IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND COMBING Wool.
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Hunter Brandon, of No. 1, Ruo Laffitte, Paris, in
the Republic of France, Engineer and Patent Agent, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND COMBING Wool.." A
communication from Jonathan Holden, of Reims (Marne), France.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said David Hunter Brandon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th July 1880.
DAVID HUNTER BRANDON, of No. 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer and Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND
COMBING WOOL" A communication from Jonathan Holden, of Reims (Marne),
France.
The first part of this Invention refers to an arrangement of parts, the object of
which is to separate in a more completo manner the impurities contained in the
wool during its passage in the carding machine. These modifications and additions
of parts are rendered necessary by the composition of the wool to be combed, which
contains actually in most cases a more or less considerable quantity of foreign
matters, and particularly of burrs.
The method generally adopted for separating these foreign and injurious matters
from the wool consists in using a small cylinder carrying teeth, sometimes called
burring roller, which is placed as close as possible to the card clothing, and which
turns with a certain velocity in a direction opposite to that of the card roller, upon
which it is intended to act. The foreign matters, such as grains, stalks, burrs, etc.,
remaining outside of the hooks of the card clothing are mostly expulsed by the
shock of the teeth of the burring roller; particularly the hard bodies are immediately
projected outward, and fall into troughs of sheet-iron or other appropriate material
arranged for that purpose.
the
But this is not the case with the burrs, which are comparatively soft bodies,
and adhere stronly to the wool in consequence of their numerous asperities;
burring roller lifts them slightly, and partly loosens them from the wool, but
notwithstanding they are very often drawn along by the wool just when the
slightest effort would be sufficient to completely separate them.
The second part of this Invention refers to an arrangement of certain novel parts

page_text: in connection with wool combing apparatus, whereby a greater economy is obtained
than has heretofore been practicable.
The object of machines for combing fibrous materials is to separate the long
filaments which constitute the combed material or good long wool from the short
filaments or buttons which form the noil, and the work of these machines is the
more perfect the less there remain long filaments in the noil, but notwithstanding
all improvements which have heretofore been made in the construction of combing
machines, there does not actually exist one which would not let pass a more or less
considerable quantity of long filaments into the noil, whereby an actual loss is
entailed.
A certain number of apparatus or special parts have been imagined, which effect,
_on_the_combing machine itself, the separation of the noil in this respect, but all
such improvements-as-heretofore proposed offer the great inconvenience that they
draw along much of the noil with the few long-filaments which are extracted, so
that the result is altogether incomplete.
The object of this part of the present Invention is to separate the greatest
possible amount of long filaments without drawing along the short ones. In order
to obtain this end, I place inside the teeth of the circular comb immediately after
the place where the drawing off is effected, a disc provided with iron or steel
needles arranged perpendicularly or obliquely against the interior row of teeth of 2
the circle. The needles of this disc are met by the loops of the tuft engaged in the
teeth of the circular comb. As the long filaments which have escaped in the
drawing off are mostly embodied in these loops, they are caught by the needles of
-the disc, and remain hooked thereon whilst the short filaments pass without being
arrested.
This disc is actuated by any suitable part of the machine-from_which it receives
either a continuous or an intermittent motion, and at a certain point of its
circumference a small doffing comb actuated by the same motion as the doffing
knives for the noil takes off all these long filaments, and lets them fall in a
receptacle placed near the machine. They are thereupon made to pass again in 3
the machine with the material taken off by the square motion coinbs, and in this
manner a considerable quantity of combed wool is obtained which heretofore
remained mixed with the noil.
The accompanying Drawings show apparatus constructed according to this
Invention. Figure 1 is a side elevation representing the novel parts and their 3
arrangement on a carding machine as above indicated with relation to the first part
of the Invention.
A and B are the two first cylinders of a carding engine completely modified for
this class of work. The diameter of these cylinders A and B is in fact much larger
than ordinarily, and this enlargement of surface allows of placing on each of them
two burring rollers instead of a single one, a, a¹, on the cylinder A, and b, b', on
the cylinder B.
These burring rollers turn in two sleeves placed at each end of their shaft, and
are capable of sliding in slides when it is desired to regulate their position with
regard to the cylinders A and B. When once this regulation is effected by means
of screws v, the sleeves are set by means of a bolt passing through a lug cast on to
their sides. Two brackets D, one being fixed on each frame of the carding engine,
serve to support the first burring roller a, the brackets C carrying the three other
rollers. These brackets are bolted to two bridge-shaped castings E, which
themselves are fixed to the principal frames, and serve at the same time to carry &
the supports of the cylinder B. Inclined plates of sheet metal t, t, (1, are arranged
stepwise, so that the matters thrown out fall from one to the other until they
arrive in the receptacle r of bent sheet metal.
By this novel arrangement a more effective burring is rendered possible by
completing the action of the first burring rollers by the action of the second ones.
The burring rollers a and b arranged in front throw out the hardest and inost

