Machine for Automatically Combing Silk Waste.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Machine for Automatically Combing Silk Waste.
I, ALBERT SAUVÉE, of 22 Parliament Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, (which
has been communicated to be from abroad by Messrs. A. M. Villy and Company, of
Lyons, in the Republic of France, Silk Manufacturers,) and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The combing of silk. waste, which comprises several entirely distinct operations, at
the present time is effected by two different machines, which can only automatically
perform a part of such operations, the others being performed by hand; whereas
by my improved machine the whole of these operations are offected automatically,
that is to say, that the waste being supplied to the machine in its raw state leaves it
perfectly combed.
This machine consists essentially of four distinct parts or elements, viz. :-
1. The mechanism for forming the sliver.
2. The mechanism for holding and reversing the sliver.
3. The carding cylinders and rollers.
4. The mechanism for delivering the sliver.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1, is an elevation of the complete machine.
Fig. 2, a detail view of part of the sliver forming mechanism.
Fig. 3, a detail view of the holding or gripping cylinder.
Fig. 4, a detail view in elevation of the stripper.
Fig. 5, a plan view of Fig. 4, and
Fig. 6, a detail view of the delivery mechanism.
These parts are carried by three vertical parallel frames B connected by stays, and
are partially actuated directly from the driving shaft A (see Fig. 1 of the accom-
panying drawings) which is also carried by the frames and driven from any suitable
shaft in the factory, either by belt or pulley or by any other suitable means.
The driving shaft also actuates, through the intermediary of a train of gearing, a
shaft a which is keyed on pinion.p cast with or secured to another pinion which is
eccentric.
These two pinions gear alternately with a wheel R, called the quick return wheel
which consists of two toothed parts, of which one is in the form of an arc of a
circle serves to gear with the pinion p, while the other which is suitably formed is
arranged to gear with the eccentric pinion p².
The radii of these pinions and of the wheel R are so proportioned that the latter
makes one revolution only for every four revolutions of the shaft a; during three
revolutions of this shaft the wheel R is driven by the pinion p, while on its fourth
revolution it gears with the eccentric pinion pl. which causes it to accomplish. its
rotation more rapidly..
It is this wheel R and its axis A' which actuate the parts which are not driven
directly from the driving shaft A.
Platforms situated at suitable heights permit of the working and inspection of the
machine.
The four parts or sections above mentioned are composed of :-
1 Tana sliver forming mechanism.

page_text: .
A counter shaft, not shown in the drawings, is supported by the frames and
actuated by the driving shaft A by belt transmission.
A grating G fixed to a wide endless belt passes round two small rollers r which
impart thereto a slow forward movement.
1
Two small rollers called urchins or feed carding rollers are provided with teeth
and turn in opposite directions.
Two other rollers r,, the first of india rubber and the second of iron are pressed
together and these also turn in opposite directions.
These two rollers as well as the feeding rollers are actuated by the counter shaft,
by means of gear wheels.
A shaft also actuated by such counter shaft by means of gearing has the pinion pl
keyed thereto.
Another shaft O carries two hubs having four arms, which in their turn carry
four working tools having four combs similar to those of existing machines for
forming the sliver.
The axes of these working tools carry pinions p
pinion pl.
which gear in succession with
A piece M in the form of a Maltese cross is keyed on the shaft O and is actuated
by a wheel R having a single tooth, such wheel being mounted on the front part of
the frame and on the same axis as the ratchet wheel which is on the opposite side of
the machine and the pawl c of which (see Figs. 1 and 2) is actuated by the connecting
rod operated by the quick return wheel R.
A wheel D (see Fig. 1) is fixed on the shaft of wheel R and through a chain c¹
drives a second wheel Di haring the same number of teeth, and upon the shaft of
which is keyed another wheel d, which in its turn drives the wheel d', through a
chain similar to the former and passing over an intermediate wheel d".
A small wheel Z having a single tooth serves to successively actuate the pieces of
cross form m of the working tools, which further carry a piece X secured to the
cross and having four surfaces of the same curvature as the sector S secured to the
frame and serving to guide such tools in succession.
