Improvements in Machines for Combing Wool.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Combing Wool.
I, JULES DELATTRE, of Dorignies-Flers (Nord), in the Republic of France,
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to those machines for combing wool in which a ring shaped
combing cylinder is employed and my improvements consist chiefly in the arrange-
ment use and application of a supplementary doffing appliance for removing the
short staple wool in addition to the ordinary doffing appliance which takes off
the long combed fibres from the ring shaped cylinder.
In carrying my improvements into effect I employ a stripper placed after the
ordinary doffing appliance which removes the long stapled fibres, and this stripper
which may consist of a stripping comb and revolving brush or any suitable
equivalents removes the lumps and heavier impurities from the outer needles on
the combing cylinder leaving the short staple wool on the combing cylinder. The
short staple wool is taken off the combing cylinder by a supplementary doffing
appliance which may consist of a revolving or other stripper to lay the wool
between two rotating rollers and by means of a travelling apron or the like
the short staple wool is carried forward into cans or otherwise collected and
either combined with the long staple fibres or treated separately.
By the use of a supplementary doffing appliance as described I am enabled
to place the rollers of the first or ordinary doffing apparatus further from the
needles of the combing cylinder and so can use larger and stronger rollers whereby
the feed and consequently the output of the machine can be increased.
Dated this 16th day of September 1896.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.
I, JULES DELATTRE, of Dorignies-Flers (Nord), in the Republic of France,
Spinner, 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:-
My invention relates to those machines for combing wool in which a ring shaped
combing cylinder is employed and my improvements consist chiefly in the arrange-
ment use and application of a supplementary doffing appliance for removing the
short staple wool in addition to the ordinary doffing appliance which takes off
the long combed fibres from the ring shaped cylinder.

page_text: In carrying my improvements into effect 1 employ a stripper placed after the
ordinary doffing appliance which removes the long stapled fibres, and this stripper
which may consist of a stripping comb and revolving brush or any suitable
equivalents removes the lumps and heavier impurities from the outer needles on
the combing cylinder leaving the short staple wool on the combing cylinder. The
short staple wool is taken off the combing cylinder by a supplementary doffing
appliance which may consist of a revolving or other stripper to lay the wool
between two rotating rollers and by means of a travelling apron or the like
the short staple wool is carried forward into cans or otherwise collected and
either combined with the long staple fibres or treated separately.
By the use of a supplementary doffing appliance as described I am enabled
to place the rollers of the first or ordinary doffing apparatus further from the
needles of the combing cylinder and so can use larger and stronger rollers whereby
the feed and consequently the output of the machine can be increased.
In the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings-
Figure 1 is a plan of a combing machine made according to my Invention.
Fig. 2 represents, on an enlarged scale, the plan of a part of the ring shaped
combing cylinder the stripper or cleaning device and the supplementary doffing
appliance.
Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections on the lines 2-2 and 3--3 respectively in Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 shows a presser which I may employ in connection with the travelling
faller bars. Fig. 6 represents mechanism for operating the cleaning combs, and
Fig. 7, a nipping appliance for the second combing.
The wool to be combed is placed by chargers F on the needles of the combing
cylinder A and is carried forward by the needles in the direction of the arrows
and arrives first at the faller bars which as usual comb the fibres and place
them in a parallel position ready to be drawn off by a pair of rotating rollers X
or by any other appliance. The short fibres, which remain on the needles of the
combing cylinder A are carried forward and come next under the action of the
stripper or cleaning device and supplementary doffing appliance which constitute
the cardinal points of my Invention.
The stripper or cleaning device B, as represented in Figs. 2 to 4, comprises
a cleaning comb which is arranged and acts in the same manner as the cleaning
comb M, shown in Fig. 6, and which is hereinafter described. Below the comb b
is another cleaning appliance which may be a brush or a small travelling apron
of either felt or carding cloth. The function of this brush or equivalent
cleaning appliance is to remove the lumps and other impurities from the fibres
on the combing cylinder which impurities are withdrawn from the short wool
by the action of the comb during its work. A presser D holds the wool on the
combing cylinder A at the point where the rotating rollers X draw off the fibre.
The brush b¹ and comb b are provided with suitable cleaning appliances.
To do the combing and cleaning any suitable appliance or arrangement may
moreover be employed. I have, for instance, in Fig. 1, shown a simple revolving
brush B.
I may place before the cleaning comb B or other equivalent cleaning appliance
a small reciprocating comb, marked M, Fig. 1, the function of what is to constantly
return towards the edge of the lap, the impurities are then much easier got hold
of and carried away by the cleaning appliance B. The cleaning comb M is worked
in any convenient manner. Fig. 6 shows for instance the arrangement to which
I give preference. It will be seen that it is carried by a shaft m which can slide
in the socket m¹ which can oscillate upon pivots. At its lower end the shaft m
fits into a revolving eccentric disc m³. In consequence of the rotation of this
revolving eccentric disc the comb M moves in front of the circular bearing
comb A in a course indicated by the dotted line m3. It is plain that, in con-
sequence of this movement, the comb M will comb the lap which goes round the
circular comb A in such a manner as to bring back to the edges of this lap the
impurities. These impurities will then be readily taken hold of and carried

