IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR COMBING OR SPINNING
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Foster, of the Firm of John Foster and
Son, of Black Dike Mills, Queensbury, near Bradford, in the
County of York, Alpaca, Mohair, and Worsted Spinners and
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE
TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES FOR COMBING OR SPINNING."
Sealed the 29th July 1873, and dated the 31st January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Foster at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st January 1873.
J, WILLIAM FOSTER, of the Firm of John Foster and Son, of Black
Dike Mills, Queensbury, near Bradford, in the County of York,
Alpaca, Mohair, and Worsted Spinners and Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING WOOL OR OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR COMBING OR SPINNING," to be as follows:-
"
This Invention relates to machinery technically known as "preparers
or "gill boxes" for preparing or straightening the fibres and forming

page_text: "
in the electing of which the wool or other more mas to pass roagn
under the operation of several distinct machines called "sliccters
requiring attendants to remove the said fibre from one machine to
another.
"
"
Now my improvements consist in dispensing with the sheets now
used, in substitution thereof I employ apparatus constructed so as to
receive the fibre from the ordinary fluted feed rollers of one machine
and to remove or transfer it to another without the aid of an attendant,
and which process or operation is effected with greater certainty and
regularity than than by the usual method of hand labour. This apparatus
comprises a rotary drum or cylinder to receive the wool or fibre from
the fluted rollers and wind the same upon its surface during a series of
revolutions forming a lap thereof; and this drum or cylinder is provided
with a series of combs or teeth capable of projecting from the surface
at suitable times to hold the wool or fibre during the winding thereon,
which combs or teeth are withdrawn within the drum or cylinder
(when the lap is required to be taken off) by means of an arrangement
of levers operated as herein-after explained; also a segment or portion
of the said drum surface forms or flap, or is moveable, being hinged
so as to open outward at a determined time for the purpose of severing
the lap and transferring one end thereof to a "porcupine" or spiked
roller placed in front of the ordinary feed apron of the next or succeeding
machine, the apparatus being placed betwixt each two of the said
machines. The drum is provided with short necks or shafts (mounted
in suitable framework) and rotary motion is given thereto simul-
taneously with the preparing machines by cither strap or gearings.
On one neck is a pinion of 20 teeth gearing in a wheel of 80 teeth
fixed on a separate shaft, on which shaft is also fixed another of the
same diameter and pitch but with only 16 teeth thereon, the remainder
of the circumference being blank or without teeth, and this wheel gears
(intermittently) with another wheel of 80 teeth mounted upon another
shaft on which is a wheel of 96 feet, but with only 9 of the said teeth
thereon, the remaining part of the circumference being blank or without
teeth, and this wheel gears intermittently with a pinion of 20 fixed on
a shaft which passes through that neck of the drum on which is the
other pinion of 20 teeth); to the interior of the drum and on the end
thereof is fixed a crank arm connected to a shaft which is carried in

page_text: brackets attached to the flap or moveable part of the drum. On the
outer end of the shaft carrying the wheel with 96 teeth is fixed a
tappet or boss with four projections, to which is applied a spring bar or
Thcaded rod pressed by a spring, which T bears against two of the said
projections for the purpose of holding the wheel stationery at certain
times while the cylinder is in continuous motion, but so as to allow it
to move intermittently. The arrangement of this gearing being such that
at every sixteenth revolution of the cylinder the "flap
"will be opened,
breaking or separating the lap of slivers or fibre wound thereon, and
transferring one end thereof to the porcupine or spiked roller, and at
the same time the levers connected to the scries of combs in the drum
will be operated by the opening of the flap, and withdrawn within the
drum, thereby releasing hold on the sliver or lap, which then falls
therefrom upon a curved plate underneath the drum, the porcupine or
spiked roller drawing the same forward and delivering it to the feed
apron herein-before referred to. Also by a continuation of the action
of the crank arm within the drum after opening the flap to sover the
lap the flap is closed before arriving at the fluted feed rollers causing
the combs to project outward ready to receive a fresh supply of sliver
from the preceding machine.
By other arrangements or different relative numbers of teeth in the
gearing this drum may be caused to open and sever the lap at the
termination of fewer or more revolutions of the drum, according to
requirement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Foster in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 31st July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FOSTER, of the Firm of Jolu Foster and Son, of Black Dike Mills,
Queensbury, near Bradford, in the County of York, Alpaca, Mohair,
aud Worsted Spinners and Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by ler
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-

page_text: cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Foster, Her special
licence that I, the said William Foster, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Foster, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree 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 and
Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING
WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR COMBING OR SPINNING," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Foster, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
samo 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 William Foster, 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, and accompanying Sheets of Drawings,
that is to say—
This Invention relates to machinery technically known as "pre-
parers" or "gill boxes" for preparing or straightening the fibres and
forming the same into slivers previous to the process of combing or
spinning, in the effecting of which the wool or other fibre has to pass
through or under the operation of several distinct machines called
"sheeters" requiring attendants to remove the said fibre from onc
machine to another.
Now my improvements consist in dispensing with the sheets now
used, and in substitution thereof I employ apparatus constructed so as
to receive the fibre from the ordinary fluted feed rollers of one machine
and to remove or transfer it to another without the aid of an attendant,
and which process or operation is effected with certainty and regularity.
This apparatus comprises a rotary drum or cylinder to receive the wool
or fibre from the fluted rollers and wind the same upon its surface
during a series of revolutions forming a lap thereof, and this drum or
cylinder is provided with a series of combs or teeth capable of projecting

