Improvements in or Appertaining to the Feed Mechanism of Noble's and similar Combing Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1889-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1889
Improvements in or Appertaining to the Feed Mechanism of Noble's
and similar Combing Machines.
We, WILLIAM HORSFALL GREENWOOD, Commission Wool Comber, and FREDERICK
FARRAB, Manager, both of Upper Castle Street, Bradford in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the feed mechanism of "Nobles" and
other circular combing machines in which the fibres are fed in the form of continuous
slivers passing from creels through conductors, which are fixed at their outer ends so
as to revolve in one plane and their inner ends are arranged as they revolve to bear
upon "inclines" which raise such ends out of the said plane and each time draw the
slivers further through the conductors. An adjustable curved bar, technically tormed
the "feed knife" is applied in combination with each "incline," and co-operates with
the said incline in determining the amount of feed by holding the fibres a greater or
less depth in the pins of the circular comb or more or less below the crown of the
incline. By regulating the position of this knife the feed of the fibres is commonly
adjusted.
As the fibres are drawn from the creels upon which they are carried in the form of
"balls" the weight of such balls is reduced and the fibres are more easily drawn off
and consequently the feed gradually increased together with the proportion of
noil.
To counteract this and maintain an approximately regular feed it has been
necessary to raise the said knives from time to time. It is found in practice that
there are certain other causes difficult to define which tend to cause the tension of
the fibres to vary. The object of this invention is to provide an improved means of
automatically regulating the position of said knife so as to maintain a regular
feed.
The said improvements consist in the arrangements hereinafter described by which
the tension of the slivers or fibres passing from the conductors regulates the position
of the knives horizontally in relation to the said inclines.
To carry out our invention we arrange the said knives to be adjusted horizontally
or approximately horizontally instead of vertically as is commonly the case, for we
find that adjusting the feed knife horizontally away from or towards the crown of the
incline is an equally effective method of regulating the feed. Such knife is mounted
upon a horizontal guide capable of either horizontal or vertical adjustment for the
purpose of setting the knife in approximately the proper position. And the feed
knife is mounted upon antifriction rollers fitted either in the knife or said guide so
arranged as to allow the knife to move freely but confine the motion to an
approximately horizontal one. A light spring is connected to the feed knife and to a
projection on the said guide which spring tends to draw the knife away from the
incline but the friction or drag of the fibres passing beneath have a tendency to draw
the knife towards the incline which increase in proportion to the tension of said
fibres, therefor the knife moves away from or towards the incline as the tension of the
fibres varies and thereby maintains an uniform feed.
A suitably arranged weighted lever may be employed instead of the said spring
which may be connected by a band to said knife.
The said knife may be pivoted to pendant arms instead of moving on antifriction
rollers. And instead of simple pendant arms we may use double arms connected by
a link at the bottom and so pivoted above that the point of said link to which the
knife is attached swings approximately in a right line instead of in an arc of a circle.
Other forms of parallel motions may be used to support the knife and the form of the
knife may be modified to adapt it to be mounted thereon.

page_text: sand knife may also be mounted on the outer ends of a radial arm, or radial
arms, pivoted at the comb centre, in which case the knife is preferably also supported
by antifriction rollers.
Dated this 26th day of September 1000
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining to the Feed Mechanism of Noble
and similar Combing Machines.
We, WILLIAM HORSFALL GREENWOOD, Commission Wool Comber, and FREDERIC
FARRAR, Manager, both of Upper Castle Street, Bradford in the County of York
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is t
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the followin
statement:
and
This invention related to improvement in the feed mechanism of "Nobles
other circular combing machines in which the fibres are fed in the form of continuou
slivers passing from creels through conductors which are fixed at their outer ends and
arranged as they revolve to bear upon "inclines" which raise such ends out of the
said plane and cach time draw the slivers further through the conductors. An
adjustable curved bar technically termed the "feed knife" is applied in combination
with each "incline" and co-operates with the said incline in determining the amount
of feed by holding the fibres a greater or less depth in the pins of the circular comb
or. more or less below the crown of the incline. By regulating the position of this
knife the feed of the fibres is commonly adjusted.