page_text: voluminous bodies, and begin by detaching the bodies that adhere to the wool with
more force, such as the burrs, but without succeeding in throwing them out;
these latter bodies which are then nearly free on the teeth of the card, and easily
to be thrown out, are again acted upon by the rear burring rollers a¹, b', and then
finally thrown out.
The work of the second burring rollers being entirely different from that of the
first, and forming only a complement thereto, it is not necessary to impart to them
as great a velocity as that necessary to the first ones, a much smaller velocity is
imparted to them. Two burring rollers on each cylinder are considered to bo
sufficient ; their number may however be increased if necessary without departing
from the principle of the Invention.
Figures 2 to 5 represent two methods of carrying out the second part of this
Invention.
Figure 2 is n front elevation, and Figuro 3 a side elevation of this novel
arrangement with a disc provided with needles parallel to the teeth of the circular
comb (full size).
Figures 4 and 5 are similar views with a conical disc, carrying near its
circumference hooks, which present themselves at right angles to the circular
comb; P, P, represent a portion of the circular comb; D is the disc provided with
iron or steel points, and arranged behind the needles of the circular comb, so that
the points nearly touch the interior row of these needles.
The curved support S bolted to the frame work of the machine carries a fixed
shaft O, on which turns the disc D. This disc carries on its lateral external face a
certain number of projections F, F, in which engages the book of a flat steel
spring C. Behind the disc and fixed therewith is arranged a ratchet wheel R, on
the teeth of which operates a pawl T turning loosely on the end of a lever L
oscillating on the shaft O, and which by a counterweight p attached on its other
end is constantly brought back in its vertical position. The nacteur-comb N carries
a striker E on a lug formed for this purpose, which striker at the passage of each
segment of this comb pushes the pawl T and causes the disc D to turn the distance
of one tooth.
From the above indications I can now proceed to describe the operation of this
system.
The circular comb P turning in the direction of the arrow, and carrying all the
wool which has escaped in the act of drawing off engages the loops of the tufts
carried on its circumference in the points of the disc D, and all the long filaments
contained in this wool remain hooked onto the circumference of the disc. At the
passage of the segment of the nacteur-comb, the disc turns drawing the long wool
along, and a fresh portion of its teeth goes over the same work again. After the
forward motion of each tooth of the ratchet wheel R. the spring C becoming
engaged in one of the projections F opposes itself to the return motion, which
otherwise might take place in consequence of the rotation in the opposite direction
of the comb P.
A small doffing comb M arranged laterally, and receiving a to and fro motion
from the action of the combs, which draw off the noil, cleans the needles of the
disc D, and lets the detached wool fall into a channel B arranged so as to conduct
this wool into a box placed near the machine.
These two arrangements may be modified without departing from the special
character of this part of the Invention. The disc D may, for instance, receive a
continuous instead of an intermittent motion, which continuous motion may be
imparted to it by the circular comb itself. In this case a great simplification would
be realized, because then the ratchet wheel with its pawl, the projections F, and the
spring C can be suppressed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same out in practice, I would have it particularly
understood that I do not confine myself to the arrangement of parts as described,

page_text: because they may be modified without deviating from the general principles of the
Invention, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
1st. The arrangement of more than one burring roller on the first cylinder
or cylinders of carding engines, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2nd. The principle which consists in extracting the long fibres left in the noil by
acting behind or within the circular comb upon the flock or tuft which has remained
in the teeth, and
3rd. The means of effecting this extraction by means of a rotating part provided
with iron or steel teeth or needles, acting either parallel or at right angles to the
teeth of the circular comb, this part receiving either a continuous or an intermittent
motion from any suitable part of the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Hunter Brandon, have hereunto set
my hand and, seal, this Third-day-of-July_in_the_year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty