IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING AND DRESSING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Cunliffe Lister, of Manningham, Manufacturer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING AND
DRESSING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL."
Sealed the 19th November 1878, and dated the 31st May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1878.
SAMUEL CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Manningham, Manufacturer. IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR COMBING & DRESSING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL."
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for combing,
dressing, or hackling silk and other fibrous material, and the improvements have
reference to self-acting dressing machines described in the Specification of my
Patent of the 25th September 1877, No. 3600.
I have discovered that a great improvement may be made by filling or feeding
the fibrous material into the self-acting dressing machine by a
"Lister's nipping
head."
Two endless combs are made to travel at the same speed parallel to each other
and also to the nipping head. The one furthest from the nipping head is raised
about two inches above the other, and the ends of the tufts detached by the nipper
are placed by the carrying comb upon it, and about the middle of the tuft is placed
upon the comb nearest to the nipping head, and as the two combs move along, the
ends of the fibrous material are lifted out of the first comb, and carried forward by
the second to the travelling nippers, which take hold of the fibres close up to the
comb or about the middle of the tuft (but this may be varied according to the
material under process), and as soon as the nippers have got a firm hold of the
fibres they are lifted out of the teeth of the comb.
I have also discovered that endless cleaning cards with the working part acting
at right angles, or nearly so, to the nip, can be used with advantage instead of the

page_text: :
bar cards as described in my former Specification. I arrange them so that the side
that first acts upon the fibre is set to begin upon the points or ends, and the other
side is set a little nearer, and each succeeding card is placed nearer until the last
works close up to the nip. I usually work both sides as well as both ends of the
fibre in this manner. When they are intended to act upon the fibres the endless
sheets are pressed outwards towards the nip by rollers, which, pressing against
the inside, also support the teeth whilst working the fibre.
From time to time as the teeth become loaded with fibre the endless sheets are
drawn out of action (in order that they may be stripped) by a roller pressing
against the opposite side of the sheet, the same mechanism at the same time
drawing back the rollers which had previously pressed it toward the nip, so that,
as will be readily understood, the sheets are forced toward the nip, or withdrawn
from it by rollers pressing alternately on opposite sides of the sheet, so as to put
the sheet in or out of action as required.
In addition to the cleaning instruments above described I further clean both ends
and generally both sides by an endless strap of still finer card teeth, to remove the
small knots which may have escaped the coarser cleaning cards. This band is kept
clean from fibre and dross by a brush and doffer in the usual way.
Rollers or drums covered with teeth can be used in place of the endless cards
provided they are arranged in a similar manner.
When one side of the tuft has been sufficiently dressed and cleaned the other is
treated in a similar manner, the cleaning cards being made to run up or down to
clean either one side or the other, as desired.
One end being now sufficiently cleaned on both sides is delivered to another
nipper, and the other is treated in a similar manner; it is then placed on to a comb
to be drawn into a sliver.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
November 1878.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
SAMUEL CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Manningham, Manufacturer.
MACHINERY FOR COMBING & DRESSING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL."
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for combing,
dressing, or hackling silk and other fibrous material, and the improvements have
reference to self-acting dressing machines described in the Specification of my
Patent of the 25th September 1877, No. 3600.
I have discovered that a great improvement may be made by filling or feeding
the fibrous material into the self-acting dressing machine by a Lister's nipping
head."
Two endless combs are made to travel at the same speed, parallel to each other
and also to the nipping head. The one furthest from the nipping lead is raised
about two inches above the other, and the ends of the tufts detached by the nipper
are placed by the carrying comb upon it; and about the middle of the tuft is placed
upon the comb nearest to the nipping head, and as the two combs move along, the
ends of the fibrous material are lifted out of the first comb and carried forward by
the second to the travelling nippers, which take hold of the fibres close up to the
comb or about the middle of the tuft (but this may be varied according to the
material under process), and as soon as the nippers have got a firm hold of the fibres
they are lifted out of the teeth of the comb.
