing to clench or bend over the.
projecting ends of the staple. If not sufficiently secured by these means the ends of
the staple may be subsequently hammered down or otherwise further clenched, so as
to appear as in Fig. 5. When a staple is fixed and the jaws have retired, or whilst
they are retiring, the carriage with the staple-fixing apparatus is moved upon the
bed, as in the ordinary card-setting machine, the extent of such movement being
equal to the distance from one nick in the bar C to the next nick but one, centre to
centre; and the operations are repeated to fix another staple. When one edge of
the covering has been completely secured by these means the bar is removed and
reversed into the position represented in Fig. 3, the secured edge being then
upwards. The free edge of the foundation material is seized and stretched by the
clamps D and the movements of the apparatus are repeated until this second edge of
the clothing is secured.
The apparatus for holding the staple and forcing it home may be almost identical
with the corresponding part in ordinary card-setting machines, but in such a case
the crown would have to be cranked in such a manner as that its upper part or
shank would not damage the card, or the bar C would have to be applied in the
machine with the edge being secured upwards instead of being downwards, as in
the example, and, if preferred, such an arrangement may be adopted.
The apparatus may either be actuated by power or by hand, as preferred. The
metal bars might be perforated instead of being nicked.
Although we have referred more particularly to the securing of the clothing to
metal bars, this part of our Invention is equally applicable to the securing to
wooden bars, but for such purposes the levers ƒ would not be required, and might
be removed; or the machine night be made without such levers, and without the
parts for actuating them. The machine might be modified by arranging for the
bar C to be secured to a carriage, which would be caused to slide after the insertion
of each staple, the staple-forming and fixing apparatus remaining stationary.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise form of the staples or fasteners, nor to
the method of clenching the same.
Fig. 9 illustrates the remaining part of our Invention, wherein m represents the
said shield in end view. The said shield consists of a metal plate formed with a
thin edge n, which is at right angles to the said plate. To the plate is also attached
a bar or strip o, which is secured by means of screws in order that it may be
adjusted in distance from the edge n. The said shield is of a length sufficient to
cover part only of the length of the card surface, or the whole of it, as preferred.
A shield so formed, or a number of them, may be employed to clamp the clothing
upon the bar preparatory to the operation of the machine in the second part of our
Invention. By making the shield with both edges like the edge n, and by clamping
it upon the clothing, which has been suitably stretched with suitable movable
clamps, and by keeping the shield clamped during the fixing of the staples, the use
of the stretching clamp D during the fixing process might be dispensed with.

page_text: Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner in which we carry the same into practical effect, we would have it to be
understood that we claim,―
First. Securing card clothing to wooden bars formed with bevelled edges by
means of pins or staples, substantially as set forth and indicated herein-before, and
in and by Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The modifications in the ordinary card-setting machine for rendering it
capable of being employed in fixing the card clothing to wooden bars, or to nicked
or perforated metal bars, substantially as set forth and indicated.
Thirdly. Securing the card clothing of flats to nicked or perforated metal bars by
means of wire staples or fasteners, which are formed and inserted by means similar
to those employed in the setting of card teeth, and are clenched at the back of the
bar, substantially as set forth and indicated.
.
Fourthly. Securing the card clothing of flats to wooden bars by means of wire
staples or fasteners, which are formed and inserted by means similar to those
employed in the setting of card teeth, substantially as set forth and indicated.
And, lastly. The shield m, substantially as and for the purposes set forth and
indicated.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth, have
bereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Signed and sealed by the
said George Ashworth
and Elijah Ashworth
in the presence of
HUGH GRANT,
Clerk to Edward K. Dutton,
Agent to the Patentees,
St. Ann's Churchyard,
Manchester.
GEO. ASH WORTH.
(LS.)
ELIJAH ASHWORTH. (L.S.)