IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING AND DRAWING WOOL AND CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF HAIR
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
Ross, of Leicester, Worsted Manufacturer, send greeting.
years
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighteenth day of July, in the second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Ross, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Henry Ross, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Henry Ross, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING AND DRAWING WOOL AND CERTAIN
DESCRIPTIONS OF HAIR;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Henry Ross, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Ross, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and.
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention relates; first, to improvements in machinery for filling combs
and for working or combing wool and goat hair; and, secondly, my Invention
relates to improvements in machinery for drawing wool and such hair from
that
combs. And in order to give the best information in my power, my
Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried into effect, I have,
by Drawings, shewn the improvements, and I will now proceed to describe the
nature and mode of working the machinery more fully than can be readily
understood by an examination of such Drawings:
Figure 1 shows a front view of a machine for preparatively combing and
for filling combs with wool or hair in-combination with machinery for working
or combing out such wool or hair, but as that portion of the Invention which
relates to the preparatory combing out and filling of combs may be used
separate from or independent of that part of the Invention for working combs
with which the said first part of my Invention is shown to be in connexion in
Figure 1, I will in the first place confine my description to such first part of
the Invention.::
Figure 2 is a side view of that part of the Invention which relates to filling
combs for combing wool and hair.
Figure 3 is a section of the parts shown at Figure 2.
'
In each of these Figures the same letters indicate similar parts, a, a,
being the framing of the machine, the nature of which is clearly shown
in the Drawings. 6' is the main or driving shaft, which receives motion
from a steam engine or other power through the intervention of the strap c,
which communicates rotatory motion to the drum d, which is affixed on
the main shaft or axis b, there being a loose drum or pulley d' on the
same axis on to which the strap c can be moved when it is desired to
stop the machine, as is well understood by machinists. The main shaft or
axis 6 turns in suitable bearings carried by the framing of the machine,
as is shown in the Drawings. On the axis or shaft 6 is affixed the wheel e.
The two side framings of the wheel e carry several surfaces covered with
teeth or projecting points which receive the wool or hair, and in some degree
comb it out, and by certain instruments hereafter described the wool is
removed off the spiked surfaces and fed into the combs in which such
wool or hair is to be further worked or combed out. e', e', are staples
which are affixed to the side framings of the wheel e by screws and nuts. In
these staples the frames f slide to and from the centre of the wheel e. The

page_text: outer end of the frame f is covered with bristles, and thus forming a brush,
which is caused to receive the wool or hair and remove it from the teeth or
points as hereafter explained, and place it upon the combs. 9, 9, 9, are a
series of cylinders having a number of teeth or strong points of steel or
other suitable material closely affixed over the surface or circumference
of each of the rollers g. The rollers 9 turn in suitable bearings carried
by the side framings of the wheel e, as is shown in the Drawings,
and these cylinders or rollers 9 have a slow rotatory motion communicated
to them on their own axes, as well as being carried round by the
wheel e, in the following manner-On the side framing a is affixed a
snail or volute projecting surface h, which enters between the teeth of the
wheels i, t, affixed on the spindles or axes j (these spindles or axes j turn in
suitable bearings carried by the framing of the wheel e); by this means the
wheels i are turned a distance equal to one tooth each revolution of the wheel e,
which brings up fresh teeth or points of the rollers or cylinders g to act, and
will aid the brushes or surfaces f'in removing the wool or hair from the rollers
or cylinders g. On the outer ends of the axes or spindles ; are affixed bevelled
toothed wheels k, which take into and drive the wheels which are each affixed
on one of the axes of the rollers or cylinders g, and there is a toothed wheel m
affixed to the axis of each roller or cylinder g, and an intermediate wheel n to
each pair of wheels m; consequently, one spindle or axis j gives motion to two
rollers or cylinders 9, as will readily be traced in the Drawings. o is an
excentric groove affixed to the framing a of the machine. In this groove the
rollers f of the frames'f work. Thus the frames f will be forced outward
from the centre of the wheel e, as that wheel e revolves, and will by the shape
of the groove o allow of the frames to be drawn in towards the centre of the
wheel e, when the frames have passed beyond the point at which it lays the
wool or hair into the teeth of the combs; and it will be seen by tracing the
movements of the parts which have been under description that the revolution
of the wheel e will cause the wool or hair to be taken up by the surfaces g, and
in some degree to comb it out from the feeding rollers hereafter described;
