IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Greenwood and James Thornely, both of Stockport,
in the County of Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON OR OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES.”
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Greenwood and James
Thornely at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th May
1878.
JAMES GREENWOOD and JAMES THORNELY, both of Stockport, in the County of
Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR PREPARING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
This Invention relates to the construction of the machine used for preparing
cotton and other fibrous substances for spinning, and known as the "lap machine,"
and employed for forming the cotton or other fibrous material into a sheet or "lap"
for feeding into the carding engine.
The object of the Invention is to prevent the passage through the feeding rollers
or through the calendering rollers of such machines of hard lumps of waste or other
extraneous matter through the machine, and to ensure the even feeding of the
same.
The Invention consists principally in connecting the weighted lever or the
weight (which keeps down the top roller of each set) to the strap fork by levers,
arranged in such a manner that whenever any hard substance (or thicker layer of
fibrous material than ordinary or desirable) attempts to pass between any of the
rollers it raises the top roller, and by reason of the connection above mentioned it
causes the strap fork to move the driving strap from the fast pulley on to the loose
pulley, and thus stops the machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Greenwood and James Thornely in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th November 1878.
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JAMES GREENWOOD and JAMES THORNELY, both of Stockport, in the County of
Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR PREPARING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
This Invention relates to the construction of the machine used for preparing
cotton or other fibrous substances for spinning, and known as the cotton opener,
and also to the lap machine employed for forming the cotton or other fibrous
materials into a sheet or "lap" for feeding into the carding engine; it is also
applicable to the carding engine itself.
The object of the Invention is to prevent the passage through the feeding rollers
or through the calendering or delivering rollers of such machines of hard lumps of
waste or other extraneous matter through the machine, and to ensure the even
feeding of the same, and to prevent what are called "roller laps."
The Invention consists principally in connecting the weighted lever, or the
weight (which keeps down the top roller of each set) to the strap fork by levers,
arranged in such a manner that whenever any hard substance (or thicker layer of
fibrous material than ordinary or desirable) attempts to pass between any of the
rollers it raises the top roller, and by reason of the connection above mentioned it
causes the strap fork to move the driving strap from the fast pulley on to the loose
pulley, and thus stops the machine; it will also stop the machine if the cotton com-
mences lapping round the rollers.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention, we will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
we have annoxed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof.
The annexed Drawing represents in side elevation so much of a "lap machine
as is necessary to illustrate our Invention,
"
a, a, is part of the framework of the machine; b, b, the driving pulley (which is
represented as broken in order more clearly to show the details of our Invention);
and c, c, is the strap fork; d, d, are the feed rollers; e, e, the drawing rollers; and
ff, the calendering rollers;,, is the weighted lever which keeps down the top
calendering roller. To the end of this lever (or to the weight) is attached a
finger h, k, which (whenever the top calendering roller rises, owing to the passage of
a lump of waste or other extraneous matter) raises a lever i, i, keyed on and pro-
jecting outwards from a shaft h, k, and causes the latter to turn a portion of a
revolution. Near the other end of the shaft k, k, is keyed a similar lever 1, 1, but
in the reverse position, that is, projecting inwards; and this lever is connected by
a short chain to a small lever m, m, the other end of which is attached (also by a
short chain) to a notched sliding bar n, n, which is constantly pulled in the
direction of the arrow by means of a spiral spring o, o, but under ordinary cir-
cumstances is prevented from moving in that direction by the notch * holding
against the edge piece p, p. The sliding barn, n, has two upward projections q, q,
between which is engaged the end of a lever r keyed near the lower end of a strap
fork rod 8, 8.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-Whenever the passage of any hard
waste or other extraneous matter causes the top calendering roller to rise the
finger h, k, on the weighted lever g, g, raises the lever i, i, depressing the lever l, l,
at the other end of the shaft k, k, and causing the short lever m, m, to lift the
bar n, n, so as to release its notch * from the piece p, p. The spring o, o, then
draws the bar in the direction of the arrow, causing the strap fork c, c, to move the
strap from the fast on to the loose pulley, and thus stop the machine.

page_text: It will be seen on referring to the Drawing that the saddles t, t, which bear on
the axes of the rollers d, d, and e, e, are similarly connected to the sliding bar n, n,
and consequently the same action takes place when any hard waste or other extra-
neous matter passes through them.
The application of our Invention to an ordinary "lap machine" having been
described, its method of application to other cotton-preparing machines is so obvious
as to require no further explanation, but we would here remark that with very
slight modification it may be applied so as to stop the machine when the fan strap
breaks, or when anything wholly or partially stops the material from passing
through the machine; and also to stop the machine called the "finisher" whenever
one of the "laps" runs bare, in which latter case it must be so arranged as to work
by the falling of the top roller instead of by the rising of the same.
We would also hero remark that it is evident that instead of throwing the strap
on to the loose pulley the same arrangement might be employed to disconnect a
clutch box so as to stop the movements of the machino.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our Invention, connecting the
weighted lover or weight which holds down the top feeding, drawing, or calendering
rollers of a lap or other cotton-preparing machine to the strap fork or to a clutch
box or catch, substantially in the manner above described, so as to cause the
machine to be stopped whenever the said top roller is caused to rise by the passage
of a hard lump of waste or other extraneous material through the rollers or when-
ever the fan strap breaks, or whenever one of the laps runs bare in the “finisher”
machine.
In witness whereof, wc, the said James Greenwood and James Thornely, have
hereunto set our hands and scals, this First day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.