Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to gig-mills in which there is a drum fitted with
small teasling, card or working rollers that are movable at variable energy.
Hitherto the teasling rollers of these gig-mills have been provided with brake or
drag pulleys of a diameter equal to that of the rollers fitted with their teasling
cards; the result is that in mills in which the energy of the cards is regulated by
a differential movement the minimum of energy of the machine is obtained by
stopping the upper shaft that drives the brake straps, that is to say, by making the
latter motionless. In gig-mills constructed with a brake strap at one side of the
drum and a driving strap at the other side the minimum of energy is obtained by
tightening the driving strap. With either construction the strap being motionless,
as the diameter of the brake pulleys is equal to the outer diameter of the card the
backward development of the cards is equal to the forward development of the
drum and the scratching is reduced to zero. The scratching energy of the cards is
therefore regulated by moving the straps more or less quickly in the direction of
the rotary movement of the drum. With this object a cone with four or five
grades has been employed thus giving four or five speeds more or less rapid to the
brake straps. With these constructions of gig mill the number of speeds at which
the teasling or card rollers can be made to rotate relatively to the speed of the
drum is limited. Now the main object of the present invention is to construct gig
mills so that the teasling rollers can be made to rotate at a much greater number
of speeds relatively to the speed of the drum; the said rollers are thus capable of
acting with a greater variety of degrees of energy, and the utility of the mill is
much increased.
".

page_text: In one novel form of gig mill for this purpose the brake pulleys have a larger
diameter than that of the teasling or card rollers; this diameter is as large as
possible, that is to say, calculated in such manner that the roller pulleys when
mounted on the drum are almost in contact with each other; in order to increase
this diameter the cheeks of every alternate pulley are dispensed with so as to
utilize the void spaces. The gig-drum being constructed in this manner the
diameter of the brake pulleys is say about one third more than that of the
rollers.
Thus the straps being rendered motionless as in the old gig-mill the cards will
scratch for about 30 per cent of the development of the drum which represents a
degree of energy nearly equal to that obtained by the greatest speed of the cones
of the old mill. In order to increase this energy the straps are moved as before in
the direction of the rotary movement of the drum. The corresponding four speed
cones therefore allow of obtaining four degrees of energy more and more con-
siderable. To diminish the energy of the machine the motion is reversed, that is
to say, the brake straps are moved in the opposite direction to that of the rotary
motion of the drum and there are thus obtained by a simple crossing of the strap
from the cones four new degrees of energy of the reverse movement which correspond
to the grades of the cones; at the maximum of energy of the direct movement, the
cards have a backward movement more rapid than the forward development of the
drum. This result is of great importance in view of the cleaning of the cards which
is difficult to effect with certain kinds of fabrics. With cones of four stages there
are thus eight different degrees of energy without counting the mean degree of
energy obtained by the stoppage of the cones and brake straps, the new gig-mill
being capable of working as desired either by direct movement or the reverse
movement. Another advantage is to ensure to the brake straps an efficaciousness
much greater than in the old mills the power of the straps acting on a diameter
or lever greater than the lever of resistance; it follows that for brake pulleys
of the same width the useful action of the straps will be increased in a great
proportion and slipping will be obviated. There are thus obtained in practice
results as regards regulation which have never been realized except theoretically
because it has not been possible to avoid the slipping of the straps on the brake
pulleys.
I apply the same arrangement of brake pulleys (of a diameter about one third
more than that of the teasling or carding rollers) to gig-mills in which the energy
is regulated by a driving strap on the one side and by a brake strap on the other,
these straps being stretched more or less forcibly by means of screws in order to
obtain more or less energy. The rollers being provided with pulleys whose diameter
is about one third more than the diameter inside the cards, there is added at each
end of the drum a driving strap, that is to say, a fixed strap of which one end is
attached to the frame of the machine and the other to a screw which can be
tightened more or less. The two straps are then arranged the one, like the other
and do not participate in the rotary movement of the drum. When these straps.
are strongly stretched the machine possesses its maximum energy and the cards
scratch about thirty per cent. To diminish the energy of the cards it suffices to
slacken the straps more or less so as to allow the brake pulleys to slip; this slipping
being inconsiderable does not heat the brake pulleys as when the brake pulley
participates in the rotation of the drum. The above arrangement has several
advantages; it allows of constructing a gig-mill of variable energy while con-
siderably simplifying the machine. It can be applied at small cost to existing
machines constructed with a driving strap and a brake, strap. In factories where
many articles of the same kind have to be treated, it performs the same services as
those with cones, and costs much less.
