IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tongue, of Kennington, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR COMBING FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Scaled the 12th August 1873, and dated the 22nd February 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd February 1878.
I, WILLIAM TONGUE, of Kennington, in the County of Surrey,
3 Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of tho said Invention for "Im.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as
follows:-
Letters Patent have been granted to me bearing dato the 27th day of
August 1870, No. 2356, and furthur Letters Patent have been granted
to me bearing date the 15th day of April 1872, No. 1114, both of such
Letters Patent being for machinery for combing fibrous materials; and
my Invention consists in certain improvements in the said machinery,

page_text: >>uch improvements being also applicable to other machines for combing
fibrous materials.
In the said combing machines a travelling circular comb carries and
presents a fringe of fibres to be taken hold of and drawn out by a
circular traveling nipper. The fringe of fibres is afterwards transferrod &
from tho nipper to another comb and drawn therefrom in the form of a
ribbon or "sliver."
Now according to my present improvements I accumulate or gather
up the fringe of fibres carried by a travelling nipper.
When carrying out my present improvements the fibres composing 1
the fringe may be packed together or gathered up against one another
laterally, or the fibres may be accumulated by being superposed and
afterwards drawn in the form of a “sliver" from "scrow gills" or from
a sheet of pins.
In order to produce a lateral aggregation of the travelling fringe of 1
fibres I diminish its rate of movement at one point by transferring it
from the travelling nipper to a travelling holder moving more slowly
than the first nipper. The travelling holder may be a nipper or a comb
ring. This holder I term the accumulator. I also employ a subsidiary
travelling nipper to aid in transferring the fringe at the point where it is
aggregated or packed into the "accumulator." The fringe of fibres
thus increased in substance, but travelling more slowly is transferred and
deposited by a brush into a circular comb to be drawn off therefrom in
the form of a "sliver.”
-
In order to effect the accumulation of the fringe of fibres by super-
position I deliver the fringe of fibres from the nipper to an endless apron
(which may be a sheet of pins), travelling at a comparatively slow rate
of motion, this apron has also a lateral oscillating movement to distributo
the fibres evenly upon its surface, and at each oscillation of the apron
the fringe of fibres is laid partly over the fibres proviously deposited
thereon. By this means a substantial body of fibres is accumulated to
be afterwards presented to the drawing rollers. A travelling trans-
ferring nipper may be employed to deliver the fringe of fibres to the
travelling apron, or such fringo may be deposited from the detaching
nipper directly on to the oscillating apron or accumulator. The fibres
accumulated upon the travelling apron are carried to and deposited by a

page_text: brush into a "scrow gill" or into a sheet of pins from which the fibros
are drawn into the form of a "sliver” and delivered from the machine.
I also employ a condensing roller at the entrance of the nipper which
holds the fringe of slivers as described in the Specifications of the said
Letters Patent. This roller operates between stationary plates and acts
to condense the fibrous material and ensure its entrance between the
nipping surfaces without derangement. The travelling frictional nippers
employed may be formed of metal as heretofore, and serrated, or the
nipper may be covered with leather or other flexible material, tho
surface of the nipper being roughed before the leather is applied thereto
and fastened by pegs, and I mount the stationary nippers upon moveable
ball and socket joints.
In the said combing machine I also find it an improvement to employ
two sheets of heckles for combing the ends of the slivers. I so arrange
the heckle shoots that one of such sheets acts upon one side of the ends
of the slivers and the other heckle sheet acts afterwards upon the other
side, or an endless card sheet may be employed in place of the second
heckle sheet. By thus acting successively upon both sides of the ends
of "slivers" greater regularity and perfection of work is obtained with
less injury to the fibrous material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
3 TONGUD, of Kennington, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send
grooting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Tongue, Her special licenso
that I, tho said William Tongue, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, tho said William Tongue, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
c