A cam C (see Fig. 2) actuates a pivotted lever L, to one arm of which is suspended
a counterweight U. The axis on which this lever is pivotted carries two arms "L'
which follow the movements of such lever and which carry the axis of the
brush K (see Fig. 1) serving to regulate the amount of material taken up by the
working tools.
Finally a wheel Y (see Fig. 2) keyed to the axis of ratchet wheel C gearing with
another wheel Y mounted on a shaft at right angles to the former, and upon which
is keyed a cam C, actuating a lever L", on one arm of which is fixed the fork for
disengaging the driving of the sliver forming mechanism while to the other arm a
counterweight is suspended.
2. The mechanism for holding and reversing the sliver consists of
A holding cylinder T (see Figs. 1 and 3) of which the axis is in the same vertical
plane as the working tools, is situated directly beneath the lower working tool. This
holding cylinder is composed of
A hollow cast iron hub or boss serving to receive compressed air; of two rings E
fixed to the hub and each carrying twelve projecting pieces against which are secured
the fixed nippers p₁ made of wood strengthened by metal plates; these rings also carry
twelve shafts a on which are keyed the arms or supports of the moveable nippers p;
similar to the former.
The holding cylinder also comprises twelve cylinders c₁ for compressed air, and
which are single acting and. are secured to a flange on the hub ;. the bottom of each
of these cylinders is connected with the air reservoir by means of a small tube in
which a two-way cock i having three openings is arranged, and places the cylinder in
communication with the compressed air when it is open, and with the external
atmosphere when it is closed; these cocks, which are situated outside the rings, open
and close automatically, by the intermediary of a rod connected to their plug and
which when the holding cylinder revolves, comes in contact with two suitably arranged

page_text: tappets fixed to one of the frames of the machine; a small lever or arm 1, fixed to one
end of each of the shafts a₁ and outside the rings, carries a roller which at each
revolution of the holding cylinder is brought against a tappet fixed to one of the frames,
to produce the automatic opening of the corresponding nippers.
The cylinders c actuating the shafts of the moveable nippers by the aid of two
small cranks situated on each side of their piston rod, as is shown in Fig. 3.
.
This holding cylinder receives its movement from the shaft A', through the inter-
mediary of a second quick return wheel R₁ keyed on this shaft and which is similar
to the wheel R, and of two pinions e and e¹ which, in their turn are similar to the
pinions p and p' and are driven by the wheel R.
The shaft a, carrying these pinions e and e', therefore makes the same number of
revolutions as that carrying the pinions p and p¹ but at a variable speed.
This shaft a through the bevel wheels f, and f1, actuates the shaft a', on which is
keyed an endless screw ', which drives a worm wheel mounted on the axis of the
holding cylinder, to which it imparts the twelfth of a revolution for each revolution
of the wheel R.
The part for seizing the sliver further comprises a "stripper" (see Figs 1, 4 and 5)
consisting in
A cam c, driven by the shaft A', through intermediate gearing, which causes it to
make one revolution for each revolution of wheel R, each cam having a groove in
which works the roller of a lever 11 mounted on the shaft o¹¹.
On the shaft ol are also fixed two levers l' connected by cross bars e" and having
at their upper end a recess in which a bar J slides freely and is constantly acted upon
by a spring r, tending to force it from right to left.
A comb t with bent or curved over teeth or pins c¹ is fixed on this bar J, which
also carries on its left hand side a roller
J.
A curved angle iron S' is fixed against the left hand frame, and on it are arranged
three plates t,, and t, shaped as shown in Fig. 5.
The plates and are fixed on this angle iron S', whereas plate till is pivotted
at o, and under the action of a spring, its extremity is brought to bear against the
plate
The reversing of the sliver the object of which is to seize the part which is already
combed so as to enable the other part which was held in the nippers of the holding
cylinder to be combed in its turn, is effected by the aid of a second holding cylinder T¹,
identical to the first and like it driven from the shaft a', by means of an endless
screw, similar to the former.
3. The carding cylinders and rollers consist
Of three carding cylinders P, P', and P" all three driven directly by the driving
shaft A by belt transmission, and two rollers or brushes and driven in the same
manner, but by the axes of the rollers P and P" respectively.