page_text: from thic surface at suitable times to hold the wool or fibre during
the winding thereon, which combs or teeth are withdrawn within the
drum or cylinder (when the lap is required to be taken off) by means
of an arrangement of lovers and disc operated as herein-after explained,
also a segnent or portion of the said drum's surface forms a "flap" or
is moveable, being hinged so as to open outward at a determined time
for the purpose of severing the lap and transferring one end thereof
to a "porcupine" or spiked roller placed in front of the ordinary
feed apron of the next or succeeding machine, the apparatus being
placed betwixt each two of the said machines. The drum is provided
with short necks or shafts (mounted in suitable framework) and rotary
motion is given thereto simultaneously with the preparing machines
by either strap or gearing. On one neck is a pinion of 20 teeth
gearing in a wheel of 80 teeth fixed on a separate shaft, on which
shaft is also fixed another of the same diameter and pitch but with
only 16 teeth thereon, the remainder of the circumference being
blank or without teeth, and this wheel gears (intermittently) with
another wheel of 80 teeth mounted upon another shaft on which is a
wheel of 96 tecth, but with only 9 of the said teeth thereon, tho
remaining part of the circumference being blank or without tecth;
and this wheel gears intermittently with a pinion of 20 fixed on a shaft
which passes through that neck of the drum on which is the other
pinion of 20 teeth to the interior of the drum, and on thic end thereof
is fixed a crank arm connected to a shaft which is carried in brackets
attached to the "flap" or movcable part of the drum. On the outer.
end of the shaft carrying. the wheel with 96 teeth is fixed a tappet or
boss with four projections to which is applied a spring bar or T headed
rod pressed by a spring, which T bears against two of the said
projections for the purpose of holding the wheel stationary at certain
times while the cylinder is in continuous motion, but so as to allow it
to move intermittently. The arrangement of this gearing being such
that at every sixteenth revolution of the cylinder the "flap" will bo
opened, breaking or separating the lap of slivers or fibre wound
thereon, and transferring one end thereof to the "porcupine" or spiked
roller, and at the same time the levers and disc connected to the series
of combs in the drum will be operated by the opening of the "flap"
and withdrawn within the drum, thereby releasing hold on the sliver
or lap which then falls therefrom upon a curved plate underneath
the drum, the "porcupine" or spiked roller drawing the same forward
23

page_text: aud achivering it to the reen apron crem-ociore referred
a continuation of the action of the crank arm within the drum after
opening the "flap" to sever the lap, the " flap" is closed (before
arriving at the fluted feed rollers) causing the combs to project outward
ready to receive a fresh supply of sliver from the preceding machine.
By other arrangements or different relative numbers of teeth in the
gearing this drum may be caused to open and sever the lap at the
termination of fewer or more revolutions of the drum, according to
requirement.
In order that the Invention may be clearly understood I havo ]
hereunto annexed two Sheets of Drawings, and have marked the same
with figures and letters of reference, the same letter referring to the
same part in the various views or figures.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1., is an end view of machinery or apparatus constructed
according to this my Invention. Fig. 2, Sheet 2., is a detail in section, 1
shewing the interior and working parts of the cylinder. Fig. 3 is a
sectional plan of cylinder, and gearing shewn therewith.
detail of part of disc, cylinder end, and comb.
Fig. 4 is a
A is the rotary drum or cylinder which receives the wool or fibre
from the fluted rollers B, which fibre is by the rotation of the said
cylinder wound thereon, forming a lap. C, C, are combs or tech
which are caused to project through the drum or cylinder for the
purpose of holding the fibre during the winding thereon. D is a
segment or portion of the said drum, which is caused to open outward,
as shewn at Fig. 3, when the lap or fibre is to bo divided and taken 2
off and transferred to the "porcupine "E of the next gill box; this
segment D is caused to open by means of the gear wheel E' reversing
the pinion wheel F and so giving motion to the loose shaft G and lever
arm G thercon. The segment D is connected by links to the
disc II', which is loose on the collar or bush J, the links thus impart
a partial rotation to tho said disc II', which movement causes the
combs C, C, to descend the slot holes c in the said disc, and so they are
withdrawn within the cylinder. d, d, are lugs or guides on the cylinder
ends between which the ends of the comb rods are received and move.
The weighted lever arm G' thus acts as a crank, one portion of its motion 3
opening the segment or "flap," the other portion of its movement
closing the same, and thereby and through the links I connected thereto

page_text: and to the disc H' will have reversed and returned the said disc to its
original position, the slot holes or inclines c thus causing the combs
and rods to ascend and again project from the cylinder ready to receive
more wool or fibre. K is a V spring for holding or steadying the
weighted crank arm and flap in position or at rest whilst the fibre
is again being wound on the cylinder A. L is a T head for holding
the gear wheel E' steady.
The following description of the gearing sets out fully the various
wheels, together with the peculiaritics thereof. M is a pinion on the
gill box shaft gearing with the stud wheel M', on the same stud is
another pinion N gearing with the wheel P, which is keyed on the axis
of the cylinder A, which it turns. On the bush J on the opposite end
of the cylinder (see plan view) is a pinion R gearing with the stud
wheel R'; on the same stud as the latter is the wheel S (16 teeth) which
gcars with and imparts intermittent motion to the stud wheel T
(80 teeth) on the stud ; on this stud is the whicel E', having 9 teeth
only; these gear with and turn the pinion F and reverse as described;
the motion of this pinion turning the shaft G, and by means of the lover
arm G' and links H above described open the segment or
sever or divide the fibre on the cylinder A.
"
flap" and
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said
Invention, I would have it understood that I claim, the machinery
or apparatus, as and for the purpose herein fully described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whercof, I, the said William Foster, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.