IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF SLIVERS OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND INRY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYEDRE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Fothergill, of 27, Cornhill, in the City of
London, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PRODUCTION OF SLIVERS OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Fothergill at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th June 1864.
I, BENJAMIN FOTHERGILL, of 27, Cornhill, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF SLIVERS OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved system or mode of drawing
off the fleece into a continuous sliver in that class of wool combing machines
wherein a succession of tufts of wool are detached from the end of a lap by a
pair of detaching nippers, and deposited in succession, so as to form a fleece
(after having had both ends combed by any well-known or suitable appliances),
upon a drum, endless travelling band, or other suitable receiving travelling.
surface, and drawn off therefrom in the form of a continuous sliver. In the
present system of drawing off the fleece to form a sliver each tuft is drawn
bodily off the receiving surface without having its fibres or staples intimately
mixed with those of the succeeding tuft, and consequently when the fleece so.

page_text: of
any
drawn off is condensed into a sliver the heads or thicker ends of the several
tufts form thicker portions of such sliver than the tails or thinner ends of the
tufts, and therefore the sliver is of an uneven thickness. In my improved
system the drawing off rollers begin to draw off a tuft at one corner thereof,
and continue to draw out the fibres in each tuft one after another, and before
the whole of one tuft is drawn off the first fibres or staples of the next tuft
will have been seized by the drawing-off rollers, and so on continuously, thus
drawing out and straightening the several tufts almost fibre by fibre, in lieu
of seizing hold of all the fibres composing a tuft at one and the same time.
Various mechanical contrivances may be employed in carrying out this part of
my Invention; for example, one end of the detaching nippers (which may be
well known or other construction) may be made to travel a little farther
during their outward traverse than the opposite end by employing two side
cranks, sword arms, or levers and connecting rods for giving the travelling
motion to the nippers, one of such cranks, sword arms, or levers having a
greater throw than the other.. By this means the nippers will be brought to
an acute angle with the direction of motion of the receiving surface on
arriving at the end of their outward traverse, and consequently one of the
front corners of each tuft of wool or other material will be in advance of the
other, and the tuft will therefore be seized by the drawing-off rollers at
the advanced corner first, and the fibres drawn out in succession along the
entire width of tuft, or from side to side thereof, in place of being all drawn
out simultaneously. Or by another arrangement the receiving surface may
be placed at an angle with the direction of motion of the detaching nippers.
Or the stationary or holding nippers, screen comb, and detaching nippers may
be placed at an angle with the direction of motion of the receiving surface.
Or the whole of these parts may be arranged in the ordinary manner, and the
drawing off rollers placed obliquely to the direction of motion of the receiving
surface.
The second part of my Invention has also for its object the production of a
more even and regular sliver, and consists in imparting to the travelling
receiving surface or to the detaching nippers by any well-known or suitable
mechanical arrangement a slight lateral or shogging motion from side to side
of the machine at each stroke or outward traverse of the detaching nippers,
by which means the thick or thin parts of the tufts as they are laid upon the
receiving surface to form a fleece will not occur always in the same line, but
the thick parts of one tuft will fall into the thin parts of the preceding tuft,
thus rendering the sliver when drawn off more even or uniform in thickness
throughout.

page_text: The third part of my Invention consists in the application and use of a
series of screw gills to act as the endless receiving surface, in or upon which
the tufts of combed wool or other fibrous material are successively deposited,
the object of the screw gills being to partially draw out and straighten the
fibres before they are seized by the drawing-off rollers, this straightening
action being effected by the use of gill screws having a constantly increasing
pitch. In combination with these gills I employ a detaching nipper, which is
made to turn over upon an axis after it has detached the tufts, or otherwise
to reverse the position of each tuft, so as to bring its thinner end towards the
drawing-off rollers, as set forth in the Specification of my Patent bearing date
the 14th of December 1863, No. 3158. These several parts of my Invention
may be used either singly or in any combination in existing wool combing
machines of the class herein-before referred to, or may be used either singly
or in any combination with the peculiar wool combing machines described in
the Specification of my said Patent herein-before referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Fothergill in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
FOTHERGILL, of 27, Cornhill, in the City of London, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me; the
said Benjamin Fothergill, Her special license that I, the said. Benjamin
Fothergill, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the
said Benjamin Fothergill, my executors, administrators, or 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
THE PRODUCTION OF SLIVERS OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Benjamin Fothergill, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and

