Improved Construction of Gill Box Apparatus for Combing and Drawing Machinery.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Construction of Gill Box Apparatus for Combing and
Drawing Machinery.
I, EMILE MEUNIER, of 39 Boulevard de la Republique, Roubaix, France,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In combing and drawing machinery for combing and drawing textile materials
there are generally employed either porcupine rollers or gill boxes. The last named
apparatus is generally employed by preference for combing fibres having a certain
length and offering considerable resistance, as the porcupine rollers do not act
sufficiently upon the entire length of the fibres to ensure their perfect parallelism.
For short and imperfect fibres the gill box does not offer the same advantages,
and it is even the cause of irregular combing, this being due to the too rapid
entrance of the comb teeth of the gill bars into the fibres in front of the feed rollers,
whereby the fibres become broken, and also to the too rapid drop of the gill bar in
front of the drawing rollers, which interferes with the proper drawing of the fibres.
It results that as the vertical displaceinent of the gill bars is very considerable
for engaging with the back motion screw spindles, the falling gill bar must
necessarily leave too great a space between the drawing rollers and the next
following gill bar which is advancing towards them.
The short filaments of the textile material which were held back by the falling
comb then pass on in a lump forming irregularities and imperfections in the
combed sliver.
Furthermore, for performing their rectangular motion, the bars have to be
actuated by disconnected mechanism or screw spindles with reversed threads, and
by cams working one within the other. This irregular mechanism causes frequent
fractures and limits the speed of the gill bars as also the producing power of the
machine.
In consequence hereof the ordinary gill box is very expensive to maintain and
cannot be employed for drawing materials having short and defective fibres.
My present invention has for its object to remedy the above defects, and consists
in the construction of a gill box apparatus which operates without screws and
without cams, such as have heretofore been used, and which is capable of acting
upon short and defective fibres with the same facility as the long fibres, while at
the same time it operates at a greater speed than the ordinary gill box without fear
of frequent breakages.
In this new construction of gill box apparatus the textile material is fed forward
by two feed cylinders that have circular grooves and enters between the comb
teeth of gill bars arranged on a drum, and from thence it is conducted in a straight
line in front of the drawing cylinders, which draw it along the whole length of the
filaments through the teeth of the gill combs.
For this purpose the machine is constructed as follows:-
The gill bars are mounted with their ends in oblique grooves formed in the outer
part of the inner faces of two opposite discs mounted loose on a shaft and driven by
spur gearing so that the bars in revolving with the discs can readily slide inwards
and outwards in such grooves in a direction at a slight angle to the radii.
On the stationary shaft are fixed two or more cams on the peripheries of which
the inner end faces of the gill bars rest, so that as they revolve with the discs
while the cams remain stationary, they are pushed outward by the latter at a certain
part of their revolution, and are then moved inward again. For causing the gill
bars to follow the configuration of the cams they are encircled near each end,
beyond the comb, by a fixed strap. The angle formed by the gill bars with the

page_text: radial lines is such that they are inclined away from the direction of rotation so
that on the side at which they enter the sliver of fibres to be combed, as this is
fed forward by the feed rollers; the comb teeth enter the same very gradually
with a considerable inclination, travelling in the same direction but at a slower
speed than the sliver. As they travel along they gradually assume a position at
right angles to the sliver, and by the time they arrive in front of the drawing
rollers they assume a slight inclination in the opposite direction.
For producing this motion the cams are formed at their lower part with a
circular periphery while on the entering upper side they have an inclined tangential
surface leading up to a flat surface lying in the direction of the travel of the sliver.
At the end of this surface a sudden drop is formed on the cam so that when the
gill combs have arrived close up against the drawing rollers they descend at a
slight angle to the sliver and are followed closely by the next gill comb, their
withdrawal being effected gradually by two lever arms offering inclined faces to
the gill bars, whereby these are pressed inwards in their grooves. The said arms
are made to press upon the gill bars with a yielding spring action regulated by screw
adjustments, so as to prevent any sudden shocks in their contact with the gill bars.
Or the said yielding action of the lever arms might be obtained by means of a
suitable eccentric or cam motion instead of by springs.
For insuring the proper penetration of the comb teeth into the sliver on the
entering side, provide above the sliver between the feed rollers and the point
where the comb enters the former, a roller with or without radial projections,
which presses the sliver slightly down on to the comb teeth; if necessary there
may be used, in combination with such roller, one or more fixed or vertically
reciprocating bars that press the sliver down on to the combs.
