CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bispham Kay, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the
County of Lancaster, Gentleman, and Francis Hamilton, of the same
Place, Foreman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARDING ENGINES TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS"
Sealed the 20th August 1867, and dated the 27th February 1867.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Thomas Bispham Kay
and Francis Hamilton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition and Declaration, on the 27th February 1867, pursuant
to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
BISPHAM KAY, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman,
and FRANCIS HAMILTON, of the same Place, Foreman, send greeting.
WHEREAS we are in possession of an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARDING ENGINES TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CARDING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto us, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the

page_text: same, and have made solemn Declaration that we are the first and true inven
tors thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Bispham Kay and Francis
Hamilton, do hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under
our hands and seals, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to certain arrangements and construction of
mechanism whereby the "stripping," brushing out, and grinding of the "flats"
or "top cards" of ordinary carding engines may be accomplished with more
regularity, economy, and efficiency than heretofore.
"
Our improvements consist in the arrangement and combination of
mechanical apparatus (hereafter described) by means of which each "flat"
or "top card" is in a certain order and sequence raised from its position on
the "bend," turned on its side, and while in that position it is carried past a
"doffing comb" or other stripper, by which the "strips" on the said "flat"
are removed; after which operation it is further carried past a revolving brush,
which removes the dirt and other extraneous matter left in the "flat" after
the previous operation. At convenient intervals the brush may be removed
and a. grinding roller substituted, whereby the "flats" may during such
intervals be first stripped and then ground.
may be stripped,
It will be evident that by this system the "flats"
brushed out, and ground without removing them from the carding engine, an
the labor necessary to and the wear and tear consequent upon such removal
may be saved and avoided, in addition to which the "flats" will be cleaned
and ground with greater regularity than heretofore, and the "strippings"
will be cleaner and less injured.
In order fully to explain the mode of carrying this Invention into effect we
have hereunto attached two Sheets of Drawings, Sheet 1 being made about
three inches to the foot, and Sheet 2 full size.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 represents a detached side view of that portion of a
carding engine to which our improved arrangement of mechanism for self-
stripping and brushing or grinding is applied; Fig. 2 represents a front view
of the same; Figs. 3 and 4 represent detached views thereof.
In Sheet 2, Fig. 1 represents a detached front elevation of the toothed
chain wheel for effecting the to-and-fro motion of the arm and the chain
which effects the rise and fall of the "card flat;" Fig. 2 represents a side
elevation of the same; Figs. 3 and 4 represent respectively a front elevation

page_text: and side view of our peculiar revolving box for supporting the flat whilst
under the operation of stripping and grinding; Fig. 5 represents a front
elevation of an arrangement of mechanism to be employed for effecting the
stripping and cleaning of the "flats" nearest to the "licker-in" oftener than
those nearest to the dofling cylinder, and Fig. 6, a side view of the same.
66
In Sheet 1, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a is a radial arm or lever fitted to the
pedestal or cylinder shaft of the carding engine, so as to oscillate or swing
freely thereon, attached to the lower extremity of which is a balance weight;
this arm is caused to oscillate by nieans of an ordinary circular rack attached
to the "bend" or framing of the carding engine, into which works a pinion p¹,
forming an ordinary mangle-rack motion." The pinion p' is fastened on to
a shaft, on the other end of which is a spur wheel q which gears into a similar
spur wheel q' keyed on the shaft u, which revolves in a boss on the arm a.
The spur wheels q and q¹ are held in gear by a bracket or connecting link,
through one end of which revolves the pinion shaft, and the other end
oscillates on the boss of the wheel g'. The aforesaid mechanism is carried by
and on the inside of the arm a, or between it and the "bend" of the carding
engine. Upon the other end of the shaft u (which pierces the arm a) and on
the outside of the said arm is keyed a toothed chain wheel y, which has upon
its inside and outside surfaces a projection or stud; this toothed chain wheel
has twelve teeth which occupy about four-fifths of its periphery; the other
one-fifth or thereabouts presenting a flat surface to the edges of the links com-
posing the chain ; this chain (a partial detailed view of which is given in
Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 2,) is carried, over and driven by a chain wheel n having
fifteen teeth, and of the same pitch as the chain and toothed chain wheel y.
The wheel n is keyed on to a shaft which revolves in a bearing or boss
through the upper portion of the arm a, its further end being carried in the
corresponding oscillating arm on the other side of the carding engine; this
shaft may be driven by any convenient mechanism, or such as is described
hereafter will act satisfactorily. A spur wheel m is keyed on to the said
shaft which gears into a pinion 62 on a shaft k, at the further extremity of
which is the driving pulleyj; this shaft also revolves through a boss. or
bearing in the arm a. The lower portion of the chain a passes round the
guide chain wheel o, which revolves on a stud in the armi a, and can be
lowered or raised so as to tighten or slacken the chain; this chain carries a
bowl W on one of its links, scen more clearly at w in Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 2.
In the arm a is fixed a slide b, which is capable of traversing a distance of
about six inches; the slide b.bas in it a second slide c, with a traverse of

