US267454A - Hurst - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 sheets-11m 1.

S. R. PARKHURST. I MACHINE FOR PIGKING, OPENINGHAND MIXING WOOL. No. 267,454. Patented NOV. 14; 1882.

N. PETERS. PholoLilhogmpher, wnhin mn. RC.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

s. R.'PARKIE[URST. MACHINE FOR PICKING, OPENING,AND MIXING WOOL. N0. 267,454.

Patented Nov. 14, 1882.

N. PETERS. Pholn-Lilhognpller. wumn xon, 0. c,

STEPHEN It. PARKHUBST, 0F MONTOLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO EMILY R. PARKHURST, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FIOR PICKING, OPENING, AND MIXING WOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,454,dated November 14, 1882.

Application filed August 25, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEPHEN R. PARK- HURsT, of Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Machines for Picking, Opening, and Mixing lVool, of which the following is a specification.

This machine is designed for opening wool or other fiber and mixing difi'erent qualities or colors of wool, and it is designed to take the place of the ordinary picker, which in practice is found to be dangerous in consequence of the risk of fire, and it also is liable to injure the Wool by cutting or breaking it by the very rapid motion of the parts. Belts with teeth have been made use of in feeding wool into cleaning-machines, but they are costly, and not adapted to act directly in opening the fiber.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a partial plan of the machine at one side. Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4 a section at a: 00, of some of the slats of the feeding-belt.

vI make use of slats a a, of steel or similar material, the same being united together to form an endless belt or apron by means of the hinges Z) I). which are applied at or near the ends of the slats, and also in one or more intermediate lines lengthwise of the belt, so that each slat is hinged to the adjacent slats at or near the ends and at one or more intermediate places. I prefer to unite these slats together by ranges of hinges placed about six inches apart. Each slat has one or more ranges of teeth, 0 c. I prefer and use triangular teeth, each formed by a punch and die that cut through the metal at an acute angle and bend the tooth so that it stands up from the surface of the slat. Slats made in this manner are adapted to thefeeding-aprons of woolen machinery of various kinds-such as picking, combing, and carding machines-and I have shown an apron of said slats as passing around the cylinder E and forming the surface of teeth for the same, as hereinafter set forth. The teeth point toward one edge of the slat, and

- are in the'body of the slats and not at the edge or edges, as sometimes heretofore made use of.

For the purpose of picking, opening, or mixing wool or other fibrous materials I employ the aforesaid toothed slats in the manner next described.

belt D passes around the roller g, beneath the guide-rollers h h, and over the feeding-cylinder 70. This cylinder 70 is driven by suitable power applied by a belt or otherwise to a pulley or wheel upon its shaft, and it is preferable to employ two pulleys-one on the shaft of the cylinder 70, the other on the shaft of the roller gand an endless belt around such pulleys, as shown by dotted lines, so that the endless feeding-beltD will be moved with regularity in the direction indicated by the arrow. This feeding-belt D, of steel slats a, hinged together and provided with teeth, forms the bottom of a hopper, and the disksfform the ends. Into this hopper the wool or other fiber to be operated upon is placed in mass, and hence it is rolled over and over by the movement of the feeding-belt that forms the bottom of the hopper. The teeth of the belt become full of the fiber and convey such fiber to the place where it is delivered to the picking, opening, burring, cleaning, or carding mechanism.

This improved feeding-hopper mixes thoroughly the different qualities or colors of wool or other fiber, and the belt conveys away a regular or nearly regular quantity of fiber by the teeth, and the movement of the parts is not as rapid as in the ordinary picker-machine. Hence there is little or no risk of fire from friction, or from the steel striking fire against particles'of grit or other foreign substances.

I have represented this improved belt of toothed slats and the mixing and feeding hopper as combined with the toothed opening-cylinder F, cylinder E, and brush G. The teeth on the cylinder F act to hold the fibers and draw them oft into the teeth 0 of the belt of slats a, and the fiber is further opened and separated by the teeth of the cylinder E. I have shown the cylinder F as made with a surface of steel slats and teeth, and the cylinderE as having an endless belt of slats a,with teeth 0, the said belt passing over the roller 1, the shaft of which is supported by bearings 011 the frame (I.

The journal-boxes a of the cylinder E are in the form of brackets that extend from the frame (I in between the disks f, so that the shaft of this cylinder will be supported-within the hopper, and the bracket journal-boxes extending beyond the edges of the disks j do not interfere with the rotation of said disks. The slats a of the comber a also pass freely in between the disksf.

The gear-wheels r s t connect the respective cylinders 70 E F, and these are preferably proportioned so that the surface of F travels slower than that of 7c and the surface of E travels faster than that of F or k. These relative speeds cause the teeth to open the fiber without unnecessary strain, and the teeth of 7c and F are cleaned by the revolving brush-blower that takes away the fiberin the usual manner. A wire screen, 1;, over a box, w, allows particles of burrs and foreign substances to fall away from the fiber as it is delivered by the brush. Particles ofburrs, sand, and other foreign matters can fall through between the slats a, and also through the holes beneath the teeth, and I providea curved metallic plate or sh elf, y, between the upper and lower portions of the feeding-belt to form a receptacle or dirt-catcher for receiving-these foreign substances and preventing them lodging on the inner surface of the lower portion of the feeding-belt.

The guard at It serves to protect the operatives from contact with the feeding-belt when supplying the fiber in mass into the hopper.

In consequence of the combing-belt a being made of slats and standing at an inclination there is time for looks ofwool to fall away into the hopper, whereas ifonly a combing-cylinder were used thelocks of wool might be carried up bodily and over such cylinder, instead of remaining in the hopper until the wool is taken off in detail by the teeth of the slats. A brush or doffer may be used, as shown by dotted lines at 0 to throw back into the hopper wool that may adhere in lumps to the ascending side of the combing-belt a.

It will be apparent that if the cylinder E had teeth on its surface it might, under some circumstances, be used in place of the belt a.

If desired, the wool may be oiled while in the hopper by a sprinkler, z, to which oil is admitted in the proper quantity.

I am aware that metal slats have been used for the aprons of carding machines. They, however, have been fastened upon leather belts. These stretch and the apron becomes loose and unreliable.

I am also aware that a metal band having teeth punched therein has been wrapped around a cylinder to form a picking-surface.

By my improvement I am able to insure great permanence and reliability in the feed-apron.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A feeding-belt having the slats formed of sheet metal, with teeth in the sheet metal, in combination with metal hinges for uniting the slats, substantially as specified.

2. In a feeding-hopper, the combination of disks that are at the ends of the hopper with an endless belt having teeth that passes beneath the disks, and rollers or cylinders g k for moving such belt, and rollers IL for distending such belt into its proper position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a feeding-belt ha"- ing teeth, of rollers or cylinders around which such belt passes, an opening-cylinder, F, hav ing teeth, a cylinder, E, combing-belted, and delivery-brush G, and means for operating the several parts, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the feeding-belt having teeth and the disks forming the ends of the hopper, of an opening-cylinder, F, cylinders l and E, and an endless apron forming a comber, a, and means for operating the several parts, substantially as set forth.

5. A feedinghopper composed of a belt of slats with teeth anddisks, in combination with a dirt-catcher introduced between the upper and lower parts of the endless belt, and means for operating such belt, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the feeding and opening cylinders, of a feeding-belt, a belt of toothed slats, a, occupying an inclined position above the feeding-belt and acting as a comber, and the rollers or cylinders around which such belts pass, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 23d (lay of August, A. D. 188i.

, S. R. PARKHUI-LST.

Witnesses GEO. T. PINCKNEY, CHAS- H. SMITH.

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