James Ferrabee Machine for Forming Continuous Bats of Fleece at Annual Exhibition of Inventions

JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS,

MARCH 29, 1861. 323

MACHINERY AND MANUFACTURING

APPLIANCES.

(For the remainder of the Articles in this Section, see Drawings.)

40. Patent Machine for forming continuous "bats" of Fleece or "sheet sliver" of Wool, Cotton, &c.; James Ferrabee, and Co., Phoenix Iron Works, Stroud, Gloucestershire, and 75 and 76A, High Holborn, W.C.

The introduction of the machine called a " Condenser," which in the manufacture of woollen cloth prepares the thread or roll of wool called "slubbing" ready for the mule or spinning machine, rendered it necessary to have recourse to mechanical means for feeding the "scribblers" and "carders," in order to secure uniformity in the threads. For this purpose the plan designed by Thos. Walker, in 1840, has hitherto been generally adopted. It consists in taking in a transverse direction from one machine, its product in the form of a roping, and conducting it continuously to another machine, but this rolling or twisting of the fleece into a roping as it comes from the doffer is objectionable. The purpose of Ferrabee's Patent Machine is to take up the fleece or sheet sliver in its full width as it comes from the doffer of the scribbler or carder, and fold it into any required width or thickness, in layers upon an endless apron, at right angles to the direction in which it is stripped from the doffer, and so as to form an endless "bat" which may be fed continuously to another machine, or otherwise disposed of. The new machine is composed of a frame carrying an endless apron, which receives the "bat" of wool. On this frame is mounted transversely a compound vibrating frame, carrying an endless cloth or apron, and moving to and fro at an uniform speed, the apron at the same time moving at some appointed speed. The cross or bat apron also moves continuously. Provision is made for regulating the speed of the various parts of the machine, which can be readily adjusted to lay the most delicate fibre with unerring precision. To be put into operation the machine is placed with the receiving apron almost close to the doffer of a scribbler or carder, and as the sliver or fleece is stripped from the doffer by a comb or otherwise, the endless cloth or apron on the vibrating frame carries it forward, and, by means of the traversing motion and consolidating rollers, lays it on the endless cross apron, layer upon layer, to any required thickness. Thus a most thorough mixing of the wool is effected. Materials of different sorts and colours may be separately prepared and incorporated into one bat; the wool or other material is presented to the next machine in the best possible way for undergoing another carding operation, and with ordinary attention in weighing the wool to the first machine a perfectly level and uniform bat is conducted to the carder, and an uniform thread on the condenser secured.