By the above described arrangement of the gill bars whereby they are made to
enter and leave the sliver without shock, I am enabled to work the gill apparatus
at a much greater speed than is at present possible, without fear of breaking the
fibres or forming lumps in the sliver by defective action.
The before mentioned levers for pressing down the gill bars may be variously
arranged, thus they may either be pivotted below the gill apparatus and be drawn
towards the gill bars by springs, or they may be pivotted above the gill apparatus
and be pressed against the gill bars by springs attached to their lower ends; or
again, they may be pivotted above the gill apparatus and have their ends formed
as beaks bearing against the tops of the gill bars, which they press downward by a
reciprocating motion produced by the action of undulating cam surfaces on the
peripheries of the before mentioned grooved discs, in combination with springs
operating on tails of the levers. According to another arrangement, revolving
cams are made to act upon the gill bars so as to depress them at the proper
moment.
In order to cause the gill combs to operate in the most effective angular
position, either the end portions of the bars which slide in the grooves of the
discs are formed at a certain angle to the other part of the bar, or the comb teeth
are fixed at certain angle to the plane of the bar.
In order to avoid any lateral looseness in the motion of the gill bars, they may
be provided with notches on their undersides, in which the peripheries of the cams
are made to work.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant. 5

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Construction of Gill Box Apparatus for Combing and
Drawing Machinery.
I, EMILE MEUNIER, of 39 Boulevard de la Republique, Roubaix, France,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In combing and drawing machinery for combing and drawing textile materials
there are generally employed either porcupine rollers or gill boxes. The last
named apparatus is generally employed by preference for combing fibres having a
certain length and offering considerable resistance, as the porenpine rollers do not
act sufficiently upon the entire length of the fibres to ensure their perfect
parallelism.
For short and imperfect fibres the gill box does not offer the same advantages,
and it is even the cause of irregular combing, this being due to the too rapid
entrance of the comb teeth of the gill bars into the fibres in front of the feed rollers,
whereby the fibres become broken, and also to the too rapid drop of the gill bar
in front of the drawing rollers, which interferes with the proper drawing of the
fibres. It results that as the vertical displacement of the gill bars is very consider-
able for engaging with the back motion screw spindles, the falling gill bar must
necessarily leave too great a space between the drawing rollers and the next
following gill bar which is advancing towards them.
The short filaments of the textile material which were held back by the falling
comb then pass on in a lump forniing irregularities and imperfections in the combed
sliver.
Furthermore, for performing their rectangular motion, the bars have to be
actuated by disconnected mechanism or screw spindles with reversed threads, and
by cams working one within the other. This irregular mechanism causes frequent
fractures and limits the speed of the gill bars as also the producing power of the
machine.
In consequence hereof the ordinary gill box is very expensive to maintain and
cannot be employed for drawing materials having short and defective fibres.
My present invention has for its object to remedy the above defects, and consists
in the construction of a gill box apparatus which operates without screws and
without cams, such as have heretofore been used, and which is capable of acting
upon short and defective fibres with the same facility as the long fibres, while at
the same time it operates at a greater speed than the ordinary gill box without fear
of frequent breakages.
In this new construction of gill box apparatus the textile material is fed forward
by two feed cylinders that have circular grooves and enters between the comb teeth
of gill bars arranged on a drum, and from thence it is conducted in a straight line
in front of the drawing cylinders, which draw it along the whole length of the
filaments through the teeth of the gill combs.
For this purpose the machine is constructed as I will describe with reference to
the accompanying drawings in which
und
Figs. 1 and 2 shew respectively a vertical section and a plan of the machine,
Fig. 3 shews another cross section of the operative parts of the machine shewing
the frame K.
Two pairs of grooved cylinders A, B, present the textile material T to the
teeth of the moveable combs D of the drum C. This drum is composed of two
plates E (shewn also in plan Fig. 4 and to an enlarged scale at Figs. 5 and 6)
which are fixed on toothed wheels F, the axis I on which the drum revolves loose
being carried in bearings G H, and on the axis are fixed cams J.

page_text: The plates E have oblique slots or grooves E' at their circumference and each
slot or groove receives the ends of one of the gill bars D. The slots or grooves E¹
do not extend through the thickness of the plate, as shewn at Fig. 6, so as not to
weaken it. These slots, which extend to the periphery, have several advantages;
in addition to the facility of construction which they afford, they allow of the ready
removal of the gill combs in the event of the teeth becoming broken. They also
allow of the ends of the gill bars being made of some height, whereby they are
afforded a good support, and are capable of sliding freely without jamming.