I have also discovered that endless cleaning cards with the working part acting
at right angles, or nearly so, to the nip, can be used with advantage instead of the
bar cards as described in my former Specification. I arrange them so that the side
that first acts upon the fibre is set to begin upon the points or ends, and the other
side is set a little nearer, and each succeeding card is placed nearer, until the last
works close up to the nip. I usually work both sides as well as both ends of the
fibre in this manner. When they are intended to act upon the fibres the endless
sheets are pressed outwards towards the nip by rollers, which, pressing against the
inside, also support the teeth whilst working the fibre.
From time to time as the teeth become loaded with fibre, the endless sheets are
drawn out of action (in order that they may be stripped) by a roller pressing against
the opposite side of the sheet, the same mechanism at the same time drawing back
the rollers which had previously pressed it towards the nip, so that, as will readily
be understood, the sheets are forced towards the nip or withdrawn from it by rollers
pressing alternately on opposite sides of the sheet, so as to put the sheet in or out of
action as required.
In addition to the cleaning instruments above described I further clean both ends
and generally both sides by an endless strap of still finer card teeth, to remove the
small knots which may have escaped the coarser cleaning cards. This band is kept
clean from fibre and dross by a brush and doffer in the usual way.
Rollers or drums covered with teeth can be used in place of the endless cards,
provided they are arranged in a similar manner.
When one side of the tuft has been sufficiently dressed and cleaned, the other is
treated in a similar manner, the cleaning cards being made to run up or down to
clean either one side or the other as desired.
One end being now sufficiently cleaned on both sides is delivered to another
nipper, and the other is treated in a similar manner; it is then placed on to a
comb to be drawn into a sliver.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 shews a front view of part of a self-acting dressing machine, such as is.

page_text: described in the Specification of the Patent before-mentioned. The part shewn is
that end of the machine at which fibrous material carried upon an endles comb is
fed continuously between the blocks of the travelling nip, by which the fibres are
to be carried onwards in a straight line to be cleaned.
A, A, are two endless chains each composed of blocks of wood jointed together by
hinges and forming between them a straight travelling nip as indicated by the
Drawing, and as is described and shown in the before-mentioned Specification;
B, B, are pulleys over which the endless chains are carried; C is a bed which
supports the blocks of the lower chain of the nip, whilst roller weights D, D, press
downwards the blocks of the upper chain; E, E, are peg wheels by which the
endless chains of blocks are caused to travel onwards; I is an endless travelling
comb composed of short blocks carrying comb teeth, and jointed together by being
secured to an endless band or otherwise. This travelling comb continually delivers
the fibre to be acted on to the straight travelling nip in the manner described in
the Specification before mentioned.
Figures 2, 3, and 4, are diagram views to illustrate the way in which I now fill
or feed the fibrous material on to the comb I, which carries it forward to the nip.
Figure 2 is drawn to a smaller scale than Figures 3 and 4.
The fibre is in the first instance taken by a nip from a screw gill apparatus in
the manner now usual in combing machines in which a Lister's filling head is used,
and the porter or carrier comb J of the filling head, which also works to and fro in
the ordinary well-known manner, takes the tuft of fibre from the nip and lays it
on to an endless comb K which at this time is about an inch above the level of the
comb I, and set about two inches behind it, but the distance between the combs may
be varied according to the length of the fibre which is being worked; a blade L
then descends to press the fibre into the comb K and afterwards also into the
comb I, as shown at Figure 4. The combs I and K are parallel to one another and
are driven continuously at the same speed.
As the combs I and K move onwards towards the nip the comb K descends, as
shown at Figure 2, and the fibres are at this time lifted out of this comb by an
inclined blade, and are then carried forward to the nip by the comb I, which delivers
them to the nip in the manner described in the Specification before mentioned, and
as will be readily understood from the Drawing.
I may remark that the fibre may be fed by the porter or carrier comb J, of the
nipping head, directly into the endless comb I, to be carried forward into the nip
without employing a second endless comb K, as shown, but by using two endless
combs in the manner described, the length of tail end of fibre that goes into the nip
can be better regulated.
+
At Figures 5, 6, and 7, I have shown the way in which I mount endless
cleaning cards to work at right angles, or nearly so, to the nip of the dressing 4
machine, and the way in which they can be drawn out of action whenever they.
require to be stripped.