Another improvement relates to the oiling of the spindles of the teasling or
carding rollers. It is very important that these spindles should always be well
oiled. Now this oiling which has hitherto been done separately at each bearing

page_text: occupies considerable time and yet it often happens that one of the spindles from
being badly oiled becomes heated and damage results. In order to obviate this
I employ a central reservoir for distributing the oil to all the spindles by means of
tubes filled with wicks the end of each wick spreading under the journal of the
roller; I also place on the spindle a bearing which is itself fitted with a wick and
with an oil reservoir at the upper end. This reservoir serves to collect the excess
of the oil distributed by the central reservoir. It will be understood that while
the centrifugal force prevents the oil leaving the reservoir, the oil passes by
capillarity along. the tubes but cannot be thrown out by the centrifugal force.
Another improvement consists in the application or adaptation of a tension
regulator to the brake straps. In the old gig-mills the tension of the straps was
obtained by means of screws placed under bearings of the upper shaft which was
more or less lifted. After two or three days work the straps would elongate and
the workman frequently neglected to stretch them. The tension regulator which
I apply is composed of a lever having a roller at one end and a weight (or springs)
at-the other, the roller bearing against the strap, there is thus always the same
tension and the same adhesion of the strap. The degree of tension is regulated by
shifting the weight. When the strap has elongated so much that the tension roller
comes against the upper brake pulley, the shaft can be raised by means of screws
as formerly, or the strap can be shortened.
Another improvement consists of a novel arrangement for applying internal
friction. It has already been proposed to employ india rubber friction rings to
connect together all the pulleys of the teasling or carding rollers so as to increase
the efficaciousness of the action of the brake straps. This principle is good but the
application of rubber rings offers several disadvantages such as rapid wear and the
impossibility of increasing or diminishing the friction. To obviate these objections
I employ a spring formed of a steel plate bent into the form of a ring and of the
width of the pulleys of the carding rollers; this plate is covered on its outer face
with leather. It is fitted inside the drum and it presses by means of its leather
covering against the pulleys owing to the elasticity of the metal and the tension
given to it by means of a regulating screw which connects its two ends. Or
instead of the circular spring described I can employ spring plates or segments as
in steam engine pistons the characteristic point being the employment of a leather
band pressing against the inside of the set of pulleys; the pressure or degree of
adhesion being capable of regulation.
A modification of the arrangement before described for giving a greater number
of speeds to the rollers relatively to the drum and thereby providing for a greater
variety of degrees of energy of the cards is as follows:-The gig drum is composed
of a group of (say) five rollers fitted with cards or teasles; these rollers are fitted
in plates fixed to a rigid shaft. Every roller carries at each end a pulley whose
diameter is equal to its own and around these pulleys pass at the two sides of the
drum two straps which also pass around two other pulleys above the drum; these
other pulleys are keyed on a shaft on one end of which is a toothed wheel; this is
driven by a piuion fixed to a cone pulley of five grades corresponding with a
similar pulley on the shaft of the gig drum. The upper shaft can thus turn with
a variable speed, the five diameters of the cone allowing of five different speeds.
