Improvements in Machinery for Opening and Cleaning Cotton and other Fibres.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 5th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Opening and Cleaning Cotton and
other Fibres.
We, BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, Machine Maker, WALTER HAMER, Engineer,
and WILLIAM BUTTERWORTH, Foreman, all of Kay Street Works, Bolton, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in machinery for opening and cleaning
cotton and other fibres and our improvements consist first in a novel application and
arrangement of mechanism for regulating the weight of the lap made in such
machinery, secondly in devices for diminishing friction due to the rising and falling
of the pedals or fish tail levers in those machines in which a pedal regulator is
employed and thirdly to a means for conveying motion from the pedals or fish tail
levers to the strap forks in the regulator box.
In carrying out the first part of our improvements we feed the fibrous materials on
to a travelling lattice at the end of the machine which lattice extends above and
partly over the opening cylinder and conducts the fibrous materials to an arrange-
ment of feed rollers and to the pedal levers which as usual regulate the admission of
the materials to the cylinder. We revolve the cylinder in the opposite direction to
that of the feed lattice and we place the pedal levers according to this part of our
invention over the dust box between the cylinder and the cages. In the above
position there is a better light and sand and dust are not liable to get into the
regulating motion as heretofore and again it is a much more convenient position for
altering the motion when required.
Our second improvement is in connection with a pedal regulator and has for its
object as already stated to reduce the frictional resistance due to the pedals or fish
tail levers moving up and down in regulating the speed of the feed roller.
In carrying out this improvement we place three bowls on a single stud between
each pair of pedals the stud having one part of larger diameter than and eccentric
to the remainder. Two of these bowls are placed on the small diameter of this stud
and are concentric to each other and work against the face of one pedal while the
third bowl which acts on another pedal is placed between the other two bowls on the
larger diameter of the same stud and is eccentric to the other two. One end of
the stud is square and fits into a hole in a slide block which is free to move in the
groove of the slide box of the regulator. This slide block is to prevent the stud from
turning round and maintains the full part of the eccentric always on one and the
same side and consequently causes the middle bowl to remain horizontally eccentric
with the other two bowls. On the other end of the stud is a slide block or a bowl
which moves in the opposite groove of the slide box the two blocks serving to keep
the stud from running out of its true horizontal working position.
We also include in this head of our improvements a bowl fixed in a slide block
being the last of a series of antifriction bowls acted on by the movement of the fish
tails. This slide block is connected with and is the transmitter of motion to the con-
nections which work the cone strap to regulate the speed of the feed roller and is
actuated by the preceding fish tail levers in a direct line of pressure or movement
thereby giving no twisting pressure to the out-end pedal lever.
By the foregoing improvements we obtain a positive direct and instantaneous
movement of the cone strap regulating the speed of the feed roller just as the varying
thickness of the cotton or other material requires whereby we are able to produce a
very equal lap of uniform weight per yard.
The third part of our improvements relates to the regulator box containing the..

page_text: cone drums and has reference to the means for communicating the motion of the
pedal levers to the strap forks.
According to our improvements we effect this communication partly or wholly by
the aid of wire cord chain or other flexible connections passing round pulleys the
whole being counter balanced and the requisite pressure put upon the fish tail levers
in the pedal box by means of a counter weight attached to the wire or equivalent
and arranged to move freely up and down. Thus for example we may take from the
centre of the sliding carriage at the end of the pedal box and from each side of the
same a wire chain or equivalent which will pass round a bowl the surface of which is
in an exact line with the centre the bowls over which the wires or equivalents pass
being so placed as to ensure a dead central pull.
The ends of these wires may be connected with a cross bar to the centre of which
may be fixed another wire or equivalent which passes round or is attached to a
carrier pulley. There may be on the shaft of this carrier two other pulleys of the
same or different diameter which communicate one to the top of the regulator box
and the other to the bottom over suitable pulleys. The strap forks for the cone drums
are carried on a bar suspended from a grooved bowl working on a bar or rod and at
the bottom the strap fork bar is guided by a species of carriage composed preferably
of four broad bowls which work upon the surface of a bar or guide and thereby
prevent any twist or locking action due to the pressure of the strap or strap
forks.
At or near the centre of each strap fork at the top and hottom the respective
wire or equivalent is attached and exactly opposite each the counter balance wires or
equivalents are also attached and which passing over suitable guide pulleys are
preferably united and passed round a loose sheave block in the counter balance
weight.
The action of this arrangement is that according to the movement of the pedals in
the pedal box a proper motion or traverse is given to the strap and forķ simul-
taneously at the top and bottom thus preventing any possibility of crossed strain or
twist. There are no joints or any other possible causes for back lash and the counter-
poise is regulated so as to give the proper frictional pressure on the fish tail levers in
the pedal box.
