IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS." A communication from abroad by Eugène Meunier, the younger,
and Adolphe Griin. both of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd June 1876.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex.
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL
A communication from abroad by Eugène
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Meunier, the younger, and Adolphe Grün, both of Paris, in the Republic of France.
This Invention consists of the various improvements herein-after described
applicable more especially to machines for combing wool, but which may also be
adapted to machines for combing fibrous materials generally.
According to this Invention the sheet or material to be combed is passed through
a suitable guide plate at one end of the apparatus and over a table under a pressing
roller to a feeding comb and between two holders, the lower one of which is
stationary whilst the upper is movable, whence the sheet or material passes between
the teeth of a straight comb, to which motion is imparted by means of levers in
connection with cams on the driving shaft, and it is also acted upon by a rotating
combing cylinder, heated internally, the periphery of which is divided into seg
ments covered with leather and carrying combs alternately, a rotating brush and
doffer are provided for the purpose of removing the noyls from the combing
cylinder. The sheet is then passed between two drawing rollers, which have
imparted to them a horizontal to-and-fro motion as well as an intermittent rotatory
motion backwards and forwards, and is carried upon an endless leather band to a
receiving funnel having an oscillating motion, from the small end of which it passes
out between the receiving rollers.
Motion is imparted to the apparatus from a driving shaft, carrying say, 5 cams
or eccentrics keyed upon it, two of which are for actuating the drawing rollers, one
The
for the feed, one for the straight comb, and one for actuating the holder.
horizontal notion is imparted to the drawing rollers by the means next herein-
after described.

page_text: The drawing rollers are supported by levers which turn upon an axis at the
lower part of the framework, and which is capable of being adjusted in a vertical
and horizontal direction; these levers are connected to frames acted on by the two
cams or eccentrics on the driving shaft, the frames enclosing the two cams or
eccentrics and receiving from them a to-and-fro motion in a horizontal direction.
Around the lower drawing roller passes an endless leather band which carries the
combed fibres and is stretched upon a tension roller loose upon its axis, the latter
being caused to advance in a horizontal direction by means of sliding bearings.
The receiving funnel is fixed on a cross bar which is pivotted at its extremities
upon journals taking their bearing in the framework of the machine, and the centres
of which are in a straight line with the small end of the funnel, by this arrange-
ment notwithstanding the to-and-fro motion of the funnel the small end of the
same is never displaced. The cross bar is connected to the axis of the tension
roller of the band by a lover arm and a connecting rod so as to be carried with it
in its to-and-fro motion.
Rotatory motion is transmitted to the drawing rollers by means of toothed
gearing with intermittent motion and an adjustable backward movement, these
rollers commence to rotate a short time before they approach the leather segment
of the combing cylinder, and continue to rotate in the same direction until the
carrior has been drawn back a short distance from the leather segment, at this
moment the rotatory motion entirely ceases until the carrier arrives at the end of
its stroke, as soon as the carrier commences to return the drawing rollers turn in
the contrary direction and cause a certain length of fibre to be drawn back, after
this operation their rotatory motion is again suspended for a moment until they
come within a short distance of the segments of leather where the operation of the
drawing recommences. These motions are imparted in the following manner :-
A shaft rotating in suitable bearings in the framework of the machine carries a
toothed wheel which actuates the drawing cylinder by intermediate gearing, a
ratchet wheel and a plate or disc are also keyed on to the same shaft, and a second
ratchet wheel is bolted against the plate or disc and is capable of being drawn
backwards or forwards or adjusted as required. Upon the sleeve of the ratchet
wheel first herein-before referred to is loosely mounted a lever arm, which carries
two pawls acting in opposite directions and connected together by a spiral spring,
one of which pawls actuates the ratchet wheel first herein-bofore referred to, whilst
the other actuates the second ratchet wheel, the lever arm is connected to the cam
or eccentric of the holder, which may be adjusted in any direction during the
drawing. An adjustable crank pin on the driving shaft actuates the lever aim by a
connecting rod, and one of the ratchet wheels is caused to rotate in one direction by
the intervention of one of the pawls. On the return of the carrier the connecting
rod pushes back the lever arm and the other pawl engages in the teeth of the second
ratchet wheel, thus causing the shaft to rotate in the opposite direction. This
retrograde motion may be prolonged or shortened by means of an adjustable stud
on the frame whereby the pawl may be caused to carry the ratchet wheel first
herein-before referred to over a greater or less arc. The lower or stationary holder
is fitted upon supports bolted to the frame whilst the upper or moveable holder
receives its motion from a cam on the driving shaft by means of suitable wipers
and levers.
Between the segment covered with leather and the last row of needles of the comb
segment there are arranged steel wire brushes, which are provided for the purpose
of causing the whole of the wool to pass between the needles of the straight comb.
It is obvious that the principal parts of this apparatus herein-before described in
detail are capable of being applied in various ways. For example, the movement
of the drawing rollers herein-before described may be transmitted by various
mechanical contrivances, such, for instance, as pawls and ratchets, toothed segments
and racks, couplings, and the like, whilst retaining the principle of the application to
wool-combing apparatus of the adjustable to-and-fro motion of such rollers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
November 1876.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL,
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS." A communication from abroad by Eugene
Meunier, the younger, and Adolphe Grün, both of Paris, in the Republic of France.
The said Invention consists of various improvements applicable more especially
to machines for combing wool, but which may also be adapted to machines for
combing fibrous materials generally, the nature of which improvements, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, will be understood by the following descrip-
tion, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal sectional
elevation of a machine with the improvements which form the subject of this
Invention applied thereto. Figure is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 represents a longitudinal sectional elevation of a portion of the mecha-
nism detached, and Figure 4 is an end view of the same.
Figures 5 and 6 are other details to be herein-after referred to.
A is the frame; B is the combing cylinder which is heated internally; Care
comb segments fitted with needles; D are segments covered with leather; E are
brushes fitted between the segments D covered with leather, and the last row of
needles of the coinb segments C; F is a circular brush for cleaning the combing
cylinder B; G is a dofling cylinder for removing the noyls from the brush F;
His the driving shaft carrying five cams or eccentrics fast upon it, two of which
marked J arc for "drawing," one marked K for the feed, one marked L for actuating
a straight comb, and one marked M for the holder; N is a frame acted upon by the
cams or eccentrics J for effecting the "drawing" O are levers for actuating the
drawing rollers, which levers are connected by the rods P with the frames N; Qis
the axis of the drawing levers which is capable of being adjusted in a horizontal
and vertical direction; R, S, are the drawing rollers having a to-and-fro drawing
motion as well as a reciprocating rotatory motion on their axes; T is a tension
roller carrying an endless leather band R' which conducts the combed material;
U are receiving rollers; V₁ is an oscillating funnel connected to the drawing
mechanism; X is the shaft of the upper holder Y and of its lever V; Zis the lowez
holder which is fixed against the supports Z¹ bolted to the frame A; A¹ is the
feeder shaft with its two levers; B, C, is an external lever fixed on the shaft A.
and actuated by the cam or eccentric K, against which it is pressed by the
spring D'; E¹ is the feeding comb with its frame F¹, against which it is pressed
by the spring G¹; H is a plate for lifting the feeding plate; J is a rod for con-
necting the frame F of the feeding comb F to the levers B'; K' is the feeding
table;
L', a pressing roller; M', a guide arranged for, say 20 slivers; N¹, the straight
comb; O¹, the lever of the comb N¹; P¹, the axis of the comb N¹; Q¹, a lever for
raising the comb N' by means of the can or eccentric L.
The apparatus generally operates in the following manner:-The material to be
combed is passed through the guide M at one end of the apparatus, over, the
table K¹, under the pressing roller L to the feeding comb E¹, and between the two
holders Y, Z, the lower one (Z) of which is stationary, whilst the upper one (Y) is
movable, whence the inaterial passes between the teeth of the straight comb N', to
which motion is imparted by means of levers O¹, Q', in connection with the cam L
on the driving shaft H, and it is also acted upon by the rotating combing cylin-
der B, heated internally, the periphery of which is divided into the segments D, C,
covered with leather and currying combs respectively. The rotating brush F and
doffer G are provided for the purpose of removing the noyls from the combing
cylinder B. The sheet is then passed between the two drawing rollers R, S, which
have imparted to them a horizontal to-and-fro motion as well as an intermittent
rotatory motion in opposite directions, and is carried upon the edle.s leather

page_text: band R' to the receiving funnel V₁ which receives an oscillating motion, from the
small end of which funnel the material passes out between the receiving rollers U,U.
Motion is imparted to the apparatus from the driving shaft B carrying the
5 cams or eccentrics J, J, K, L, M, having the respective functions herein-beforo
mentioned.
Having thus explained generally the construction and operation of the machine
I shall now proceed to describe the peculiar features of this Invention, which
features may be applied separately or in combination to the various descriptions of
combing machines at present in use.
