CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Flitcroft, of Out Gate, Rochdale, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN CARDING ENGINES.”
Sealed the 14th November 1873, and dated the 6th September 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Flitcroft at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th September 1873.
I, THOMAS FLITCROFT, of Cut Gate, Rochdale, in the County of Lan-
caster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention applies to carding engines for carding cotton and
other fibrous substances, and consists of a simple arrangement of
apparatus for stopping the revolution of the "doffing cylinder" in the
event of the sliver "becoming broken."
"
The sliver on its passage from the " doffing comb" to the "coiler
passes through a trumpet-shaped guide, which is carried at one end of a

page_text: lever so balanced that the tension of the sliver holds it up, but in the
cvent of the sliver breaking the lever falls, and coming into contact with
onc arm of a bell-crank lever causes the other arm to raise up a pin or
stud. This pin or stud is carried and slides vertically through an
opening in a horizontal bolt, above which a small wheel is constantly
revolving, being driven from the front roller of the coiler or otherwise.
So long as the pin or stud is not raised this wheel revolves free of the
same, but as soon as by the breaking of a sliver the guide lever falls and
raises the pin a projection on the wheel comes into contact with the
upper part of the pin or stud, and withdraws the bolt. This bolt (by
means of a catch) supports a lever which carries the spur pinion which
drives the doffing cylinder by gearing into the spur wheel fixed on the
end of the cylinder shaft, and thus holds the wheel and pinion in gear.
But as soon as a sliver breaks, the pin or stud being thrown up, the pro-
jection on the wheel catches hold of it, and causes it to withdraw the
bolt, when the catch being released the lever falls and brings the pinion
out of gear with the doffer wheel, and so stops the revolution of the
doffer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Flitcroft in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
FLITCROFT, of Cut Gate, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Flitcroft, Her
special license, that I, the said Thomas Flitcroft, my executors, adminis- {
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Flitcroft,
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,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Flitcroft, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be perfornied,
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 Thomas Flitcroft, do hereby declare
the nature of the said 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 Drawings (that is to say) :—
This Invention applies to carding engines for carding cotton and other
fibrous substances, and consists of a simple arrangement of apparatus for
stopping the revolution of the "doffing cylinder" in the event of the
sliver becoming broken.
The sliver on its passage from the "doffing comb" to the "coiler"
passes through a trumpet-shaped guide, which is carried at one end of a
lever so balanced that the tension of the sliver holds that end of the lever
down; but in the event of the sliver breaking the lever rises, and its
other end consequently falls, and coming into contact with a rod at one
end of a cranked lever causes the other arm to raise up a pin or stud.
This pin or stud is carried and slides vertically through an opening in a
horizontal bolt, above which a small wheel or disc is constantly
revolving, being driven from the front roller of the coiler or otherwise.
So long as the pin or stud is not raised this wheel revolves free of the
same, but as soon as by the breaking of a sliver the guide lever falls and
raises the pin a projection on the wheel comes into contact with the
upper part of the pin or stud, and withdraws the bolt. This bolt (by
means of a catch) supports a lever which carries the spur pinion which
drives the doffing cylinder by gearing into the spur wheel fixed on the
end of the cylinder shaft, and thus holds the wheel and pinion in gear.
But as soon as a sliver breaks, the pin or stúd being thrown up, the pro-
jection on the wheel catches hold of it and causes it to withdraw the bolt,
when the catch being released the lever falls and brings the pinion out
of gear with the doffer wheel, and so stops the revolution of the doffer.

page_text: Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now
proceed to described more in detail the manner in which the same is to
be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that
the same may be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with Figures
and letters of reference. corresponding with those in the following expla-
nation thouoof
proceed to described more in detail the manner in which the same is to
be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that
the same may be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with Figures
and letters of reference. corresponding with those in the following expla-
nation thereof.
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 is an end view, and Fig. 2 a partial
side elevation of a carding engine, with my improvements shown as
applied thereto; Fig. 3 a plan view of the apparatus, and Fig. 4 a section
of the same.
a, a, is a trumpet-shaped guide through which the sliver passes from
the doffing comb b, b. This guide a, a, is carried at one end of a
lever c, c, the other end of which projects above the upper end of a
rod d, d, the lower extremity of which is connected to one end of a
cranked lever e, e, the other end of which comes under a vertical pin or
stud ff, which works through a horizontal sliding bolt g, g, above which
the small catch wheel h, h, is constantly revolving. At the end of the
bolt g, g, is a projection *, which comes against a catch i, i, attached to
and supporting the lever k, k, which carries the spur pinion 7, 1, which
gives motion to the doffing cylinder m, m.
The whole of the levers are so balanced that as soon as the sliver breaks
the trumped-shaped guide a, a, rises, and the other end of its lever c, c,
depressing the rod d, d, causes the cranked lever e, e, to raise up the pin
or stud ff, which is caught by the projection on the catch wheel h, h,
and draws the sliding bolt g, g, in the direction of the arrow. This causes
the catch i, i, to be released, and allows the lever k, k, to fall and draw
the pinion 1, 2, out of gear, as shown in dotted lines, and stop the revolu-
tion of the doffing cylinder.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as
my Invention, the general arrangement and construction of apparatus
for stopping the revolution of the doffing cylinder of carding engines in
the event of the sliver becoming broken, as herein-before described and
represented on the Drawings annexed, or any mere modification or

page_text: imitation thereof, constructed and operating in substantially the same or
a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Flitcroft, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witnessed by,
JOHN HUGHES,
THOMAS FLITCROFT. (L.S.)
Olerk to George Davies, C.E.,
Patent Office,
St. Ann's Sq.,
Manchester.
A