AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CARDING COMBING AND PREPARING FIRROITS SURETANONG
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Walton, of the City of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR CARDING COMBING AND PREPARING FIRROITS SURETANONG"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Walton
at tho Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th October 1855.
I, WILLIAM HENRY WALTON, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CARDING, COMBING, OR PREPARING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,"
to be as follows:-
The object of my machine is the same with that of carding machines in
general, viz., to lay the fibres of fibrous substances straight and parallel to
each other. The principal parts of my machine are the following:-
any
First, feed boards or aprons with their feed rollers, whereby the fibrous
substance to be operated upon is supplied or delivered to the machine.
Secondly, carding cylinders, being rotating cylinders, each clothed with
suitable card. clothing so as to be covered with teeth, which are inclined
forwards, or in the direction of the cylinder's motion; the fibrous substance is
delivered from one of these cylinders to another, until it finally reaches the
last or main carding cylinder.
Thirdly, a rotating cylinder, called a doffer, also clothed with card clothing,
by which the fibrous substance is removed from the main carding cylinder.

page_text: Fourthly, a comb plate, whereby the fibrous substance is removed from
the doffer, so as to pass off in the form of a sliver, or mass of straight and
parallel fibres.
A carding cylinder may act in two ways; as a licker-in or as a worker. A
licker-in cylinder by means of its teeth takes hold of and carries away the
fibrous substance either from the feed rollers, or, as the case may be, from
another carding cylinder, whose teeth move in the same direction, but, with a
less speed. When a carding cylinder acts as a worker, its teeth move in the
opposite direction to those of an adjoining cylinder, so that as the fibrous
substance is brought forward by the teeth of the latter cylinder, its fibres are
pulled or combed straight and parallel, and in part carried away by the teeth
of the worker.
The parts above mentioned acting in the manner above described are found
in ordinary carding machines. The following are the improvements, consisting
partly in new arrangements and adaptations of such parts, and partly in
additions to them, in which the nature of my Invention consists, and whose
effect is to make the operation of carding more rapid and efficient:
First, I adapt to one and the same carding machine two sets of feed boards.
or aprons and feed rollers, so that the fibrous substance may be supplied to
the machine at two points at once.
Secondly, I use in the same machine two sets of licker-in cylinders, each
set consisting of one or more, to carry two portions of the fibrous substance
forward at the same time from the two sets of feed rollers respectively, and
finally to deliver them on to one and the same main carding cylinder.
Thirdly, besides using independent worker cylinders, I so arrange, and
adapt the two sets of licker-in cylinders, that those of each set shall act
as worker cylinders to those of the other.
Fourthly, I apply a worker cylinder in such a manner as to take from the
main carding cylinder all loose or unwrought fibres, and carry them back to
one of the licker-in cylinders to be wrought over again, instead of, as in the
old method, being carried round by the main cylinder against fixed workers
and strippers.
Fifthly, for the purpose of removing the fibres from the main carding
cylinder on to the doffer, I place in the interior of the main cylinder a fixed
air chamber, into which air is forced or blown. The outlet of this chamber is
a narrow oblong opening parallel to the axis of the main cylinder, and extend-
ing completely across its breadth, close behind that part of the periphery of
the said main cylinder from which the fibres are to be delivered to the doffer.
The entire periphery of the main cylinder is pierced with small holes, so that

page_text: the blast of air: issuing from the oblong outlet of the air vessel passes through
the holes in those parts of the periphery of the main cylinder which succes-
sively are brought opposite the said outlet, and blows the fibres off the teeth
of the main cylinder and on to the teeth of the doffer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Walton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY WALTON, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Henry
Walton, Her special license that I, the said William Henry Walton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said William
Henry Walton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Irela, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
CARDING, COMBING, AND PREPARING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Henry Walton, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Walton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:-
The object of my machine is the same with that of carding machines in
general, viz., to lay the fibres of fibrous substances straight and parallel to
each other: The principal parts of my machine are the following:-
First, feed boards or aprons with their feed rollers, whereby the fibrous
substance to be operated upon is supplied or delivered to the machine.

page_text: i
.
Secondly, carding cylinders, being rotating cylinders; each clothed with, any
suitable card clothing so as to. be, covered, with teeth, which are inclined
forwards, or in the direction of the, cylinders motion; the, fibrous, substance is
delivered from one of those cylinders to another, until it reaches the. main
carding cylinder.
Thirdly, a rotating cylinder, called a doffer, also clothed with card clothing,
by which the fibrous substance is removed from the main carding cylinder.
Fourthly, a comb plate, whereby the fibrous substance is removed from
the doffer, so as to pass off in the form of a sliver, or a mass of straight and
parallel fibres.
A carding cylinder may act in two ways; as a licker-in or. as a worker.
A licker-in cylinder by means of its teeth takes hold of and carries away the,
fibrous substance either from the feed rollers, or, as the case may..be; from
another carding cylinder, whose teeth move in the same direction, but with a
less speed. When a carding, cylinder acts as a worker, its teeth.move, in the
opposite direction to those of an adjoining cylinder, so that as the fibrous
substance is brought forward by the teeth of the latter cylinder, its fibres are
pulled or combed straight and parallel, and in part carried away by the teeth
of the worker.
The parts above mentioned acting in the manner above described are found
in ordinary carding machines. The following are the improvements, consist-
ing partly in new arrangements and adaptations of such parts, and partly in
additions to them, in which the nature of my Invention consists, and whose
effect is to make the operation of carding more rapid and efficient:-
I adapt to one and the same carding machine two sets of feed boards or
aprons and feed rollers, so that the fibrous substance may be supplied to the
machine at two points at once, and in combination with such double set of
aprons and feed rollers. I use in the same machine two sets of licker-in
I cylinders, each set consisting of one or more, to carry two portions of the
fibrous substance forward at the same time from the two sets of feed rollers
respectively, and finally deliver them on to one and the same main, carding
cylinder, and besides using independent worker cylinders. I so arrange and
adapt the said two sets of licker-in cylinders, that those of each set shall act as
worker cylinders to those of the other. I also apply a worker. cylinder in such
a manner as to take from the main carding cylinder all loose or unwrought
fibres, and carry them back to one of the licker-in cylinders to be wrought
over again, instead of, as in the old method, being carried round by the main
cylinder against fixed workers and strippers.
For the purpose of removing the fibres from the main carding cylinder on

page_text: :
to the doffer, I place in the interior of the main cylinder a stationary air
chamber, into which air is forced or blown. The outlet of this chamber
is a narrow oblong opening, parallel to the axis of the main cylinder; and
extending completely across its breadth, close behind that part of the periphery
of the said main cylinder from which the fibres are to be delivered 'to.the
doffer. The entire periphery of the main cylinder is pierced with small holes,
so that the blast of air issuing from the oblong outlet of the air vessel passes
through the holes in those parts of the periphery of the main cylinder which
successively are brought opposite to the said outlet, and blows -the fibres off
the teeth of the main cylinder and on to the teeth of the doffer. This
blowing apparatus is intended to be used or not, according to the nature of
the fibrous material operated upon, being better suited for materials with a
stronger and coarser fibre, such as wool, than for those with a lighter and finer
fibre, such as cotton.
:
The details of the mechanism for carrying into effect the Invention above
described may be varied without departing from the principle of my Invention.
.The annexed Drawing represents one arrangement of machinery whereby my
Invention is carried into effect.
.
In Figure 1, A, A, A, &c. is the frame which supports the working parts of
the machine; B is the first feed board or apron; and C is the second feed
board. The material to be operated upon is put upon both of these feed boards
or aprons either at the same time or at different times, and one of them
may be used alone, or both together,' as may be found convenient or necessary.
The feed boards or aprons are moved in the usual manner. The upper apron
carries the substance to the feed rolls D; D; these take it from the aprons,
and while it is passing between them a second set of rolls E, E, turning at a
little higher rate of speed, draw out the fibres a little, and serve to hold them
more securely while they are being combed out.
As I use two sets of feed rolls and aprons, I also have two sets of licker-ins,
which operate conjointly, as hereafter' described. I will follow the fibrous
substance first through the first or upper set of lickér-ins. Fis à·licker-in
cylinder, which may be clothed with any suitable card clothing which may be
deemed most desirable; it turns in the direction of the arrow, and operates 'upon
the fibrous substance as it comes through the feed rolls E; E. It first combs
out the fibres as long as they are held between the rolls, and then takes them
to the cylinder G (which is called a "worker"), the adjacent surface of which
runs in a direction opposite to that of the licker-in F; consequently the fibres
as they are engaged in the teeth of the licker-in F are brought in contact with
the teeth of the "worker "G,, and are combed out, and at the same time this