The first cylinder P is clothed with strong cards, whereas the other two which are
finishing cylinders have comparatively fine cards; with regard to the rollers or brushes
they are both clothed with cards which are more widely spaced, that is the teeth of
which are further apart.
4. Finally the part for the delivery of the sliver (see Figs.
and 6).
This part is supported by two small similar frames &', secured to each side of the
main frame of the machine.
It consists
Of a driving shaft A" actuated by the shaft of cam c, through two wheels of equal
diameter and a chain, so that the shaft A" makes the same number of revolutions as
the wheel R.
An articulated mechanism composed
Of two rectangles one formed by the axis A₁ the two arms and the axis
of the roller V, and the other by the fixed axis A₂, the two levers and the
axis A
And of the two rods q, curved as shown in Fig. 6, which connect the two

page_text: The first of the said rectangles oscillates freely round the axis A, and the other
round the axis A₁. Finally the axis of roller V, turns freely in its bearings.
A roller V turns freely also between the levers which support it..
A wide endless belt passes round the two rollers V and V1 and is suitably stretched
by a tightening arrangement, not shown on the drawing, but which is situated
between the two rollers.
Two counterweights C, are placed at the end of the levers and two cams c, are
fixed on the shaft A" and act upon rollers g mounted on the rods 7, the counter-
weights C, bolding such rollers pressed against the two cams.
A hollow hub of cast iron, is mounted loosely on the shaft A" and carries a wheel r
having six teeth of which five are equal and the sixth is longer, and another wheel
having thirty teeth.
4)
The latter is driven by a wheel having twenty-five teeth and mounted on shaft A",
such shaft being itself driven by the shaft A" through two wheels of equal diameter.
The wheel r which therefore makes five-sixths of a revolution for each rotation of
the driving shaft A", acts upon the roller g" of a pivotted lever 71 oscillating freely
on the shaft of roller V, and of which the second arm carries at its end the
pawl of the ratchet wheel R", which revolves with roller VI,
On the ring carrying the lever q' is fixed a small lever 4,, which carries a tappet a¹¹11
serving to sustain the lever ' when its roller leaves the teeth of wheel -
Finally, this delivery mechanism, comprises further a roller » supported by the
frames and against which the roller V is brought to bear under the action of the
counterweights C₁ as soon as the cams c, allow the rods q to return.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
We will suppose that the machine is put in motion after being thoroughly cleaned,
a workman or work girl places the silk waste in as regular a layer as possible upon
the grating G, which conducts it between the feeding rollers where they are torn off
in pieces by the teeth of these cards; on leaving the latter, these pieces pass between
the rollers, and ", which draw them out and direct them against that of the
working tools which is then being charged and to which the pinion p" imparts a very
rapid rotary motion.
The four combs which this working tool carries, at each rotation take up some
fibres, which little by little form on these combs, what are known as slivers.
The brush K which can turn freely in its bearings, serves to cause the fibres to
enter the combs and to compress them as they collect.
While the first working tool is being charged the wheel R' advances one quarter
of a revolution for each revolution of wheel R-the wheel Chaving four teeth-
when the tooth of wheel R' is on the point of engaging the Maltese cross M, the
wheel R is ready to engage the eccentric pinion p', which increases its speed; at
this movement the cam suddenly raises the lever L" which disconnects
the mechanism for forming the sliver, at the same time that lever I raises the
brush K.
As soon as this disconnection is effected the tooth of wheel R', which has not
stopped, carries forward the Maltese cross M, and causes it to rapidly make a
quarter revolution, and also the shaft which carries the working tools: tool No. 1
then finds itself at the top and tool No. 4 has taken its place.
The stopping of the sliver forming mechanism without which this displacement.
of the tools could not be effected, lasts just the time requisite, that is to say, as
soon as the tools have arrived in their new position, the: lever L" falls again under
the action of the counterweight U' and reconnects the mechanism..
Tool No. 4 is then charged in the same way as No. 1, after which in its turn.
it passes to the highest position, while No. 3 replaces it; during this fresh dis-
placement tool No. 1. which is opposite tool No. 3, is brought against the upper
part of the sector S. and in such a way that one of the sides of its piece ✗ is
applied against such sector; it will be noticed in this connection, that as the tools t
can turn freely on their trunnions the pieces X are forced to be brought so that
one of their faces is applied against the sector S which serves as a guide.