We may attach an indicator to the counter balance weight in order to show more
readily and conveniently the variations in position of the strap which should
correspond with the thickness of the fibre being fed into the machine.
Dated this 4th day of June 1889.
H. B. BARLOW.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Opening and Cleaning Cotton and
other Fibres.
We, BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, Machine Maker, WALTER HAMER Engineer, and
WILLIAM BUTTERWORTH, Foreman, all of Kay Street Works, Bolton, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in machinery for opening, and cleaning
cotton and other fibres and our improvements consist first in a novel application and
arrangement of mechanism for regulating the weight of the lap made in such
machinery, secondly in devices for diminishing friction due to the rising, and falling
of the pedals or fish tail levers in those machines in which a pedal regulator is.
employed and thirdly to a means for conveying motion from the pedals or fish tail
levers to the strap forks in the regulator box.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the accompanying four Sheets of Drawings reference being :
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.

page_text: "
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an opening machine fitted with our improvements.
Figure 2 is an elevation and Figure 3 a sectional plan of part of the fish tail levers
and slide box illustrating the second part of our improvements.
Figures 4 and 5 are elevations and Figure 6 a plan of the regulator box illustrating
the third part of our improvements.
$
The first part of our improvements for regulating the weight of the lap made in
the opening and cleaning machine is illustrated by Figure 1 in which-a designates
the frame of the machine, b the opening cylinder, c part of a travelling feed lattice
which is supported on rollers c¹ and extends above and partly over the opening
cylinder b, d is a nest of revolving feed rollers, e the pedal levers which are fulcrumed
on the knife edge e¹ and as usual regulate the admission of the fibrous materials to
the opening cylinder b,f the fish tail levers suspended from the ends of the pedal
levers e, g the grids, and the cages.
In carrying out this part of our improvements we feed the fibrous materials to be
opened and cleaned on to the travelling lattice c which is driven in the direction
indicated by the arrow and conducts the fibrous materials to the nest of revolving
feed rollers d which are driven respectively in the direction indicated by arrows.
Instead of this arrangement of feed rollers however any other suitable arrange-
ment might be employed.
The fibrous materials are conducted by the nest of feed rollers d to the end of the
pedal levers e which as usual regulate the admission of the materials to the opening
cylinder b.
We revolve the opening cylinder b as indicated by an arrow in the opposite
direction to that of the feed lattice c and we place the pedal levers e according to this
part of our invention over the dust box between the cylinder and the cages . In
the above named position there is a better light and sand and dust are not liable to
get into the regulating motion as heretofore and again it is a much more convenient
position for altering the motion when required.
The fibrous materials are opened between the beaters on the cylinder b and the
stationary bars on the cylinder cover and are carried over the grid g and while
between it and the beaters a certain quantity of dirt and heavy impurities is fed and
passes away through the grids which may extend as far as the lower cage h, dust
and other impurities being drawn away from the fibrous materials through the cages
by the current of air produced by a fan placed say at the foot of the cages or in
other convenient position.
Our second improvement is in connection with a pedal regulator and has for its
object as already stated to reduce the frictional resistance due to the pedals or fish
tail levers f moving up and down in regulating the speed of the feed rollers.
To illustrate this head of our invention a few of the fish tail levers f with a portion
of their slide box are shown in Figures 2 and 3.
In carrying out this improvement we place three bowls on a single stud i between
each pair of fish tail levers the stud having one part of larger diameter than and
eccentric to the remainder. Two of these bowls are marked ; and are placed on
the small diameter of the stud i and are concentric to each other and work against
the face of one fish tail lever f, while the third bowl which acts on another fish tail
lever is placed between the two bowls j on the larger diameter of the same stud and is
eccentric to the other two bowls. One end of the stud i is squared and fits into a corre-
sponding hole in a slide block k which is free to move in the groove of the slide box / of the
regulator. The function of this slide block k is to prevent the stud from turning
round and to maintain the full part of the eccentric always on one and the same
side and consequently the middle bowl j' is caused to remain horizontally eccentric
with the other two bowls j. On the other end of the stud i is another slide block
or a bowl which is free to move in the opposite groove of the slide box the two
blocks k k¹ serving to keep the stud i from running out of its true horizontal working
position.
We also include under this head of our improvements a bowl.m on a stud m¹
fixed in a slide block or carriage m this bowl n being acted on by the last of the

page_text: series of fish tail levers f. The slide block n also carries another stud n¹ and on the
ends of the two studs m¹ n' are mounted four bowls o which thus support
the block n the bowls o being free to move in the grooves on opposite sides of the
slide box. . The slide block n is connected in any convenient manner with and is
the transmitter of motion to the connections which work the cone strap to regulate
the speed of the feed. roller and is actuated by the preceding fish tail levers of in a
direct line of pressure or movement, thereby giving no twisting pressure to the out
end pedal or fish tail lever. In the Drawings the mechanism shown for connecting
the slide block or carriage n to the strap fork guide lever consists of a rod attached
at one end to the stud n and at the other to an arm q' fixed on a stud or shaft q on
which is also fixed a lever q which is connected by an adjustable rod to the
ordinary mechanism shown in Fig. 1 for regulating the position of the strap fork
guide levers and adjusting the position of the strap on the pair of cones s.
