IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED for CombiNG WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES.” IN MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES."
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robertshaw, of Halifax, in the County of
York, Machine Wool Comber, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED for CombiNG WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES.”
IN MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robertshaw at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th October 1870.
I, JOHN ROBERTSHAW, of Halifax, in the County of York, Machine
Wool Comber, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBRES," to be as follows:-
In machines for combing wool and fibres a circular comb or combs is
employed, on the "gills" of which the fibre is deposited and drawn from
thence by means of drawing-off rollers. Along with the "noil" or refuse
left or remaining in the "gills" is also a quantity of "top" or sound
wool of short staple, this the ordinary drawing-off rollers fail to remove;
additional drawing rollers placed and working nearer the circular comb.
.
;

page_text: have been employed to recover this, but inasmuch as this "top" or fibre
is in a tangled uncombed state and contains noil it is of little value and
its admixture with the principle top or sliver deteriorates the whole;
this evil is so great that the general practice is to allow the short staple
referred to to pass to the noil can as noil.
This Invention has for its object the combing and clearing the short
staple so as to recover and secure a sound and even sliver of short staple;
this I effect by means of a disc, rotation to which is imparted by
gearing driven from the upright shaft or other "going" part of the
machine. Secured to the disc are a number of studs in which are gills
or combs, the points of which form an arc near the same radius as
the circular comb, and near to which they work as the disc revolves,
the gills on the studs thereof pass through and gill or comb the short
fibre protruding from the circular comb. A circular revolving brush
removes any fibre attached to the gills on the studs, and in turn the
fibre is removed from the brush by gills on a horizontal bar or lever
placed over the said brush, the bristles of which pass through or
amongst the gills on the bar or lever aforesaid, the short fibre is thus
combed and the projecting ends thereof are directed to the apron or
belt of the drawing-off rollers by means of a fan, and thus a sound and
clear sliver of shorter staple is secured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Robertshaw in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th April 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBERTSHAW, of Halifax, in the County of York, Machine Wool Comber,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Robertshaw, Her special licence that
I, the said John Robertshaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Robertshaw, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time

page_text: 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 TO BE EMPLOYED,
FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," upon the condition (amongst others),
that I, the said John Robertshaw, 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 John Robertshaw, do hereby declaroį
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
In machines for combing wool and fibres a circular comb or combs
is employed on the "gills" of which the fibre is deposited and drawn
from thence by means of of drawing-off rollers. Along with the "noil".
or refuse left or remaining in the gills is also a quantity of "top" or;
sound wool of short staple, this the ordinary drawing-off rollers fail to:
remove; additional drawing rollers placed and working near the circular:
comb have been employed to recover this; but, inasmuch, as this top!
or fibre is in a "tangled" uncombed state, and contains noil it is of:
little value, and its admixture with the principal top or sliver deteriorates.
the whole; this evil is so great that the general practise is to allow the:
short staple referred to to pass to the noil can as noil.
This Invention has for its object the combing and clearing the short
staple so as to recover and secure a sound and even sliver of short
staple; this I effect by means of a dise, rotation to which is imparted'
by gearing driven from the upright shaft or other "going" part of the
machine. Secured to the dise are a number of studs in which are gills-
or combs, the points of which form an arç near the same radius as
the circular comb and near to which they work as the disc revolves, the
gills on the studs thereof pass through and gill or comb the short fibre
protruding from the circular comb. A circular revolving brush removes.
any fibre attached to the gills on the studs, and, in turn the fibre is
removed from the.. brush by gills. on a horizontal bar or lever placed.

page_text: over the said brush, the bristles of which pass through or amongst the
gills on the bar or lever aforesaid, the short fibre is thus combed and
the projecting ends thereof are directed to the apron or belt of the
drawing-off rollers by means of a fan, and thus a sound and clear sliver
of shorter staple is secured.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now
proceed to describe the same in detail, and in order that the same may.
be clearly understood I have hereunto annexed two Sheets of Drawings.
and have marked the same with Figures and letters of reference, the
same letter referring to the same part in the various views or Figures.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is elevation of a combing machine with my improve-
ments attached; Figure 2 is a plan view of the same; Figure 3, Sheet 2,
is detached view of apparatus (drawn about half full size); Figure 4 is
front elevation of Figure 2; Figure 5 is plan view of same; and at
Figure 6 is shewn view of dise, studs, and gills drawn about full size.
At A is shewn a dise, rotation to which is imparted by gearing B
driven from upright shaft C by means of the bevel wheels D, D. Secured
by nuts to the dise are studs E, in which the gills or comb F are fixed;
the gills are of varying lengths, as shewn in the Drawings, so as to form
an arc of nearly the same radius as the large comb or "circle" G, close
to which the gills work or revolve, so that the short wool or fibre not
removed or drawn off by the drawing rollers H, H, and remaining with
the noil in the comb and protruding therefrom is gilled or combed
before being drawn off by the small drawing-off rollers H³, H¹, from
thence is passed or conducted by the ordinary funnel and rollers in
the form of a sliver can. At J, immediately over the studs and gills,
s a brush to which rotary motion is imparted by means of the gear
wheel B'; this brush serves to remove any fibre left in or amongst
the gills in the studs; the brush is cleared by means of the comb K,
through the gills or pins of which the bristles pass during the rotation
of the brush; the comb K rests or is supported as shewn at L. To
remove fibre from this comb the handle M is used for purpose of raising
(on the stud P) the said comb to position shewn in dotted lines (Sheet 2),
and the fibre is removed by the “attendant.”
At Figure 6 is shewn dise A which is provided with slot holes so as to
facilitate adjustment of the studs and gills to the large circle.
Figure 7 detached view of stud gills and nuts. At R is shewn a fan
or "stroker" driven by cord and pulleys S, S, the vanes of which work.

page_text: against or on the wool, so that by this action and the draught the wool
or fibre is directed to the sheet T of the drawing-off rollers.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature and particulars
of this my said Invention for " Improvements in Machinery to be
Employed for Combing Wool and other Fibres," together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would have it distinctly understood that I claim as my
Invention,―
Firstly. The dise, studs, and gills applied in the manner and for the
purpose above described.
Secondly. The revolving brush in connection and combination with
the disc, studs, and gills as and for the purpose above described.
Thirdly. The comb for clearing the brush.
Lastly. The fan in connection and combination with the apparatus
above claimed and fully described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robertshaw, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Blackburn.
JOHN ROBERTSHAW. (L.S.)