IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Warburton, of Addingham, near Otley, in
the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
Sealed the 6th May 1856, and dated the 23rd February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Warburton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
February 1856.
I, JAMES WARBURTON, of Addingham, near Otley, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention "FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI-
NERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBRES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for combing
wool, cotton, and, other fibres. For this purpose the carded sliver or suitably
prepared wool,.cotton, or other fibre is, by preference, before being placed into
the combs (hereafter called. the, receiving combs) divided into tufts or short
quantities; but this is not essential, as the wool, cotton, or other fibre may be
lashed or, otherwise introduced into the receiving combs before separating the
quantity (entered into the teeth of the receiving combs) from the sliver. Two
combs are employed jointly and simultaneously to receive the tufts or feed of
fibres, and the teeth of such two combs are together at the time of receiving
the feed, which is introduced transversely across the teeth of the two combs.

page_text: The two combs are caused to separate one from the other after the fibres
have been fed into the teeth thereof; and in separating the fibres are combed
out, and parts of the fibres are retained in each of the two receiving combs.
These two receiving combs are preferred to be circular combs of like diameter,
but this is not essential, as the form of these combs may be varied. The
protruding combed-out ends of the fibres carried respectively by the two
receiving combs above mentioned, are brought to a third comb, and such ends
of the fibres are caused to be pressed or passed into and amongst the teeth of
such third comb. The wool, cotton, or other fibre is drawn off by drawing
rollers applied to each of the two receiving combs in such manner that they
may draw the fibres through between the teeth of the third comb, as well also
as through between the teeth in each case if one of the pair of receiving
combs above mentioned. I may state that one, or several pairs of the receiving
combs, may be combined with one, or what is above called the third comb, and
such third comb may be of a circular or other convenient form.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Warburton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WARBURTON, of Addingham, near Otley, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Warburton, Her special licence that I, the said James
Warburton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Warburton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBRES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Warburton, my
exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,

page_text: or one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said James Warburton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for combing
wool, cotton, and other fibres. For this purpose the carded sliver or suitably
prepared wool, cotton, or other fibre, is, by preference, before being placed into
the combs (hereafter called the receiving combs) divided into tufts or short quan-
tities, but this is not essential, as the wool, cotton, or other fibre may be lashed
or otherwise introduced into the receiving combs before separating the quantity
(entered into the teeth of the receiving combs) from the sliver. Two combs
are employed jointly and simultaneously to receive the tufts or feed of fibres,
and the teeth of such two combs are together at the time of receiving the
feed, which is introduced transversely across the teeth of the two combs. The
two combs are caused to separate one from the other after the fibres have
been laid into the teeth thereof, and, in separating, the fibres are combed out
aud parts of the fibres are retained in each of the two receiving combs. These
two receiving combs are preferred to be circular combs of like diameter, but
this is not essential as the form of these combs may be varied. The protruding
combed-out ends of the fibres carried respectively by the two receiving combs
above mentioned are brought to a third comb, and such ends of the fibres are
caused to be pressed or passed into and amongst the teeth of such third comb.
The wool, cotton, or other fibre is drawn off by drawing rollers applied to each
of the two receiving combs in such manner that they may draw the fibres
through between the teeth of the third comb, as well also through between the
teeth in each case of one of the pair of receiving combs above mentioned.
I may state that one or several pairs of the receiving combs may be combined
with one of what is above called the third comb, and such third comb may be
of a circular or other convenient form.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
In carrying out my Invention two receiving combs are employed, which
come together at one point, and by placing tufts or short lengths of slivers
upon or over such receiving combs at the point where they come together, the

page_text: fibres are simultaneously fed into the two combs. The receiving combs then, by
separating, comb the tufts or short lengths of slivers. Each comb after sepa-
rating carries forward and places the cleaned and projecting fibres over.or
upon a third comb to be drawn through it, in order to clean the other ends of
the tufts held in the teeth of the receiving combs. I would state that it is not
new to lash wool into two receiving combs which come together at one point
of their revolution or action. I do not, therefore, claim so as to arrange combs,
but it is new to divide. a sliver of wool or other fibres into tufts or, short lengths
before combing either end of such tufts, and then to place such uncombed
tufts into and amongst the teeth of two receiving combs when they are
together, and to comb such tufts by the separation of the two combs. And it
is also new, when using two receiving combs which come together at a point of
their revolution, to interpose a third comb into the combed-out ends of the
wool or fibre, in order that in drawing off slivers from the two receiving combs
such slivers may be drawn through the teeth of the third or interposed comb.
I would, however, state that I make no claim to the use of a comb intro-
duced between a travelling comb and drawing-off rollers when such travelling
comb, does not form one of two receiving combs coming together at a point of
their revolution, and then separating, as herein described, to comb out the
wool or fibre placed in their teeth when they are together.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Which shew various views of a machine suitable for combing fine and short
fibres.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of part of a machine, taken through the
middle of a filling head; Figure 2 shews a plan thereof, partly in section;
Figure 3. shews part of an end view of a machine constructed according to
my Invention; Figure 4 shews parts of a filling head, and of two receiving
combs, full size; and Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, show diagrams, on a larger scale.
A is the framing of the machine; B, steam box, to heat the combs ; C, C, are
endless chains of.combs, which I call the third or interposed comb; E, E, are
pairs of receiving combs; F, F, are filling heads, which have a to-and-fro
motion given to them.; G, guide plates, to lift the wool or fibre over the combs
C respectively; H, brush, to press the separated tufts of wool or fibre into the
teeth of the receiving combs; I, I, drawing-off rollers; J, the places where
the noil is taken off from the receiving combs. A roll or ball of sliver of
wool or other fibres is placed upon each filling head. b, top pair of feed
rollers; c, lower pair of feed rollers, which divide the sliver into tufts or short
lengths; d, a hollow axis, which moves in the fixed bearing d'; e is a bar,

