Improvements in Combing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1892-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combing Machines.
A communication from JAMES THORP, of Lawrence, in the County of Essex and
State of Massachusetts, in the United States of America, Mechanic.
I JOHN THOMPSON of the firm of Messieurs Curtis Sons and Company of
Phoenix Iron Works Ancoats, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement —
This invention relates to improvements in combing machines in which a delivery
roller has been used in connection with a stationary clearer. It is a common
occurrence for the dirt, cotton fibre, or fly to lap on the ends of the delivery roller
and cause waste to be made, or in the event of small pieces of the same becoming
separated or dropping off, when the machine is in operation, to cause bunches in
the yarn.
The object of my invention is to prevent such results as are occasioned by the
collection of these short fibres, and I accomplish this by mounting a protector or
shield at each end of the delivery roll, as will be more fully hereinafter described.
A further feature in my invention consists in the employment of a revolving
clearer in lieu of the ordinary stationary clearer now in use.
These improvements are adapted particularly to that class of combing machines
termed the Heilmann comber, the construction and operation of which is well
known.
The accompanying drawings represent in
Fig. 1 a sectional elevation transversely of a Heilmann combing machine to
which my invention is applied.
Fig. 2 is a perspective plan view of a head, so termed, in a
comber.
Heilmann
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the top and bottom detaching roller together with the
delivery roller in part with a shield in position; the clearer being omitted.
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the shield or protector full size.
As before premised, my invention is especially adapted to be applied to a
Heilmann combing machine, hence I shall briefly describe its more prominent
features in order to explain more clearly, where my improvements are attached as
likewise their peculiar functions, when the machine is in operation. The lap of
cotton a is supported upon two rollers 5b and motion is given to these rollers to
cause the fleece of cotton to unwind, and pass down the conductor c to the feed
rollers dd', respectively designated as the top and bottom; the under one being
fluted, the upper one covered.
From the feeding rollers the fleece passes between the top and bottom jaws of
the nipper; the top jaw e being terined the nipper blade, the bottom one e¹ the
cushion plate; as it is covered with cloth and leather. Motion is given to the
nipper blade from a cam (not shown) at one end of the machine and transmitted
through the lever e², rod e³, shaft e and a second operating lever (not shown in the
drawings) which is connected with the rod eat the end represented as cut off.
The cushion plate is hung upon the shaft e. The feed rollers having presented a
certain portion of the fleece to the nipper e, e¹ the latter closes and moves back-
wards until the protruding portion of the fleece is presented to the combs on the
combing cylinder, which is mounted on the shaft. Said cylinder is furnished
on one part of its circumfereuce with a series of combs, while on the opposite side

page_text: there is a fluted segment f³, which acts in connection with the rollor g' termed the
top detaching roller.
A top comb is shown at h, its function being to comb the tail ends of the fibres
and to prevent any fibres from being drawn forward except those the front ends of
which have been straightened and cleansed by the action of the cylinder combs.
These comb-ends, as the nipper moves forward and opens, are seized by the top
detaching roller g¹, which is now in contact with the fluted part f³ of the cylinder ft.
As they revolve together they draw out and separate from the fleece the long
cotton; the short fibres or waste in the tail ends of the fibres being prevented from
coming forward by the top comb, which drops amongst the fibres for this purpose.
This completes the combing of one length of fibre, but the fibres previously combed
require piecing up to the fresh ones that come forward, consequently in anticipation
of these coming forward, the motion of the lower detaching roller is reversed
and made to return those previously combed, so that the fibres which have been
combed are placed so as to overlap those immediately before, and by this means a
continuous fleece or sliver is produced. The fibres thus treated are passed forward
to the rollers and pulled by them through a trumpet tube j..
Co-operating with and above the lower detaching roller is placed a roller g²
termed the front delivery roller, since it guides and directs the sliver forward and
into the receiver to the trumpet tube. The said roller g² is mounted at each end
in pivotal standards, one of which is shown in Fig. 1 at k. Heretofore the said
roller has been surmounted by a stationary cover styled a clearer, not shown, but
likewise mounted in the standards k.