and as the rollers g proceed round with the wheel e the rollers 9 will turn a
short distance towards their respective brushes or clearing surfaces fi; at the
same time the surfaces f¹ will be forced out from the centre of the wheel e, and
take the wool or hair from the teeth or points of the surfaces g; and when
they arrive at the combs they will lay the wool or hair amongst the teeth, and
when the wool or hair is fairly in the teeth the surfaces f¹ will be suddenly
withdrawn from amongst the teeth of the combs and from the wool therein by
the springs f³, it being desirable that the brushes or such like surfaces f¹ should

page_text: a cog
not draw down the wool or hair in the combs, but to leave the same projecting
horizontally from the combs as much as possible. p, p, are feeding rollers, by
which wool or hair is fed into the machine in such manner that the teeth of the
surfaces g, being carried round by the wheel e, will successively take into and
draw off portions of wool or hair from the rollers p, and motion is communicated
to the feeding rollers p in the following manner :-On the axis or shaft 6 is affixed
wheel q, which takes into and drives the cog wheel r which turns on the
axis r, and to the wheel r is affixed a pulley or drum r², which, by means of an
endless strap or band, gives motion to the pulley or drum s. On the axis s and
on the wheels is affixed a pinion which takes into and drives the cog wheel p
which is affixed on the axis of the lower feeding roller p. The wool or hair is
fed into the rollers p by means of an endless feeding cloth on the rollers t, one
of such rollers t receiving motion from the rollers p by means of a cog wheel t¹
(affixed on the axis of one of the rollers p) taking into the intermediate
wheel t, which drives the wheel t affixed on the axis of one of the rollers t, as
is clearly shewn by the Drawings. vis a roller against which the ends of the
wool or hair comes so soon as the surfaces 9 have drawn it from the feeding
rollers; by this means the wool or hair is laid fairly on the surfaces g, the
roller having rotatory motion communicated to it from one of the feeding
rollers p, by means of the cog wheels p, p, which goes into each other, one of
those wheels p² being affixed on the axis of the roller v, and the other on one
of the axes of the rollers p, as will readily be understood on examining the
Drawings. w is a comb fixed in front of the wheel e, but at such a distance as
only to receive such loose fibres of the wool or hair from the surface f¹, 9, as
These combs x are
would be prejudicial if laid into the backs of the combs x.
of the ordinary construction of wool combs used in machines, and they have
each a toothed rack at a¹, by which they are moved into and out of this
machine as well as in other machines hereafter explained. The combs a move
between guides y in front of the machine, and there is an inclined surface y¹
on which one end of the comb is placed when the other end is placed on
to the guide y; by this means the comb will slide down and follow the comb
previously in the machine till the comb previously in the machine is driven on
beyond the pinion 2, which will take into the rack or teeth a' of the next comb,
and so on, so long as combs are put into the machine; and the pinions will,
by driving one comb, push forward the comb which has just left the pinion.
Motion is communicated to the pinion z in the following manner:¹ is a
screw affixed on the axis or shaft b, which takes into and drives the worm wheel
on the shaft or axis z³, and z³ is a bevelled toothed wheel on the axis 2 which
takes into and drives the cog wheel 4, which is affixed on the shaft or axis

page_text: there being a cog wheel 2 affixed on the other end of the axis which takes
into and drives the cog wheel, affixed on the shaft or axis 28, which carries the
pinion, as is shown in the Drawing. By this means the combs x are pro-
gressively moved onward, and are supplied with wool or hair by the surfaces fs
and the combs x, as they move into the machine, are heated by the gas light¹
as the combs pass under the covered way at the entrance into the machine, as
is shewn in the Drawings, and is similar to what I claimed in my former
Patent, and I make no claim in this part of the present Patent for heating the
combs by gas, other than that mode being adapted to assist the working of thi
machine now described. I am aware that revolving machines have been before
used for partly combing out and filling combs with wool or hair, but the pecu-
liarity of this machine consists in the mode of working the parts f, f, in respect
to surfaces g, under succession of combs x, fed by such parts f. f¹. The wool
having been partly worked and placed into the combs a, as herein described,
the combs a pass onwards by a continuation of the guide y, to be further
worked or combed out by the machinery, which, as before stated, is combined
with the machinery already described), which consists of two revolving appa-
ratus, each carrying three combs round their axes in a vertical position, whilst
the combs & are moving in a horizontal position, consequently the teeth of the
revolving combs, and which may be called the working combs, are at all times
across the teeth of the combs x, and, in addition to the working combs revolving,
their teeth progressively descend below the combs x containing the wool;
consequently, the working combs progressively bring fresh teeth to work the
wool or hair in the combs x, which also, having movement, will bring up fresh
quantities of wool or hair to be combed or worked; and it should be stated
that the working combs which are nearest the machinery first described are set
a short distance further off the combs x than the other set of working combs.
