IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Illingworth and Henry Illingworth, of
Bradford, in the County of York, Spinners, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 1st April 1858, and dated the 2nd October 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Illingworth and
Henry Illingworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 2nd October 1857.
We, ALFRED ILLINGWORTH and HENRY ILLINGWORTH, of Bradford, in the
County of York, Spinners, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to those machines in which a travelling set of
instruments, usually termed fallers or "gills" is employed, our object being to
effect a more perfect cleaning of that part of the tuft which is to be drawn
from the said gills. To effect this, we employ, firstly, one or more supple-
mentary combs, which are caused. to enter the material at. intervals, and to.
withdraw therefrom; secondly, we impart to the usual combs or gills an
intermittent instead of the constantly travelling motion now in use; thirdly,
our Invention relates to a method of fixing the teeth in gills or combs
where two or more rows are used. In such cases we solder the front row,
and adapt the others by drilling as now practised.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Illingworth and Henry Illingworth in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 1st April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALFRED
ILLINGWORTH and HENRY ILLINGWORTH, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Spinners, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Alfred Illingworth and Henry Illingworth, Her especial licence that
we, the said Alfred Illingworth and Henry Illingworth, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alfred Illingworth and
Henry Illingworth, our 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 Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBTANCES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Alfred Illingworth
and Henry Illingworth, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or one of us, 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 Alfred Illingworth, do hereby declare
the nature of our 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 Drawings, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to those machines in which a travelling set of
instruments, usually termed "fallers" or "gills," is employed, our object being
to effect a more perfect cleaning of that part of the tuft which is to be drawn
from the said fallers or gills. To effect this, we employ one or more supple-
mentary combs, which are caused to enter the material at intervals, so as to
effect a more perfect combing, and then to withdraw therefrom.
Secondly, we impart to the usual combs or gills an intermittent instead of
the constantly travelling motion now in use.

page_text: Also, our Invention consists in a method of fixing the teeth of gills and
combs where two or more rows are used.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the Drawing accompanying this my Specification.
Fig. 1 represents in longitudinal section the improvements adapted to a
combing-machine upon that construction for which Letters Patent were
granted to Alfred Illingworth and Henry Illingworth, and bearing date the
Seventeenth day of October, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, the
general operation of which is fully described in the Specification thereof. The
main shaft of the machine is shewn at a; communicating motion by means of
gearing b, c, d, to a shaft e, upon which is mounted a toothed segment f, as
this revolves it comes into connection with a pinion g, the axis of which carries
the usual bevil gear for imparting motion to the screws h, which traverse
the gills or fallers i, *, this traversing motion will therefore be intermittent,
the pinion g receiving only occasional motion. Upon the axis of the pinion g
is a circular plate k, on the periphery of which is a notch . and projecting
piece m; the former of these receives a detaining click n, which prevents the
axis of the pinion g from turning in one direction after the motion has been
communicated thereto by the segment f; the projecting part m is an abutment
for a catch o, which acts in like manner as regards the other direction; this
catch o must however be removed from the part m previous to the arrival of
the segment fin contact with the pinion g, so that the required motion may be
communicated. In order that this may be effected, the said catch is mounted
upon a centre p, and is at the proper time turned inward thereon by a cam
upon the shaft e, after which it is allowed to fall back by its gravity into the
position shewn. Above the gills or fallers i is a comb q, mounted upon levers,
one of which is shewn at 7, this lever turns upon a fixed centre at s, and a
continuation thereof carries a roller, which is acted against by a cam t; as
the said cam therefore revolves the lever r is caused to turn upon its centre,
so as to carry the comb q downward into the material behind the front gill or
faller, and to withdraw it therefrom, the roller of the lever being kept in
contact with the cam by a spring; the former of these positions is shewn in
Fig. 1, and also in the detached section upon an enlarged scale, Fig. 2.
Behind the comb q is a metal plate u, mounted upon levers, one of which is
shewn at v, and turning upon a centre coincident with that at s, this lever is
also acted upon by a cam w, so as to cause the plate u to move downward at
certain periods. The operation is as follows:-According to the position
shewn, the supplementary comb 9 is passed downwards into the material, and
the nippers are withdrawing a tuft, which will consequently be drawn

page_text: through the teeth of the comb q; when this has been done, the plate u will
descend upon the material so as to press it downward, and the comb q will rise
therefrom, and then the plate w will also be carried upward clear of the gills
or fallers, by which time the segment f will have arrived in contact with the
pinion g, so as to effect the traversing motion of the fallers or gills in pre-
paration for another tuft being withdrawn. It will be perceived that as the
tuft is drawn off through the supplementary comb, we can dispense with a
part of the teeth upon the gills or fallers, and that there will consequently be
less obstruction to the removal of the material. In the Drawing we have
represented each faller with one row of teeth only.
We have above described our improvement as applied to a particular con-
struction of machine, but we do not confine ourselves thereto, as other general
arrangements may be adopted if desired. We have also described particular
methods of carrying the said improvements into effect, but it will be evident
to all competent mechanics that many equivalents may be employed.
The next part of our Invention relates to fixing the teeth of gills and combs
when two or more rows are used. In such cases we solder the front row, and
adapt the other or others by drilling as now practised, by which means we are
enabled to use teeth finer in pitch for the front.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, we desire it to be understood
that we claim as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters
Patent,―
Firstly, in reference to machines of the aforesaid class, the use of combs or
other equivalent instruments entering the material between or in front of the
gills or fallers, and withdrawing therefrom.
Secondly, imparting to the gills or fallers an intermittent motion.
And, thirdly, the method of fixing the teeth of gills and combs above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Illingworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
ALFRED ILLING WOKIH. (L.S.)