As the fibres are drawn from the creels upon which they are carried in the form of
"balls" the weight of such balls is reduced and the fibres are more easily drawn off
and consequently the feed gradually increased together with the proportion of noil.
To counteract this and maintain an approximately regular feed it has been
necessary to raise the said knives from time to time. It is found in practice that
there are certain other causes difficult to define which tend to cause the tension of the
fibres to vary. The object of this invention is to provide an improved means of
automatically regulating the position of said knife so as to maintain a regular feed.
The said improvements consist in the arrangements hereinafter described by which
the tension of the slivers or fibres passing from the conductors regulates the position
of the knives horizontally in relation to the said inclines.
To carry out our invention we arrange the said knives to be adjusted horizontally
or approximately horizontally instead of vertically as is commonly the case, for wo
find that adjusting the knife horizontally away from or towards the crown of the
incline is an equally effective method of regulating the feed.
In order to fully describe the application of our invention reference is to be had
to the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification in
which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the
figures.
Figure 1, represents a plan of such parts of a circular combing machine as are
necessary to illustrate our improvements.
Figure 2, is a similar view of our improved feed knife and fittings shown detached.
Figure 3, is a sectional view at the line a, b, in the latter figure.
Figure 4, is an elevation of the same.
The standard or upright A is bolted to the rim B of the steam chest and such
standard bas a flat upper face C provided with a stud D upon which the horizontal 5
guide plate E is mounted by means of its slot F and fixed by the hand screw G.
The guide E is provided with three pairs of anti-friction rollers respectively
marked a, a, and a³, mounted thereon so as to revolve freely and support the
modified form of knife H clear of the said guide thus enabling it to move very

page_text: freely in a horizontal direction within the limits allowed by the slots J formed in the
horizontal supports K on the knife H and fitting over the anti-friction rollers a¹,
K also rests upon the peripheries of the rollers a², and a³ and a rib L is provided
inside the knife to bear against the underside of the rollers a³, and prevent the knife
lifting by the pressure of the fibres. A light spring M fixed by one end to an
adjustable arm N carried by a projection O on the guide plate E is fixed by its other
end to the support K and tend to draw said knife away from the above mentioned
incline.
The fibres are mounted in the form of balls in the creels P and rest upon the feed
rollers Q. They pass up through the guide plates R, through the conductors or
boxes S, beneath the feed knife H, onto the pins of the large circle T.
The spring M is so arranged that it tends to draw the knife away from the
hereinbefore mentioned incline, but the friction or drag of the fibres passing beneath
has a tendency to draw such knife towards said incline which increases in proportion
to the tension of said fibres, therefore the knife moves away from or towards the
incline as the tension of the fibres varies and thereby maintains an uniforın feed.
The slots F and hand screw G allows the guide plate E to be adjusted for the
purpose of setting the knife in approximately the proper position. And the said
knife may have one or more notches similar to W (Figure 4) to increase the hold of
the fibres.
A suitably arranged weighted lever may be employed instead of the said spring
which may be connected by a band to said knife.
The said knife may be pivoted to pendant arms instead of moving on anti-friction
rollers. And instead of simple pendant arms we may use double arms connected by
a link at the bottom and so pivoted above that point of said link to which the knife is
attached swings approximately in a right line instead of in an arc of a circle. Other
formis of parallel motions may be used to support the knifo and the form of the
knifo may be modified to adapt it to be mounted thercon.
The said knife may also be mounted on the outer ends of a radial arm, or radial
arms, pivoted to the comb centro, in which case the knife is preferably also supported
by anti-friction rollers.
We however find the arrangement shown in the drawing to work satisfactory and
occupying little more space than an ordinary form of knife.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare what we
claim is:
1. In a combing machine, adjusting the feed knife horizontally by the friction of
the fibres opposed to the action of a spring or its equivalent for the purpose of
regulating the feed, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. Automatic feed mechanism for combing machines consisting of, a feed knife
supported upon a horizontal adjustable guide by means of anti-friction rollers, and a
spring or its equivalent tending to draw such knife away from the incline of the
machine, substantially as herein shown and described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of June 1889.
DRACUT & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.