page_text: In order to produce a lateral aggregation of the travelling fringe of
fibres I diminish its rate of movement at one point by transferring it
from the travelling nipper to a travelling holder moving moro slowly
than the first nipper. The travelling holder may be a nipper or a comb
ring; this holder I term the accumulator. I also employ a subsidiary
travelling nipper to aid in transferring the fringe at the point where it
is aggregated or packed into the "accumulator." The fringe of fibres
thus increased in substance, but travelling moro slowly, is transferred
and deposited by a brush into a circular comb to be drawn off therefrom
in the form of a "sliver."
In order to effect the accumulation of the fringe of fibres by super-
position I deliver the fringe of fibres from the nipper to an endless
apron (which may bo a sheet of pins) travelling at a comparatively slow
rate of motion. This apron has also a lateral oscillating movement to
3 distribute the fibres evenly upon its surface, and at each oscillation of
the apron the fringe of fibres is laid partly over the fibres previously
deposited thereon. By these means a substantial body of fibres is
accumulated to bo afterwards presented to the drawing rollers. A
travelling transferring nipper may be employed to deliver the fringe of
fibres to the travelling apron, or such fringe may be deposited from the
detaching nipper directly on to the oscillating apron or accumulator.
The fibres accumulated upon the travelling apron are carried to and
deposited by a brush into a "screw gill" or into a sheet of pins, from
which tho fibres are drawn into the form of a "aliver" and delivered
from the machine.
I also employ a condensing roller at the entrance of the nipper, which
holds the fringe of slivers as described in the Specifications of the said
Letters Patent. This roller operates between stationary plates, and acts
to condenso the fibrous material and ensure its entrance between tho
nipping surfaces without derangement. The travelling frictional nippers
employed may be formed of metal, as heretofore, and serrated, or the
nipper may be covered with leather or other flexible material, the surfaco
of the nipper being roughed before the Icather is applied thereto, and
fastened by pegs; and I mount the stationary nippers on moveable ball
and socket joints.

page_text: the heckle sheets that one of such sheets acts upon one side of the ends
of the slivers and the other heckle sheet acts afterwards upon the other
side, or an endless card sheet may be employed in place of the second
heckle sheet. By thus acting successively upon both sides of the ends
of the "slivers" greater regularity and perfection of work is obtained 5
with less injury to the fibrous material.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section and Figure 2 a plan of part of a 1
combing machine, having my present improvements applied thereto, so
as to obtain a lateral accumulation or aggregation of a fringe of fibres
according to one part of my Invention, and Figure 3 shows a diagram of
some of the parts on an enlarged scale.
The Drawings shew my improvements applied to and combined with a 1
combing machine for which Letters Patent have been granted to me as
aforosaid; and such parts of the machine shewn in the Drawing as cor-
respond with similar parts are marked with the same letters of reference
as those employed in the Specification and Drawings of the said Letters
Patent to which reference can be made for a description of such parts;
but I would here remark that my present improvements for obtaining a
lateral aggregation of a fringo of fibres are applicable, according to my
Invention, to other combing machines where a fringe of fibres is detached
from slivers and carried by a circular revolving nipper.
"
When a fringe of fibres has been drawn by a nipper x, x¹, from tho
ends of a series of slivers in a circular comb d, such fringe has a com-
paratively small substance, and such fringe, after it has been transferred
to a circular comb, and presented to drawing rollers, forms but a small
sliver. In order to give greater substance to the sliver several " heads
or combs d and nippers x, x¹, have been combined with one circular
comb, on to which several fringes have been accumulated, so as
together to present more substance to the drawing rollers, and so form a
more substantial "sliver," but it will be readily understood that a
machine so combined from several machines is complicated, and liablo
to frequent stoppage. Now according to my present improvements I

page_text: gather up or accumulate the fringe before it is deposited upon the
circular comb aª, and so obtain a fringe of fibres from a singlo “head”
of sufficient substanco to form a good sliver, whereby machines of this.
class will be simpler and easier to work. The fringe of fibros is carried
by the revolving frictional nipper x under the stationary nipper x³, and
by the movement of the nipper x the fringe of fibres is carried over the
stationary surface ³, and under the revolving frictional ring or carrier a³,
such ring or carrier a being caused by the train of wheels x", ", 2", and
, to travel at a slower rate of surface motion than the nipper x. At
that point where the nipper x carries the fibres under the ring a³ is a
revolving frictional disc " within such carrier z³, such disc " being
caused to travel at about the same rate of surface motion as the nippor x
by means of the train of toothed wheels 2", 2", ", and ". The edges
of the carrier' and the disc " are serrated or otherwise rendered fric-
tional, so that they will hold fibres upon and carry them over a stationary
smooth surface, as is well understood. Before the fringe of fibres is
released from tho nipper x, ¹, it is taken between the edge of the disc 2¹
and the stationary surface a³, and by the movement of the nipper ≈ and
the disc " (one within and the other without the ring º) the fibres aro
carried under the ring ³ a certain distance, and thon released both by
the nipper and the disc ", the fibres being thus packed up laterally
against those already accumulated under the carrier 2. After the fringe
of fibres has been thus accumulated, and so increased in substance, it is
carried by the movement of the ring or carrier a³ over the stationary
surface into a position whero it can be deposited by the dabbing
brush 2ª into the travelling comb ³, to which movement is given by the
series of wheels 2º, 2º, 2º, 2º, and . The movement of the travelling
comb carries tho fringe of fibres past the director "to drawing
rollers to be drawn into a sliver, as is well understood, and such
rollers may be either horizontal, as shown, or vertical, and several paira
of rollers may be employed, if desired, to separate the lengths of fibro.
The short hairs left in the comba³ are afterwards removed by “ploughs'
and a brush or otherwise, as is well understood.
I would here remark that the form and arrangement of the parts may
be greatly varied when carrying this part of my Invention into practice
without departing from the nature thereof so long as a fringe of fibres
is packed or gathered up into a smaller space laterally than it occupied
when in the detaching circular nipper, substantially as herein described,