By this means the wool or hair in the combs x will not be so closely worked by
the first set of combs as by the second set of working combs, the first set of
working combs only taking the wool or hair which stands at some distance
from the teeth of the combs ; but as the combs x progress, and the wool or
hair therein is acted on by the second set of combs, the teeth of such second
set of combs coming up to the teeth of the combs x, as near as safety will allow
them to work, and both set of working combs work the wool or hair against
the teeth of the combs x, in place of working the wool against the heads of the
combs x, as has heretofore been the case in machines where separate combs
like are employed, though I am aware that it has been before proposed to work
wool and hair against the teeth of combs set around cylinders, which may be
called cylindrical heads. And further, in my former Patent I did describe a mode

page_text: of affixing combs similar to x, fed with wool or hair, to be worked on a revolving
table or frame with a sliding comb, against which the wool or hair in the
combs (on the revolving frame) lashed successively. The difference in the
present machine being, that the wool in the combs a 'is not lashed on to the
other combs, but simply move onwards, and are worked by revolving combs;
and the revolving combs, which in this case are the working combs, are not
concentric with the axis which carries them, but the heads of the present combs
are parallel with their axes, and are caused to approach to and recede from their
axes in the course of working. And amongst other things it forms an important
feature in my Invention, that combs set lengthwise of the axes with which
they revolve act with other combs which have their teeth in an opposite
direction, as herein described. Figure 1 shows a front view of the
machine combined with the other machinery already described, but which may,
as before described, be used separately, the parts in fact constituting two
machines, which are coupled together for convenience and to save labour in
conveying the combs containing wool from one machine to another; and the
two machines also offer the advantage of being used separate if better means
be hereafter devised for performing either of the parts of the process of combing
wool which the combined machine is capable of completing in itself. And
although I describe the two parts of the machine to be thus combined, and
believe it to be best that such should be the case, yet I do not confine myself
to such combining the two into one machine. Figure 4 represents a right
hand end view of the part of machinery containing what I have called
The ma-
the working combs. Figure 5 is a sectional plan of Fig. 1.
chines are so combined that motion is cominunicated from what may be
called a preparatory machine (wherein the wool or hair is partly combed
out, and then fed into the combs x) by means of the wheel r taking into and
driving the cog wheel A which is affixed on the axis B, on the other end of
which axis B is affixed the beveled wheel C, which takes into and drives the
wheel D on the vertical axis E, such axis turning in suitable bearings at
E, E, at the top and bottom of the machine; the framing a', a', of this part
of the machinery being clearly shown in the Drawings. F, F, F, are three
vertical guide bars or rods, which are securely affixed at upper and lower parts
of the main framing a', as is shewn in the Drawings; on these guide rods or
bars F slide frames which carry the working combs as hereafter explained.
G, G, are the end frames of the sliding frames, and these frames G are com-
bined together by three tubes G¹, such tubes being affixed at their ends to the
frames or plates G, consequently the whole frame G, G', is capable of moving
and down the guide rods or bars F, and the frame G, G', carries the frames
up

page_text: of the rotatory working combs, which I will call the working comb frames, they
each consist of similar parts, I have therefore marked them with like letters of
reference, and the description of one set of working combs will apply to the
other set of working combs. H are two circular plates, capable of turning on
one of the tubes G'. The two circular plates H are combined together by
means of three bars H', which are affixed' at their ends to the plates H,
consequently H, H, will constitute the working comb frame." On each of the
plates H are affixed three guides for slides H³, in which the ends of the heads
of the working combs work in such manner that when in the revolution frame
H, H', either of the working combs arrives at the combs x, and has well
penetrated the wool or hair contained in that comb x, the working comb, in
addition to its rotatory motion with its frame II, H, is by suitable apparatus
drawn in towards the centre of the plate H, and thus works or combs out the
wool or hair in the combs x. The working combs are carried by the frame
H, H', by means of the upright bars H³, which have slidés affixed to their
ends, which work in the guides H³, and such slides have teeth formed thereon,
as is clearly shewn in the Drawing. Thus it will be seen that the bars H³ can
be slided to and from the centre of the revolving frame in' curved grooves or
guides, and consequently when combs' are affixed to such bars H they will
partake of such motion. And it will be seen that the combs are affixed to the
bars H³ in the following manner:-On the back of each of the bars H³ is formed
a projecting inclined surface H', through which, and through the bar, is passed
a pin or axis, having a projecting catch or clip affixed therein; on the other
end of this axis is affixed a handle, having a similar inclined surface affixed
thereto; consequently, when the comb is placed against the bar, it is securely
retained in contact therewith by means of the clip, by the handle moving the
one inclined surface till the two bind strongly together, and there is a recess
formed in the lower slide to receive the end of the comb head, and at the top
of the comb head is a recess into which a projection on the bar H³ enters.