page_text: seal of one of 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 I, the said Benjamin Fothergill, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates, firstly, to an improved system or mode of drawing
off the fleece into a continuous sliver in that class of wool-combing machines
wherein a succession of tufts of wool are detached from the end of a lap by a
pair of detaching nippers, and deposited in succession, so as to form a fleece
(after having had both ends combed by any well-known or suitable appliances)
upon a drum, endless travelling band, or other suitable receiving travelling
surface, and drawn off therefrom in the form of a continuous sliver. In the
present system of drawing off the fleece to form a sliver each tuft is drawn
bodily off the receiving surface without having its fibres or staples intimately
mixed with those of the succeeding tuft, and consequently when the fleece so
drawn off is condensed into a sliver the heads or thicker ends of the several
tufts form thicker portions of such sliver than the tails or thinner ends of the
tufts, and therefore the sliver is of an uneven thickness. In my improved
system the drawing off rollers begin to draw off a tuft at one corner thereof,
and continue to draw out the fibres in each tuft one after another, and before
the whole of one tuft is drawn off the first fibres or staples of the next tuft
will have been seized by the drawing off rollers, and so on continuously, thus
drawing out and straightening the several tufts almost fibre by fibre, in lieu of
seizing hold of all the fibres composing a tuft at one and the same time.
Various mechanical contrivances may be employed in carrying out this part of
my Invention; for example, one end of the detaching nippers (which may be
of any well-known or other construction) may be made to travel a little
further during their outward traverse than the opposite end by employing
two side cranks, sword arms, or levers, and connecting rods for giving
the travelling motion to the nippers, one of such cranks, sword arms, or
levers having a greater throw than the other. By this means the nippers
will be brought to an angle with the direction of motion of the receiving
surface on arriving at the end of their outward traverse, and consequently
one of the front corners of each tuft of wool or other material will be
in advance of the other, and the tuft will therefore be seized by the

page_text: drawing-off rollers at the advanced corner first, and the fibres drawn out in
succession along the entire width of tuft, or from side to side thereof, in place
of being all drawn out simultaneously. Or by another arrangement the
receiving surface may be placed at an angle with the direction of motion of
the detaching nippers. Or the stationary or holding nippers, screen comb, and
detaching nippers may be placed at an angle with the direction of motion of
the receiving surface. Or the whole of these parts may be arranged in the
ordinary manner, and the drawing-off rollers placed obliquely to the direction
of motion of the receiving surface.
The second part of my Invention has also for its object the production of a
more even and regular sliver, and consists in imparting to the travelling
receiving surface, or to the detaching nippers by any well-known or suitable
mechanical arrangement, a slight lateral or shogging motion from side to side
of the machine at each stroke or outward traverse of the detaching nippers,
by which means the thick or thin parts of the tufts as they are laid upon the
receiving surface to form a fleece will not occur always in the same line, but
the thick parts of one tuft will fall into the thin parts of the preceding tuft,
thus rendering the sliver when drawn off more even or uniform in thickness
throughout.
The third part of my Invention consists in the application and use of a
series of screw gills to act as the endless receiving surface, in or upon which
the tufts of combed wool or other fibrous material are successively deposited,
the object of the screw gills being to partially draw out and straighten the
fibres before they are seized by the drawing-off rollers, this straightening
action being effected by the use of gill screws having a constantly increasing
pitch. In combination with these gills I employ a detaching nipper, which is
made to turn over upon an axis after it has detached the tuft, or otherwise to
reverse the position of each tuft, so as to bring its thinner end towards the
drawing-off rollers, as set forth in the Specification of my Patent, bearing
date the 14th of December 1868, No. 3158. These several parts of my
Invention may be used either singly or in any combination in existing wool
combing machines of the class herein-before referred to, or may be used either
singly or in any combination with the peculiar wool combing machines
described in the Specification of my said Patent herein-before referred to.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures,