It can also when necessary be rendered motionless by throwing out of gear the
cord which transmits the motion from one cone to the other, and by slightly
tightening a brake on the end of the shaft. Supposing that the two straps that
connect the set of rollers to the correspouding pulleys on the upper shaft are
stretched, if this shaft is held motionless by the brake and the gig drum is in
motion the rollers receive rotation in the direction the reverse of that of the drum ;
they therefore turn without scratching and consequently produce a very superficial
work that represents the minimum of energy of the drum. If it be now wished
to obtain a more energetic work the brake is slacked and the cone pulley of the
upper shaft is driven by means of its largest diameter. The straps therefore travel

page_text: in the direction of the drum's rotation and the rollers following the impulse which
the straps give them are driven forward with a speed proportionate to that of the
upper shaft; they therefore scratch and produce an effective work equal to about
say one twentieth of the external development of the drum. By going from one
grade to another of the cone the speed and the production by means of the rollers
is increased at will.
I can if desired substitute toothed gearing or other suitable devices for the straps
that drive the rollers, increase or diminish the number of these rollers, combine in
the same frame two or more drums, apply the invention for the velveting of fabrics
or for other like treatments where natural or artificial teasels are used, and apply
the mode of differential work of the cards to transverse acting gig-mills.
Dated this 9th day of December 1885

page_text: I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication from abroad by La Société Grosselin père et fils of 1 Boulevard
St Denis, Paris, France, Machine Builders) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention has reference to gig-mills in which there is a drum fitted with
small teasling, card or working rollers that are movable at variable energy.
Hitherto the teasling rollers of these gig-mills have been provided with brake or
drag pulleys of a diameter equal to that of the rollers fitted with their teasling
cards; the minimum of energy of the machine is obtained by stopping the upper.
shaft that drives the brake straps. In order to increase this energy the brake
straps are caused to travel more or less quickly in the direction of the rotary
movement of the drum. With this object a cone with four or five grades has
been employed, thus giving four or five speeds more or less rapid to the brake.
straps.
:
In the improved gig-mill which forms the subject of the present invention and
which is represented in Figure 1 of the annexed drawings, the brake pulleys a have.
a diameter one fifth (more or less) larger than that of the teasling or card rollers a¹;
the cheeks of every alternate pulley are dispensed with-see Figure 1. With.
this arrangement when the straps are rendered motionless, as in the old gig-mill,
the cards will scratch or raise for about 20 per cent of the development of the
drum which represents the mean degree of energy of the machine. In order to
increase this energy the straps are moved in the direction of the rotary movement.
of the drum. The corresponding five diameters of the cones therefore allow of.
obtaining five degrees of energy more and more considerable. To diminish the.
energy of the machine the motion is reversed, that is to say, the brake straps are
moved in the opposite direction to that of the rotary motion of the drum and
there are thus obtained by a simple crossing of the strap from the cones five new.
degrees of energy of the reverse movement which correspond to the grades of the
cones; at the maximum of energy of the direct movement, the cards have a
backward movement more rapid than the forward development of the drum.
With cones of five stages there are thus ten different degrees of energy without
counting the mean degree of energy obtained by the stoppage of the cones and
brake straps, the new gig-mill being capable of working as desired either by direct
movement or the reverse movement. Another advantage is to insure to the brake
straps an efficaciousness much greater than in the old mills, the power of the straps
acting on a diameter or lever greater than the lever of resistance; it follows that
for brake pulleys of the same width the useful action of the straps will be increased
in a great proportion and slipping will be obviated. There are thus obtained
in practice results as regards regulation which have never been realized except

page_text: '
theoretically because it has not been possible to avoid the slipping of the straps
on the brake pulleys.
The speed cones which I preferably employ are two corresponding cones having
generatrices which are parabolic and which allow of effecting variations of the
energy in a regular arithmetical progression, giving a difference of about 2.5 from
one degree to another. Two speed cones with rectilinear generatrices such as are
employed in machine tools for example produce differences of speed following a
geometrical progression and therefore give very irregular differences between the
different degrees of energy if employed in a gig-mill. But with the parabolic
speed cones the difference from one degree to another is always the same following
an arithmetical progression so that each kind of cloth can be acted upon with the
exact degree of energy that, it can. bear-In Figure 5 I. show the speed cone for
the shaft of the gig-drum; this has a convex parabolic generatrix X Y. Figure 6
shows the speed cone to be driven from the cone Figure 5; it has a concave
parabolic generatrix. The sums of the diameters of any two corresponding
degrees are always the same so that the length of the strap or belt may remain
constant..