The slides are worked by means of curved toothed racks H³, which move on
axes carried by the plates H of the revolving frame. I, I, are stops to
prevent the slides being drawn or thrown out of their grooves or guides.
J, J, are levers, moving each on a fulcrum or axis, carried by the
bars H. These levers are connected to their respective curved racks H
by means of short connecting links J', which links are connected to short
sockets by pin joints, and the short sockets J, J³, the sockets J* being
connected to the ends of the levers J by a pin joint, and the sockets J³ are
connected to the curved rack by a pin or axis affixed to those curved racks;
thus is each lever connected at each of its ends to its curved racks by what

page_text: may be called universal joints, as will readily be traced in the Drawings. K, K,
are fingers which are affixed to and project from the tubes which slide on the
guide bars, the upper finger causes the combs to be drawn away from out of
the wool or hair in the combs x, as above described, and the lower finger K
causes the combs to be returned outwards to their proper position for entering
the wool, for it will be seen that the levers J, as they are carried round, come
alternately against the fingers K, which cause them to work as above
explained. I would here remark, that there may be various arrangement of
apparatus for carrying out this part of my Invention, for withdrawing the
combs towards the centre of the revolving axis which carries them, and the
arrangement and mode of holding the combs may be varied so long as similar
combs are caused to revolve with their heads in a line with their carrying axis,
and their teeth in a position across the teeth of the combs with which they
work, in like manner to and as is described in respect to the combs x, such
combs having a movement given thereto. And I shall hereafter describe
another machine for working or completing the combing of wool and hair,
wherein similar movements are given to the working combs, but they are
caused to work in different directions as to the heads of the combs. In the
machine now under description the wool is combed against the teeth of
the combs, but in the machine hereafter explained the wool is combed
against the heads of the combs x, that is to say, the combs in working work,
as it is called, "head to head." I have stated that the working combs
move in such manner as to bring their teeth progressively into action. I will
now explain how that takes place in the machine now under description :-
On the axis E is a pinion L, which is capable of sliding on that axis, but turns
therewith, there being a groove formed in the axis E, and a projection or key
affixed in the nave of the pinion which cnteres such groove, as is well under-
stood by mechanics, and the pinion is carried up and down with the working
comb frame G by means of a projecting clip M affixed to the upper part of
that frame, and which embraces the boss or nave of the pinion, but allows of
the pinion to turn freely. The pinion L takes into and drives the upper cog
wheel N, the axis of which is carried by the frame, as is shewn, and the wheels
N take into and drive the wheels O, O, on the plates H of the revolving
frames H, H', and thus is rotatory motion communicated to the rotatory
frames H, H', which carry the working combs, and the whole of the working
parts are counterbalanced by the weights P and straps or cord Q which pass
under and over the pulleys R, as is shewn in the Drawings. The axis or
shaft of the intermediate wheels N has at its lower end a bevelled toothed
wheel affixed thereto, which takes into and drives a bevelled toothed wheel $

page_text: affixed on the shaft S', and on the shaft S' is affixed a volute or scrole S²,
which takes into and drives the wheel T one tooth each revolution of the shaft
S', the wheel T being affixed on the axis T', and there is a pinion on that axis
T which takes into a rack V which is affixed to the top and bottom of framing
of the machine, consequently as the pinion on the axis T¹ revolves it moves
down the rack V, and draws down the working combs and the parts which
carry them; for it will be seen that all the parts just above described are
carried by the lower part of the frame G, which carries the working combs, all
which is clearly shewn in the Drawing, as is also the proper bearings of the
various shafts above explained. At the starting of the machine the working
combs are to be in their highest position, which the person attending the
machine readily performs by turning the handle U, and the machine in work-
ing will progressively lower the frames which carry the working combs, and
so soon as the working combs have descended to their lowest position the
machine is stopped, and the working combs removed therefrom, with the wool
or hair they contain, which is to be again worked or combed, and fresh
combs put into the machine. W are gas pipes which partly embrace the
frames H, there being a number of holes perforated through such pipes
for jets or lights, by which means I am enabled to keep combs (revolving on
an axis) warm during the time that they are at work; and it is an important
improvement so to apply gas to working with combs, revolving on an axis
