IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMMON FLAY SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES. CONDING WOOL
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Whitehead, of Holbeck, in the Parish
of Leeds, in the County of York, a Partner in the Firm of Taylor,
Wordsworth, and Company, of the same Place, Machine and Tool
Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
COMMON FLAY SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES.
CONDING WOOL
"
Sealed the 9th May 1871, and dated the 25th January 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Whitehead at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th January 1871.
I, THOMAS WHITEHEAD, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the
5 County of York, a Partner in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, and
Company, of the same Place, Machine and Tool Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, FLAx, Silk, and OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be
as follows:-
:—
-
My improvements consist in dispensing with the lifter pins to the
feeding boxes of Noble's combing machines, and fixing the inclines

page_text: betwixt the under side of the feed boxes and the upper side of the rack
on which the large circular comb is fixed, so as to elevate and lower the
feed boxes in a simpler and more direct manner and at a saving of
expense owing to the rapid wear of the lifter pins.
Another improvement consists in cleaning the end of the fibre pro-
truding from the large circular comb whilst the fibre is in the comb
and held by pressure, then lifting the fibre out of the large circular
comb, and when moved forward placing it again in the large and smaller,
combs, the small circular, combs being set at a distance from the large
circular comb and not close to the large comb as hitherto, then by
pressure on the small circular comb detaching a portion of fibre from
the large circular comb. The end of the detached portion is then
cleaned by any suitable means and thereby a cleaned sliver is drawn
from each of the small circular combs, thus not requiring a sliver to be
drawn from the large circular comb.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Whitehead in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WHITEHEAD, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the County of York,
a Partner in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, and Company, of the
sames Place, Machine and Tool Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Whitehead, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Whitehead, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Whitehead,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agrec
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully, might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
+

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, SILK, AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas Whitehead, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
5 ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
) Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Whitehead, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
My Invention of improvements in machinery for combing wool, cotton,
flax, and other fibrous substances consists of a novel construction of
parts whereby I am enabled to dispense with the lifter pins whereby the
feeding boxes of Noble's combing machines are raised when required
for feeding forward the fibres. This is effected by fixing inclined pieces
or cams betwixt the under side of the feed boxes and the upper side of the.
rack on which the large circular comb is fixed, so as to elevate and lower:
the feed boxes in a simpler and more direct manner and at a saving of
expense owing to the rapid wear of the lifter pins that are now used for
the purpose.
Another improvement consists in cleaning the ends of the fibres which
protrude from the large circular comb whilst the fibres are in the comb
and held by pressure, then lifting the fibres out of the large circular
comb and when moved forward placing them again in the large and
smaller combs, the smaller circular combs being set at a distance from the
large circular comb and not close to the large comb as hitherto, then by
pressure on the small circular comb detaching a portion of the fibres
from the large circular comb. The ends of the detached portion are
then cleaned by any suitable means and thereby a cleaned sliver is drawn
from each of the small circular combs, thus not requiring a sliver to..
be drawn from, the large circular.comb.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a partial sectional
elevation of parts of a Noble's combing machine with the apparatus
applied thereto according to the first part of my Invention; Fig. 2 is a
plan view of the same.
A is the fixed steam chest; B, the rack circle or bed upon which the
circular comb C of the machine is mounted; D is the incline or cam
pięce supported by the saddles E, E¹, E². The saddles E, E', E², arc
made so as to admit of the incline or cam piece D being raised or lowered
as required. The joint F, Fig. 2, is also made in order to allow the
incline D to be raised or lowered as before mentioned; G a bracket
attached to and supported from the steam chest A; H a horizontal stud
carried by the bracket G and fixed to the incline or cam piece T-so as
to hold this latter stationary while the parts B and C of the machine
are being carried round; the face of the incline D is so made as to allow
the conductor boxes I to move round on its full face and to vary in
position according to the form of the incline or cam piece (sec dotted
conductor box in Fig. 1). If desired the conductor boxes I may be
provided with an antifriction roller or runner fixed underneath them
and then revolving on the face of the incline or cam piece D.
.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention which relates
to an improvement in apparatus employed in what are called Noble's
combing machines or other similar combing machines where two combs
are used in combination.
The improvement will be best understood by referring to the plan
view, Fig. 3, in which A is the rack circle, and B the circular comb
of the machine. The wool is fed in the usual manner into the large
circular comb B and as it protrudes therefrom it is operated upon by
a porcupine screw gill or clearing comb B¹, as seen in Eastwood and
Whitehead's Patent, No. 1531%, whilst being held under pressure.
by springs B, or any other suitable means. The fibres after being
cleaned by the porcupine are lifted out of the large circular comb B
by the knives C and are then carried forward and pressed in the tangent
point of the two combs B and C¹ by the action of the dabbing brush K.
The small circular comb C! is set at a distance from the large circular
comb B, as shewn in the Drawing. The division of the fibres now
takes place and the cleaned part of the sliver being held in the small
circular comb C₁, the other ends of the fibres are operated upon by

page_text: similar means to those above described .and held by pressure by.springs
or other suitable means. The fibres are then drawn off by the drawing
off rollers E and E¹. The fibres in the large circular comb are then
operated-upon as before described, thereby a cleaned sliver is drawn
off from each of the small combs, and therefore there is no necessity
for the slivers to be drawn from the large circular comb. F and F¹ are
the noil rollers; B' is a doffer roller for doffing the porcupine; and B*
is a doffing knife.
In order to bring the fibres which project from the teeth of the large
circular comb B in a position to be operated upon by the porcupine B¹,
I employ a rotating stroker, which consists of a vertical wheel provided
with projecting blades which will come against the projecting fibres
and stroke the ends forward and place them in a proper position to be
operated upon as before described. The position of this stroker is.
indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, but it is shewn detached and
drawn on an enlarged scale at Fig. 4. The blades D2, D³, of the
strokers shewn in Fig. 4 should all be at one angle and made adjustable
to any suitable angle required. This is effected in the following manner
or by any other suitable means: - A is the vertical wheel of the stroker,
and B the circular plate which is let in a groove in the stroker, and
is provided with vertical pins. On the inner side of the circular plate
is cast a lug C₁ through which passes a tangent screw D', by turning
which the lug C and the circular plate B can be moved round in the
wheel A; D, D, are the blades provided with an additional hole
through which passes one of the vertical pins of the circular plate B so
that by turning the screw D¹ all the blades can be set to any required
angle.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in machinery
for combing wool, cotton, flax, silk, and other fibrous substances,
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
details and arrangements of parts shewn and described, as these may
be varied, but what I claim is,―
Firstly. Lifting the feeding boxes by means of an incline or cam
piece fixed above the rack circle, as herein set forth.
Secondly. I claim clearing the fibres in the manner and for the
purpose above described.

page_text: I also claim the means herein set forth of stroking the fibres and'
bringing them into a position to be operated upon by the rotating or
travelling combs.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Whitehead, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
THOMAS WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by
the said Thomas Whitehead,
in the presence of
EDWARD WHITELEY,
Clerk to Mr. Thomas Turner,
Solicitor,
Leeds..