IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SILK, WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Airey, of Brighouse, in the County of York,
and James Clayton, of Golcar, in the same County, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SILK,
WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING."
Sealed the 17th December 1859, and dated the 27th September 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Airey and
James Clayton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 27th September 1859.
We, WILLIAM AIREY, of Brighouse, in the County of York, and JAMES
CLAYTON, of Golcar, in the same County, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING
SILK, WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR SPINNING," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to gill boxes or drawing boxes, and consists
in the employment of a cylindrical gill comb or toothed roller, similar to what
is known as the "porcupine." Near to the surface or points of the teeth we
apply a trough or shield extending to about one-half or other suitable portion
of its circumference. The fibrous substance is caused to pass in betwixt the
trough or shield and the cylindrical comb, whereby it is held on the surface or
teeth of the said comb, which carries the same forward until arriving at the
opposite side thereof, when it is taken off by ordinary drawing rollers.
Secondly, to feeding carding engines or other machines required to be fed
with fibrous substances, and consists in the employment of a card roller or
other toothed roller, with a similar trough or shield, which is so arranged as to

page_text: be in or near close contact with the swift or to the "licker-in" on one side,
and on the other to an endless apron, or other suitable means for supplying
the fibrous substances to the trough, between which and the card roller it
passes, and is carried forward by the rotation of the roller, and fed on to the
swift or "licker-in," or other card or tooth surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Airey and James Clayton, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th March 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
AIREY, of Brighouse, in the County of York, and JAMES CLAYTON, of Golcar,
in the same County, (send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Airey and James Clayton, Her special licence that we,
the said William Airey and James Clayton, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Airey and James Clayton,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time 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 OR
APPARATUS FOR PREPARING 'SILK, WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUB-
STANCES FOR SPINNING," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said
William Airey and James Clayton, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our 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 we, the said William Airey and James Clayton,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say):-
--
This Invention relates, firstly, to gill boxes or drawing boxes, and consists

page_text: in the employment of a cylindrical gill comb or toothed roller, similar to what
is known as the "porcupine," and near to the surface or points of the teeth
we apply a trough or shield extending to about one-half or other suitable
portion or part of its circumference. The fibrous substance is caused to pass
in betwixt the trough or shield and the cylindrical comb, whereby it is held on
the surface or teeth of the said comb, which carries the same forward until
arriving at the opposite side thereof, when it is taken off by ordinary drawing
rollers.
Secondly, to feeding carding engines or other machines required to be fed with
fibrous substances, and consists in the employment of a card roller or other
toothed roller, with a similar trough or shield, which is so arranged as to be
in or near close contact with the swift or to the "licker-in" on one side, and
on the other to an endless apron or other suitable means for supplying the
fibrous substances to the trough, between which and the card roller it passes,
and is carried forward by the rotation of the roller, and fed on to the swift or
"licker-in," or other card or tooth surface.
This Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings and the letters thereon, wherein Fig. 1 is a cross section of
our improved apparatus drawn full size. A is the cylindrical gill comb or
toothed roller which we employ as a substitute for the fallers in gill boxes or
drawing heads, and which is here shewn as made of wood, but which may be
made of other suitable material. B is the trough or shield, which is made of
cast metal, but may be of other material, placed just clear of the points of the
teeth of the roller. C are a pair of ordinary fluted feeding rollers.
D is part
of a feeding belt, and E are a pair of fluted drawing rollers, which are placed
in position to shew the mode or manner of application of our Invention to the
drawing of wool or other fibrous substances. It will be observed that the
fibrous substances is held on the teeth of the comb or roller until it arrives
close up to the nip of the drawing rollers, consequently is capable of drawing
very short staple of fibrous substances. Fig. 2 shews the application of the
Invention to filling engines or lap drums employed in silk dressing or pre-
paring silk to be spun. A is the toothed roller, and B the trough, which in
this case is shewn under a second toothed roller of less diameter, which may
be driven at an increased surface speed, so as to produce a drawing effect
betwixt the two toothed rollers, and also to hold the silk close to the point
where the teeth or lap drum F will take into it. Fig. 3 shews the
arrangment when applied to card feeding. A is the toothed roller and trougb,
G the licker-in, and H the swift. Fig. 4 shews the application of the Inven-
tion to cocoon machines or apparatus for operating upon silk cacoons, by

page_text: which they are held close to the point of contact with the swift or card
cylinder. Fig. 5 shews the means of obtaining an additional draught in card
feeding, by introducing a pair of fluted drawing rollers J betwixt two toothed
rollers, with trough or shield. Fig. 6 also shews that several draughts may
be obtained by the employment of three or more toothed roller and shields K,
and giving different speeds to each. Fig. 7 shews the application of a trough
to an endless card belt, and Fig. 8, the application of a cylindrical brush for
pressing the fibrous substances into the teeth of rollers when such may be
required. It will be seen that the trough or shield may be placed on the
upper side or above the toothed rollers with equal advantage.
Having thus fully described the nature of our Invention and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed or put into practice, we would have
it understood that we do not claim the use of a toothed or spiked roller
separately, nor do we confine ourselves to the details in connection therewith
as herein set forth. But what we do claim and believe to be new is, the
application and use of a trough, dish, shell, or shield in combination with a
cylindrical gill comb, or toothed, spiked, or card covered roller for purposes
substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof the said William Airey and James Clayton have
hereunto set their hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named William Airey and
James Clayton, in the presence of
WILLIAM AIREY. (L.8.)
JAMES CLAYTON. (L.S.)
WM. TASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.