which have generally been used without heat, when they have been placed in
machines and have had rotatory motion communicated thereto, though I am
aware that steam has been used for like purposes. It should be stated that the
volute or scroll on the shaft S' is capable of being slided out of gear by the
workman before winding up the working parts, but when he has wound thein
up the scroll wheel is slided into gear with its wheel, and is securely held in
gear by the catch W'; and it should be stated that the machine is stopped so
soon as the working combs have descended to their lowest position in the fol-
lowing manner:-X is a lever attached to the shaft or axis X', such lever
being in an inclined position under the frame which carries the working combs,
consequently when that lever X is pressed on by the coming down of the lower
end of the tube G¹ under which it is placed will cause it to turn the axis X'
partly round, and on the end of the axis X' is an arm X², affixed to which is
attached a connecting rod X³, which is attached to the lever catch handle X',
which moves on a fulcrum at X5%; the lever catch X holds a handle Y on a
shaft Y'; and the handle Y has a spring Y2, which has at all times a tendency
to draw the handle Y in such manner as to cause the fork Z on the axis Y' to
throw the strap off the fixed on to the loose pulley or drum, as will readily be

page_text: traced in the Drawing'; but the handle X holds the handle Y till it is
released by the coming down of the frame which carries the working combs,
and when it is desired to start the machine after 'the frames with the working
combs have been wound up to the highest position the lever catch X is to be
placed on the handle Y, in order to retain the parts in that condition when at
work. The combs x, when the wool or hair has been fully combed, are to
have the wool or hair drawn off therefrom; and I shall hereafter describe an
improved machine for that purpose; and having been cleared of wool they are
brought to the enclosed slides Zin front of the machines above described;
such guides being so inclined that the combs. will slide down. This apparatus
may be called a gas heating case or oven, for at one end of the enclosed way
there is a series of gas lights which heat the combs, particularly the one at the
lower end, and so soon as that one is removed in order to be placed in a
machine the next comb follows or slides down and becomes more heated.
And I would remark, that this improved mode of applying heat by gas in a
case or oven with proper slides or supports for the combs may with advantage
be employed for other combs used in other machines or apparatus for combing
wool; and this part of my Invention will be found a clean and a most conve-
nient way of heating combs for combing wool or hair. The nature of this
apparatus and the gas pipes and burners are so clearly shewn in the Drawings
that a workman will readily construct the same, and he will readily make such
alterations in the same as to adapt it to the construction of combs employed."
I will now describe another arrangement of combing machinė. This
machine is similar to the revolving frames H, H', already described. I have
therefore marked the parts with the same letters of reference. They will not
require further description other than to point out the difference of action of the
levers and connecting links by which the slides and consequently the combs are
withdrawn through the wool or hair in the combs x; when the teeth have
fairly entered therein, in place of using the curved racks before described, the
connecting links are attached in a similar way to the slides or to the ends of
the rods themselves, and also to the ends of the levers, and, in place of having
a single lever to cach comb, there are two levers to work each comb, connected
together by means of a pin affixed to one of the levers which passes through
a slot in the other lever, by which means the two levers work together by the
fingers as before explained to draw in the combs at the proper period. The
axis of the rotatory frame H, H¹, in this case, is set a little oblique in
respect to the line of the combs x, in order that as a comb x enters the
machine the teeth of the working combs may be at a greater distance from the
combs then at the end where the combs a leave the machine. This

page_text: machine is so arranged that there are two frames H, H', as is shewn in the
Drawing. They are carried at the ends of two beams or levers, which are
capable of moving on an axis, so that when one of the revolving frames H, H',
is at work the other is out of work, in order to allow of the combs therefrom
to be removed and be replaced, as will readily be understood on examining
Figures 6 & 7. b is the shaft or: axis of the machinery first described,
having a cog wheel (1) affixed thereon, which takes into and drives a cog
wheel (2). On a fixed axis carried.by the framing of the machine on the boss
of the wheel (2) is a pinion (3), which turns therewith, but is capable of
being slided along such boss or nave in order that it may be moved into
and out of gear with the cog wheel o, on the end of the frames H, H',
whereby, when the working combs in that frame are full, that frame may be
moved away, and the frame H; H'; at the other end of the beams be brought
into position to work with the combs x, and the frames H, H', when once
changed are held secure by a spring catch, as shown in the Drawing, which
retains the beams in their proper places, till the frames H, H', require again
to be changed. I would remark that in this machine the combs x, with wool or
hair to be worked, pass along guides, as before described, from the first-described
machinery, and are constantly fed therein, but in the present case, in place
of the wool being combed against the teeth of the combs x, the wool is combed
against the heads of the combs x as they progressively move through the
machine in guides y, as before described. It should be remarked that the
machine differs in two. particulars from machines wherein similar combs have
revolved with an axis: first, inasmuch as the heads of the combs have a
receding motion towards the centre of the frame communicated to them in
order to draw the teeth through and comb out the wool or hair when the
teeth have fairly entered the wool or hair in the combs x; and, secondly,
this machine differs from previously constructed machines with such combs on
rotatory axes, inasmuch as the conibs x traveres along lengthwise of the combs
as above described. And I would further remark that the apparatus for causing
the combs to recede as herein described may be varied, and so may other parts
of the machine, so long as the general mode of combination and action be
retained.
I will now proceed to describe the machine for drawing wool or hair off
combs in continuous slivers. The principle on which this machine acts is,
that the axes of the drawing rollers are set at an angle to the line of the teeth
of the combs, and in such manner that the parts of the rollers which are most
distant from the line of teeth of the combs will take the longest wool, and as
the distance between the teeth of the combs and the drawing rollers decreases

page_text: so will be the taking hold of the shorter fibres of the wool, all which will
readily be understood on examining the Drawing, Figure 8, 9, & 10.
y, y, is a similar groove or guide for the combs. (4). (4), are two drawing
rollers; (5) is a band, by which the machine receives motion from a steam
engine..or other power, such band. (5) driving' a drum (6), which moves on a
fixed axis carried by the framing of the machine, and on the boss or nave of
the drum (5) is affixed the pinion (7), which takes into and drives the inter-
mediate cog wheel (8), which takes into and drives the cog wheel (9) on the
axes (10), on which axes is affixed the bevelled toothed wheel (11) which takes
into and drives the bevelled toothed whicel.(12) on the axis (13), on which axis
is affixed the pinión (14), which takes into the teeth or racks on the heads of
the combs, and thus are combs caused to move along the guides y, as
explained in the former machinery. The intermediate wheel (8) also takes
into and drives the cog wheel on the axis of the lower of the drawing rollers
(4), and the drawing rollers being grooved, as is well understood, the lower
one will work the upper one, and it will be seen that the upper drawing roller
is pressed on the lower one with considerable force by means of the springs
(15), and in order to allow the rollers (4) to come as close up to the comb teeth
as possible at one end the axis of the upper roller (4) at that end is carried
by a lever (16), which is drawn down by a spring (15) as shown. (17) is an
endless cloth, which passing over the lower rollers (4), and over the roller
(18),.and. is kept down by means of a roller (19); the wool or hair, as it is
drawn off the combs, is received on to the endless cloth and carried into the tin
funnel, where it is gathered together and guided into a can or other receiver
in a continuous sliver by means of the smooth rollers (20), which receive the
sliver from the funnel and draw it forward to the can to receive the sliver
which stands below; and it will be seen that the rollers (20) receive motion
from the pinion on the boss of the driving pulley or drum by means of an
intermediate wheel (21), which, being actuated by such pinion, drives the cog
wheel (22) on the lower of the rollers (20), the wheel (22) of the upper roller
gearing into the wheel (22) of the lower roller, whereby the two are caused to
revolve together. (23) are a pair of rollers set at the back of the combs in
order to draw off what is called the "backings;" they receive motion by means
of the bevelled cog wheel on the axis of one of them which is driven by the
bevelled wheel (24) on the axis (25), which receives motion from the axis
which drives the pinion for forcing on the combs, there being a bevelled
toothed wheel (26) on that axis which takes into the bevelled toothed wheel
(27), all which will readily be traced in the Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, I would have it understood that I lay no claim to any
of the parts separately nor do I confine myself to the precise arrangements or
combinations shown, provided the modes of combination and adaptation be
retained, as herein fully described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Ross, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.