IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EM- PLOYED IN THE 'PREPARATION' OF COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Crighton and Spencer Crighton, of the
Castlefield Iron Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EM-
PLOYED IN THE 'PREPARATION' OF COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 20th October 1871, and dated the 21st April 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Crighton and
Spencer Crighton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 21st April 1871.
We, WILLIAM CRIGHTON and SPENCER CRIGHTON, of the Castlefield
Iron Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN THE PREPARATION OF COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to
be as follows :-
Our Invention relates to the apparatus for which Letters Patent
bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year One thousand

page_text: eight hundred and sixty-seven, were granted to the said William
Crighton, but portions of the said Invention are applicable to other
machines employed in the preparation of cotton.
Our Invention relates in the first place to the opener forming part of
the said apparatus and is applicable generally to openers in which the
fibrous material travels in the direction or nearly in the direction of the
axis of the beater. In the said opener as heretofore constructed the dirt
has been discharged by the action of the beater through the grids directly
into the space enclosed by the outer casing of the machine and the high
velocity of the currents of air produced by the beater has caused a pro-
portion of the fibrous material to be carried through the said grids, and
also we believe that the excessive discharge of air from certain parts of
the opener has caused return currents of air to re-enter other parts of
the said opener. In order to lessen or control the said discharge of air
we contract the space into which the air flows after having passed
through the said grids either by surrounding or partly surrounding the
said grids with a shell or inner casing arranged within the space between
the said grids and the outer casing, or we make the said outer casing or
a portion thereof of a cylindrical or conical form or of such other form
as will answer our purpose, and we contract the space between the said
outer casing and the grids sufficiently to obtain the desired effect. We
may divide the height of the grids or of the space surrounding the said
grids into two or more sections and separately cuclose each section so as
to separate for a time the currents of air flowing through the said
sections.
Our Invention relates in the next place to the beater casing. In the
upper part or side of the said casing we form an opening, or two or more
openings, or a grid or grids, and we cause the beater to revolve in the
direction which will cause the cotton or fibrous material to be driven
over the axis of the beater and past the said opening or openings or grids
or grids on its way to the outlet for the said cotton or fibrous material,
the stones and the heavier particles of dirt or portions of them passing
in an upward direction through the said opening or openings or grid
or grids, and being received into one or more receptacles. We propose
in some cases to connect a beater fitted with the improved casing
and driven as aforesaid to the inlet or feed opening of the aforesaid
'opener.

page_text: A further portion of our Invention has for its object to effect the
feeding of laps into the opener in a more regular manner than by the
use of the ordinary creeper. For this purpose we cause the lap or each
lap to rest upon two rollers, cylinders, or cylindrical cages, to which a
revolving motion is imparted. We prefer to make each roller or cylinder
of a comparatively large diameter so that, for example, four of such
rollers or cylinders shall suffice to support and feed or unrol three laps.
A further portion of our Invention relates to the calendering or
pressing rollers employed in the formation of the lap and has for its
object to prevent "licking," that is to say, to lessen the tendency of
the folds or layers of the lap to cohere. To this end we turn grooves
in each of the said rollers, or we otherwise form grooves thereon, the
grooves or depressions in one roller being opposed to the ridges or
elevations of the other roller.
A remaining part of our Invention consists in feeding the opener
with laps. This may be effected by the improved means herein-before
described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Crighton and Spencer Crighton in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
CRIGHTON and SPENCER CRIGHTON, of the Castlefield Iron Works,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said William Crighton and Spencer Crighton, Her
special license that we, the said William Crighton and Spencer Crighton,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Crighton and Spencer Crighton, our 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

page_text: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Mau, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
IN THE PREPARATION OF COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said William Crighton and Spencer
Crighton, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, 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 we, the said William Crighton and Spencer
Crighton, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 :-
Our Invention relates more particularly to the apparatus for which
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the
year One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, were granted to the
said William Crighton, but portions of the said Invention are applicable
to other machines employed in the preparation of cotton or fibrous
materials.
Our Invention relates, in the first place, to the opener forming part of
the said apparatus, and is applicable generally to openers in which the
fibrous material travels in the direction or nearly in the direction of the
axis of the beater. In the said opener as heretofore constructed the dirt
has been discharged by the action of the beater through the grids
directly into the space enclosed by the outer casing of the machine, and
the high velocity of currents of air produced by the beater has caused a
proportion of the fibrous material to be carried through the said grids;
and also we believe that the excessive discharge of air from certain parts
of the opener has caused return currents of air to re-enter at other parts
of the said opener. In order to lessen or control the said discharge of
air we contract the space into which the air flows after having passed
through the said grids, either by surrounding or partly surrounding the
said grids with a shell or inner casing arranged within the space between
the said grids and the outer casing; or we make the said outer casing or
a portion thereof of a cylindrical or conical form, or of such other form
as will answer our purpose, and we contract the space between the said

