IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR COMBING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES." A communication from abroad by the
Firm of Heilmann-Ducommun and Steinlen, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 14th March 1879, and dated the 28th September 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th September 1878.
WILLIAM CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES." [A com-
munication from abroad by the Firm of Heilmann-Ducommun and Steinlen, of
Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to further improvements in the machinery for combing
fibrous substances, for which Letters Patent bearing date January 13th and
November 29th, 1877, and April 24th, 1878, were granted to Alexander Melville
Clark, on behalf of the said Firm.
By the employment of a differential motion for giving the movement of trans-
lation to the nipper by which the web is parted asunder, whereby the movements
of this nipper are capable of being varied, and the combs acting on the tail and
front ends of the fleece or web can be operated under different conditions of time.
As regards the finishing comb the parting nipper may be made to move a certain
distance in order to commence the parting asunder of the web (which parting is
easier than it would be if impeded by the immediate insertion of the finishing
comb), and afterwards slacken the motion of the nipper to allow time for the finishing
comb to engage with the tail end, whether said finisher comb alone operates upon
the tail end with or without a movement of translation, or whether the comb being
divided the fine front teeth serve for finishing, and the back teeth perform a
preparatory treatment on the front end of the web.
1

page_text: As regards the combing or finishing of the front end, which is performed either
by means of a bar comb or comb cylinder, in the latter case the time during which
the comb cylinder is to remain in contact with the front end may be increased,
besides which a cylinder of larger diameter may be used so as to present a greater
number of teeth to act upon the front end of the web.
"The differential motion for producing the movement of translation of the parting
nipper is represented in Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings. M is the main
shaft of the machine, on which are keyed two cams Z, Z', acting on friction
rollers z, 2¹. The cams are of such form as to impart to the nipper a quicker or
slower motion at certain points of its course to correspond to the different stages of
the operation of combing the tail and front ends of the web.
"COMBING MACHINE WITH COMB CYLINDER FOR COMBING THE FRONT END
OF THE WEB."
Figure 1 shows the general arrangement of the machine with comb cylinder,
having rows of teeth of progressive fineness for combing the front end. A novel
arrangement adopted consists in coupling the comb cylinder with its cleaning brush
or brushes, and in causing said brush or brushes to accompany the drum in its
movement of translation towards and from the front end of the web. This arrange-
ment affords two advantages,―
1st., a more perfect cleaning of the combs, inasmuch as the brush is always in
contact with the comb cylinder; 2nd., a lower surface speed of the comb cylinder,
inasmuch as the rotary motion of the drum is lessened by so much as would have
been necessary for the cleaning operation if the stripping brush were separate from
it, so that it would require to rotate a certain time in front of said brush for
cleaning.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MACHINE.
Feed Apparatus.-This may either consist of a porcupine A, Figure 1, or of gills,
as in the well-known Joshua Heilmann combing machine.
Stationary Nipper-The jaw B¹ is operated by cam P through lever P', as seen
in Figure 6. The jaw B of the stationary nipper is arranged to reverse the head of
the web, in order to present it to the action of the teeth of the comb drum.
Instead of the jaws B, B¹, being made of the form shown in Figure 6, they may be
as shown in Figure 7, which reduces the distance between the feed apparatus and
the point of seizure of the filaments, as also the distance between this point and
the comb drum.
When the feed apparatus consists of gills the fixed nipper would be of a form
adapted to such use.
OSCILLATING NIPPER FOR DRAWING OUT AND PIECING UP THE WEB.
Figure 1, G, arm carrying the nipper oscillating on shaft M; H', connecting rod
for imparting oscillatory motion to arm G through the levers and bell cranks
H2, H3, H. The piecing of the web after combing the front end is effected as
described in a preceding Patent above mentioned, by superposing the front end of
"the web, upon the tail end, which is brought back by the parting nipper in its
return movement, in order to recommence the operation as represented in Figure 6.
K, lever for opening and closing the jaws of the nipper operated by cam K¹; L, lever
whose tail end is slotted to permit of its adjustment for increasing or diminishing
the pressure of the jaws of the nipper upon each other; M³, india-rubber strip to
render the pressure elastic; N, endless apron, which is shifted at each stroke of the
nipper; 0, 0, 02, 0³, two pairs of rollers for drawing along the web of combed
filaments, but leaving the tail ends protruding; X, X', rollers moving with the
parting nipper during its to-and-fro motion and condensing the combed web into a
roll or sliver, which is unaffected by motion of the nipper.

page_text: FINISHING CUMB.
