IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PROVISIONAL
Year: 1872

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
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Whitehead
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th July 1872.
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 same Place, Machine and Tool Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
1
My improvements are particularly applicable and intended to be applied
the well-known Noble's combing machine or other combing machines

page_text: °
where two combs are brought into contact. Hitherto the top side of the
sliver has escaped being thoroughly cleared between the large and small
circular combs, and my object is to effect a clearing of this by clearing
a small portion of the sliver, which I propose to do by knives or other
suitable means to lift the sliver out of the large circular combs, where
it does not come in contact with the small circular combs, and pass it
over a number of shields. These shields which revolve between the
grooves of the series or rows of pins of two circular cleaning combs,
are placed above the large circular comb. The circular clearing combs
are
re placed obliquely to each other on two separate axles, and either may
be worked loosely thereon, or be driven by suitable gearing. The sliver
as it passes over the shields is pressed into the pins of the two circular
clearing combs, the angles at which the two circular clearing combs
are set ensure the rotation of the pins in their oblique line, and thus
the pins will meet or converge in the fibre. When the vertical line of
the pins is passed, the two circular clearing combs will diverge or
separate, thereby clearing a portion of the sliver. The sliver after
having been cleared a short distance, is taken out of the pins of the
two circular clearing combs by knives or other suitable means, and
passed forward as the large circular comb revolves to the tangent point
of the large and small circles, and is then placed into the combs by
the action of the dabbing brush, by which means it will be seen one
portion of the cleared part of the sliver will be in the large circle, and
the other portion in the small circle. The division of the wool now
takes place, and the sliver will be drawn off, and the wool taken out of
the small circles as hitherto.
Another mode by which I effect the improvements before mentioned,
is by having in the large circular comb an opening between the series
of rows of pins cut into the brass or other metal, so as to leave as large
a space as possible to admit a small circular comb having teeth on its
periphery, which conveys the sliver from one series of pins to the other,
and thus prepares it to be put into the large and small circular comb.
By means of my improvements much clearer work is obtained than
heretofore.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Whitehead in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th November 1872.
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 same Place, Machine and Tool Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
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 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 for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Whitehead, my executors or administrators, by 'an instrument
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 improvements are particularly applicable to the well-known
Noble's combing machine, and may be applied also to other combing

page_text: machines wherein the fibres are submitted to the action of two rotary
combs. Hitherto the top side of the sliver has escaped being thoroughly
cleared between the large and small circular combs, and to prevent this
and ensure the thorough clearing of the sliver, I propose by knives or
equivalent means to lift the sliver out of the larger circular comb in its
advance to the small circular combs, and pass it over a number of
rotating shields which are placed above the large circular comb, and
thence below two vertical circular clearing combs between the rings of
pins of which the rotating shields enter. The vertical circular clearing
combs are placed obliquely to each other on two separate axles, and either
may work loosely thereon, the other being driven by suitable gearing.
or they may be both geared. The sliver as it passes over the shields is
pressed into the pins of the two vertical circular clearing combs, the
angles at which the two vertical circular clearing combs are set ensure
the rotation of the pins in their oblique lines, and their convergence in
the fibre. When the pins have passed the vertical line, the two circular
clearing combs will diverge or separate, and thereby clear a portion of
the sliver. The sliver after having been cleared a short distance is
delivered from the pins of the two vertical circular clearing combs by
knives or their equivalent back to the large circular comb as the large
circular comb revolves to the "tangent point" of the large and small
circles. The sliver is then pressed into the combs by the action of the
dabbing brush, one portion of the cleared part of the sliver being in the
large circular comb, and the other portion in the small circular comb.
The division of the wool now takes place, and the sliver will be drawn
off, and the noil taken out of the small circular comb, as hitherto.
Another mode by which I effect the before-mentioned object is by
having in the large circular comb an opening between the rings of pins
cut into the brass or other metal, so as to leave an annular space for the
admission of a small vertical circular comb having teeth on its periphery
for preparing the sliver for being pressed into the large and small cir-
cular combs.
And in order that the several parts of my Invention may be fully

page_text: Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a Noble's combing machine
with my improvements applied thereto; Figure 2 is a plan view of
Figure 1.
F
In these Figures A is the rack circle; B, the large circular comb;
C, the smaller circular comb; D and D' are the two vertical circular
clearing combs having a series of rings of pins in each. When the
machine is in motion the sliver is lifted out of the large circular comb B
by means of the fixed knives E, and passed over the revolving series of
shields F, which are mounted in stationary bearings in advance of the
knives E. These shields revolving between the pins of the two vertical
circular clearing combs D and D' cause the sliver to be pressed into the
pins. The two vertical circular clearing combs are driven by bevil
gearing inside the comb B (see Figure 2). The comb D' has a spur
wheel G keyed on its axle. This wheel gears into and is driven by the
pinion G¹, which is keyed on to the shaft of the bevil wheel G². The
wheel G receives motion from the bevil wheel G³ on the upright shaft G*,
at the bottom of which is a pinion G³ which is driven by the small rack
circle G. As the sliver is carried past the vertical line of the pins the
clearing combs will diverge or separate; and will thereby clear a portion
of the sliver. The knives H will remove the sliver from the clearing
combs D and D', and deliver it to the large circular comb B, which
continuing its rotation will carry it to the "tangent point" of the large
and smaller circles B and C, where it will be pressed into the combs by
the action of the dabbing brush I. The division of the wool will now
take place, and the sliver will be drawn off, and the noil taken out of
the small circular comb C, as has hitherto been the practice with Noble's
or other combing machines. By this means I am enabled to make a
clearer sliver than has heretofore been produced by this class of combing
machines.
Another method of effecting the same object is shewn at Figure 3,
and consists in using one vertical circular clearing comb L placed
obliquely in a groove in the large circular comb B. This comb L is
intended to receive motion from similar mechanism to that used for
driving the two vertical circular clearing combs D and D', in Figures 1.
and 2. The points of the pins of the vertical circular clearing comb L
go below the roots of the pins of the large circular comb B, so as to
ensure it passing thoroughly through the sliver.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of 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 wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim, the means above set forth for clearing the top
side of the sliver before it reaches the "tangent point" of the large and
small circular combs.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Whitehead, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two..
THOMAS WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said Thomas Whitehead, in the
.
presence of
EDWD. WHITELEY,
Clerk to Mr. Thos. Turner,
Solicitor,
Leeds.