I apply the same arrangement of brake pulleys (of a diameter about say 20
to 30 per cent larger than that of the teasling or carding rollers) to gig-mills in
which the upper shaft is dispensed with and in which therefore there is no move-
ment of the brake straps (see Figure 2). The rollers being provided with pulleys
whose diameter is about one third more than the diameter outside the cards, there
is added at each end of the drum a driving strap, that is to say, a fixed strap A³ of
which one end is attached to the frame of the machine and the other to a screw B
which can be tightened more or less. The two straps are then arranged the one.
like the other and do not participate in the rotary movement of the drum. When'
these straps are strongly stretched the machine possesses its maximum energy and
the cards scratch or raise about 30 per cent. To diminish the energy of the cards
it suffices to slacken the straps more or less so as to allow the brake pulleys to
alip. The above arrangement has several advantages; it allows of constructing
a gig-mill of variable energy while considerably simplifying the machine. In
factories where many articles of the same kind have to be treated, it performs the
same services as those with cones, and costs much less.
Another improvement relates to the oiling of the spindles of the teasling or
carding rollers,-see Figures 3 and 4. It is very important that these spindles
should always be well oiled. Now this oiling which has hitherto been done
separately at each bearing occupies considerable time and yet it often happens
that one of the spindles from being badly oiled becomes heated and damage results.
In order to obviate this I employ a central reservoir A³ for distributing the oil to
all the spindles D by means of tubes filled with wicks, the end of each wick
spreading under the journal of the roller; I also place on the spindle a bearing
which is itself fitted with a wick. and with an oil reservoir at the outer end. This
reservoir serves to collect the excess of the oil distributed by the central reservoir.
It will be understood that while the centrifugal force prevents the oil leaving the
reservoir, the oil passes by capillarity alone along the tubes but cannot be thrown
out by the centrifugal force.
.
:
Another improvement consists in the application or adaptation of a tension
regulator to the brake straps-see Figure 1. This tension regulator is composed
of a lever.A having a roller B at one end and a weight C (or springs) at the other,
the roller bearing against the strap; there is thus always the same tension and the
same adhesion of the strap. The degree of tension is regulated by shifting the
weight C.
When the strap has elongated so much that the tension roller B comes
against the upper pulley P, the shaft can be raised by means of screws or the strap
can be shortened. E E' are guide.rollers for the strap.
Another improvement consists of a novel arrangement for applying internal
friction. It is composed of a spring F. (Figure 1) formed of. a steel plate bent into

page_text: the form of a ring and of the width of the pulleys of the carding rollers; this plate
is covered on its outer face with leather. It is fitted inside the drum and it
presses by means of its leather covering against the pulleys owing to the elasticity
of the metal and the tension given to it by means of a regulating screw v which
connects its two ends-Or instead of the circular spring described I can employ
spring plates or segments as in steam engine pistons the characteristic point being
the employment of a leather band pressing against the inside of the set of pulleys,
the pressure or degree of adhesion being capable of regulation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me, I declare that I do not claim anything described in Specification No 11640
of 1885, but what I claim in respect of gig mills of the kind herein referred
to is:
1. Constructing the brake or drag pulleys a and the teasling, card or working
rollers a respectively of different diameters as herein before described.
2. The arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described whereby the spindles
of the teasling, card or working rollers are lubricated from a central reservoir.
3. Constructing gig-mills with a tension regulator substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
4. The means substantially as hereinbefore described of applying internal
friction to the set of pulleys of the teasling, card or working rollers.
5. Constructing the speed cones as herein before described so that the several
speeds follow an arithmetical progression.
6. Constructing gig-mills as herein before described with reference to the annexed
drawings.