A.D. 1834. N° 6584. Cards for Carding Fibrous Substances. WALTON'S SPECIFICATION. NOW KNOW YE that in compliance with the said proviso I the said James Walton do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to consist in the application and adaptation of the material known by the name of caoutchouc or india rubber as a substitute for the fillets or sheets of leather which are commonly used in the construction of ordinary cards and thus giving a superior elasticity and durability to such cards. And in further compliance with the said proviso I the said James Walton do hereby describe the manner in which my said Invention is to be performed by the following statement thereof reference being had to the Drawing annexed and to the figures and letters marked thereon that is to say DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING. Figure 2 represents an elevation of a card constructed with an india rubber or caoutchouc foundation or fillet as shewn at a a in which the wire dents or teeth are inserted and the regularity of distance and uniformity of the dents or teeth of the cards are found to be better preserved by a piece of linen commonly called brown Holland or other the like cloth well glazed and cemented on to the back of the caoutchouc or india rubber as shewn by a red line at b b. The cloth b b when fastened to the caoutchouc continues to keep the dents or teeth more firmly in their places when in Walton's Improvements in Cards for Carding Fibrous Substances. use and the foundation or fillet being thereby made much stiffer the action of the dents or teeth is less uncertain in their elastic movement. The cloth so cemented to the india rubber or caoutchouc is to be affixed to the cylinder or board or the ordinary carding engine by nails but if it is to be affixed by cementing then it is desirable to remove the cloth which in this case should only be slightly attached to the india rubber and this will be found the best mode of applying the cards thereon. When the cards are constructed by hand it is essential that the cloth bb should be first pricked by an engine (as is the practice when leather is used) to regulate the distance and required uniformity of the dents or teeth and in cases where cloth is introduced between two layers of caoutchouc or india rubber as represented by the red line at Figure 3. The india rubber or caoutchouc is pricked or pierced in a similar manner to enable the card maker to force the dents or teeth through it without bending or injuring their form or shape but the pricking of the holes may be effected by the patent machinery of Mr. Dyer of Manchester now in use for that purpose. It may be as well here to observe that when I mention cement in this Specification I always allude to what is now generally called india-rubber cement and which as it has now become an article of general sale and may be bought by that name I do not think it necessary further to describe the same but as the machines for cutting india rubber are not generally known and as I prefer caoutchouc or india rubber in the state it is imported for my purpose I will now describe the means which I use for cutting the caoutchouc or india rubber into layers from the solid blocks as imported and which I recommend in preference to what is termed manufactured india rubber or india rubber first dissolved by some known solvent and then cast in moulds to form blocks the former being most suitable for the purpose. I first cut the block lengthwise into suitable sizes according to the nature of the cards to be manufactured and then place the flat or regular surface of the block on a Walton's Improvements in Cards for Carding Fibrous Substances. metallic surface which moves freely between two guides the exact thickness of the sheet of caoutchouc or india rubber which it is designed to cut off-And it will be evident that by varying the thickness of the metallic surface the proper thickness of caoutchouc will be cut off. A sharp knife kept occasionally wet with water and supported on guides is then pressed with a sawing action against the india rubber or caoutchouc by the operator at the same time that he forces the india rubber or caoutchouc forwards between the guides by turning the roller n and thus severs or cuts off a piece of the exact thickness required. The pieces thus cut off may be joined together to form fillets or sheets according to the nature of the card intended to be made and when the teeth or dents are set therein may be nailed to the board in the usual manner or cemented on it. This apparatus is shewn at Figure 4 which represents a side view and Figure 5 an end view of the same. In these Figures L represents the knife and h h the rests on which it is supported N N is the block of caoutchouc or india rubber and n one of the layers which is cut off seen in Figure 5. M represents the roller pressed upon the caoutchouc or india rubber N N by weights attached to the small rods m m on each side. In cutting the layers of caoutchouc or india rubber I have found the operation greatly facilitated by using water and keeping the knife constantly wet. But I would here observe that I lay no claim to the cutting apparatus herein-before described as I have only shewn it as the best method I am at present aware of to effect the purpose. The apparatus for grinding or pointing the wires forming the cards herein-before described as represented in Figure 1 which is an elevation of a portion of a shaft having a series of cutters or files placed thereon as will be described hereafter this shaft must be fixed in suitable bearings and rotary motion be communicated thereto from any first mover. CC is the shaft of any required length. d d d d d d d d d d d are a number of circular steel rings or discs having bevelled 1 Walton's. Improvements in Cards for Carding Fibrous Substances. edges on each face with grooves or notches cut in them similar to files for the purpose of grinding or pointing the teeth or dents of the cards when placed in contact therewith during the revolution of the shaft. A few only of these cutters or files are shewn in the Drawing as their number will depend upon the length of card intended to be pointed or sharpened but when in use the whole shaft is supposed to be strung with them. D D are two flanges capable of being moved freely on the shaft and provided with set screws for the purpose of fixing the circular files or cutters firmly together. pppp are screws tapped into the flanges D D for the purpose of setting the circular cutters or files to any degrees of obliquity that may be required as will be hereafter explained. This apparatus is used in every respect similarly to the circular emery strickles or grinding cylinders which are in ordinary use but instead of grinding the wire to a flat face or chisel edge as is the case with the ordinary emery grinder it grinds the wire to an angular form which is found to make a much better point to the dents or teeth. I also find it useful to put these cutters a little out of truth or with a slight obliquity which I effect by means of the set screws p p in the flanges D D before mentioned and by turning the hole or centre of each cutter somewhat larger than the diameter of the shaft so that the screw on one side of the shaft may be pressed against the face of the cutter or file or cause it to assume the oblique position shewn near the right-hand flange at Figure 1 by setting the circular cutters in this position the points of the wire which enter into the angular spaces between the respective cutters may be ground more or less obtuse as the nature of the work to which they may be applied may require thus supposing the cutters to be set true the points of the wire would correspond with the angular space between each cutter but if the cutters be placed in an oblique position and the point of the wire not entering to the bottom of the grooves the wire will be impinged on alternately by the alternate cutters and thereby rendered more or less obtuse |