The horizontal motion, which constitutes an important feature of this Invention,
is imparted to the drawing rollers R, S, by the means illustrated in Figures 1
and 2. The drawing rollers are supported by levers which turn upon an axis Q
capable of being adjusted in a vertical and horizontal direction as before mentioned;
the levers O are connected by the rods P to the frames N enclosing the cams or
eccentrics J, and receiving from them a to-and-fro motion in a horizontal direction.
Figures 3 and 4 represent the receiving mechanism with the oscillating funnel
which forms another feature of this Invention.
Around the lower drawing roller S passes the endless leather band R¹ which
carries the combed fibres, and is stretched upon a tension roller T which is loose
upon its axis T¹, the latter being caused to advance in a horizontal direction by
means of the guideways U, the funnel V¹ is fixed on the cross bar X, which is
pivotted at its extremities upon the journals Y¹, the centres of which are in a
straight line with the small end of the funnel, by this arrangement notwithstanding
the to-and-fro motion of the funnel the small end of the same is never displaced.
The cross bar X is connected to the axis T¹ by the lever arm A" and the rod B" so
as to be carried with it in its to-and-fro motion.
Figures and 6 illustrate the mode of transmitting motion to the drawing
rollers R, S, by means of toothed gearing with intermittent motion and an adjust-
nhle backward movement according to this Invention. The drawing rollers com-
mence to rotate a short time before they approach the leather segment D of the
combing cylinder B, and continue to rotate in the same direction until their carrier
has been drawn back a short distance from the leather segment, at this moment the
rotatory motion entirely ceases until the carrier arrives at the end of its stroke, as
soon as the carrier commences to return the drawing rollers turn in the contrary
direction and cause a given length of fibre to be drawn back.
After this operation
their rotatory motion is again suspended for a brief space of time until they come
within a short distance of the segments of leather where the operation of the
drawing recommences.
These motions are imparted in the following manner-Upon the axis C" there
is fixed the wheel 11, the ratchet wheel E", with, say, cight teeth, and the disc F",
a second ratchet wheel G" is bolted to the disc F1, and is capable of being drawn
backwards or forwards or adjusted as required. Upon the boss of the ratchet
wheel E is loosely mounted a lever arm Hu carrying the pawls J" and K", which
are connected together by a spiral spring, one of which pawls, videlicet, that Ju
actuales the wheel E, whilst the other K actuates the second ratchet wheel G".
The lever arm H₁ is connected to the cam or eccentric M. of the holder, which
may be adjusted in any direction during the drawing. The rod L" actuates the
lever H, the pawl J¹¹ causes the ratchet wheel E" to rotate in one direction on
the return of the carrier, the rod L¹¹ pushes back the lever arm H", and the other
pawl K engages in the teeth of the ratchet wheel Q", thus causing the shaft C
to rotate in the opposite direction. This retrograde motion may be prolonged or
shortened by means of the adjustment of the pawl carriers N", which are fixed
upon the journal O so as to cause the pawl K to carry the ratchet wheel G² over
a greater or less are; the supports P and Q are fixed against the frame of the
machine, and carry the shaft C The wheel D fixed upon the latter transmits
its motion to the drawing roller R by means of the intermediate wheel R¹ which
gears into the wheel S" fast upon the roller R, the said roller driving the lower

page_text: roller S by the intervention of the pinions T". In addition to the rotary notion
imparted to the drawing rollers they receive at the same time a to-and-fro
motion from the carrier by means of the levers U, V, which are provided for
that purpose.
Another important feature of the Invention consists in making the lower holder Z
stationary, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the said holder being fitted upon supports Z¹
bolted to the frame A.
A further feature of the Invention relates to the application of brushes E to the
combing cylinder B. These brushes, which are composed of steel wire, are arranged
between the segments D covered with leather, and the last row of needles of tho
comb segments C, and have for their object causing the whole of the wool or
other material being operated upon to pass between the needles of the straight
comb N¹.
It is obvious that the principal parts of this apparatus herein-before described in
detail are capable of being applied in various ways. For example, the motion
herein-before described of the drawing rollers may be obtained by various other
mechanical contrivances, such, for instance, as toothed segments and racks, couplings,
and the like, whilst retaining the principle of the application to wool combing
apparatus of the adjustable to-and-fro motion of such rollers.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the some is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is-
First. A horizontal drawing motion, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. An oscillating discharge funnel, substantially as herein-before described.
Third. Transmitting motion to the drawing rollers by means of toothed gearing
having an intermittent motion and an adjustable retrograde motion, substantially
as herein-before described.
Fourth. Constructing the lower holder stationary in lieu of moveable, substantially
as herein-before described.
Fifth. The application of brushes to the combing cylinder, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
Sixth. The general arrangement and combination of apparatus herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of Noventer, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)