page_text: What I claim in reference to this part of my Invention is packing up
or accumulating a fringe of fibrous material, substantially as hercin-
before described in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings.
I also claim the combination of parts, substantially as and for the
purposes herein-before described in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of
the Drawings.
When carrying out this part of my Invention a comb ring may be
employed in place of the travelling frictional carrier or accumulator
herein-before described; and at Figures 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawings I
have shown so much of a combing machine having a comb ring
accumulator A applied thereto as will enable me to explain the manner
in which I employ the same, Figure 4 being a plan, Figure 5 a vertical
section, and Figure 6 an elevation. To avoid complexity the supports
and gearing wheels are omitted from the Drawings, as a workman
acquainted with this class of machinery will readily apply the same.
The machine to which the apparatus is shown to be applied is a
combing machine for which Letters Patent were granted to Samuel
Cunliffe Lister and James Warburton, on the 13th Dec, 1859,
No. 2832. In this machine the ends of a circular series of slivers
immersed in the travelling comb B are presented to a travelling nipper C
which draws a fringe of fibres from the ends of the slivers. The fringe
of fibres drawn by the travelling nipper O is afterwards transferred to
the nipper E, and heretofore such fringe of fibres has been transferred
from the travelling nipper E to the travelling comb F and deposited
therein by the dabbing brush G, and two or more "heads" have been
combined with the comb F so as to accumulate several layers of fibres
upon one another and so present sufficient substance to the drawing
rollers to form a sliver.
Now according to my present improvements the fringe of fibrous
material is transferred from the nipper E to the comb A, which is caused
to travel at a slower rate of surface motion than the nipper E, and the
fringe of fibres accumulated or packed into the comb ring A increased
in substance, but travelling more slowly is afterwards transferred and
deposited into the travelling comb F. The points of the comb teeth of
the accumulating transferring comb ring A are pointed against the
direction in which the fringe of fibres is presented by the nipper E, and
so that the fringe of fibres will be packed up in the interstices between

page_text: the comb teeth of the ring A when the fibres are released by the
nipper E. To aid in packing the fibres into the comb ring A. I employ
a frictional revolving disc II, which is caused to revolvo at the same ·
surface speed as the nipper E, and the fibres are taken by the diso H
under the stationary plate or surface H and so pulled in between the
teeth of the comb ring A, the fibres being thus held on one side of the
ring A by the nipper E and on the other side by the disc H when they
are inserted into the comb ring A, the fibres being released at the same
time by the nipper E and the disc H when they have been carried a
suitable distance between the teeth of the comb ring A. The fringe of
fibres is carried by the comb ring A to a suitable position to be deposited
by the brush & into the travelling comb F, from which the fibres aro
afterwards drawn off in the form of a sliver, as is well understood. A
plough or stationary inclined plate A' can be employed to aid in trans-
ferring tho fringe of fibres from the comb ring A to the travelling
comb F.
I would here remark that though I have shown the apparatus as
applied to the combing machino constructed according to the said
Specification, A.D. 1859., No. 2832, I do not confine myself to such
combing machine, as my present improvements are applicable to other
forms of combing machines, where a fringe of fibres is carried by a
circular travelling nipper to be deposited into a travelling comb, and
I would also remark that the forms and arrangements of the parts may
be greatly varied when carrying this part of my present improvements
into practice without departing from the nature thereof, and tho
travelling comb may be so placed according to my Invention that its
comb teeth will point against the direction in which the fringe of fibres
is presented by the travelling nipper, and the fringe of fibres may bo
thus accumulated or packed directly into the travelling comb, when the
transferring ring A would be dispensed with; but I prefer to employ a
transferring ring as herein-before described, so that the fringe of fibres
may be placed more or less within the travelling comb, as may bo
desired.

