Improved Method of Clothing Carding Engine Flats, and Appliances for Preparing Clamps for same
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Clothing Carding Engine Flats, and Appliances
for Preparing Clamps for same.
ALFRED HITCHON Globe Iron Works Accrington Lancashire Machine Sales-
man. I do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention comprises the fixing of metallic clamps for securing card clothing
to carding engine flats in such a special manner that the clothing can be more
quickly fixed to the bars, and with better security.
Firstly, the strip of card clothing is prepared of slightly less width than the
breadth of the iron flat.
Secondly, two lengths of metallic (preferably thin steel) strips, which strips have
been partly prepared for securing the selvage edge of the card clothing are laid
parrallel with the edges of the flat, and card clothing aforesaid.
The strips which are partly prepared for securing the selvage of the card
clothing, are bent in section like a very small staple having a long and short leg.
All along the edge of the strips forming the shorter leg of the stapled shaped
section aforesaid, there is a preparation of teeth or serrations.
The toothed edge formed on the shorter leg of the stapled shaped strip is bent to
give the teeth an inward curve, previous to being brought in contact with the cloth
aforesaid.
The further mode of operation is thus
The two strips are placed with the inner sides of the long legs, against the
selvage edges of the card clothing with the teeth in position for taking hold of as
much cloth as can be admitted within the bends of their teeth.
To further facilitate this object, the longer legs of the strip are set at a some-
what outward angle, so that their lower edges will be wider apart or in excess of
width, than the breadth of either the cloth or flat.
At this stage a presser tool is brought to bear on the bend of the stapled shaped
strips, thus driving the serrated edges or teeth into the cloth, by a presser tool
having suitable grooved or hollow shaped feet which may assist in giving an
expanding action in the pressing.
Conjointly with the above 1 provide a bed or vice to hold strips in the inclined
position, also the teeth of the strips are curved a little inward, when the
application of the presser tool gives a rolling up or cross stretching action to
the cloth thereby, as the cloth gets even and nearer bedded to the bar, by the
action of the teeth bending towards the extreme edges of the bar, and thus
clamping the back part of the clothing to the face of the bar; the width of
metallic strips apart at this point being determined by width of flats thus being
covered with cloth within them.
It must be understood that a further stretching of the cloth is left in reserve
through the outer long legs of the strips, which are left to be further squeezed
nearer together for the later operation of securing the same to the bar.
As hitherto the flat has been laid in a bed or vice consisting of two outside
cheeks with their inner jaws shaped to suit the inclined position of the metallic
strips afore described while the inside of such strips are prevented from getting in
near contact with the back portion of the flat, by the back edge of the flat being
partly laid within the bed so that the inner side of the metallic strips could only
come in direct contact with the surface edges of the flat. After this the flat is
withdrawn from its bed, when the further operation is given to the closing in of the
strips edges around the back of the flats.
In the meanwhile the flat, card clothing and strips, combined are being clamped

page_text: together for the last operation, the metallic strips further stretch the cloth as
aforesaid, by the longer legs or edges are compressed nearer to and around the
back edges of the flat, thus completing the same into clamps for purposes aforesaid.
As. a modification of the flat being partly laid within the bed as aforesaid
provided, the long legs of the metallic strip are held in an inclined position by
placing a flat piece of metal bar somewhat narrower than the flat on the face of
the flat, and by giving a secondary pressing operation to the pressing action to the
cloth and strip clips, by first bedding the same to the surface of the piece of
metal bar, then withdrawing such bar and driving home the cloth to the face
of the flat thereby getting the stretch as required.
For bending and serrating or forming the teeth of the metallic clamps to the
suitable special inwardly bent shape, I employ firstly a revolving bowl or
projecting striking arm mounted on a revolving shaft, which gives an angle kind
of bend to a portion of the long strip or steel ribbon of which the clamp is to be
composed.
After this, as such ribbon of angle bent strip is carried forward with an
intermittent drag motion, so as to be at rest while each tooth is cut out by another
projecting tool mounted on a revolving shaft, and cutting part passing through a
die. Then the toothed angle ribbon is passed forward and the toothed or serrated
part is further bent by another projecting pulley which is mounted on same shaft
and then finally turned further inwards by another bearing pulley made to proper
shape to the requisite shape to clamp for being fixed to the flats to be clothed.
The feed motion to the cutter and benders of the aforesaid strip of ribbon is
automatic.
Dated this day 7th December 1892
ALFRED HITCHON,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Clothing Carding Engine Flats, and Appliances
for Preparing Clamps for same.
ALFRED HITCHON Globe Iron Works Accrington Machine Salesman 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 :-
This invention comprises the fixing of metallic clamps for securing card clothing
to carding engine flats in such a special manner that the clothing can be more
quickly fixed to the bars, and with better security.
Firstly, the strip of card clothing is prepared of slightly less width than the
breadth of the iron flat.
Secondly, two lengths of metallic (preferably thin steel) strips, which strips have
been partly prepared for securing the selvage edge of the card clothing, are laid
parallel with the edges of the flat, and card clothing aforesaid.
The strips, which are partly prepared for securing the selvage of the card
clothing, are bent in section like a very small staple having a long and short leg.
All along the edge of the strip forming the shorter leg of the stapled shaped
section aforesaid, there is a preparation of teeth or serrations.
The toothed edge formed on the shorter leg of the stapled shaped strip is bent to
give the teeth an inward curve, previous to being brought in contact with the cloth
aforesaid.
The further mode of operation is thus-
The two strips are placed with the inner sides of the long legs, against the
selvage edges of the card clothing with the teeth in position for taking hold of as
much cloth as can be admitted within the bends of their teeth.
To further facilitate this object, the longer legs of the strips are set at a