page_text: "worker "takes all the louse fibres from the licker-in F, and carries them round
to the second licker-in cylinder H. This cylinder has a higher speed than the
first licker-in F, and turning in the direction of the arrow, takes the fibres from
the worker G, and also those from the licker-in F. It then carries them
round until it meets the licker-in cylinder I (of the lower set); this acts as a
. "worker," and against the teeth of it the fibres engaged in the teeth. of the
cylinder H are combed out; they then are carried round until they come in
contact with the main carding cylinder J. This cylinder J strips the fibres
from the licker-in H, and. carries them round until they meet the "worker"
cylinder-K, where they are again combed out, and if there are any loose fibres.
upon the cylinder J they are lodged in the teeth of the "worker" K, and
carried round to the licker-in H, which takes them from it and works them
over again, to be deposited a second time upon the cylinder J. The fibres
attached to the teeth of the main cylinder J, and which have passed
the worker K, are carried round until they meet the doffer cylinder L,
which takes them from the cylinder J, either in the usual manner, or in the
following manner, shewn in Figure 2, which represents à section of the air-
blowing apparatus, before mentioned, viz.: the lags composing the cylinder J
are perforated with a great number of holes, into which are fastened metallic
tubes, which serve for a lining.. These holes are intended for the passage of.
air from the inside of the cylinder. M is an air chamber, of the same length
.with the cylinder J, and of any diameter desired, into which the air from tlie
outside of the machine is forced through a hollow shaft by a pump or fan, or
.in; any other suitable manner. This air chamber is stationary; but may be
adjusted to different positions, as required. It has an outlet N for the escape
of the air near the doffer cylinder L. This opening extends the whole length of
the cylinder, so that as the air escapes from the chamber it may be forced
through the tubes in the cylinder J, and coming in contact with the fibres that
.are engaged in the teeth of that cylinder, will blow them from the teeth, and
lodge them upon the teeth of the doffer cylinder L. From the cylinder L,
Figures 1 and 2, the fibres are taken by the action of the comb plate O, and
pass off in the, usual manner, in the form of a sliver.
Having thus described the passage of the fibrous substance through the first
or upper set of licker-ins, I will now describe the passage through the second
or lower set..
The substance after being put upon the lower feed board or apron C is
conveyed along through the double set of feed rolls D', D, E, E, similar to
those: before: described. It is then taken by the licker-in cylinder P,. which,
revolving. in the direction of the arrow, carries the fibres which have been

page_text: drawn by it from the feed rolls to the licker-in cylinder F, and this cylinder F,
besides being a licker-in of itself, acts as a "worker" to the cylinder P; i. e.,
the fibres engaged in the teeth of the cylinder P are combed against the teeth
of the cylinder F, and all the loose fibres on the cylinder P are taken by the
cylinder F, and are "worked off" from it, together with the material which it
takes from between the feed rolls, in the manner before described.
The fibres on the cylinder P after passing the cylinder F are carried to the
licker-in cylinder I, which, turning at a higher rate of speed than P, strips from
it all the fibres that are upon it, and carries them to the "worker" Q. The
fibres are here combed again, and the loose material is lodged upon the
"worker" Q, from which it is taken by the main carding cylinder J. The
fibres engaged in the teeth of the cylinder I, after passing the "worker," are
also taken by the main carding cylinder J, and, with all the other fibres that
have been deposited upon it, are taken off from it, as before described.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, the general arrangement and combination of machinery for carding,
combing, or preparing fibrous substances, as herein-before described.
Secondly, the use and combination of a double set of licker-in cylinders (each
set consisting of one or more), with their aprons and feed rolls, one set of
cylinders serving as workers to the other set.
Thirdly, the application of a worker cylinder in such a manner as to take
from the main carding cylinder all loose and unwrought fibres, and to carry
them back to one of the licker-in cylinders to be wrought over again, instead
of their being carried by the main cylinder against fixed workers and
strippers.
Fourthly, the adaptation of an air-blowing apparatus to the main carding
cylinder, in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Walton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
W. H. WALTON. (L.S.)