page_text: I also claim the combination of parts, substantially as and for the
purposes herein-before described in reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6 of tho
Drawings.
According to another part of my Invention I deliver a fringe of
fibres carried by a circular travelling nipper to an endless apron to be
afterwards drawn from such apron or from a screw gill" into a
sliver.
16
Figure 7 shews a plan, and Figure 8 a vertical section of part of a
combing machine, having an apron applied thereto so as to obtain an
accumulation of á fringe of fibrous material by superposition thereon,
according to this part of my Invention.
The Drawings shew my improvements applied to and combined with
a combing machine, for which Letters Patent have been granted to me,
as aforesaid, and such parts of the machine shewn in the Drawings
as correspond with similar parts are marked with the same letters of
reference as those employed in the Specification and Drawings of the
said Letters Patent, to which reference can be made for a description of
such parts. But I would here remark that my present improvements
for accumulating a fringe of fibres and forming a sliver therefrom upon
an apron are applicable according to this part of my Invention to other
combing machines whero a fringe of fibres is detached from slivers and
carried by a circular revolving nipper.
The fringe of fibres which has been drawn by the circular frictional
nipper from the comb d is carried by such nipper x to the revolving
disc 2, to which motion is communicated by the pairs of wheels 27, 23,
x", 2", ", and ". The edge of the disc 2 is serrated or otherwise
rendered frictional, so that it will hold and carry the fibrous material
by its revolution over the stationary plate. The fringe of fibrous
material is taken from the nipper = between the stationary plate 2" and
the revolving disc 2", and drawn clear of the nipper x into a position
where it can be deposited upon the travelling endless apron 2. The
fibres aro supported and directed by a current of air while travelling over
the stationary surface until they arrivo at the edge thereof, when
they are deposited upon the travelling apron. In the arrangement
shewn in the Drawings the endless apron 2" is mounted with pins.
The apron passes around the rollers and 2%, such rollers together
with the drawing rollers z" and the rolling brush 2 being mounted

page_text: in bearings upon the oscillating framo O. And this framo with tho
apparatus thereon has a to-and-fro motion imparted to it, so that the
fibrous material delivered to it by the disc "may be distributed over
the surface of the apron ". Each layer of fibrous material is laid
partly over the layer previously deposited on the apron 2, which is
caused to travel at suitablo speed. The movement of the apron 2”
carries the accumulated fibrous material to be deposited among the
pins by the rolling brush ", and by the further movement of the
apron, tho accumulated layer of fibrous material is carried to and
drawn into a sliver by the drawing rollers" and delivered from the
machine by the rollers". The oscillating movement is given to the
apron by means of the crank plates ", and ", which are caused to
revolve by means of the train of wheels 243, 4, 2014, 2015, 243, 2017, 20“, and
, and by the wheels 20, and 2". The crank 2" gives the oscillating
movement to the apron 2", upon the centre 2", and the crank " gives
a slight advancing and receding movement to the apron 2" so as to
accelerato its forward movement towards the termination of each oscilla-
tion to aid in evenly distributing the layer of fibres upon its surface.
The frame O is mounted upon the bar which oscillates upon the
centre, and the frame O can slido across the bar to allow of tho
movement imparted by the crank 2". Motion is communicated] to the
by the train of the wheels, 40, 27, 25³, a³, x². Tho wheels 2”
being mounted upon a swinging bar, Motion is communicated
from the axle 2" to the rolling brush 2 and the drawing rollers" by
5 means of the trains of toothed wheels indicated by dotted circles.
axle
and
:
I would hero remark that I make no claim to the sheet of pins 21
with the brush 2 and drawing rollers 2", except when combined with a
circular nipper x, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
I would also remark that when carrying this part of my Invention
D into practice, the fringe of fibrous material may be delivered directly
from the nipper to the travelling apron 2, by making the nipper
the upper instead of the lower nipper, when the material will be at once
released and deposited directly upon the travelling apron, and in place of
drawing a sliver from among the pins upon the travelling apron such
5 travelling apron 2 may be caused to deliver the layer of fibrous material
collected upon it to a screw gill or other drawing apparatus, and in this
case the points upon the apron 2 may be dispensed with, and the form
and arrangement of the parts may be greatly varied when carrying my