page_text: When too! No. 3 is charged it is in turn replaced by the last which remains
empty, that is to say by No. 2, while No. 1 is brought to the lower part directly
above and in line with the vertical axis of the holding cylinder T and further so
that its combs are in the position indicated by Fig. 1.
The operation of seizing the sliver then begins.
As soon as tool No. 1 arrives in the position above mentioned the stripper which has
been drawn back to allow the tool to pass is moved forward by the action of cam c₂,
which by causing lever to fall actuates the lever and consequently the bar J which
is carried forward so that the comb it carries is brought upon the back of the
corresponding comb of the working tool, as shown in Fig. 1.
At this moment the roller g, which was sliding against plate t¹, leaves such plate
and the bar J under the action of spring r, is suddenly displaced transversely carrying
with it the comb t¹ of which the teeth which are curved over and slightly inclined
from top to bottom, penetrate into the sliver which lies upon the back of the comb of
the working tool.
The roller is then behind plate t".
As soon as this movement has been effected the cam c, begins to raise lever " and
the levers lead back to the stripper.
The latter in suddenly moving back after its rapid transverse movement completely.
raises the sliver which was as has already been stated, lying upon the back of the comb
to the teeth of which it is booked by the knots.
During this time, the roller g will have slid into the groove provided behind the
plates and 11 and been brought to bear against 11 and then passing between the
latter and will have caused the latter to turn upon its pivot, and subsequently will
have resumed its original position against plate while t¹ will have resumed its
position under the action of spring "I
At the moment that the stripper begins its backward movement, the tooth of the
wheel Z (which is actuated from shaft A' by chain gearing) is brought to bear against
the Maltese cross of tool No. 1 entering one of the recesses formed therein for such
purpose, and actuates such cross so as to cause it to make a quarter of a revolution;
the piece X in turning raises the lower end of the guide S which a spring returns to
its original position, when the quarter turn has been completed so that it holds the
tool in its new position until another quarter turn is effected.
The sliver which has been raised by the stripper has then been carried so that it is
vertically above the holding cylinder T and at a suitable height for being seized by the
two nippers of the latter, which at the same moment are presented open.
When the fixed nipper is against the sliver the tap or cock corresponding to this
pair of nippers is opened, and the compressed air passes under the piston which it
raises, and the nippers close seizing the sliver in question which they draw forward
and detach from the comb which carried same.
As soon as this movement has been effected, the stripper raises the next sliver,
which, after a fresh quarter of a turn of the tool is in its turn seized by the next
nippers, the holding cylinder making a twelfth of a revolution for each quarter turn
of the working tool.
When the tool has made four quarter revolutions and its four slivers have been
removed, it is then entirely empty; then (that is as soon as the nippers which seize
the last sliver are closed, and before the detacher begins a new operation), the shaft
carrying the working tools makes a quarter revolution-called the main quarter rovo-
lution such movement always being preceded by the stopping of the mechanisın for
forming the sliver as well as the displacement of the brush K, which is raised to
permit the passage of the working tool which travels to the highest position.
A "main" quarter revolution thus takes place at every four of the minor quarter
revolutions.
The slivers which are carried forward by the holding cylinder T pass firstly over the
carding cylinder P which revolves at a bigh speed and which simply opens their.
knots; then over the finer cylinder P₁ upon which combing of the projecting portions
of the slivers is completed, and finally over a brush & simply serving to relift the

page_text: slivers (which has become pressed down by the carding cylinders), before they are
presented to the action of the holding cylinder T, which in its turn seizes them
by the projecting part, which has been combed, so that the part which was in the
nippers of the first holding cylinder can be combed in its turn.
This passage from the first to the second holding cylinder which is called reversing
is effected in the following inanner.
When the sliver has passed the brush the cock or tap corresponding to this sliver
is closed, that is to say it allows the compressed air which is in the cylinder to escape,
without howover effecting the opening of the nippers; it is only when the said sliver
arrives at the point of contact of the two holding cylinders where it finds a pair of open
nippers of the second holding cylinder, and at the moment when it is seized by these new
nippers in the same way as previously by the first nippers, that the latter are opened
by the lever or arm l.
