Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding the "Revolving Flats" Employed in Carding Engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1890-Accepted, 5th July, 1890
HOTIONAL DI ECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding the "Revolving Flats"
Employed in Carding Engines.
We JAMES EDWARD PLATT of Hartford Works, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and JAMES FIDLER of the same place, Machinist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our improvements relate to arrangements of apparatus for grinding the "flats"
of "revolving flat carding-engines" for which Letters Patent were granted to
Thomas Clegg and Thomas Lucas, dated the 19th day of February 1874 and
numbered 623.
In carrying out our invention we employ a can or cams secured to or receiving
rotary motion from the "notch block shaft" from which the "flats" receive their
motion and by which they are moved over the surface of the guide rails or flexible
bends of "revolving flat carding engines." The said cam or cams actuates or actuate
a lever or levers which acts or act upon sliding pieces which curry or press the
"flats" one after another against the faces of the sliding blocks (k) described in the
specification of the Letters Patent aforesaid. The said cam or cains will at the proper
time by means of the lever or levers and sliding pieces aforesaid cause the "flat"
which is to be ground to be brought into contact with the said sliding blocks (k) so
that the relative positions of the wire on the "flat" and the surface of the grinding
roller will be regulated by the sliding blocks (k) whilst the "wire" of the
is being ground. The cam or cams before mentioned will at the proper time
release or remove the sliding pieces which pressed the "flat" against the sliding
blocks () so that the said "flat" will be disengaged from the sliding blocks before
mentioned in order that the sliding blocks may return to their normal positions
to receive the next "flat" as it moves forward into position for being ground.
flat
In some cases we cause the levers before mentioned to act directly on the "flat"
without the intervention of the sliding pieces before referred to.
We provide arrangements by means of which the apparatus can be put out of
operation without being removed from the carding-engine.
Dated this Fourteenth day of August 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding the " Revolving Flats"
Employed in Carding Engines.
We, JAMES EDWARD PLATT of Hartford Works, Oldhamn in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer and JAMES FIDLER of the same place, Machinist, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our improvements relate to arrangements of apparatus for grinding the "flats"
of "revolving flat carding. engines for which Letters Patent were grauted to
Thomas Clegg and Thomas Lucas, dated the 19th day of February 1874 and
numbered 623.
"
In carrying out our invention we employ a cam or cams secured to or receiving
rotary motion from the "notch block shaft from which the "flats "receive their
motion and by which they are moved over the surface of the guide rails or flexible
bends of "revolving flat carding engines." The said cam or cams actuates, or
actuate a lever or levers which acts or act upon sliding pieces which carry or
Price Rd7

page_text: press the
"
or
flats" one after another against the faces of the sliding blocks (k)
described in the specification of the Letters Patent aforesaid. The said cam
cams will at the proper time by means of the lever or levers and sliding pieces
aforesaid cause the flat" which is to be ground to be brought into contact with the
said sliding box (%) so that the relative positions of the wire on the flat and
the surface of the grinding roller will be regulated by the sliding blocks (k) whilst
the "wire" of the "flat" is being ground. The cam or cams before mentioned will
at the proper time release or remove the sliding pieces which pressed the "flat"
against the sliding blocks (k) so that the said "flat" will be disengaged from the
sliding blocks before mentioned in order that the sliding blocks may return to their
normal position to receive the next "flat as it moves forward into position for
being ground.
"
In some cases we cause the levers before mentioned to act directly on the flat
without the intervention of the sliding pieces before referred to.
We provide arrangements by means of which the apparatus can be put out of
operation without being removed from the carding-engine.
A method of carrying our invention into effect is shown in the accompanying
drawing which shows so much of a carding-engine as is requisite to illustrate our
invention. Fig. 1 is a side elevation Fig. 2 is a plan of certain parts seen in the
direction from A to B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of certain of the parts
shown in Fig. 1 as seen in a direction from C to D of Fig. 1. The same letters of
reference are applied to corresponding parts throughout all the figures.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown, and in many cases in the description
following we shall refer to, certain parts as though such parts were employed at one
side only of the carding-engine but we would have it understood that certain of the
parts extend across the carding-engine and that parts corresponding to certain other
parts are employed at the other side of the carding-engine. To the bend a is secured
a bracket 6 which supports so that it is free to be rotated therein one end of the
"notch block shaft c upon which are mounted the notch blocks d from which the
chain E of flats e receives its motion and by which the flats e are moved over the surface
of the guide rails or flexible bends of the "revolving flat carding-engine." Secured
upon one end of the "notch block shaft" is a cam g upon the circumference of which
are formed inclines g' the number of inclines g¹ being equal to the number of notches
or recesses d¹ in each of the "notch blocks" d.
The inclines act upon an incline secured to a bar h. Through the end h² of
the bar is formed a slot h³ which embraces a stud projecting from the end of the
notch block shaft" c, upon which stud the slot may be slidden. The bar h is
jointed at its end ht by means of a stud h to one end of a levert mounted fast upon
a shaft carried by and capable of being turned in brackets in secured to or mounted
upon the bends of the carding-engine. One end of the lever is formed as a
handle t¹. Fast upon the shaft are arms n the ends n¹ of which at times act against
the lower sides of levers o which are mounted loose upon the shaft l. Secured to
each of the levers is one end of a rod p the opposite end of which is secured to the
lever o corresponding to the said lever o and situate at the other side of the carding-
engine. The rod p acts as a weight tending to turn the levers o in the direction
opposite to that indicated by the arrow H. Formed upon or secured to the lever o
is a finger q upon which rests the lower end of the sliding block capable of being
slidden in guides r¹ formed in a part 2 projecting from the bend a. When the flats
are at work they travel in the direction indicated by the arrow F. While each of the
flats e is travelling over the sliding blocks the part el of such flat e will rest upon
the end of the sliding block r. Carried by the bracket m is the "grinding roller" s.
is a sliding block such as is described in the specification of the Letters Patent
aforesaid. The block is secured upon a bar k¹ capable of being slidden longitudinally
in the bracket m. Carried by the bracket m is one end of a shaft u upon which is
secured a boss ¹. To the circumference of the boss is secured one end of a
chain v secured at its other end to the bar k¹. To the shaft u is secured a weight w
which tends to turn the shaft u so as to draw the bar k¹ and the block k in the