page_text: Invention into practice without departing from the nature thereof, so
long as a fringe of fibrous material carried by a circular travelling
nipper is deposited therefrom upon a travelling apron, and afterwards
drawn from among pins into a sliver, substantially as herein described.
What I claim in reference to this part of my Invention is accumulating a
a fringe of fibrous material upon a travelling apron, substantially as
herein-before described in reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings.
'
I also claim the combination of parts substantially as and for the
purposes hercin-before described in reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the
Drawings.
According to another part of my present improvements I employ a
condensing roller at the entrance of the nipper which holds the fringe of
slivers, as described in the Specification of the said Letters Patent.
]
Figure 9 is a plan; Figure 10 an elevation; and Figure 11 a section
of part of a travelling nipper having a condensing roller I applied 1
thereto.
According to this part of my Invention fis the travelling nipper, and f¹
is the stationary nipper carrying the roller I by the yielding support I.
The roller I operates between the stationary plates I', and is driven
round by the movement of the nipper for otherwise, and the roller I 2
acts to condense the material at the entrance of the nipper and ensure
its entrance between the nipping surfaces f and f' without derango-
ment.
What I claim in reference to this part of my Invention is the appli-
cation of the roller I acting between the plates I', substantially as 2
and for the purposes herein-before described in reference to Figures 9, 10,
and 11 of the Drawings.
The travelling frictional nippers employed in machines as herein
described may be formed of metal as heretofore and scrrated, or the
travelling nipper may be covered with leather or other flexible material. 8
Figure 12 shows a section of a travelling nipper 2, and a stationary
nipper ¹, the travelling nipper being covered with leather.
Figure 13 shows a plan of part of the moving nipper x, and Figuro 14
a plan of part of the stationary nipper z¹. The surface of the nipper x
is “roughed” or formied into small diamond points before the leather Ķ ³

page_text: is applied thereto, and the leather is secured thereon by pegs of wood,
bone, horn, or ebonito K', as shown. The stationary nipper &' is formed
with grooves as shown, and the leather is carried under the stationary
nipper by means of the roughened surface of the nipper x.
I would state that I am aware that travelling frictional nippers have
been heretofore covered with leather scoured thercon by the aid of pegs,
and I make no claim thereto except when the surface of the travelling
nipper has been “roughened," and the stationary nipper is formed with
grooves as hercin-before described.
According to another part of my Invention I mount the stationary
nipper employed in combing machines as herein-before described upon
ball and socket joints.
Figuro 15 shews a vertical section of a nipper a³ mounted upon a ball
and socket joint.
According to this part of my Invention which I will proceed to
explain, referenco being made also to Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings,
L is a socket capable of sliding upon a stationary socket or guido I,
and the exterior of the socket L is so formed as to be part of a sphere..
The nipper ³ is formed with a socket L which fits and moves upon tho
spherical picco L, so that when fibrous material is introduced between
the nippers and ³, tho nipper z' can accommodato itself to any inequality
in the substance of such material. Pressure is applied to the nipper x³
by means of the rod L' and lover L' which is acted upon by a weight or
spring, such lover resting upon a regulating stop when the fibrous
material is withdrawn from the machine. The nipper a¹ is held
stationary by the arm LP, and the weight of the sockets L and L³ is
compensated by the weighted lever L' connected to the arm L' by the
link L, so that the pressure applied to the nipper z³ may be evenly
discributed thereon.
What I claim in reference to this part of my Invention is mounting
the nippers in combing machines where circular traveller nippers aro
employed upon self adjusting ball and socket joints, substantially as
herein described in reference to Figures 7, 8, and 15 of the Drawings.
According to another part of my Invention I so arrange two heckle
sheets that one of such heckle sheets acts upon one side of the ends of
the slivers, and the other heckle sheet acts afterwards upon the other

page_text: sido of the ends of the slivers in combing machines, where the ends of a
circular series of slivers are held by a travelling nipper or holder as
described in the Specifications of the said Letters Patent granted to
me.
As will be seen by reference to Figure 7 of the Drawings the ends of i
the series of slivers carried by the comb d are presented first to the
heckle sheet M, and afterwards to the heckle sheet N, such sheets being
caused to move in opposite directions.
Figure 16 is a section of some of the parts shewing the heckle sheet M
acting upon the under side of the ends of the scries of slivers held by the']
nippers ff, and Figure 17 a section of some of the parts shewing the
heckle sheet N acting upon the upper side of the ends of the series of
slivers held by the nippers f,f. In place of the second heckle sheet N,
a "card shect" can be employed where great perfection of work is
desired.
What I claim in reference to this part of my Invention is acting suc-
cessively upon both sides of the ends of a series of slivers by hecklo
sheets, or by a heckle sheet and a card shect, such slivers being held by
a circular travelling nipper or holder, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tongue, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and soyenty-three.
MAXATIR