Figure 5 is a side view, Figuro 6 a front view, and Figure 7 a transverse section.
of one of the endless cleaning cards, together with the parts in connection with it;
M is the endless card carried by rollers N, N; either the upper or lower roller is 4
driven to revolve the endless card.
A, A, are the nipping blocks in which the fibre is held opposite to the nip; the
band can be pressed forwards to cause it to act upon the fibre by rollers 0, 0,
carried by a slide P. The opposite end of this slide carries a roller Q which bears
against the return side of the endless card. The slide can be moved backwards or 5
forwards by a lever arm R on the axis of which is a worm wheel. Gearing into
this wheel is a worm S, which can be turned by a crank handle as shown, so that
by turning this handle the slide can be moved into any desired position.
When the slide is drawn back away from the nip a shield can at the same time
be lowered so as to come between the nip and the card, so as to detach the fibres. 5
from the card and afterwards keep them away from it. The lap of fibre on the

page_text: card can then be severed transversely, and stripped off from it. The shield is
suspended by a cord T which is led over pulleys and brought downwards and secured
to a pulley on the axis of the crank handle before mentioned, so that the shield is
raised or lowered at the same time that the slide P is moved forward or back-
ward. X is a brush for pressing the fibre removed from the endless travelling nip
into the teeth of the endless card.
As before stated, the endless card is set somewhat at an angle to the nip, so that
the side that first acts upon the fibre shall begin upon its points or ends, whilst the
opposite side is nearer to the nip. The nip carries the fibre past several such
cleaning cards, and each succeeding card is placed nearer and nearer until the last
works close up to the nip. The opposite side of the fibre may then be cleaned by
another set of cleaning cards working upwards instead of downwards. The fibre
having thus been cleaned at one end on one or both of its sides is delivered to
another straight nip, as described in the Specification before mentioned, for the
opposite end of the fibre to be similarly cleaned.
As before stated rollers or drums covered with teeth can be used in place of the
endless cards, provided they are arranged in a similar manner, so that the end of
each of them which acts first upon the fibre is slightly further from the nip than
the other end, and so that they are successively set nearer and nearer to the nip,
and also so that any one or other of them can be drawn back to put it out of action
when it requires to be stripped.
Also as before stated in addition to employing a succession of cleaning instru-
ments as above described I further clean both ends, and generally both sides, of each
end by endless straps of still finer card teeth to remove the knots which may have
escaped the coarser cleaning cards before the fibres are laid into a comb to be drawn
off into a sliver.
The diagram view, Figure 8, shows one of such endless bands, together with the
means employed for keeping it clean.
'
A is the nip by which the fibre is carried past the cleaning cards; B is the fine
card band; C is a revolving card cylinder for cleaning the card band; D is an
endless card band for taking fibre from the cylinder C; the fibre accumulates on to
the band D in the form of a lap, and is pressed into its teeth by a revolving
brush E. The lap of fibre accumulated on the band D can from time to time be
stripped off from it as required. After the fibre has thus been completely cleaned
it is carried by the nip up to a travelling comb, and the fringe projecting from the
nip is placed on to the comb and pressed into it. The nip then releases its hold on
the fibre, and the fibre is carried away by the comb to be drawn off, into a sliver as
described in the Specification of my previous Patent before mentioned.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. Combining with a straight nip combing, dressing, or hackling machine,
which acts in the manner described in the Specification of the Patent granted to me
on the 25th September 1877, No. 3600, a nipping head to supply tufts of fibre
continuously on to an endless travelling comb by which it is carried forward to the
nip, substantially as herein-before described,
Second. Combining with a straight nip combing, dressing, or hackling machine,
which acts in the manner described in the before-mentioned Specification, a nipping
head and two endless travelling combs to supply fibre continuously to the nip,
substantially as described.
Third. The employment of endless card sheets working, substantially as herein-
before described, in combination with a straight nip that carries fibre continuously
past them.
Fourth. The employment of rollers or drums covered with teeth working,
substantially in the manner herein-before described, in combination with a straight
nip that carries fibre continuously past them.
Fifth. The employment of fine card bands continuously kept clean from fibre and

page_text: dross to complete the cleaning of the fibre carried by the straight nip, substantially
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of.
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
21 T TCMED