Improvements in or connected with the Setting of Flats of Carding Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 1st Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Setting of Flats of Carding
Engines.
I, JOHN GRAY, of Renfrew Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide for the accurate setting or to test
the accuracy of setting of the flats of carding engines.
It is well known that to assure good carding it is essential that all the flats
should be set as nearly as possible at an equal distance from the periphery of
the cylinder and hitherto this setting has been secured or tested by the insertion
of a thin steel gauge between the flat and the cylinder.
I consider this method defective as it largely depends on the sight or hearing
of the operative to gauge the space between the two. I propose after one flat
has been carefully and accurately set to the cylinder to set or test or gauge
the setting of the other flats from the cylinder shaft by means of an implement
or instrument applied to the end of the working surface of the flat which can
be readily seen and felt much more so than the thin gauge inserted between
the wires of the flat and cylinder.
In carrying out the invention I construct an instrument or gauge one end of
which is formed with a curved foot to fit and rest upon the cylinder shaft and
the other end is fitted with a loose adjustable bracket to fit under the edge of
the working surface of the flat. The instrument or gauge being of such a shape-
either cranked or bent or otherwise formed-as not to come in contact with any
projecting part of the card and so that an imaginary line drawn horizontally
across from the end of one flat to the end of the opposite one would pass through
the foot of the instrument or gauge as nearly as possible.
When intended to be used with a pedestal with a movable cup the instruments
or gauges are made in pairs with a right and left foot one of which can be
used to the front and the other to the back flats of the card.
When intended to be used with a card having a fixed top to the pedestal
the instrument or gauge is cranked sufficiently to extend to the shaft beyond the
end of the journal and provision is made to affix to the inside of the foot, an
adjusting plate to compensate for any lateral displacement or unequal wear in the
two sides of the cylinder when such has been ascertained.
For cards where the ends of the flats project to the outside edge of the framing I
provide a beak shaped adjustable bracket to engage or come in contact with the
under surface of the flat end but where the flat ends are not to the outside the
adjustable bracket may be formed with a projecting finger or bracket which will
extend to the end of the flat.
I provide also a loose collar or ring to be inserted between the foot of the instru-
ment and the collar on the cylinder shaft against which the foot rests to maintain it
at the same distance from the side of the cylinder as it moves about the centre of
the shaft.
The flats are usually made so that if drawn to one side they will project for th
or of an inch beyond the side of the flexible bend which is sufficient for the
purpose of testing with my instrument or gauge. Should the flats be made so as
not to project at all beyond the side of the flexible bend I provide small pieces
or strips of metal of equal thickness which can be inserted under the ends of the
flats to be tested and project therefrom the required distance.
Should there not be room on the cylinder shaft to apply the invention I remove
the pulleys at one or both sides as may be required.

page_text: In operation I remove one or two flats from the chain of flats and accurately set
one flat to the cylinder by means of a thin flat gauge in the ordinary way. I then
accurately set one of my appliances thereto from the cylinder shaft to the end of
the flat. By my instrument or gauge applied then to any other of the flats I can
easily and readily test and adjust or set them as may be required.
Dated this 28th day of June 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Setting of Flats of Carding
Engines.
I, JOHN GRAY, of Renfrew Street Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Merchant,
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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a method of setting the flats of
revolving flat carding engines with mechanical accuracy which I consider cannot
be obtained by the methods at present generally in use.
I propose after one flat has been carefully and accurately set to the cylinder
to set or test or gauge the setting of the other flats from the cylinder shaft by
means of an implement or instrument applied to the end of the working surface of
the flat which can be readily seen and felt.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which sufficient of a carding engine is shown to illustrate the
invention.
Fig. 1. Side elevation of a carding engine showing the gauge in position.
Fig. 2. Transverse section of same.
Fig. 3. Front view of gauge enlarged.
Fig. 4. Side view of same.
Fig. 5. Front view of modified form.
Fig. 6. Side view of same.
Fig. 7. Front and side view of loose adjustable bracket which fits under the edge
of the flat.
Fig. 8. Front and side view of modified form of same.
Fig. 9. Front and side view of another modification.
Fig. 10. Front view of adjusting plate for attachment to the foot of the gauge.
Fig. 11. Transverse section of same.
Fig. 12. Loose collar.
Fig. 13. Section of same.
The several parts of the carding engine such as the frame or stand A the
cylinder B the bend C the flexible bend D and the flats E are constructed in any
of the ordinary ways and form no part of my invention.
My invention consists essentially of an instrument or gauge F composed of a
metallic staff one end of which is formed of a curved footf to fit and rest upon
the cylinder shaft and the other end is fitted with a loose adjustable bracket G
provided with a projecting finger g to fit under the edge of the working surface of
each flat.
The instrument or gauge F is formed preferably of the shape shown or cranked
or bent into other suitable shape so as not when in position or moved from one
side to the other of the shaft to come into contact with any projecting part or
bracket.
When intended to be used with a pedestal with a movable cap the instruments
or gauges F are made in pairs with a right and left foot (see Fig. 3) one of which
can be used to the front and the other to the back flats of the card.

page_text: When intended to be used with a card having a fixed top to the pedestal the
instrument or gauge F is cranked sufficiently to extend to the shaft beyond the end
of the journal and provision is made to affix to the inside of the foot an adjusting
plate H to compensate for any lateral displacement or unequal wear in the two
sides of the cylinder when such has been ascertained.
For cards where the ends of the flats E project to the outside edge of the
framing I provide a beak shaped adjustable bracket G with curved finger g to
engage or come in contact with the under surface of the flat end, but where the
flexible bend is outside the fixed bend the adjustable bracket may be formed with
a long projecting finger g' which will extend to the end of the flat.
I provide also a loose collar or ring I to be inserted between the foot of the
instrument and the pedestal or the collar on the cylinder shaft against which the
foot rests to maintain it at the same distance from the side of the cylinder as it
moves about the centre of the shaft as shown in Fig. 1.
The flats E are ordinarily made so that if moved end wise they will project
for th or th of an inch beyond the side of the flexible bend D which is
sufficient for the purpose of testing with my instrument or gauge F. Should the
flat be made so as not to project at all beyond the side of the flexible bend I
provide small pieces or strips of metal of equal thickness which can be inserted
under the ends of the flats to be tested and project therefrom the required
distance.
Should there not be room on the cylinder shaft to apply the invention I remove
the pulleys at one or both sides as may be required.
In operation I set one flat in the ordinary way (using a gauge about 4 inches
long and 14 inches wide and of the desired thickness) near the top of the card as it
is only there that there is room to properly apply the gauge and to give the
requisite facility for doing so I take off a flat or two on each side of the one to be
set. I then accurately set one of my gauges thereto from the cylinder shaft to the
end of the flat. By my instrument or gauge applied then to any other of the flats
I can easily and readily test and adjust or set them as may be required.
To obviate the objection that the flats may not be all of one size the same flat
can be used at all the setting points, which can easily be done by turning the
whole flats round first to one side and then to the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A gauge or instrument for setting the flats of carding engines consisting of a
metallic staff to be inserted between the cylinder shaft and the end of the flats one
end being formed with a curved foot to embrace the shaft and the other provided
with an adjustable bracket to engage with the working surface of the flats sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
2. A gauge or instrument for setting the flats of carding engines formed
substantially as described and shown.
Dated this o5th day of Wohin 1902
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.