Improvements in Carding Engines for Cotton and other Fibrous ° Materials.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carding Engines for Cotton and other Fibrous
°
Materials.
We, JAMES WILLIAMS, of Springfield Works, Springfield Lane, Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, and PERCY HADFIELD ALLSOPP, of Didsbury Road,
Heaton Norris, in the said County, Mill Manager, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to carding engines constructed with revolving flats and
is designed to provide improved means for adjusting and grinding the flats.
Hitherto it has been generally customary to adjust the position of the flats in
relation to the cylinder by means of what have been termed flexible bends which
have been fastened to the fixed or rigid bends.
By this improvement we dispense with the flexible bends and adjust the flats
by means of screws inserted in their ends and employ a wider make of flat say two
inches or wider so that a greater surface of the cylinder would be covered by them
by reason of there being a less number of spaces between the flats.
The fixed or rigid bend is formed with a groove or grooves or with a shoulder
around its periphery which may be case hardened to make it more durable.
The flats are formed with two or more screws inserted in each end, the ends of
the screws projecting to engage with or rest in the groove or grooves formed upon
the periphery of the bend. These screws form the working surface of the flats and
can be adjusted to set the flat to the required inclination or bevel and also to bring
the body of the flat nearer to the cylinder as the wires are ground or worn shorter.
The screws are fitted tightly into their holes or a spring may be formed by
cutting a slit in the flat end or they may be otherwise prevented from unscrewing
too easily.
The links of the chain which connect the flats together are preferably placed
at the ends of the flats.
The heads of the adjusting screws are preferably made of pinion shape and to
the grinding bracket or in other suitable place is fixed an adjusting bracket
or lever which call be brought into contact with the heads of the
screws in. succession as the flats travel forward and cause the screws to turn
a portion of a revolution. Thus after grinding the screws can all be turned down
any desired distance say 100th of an inch more or less.
This bracket or lever is preferable held in position by a catch and drawn back
or out of contact with the screws by means of a spring. A loose catch projection
or lug may also be fitted to any one of the flats to throw the lever out of contact
when all the flats have been operated upon.
If desired this bracket or lever may be made double or a second one may be
applied to turn the screws successively in the reverse direction.
In using the wide flats we find that they will not answer if ground flat as one
side is too far away from the wires of the cylinder and to obviate this we grind

page_text: the surface of the flat of a concavity corresponding to the curve of the periphery
of the wire surface of the cylinder.
To accomplish this we provide a surface upon which the working surface of the
flats rest and from which they are ground with a contour or convex curve corre-
sponding to that of the cylinder. As however the cylinder wire and the wire on
the flats wear away in different directions, (dependent on the different construction
of the flats) it is desirable to compensate for such wear. We make the convex
curve of the grinding surface of less radius or under certain conditions greater
than that of the cylinder (about 3 of an inch greater or less). In another form
of the grinding surface we make it flat and form a concave curve or recess in it
equal in width to the width of the flat.
The radius of this curve we make half of that of the wire on the cylinder or to
suit various conditions 32 of an inch greater or less.
When about to be ground the two sides of the working surface of the flat rest
on the two ends of the curve so that one side of the flat travels along the flat surface
and the other sido follows the path of the curve thus when the one side of the flat
has travelled to the deepest part of the curve that side is twice the distance from
the flat surface of the bracket than the middle of the flat.
This grinding arrangement puts no "heel" into the wire of the flats as we think
it unnecessary to do so.
In the arrangement now used it is customary to comb the flats and then brush
any remaining strips out of the flats clearing the stripping brush by means of a
needle comb. In the arrangement we at present propose to use and in combina-
tion with our improved wider flats we may strip the flats entirely with the brush,
and then comb the brush by means of a motion very similar to the means at present
in use.
The flats may be lifted up to the grinding surface by means of a sliding bracket
with a suitably shaped head and a rack at one side gearing with a rack wheel on
the spindle of which is a weighted lever and ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the
lever engaging the ratchet wheel and raising the bracket.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carding Engines for Cotton and other Fibrous
Materials.