page_text: "
about five inches and a half, and also carries a peculiar arrangement of
revolving box g, seen more clearly at Fig. 2, Sheet 2, which turns freely in
the slide b; this revolving box has on its inside face two guides g¹, between
which the ends of the "flats or top cards can slide; a spring h is also
attached by regulating screws to its upper rim g³, against which the top of
the "flat" or "top" card" is pressed; the upper portion of the box g is pro-
vided with a flange or rim g³, in contact with which is a stud i attached to a
bracket on the arm a; its lower portion is also provided with a flange or
guide 9, which is placed at the same angle with the guides g' that the wire
on the flat is with the flat ends. is a bracket with a planed surface fixed
vertically against the arm (see Figs. 2 and 4) so that when the revolving
box g shall have made about one-fourth of a revolution (according to the
bevil in the card wire on the flat) the guide or flange g³ and the planed
surface of the bracket will form a right line; to the inner portion of the
slid c is fixed a bracket carrying a stud and oscillating lever d, into the
upper portion of which is fixed a stud carrying the lifter e, which revolves
freely upon it, and has a square projection which slides in the slot 9', and
prevents it from falling over; on the extremity of this stud is a bowl e, the said
stud passing through the slot g³. A guide or pair of flanges f, between which the
bowl e runs, is fixed against the slide 6 in the position shewn in Fig 3. t is
the stripping comb, which is carried on a shaft in the usual manner across
the carding engine, and vibrates in bearings or sliding brackets attached to
the arm a and corresponding arm on the other side of the carding engine, the
vibration of the said comb being effected by the apparatus shown in Fig. 3,
which consists of an arm t¹ fixed on the comb shaft, and having at its further
extremities a sliding stud which carries the lever t³, the upper extremity of
which works freely upon a stud in the eccentric f¹ on the inner end of the
driving shaft k. The curved line t³, Fig. 1, represents a section of a box or
receptacle for the "strippings" detached from the flat by the comb, and is
fixed in a convenient position to each radial arm. The stripping brush or
grinding roller (when each is in use) revolves in sliding brackets attached to
the arm a and corresponding arm on the other side of the carding engine, and
driven from the cylinder shaft.
In order to describe intelligibly the operation of lifting, stripping, brushing
out, or grinding each flat in rotation, we will suppose that No. 6 of the flats
has just been cleaned, and that No. 8 is the next in succession, the operation
of the apparatus would be conducted thus:-The chain a driven by the
mechanism detailed above continues its revolution, when the projecting

page_text: "
tooth v, Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 2, on the toothed chain wheel y will be caught
hold of by the bowl won the chain x, and at the same time the upper pro-
jection or tooth y³ of the toothed chain wheel will fall into a hollow ¹ in the
link of the chain as the said wheel commences to revolve by the traverse of
the chain; the bowl w having commenced the revolution of the wheel Y, it is
continued by the bowls carried by the rivets of the said chain acting upon the
teeth of the wheel until the other projection or tooth marked y³ falls into a
corresponding hollow in the chain a, and the flat surface of the toothed
chain wheel is again presented to the edges of the chain and the revolution is
completed. It may here be mentioned that the chain is kept in close gear
with the periphery of the toothed wheel y by a stationary bracket r on the
arm a, against the edge of which the bowls of the chain run. The pinion
which works in the "mangle rack," and which has just made one revolution
bas brought the arm a from No. 6 "flat" to No. 8 "flat;" the pinion contains
nine teeth, and the "rack" has likewise nine teeth between one flat and the
next but one, the length of the rack being, of course, proportionate to the
number of "top cards or "flats" on the carding engine. The chain after
accomplishing this motion continues its course until the bowl w comes into
contact with that portion of the bracket c marked c* (out of the lower flange
of which a piece has been cut to allow the bowl to enter), which it commences
to raise; the lifter e now comes in contact with the under side of the "card"
top or "flat," which it carries with it, the ends of the flat entering the
guides g', and the bowl at the end of the stud carrying the lifter traverses
the straight portion of the guide f until it has attained a height of about two
inches and a half, and the flat is raised clear of the others. The spring or
lever s, Fig. 3, attached to the bracket c, then comes in contact with the
corner of the rim of the revolving box g at the same time that the bowl
arrives at the curve in the guides f, when the box 9 commences to turn on its
centre, the top of the flat having come up to and acted upon the spring h,
and the box g continues its revolution until the slide c has arrived at the top
of the slot in the main slide b; during this operation the said main slide 6 is
prevented from rising by the rim g' being in contact with the fixed stud i
until the flat is in a position for stripping, when the flange or rim suddenly
ends, and all obstacles to the rise of the slide 6 being removed the bowl
carries all up together past the stripping comb, and the brush or grinding
roller (whichever may be in use) and the flange g' of the box G is face to
face with the bracket l, which prevents it from turning down again during
any part of its ascent or descent, and also maintains the said box, and con-