page_text: away by the cleaning appliance B which, as has been already explained, may
itself carry a comb b as well, worked by a motion similar to that of the preparatory
comb M.
As regards the supplementary combing and doffing appliance C it may consist
of a pair of small cylinders c c which may be vertical, horizontal or on an inclined
plane and which bring the wool to an endless apron 2 (Fig. 4), whence it goes
to a funnel 3 (Fig. 1) or other reception appliance.
On Fig. 4, represents a rotary brush which facilitates the passage of the wool
from the apron to the funnel or other reception appliance. c represents a
rotary roller covered with card clothing and serving for cleaning the brush c,
c represents a comb which receives an oscillating motion round an axle c² and
serves to strip the roller c. This arrangement is, however, no (part of my In-
vention and may be replaced by any other appliances fulfilling the same purposes.
The small cylinders c c may be replaced by a nipping device which would enable
a closer approach to the combing cylinder A than with the rollers c c. This
nipping device may be arranged in any appropriate manner and have either a
continuous or intermittent action and revolve vertically or horizontally provided
that it made it possible to nip the wool closer to the combing cylinder than by
means of the rollers the touching line of which is naturally distant from the
bearing comb at least equal to the distance represented by their radius.
In Fig. 7 is shown for instance, both in elevation and plan, a rotary nip with
continuous action which might be used. It is seen that this nip is composed
of two rotary discs G G¹ inclined towards each other in such a way as to have
the touching line at, or very nearly at, the combing cylinder A. The nip seizes
the wool therefore at this point and drags it along and afterwards leaves it a
little further along in consequence of the progressive removal from each other
of the two discs (in consequence of the two discs gradually sloping away from each
other.)
There may be placed before the rollers cela stripper or rotating disc E with
needles which disc comes close up to the rollers cc and the needles of the
cylinder A in order to prevent the passage of the impurities which may not have
been caught and removed by the comb b, and which might otherwise be drawn
off along with the clean fibres.
For the treatment of certain ordinary wools or those easy to work and where
a clean state of the combing is not absolutely necessary the disc E can be dis-
pensed with and this allows of a still closer approach of the rollers c c to the
cylinder A and consequently they draw out shorter wool.
The lap of wool drawn out by the rollers c c is gathered either on bobbins or
in cans and may be added to the proceeds of the first drawing out, or be re-combed,
if this should be necessary, but as it forms an actual combing hardly differing
at all from the first, except that its fibres are shorter it could be employed as
it is, in all such cases where a long combing is not indispensable (as for weft,
hosiery, etc.)
Fig. 1 illustrates the great importance of the interposition of the stripper or
cleaning device B between the two doffing appliances since after the action of
the faller bars Y the front portion of the fibres is the cleanest whilst in the after
part the fibres are always more or less full of impurities (lumps, tangles etc).
If, therefore, the stripper or cleaning device were dispensed with and the supple-
mentary doffing appliance employed alone to draw off the short fibres those fibres
which were sufficiently long to be seized by the rollers c c would be dirty and not
thoroughly combed and cleaned as when my improved arrangement is employed.
The cleaning devices placed between the two doffing appliances ensure on the
other hand in every case two real combings hardly differing except in length of
staple because I have in fact two combing appliances complete on the one machine
and this enables me amongst other advantages to vary at will the length of staple
in each combing according to the class of wool under treatment or the conditions
under which the work is being performed and this I accomplish by varying the

page_text: diameter of the rollers X of the first doffing appliance or by setting them nearer
to or further from the combing cylinder.
To enable the faller bars Y to be set as close as possible to the needle points
of the combing cylinder I construct by preference to this end the presser in a
particular manner so that it holds the fibre during the action of these faller
bars Y. This presser is arranged like an ordinary presser but instead of having
two blades only, one inside and the other outside the needles of the combing
cylinder it has three blades, viz., one inside the needles, the second between the
needles and the third outside the needles, this last Z is arched on the lower part
as shown in Fig. 5 where the arched part of the faller bars becomes parallel with
the needles; this is in order that the needles of the faller bars and those of the
cylinder may be allowed to approach nearer to cach other.
It will be obvious that in order to be able to employ such an arrangement of
presser it is necessary to put the two rows of needles on the cylinder further apart
than is now customary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination with the combing cylinder A and the ordinary and supple-
mentary doffing appliances, of a stripper or combing and cleaning device such
as B interposed between the two doffing appliances substantially as and for the
purposes herein set forth.
2. The combination with the combing cylinder A and ine ordinary and supple-
mentary doffing appliances, of the movable comb b and rotary brush 6 arranged
and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
3. The general construction combination and arrangement of parts embodying
my improvements in wool combing machines substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 16th day of June 1897.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.