We. JAMES WILLIAMS, of Springfield Works, Springfield Lane, Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, and PERCY HADFIELD ALLSOPP, of Didsbury Road,
Heaton Norris, in the said County, Mill Manager, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
―
This invention relates to carding engines constructed with revolving flats and
is designed to provide improved means for adjusting and grinding the flats.
Hitherto it has been generally customary to adjust the position of the flats in
relation to the cylinder by means of what have been termed flexible bends which
have been fastened to the fixed or rigid bends.
By this improvement we dispense with the flexible bends and adjust the flats
by means of screws inserted in their ends and employ a wide make of flat, say two
inches or wider, so that a greater surface of the cylinder would be covered by them
by reason of there being a less number of spaces between the flats.

page_text: The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying draw
ings in which sufficient of a carding engine is shown to illustrate the invention.
Fig. 1. Side elevation of bend showing the position of the flats and the grind-
ing and setting brackets.
Fig. 2. Transverse section of bend with side elevation of flat end.
Fig. 3. Transverse section of bend showing modification.
Fig. 4. Transverse section showing another modification.
Fig. 5. Plan of back of flat.
Fig. 6. Plan of face of flat.
Fig. 7. End elevation of flat.
Fig. 8. Side elevation of setting bracket.
Fig. 8. Plan of part of arm e.
Fig. 9. Front elevation of same partly in section.
Fig. 9. Plan of bracket D).
Fig. 10. Side elevation of grinding bracket.
Fig. 11. Front elevation of same partly in section.
Upon or around the periphery of the fixed or rigid bend A we preferably form
two grooves a (Fig. 2) or instead of the grooves we form a central shoulder a¹
(Fig. 3) or two shoulders a" (Fig. 4) forming a single central groove. The grooves
or shoulders thus formed serve as guides for screws C inserted in the ends of the
flats B and the surface of the periphery of the bend may be case hardened to
render it more durable.
The grooves a or the paths in which the screws travel may be formed of different
depths or levels to give the required inclination to the flats.
The flats B are formed with a flat surface b at each end preferably parallel with
the face b¹. In each end we insert two screws C from the back, the ends of which
project through the flat surface b¹ on the front side and when in working position
in the bend A engage with or rest upon the periphery of the bend being guided
thereon by the grooves a or by the shoulder or shoulders a¹ all.
Three or more screws may be employed if found desirable.
The ends of the screws C form the working surface of the flats and can be adjusted
to set the flat to the required inclination or bevel and also to bring the body of
the flat nearer to the cylinder as the wires are ground or worn shorter.
The screws C are formed with a fine pitch thread and are fitted tightly into their
holes in the flat end or may be otherwise prevented from turning easily or becom-
ing loose such as cutting a slit in the flat end and applying a clamping screw or
other mechanical means.
The heads of the adjusting screws C are made of pinion shape or with a number
of projections or teeth c which are caused to engage successively with a finger D
as the flats revolve or travel when it is desired to set or adjust all the flats B rela-
tively to the surface of the cylinder of the card. The finger D is placed when in
operation midway between the path of the two screws in each flat and the screw
heads engaging with the finger D on different sides. The screws are made with
right and left hand threads. Thus after or during grinding the screws C can all
be turned back any desired distance say 100th of an inch more or less.
The finger D which engages with the screws C is preferably fitted to an adjust-
able bracket E (though if desired it may be fitted to the grinding bracket). The
flats travel over an arm or horn e a groove b₁ being cut in the back of each flat B
for this purpose.
The
The adjustable supporting bracket E for the setting finger D is affixed to the
bend A by a fixed bracket bolted thereto. It is provided with an arm or horn e
upon which the flats B rest and a second arm or horn e¹ to prevent the flats B being
lifted out of position as they travel forward during the setting of the screws.
finger D is fitted on a spindle d capable of being moved in a longitudinal direction
to bring the finger D into the position shown in Fig. 8 to engage with the screws C
or into a position clear of the flats and screws. The finger D is held in position
by a catch G with a notch g which engages with a groove in the spindle d and

page_text: when the catch G is released it is drawn back by the spring H. The catch G is
constructed to engage with either side of the spindle d according to the direction
in which the flats are moving so that a movement to either side as desired will
release the spindle and finger 1).