By the foregoing improvements we obtain a positive direct and instantaneous
movement of the cone strap regulating the speed of the feed roller just as the
varying thickness of the cotton or other fibrous material requires whereby we are
able to produce a very equal lap of uniform weight per yard.
The third part of our improvements relates to the regulator box containing the
pair of cone drums s and has reference to the means for communicating the motion
of the pedal levers to the strap forks.
According to our improvements we effect this communication partly or wholly
by the aid of wire, cord, chain or other flexible connections (hereinafter referred
to as wires) passing round pulleys the whole being counter balanced and the
requisite pressure put upon the fish tail levers in the pedal box by means of a counter
weight attached to the wires and arranged to move freely up and down.
Thus for example in the arrangement illustrated by Figures 4, 5, and 6 we slot
the sides of the slide or pedal box through which slots project the ends of one
of the studs carried by the slide block or carriage n; on the box / we fix two
brackets each of which carries a pair of grooved pulleys tt' of different diameters
the surface of the smaller pulleys t¹ being in an exact line with the centre of the
carriage n. To each of the small pulleys t¹ is secured one end of a wire u which is
fastened at the other end to one of the projecting ends of the stud in the carriage n
and to each of the large pulleys t is also secured one end of a wire w¹ the other ends
of the wires to being connected to a cross bar w. To the centre of the cross bar w
is fixed another wire w" which passes round or is attached to a carrier pulley x on the
axis of which are fixed two other pulleys which may be of the same or different
diameters and to each of which is connected a wire one wire y going to the top of
the regulator box and being connected to the upper end of the strap fork guide lever
or bar z and the other wire y¹ passing over guide pulleys 1, 2, and being connected
to the lower end of the bar z.
The strap forks for the cone drums s are carried on the bar z which is suspended
from a grooved bowl 3 working on a bar or rod 4 and at the bottom the bar z is
guided by a slide block or carriage 5 working on a bar 6 so that the bar z being
guided both at top and bottom any twist or locking action due to the pressure of
the strap or strap forks is prevented.
The counter balance wires y are attached to the bar z exactly opposite each
wire y y respectively the wires y passing over suitable guide pulleys 7 are
preferably united and passed round a loose sheave block 8 in the counter balance
weight 9.
The action of this arrangement is that according to the movement of the fish tail
levers in the pedal or slide box la proper motion or traverse is given through the
slide block or carriage n and the connecting wires to the bar z and so to the strap
forks and strap simultaneously at the top and bottom thus preventing any possibility
of crossed strain or twist.
There are no joints or any other possible causes for back lash and the counterpoisé
is regulated so as to give the proper frictional pressure on the fish tail levers fin. the
nadal or slide box 1.

page_text: We may attach an indicator to the counter balance weight 9 in order to show
more readily and conveniently the variations in position of the strap which should
correspond with the thickness of the fibre being fed into the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In an opening machine-
1. The combination with a travelling feed lattice, of an arrangement of feed rollers
and pedal regulating levers placed between the opening cylinder and the cages, the
opening cylinder being rotated in the opposite direction to that of the feed lattice
substantially as and for the purposes herein described with reference to the Drawings
annexed.
2. The combination with each pair of fish tail levers in a pedal feed regulator, of
a stud having the middle portion enlarged and eccentric to the remainder two bowls
being mounted on the concentric portions of the stud and working against one fish
tail and a third bowl mounted on the eccentric portion and working against the
adjoining fish tail and means such as slide blocks for holding the ends of the stud
and maintaining the stud and its bowls in their true working position substantially as
and for the purposes herein described with reference to the Drawings annexed.
3. The combination with the series of fish tail levers, of a bowl carried in a slide
block or carriage fitted in the slide or pedal box and connected to the cone strap
regulating mechanism whereby any movement of the fish tails imparted to said slide
block by the fish tail acting on the aforesaid bowl is transmitted to the cone strap
and so regulates the speed of the feed roller substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
4. The combination with a slide block or carriage fitted in the slide or pedal box
and acted on by the movement of the fish tails, of an arrangement of wires or
equivalent flexible connections guided by pulleys and connected to the top and
bottom of the strap fork guide bar the whole being balanced by counter weights
substantially as and for the purposes herein described with reference to the Drawings
annexed.
5. The several constructions combinations and arrangements of parts embodying
our improvements substantially as herein specified and as illustrated by the accom-
panying Drawings.
Dated thin 4th da 1000
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicants.