Patent GB-118576-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Combing Machines.
IPC: D01G19/16
Filed: 1918-04-27
Abstract: 118,576. Hetherington & Sons, J., and Houghton, J. F. April 27, 1918. Combing-machines.-In combing-machines of the type in which two pairs of nippers are employed to receive and hold the fibres whilst they are combed by a rotary cylindrical comb, each pair of nippers is provided with two upper jaws .and has imparted to it an intermittent relative advancing and receding movement in a path approximately concentric with the comb cylinder, which occupies a fixed position, whereby the fleece is separated into two tufts which are held and combed by the cylinder and then pieced. The feed-nipper comprises jaws m, o, o<1> mounted upon links l<2> connecting arms l<1> on a rock-shaft l to brackets b<3> loose on the comb shaft b. The rock-shaft l is controlled by a cam on the shaft b. The upper jaws o, o<1> are centred on a stud o<2> and normally closed by springs o<3>. They are opened by the engagement of bowls o<4> with cams p, p<1>. The receiving-nipper comprises jaws q, s, s<1> mounted adjustably upon the frame a. The upper jaws s, s<1> are fulcrumed on a stud r and kept closed by springs s<2>, s<11> respectively. The jaw s is opened by an eccentric s<6> driven by a train of gears from the comb shaft b, and the jaw s<1> by a rock-shaft s<14> operated by a link and arm from the rock-shaft l. The receiving-nipper has working in conjunction with it a reciprocating blade t or intermittently rotated roller to carry the combed tuft to the receiving-rollers f, which pass it on to draught rollers g. The blade t, which co-operates with a polished guide-plate q<2>, is fulcrumed at t' to the jaw s<1> and connected by a link t<3> to a spring t<9>, which normally keeps the blade pressed against the jaws q of the nipper. To raise the blade i, the link t<3> is slotted at t<4> to embrace a stud t<5> on a lever t<6> connected to the strap s<3> of the eccentric s<6>. The blade t is moved horizontallv by adjustable stops t<10> screwed into the supports of the blade and engaged by the brackets b<3> in their movement about the shaft b. The comb cylinder strips u, u<1> of leather or metal to place the loose ends of the tuft in the receiving-nipper in combing position, and to raise the end of the tuft in the feeding-nipper after combing, and direct it to the receiving-nipper. The material is fed down the guide v to a feed-roller n intermittently rotated by a ratchet arrangement n<3>, and pressed against the jaw m by a spring n<2>. The combed end is fed forward by the roller n and is passed by the movement of the open feeding-nipper into the open receiving-nipper, Fig. 8. The jaw s then closes to hold the pieced combed ends, and the feeding-nipper recedes. The jaw o is closed after an interval, and further movement of the feeding-nipper tears the fleece into two tufts. The jaws o<1>, s<1> are then closed upon the tufts which are combed by the cylinder. The combed tuft is supported by the strip u<1>, and the jaws o<1>, s, s<1> being opened, is passed by the advancing movement of the feeding-nipper on to the combed end of the other tuft. The blade t carries the combed fleece along to the receiving-rollers f, and the cycle re-commences. Both nippers may have movement imparted to them; one upper jaw in each pair may terminate in a roller, in which case the feed-roller n and blade t may be dispensed with, and a movable blade may replace the strips u, u<1>.