page_text: outer casing and the grids sufficiently to obtain the desired effect. We
may divide the height of the grids or of the space surrounding the
said grids into two or more sections, and separately enclose each section
so as to separate for a time the currents of air flowing through the said
sections.
Our Invention relates, in the next place, to the "beater casing," and
is also applicable to the beater casings of other apparatus employed in
the preparation of cotton or fibrous material. In the upper part or side
of the said casing we form an opening, or two or more openings, or a
grid or grids, and we cause the beater to revolve in the direction which
will cause the cotton or fibrous material to be driven over the axis of the
beater, and past the said opening or openings or grid or grids on its way
to the outlet for the said cotton or fibrous material, the stones and the
heavier particles of dirt or portions of them passing in an upward
direction through the said opening or openings or grid or grids, and
being received into one or more receptacles. We propose in some cases
to connect a beater fitted with the improved casing, and driven as
aforesaid to the inlet or feed opening of the aforesaid opener.
A further portion of our Invention consists in feeding the opener with
laps either by any suitable or ordinary means, or by causing the laps to
rest upon rollers, cylinders, or cylindrical cages to which a revolving
motion is imparted, the fibrous material being by these means fed in a
more regular manner than when the ordinary creeper is employed for
the purpose.
We prefer to make cach roller or cylinder of a com-
paratively large diameter, so that, for example, four of such rollers or
cylinders shall suffice to support and feed or unrol three laps.
A further portion of our Invention relates to the "calendering" or
pressing rollers employed in the formation of the lap, and has for its
object to prevent "licking," that is to say, to lessen the tendency of
the folds or layers of the lap to cohere. To this end we turn grooves in
cach of the said rollers, or we otherwise form grooves therein, the grooves
or depressions of one roller being opposed to the ridges or elevations of
the other roller.
In order that the said Invention may be fully understood reference
will here be made to the accompanying Drawings illustrative of the
manner in which we prefer to carry the said Invention into practical
effect.

page_text: Fig. 1 of the said Drawings represents a side elevation partly in
section of an apparatus styled a "Combined Opener and Lap Machine,"
for which Letters Patent were granted in the year One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven, as herein aforesaid, the improvements con-
stituting the present Invention being represented as applied to the said
apparatus. In the said Figure, A is the opener, represented also in
horizontal section by Fig. 2; b, b, are the grids, and c is the aforesaid
shell or inner casing. The said shell or casing in this example extends
around the said grids, so as to form a contracted space for the passage of
air. In the example illustrated the said space is divided by vertical par-
titions d, d, into a number of compartments, but the said partitions are
not essential. The said space or each of the said compartments is closed
at the upper end, and is open at the lower end, air flowing through the
grids b, b, and downwards through the said space or compartments into
the dirt receptacle," that is to say, the lower part of the space enclosed
by the outer casing, the dirt ejected through the grids passing with the
air into the said receptacle. The form and arrangement of the said inner
casing or of the outer casing may be greatly varied so long as the object
of our Invention is attained, namely, to check and regulate the flow of
air through the grids by contracting the space immediately surrounding
the said grids. It may be found to be desirable to nearly or entirely
close the lower part of the aforesaid space, or of each of the said com-
partments, so as nearly or entirely to prevent the flow of air therefrom
into the aforesaid dirt receptacle. This part of the Invention may
be applied to openers other than the one illustrated, as herein-before
indicated.
The next part of our Invention relating to "beater casings" is illus-
trated by Fig. 3, which represents a cross section of a beater. In the
said Figure, e is a grid or opening formed in or fitted to the upper part of
the casing, and 7 is a receptacle for stones or dirt which is enclosed by
a cover or casing h, which cover or casing is hinged to the beater casing