page_text: direction indicated by the arrow G. The cam g with its inclines g' will at the proper
time by means of the incline h¹, bar h, and lever t permit the rod p and lever o to act
on the arms and allow the weight of the rod p to turn the fingers q and by means
of the sliding blocks r cause the flat e which is to be ground to be brought into
contact with the sliding blocks k aforesaid so that the relative positions of the wire on
the flat and the surface of the grinding roller whilst the wire of the flat is being
ground will be regulated by the sliding blocks k.
When
According to the position in which the parts are shown in the drawing the
leading flat is shown as having just passed underneath the grinding roller.
the said flat e✶ is in the said position one of the inclines g¹ of the cam g will by acting
against the incline h¹ push forward the bar thereby turning the lifting levers n
and causing them to act upon the levers o so as to turn them in the direction
indicated by the arrow H thereby causing the fingers to be turned in the direction
indicated by the arrow J and thereby allowing the sliding blocks to descend and
the flat supported by such sliding blocks to be disengaged from the sliding blocks k
so that the said "flat" will be disengaged from the sliding blocks k before mentioned
in order that the sliding blocks : may be returned to their normal position, by means
of the weight w in readiness to receive the next flat as it moves forward into position
for being ground.
Occasionally when the joints of the flat chains" are rather stiff the flat which
is being lifted up to engage with the sliding block k lifts also the preceding flat
which has already passed from the sliding block k. In order to prevent such lifting
of the flat after it has passed from the sliding block we in some cases form
upon or secure to the bracket m a projecting part under which each flat has
to pass after being ground by the grinding roller s and we thus cause each flat
after being ground to be held down so that it will travel along the bracket by
which the flats which are not being ground are supported.
Although the weight of the flat on the descent of the sliding blocks is in practice
found to be sufficient to release the flat from the sliding blocks, we in some cases
employ the arrangements shown in Fig. 4 by means of which arrangements we are
enabled to "positively "ensure the disengagement of the flat from the sliding block k
after such flat has passed beneath the grinding roller 8.
Upon each of the levers o we secure or form a projecting part of which at
times supports one end y' of a lever y carried by and capable of being turned upon
a stud secured to the bracket m.
When the flat has passed beneath the grinding roller s such flat will arrive
beneath the ends of the levers 7. When the levers o are moved in the direction
indicated by the arrow J* in order to allow the descent of the sliding blocks r
such levers o will by means of the projecting parts o¹ cause the levers y to be turned
O in the direction indicated by the arrow M and the ends y² of the levers y will
arrive in contact with the flat and force it away from the sliding blocks k. The cams g
thus cause each of the flats to become engaged with the sliding blocks k and to be
disengaged therefrom.
In Fig. 4 the projecting part o¹ is shown as being in the form of au excentric or cam
mounted and capable of being secured in position upon a stud, in order that the action
of the lever y may be readily regulated to cause the flats to be disengaged from the
sliding blocks when the lever o is moved in the direction indicated by the
arrow J*.
When the flats have been sufficiently ground or when it is desired to put the apparatus
above described out of operation we transfer the pin from the hole in the bar h in
which it is shown as being placed into another hole formed through the har h and
shown by dotted lines x², the bar being moved in the direction indicated by the
arrow L by the handle being moved in the direction indicated by the
arrow K. The incline will thus be moved out of the range of the inclines g¹ and
the fingers being turned in the direction indicated by the arrow H will allow the
sliding blocks to descend, thereby allowing the flats to pass beneath the grinding
rollers without being acted upon thereby.

page_text: Having, now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In an apparatus for controlling the grinding of the flats of "revolving flat
carding engines" in which sliding blocks such as (k) are employed, the construction,
arrangement and combination of parts shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, arranged
employed and operating for the purposes and substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described in reference to and indicated in and by the accompanying drawing.
"
2. In an apparatus for controlling the grinding of the flats of "revolving flat
carding engines in which sliding blocks such as () are employed, the use of a
cam such as (g) for the purpose of bringing the flat to be ground into position and
connection with the sliding blocks () and for removing the flat from the sliding
blocks (k) after it has been ground.
Dated this Fourteenth day of May 1890.
W. T. CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicants.