IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING THE FLY COMBS OF CARDING ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Walton Whitehead, of Holbeck, in the Parish
of Leeds, in the County of York, a Partner in the Firm of Taylor, Words-
worth, & Co., of the saine Place, Machinists, and Isaac Best, of Little Horton,
in the Parish of Bradford, in the said County, Carder and Comber, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING THE FLY COMBS OF CARDING
ENGINES."
Sealed the 11th July 1876, and dated the 19th April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Walton Whitehead
and Isaac Best at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April
1876.
HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the County
of York, a Partner in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, & Co., of the same Place,
Machinists, and ISAAC BEST, of Little Horton, in the Parish of Bradford, in the
said County, Carder and Comber. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING THE FLY COMBS
FOR CARDING ENGINES."
Hitherto fly combs have been made so as to give the doffing knife a quick
upward and downward motion, returning after stripping the wool or other material
as near the doffer as when the knife went down, by these means not making so
good a motion as the old whalebone motion or bottom crank motion, and thus
causing the knife in these fly combs to take the sharpness off the clothing of the
doffer on its returning upwards, and also when the carding engine is running out,
causing the wool or fibre to he rolled or wrapped in a tight band and thereby
spoiling the clothing of the doffer.
Our improvements consist in giving the doffing knife an on and off motion,
instead of the simple upward and downward stroke as before, by applying two
eccentrics and a crank fixed on the driving end of the fly comb, and an excentric
at the contrary end fixed in the stand which carries the fly comb stock, the fly
comb being fixed in the top excentric at each end.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the condition of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Henry Walton Whitehead and Isaac Best in the Great Seal Patent Office
I on the 19th October 1876.
.
HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the County
of York, a Partner in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, & Co., of the same Place,
Machinists, and ISAAC BEST, of Little Horton, in the Parish of Bradford, in the
said County, Carder and Comber. IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING THE FLY COMBS
FOR CARDING ENGINES."
८८
Hitherto fly combs have been so made and operated as to give the doffing knife
a quick upward and downward motion, but after stripping the wool or other
material from the doffer the knife is made to return to the position from whence
it went down. By these means the knife does not make so good a motion as
the old whalebone motion or bottom crank motion. And moreover it causes the
knife in these fly combs to take the sharpness off the clothing or cards of the doffer
on its returning stroke upwards, and when the carding engine is running out it
causes the wool or fibre to be rolled or wrapped in a tight band, and thereby spoils
the clothing of the doffer.
Our improvements in working fly combs consist in giving the doffing knife an
on and off motion instead of the simple upward and downward stroke as' before.
This is effected by applying two excentrics and a crank fixed on the driving end
of the fly comb, and an excentric at the contrary end fixed in the stand which
carries the fly comb stock, the fly comb.being fixed in. the top excentric at each
end. By this means a kind of circular or curved rotary motion is imparted to
the acting edge of the fly comb instead of a simple up and down or vibrating motion
as heretofore.
In the accompanying Drawings we have shown the mechanical arrangements
whereby the object of our Invention is effected.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of such parts of a carding engine as will serve to
illustrate our, Invention as applied thereto; Fig-2 is a front elevation of the same;
and Fig. 3 is a plan view
On the framing A of the carding engine are supported the bearings in which the
axle of the doffer B is mounted.. The brackets C, C, for carrying the fly.comb.D
and its appendages are also. mounted on the frames, A. On each end of the fly
comb D, and carried in the brackets C, C, are the excentrics E, E, for, giving an
on and off motion to the fly comb D during its upward and downward stroke,
which is produced by the crank lever F fixed on one end of the fly comb shaft D₁
The crank lever F is oscillated by the connecting rod or lever G and excentric H.
The excentric H is carried and is driven by the pulley J, which is mounted on the
stud I fixed to one of the brackets C. The pulley J receives motion from the
speed cone fixed on the fancy shaft J, Fig. 1. On the outside of and carried by
the pulley J is also another excentric K, which (through the pulley J) gives an
oscillating motion to the rod or lever L, which is attached to the crank or lever M
by the stud N.. The crank or lever M is fixed on the cross shaft O and causes the
latter to rock during each revolution of the excentric .K. On each end of the
rocking shaft O is fixed a boss P, and by means of the belts Q, Q, which are carried
round the bosses P, P, and round the bosses of the excentrics E, E, and also in
consequence of the ends of the fly comb D being supported in. the excentrics E, E,
at each end, the fly comb D is caused by the excentrics E, E, to make an on and
off motion during its upward and downward movement, as indicated by dotted
lines in Fig. 1.
In the place of the bosses P, P, and belts Q, Q, wheels, chains,
or levers with connecting rods may be substituted, and exactly the same motion
as that produced by the combination.shown in the-Drawing will be produced.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements in Working the Fly
Combs of Carding Engines," and having explained the manner of carrying the

page_text: same into effect, we claim as the Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as afore-
said imparting to the fly comb shaft such a rocking motion as to cause the fly
comb D to come close to the doffer B in descending, and to recede from the doffer
as the fly comb ascends, thus preventing the teeth of the doffer clothing from
being damaged by the fly comb as the latter ascends, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Walton Whitehead, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said Henry Walton Whitehead in
the presence of
EDWARD WHITELEY,
HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)
Clerk to Mr. Thos. Turner,
Solicitor,
Leeds.