page_text: The converse of the operation is
When the flat approaches its highest
sequently the flat perfectly steady.
performed during the descent of the flat.
point and the bowl begins to turn over the chain wheel n, it traverses the
groove in the part of the bracket c' of the bracket c until the wheel has made
half a revolution; when the bowl has traversed the entire length of the
groove and continues its downward course, and on the flat approaching its
position on the bend, the chain is made to pursue a curved course by two
brackets r, r, affixed to the arm a, by which means the bowl releases itself
from the groove in the bracket c and the operation is completed. In this
instance the cylinder shaft is two inches and a half diameter, driving by means
of a land or trap the pulley J, nine inches in diameter, and the pinion 6 has
twelve teeth working into the spur wheel m containing sixty teeth; the chain
wheel n on the same shaft has fifteen teeth driving the chain x, which
contains ninety teeth, so that supposing the cylinder to be making between
one hundred and thirty and a hundred and forty revolutions per minute, a flat
would be stripped about every minute.
In Sheet 2, Figs. 5 and 6 represent a mode of effecting the stripping and
cleaning of the "flats" or "top cards" nearest to the "licker-in" of the
carding engine oftener than those neare t to the "doffing" cylinder. On the end
of the shaft u is a small one-toothed wheel c* working into a wheel A which
has its periphery so formed that an intermittent motion is produced on the
wheel A by the revolution of the toothed wheel c, the toothed wheel A moving
one tooth for every revolution of c*, and having the same number of teeth
that there are top cards or flats. It revolves upon a stud fixed in the arm a
(in the position shown in the Drawings), which also carries a spur wheel B
having sixty teeth, driven by a pinion D having ten teeth, which is fixed to
and revolves with the chain wheel 0; the wheels A and B have each a partial
rim or flange P and Q on their face close to the periphery at the same distance
from the centre of each, and placed (when the wheels are in their places) in
close contiguity; the rim P on the wheel A is determined as to its length by
the number of Hats it is proposed to subject to the "back stripping;" thus,
should there be twenty flats on the carding engine, and the fir.t ten to be
"back stripped," the rim or flange P will form a semicircle; if five flats are
to be back stripped," three-fourths of a circle, and so on; the rim Qon the
wheel B furnis about five-sixths of a circle, having its advancing end curved
inwards, so as to act like a cain, as shewn in the Drawings. The guide
bracket which keeps the chain x in gear with the chain wheel y, and which
has heretofore been described as a fixture, is now affixed to a sliding bar F,

page_text: which is carried in two brackets G, G, attached to the arm a, and this sliding
bar F has a tooth upon it shaped. like one of the teeth of the wheel y, and
which will enter or leave the teeth of the said wheel according as the bar F
is pushed back wards or forwards; one end of the spring s is attached to a
stud on the sliding bar F, the other end passing through G, and is fastened
with a regulating nut; one end of the lever E works freely on the boss of the
chain wheel O, has its upper end slotted and fitting on the stud (to the
extremity of which one end of the springs is attached), so that the bar in
moving carries the end of the lever E with it; upon E, about halfway between
its extremities, is a projection K, which is of such a length that its internal
side bears on the rims P and Q, and against which it is kept pressing by the
spring 8. Where the "back stripping" apparatus is used an alteration will
require to be made in the mode of commencing the rotation of the wheel y as
previously described. The projecting tooth V is replaced on the wheel y by
a peg or stud v¹, and upon the chain x are placed at intervals of about twenty
teeth two projecting teeth or tooth-shaped links, one of which is shewn at W,
with an indentation immediately above each tooth for the entry of the end of
the tooth, and corresponding ones at the requisite distance for its exit; its
working may be described as follows:-When the rim P of the wheel A is in
contact with and acting upon the projection k of the lever E, the guide R is
pressing the chain & against the wheel y, so that when the tooth W on the
chain a comes in contact with the peg or stud v¹ on the wheel y its rotation
is commenced and continued as previously described, and after a time (say,
after the passage of five or six links,) the second tooth similar to W comes in
contact with v and causes a second rotation of the wheel y, making the arm a
with its appendages pass over a distance of four flats between each stripping
operation; but when the rim P is clear of the lever E, the said lever is alter-
nately thrown backwards and forwards by the action of the springs and the cam
rim Qon the wheel B, and thus brings the chain x into and out of gear with
the wheel y, during which latter operation the said wheel y is held stationary
by the tooth n on the lever F, being forced into and held in the teeth of the
wheel y by the spring's; thu, supposing it were determined (as is here the
case) to "back strip" the ten "flat," nearest the "licker-in" as often again as
those ten next the doffer, the order of the stripping would be 1, 3, 5, 7, 9,
13, 17, 20, 16, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 19, 18, 14, 10, 8, 6,
4, 2, 1, and so on.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be dis-

page_text: tinetly understood that we claim the general arrangement, combination, and
construction of the apparatus for lifting, stripping, brushing out, and grinding
the "top cards" in carding engines, as berein-before described, set forth, and
fully illustrated in the Drawings attached..
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Bispham Kay and Francis
Hamilton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven.
THOS. B. KAY.
(L.S.)
FRANCIS HAMILTON. (L.S.)