page_text: worked to and fro by the eccentric k. The bar E by a pin e¹ gives motion to
an arm m fixed on the hollow axis d, thus causing the filling head to make a
partial revolution over the point where the two circular combs E, E, come
together. f is an upright shaft, to drive the rollers of the filling heads; g,
gearing and shaft to drive upright shaft f; i, i, are upright shafts, to give
motion to the two receiving combs E, E; k, an eccentric, driven by a strap,
to give motion to the filling heads. (1) is the main shaft; (2, 2).. are
upright shafts, to give motion to the third or endless chains of combs C, C, by
means of shafts (3, 3), which give motion to the upright shafts i, i, and
also to the screw shaft (4), which gives motion to a screw or worm wheel (5)
on. shaft (6), on the upper end of which is a chain wheel (7), which drives, the
third or endless chain of combs C, C; the other endless chain of combs C, C,
being similarly moved from the shaft (1), but the gearing for which is, not
shown in the drawing. The operation of the machine is as follows:-Slivers
of wool or other fibres are wound on wires into rolls or balls a, a, and, are
placed upon the double filling head F, as shown. Each roll or ball is sup-
ported by two rallers a², a', between the slotted uprights a², a³. The end of
the sliver is passed through between the first pair of rollers b, and then through
between the second pair of feed rollers c, which are driven faster than the top
rollers b, in order, by their greater speed, to separate a tuft from the sliver at
each revolution; and the rollers c by the to-and-fro motion of the filling head F
deposit upon the teeth of the two receiving combs E the tuft so separated.
The rollers c bite at one-half of their circumference only. The top rollers on
the contrary, always have hold of the sliver, and present a quantity of fibres
ready to deliver by the time the pressing or biting parts of the rollers c, c,
come round. By the revolution of the rollers c, c, and the swinging to and
fro of the filling head, the sliver is separated into tufts, and the tufts are placed
over the teeth of the the two receiving combs E, then, when the rollers c, c,
are out of the way, a brush II is caused to descend and press the wool or fibre
in amongst the teeth of the combs E. The receiving combs E, E, revolve
slowly, and the tufts are fed one on the other, and are pressed amongst the
teeth, and as the combs E, E, separate, the previously uncombed tufts will be
divided between the two combs, and be partially combed by the separating of
the combs E, E. The combed out ends of the fibres carried by each comb E
will stand out as a fringe therefrom, and as such fringe comes to its respective
comb C, the fringe is lifted upwards so as to pass over the teeth of the comb
C, and the fringe of fibre as the same comes over the teeth of the comb C
are pressed into the teeth by a suitable brush. The drawing-off rollers 1 then
take hold of the ends of the fibres which project through the comb C, and

page_text: draw out a sliver through the receiving comb E and the comb C, which may
be similar to or finer than the comb E. The noil is removed from the combs
E by brushes, or by lifting plates at J, J, and falls into a can or box. I prefer
to arrange a number of pairs of receiving combs E, E, in a row, as shown,
though they may be otherwise arranged; and, although it forms an important
part of my Invention when working with two receiving combs, as herein
explained, to divide the sliver into separate tufts before commencing to comb
the same, yet in place thereof, when using a third comb C with each of two
receiving combs E, as above described, the wool or fibre may, if preferred (by
others) be lashed into the combs E when they are together. The combined
using of a comb C with a pair of receiving combs E produces better work
than when lashing wool or fibre, as heretofore, into two receiving combs E
and drawing off therefrom without the interposition of a third comb C.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not claim any
of the parts separately, but what I claim is, the combining machinery, as
herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Warburton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JNO. COOK,
4, Old Square, Lincoln's Inn.
JAMES WARBURTON. (L.S.)