The upward and downward movement of this comb is produced by the lever T
oscillating on t as a centre and operated by the cam T'. The movement of trans-
lation in the longitudinal direction of the web, according as this movement is
employed or not, is produced by lever U oscillating on e as a centre and operated by
cam U¹. It is evident that this finishing comb may, according to the work to be
done, be made to enter the web either previous to or during the parting asunder,
and it may even receive a movement of translation during the parting if desired.

page_text: This arrangement gives better results than when the small brush is cleaned by the
larger one. Figure 6 represents at b the application of a small stripper bar, which at
the moment the teeth are engaged in the web occupies the position represented in
the Drawing, that is to say, is withdrawn to allow the teeth to perform the combing
operation, while when the combs are being cleaned by the brushes it is moved
towards the points of the teeth to detach the waste therefrom, and enable it to be
more readily seized by the brushes.
COMBING MACHINE WITH STRAIGHT COMBS FOR COMBING THE FRONT END OF
THE WEB, FIGURE 1.
The levers T, U, and cams T', U¹, effect the downward and upward movements of
the upper comb, and also the movement of translation if used, while levers D, E,
and cams D¹, E¹, perform the same offices for the lower comb. The forms of the
cams 2, 2, Figure 5, by which the movement of translation of the parting nipper
R, S, is produced, are such that the said nipper in seizing the front end of the web
(Figure 9) shall travel a certain distance before the finishing comb enters the web,
according to the length of the fibres, the thickness of the web, and the length of
feed, in order to facilitate the parting asunder, which would be impeded by the
premature entry of the finishing comb into the web. The finishing comb R, S, on
arriving at a certain point of its course (Figure 10) slackens its motion, or even
stops, to allow time for the one of the two combs used for finishing to penetrate the
tail end of the web near the parting nipper. When the finishing comb is divided
into two parts, as seen in Figure 12, the row of teeth a, mounted on a slide travel-
ling upon the arm b, and operated by a cam, is brought forward to catch the tail
end of the web, while the other row of needles center the fresh material fed
forward, and effects a preliminary combing thereof. At the same time, or nearly so,
the second straight comb enters the web near the stationary nipper B, B¹, in
readiness to act upon the front end.
The parting nipper continuing its course completes the combing of the tail end
through the finishing comb, which after completing its work moves away to allow
of the front end being combed, see Figure 11.
The Invention thus consists,―
1st. In the application to combing machines of the kind herein-before referred to
of a differential motion, as shown and described for imparting the movement of
translation to the parting nipper, said differential motion consisting of two friction
rollers and two cams having a curvature corresponding to the times in which the
different portions of movement of the nipper are to be effected relatively to the
extent, dimensions, course, and time of combing adopted for the combing device
acting on the tail and front ends of the web, whether said device be drum or bar
comb.
2nd. In maintaining the cleaning brush or brushes of the comb drum (which
rotates on an axis and receives a movement of translation) in constant contact with
said drum during its movement of translation towards or away from the front end
of the web to be combed.
3rd. In the principle of action of a combing machine operating under the follow-
ing novel conditions, viz. :-(a.) A device working at a differential speed, parting
the web asunder, such as the parting nipper described, in such manner that after
having moved a certain distance to commence parting the web (a distance depending
on the thickness of the web, the length of the fibres, and the amplitude of the feed),
shall slacken its movement, and even almost stop, for the purpose of allowing the
finishing comb time to arrive and enter the tail end of the web near the parting
nipper, the entry of said finishing comb being effected whilst the web is yet con-
tinuous, but after the front and tail ends have commenced to separate, so that said
comb will not impede the parting and prevent the proper formation of a front end;
this is especially liable to be the case where the web is of considerable thickness,
and the fibres are liable to be driven back and collect behind the finisher comb and

page_text: become waste; whether said bar comb serve simply for finishing the tail ends, and
have a movement of translation during the parting (which avoids pushing back
and collecting the fibres behind the said finishing comb where the same is a
fixture), or whether the rows of teeth be separated at the moment of entering the
web, in which case the fine teeth move forward for finishing, whilst those in the
rear serve to prepare the front end. It is particularly intended to claim as new in
the action of the finishing comb with comb drum the causing the finishing comb to
enter the web (at or during the parting) close up to the parting nipper for cleaning
the tail end of the web, which finishing comb, if it enters the web during the
parting, will have followed the movement of the parting nipper before so doing, so
as to enable the proper moment to be selected for engaging the comb in the web,
and of diminishing, if desired, the distance between the lines of seizure of the
stationary and parting nippers, the said 'finishing comb while engaged in the web
moving together with the parting nipper for an instant, and then while the parting
asunder of the tail and front ends is being effected, stopping at the place where the
extremity of the front end is situate, and then disengaging itself therefrom.
(b.) Drum for combing the front end of the web, having a movement of translation,
the said drum having the novel advantage of economising time, inasmuch as it does
not require to be rotated a certain number of times in front of its brush doffer solely
for the purpose of being cleaned. This feature does not exist in other rotary comb
drums having a movement of translation, in which a certain time is lost in present-
ing the rotary drum to the cleaner. (c.) Or the combing the front end of the web
by a second bar comb, and where two such combs are employed, as in Figures 9, 10,
and 11, both are caused to enter the web while stretched, whether the finishing
comb having a movement of translation or not.
4th. In the general ensemble of combing machine in which a cylinder is employed
for combing the front end of the web, as shown in Figure 1, which cylinder may
comb the tail end after having combed the front end.
5th. In the use with a bar comb of a special doffing roller, with card teeth for
cleaning the small comb-cleaning cylinder, instead of cleaning it on the second
brush.
6th. In the application of a stripper bar sliding between two rows of teeth, of
the straight comb for detaching the waste from between the teeth, and enable the
brushes to remove it.
7th. In the use of a stripper enclosing the comb drum which allows the teeth to
project through slots in the disc, and turns eccentrically upon the drum for
detaching the waste.
8th. In the application to other combing machines of any of the parts of the
machinery herein described.
9th. In the employment of a nozzle for discharging compressed air upon the front
end of the web to cause it to penetrate the teeth of the comb drum.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
March 1879.
WILLIAM CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES." A com-
munication from abroad by the Firm of Heilmann-Ducommun and Steinlen, of
Paris, France.
This Invention relates to further improvements in the machinery for combing
fibrous substances for which Letters Patent bearing date January Thirteenth and
November Twenty-ninth, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven, respect-
ively were granted to Alexander Melville Clark on behalf of the said Firm.
The present Iuvention consists in the employment of a differential motion instead
.of a crank shaft for giving the movement of translation to the nipper by which the
web is parted asunder, whereby the movements of this nipper are capable of being
varied, and the combs acting on the tail and front ends of the web operated under
different conditions of time. As regards the finishing comb the parting nipper may
be made to move a certain distance in order to commence the parting asunder of the
web (which is thus rendered easier than if it were impeded by the immediate
insertion of the finishing comb) the motion of the nipper being afterwards slackened
to allow time for the finishing comb to engage close up to the nipper with a combed
portion of the tail end of the web. The combing of the front end of the web may
be performed either by means of a bar comb as described in previous Patents or
with a comb cylinder, as herein-after described.
By the use of a differential motion as above mentioned with a cylindrical comb
the time during which said comb acts on the front end of the web may be prolonged,
or a cylinder of larger diameter may be used, thus subjecting the web to the action
of a greater number of rows of teeth.
A novel arrangement in connection with the use of a cylindrical comb consists in
coupling the comb cylinder with its cleaning brush or brushes and in causing said
brush or brushes. to accompany the comb drum in its movement of translation
towards and from the front end of the web to be combed. This arrangement affords
two advantages:-1st, a more perfect cleaning of the comb teeth, inasmuch as the
brush is always in contact with the comb cylinder; 2nd, a slower surface speed of
the comb cylinder as the rotary motion of the drum is lessened by so much as would
have been necessary for the cleaning operation if the stripping brush were separated
from it, in which case it would require to rotate a certain time in front of said brush
for cleaning.
DIFFERENTIAL MOTION OF THE PARTING NIPPER.
Figure 1. M is the main shaft of the machine upon which are mounted two
cams Z, Z1; 2, zl, are two friction bowls in contact with said cams.
The cams are
of such form as will cause the parting nipper to be acelerated or retarded in its
motion at different points of its course to correspond to to the different phases of the
operation of combing the front end of the web. The arrangement of the comb
cylinder and mode of coupling the same with the brush which partakes in the
movement of translation of the comb cylinder to and from the front end of the web
is shown in Figures 2, 2ª, and 3. D represents the arm by which the comb cylinder
is presented to the front end of the web. This arm D oscillates on d as a centre,
and is operated by the camb D¹. L is a lever whose fulcrum is adjustable in a slot Z
for regulating the position of the comb cylinder with respect to the front end of the
web. B is a stop regulated by a screw and nut e, e', for limiting the upward move-
ment of the comb cylinder. W is the brush for stripping the comb cylinder; this
brush is capable of being adjusted more or less closely to the comb cylinder by
means of the regulating screw X, lever 1, and bolt 1.

page_text: The comb cylinder is operated by the following means: -In Figure 2,1 is a
toothed wheel keyed on the cam shaft and driving through the intermediate wheels
2, 3, a wheel 4 keyed on the axis of oscillation d of the comb-carrying arm D. In
Figure 3 d is a shaft which is geared by bevel wheels 5, 6, with a shaft e, which
by other bevel wheels 7, 8, gears with and drives the comb cylinder. The brush
receives notion, as shown in Figure 2, from wheel 9 through wheels 10, 11,
and 12, 13.
Figures 5 and 6 show a slight modification in the arrangement of the small
cleaning brush W. The wheel 1 operates wheel 5 on the brush axis through the
intermediate wheels 2, 3, 4, and the lever jointed at 1, the brush W to be adjusted
more or less closely to brush V. Figure 7 shows a combing machine in which, (1),
the parting nipper R, S, described in former Patents is operated by the differential
motion herein described. The vertical V passing through the centre of gravity of
the parting nipper will approach very nearly the axis of oscillation M of the said
nipper. H, H2, H3, H4, levers and connecting rod by which the nipper receives
its movement of translation; K, lever for opening and closing the jaws of the
nipper; L, lever for regulating the nip of the jaws; 0, 0, 0, 0³, pairs of drawing
rollers; X, X', compressing rollers. (2), The differential motion for operating the
parting nipper described with reference to Figure 1. (3), The finishing comb having
a downward movement, a movement of translation, and an upward movement as it
is applied when the feed is performed by a gill box.
With the exception of the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6, and the
application in the case of a gill box being used, shown in Figure 7, the arrangement
for operating the finishing comb is described in a former Patent. T is a lever
oscillated on a centre t by the cam T¹ for producing the upward and downward
movements of the finishing comb; U, lever, oscillated on a centre c by cam U¹ for
producing the movement of translation. The gill box feed arrangement and its
operative mechanism is omitted from the Drawing but its position is indicated by
the letters G, B. (4), The apparatus for cleaning the finishing comb described in
former Patents. V, large brush having rotary motion; W, small cylinder revolving
both upon its own axis and also around the brush V, the latter by means of the
lever and connecting rod X1, X2, receiving motion from a cam. (5), The means
employed for adjusting the relative positions of brushes W and V separately,
represented in Figures 5 and 6. (6), The comb cylinder with its stripping brush
coupled therewith, together with the gearing for operating same, adjusting lever and
stop for limiting the motion. V¹, card stripper for the coupled brush W'; B, B¹,
outer and inner framing.
The piecing up of the tail and front ends of the web, see Figure 4, is effected as
described in a former Patent by causing the parting nipper on its return movement
to bring back the tail end of the web supported by the bottom jaw R of said nipper
in order to bring it beneath the front end, the two portions being then compressed
by the closing of the two jaws R, S.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The application to combing machines, of the kind herein-before referred to
of a differential notion, as described and shown in Figure 1 of the Drawings, for
imparting the movement of translation to the parting nipper, said differential
motion consisting of two friction bowls and two cams, having a curvature corre-
sponding to the times in which the different phases of the movement of translation
of the nipper are to be performed relatively to the dimensions, course, and time of
combing adopted for the combing devices.
2nd. Coupling together the stripping brush and the cylindrical comb (which
rotates on an axis receiving a movement of translation), that is to say, maintaining
the stripping brush constantly in contact with the comb drum during its movement
of translation, thus causing the brush and comb drum to perform in common the

page_text: course which the axis of the drum performs in moving towards or away from the
front end of the web to be combed.
3rd. The operation of the parts of a combing machine under the following novel
conditions: (a), parting the web asunder by a device having a differential speed,
such as the parting nipper described, so that it shall slacken its movement to allow
time for the finishing comb to arrive, this comb entering a combed portion of the
web either immediately at the moment of parting (whether the comb thus engaged
in the web follow or not the movement of the nipper) or at any other desired
moment, the finishing comb having followed the parting nipper in readiness to enter
the web at the proper moment, according to the nature of the work; (b), a drum for
combing the front end of the web, receiving a rotary motion and movement of
translation, but which does not require to be rotated in front of its stripping brush
for the special purpose of being cleaned, thereby economising time, an advantage
that does not exist in other rotary comb drums having a movement of translation
in which a certain time is lost in presenting the rotary drum to the stripper.
4th. The method of coupling and operating the comb drum and brush, as described
and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, together with the arrangement for regulating
their approach to the front end of the web, the stop for limiting the upward motion
of the comb drum, and the arrangement for adjusting the position of the brush.
5th. The combination of parts and movements of the combing machine as
described and illustrated in Figure 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.