page_text: somewhat outward angle, so that their lower edges will be wider apart or in
excess of width, than the breadth of either the cloth or flat.
At this stage a presser tool is brought to bear on the bend of the stapled shaped
strips, thus driving the serrated edges or teeth into the cloth, by a presser tool
having suitable grooved or hollow shaped feet which may assist in giving an
expanding action in the pressing.
Conjointly with the above I provide a bed or vice to hold strips in the inclined
position, also the teeth of the strips are curved a little inward, when the
application of the presser tool gives a rolling up or cross stretching action to the
cloth thereby, as the cloth gets even and nearer bedded to the bar, by the action of
the teeth bending towards the extreme edges of the bar, and thus clamping the
back part of the clothing to the face of the bar, the width of metallic strip apart
at this point being determined by width of flats thus being covered with cloth
within them.
It must be understood that a further stretching of the cloth is left in reserve
through the outer long legs of the strips, which are left to be further squeezed
nearer together for the later operation of securing the same to the bar.
As hitherto the flat has been laid in a bed or vice consisting of two outside
cheeks with their inner jaws shaped to suit the inclined position of the metallic
strips afore described while the inside of such strips are prevented from getting in
near contact with the back portion of the flat, by the back edge of the flat being
partly laid within the bed so that the inner side of the metallic strips could only
come in direct contact with the surface edges of the flat. After this the flat is
withdrawn from its bed, when the further operation is given to the closing in of
the strips edges around the back of the flat. In the meantime the flat, card
clothing and strips, combined are being clamped together for the last operation,
the metallic strips further stretch the cloth as aforesaid by the longer legs or edges
being compressed nearer to and around the back edges of the flat, thus completing
the same into clamps for purposes aforesaid.
As a modification of the flat being partly laid within the bed as aforesaid
provided, the long legs of the metallic strip are held in an inclined position by
placing a flat piece of metal bar somewhat narrower than the flat on the face of
the. flat, and by giving a secondary pressing operation to the pressing action to the
cloth and strip clips, by first bedding the same to the surface of the piece of metal
bar, then withdrawing such bar and driving home the cloth to the face of the flat
thereby getting the stretch as required.
For bending and serrating or forming the teeth of the metallic clamps to the
suitable special inwardly bent shape, I employ, firstly a revolving bowl or
projecting striking arm mounted on a revolving shaft, which gives an angle kiud of
bend to a portion of the long strip or steel ribbon of which the clamp is to be
composed as it passes forward through the machine. After this, as the ribbon or
then angle bent metallic strip is carried forward by a drag motion which is
somewhat intermittent in the forward movement of the angle shaped strip which is
given by either what is termed a drunken worm arrangement or a ratchet wheel
gearing arrangement so as to be at rest while each tooth is cut out by another
projecting tool mounted on a revolving shaft, and cutting part passing through a
die. Then the toothed angle ribbon is passed forward and the toothed or serrated
part is further bent by another projecting pulley which is mounted on same shaft
and then finally turned further inward by another bearing pulley made to proper
shape to the requisite shape to clamp for being fixed to the flats to be clothed.
This invention will be more easily understood by the accompanying sheet of
drawings with reference letters as referred to by this Specification, Fig. 1 and 2 is
a front and end elevation of machine for bending the straight pieces of
metallic strip into the proper formation for mounting and securing the card
clothing to flats, section shown Figs. 5. 6. 7 and 8 also showing the shape of
serrations as cut out by the cutter tool C, Fig. 3 is a part plan view of
Fig. 2 drawn to a larger scale Fig. 4 is a sectional end elevation of Fig. 3.

page_text: Fig. 1 and 2 show a piece of metallic strip placed in grooved slot at A¹, at this
part it will be seen that the upper edge of the strip referred to projects above
the surface of the groove in which it has been placed, a forward movement of the
so called strip brings the upward projecting edge under the action of a revolving
hammer bowl B thus giving an angle shape to the strip and on a more forward
movement the same bent over edge is brought under the revolving cutter tool C.
after which the tooth like points are bent downwards by second hammer bowl E;
the shape of cutter tool in combination with speed of dragging bowls DDDD
which are driven by the drunken worm H through the shaft J and wheels K
determines the shape and pitch so formed on the metallic strips, as may be found
most suitable for securing the selvage of card clothing by metallic strip as
referred to. Fig. 9 shows the so far prepared metal strips placed in an inclined
position for getting as much hold of the selvage of the card clothing F as possible,
and by the downward action of the pressing tool X the points of the serrated edge
of metallic strip are driven into the card clothing. When the withdrawal of the
metal bar G, which has given the necessary support to this operation takes place,
then a further compression takes place as shewn see Fig. 10, after which the
remaining outer edge of the metallic strips shewn Fig. 11 are bent around the
back edge of the flat shewn Fig. 12, which completes the formation of metallic
strips and securing by same, the card clothing to iron flats. Fig. 9 and 10 illustrates
only sufficient parts of a pressing tool to show the position of the bar G along
with card clothing during the operation of the securing of the same together by
the aid of the pressing tool. Parts of pressing tool as shown Fig. 9 and 10 are
more fully described in Letters Patent No. 5844 A.D. 1892, granted to me.
Fig. 11 is an end section of metallic strips and card clothing in close contact
with the flat. Fig. 12 illustrates the metallic strips bent into a clamp shape and
fully secured to the flat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
Firstly. The tool for preparing metallic strips into clamps as described and
illustrated.
Secondly. The use of a bar G as described, to give support to the card clothing
during the first process of pressing the serrated edge of metallic strips into the
selvage edge of card clothing prior to the fixing of same to flat as described and
illustrated.
Dated this 7th day of September 1893.
ALFRED HITCHON,
Applicant.