page_text: be fitted to the casing of a single beater. A beater provided with a
receptacle is represented as applied to the inlet or feed opening of the
opener in Fig. 1 (i being the said beater), the cotton being operated
upon by the said beater before passing into the said opener. The part of
our Invention which consists in feeding the opener with laps is also
illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein.k, k, are the said laps which are fed to the
beater i, or in case the said beater is not employed in the position
represented in the Drawing, the said laps are fed directly into the feed
opening of the opener. The said laps are represented as being "fed" by
the improved means which we will now describe.
Fig. 4 illustrates our improved arrangements for feeding laps into
the opener or into other machines employed in the preparation of cotton
or fibrous material. In the said Figure 1, 1, arc cylinders or cylindrical
cages, the circumference of each cylinder or cage being formed of wire
cloth, or of tin plates, or being otherwise formed, as preferred. The
axles of the said cylinders or cages are mounted in bearings fixed or
formed on the framing of the machine, and the said cylinders or cages
sustain the laps k. We prefer to cause each lap to rest upon two
cylinders or cages in manner as represented. The said cylinders or cages
are caused to revolve, and thereby to unrol the laps and to feed the
cotton into or towards the beater m, or the opener or scutcher, or other
machine, as the case may be.
The remaining Figs. illustrate our improvements in "calendering
rollers."
Fig. 5 represents portions of a pair of calendering rollers, on which
are turned grooves of the form indicated in the said Figure or in any
of the remaining Figs., or of any suitable form which will effect tho
object of our Invention. When in action the ridges on one roller aro
opposite to the grooves in the other roller, so that the layer of cotton
is creased as well as rolled, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, this creasing of
the cotton tending to prevent the herein afore-mentioned licking.
Fig. 6 illustrates a modification of the method of grooving. In this
example grooves are formed on the surface of one roller, and ridges are
formed on the surface of the other roller, and the said grooves and
ridges are inclined with respect to the axes of the said rollers. The
grooves or the grooves and ridges may be otherwise formed than by the
operation of turning, as, for example, they may be formed by "plaining,"

page_text: and also the said grooves or ridges may extend from one end of the
roller to the other end thereof, and be in a line with the axis of the
said roller or be otherwise formed, so long as the ridges on one roller
act in connection with the grooves in or on the other roller in the
manner indicated by Figs. 7 and 8. The last-named Figs. are drawn 5
about the full size. Fig. 7 illustrating the action of a pair of rollers
having grooves extending from end to end, such grooves, for example,
as would be formed in a plaining machine, and Fig. 8 illustrating the
action of rollers similar to the rollers represented in Fig. 5.
A pair of the improved calendering rollers is represented at o in Fig. 1. 1
It must be understood that the grooved calendering rollers take the
place of the ordinary calendering rollers, and that the cotton or fibrous
material passes directly from the said rollers to the laps.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and means
for carrying the same into practical effect, we would have it to be 1
understood that we claim,-
First. The method of checking and regulating the flow of air through
the grids of openers in which the fibrous material travels in the direction
of the axis of the beater, substantially as and for the purpose or purposes
herein-before described and indicated.
Secondly. The application to "beater casings" of the apparatus for
intercepting stones and dirt, substantially as described, indicated, and
illustrated herein, and in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. Applying a beater provided with the aforesaid means for
intercepting stones and dirt to an opener of the description referred to
in our first claim, in such a manner as that the fibrous material shall
pass directly from the said beater into the said opener.
Fourthly. Feeding openers of the description referred to in our first
claim, with laps.
2
Fifthly. The improved method of feeding laps into machines em- 3
ployed in the preparation of cotton or fibrous materials, substantially
as described and illustrated herein and by the accompanying Drawings.
Sixthly. The improvements in the calendering rollers of "lap.
machines,” substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described
and set forth, and as illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
3

page_text: And, lastly. The general combination and arrangement of parts,
ubstantially as represented by Figure 1.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Crighton and Spencer
Crighton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth
day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.
Signed and sealed by the said
William Crighton and Spencer
Crighton, in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
W. CRIGHTON.
(L.S.)
SPENCER CRIGHTON. (L.S.)
Agent for the Patentees,
3, Smithy Door,
Manchester.