Thus a drum composed of gill combs is formed, the combs being made to follow
the configuration of the cams J as they are carried round these by the plates E.
A ring shaped frame K fixed to the framing is fitted. round each cam J for
causing the bars D to follow exactly their configuration and preventing the bar
from escaping from the plates E. This frame has a cap K¹ fixed on its upper
part, which can be removed when necessary for removing the bars from the drum.
The two cams J fixed on the shaft I are placed as near the plates E as possible
so as to face levers L which push the bars D into the drop M of the cams.
The concentric portion N of the cams surface serves to guide the descending
bars D' as they are carried round by the slots to the point O- where the surface
of the cam is sloped off forming an obtuse angle with the flat top part P of the
cam. This obtuse angle has for its object to cause the gill bars D to rise at
such a slight inclination as will allow the teeth to enter readily into the textile
matter passing along above them. The part of the cam at O might also be
hollowed out for more readily obtaining this result.
With the ordinary comb gills the textile material is traversed horizontally by
a certain number of gills, so as to be acted upon by these along the entire
length of the fibres. For effecting this object in the present case the top part P
of the cams J are made straight and as the gills are obliged to follow their
form, the textile matter T which is traversed by the gills will be combed in a
straight line along the entire length of the fibres, in the same way as with ordinary
gills.
At the ends of the straight parts P are drops M extending to the concentric
portion N, and serving to guide the descending gills D¹ on to the latter in such
manner that the drawing rollers. Q can have their point of contact as near as
possible to the teeth of the last gill that is situated on the part P, whereby
they are enabled to draw slivers with short fibres without tearing. The comb
gills D, in revolving slowly with the drum C, drop on to the surface N by their
own weight when arriving at the extreme edge of the surface P of the cams,
and then pass round again to the feed rollers B. If however the speed were
accelerated the impetus of the comb gills would cause them in falling to strike
against the part Kin of the frame K.
To prevent this, I employ two levers L or equivalent abutment devices bearing
against each end of the gill bars, and connected together by a transverse rod to
which is attached spring R, which keeps the smooth ends L' of the levers pressed
against the falling gill bar. These levers are pivotted on studs Land are so
arranged that the smooth parts L' bear freely against the ends of the gill bar
the whole time it is falling, without the previously descended gill bars interfering
in any way with its action.
Two regulating screws V prevent the levers from being drawn too far inwards by
the spring when the gill combs are being removed.
When the gill combs in being fed forward along the straight surface P press
against the levers L, these yield in moving backwards until the bar is no longer
supported by the surfaces P, whereupon the levers L will be drawn forward again
by the spring, while pressing the gill bar down its slots in E, along the drop M and
on to the concentric surface N. By this action of the levers L I am enabled
to bring the drawing rollers Q quite close to the front gill comb, as shewn at
Fig. 5.
The action of the spring R might be replaced by an eccentric or cam action

page_text: producing a periodical to and fro motion of the levers, whereby they are made to
depress the comb gills along the drop M at the required moment.
The surface speed of the drawing rollers is made greater than that of the screw
gill drum to an extent depending upon the amount of drawing action that may be
required. The pressing rollers Q', Q', receive the textile material from the drawing
rollers and press it into a compact sliver.
For insuring the effective penetration of the gill teeth through the textile
material on the entering side, I arrange above the latter a prèssing roller F1 which
may either have ribs as shewn, or be left smooth, and which presses the sliver
down on to the gill teeth as these rise up along the inclined surface O. There may
be provided more than one such pressing roller or there may also be combined
with this roller one or more depressing blades L*, either fixed, or having an up and
down motion imparted to them by suitable means, so as to press the fibres well onto
the combs. These, after rising up the incline O, pass along the straight surface P
while at the same time the fibres are drawn through them by the drawing rollers Q
as described; the combs then drop and are carried round by the drum to the
entering side again.
By the above described arrangement of the gill combs whereby they are made to
enter and leave the sliver without shock I am enabled to work the gill apparatus at a
much greater speed than is at present possible, without fear of breaking the fibres
or forming lumps in the sliver by defective action.
The levers I might also be arranged as shown at Fig. 7; in which the pivot is
situated above the combs of the drum C instead of below, and the spring R acts
vertically. The levers otherwise act in the same manner as described.
