IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT Samuel Cunliffe Lister, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING, AND IN
APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE."
ed the 9th September 1876, and dated the 31st March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st March 1876.
SAMUEL CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE."
In the Specification of a Patent granted to myself and James Warburton, on the
13th December 1859, No. 2832, we describe under the fifth head of our Invention
a machine where the ends of the fibrous material under process project beyond the
teeth of the feed comb, and are pinched, nipped, and held by a nipping plate placed
within the front rows; then as the comb rotates the ends of the fibres are combed,
and when released from the nipper the combed ends are taken hold of by drawing
rollers, and are drawn into a sliver; the uncombed portion being drawn through
the teeth of the comb through which it is fed.
Instead of drawing the fibrous material into a sliver as above described, one part
of my Invention consists in taking hold of the combed ends of the fibres with a
nipper, and drawing them through the teeth of the feed comb, and as the nipper
moves along or rotates the ends of the fibres that have been drawn through the
teeth of the circular feed comb are further combed by any suitable instrument;
segmental combs are then made to penetrate through the combed fibres close to
the nipper, which then releases them from pressure, and they are drawn through
the teeth of the segmental combs into a sliver, or they may be taken hold of
by a second nipper (as is usually done) and the short ends may or may not be
further combed (as desired) and then placed on to a comb to be made into a
sliver.
I will now proceed to describe another part of my Invention.-The combing
instruments in silk machines are cleared from fibre and dross by a brush and doffer;
this plan answers for the short end, but the long fibres robbed from the long end
by the cleaning cards are by this system broken and spoilt for recombing. To
prevent this I accumulate the fibres and dross upon the cleaning straps or other
combing instruments used, and give them a lateral motion, so that as they travel
[Price Gd1

page_text: slowly past the nipper they present a fresh surface of teeth upon which to accumu-
late the fibre.
Cleaning straps as now used pass over a driving roller, and also over a small
roller or runner close to the nip; this mode of working is very objectionable where
the fibre is allowed to accumulate as the teeth require to be longer to retain the
fibre, and the acute angle at which they pass over the runner prevents them from
entering the silk properly. To avoid this and also to obtain a greater length of
card I place another roller at a convenient distance below, say two or three feet,
that is close to the floor, and pass the cleaning strap over this roller also. By
changing the position of this roller the angle of penetration can be regulated as
desired.
For some descriptions of silk in place of using endless revolving cleaning straps
I use drums covered with needle pointed pins set in brass or wood, or other suitable
material. Drums of this kind have never been used for this purpose on account of
the difficulty of making them work sufficiently close to the root of the silk held
by the nipper; this I accomplish as follows:-The fixed nip which is pressed against
the travelling one is usually made of brass; through this nipping plate or bar I
make a suitable hole about a quarter of an inch above the point where the fibres
are nipped and held; through this aperture bristles are made to project (other
suitable material may be used) so as to press the fibres against the toothed surface
of the drum; wind may also be used with great advantage for a like purpose;
either of these plans may also be used with the card cleaning straps. That part of
the periphery of the drum working nearest to the nip I make concave to fit the
convexity of the nip, by this means I obtain a greatly increased working surface,
which is important.
To prevent electricity, and also to give strength and lustre to the silk, the
dressers moisten it with soap and water before working it on the dressing frame;
but this plan does not answer for combing machines.
In order to obtain as nearly as possible perfect regularity, after the silk has been
prepared and made into slivers I pass them through rollers, a portion of the
diameter of the bottom roller being immersed in soap suds; sometimes I drop soap
and water on to the slivers as they pass along.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
September 1876.
SAMUEL CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE."
In the Specification of a Patent granted to myself and James Warburton, on the
13th December, 1859, No. 2832, we describe under the fifth head of our Invention
a machine where the ends of the fibrous material under process project beyond the
teeth of the feed comb and are pinched, nipped, and held by a nipping plate placed
within the front rows; then, as the comb rotates the ends of the fibres are combed,
and when released from the nipper the combed ends are taken hold of by drawing
rollers and are drawn into a sliver, the uncombed portion being drawn through the
teeth of the comb through which it is fed..
Instead of drawing the fibrous material into a sliver, as above described, one part
of my Invention consists in taking hold of the combed ends of the fibres with a
nipper and drawing them through the teeth of the feed comb, and as the nipper
moves along or rotates the ends of the fibres that have been drawn through the
teeth of the circular feed comb are further combed by any suitable instrument.
Segmental combs are then made to penetrate through the combed fibres close to the
nipper, which then releases them from pressure and they are drawn through the
teeth of the segmental combs into a sliver, or they may be taken hold of by a second

page_text: nipper (as is usually done) and the short ends may or may not be further combed
(as desired) and then placed on to a comb to be made into a sliver.
I will now proceed to describe another part of my Invention:-The combing
instruments in silk machines are cleared from fibre and dross by a brush and
doffer; this plan answers for the short end; but the long fibres robbed from the
long end by the cleaning cards are by this system broken and spoilt for recombing.
To prevent this I accumulate the fibres and dross upon the cleaning straps or other
combing instruments used, and give them a lateral motion so that as they travel
slowly past the nipper they present a fresh surface of teeth upon which to
accumulate the fibre.
Cleaning straps as now used pass over a driving roller and also over a small
roller or runner close to the nip, this mode of working, is very objectionable where
the fibre is allowed to accumulate, as the teeth require to be longer to retain the
fibre and the acute angle at which they pass over the runner prevents them from
entering the silk properly. To avoid this and also to obtain a greater length of
card I place another roller at a convenient distance below, say two or three feet,
that is, close to the floor and pass the cleaning strap over this roller also. By
changing the position of this roller the angle of penetration can be regulated as
desired. The arrangement is illustrated by the Drawing annexed.
A is the endless strap of card teeth which comb the silk and upon which the
dross and fibres accumulate and are removed from time to time as required; B is
the roller or pulley that drives the strap; C, C, C², are guide rollers. The position
of C may be varied to suit the angle at which the pins enter the silk, or it may
be dispensed with and C² used in its place; much depends upon the length of the
card teeth as to where the roller should be placed; if the teeth are long C¹ should
be used; if short will answer equally well; D is the runner working close to
the nip E.
For some descriptions of silk in place of using endless revolving cleaning straps
I use drums covered with needle pointed pins set in brass, or wood, or other
suitable material. Drums of this kind have never been used for this purpose on
account of the difficulty of making them work sufficiently close to the root of the
silk held by the nipper; this I accomplish as follows:-The fixed nip which is
presed against the travelling one is usually made of brass; through this nipping
plate or bar I make a suitable hole about a quarter of an inch above the point
where the fibres are nipped and held, through this aperture bristles are made to
project (other suitable material may be used) so as to press the fibres against the
toothed surface of the drum. Wind may also be used with great advantage for a
like purpose. Either of these plans may also be used with the card cleaning straps.
That part of the periphery of the drum working nearest to the nip I make concave
to fit the convexity of the nip, by this means I obtain a greatly increased working
surface which is important.
To prevent electricity, and also to give strength and lustre to the silk, the dressers
moisten it with soap and water before working it on the dressing frame, but this
plan does not answer for combing machines. In order to obtain as nearly as
possible perfect regularity after the silk has been prepared and made into slivers
I pass them through rollers, a portion of the diameter of the botton roller being
immersed in soap suds.
Sometimes I drop soap and water on to the slivers as they pass along.
I claim my several improvements in combing and in apparatus to be used for this
purpose, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.