CERTAIN. IMPROVEMENTS FOR PREPARING ALL DESCRIPTIONS OF WOOL AND HAIR GROWN UPON ANIMALS FOR THE CARDING, COMBING, AND OTHER MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
ILLINGWORTH, of Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Spinner, senil
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the. Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Daniel Illingworth, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege, and authority, that I, the said Daniel Illingworth, my
exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Daniel Illingworth,.
my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time, and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN.
IMPROVEMENTS FOR PREPARING ALL DESCRIPTIONS OF WOOL AND HAIR GROWN
UPON ANIMALS FOR THE CARDING, COMBING, AND OTHER MANUFACTURING PROCESS;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Daniel
Illingworth, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in. and by
the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that. in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Daniel Illingworth, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following explanation
thereof (that is to say):-
My improvements relate to the machinery employed in the preparation of
those wools or hairs of animals which are intended either to be subjected to a
subsequent process of combing, as in the "worsted" manufacture, or to those
operations by which such materials are fitted for the production of "woollens,"
or for other purposes; and consist, firstly, of two distinct machines, the one
more particularly applicable to the preparation of "short fibrous substances,"
the other suitable for operating upon all description of the material; the object,
however, of both being to open and cleanse the locks, at the same time pre-
serving the fibre in a more efficient manner, than is now practised by the use
of the ordinary willow.
Secondly, my improvements apply to the carding engine, and consist in
the employment of a pair of rollers placed in front of the ordinary feed rollers,
but revolving rather more slowly, whereby the material becomes in some
measure straightened before it enters the machine.
The machine which I shall first describe is that which I employ particularly
in the preparation of the short fibrous substance, and is represented in two
views at Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings, the former being a side
elevation thereof, and the latter a longitudinal vertical section of the same. The
framework of the machine is shewn at a, a, and the main driving shaft at b,
the axle of which is provided with a toothed pinion f, which, through the
medium of a train of wheels and pinions, shewn in the Drawing, cominunicates
rotary motion to one of two rollers g, g, around which is placed a feed apron
h, h; two rollers i are mounted in slots, formed within standards, attached to
the framing of the machine, the upper one being weighted upon the other by
means of the levers and weights, as shewn in the Drawing, and they are
driven through the intervention of the train of pinions, actuated by the
shaft 6; immediately in front of the rollers i are three others j,j,j, the upper
one being pressed upon the surfaces of the two lower by means of weighted
levers; the top roller j is driven by a band, as shewn, and causes those upon
which it presses to revolve by geer, so that the surfaces of the three revolve at
an uniform rate, and the train of wheels is so calculated as to cause the velocity
of their peripheries to be above that of the peripheries of the rollers i. so as to
effect a drawing action; in front of the rollers j, j, j, is placed a revolving fan

page_text: or beater, consisting of a cylinder of metal or other suitable material &, upon
which are mounted the beaters 1, 1, 1, 1; the fan or beater is enclosed at top
by a cylindrical casing, and partly at its lower portion a grating m, and is
mounted upon a shaft, which is caused to rotate by means of a strap passing
from a pulley affixed to the shaft e; upon the axle of the fan or beater thero
is a pulley, which, by means of a strap, communicates motion to a shaft n,
upon which is mounted another fan consisting of broad vanes 0, 0, 0, 0, enclosed
within a concentric case, attached to the framework of the machine, and
beyond this there is an air-tight casing p. p. p. the bottom being formed as a
grating p, p, p+, the apertures of which communicate with a box for the
reception of dust or other impurities; within a box attached to the framing
a+, a+, a+, of the machine, are placed two cylinders q, q, formed of perforated
metal or other suitable material, or of wire gauze; these cylinders are mounted
upon axles which receive a slow rotary motion from the main shaft b, through
the medium of straps and toothed wheels and pinions, shewn in Fig. 1.
Beneath the cylinders 9, 9, is placed an exhausting fan 1, around which
there is a casings, s; such casing, however, does not extend the whole
width of the machine, and is provided with an opening s" at each side thereof,
which openings are in communication with a passage formed at either end of
the fixed board z.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The wool having been sorted
after the usual manner, is placed evenly upon the feed apron h, h, which, as it
revolves, conveys the material to the rollers i, from whence it is passed on to
the drawing rollers j, j. j; by the action of these it is partially pulled apart
and straightened, so as to render it more easily operated upon by the fan or
beater k, l, which, as it rapidly revolves, opens the entangled locks, and
beating them downwards upon the grating m, separates much of the dirt or
other extraneous matter, so as to allow it to fall through the open spaces into
a box or other receptacle placed below. The material is next operated upon
by the fan o, o, o, which, by its rapid revolutions, still further opens the
entangled locks, and drives them upwards towards the inclined grating p+, p™.
The exhausting apparatus 1, 2, by withdrawing the air from the casing p, p, p,
will now cause the opened wool to fly onwards, and accumulate upon the
peripheries of the perforated cylinders q, q, the dirt and other impurities falling
through the spaces of the grating p*, p+, into a box formed below; the revo-
lution of the cylinders will therefore carry forward the opened material; any
dirt or loose impurities, still in combination therewith, being drawn through
the perforations and discharged with the air through the apertures 8*, the

page_text: cleaned wool. falling down the inclined board t, ready for the subsequent
ordinary operations... For the purpose of preventing the wool from being
drawn by the exhaustion of air, so as to obstruct its. leaving the cylinders g,
there are applied blocks: y, y, which are attached to bosses, mounted loosely
upon the cylinder shafts; such bosses extending through the side casing, and
being attached to the framework of the machine. In order occasionally to
clear the grating p*, the casing p is provided with a lid, which may be opened
for such purpose; and similar provisions are also made for clearing away the
accumulation of dirt which is freed from the material during its progress
through the machine. In concluding the description of this part of my Inven-
tion, I would observe, that although I have shewn and described two perforated
cylinders q, q, for the reception of the opened material, yet, if desired, one only
may be employed; and also that other modifications of arrangement may
be made without departing from the principle of operation.
My second improved machine is shewn in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, of the accom-
panying Drawings, Fig. 3 being a side elevation, Fig. 4 a plan or horizontal
view thereof, and Figs. 5 and 6 detached portions of the same. The frame-
work of the machine is shewn at a, a, a, and the main driving shaft at b, to
one end of which is affixed a pulley c, which. by means of a strap communicates
rotary motion to a cross shaft d, upon which are formed or attached four
cranks e, e, e, e; upon each of these cranks are placed connecting rods f, f, f, f,
the other ends of which are jointed to levers g, g. 9, g, capable of vibrating
upon centres h, h, h, h; the upper ends of the levers g carry small rollers i
which. are provided with sockets, into which are secured beaters j, j, j to
the rollers are attached straps k, k, such straps being wound upon the said
rollers in reverse directions, and secured at their other ends and at opposite
sides of the rollers i to the framework of the machine; to the cranks e, e, e, e,
are also connected other rods f*, lever g*, rollers i*, and beaters j*, the
arrangement being precisely the same as at the other end of the machine. At
each side of the framework is mounted a fluted roller 1, 1, within the grooves
of which a series. of cords m, m, . is placed,, which. cords pass under guide
rollers n, n, and so form continuous lengths, their aggregate constituting a
flexible and open table, upon which the wool is to be beaten by the rods j; see
the detached cross sectional view, Fig. 5; to the axle of one of the rollers 1, is
affixed a toothed pinion o, which is in gear with another p, mounted upon an
upright shaft
the lower end of which is provided with a pinion taking into
the teeth of another, mounted upon a horizontal shaft r, which shaft also
carries a worm wheel placed in gear with a worm affixed to the shaft d, before

page_text: mentioned, by which arrangement the roller o is caused to revolve and carry
round the series of endless strings m, m. In order to gain a support for the
strings m and to keep them asunder, so as to form a regular grating, there
are cross pieces 8, 8, 8, upon which they rest, such pieces being formed with a
corresponding number of grooves, which thus act as guides.
. I will now proceed to describe the action of this machine, and in so doing
will first explain, separately, the various movements of one of the beaters j,
by which the action of the series will be more readily understood:-Fig. 6 is
a detached view of one of the beaters and its immediate appurtenances, similar
letters of reference being marked upon the various parts to those of the perfect
Figs. 3 and 4, before mentioned. Suppose the parts to be in the position
represented by the black dotted lines, the shaft d, being by the before men-
tioned means caused to revolve in the direction of the arrow, will, through the
intervention of the crank e and connecting rod f, cause the lever g to turn
upou its centre of motion.h, thereby carrying with it the roller i and drawing
forward the beater j, until the strap k shall have become distended, which
position of the parts is represented by the full lines in the detached Fig. 6.
A further revolution of the crank, and consequently vibration of the lever g, will
cause the now tightened strap k, to effect a sudden rotation of the roller i, by
which means the beater will be thrown over and brought into the position
represented by the red dotted lines; the crank e still revolving, will now draw back
the beater in a nearly horizontal direction, until the strap le, in its turn, shall
have become distended, when by similar means to those already described, the
beater will be turned over to its original position, and so on for each revo-
lution of the shaft. In the Drawings Figs. 3 and 4, I have shewn four cranks
applied to the shaft d at different parts of the circle, to each of which are
connected two beaters and their appendages, acting on opposite sides of the
machine, by which disposition a rapid succession of blows is obtained; if desired,
however, there may be a less or greater number of beaters employed. The
machine being put in motion by any suitable driving power, the fibrous
substance to be opened and cleaned is placed upon the endless cords m, m,
which being caused, by the means before described, to revolve, carry forward
the material with a slow motion so as to advance it under the successive
action of the beaters j, j, which, as they alternately descend (through the
agency already mentioned) open by their batting operation the entangled
locks, and cause the dirt and other impurities to fall between the cord
grating m, m, into the box below; the opened and cleaned material will then
be-lélivered at the opposite side of the machine ready for the ordinary sub-
j

page_text: sequent operations. In order to prevent a sudden concussion upon the return
of the beaters ; to their starting position, I apply a stuffed bag or other
partially elastic substance as at y, y; and for the purpose of preventing the
wool from being drawn off the endless travelling cords, there are side
board w, w, attached to the framework, such boards having slots formed
therein in order to admit the descent of the beaters j, j, j. The beaters j, j, I
form of bullock's pizzle or other such animal substance, and attach them to the
rollers i, i, by inserting them in sockets or by other convenient means; they may,
however, be constructed of wood or other suitable materials. In concluding the
description of this part of my Invention, I would remark, that although 1.
have described each machine as used alone for performing the operation of
opening and cleaning, yet, if desired, the one may be used after the other upon
the same material so as to effect an additional operation.
My improvement in carding engines is shewn in the partial sectional view
Fig. 7, in which a, a, represent the ordinary feed rollers; in front of these
I place my additional rollers as at b, b, and by means of any suitable
connection with the moving parts cause their surfaces to revolve at a rate
somewhat slower than those of the others a, a, by which arrangement the
material is held back from the feed so as to be pulled out and partially
straightened before it is received by the carding engine.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim, as
secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, as applied to the preparation of wool and other hairs of animals, the
use of the revolving fan or beater k, l; also the gencral combination and con-
struction of machinery shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
Secondly, the employment of an instrument or series of instruments
actuated by a revolving shaft or shafts, so as to effect a beating action upon
the material as it passes through the machine; also constructing the beaters
used for the purpose above set forth of bullock's pizzle or other, such animal
substance.
Thirdly, the employment of the rollers b, b, described with reference to
Fig. 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Illingworth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one.
DANIEL (L.s.) ILLINGWORTH.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid Daniel Illingworth came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifica-
tion aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.