Fig. 8 shews another_modification in which the gill combs are depressed_into
the drop M of the cams J by means of two levers L pivotted above the combs D on
pivots a and receive their motion from rounded teeth formed on the plates E.
When the gill comb is freed from the cam J the rollers c of the levers L rise on the
tops of the teeth 6 thereby causing the other ends a of the levers to bear against
the ends of the descending gill bar so as to force it into the drop M of the cams J.
The rollers c in being then drawn into the spaces of the teeth by the springs R¹
cause the ends a to rise again so as to allow the next gill comb to pass under-
neath them.
Fig. 9 shows an arrangement in which the levers L are dispensed with and the
front gill comb is acted upon by two suitably shaped revolving tappets or cams y
which depress it into the drop, the cams being fixed on spindles rotated by suitable
gearing, as indicated.
In order to cause the gill combs to operate in the most effective angular position
when travelling along the straight surface P, the end parts of the gill bars that
slide in the slots E' are formed with surfaces more or less inclined to the sides of
the bar, so that when travelling along P the gill teeth are approximately
perpendicular to the sliver, and the front comb can consequently drop down through
the same without hindrance.
This construction of the ends 1 of the gill bars D is shewn at Figs. 10 to 13.
At Figs. 10 and 11 the bar is shewn with a downward extension, while at Figs. 12.
and 13 it is shewn with an upward extension, whereby the bar is effectually guided
in its slots so as to resist the lateral pressure when penetrating through the
sliver.
Figs. 14 and 15 shew an arrangement in which, instead of forming the guiding
surfaces b' of the bars at an angle, the gill teeth o are placed at an angle to
the bar.
The gill bars D may also be steadied in their motion in the slots E'-by forming
notches in them at a, Figs. 10, 12, and 14 into which the cams J enter, the gill
bar being consequently held securely between the cams and the surrounding
frames K.
When the machine is to work at a very quick speed, it may be desirable to
insure the descent of the gill bars in the drops of the cams without risk of jamming;

page_text: for this purpose they may be provided with spring supports on the underside as
shewn at Fig. 16.
At the end of the straight part of the cam is provided a spring support or
abutment J' on which the bottom of the descending bar rests, so that as the bar is
depressed by the levers L, the support J' is pressed downwards, compressing the
spring V, which forces J¹ up again after the bar has passed away.
In Fig. 16 is also shewn a different arrangement of depressing roller Z for forcing
the sliver on to the gill teeth, the roller being formed with inclined porcupine teeth;
or it might be made as a revolving brush.
The teeth of the gill comb may also be arranged at different angles, as shewn at
Fig. 17 instead of being parallel with each other, to facilitate their penetration.
As before described, the slots E' are made to extend to the periphery of the
plates E to facilitate the withdrawal of the combs ; when however dyed fibres are
being combed, which give rise to dust that might clog the slots I prefer to protect
these by closing their outer ends by caps W, secured by screws W₁ to the
periphery of the plates, and which are removed when the combs require to be
taken out.
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 :-
1. In a machine for combing and drawing fibres, the combination of gill combs D
sliding in straight slots or grooves El in two plates E by means of extended ends,
the gill combs being carried round upon cams J by the plates E so as to travel
along a straight surface P in carrying the fibre from the feeding rollers to the
drawing rollers and then to be caused to drop clear of the fibre by independent
mechanism substantially as described.
2. The use in combination with the mechanism referred to in the first claim, of
levers or abutment devices with or without spring action, whereby the gill combs
are forced downward into a drop of the cam surface when they have left the
straight surface of the cam, substantially as described.
3. In mechanism such as is referred to in the first claim, the use of revolving
plates such as E having slots or grooves extending to the periphery in which
the ends of the gill bars work, substantially as described.
4. In combination with mechanism such as is referred to in the first claim, the use
of spring abutments for supporting the gill bars when being forced down by the
depressing levers or equivalent devices, substantially as described.
5. In combination with mechanism such as is referred to in the first claim, the use,
of one or more depressing rollers or equivalent devices for pressing the fibre down
on to the gill combs when being acted upon by these, substantially as described.
6. The use in combination with the slotted or grooved plates E referred to in
Claim 3 of caps for enclosing the outer ends of the slots or grooves, for preventing
the entrance of dust, substantially as described.
7. In mechanism such as is referred to in the preceding claims arranging the rows
of teeth of the gill combs at an angle to each other, for facilitating their entrance
into the fibre, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of October 1802
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant.