IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE COMBING OF SILK AND COTTON.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Smith, Benjamin Smith, and Henry Smith,.
all of Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Spinners, and
Christopher Bradley, of Bradford aforesaid, Comb Maker, for the
LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Smith, Benjamin Smith, and Henry Smith,.
all of Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Spinners, and
Christopher Bradley, of Bradford aforesaid, Comb Maker, for the
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE COMBING OF SILK
AND COTTON.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Smith, Benjamin
Smith, Henry Smith, and Christopher Bradley, at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 17th July
1871.
We, ISAAC SMITH, BENJAMIN SMITH, and HENRY SMITH, all of
Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Spinners, and CHRISTOPHER
BRADLEY, of Bradford aforesaid, Comb Maker, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
COMBING OF SILK AND COTTON," to be as follows:-
THE
The Invention relates to the combing of silk and cotton by the aid
" Noble's "
of that class of machinery known in the combing of wool as

page_text: in which the fibre to be combed is fed to the combs from bobbins
through feed boxes or troughs in which such fibre is simultaneously
laid on to the teeth of an outer circle, and into the teeth of an inner
and considerably smaller circle of comb teeth, so that in the progressive
movement of these circles the combing or cleansing of the fibre is
effected by the separation of the teeth of the two circles. And our im-
provements relate to forming the teeth of the outer circle in two series,
one of which series is applied to the outer or supporting comb ring, so
that that series simply revolves with that ring in the ordinary way,
whilst the teeth of the other and outer series of these teeth are fixed in
segments with capability of slight radial movement, so that the fibre to
be combed may be partially combed or cleansed by the separation to
a short distance of the teeth of the two series of teeth in the larger
circle and this cleansed portion is then laid across the part between the
teeth of the outer circle and the teeth of a smaller inner circle by which
the evil arising from that portion of the fibre laid between the teeth of
the outer or larger circle, and the teeth of an inner circle remaining
uncleansed is avoided. The sliding of these segments of teeth is
effected by cam courses or other suitable known means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Isaac Smith, Benjamin Smith, Henry Smith,
and Christopher Bradley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ISAAC.
SMITH, BENJAMIN SMITII, and HENRY SMITH, all of Bradford, in the
County of York, Worsted Spinners, and CHRISTOPHER BRADLEY, of
Bradford aforesaid, Comb Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Isaac Smith, Benjamin Smith,
Henry Smith, and Christopher Bradley, Her special licence that we,
the said Isaac Smith, Benjamin Smith, Henry Smith, and Christopher
Bradley, our executors, dministrators, and assigns, or such others as

page_text: we, the said Isaac Smith, Benjamin Smith, Henry Smith, and Christopher
Bradley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE COMBING OF SILK AND COTTON," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Isaac Smith, Ben-
jamin Smith, Henry Smith, and Christopher Bradley, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Isaac Smith, Benjamin Smith,.
Henry Smith, and Christopher Bradley do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention relates to the combing of silk and cotton by the aid
of that class of machinery known in the combing of wool as "Noble's "
in which the fibre to be combed is fed to the combs from bobbins
through feed boxes or troughs in which such fibre is simultaneously
laid on to the teeth of an outer circle, and into the teeth of an inner
and considerably smaller circle of comb teeth, so that in the progressive
movement of these circles the combing or cleansing of the fibre is
effected by the separation of the teeth of the two circles. And our
improvements relate to forming the teeth of the outer circle in two
series, one of which series is applied to the outer or supporting comb
ring so that that series simply revolves with that ring in the ordinary
way whilst the teeth of the other and outer series of these teeth are
fixed in segments with capability of slight radial movement, so that
the fibre to be combed may be partially combed or cleansed by the
separation to a short distance of the two series of teeth in the larger
circle, and the cleansed portion is then laid across the part between the
teeth of the outer circle and the teeth of a smaller inner circle by

page_text: which the evil arising from that portion of the fibre laid between the
teeth of the outer or larger circle and the teeth of an inner circle
remaining uncleansed is avoided.
In carrying out these improvements, the rows of teeth are applied
as shewn and described in the Specification of recent Letters Patent
granted to us bearing date the 5th day of April 1871, No. 902, in which
some of the inner rows of teeth of the larger circle or those rows of
teeth of that circle next the inner circles of carrying combs are fixed
to and simply travel round with the frame carrying them, whilst other
or outer rows of these teeth are affixed to segmental plates which in
addition to being controlled to rotate with the main carrying frame
of these teeth are also capable of an outward motion in a radial
direction.
The arrangement of the setting of these teeth of this larger circle
and the means of giving motion to the segments of them to effect the
object desired being so fully described and shown by that Specification,
we have not thought it necessary to enter into any further description
of the same but simply to refer to that Specification for information as
to the means there described, and which we adopt in effecting our
present improvements.
Having thus described our Invention and means which we adopt
in carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood, that
what we claim is the combing of silk and cotton by the use of apparatus
arranged and operated in manner substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Isaac Smith, Benjamin Smith,
Henry Smith, and Christopher Bradley, have hereunto set our
hands and seals, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.