Upon any of the flats B is fitted a loose adjustable finger K to engage with the
catch G to disengage it from the spindle d. This finger K is fitted into the last
flat to be set so that when it is set by the finger D it throws over the catch disengag-
ing the spindle d and allows the finger D to be drawn back by the spring H out
of position until it is necessary again to re-set the flats.
The adjustable grinding bracket L supports the flats while being ground.
The chain S affixed to the end of the flat by the screw s rests upon and slides
over the arm or horn M and thus the weight or grinding pressure is transferred
to the screws by which the flat is sustained in position during the operation of
grinding. Further while the flats are passing the grinding bracket the weight of
the other flats suspended by the chain approaching to and travelling away from
the grinding bracket, is sustained or supported by the chain (without putting any
strain or weight upon those flats that are passing over the bracket.)
The arm or horn M which raises the flats B whilst being ground is fitted to the
bracket L to slide up and down thereon. At one side it is provided with a rack m
with which a rack wheel N gears. The rack wheel N is mounted on one end of
the spindle n on the other end of which is a ratchet wheel P with a lever O. The
lever O carries a pawl o which engages with the ratchet wheel P the weight W on
the end of the lever operating to raise the arm or horn M.
On the bracket L above the sliding arm M is fitted a second arm R over the
surface of which the ends of the screws C travel as the flats are being ground. When
it is desired to grind the face of the flats straight the face of the arm R is also
straight. In using wide flats however we find that they will not answer well if
ground flat as one edge is too far away from the wires of the cylinder when in
operation and to obviate this we grind the surface of the flat of a concavity corre-
sponding to the curve of the periphery of the wire surface of the cylinder. For
this purpose we make the under surface r of the arm R with a curved surface
corresponding with that of the periphery of the cylinder.
This grinding arrangement puts no "heel" into the wires of the flat and we put
the necessary "heel" into the flats by making one of the grooves a on either side
in the periphery of the bend A deeper than the other or by setting one of the
screws C in either side of the flat further out than the other.
The links S of the chain which connect the flats B together are preferably con-
nected to the extreme ends of the flats by the screws s but if desired the chain may
be connected in the usual way to snugs formed on the back of the flats. The chain S
engages with the notched wheel T by which the flats are driven without putting
any strain upon the flats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A flat for revolving carding engines constructed with two or more screws
inserted at each end to form a bearing or working surface therefor and provide
means for setting or adjusting the flats relatively to the cylinder, substantially
as described.
2. In a carding engine for revolving flats a bend constructed with two grooves
or their equivalent at different levels around the periphery substantially as and
for the purpose described.
3. In a carding engine the combination with the flats of two screws inserted at
each end (to form a working surface and by which to set the flats) provided with
toothed heads and a moveable finger which can be brought into the path of the
screw heads to cause the screws to turn as the flats travel past it substantially as
and for the purpose described.

page_text: 4. The method of driving and supporting the revolving flats of carding engines
by causing the connecting chain to engage in the notches cut in the driving wheel
while the flat only rests thereon and also with the supporting bracket for grinding
substantially as described.
5. In a carding engine a bracket for raising and supporting the revolving flats
whilst being ground constructed with a stationary bracket L an arm R fixed
thereto against which the working surface rests, a curved arm M sliding upon
the bracket L over which the connecting chain S of the flats passes and by which the
flats are supported, the rack m formed at one side thereof, the rack wheel N and
ratchet wheel P and the lever O and pawl o by which the sliding arm is operated
substantially as described.
6. In a carding engine the combination with the flats B and chain S by which
the Hats are connected of the supporting bracket L and arm M thereon so placed
that the chain S rests upon and slides over the arm enabling the chain to bear all
the weight of the flats substantially as described.
7. A carding engine having the several parts constructed and arranged substan-
tially as described and shown.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.