Improvements in Wool-combing Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wool-combing Machines.
I, EDWARD LODGE, of Lymansville, of the Town of North Providence, in the
County of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Over-
seer of Combing, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention has reference to an improvement on circular wool-combing
machines in which the fiber is supported on an annular revolving comb-ring and is
combed out, usually, by two smaller revolving annular working-combs placed
usually at opposite sides of the machine within the larger annular comb to be
formed into a continuous uniform sliver.
In this kind of wool-combing machines the short fiber, or noil, is not as per-
fectly separated from the longer fiber as is desirable and the wool is usually sub-
mitted to a second combing in the same or similar machine.
L
The object of this invention is to secure a more perfectly combing out of the
fiber and a more complete separation of the noil from the longer fiber at one
operation; and to this end the invention consists in the application to the usual
circular wool-combing machines of preferably two auxiliary annular rotating combs
by which the fiber is combed and drawn out so that the noil, or entangled short
fiber, will extend within the usual annular working-combs rotating inside of the
large outer annular comb, so that in drawing off the beard or long fiber to form
the fleece the moil will be retained, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.
Figure is a top view of a sufficient part of a circular wool-combing machine
provided with two of my auxiliary annular combs.
Figure 2 a top view of part of the outer annular comb and part of the auxiliary
comb showing the position of the plow-plates for raising the combed-out fiber.
Figure is a side view of one of the plow lifting-plates.
Figure 4 is a front view and Figure 5 a side view of the dabbing motion of the
auxiliary annular comb.
In the drawings A indicates the outer and larger annular comb; B-B the usual
smaller annular working-combs; C-C the pinching-rolls that draw the fiber from
the large outer annular comb; D-D the carrier-belts; E-E the pinching-rollers
that draw or strip the fiber from the annular working-combs B-B; F-F the
twister-heads through which the sliver passes and G the combed sliver. The parts
so far described are the parts used in the circular wool-combing machines in
common use, the annular combs turn in the directions indicated by the arrows and
the machine is driven and operated in the usual manner, by imparting rotary
notion to the outer annular comb A which is provided with a gear rim on its
inner face with which the gears on the outer edge of the working-combs B—B
engage, and are thus rotated at the same speed as is the outer comb A.
To this machine I add the annular combs H-H, preferably of less diameter than
the annular working-combs B-B, and connect the same with the gear of the
outer comb A. From the central column H¹ of the comb H the arm H2 projects
radially and on a pin. projecting from the end of the arm H2, just above the wires
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page_text: of the annular comb, the curved plow-plates H³ are pivotally secured extending
between the rows of the wires or pins of the comb. The lower end of the
column H is supported on the step H and the upper end is secured by the
bracket H to the column B' in the center of the annular comb B on each side of
the machine. The bracket I, secured to the column H¹, forms the support and way
for the reciprocating-slide I' of the dabbing-brush I and its operating mechanism,
consisting of the shaft I³, the eccentric I* secured to one end of the shaft I' and
turning in a cup secured to the slide I', a pulley 15 on the other end of the shaft I³
is connected by a belt with the pulley B² on the head of the column B', this pulley
is driven by suitable gearing from the main driving-shaft B3 on which the loose
and tight pulleys B and B are carried. The dabbing motion herein-described I
find to work satisfactory, but any form of dabbing motion may be used in connection
with the auxiliary annular combs H--H.
The auxiliary annular combs H-H may be driven in any suitable manner found
practical in the same manner as the annular working-combs B-B are driven,-- in
Figure 5 the auxiliary comb H is shown provided with a gear engaging with the
gear on the inside of the large annular comb A.
To enable others skilled in the art to use my invention I will now describe the
same in connection with the combs of the ordinary circular wool-combing machine.
At or about the points marked X. -X on the opposite sides of Figure 1 the wool is
fed on the outer annular comb A and is carried toward the auxiliary annular
combs HII, plates II placed between the annular rows of pins forming the
comb A, like the plates H³, raise the fiber up above the pins of the outer annular
comb A and above the pins of the auxiliary annular combs H--H. At or near the
point of nearest contact between the annular combs A and II the dabbing-brush I³
pushes the fiber which projects inward beyond the annular comb A, as shown in
the drawings, into and between the pins of the comb A and the auxiliary
combs H-H which, on turning with the comb A, separate and draw out the fiber
from the comb A, and at the same time the plow-plates H³ raise the fiber again
above the pins of the auxiliary annular combs H-H. On examining Figure 1 it
will be seen that the broken line marked a, before it reaches the auxiliary
combs H-H, projects inward to the broken line marked al after it has passed the
auxiliary combs H-H, and that when the fiber reaches the usual annular working-
combs B-B the inner line of the fiber extends over and inside of the annular rows
of pins of the combs B and that as these combs separate from the outer annular
comb A the over-hanging fibre is drawn into the annular working-combs B-B,
and it is found, in practice, that the noil is drawn against and is held by the inner
annular row of pins of the combs B-B and that when the fiber is drawn by the
nipping-rolls EE from the outer sides of the annular combs B-B the noil, or
entangled short fiber, is retained and is carried to the lifting-plates K-K, to be
discharged, so that by the use of the auxiliary annular combs H-H the wool is
combed out and prepared for the usual annular working combs B-B and the
operation of these are made far more effective than was heretofore possible and
the combing performed by one operation of the machine far more complete. By
the use of the auxiliary annular combs about fifty per cent. more combing of the
fiber is secured at one operation and the effect on the cleaning of the fiber is
much improved by thus drawing out the fiber and placing the edge of the fiber
always containing more of the noil on the inner side of the annular working-
combs B-B and pushing it into the annular rings or pins of the combs by the
dabbing brushes. To secure the best result the inner of the annular row of pins
should be set closer together than the other rows of the annular working-
combs B-B, so as to retain the noil more effectually.
I am aware that prior to my invention circular wool-combing machines have been
provided with boxes and a reciprocating drawing comb operated by complex
mechanism to draw out the fiber and partially separate the noil before the fiber
reached the rotating, annular working-comb. I do not claim such mechanism or,
broadly, mechanism producing this result. I find in practice that by my con-

page_text: struction the auxiliary, rotating, annular comb secures all the benefits the complex
mechanism failed to secure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
-
Claim 1. In a circular wool-combing machine, the combination with the outer
annular comb and the smaller, inner, annular working-comb by which the fiber is
drawn inward from the outer comb, of a rotating, auxiliary, inner, annular comb
placed in advance of the working-comb, and means for rotating the combs to draw
the fiber inward from the outer comb before it is acted on by the working comb,
whereby the noil of the fiber is placed on the inside of the working comb, as
described.
2. In a fiber-combing machine, in combination, the outer annular comb on which
the fiber is fed, the smaller, inner, annular working-combs by which fiber is drawn
off from the outer comb, the nipping-rolls and carrier by which the fiber is
collected, and the inner rotating auxiliary annular combs placed in advance of the
working-combs by which the fiber is drawn out before it reaches the annular
working-combs, whereby the fiber is more thoroughly combed and the noil more
effectively separated, as described.
3. In combination with a circular wool-combing machine having an outer
annular comb, smaller, inner, annular working-combs co-operating with the outer
comb and the usual nipping-rolls, of a series of lifting-plates in the outer annular
comb in advance of an auxiliary comb, auxiliary, rotating, inner annular combs
placed in advance of the working-combs, and lifter plates in the auxiliary annular
combs, whereby the fiber is drawn inward from the outer annular comb and
delivered to the annular working-combs with the edge of the fiber overlapping the
inner edges of the annular working-combs, as described.
4. In a circular wool-combing machine, the combination with the outer annular
comb A, the inner, annular working-combs B-B, and the mechanism for stripping
the fiber and forming the sliver, of the rotating, inner, annular combs H-H
operating on the fiber in advance of the working-combs B-B, the lifting plow-
plates H3 and H5, whereby the fiber is drawn out from the outer annular comb
before it reaches the working-combs, as described.
5. In a circular wool-combing machine, the combination with the usual mechan-
ism for combing out the fiber and forming the sliver, of the inner, auxiliary annular
combs H-H, the plow-plates H5 and H³, and the dabbing-brushes I² operated
substantially in the manner described, whereby the fiber is combed out from the
outer annular comb in advance of the working-combs, as described.
Dated this 16th dow of November A D 1897
Dated this 16th h day.
November
1897
EDWARD LODGE.
gned in presence of:-
JOSEPH A. MILLER,
B. M. SIMMS.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.