Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Preparation of Fibrous Material such as Wool, Cotton, Flax, Hemp, Ramie, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1899
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Preparation of Fibrous
Material such as Wool, Cotton, Flax, Hemp, Ramie, and the like.
A communication to me from EMIL KORNHUBER, of Libau, in the Empire of
Russia, Manufacturer.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Chartered Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, 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, and accompanying drawing, that is to say: -
The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for taking off the
fibres entirely, and uninjured, from cylinders, provided with suitable teeth or
pins, used in suitable machines for heckling or carding fibrous material, such as
wool, cotton, flax, hemp, ramic, and the like, and for conveying the fibres so taken
off to the next cylinder or drum or to the winding-on frame or to the coiler. The
improved apparatus thus replaces the entire complicated doffing apparatus hither.o
used.
The apparatus is applicable to any kind of machine for the purposes described,
in which a revolving cylinder having its circumference provided with suitable pins
or teeth is used to heckle or card fibrous material of the kinds described, which is
fed or supplied to the cylinder by any convenient means.
In the accompanying drawing, which is in illustration of the invention, Figure 1
is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a plan, of the apparatus.
The apparatus consists essentially of an endless net made of parallel bars d
with which are interwoven diagonal wires or cords c, d, in order to obtain a greater
solidity. The net runs over the drum a (by which the heckling or carding of the
fibres is effected), and a guide roller f. The teeth or pins of the drum are arranged
in parallel rows in such a manner that after a certain number of rows a greater
space between the rows is provided, so that one of the bars d of the net can enter
into this space. The distances between these spaces is the same as the distance
between each two bars of the net, so that the bars always enter into these spaces.
In order that the motion of the drum may always correspond to that of the net,
chain wheels b and fare provided on both sides of the drum a and the roller f,
for chains g to which the bars d of the net are fastened.
The ends of the bars preferably form the bolts for the chains g, as shown in
Figure 3.
As the net lies directly upon the circumference of the drum, the teeth or wires
projecting through and above it take off the fibres and lay them on the net, which
in turn takes them off from the teeth when it leaves the drum. The material is
conveyed upon the net to the next drum, or to the winding-on frame, or to the

page_text: coiler. In order that the material may be brought with certainty between the
teeth of the next drum, especially when it is somewhat rigid, a pressing-roller
is provided. The free length of the net corresponds to the length of the material.
If the same machine is to be used for material of different length, the free
length of the net must be made variable.
A device for so shortening or varying directly the free length of the net is
shown in Figure 4. The guide roller and the following drum are capable of
being shifted in a direction parallel to their axes, and so the net is always kept
strained by a moveable stretching roller h.
This device, however, does not allow for any great differences in the length of
the material.
For greater differences, therefore, another device must be employed. Under the
working part of the net one or more supporting rollers i are arranged, and above
them corresponding moveable pressing rollers k, held down by springs, the net with
the material lying upon it passing between them. The distance between the pairs
of rollers must, of course, correspond with the length of the material. By these
means the material is uniformly transported or carried along, and at the same
time the net itself is guided.
The device just described may also be used for the purpose of drawing the fibrous
material. For this purpose the speed of the pressing roller k must be greater
than that of the net. When several pairs of rollers are employed, the speed of the
upper one of each pair of rollers must be greater than that of the preceeding ones,
in order to obtain a successive drawing of the material, the proper speed of the
different rollers being obtained by suitable toothed wheels, bands and pullies, or
equivalent devices of the well-known kinds.
The strength of the net, and the size of the openings through it, are varied
according to the fibrous material for which it is to be used.
The advantages obtained by the improved apparatus are the following:
Material of every length can be worked when the last described devices are
employed. The fibres cannot be torn, as during the whole process they are not
held fast. There results, therefore, a very light working condition, and a faster
working of the machines, the fleece or band being, nevertheless, of the utmost
uniformity. By reason of the latter result the drawing process can be considerably
shortened.
Lastly, it may be mentioned that the danger of fire is considerably diminished
by the use of the improved apparatus.
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. Dofing and transporting apparatus to be used with heckling, carding, and
drawing apparatus, used in the preparation of fibrous material, consisting of an end-
less net formed of transverse parallel bars & and conducted over a drum a, and a
guide roller f, by means of chains g running over chain wheels b, f', mounted upon
the sides of the drum and guide roller respectively, the net taking off the fibres
from the drum and conveying them to the next drum or to the winding-on frame or
to the coiler, substantially as described.
2. Doffing and transporting apparatus as described in Claim 1, in which the
guide roller f can be shifted parallel to itself, so as to vary the working length of
the net, the tension of the net being secured by one or more stretching rollers h
arranged in the lower part of the net, substantially as described.
3. Doffing and transporting apparatus as described in Claim 1, having a pair
of rollers i, k, between which the net with the material passes, the upper roller k
being mounted on springs, these rollers serving for uniformly transporting the
material and guiding the net, substantially as described.
4. Doffing and transporting apparatus as described in Claim 3, in which the

page_text: speed of the upper roller is increased in relation to the speed of the net, for the
purpose of obtaining a uniform drawing of the material, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of December 1898.
EDWARDS AND CO.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London..
Agents for the Applicant.
Chartered Patent Agents,