The duty of this device was to collect and retain the short fibres produced by
the combing which are not removed by the revolving brush from the cylinder
combs. A roller g³ which I term a rotary clearer is substituted for this stationary
clearer, and is mounted in the shields hereinafter to be described, one at each end
thereof.
Furthermore the faces of the detaching and delivery rolls are not continued
closely up to their supporting standards, but the journal or reduced portions form
a space into which this waste fibre collects, while the upward draft created by the
revolving brush tends to drive such particles out upon the front of the machine
and they collect about such journal portions.
In the course of the operation of the combing machine this waste cotton or fly
collects about the ends of the rollers g, g', ², as likewise at the ends of the stationary
clearer and after a time laps over upon the faces and engages with the fleece,
causing the sliver to break down.
If not causing a break-down such fly or waste may become disengaged from the
place where it has collected and dropping off enters the sliver and produces bunches
and uneven places in the yarn, which subsequently show as defects in the woven
fabric.
My object is to shield or cover the ends of such rollers ggg² between their
supporting standards and their active surfaces between which the fleece is
passing.
If this is done no chance is given to the waste cotton or fly to collect in these
places, the ends of said rollers are kept perfectly clear, while the upward draft
through the spaces, which now exist at the reduced extremities of said rollers, are
filled and the fly is prevented from coming forward, upon the face of the
machine.
This shield or protector is shown in Fig. 5 at m, as composed of a casting of a
thickness adapted to completely fill the now existing spaces between the standard k
and the reduced part or journals of said rollers. The front delivery roller g² is
journaled at n, and the shield m is bored at m¹ and adapted to be slipped over the
end of said roller. The under, back portions of said shield are cut away at p pland
are of a curvature to correspond with the top and bottom detaching rollers g'on
which they rest. The rear upper part of said shield is slotted at to receive the
end of the clearer roller g³. A projecting front piece is cast thereupon to enable

page_text: the operator to grasp and swing said shield into a forward position to enable the
clearer roller to be removed and freed from the waste cotton, which may have
collected thereupon.
Thus by mounting this shield or protector upon the ends of the delivery roller,
the end spaces between the latter and its standard is filled up, further it enables the
shield to be attached to the machine without any change in the parts; moreover
places such shield in close proximity to the detaching rollers upon which it rests in
order to cover the reduced portions at the ends of said rollers adjacent to their
active faces, and serves as a support for the revoluble clearer. The attachment is
small, light compact and easily applied to any machine of a construction similar to
the class to which the Heilmann comber belongs and in which its efficiency is very
marked, as regards obviating break-downs and bunches in the threads.
In some instances and if desired the shield described and designated at m may be
cast integral with the standard k and perform all the functions accomplished when
it is made as an independent piece.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is: :-
First. In a combing machine a shield or protector adapted to rest upon the top
detaching roller, the bottom detaching roller and the front delivery roller at a
point just beyond the termination of their active contiguous faces, substantially as
set forth and explained.
Secondly. In a combing machine a removable shield or protector, as described,
mounted upon the ends or hubs of the front delivery roller contiguous to the top
and bottom detaching rollers and pierced to serve as the journal supports for a
clearer, substantially as stated.
Thirdly. In a combing machine of the class specified, the combination with the
top and bottom detaching rollers the delivery roller, and their end supports or
standards, of a shield or protector, as described, mounted upon the hub of the
delivery roller, resting upon the detaching rollers, and adapted to cover the reduced
and portions just beyond the active faces of said rollers, substantially as described.
Fourthly. The combination with the detaching rollers g' and their standards,
the delivery roller g², its pivotal standard and a clearer roller, of a rocking shield
or protector mounted upon one end of the delivery roller and resting upon the
reduced part of said rollers between the standards and the main body of said rollers,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.