IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry France, of Bradford, in the
County of York, Wool Comb Maker, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES.“
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry France
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th January 1872.
I, William HENRY FRANCE, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Wool Comb Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," to
be as follows :—
This Invention relates to improved machinery or apparatus adapted
more especially to what is known as the "Noble's comb," and has for its
object the " clearing" or cleansing the fibre at the point or such portion
thercof as is to be thence deposited at the junction of the larger and

page_text: smaller circles, as referred to in the Specifications of Letters Patent
granted to I. and G. Battinson and S. and H. W. Whitehead, dated
the 10th day of November 1869, No. 3241; Matthew Mirfield and
John Scott, dated the 16th December 1870; and to J. Smith, B.
Smith, H. Smith, and C. Bradley, dated the 5th day of April 1870,
No. 902.
My improvements consist in the application of an additional and outer
circle of pins or teeth to the "Noble's comb," leaving a space betwixt
the inner and outer circles of pins, within which space is applied an
intersecting comb or combs working within such space and in the direc-
tion of the interior of the larger circle, and operating on the wool or fibre
as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to H. Rawson
and F. Staples, dated the 24th day of July 1862, No. 2104; and in the
introduction of a knife or knives entering between the teeth of the inner
or outer circles of pins or teeth, pressing or nipping the wool or fibre
upon the leather placed therein, so as to hold the wool or fibre (whilst
being "cleared" or cleansed by the intersecting comb or combs) as
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to the aforesaid
William Henry France and Thomas Speight, dated the 26th day of
October 1868, No. 3276; and in the introduction of reciprocatory
feeding boxes for the purpose of delivering the wool to the teeth of the
combs at their point of junction, and so dispensing with the feeding
plates and apparatus as heretofore employed on this class of machine for
such purpose.

page_text: thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Henry France, Her special
licence that I, the said William Henry France, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry France,
my exccutors, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Henry France, 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
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Scal 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 Henry France, 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 Sheet of Drawings (that is to
say :-
This Invention relates to improved machinery or apparatus adapted
more especially to what is known as the "Noble's comb," and has for its
object the "clearing" or cleansing the fibre at the point or such portion
thereof as is to be thence deposited at the junction of the larger and
smaller circles, as referred to in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to Isaac and George Battinson and Thomas and Henry W.
Whitehead, dated the Tenth day of November 1869, Number 3241;
Matthew Mirfield and John Scott, dated the Sixteenth day of December
1870, No. 3293; and to I. Smith, B. Smith, H. Smith, and C. Bradley,
dated the Fifth day of April 1871, Number 902.
My improvements consist in the application of an additional and outer
circle of pins or teeth to the "Noble's comb," leaving a space betwixt
the inner and outer circles of pins, within which space is applied an
intersecting comb or combs working within such space and in the direc-
tion of the interior of the larger circle, and operating on the wool or fibre

page_text: "
as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Henry
Rawson and Frederick Staples, dated the Twenty-fourth day of July,
1862, Number 2104; and in the introduction of a knife or knives
entering between the teeth of the inner or outer circles of pins or teeth,
pressing or nipping the wool or fibre upon leather placed therein, so
as to hold the wool or fibre (whilst being "cleared or cleansed by the
intersecting comb or combs) as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to the aforesaid William Henry France and one
Thomas Speight, dated the 26th day of October 1868, Number 3276;
and in the introduction of reciprocatory feeding boxes for the purpose of
delivering the wool to the teeth of the combs at their point of junction,
and so dispensing with the feeding plates and apparatus as heretofore
employed on this class of machine for such purpose.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of such parts of a Noble's combing machine 1
as this
my Invention relates to. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are detached or detail
views drawn to an enlarged scale.
At A is an additional and outer circle of pins or teeth, leaving the
space B between the inner circle C and outer circle A, within which
space is applied the intersecting combs D working within the space B, 2
and when operating on the wool or fibre move in the direction of the
interior of the larger circular comb. These intersecting combs are by
means of the friction bowls E coming in contact with and moving along
the switches and race F as the whole of the large circle revolves, causing
the intersecting comb D to gradually close on the inner circle C, thereby 2
passing through that portion of the wool or fibre within the space B,
"clearing" or removing the noil or other impurity therefrom, so that on
the wool or fibre being raised from the pins or teeth previously to being
"thrown over" and deposited on the circles at the point G, H, the
cleared or cleansed portion of the wool being laid on the two combs at 3
the tangent point G, H, and so the escape of noil along with the "top"
or combed wool is avoided. The intersecting.combs rest on brasses and
slides D', by which the said combs are steadied and directed in their
"to-and-fro" motion. D is the slide for friction bowls E. At J
is shewn a similar switch or race to the one marked F, for the purpose of a
withdrawing or returning the intersecting combs C to their former
"

page_text: position near the outer circle of pins A ready to operate on the wool or
fibre on approaching the other small circle K, the arrangement of the
switches or races being precisely similar to those shewn and described in
connection with the small circle H. The arrangement of the circles of
pins and the intersecting comb is clearly shewn at Fig. 2, being a cross
section on an enlarged scale. This Fig. also shews the knife M. between
the teeth of the outer circle A pressing or nipping the wool or fibre upon
the leather strip N whilst being "cleared" or cleansed. The knife is
bolted or secured to the rod P, on which is the spiral spring R and
adjusting nuts S for regulating the spring R, and determining the
degree of pressure on the wool by the knife. T, T, are brackets bolted
to the upright U, the latter being in turn bolted to the steam chest V.
At W, W, Figs. 3 and 4, are shewn a series of four boxes. These are
secured together by means of the plate W, and are caused by the
friction bowl W and switch or race X to move inwards or close on the
outer circle on nearing the lesser circles H and K so as to "throw over"
and deposit the wool thereon. ✗' are similar switches or races for
withdrawing the series of boxes to the original position.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry France, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
WILLIAM HENRY FRANCE. (L.S.).
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Tasker & Brierley,
Patent Agents,
Halifax & Bradford.