The sliver in question is then carried forward by the second holding cylinder which
causes it to pass in succession over the finishing roller P" which completes the
combing and over the brush 62 which raises it; then the corresponding cock or tap
closes, allowing.the compressed air to escape from the cylinder.
Finally, when the sliver arrives near the delivery, the articulated mechanism
carrying the delivery belt, under the action of cams c, is moved backward, so as
to allow it to pass, after which it is brought against the roller at the moment
when the above mentioned mechanism having been moved forward again by the
action of counterweight C₁, the roller V is brought to bear against roller vso as
to seize such sliver, which is at this moment released by the nippers, which open by
the action of lever or arm l.
:
At the same time as the articulated system moves forward, the roller g" of lever q¹
presents itself to the action of the wheel r, which raises it and causes the ratchet
wheel R to advance one tooth, so that the delivery belt actuated by this wheel is
advanced to a corresponding extent and carries forward the sliver which has been
seized between the end of the belt and the roller v.
As soon as the latter movement has been effected, the articulated system moves
back again to allow the next sliver to pass, and so on with all the slivers.
The form of cams c, is such that the wheel 2, advances only a single tooth while
the roller g remains in contact with it, so that the latter is only raised once for
each rotation of shaft A"
It will be seen further :-
That as the wheel r makes five-sixths of a revolution for each revolution of the
cams c,, the tooth which acts upon the roller g", changes at each revolution.
That the five small teeth of this wheel each cause the ratchet wheel R¹¹ to advance
one tooth, while the large tooth causes it to advance several teeth, that is to say,
that every sixth movement of the delivery belt is longer than the others, so that
the slivers will be arranged on the belt in separate sets, each composed of six slivers
completely combed.
When the nippers of the second holding cylinder have delivered their slivers
they remain open during the combination of their movement until they arrive in
position to take a fresh sliver from the first holding cylinder, and the same remark
applies to the nippers of the holding cylinder T, which after having given up their
sliver to the holding cylinder T' also remain open until they arrive in position to
take a new sliver from the working tool undergoing discharge.
It will be seen by the foregoing description that when the machine is in full
operation the working tools are recharged at the same rate as they are being
discharged..
That the two holding cylinders revolve at the same speed and their movement is
continuous, and that by the combination therewith of minor and a main quarter revo-
lution, each pair of nippers is able to take a sliver from the working tools at each
revolution, and after having caused it to pass over the two first carding cylinders,
delivers it to the second holding cylinder, which in its turn, after having caused it
to pass over the third carding cylinder, deposits it upon the delivery table or belt.

page_text: That the combing of silk waste is thus accomplished in an absolutely continuous
manner and without any loss of time.
That this machine presents the following advantages over ordinary methods of
carding.
1. It entirely avoids the loss of time which occurs notably :-When transferring the
material from the sliver forming machines to the circular carding machines.
2. It reduces the hand labour to a minimum seeing that one person-who may be
a woman,-is sufficient to attend to the machine while the ordinary sliver forming
machines and the circular carding machines require three persons.
3. Its output is greater, because the material is always presented in the same
manner to the action of the tools and the seizing as well as the raising of the sliver
and the reversing are consequently perfectly regular, which is not the case in the
actual method of working.
The action of the machine is continuous and it automatically and simultaneously
effects all the operations of combing silk waste of either long or short fibre, which
operations have hitherto been conducted separately and only partly automatically.
In other words it is a new machine producing a new industrial result.
The inventors do not limit themselves to the particular construction described, but
claim the principle upon which such machine is based.
In other words the inventors claim the system of combing machine described,
reserving to themselves all modification of the details of same which may be found
desirable, notably
To vary the number of working tools and of their combs as well as that of the
holding cylinders and of their nippers.
To effect the closing and tightening of the latter in any other manner than by
compressed air, for example by means of cams, springs etc.
Finally the inventors also reserve to themselves the right of varying the form and
dimensions of the different parts of which the new combing machine is composed, and
to employ any materials they may judge suitable for their construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The improved machine for automatically combing silk waste constructed and operating
substantially as specified.
1000