page_text: Figs. 1 and 2 on Sheet 1 of my Drawings represent respectively a longi
tudinal vertical section and corresponding plan of a wool combing machine
constructed in accordance with the Specification of my Patent of 1863,
No. 3158, herein-before referred to, and arranged so as to carry out the
improvements comprised under the first head of my present Invention, it
being so arranged that the tail or thin end of the detached tufts shall be
presented to the drawing-off rollers in lieu of the head or thicker end, as had
been the previous practice.
A is the main framing of the machine, and B the main driving shaft which
gives motion to the cam shaft C by means of the spur gearing D and E; F is
the plate or surface upon which the slivers of prepared wool are laid side by
side and over which they pass beneath the feed porcupine roller G, and
between the jaws of the holding nippers H; I is the detaching nipper, which
may be of any convenient construction, provided it be so arranged as to
deposit the tufts of wool or other fibrous substance upon a drum or endless
receiving band K, or other convenient receiving surface at an acute angle to
the line of motion of such drum or receiving surface, in order that the
drawing-off rollers L may begin to draw off and elongate a tuft at one corner
or edge thereof, and continue to draw out the fibres one after another,
in each tuft, in lieu of drawing out the fibres across the entire width
simultaneously as heretofore. According to one mode of effecting the desired
angular deposition of the several tufts on the receiving surface K, a recipro-
cating nipper I is employed carried by two slides M, M, working in slotted
guides N. The base of the nipper is jointed by a pin O to projecting lugs
carried by one of the slides M, whilst projecting arms P on the ends of the
nipper base plate play freely in slots or openings made to receive them in the
slides M, and are so adapted as to allow of a slight motion of the base plate
round the centre pin O. When the detaching nippers are close up to the
holding nippers H, they of course coincide with and are parallel to them, but
when moved out to the extent of their traverse, the end opposite to the pivot
or centre pin O, receives an additional amount of movement, so as to bring
the nippers into an oblique position as regards the direction of motion of the
receiving surface, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. This additional movement is
produced by giving a longer throw to one of the two cranks Q, which impart
the to-and-fro motion to the nippers. These cranks are both carried by the
cam shaft C, and the lengths of the connecting rods R, R; and the positions
of the studs S, S, on the slides are adjusted to the cranks when on their back
centres, so as to bring the detaching nippers I parallel with and close to the
holding nippers H at that time, and to give the requisite angularity to the

page_text: nippers I when the cranks are on the front centre. The nippers I may be
opened or closed in any convenient or well known mauner, in the Drawings
this is represented as being accomplished by means of a shaft T turning in
bearings cast with the nipper base, to each end of which shaft are fixed lever
arms U, U, projecting downwards through slots in the nipper base. To the
end of these levers are attached spiral or other springs V, the opposite ends of
which are secured to tail pieces cast with the nipper base. The tendency of
these springs is to keep the nippers always closed. On one end of the shaft T
is also fixed a lever W, carrying at its extremity a pin a projecting from it
laterally on one side, and provided also with another pin or stud b on the
opposite side thereof. As the nippers move outwards the pin a comes against
the fixed incline plane c which depresses the lever W, thereby opening the
nippers, and at the same time extending the spring or springs V. A latch d
then falls over the stud 6 and holds the lever W depressed until the latch is
pressed back by coming in contact with the fixed stud e during the inward
traverse of the nippers, which liberates, the lever W and allows the spring or
springs V to act upon and close the nipper. The endless band or receiving
surface K is represented as being arranged so as to present the tail ends of
the tufts to the drawing-off rollers, for which purpose it is caused to travel in
a contrary direction to that in which it would travel if the heads or thicker
ends of the tufts were presented to the drawing-off rollers, but it is quite
immaterial to the carrying out of my Invention, whether the thick or thin
ends of the tufts are first presented to the drawing-off rollers. In the arrange-
ment illustrated the deposited tufts are carried in the direction of the arrows
along the lower side of the band, and in order to prevent them from dropping
off the same, a shield f is placed beneath, which keeps the tufts against the
band till they arrive at the part X, where they are presented to the drawing
off rollers L, L, with their thin or tail ends first.
According to the second part of my Invention a shogging or lateral move.
ment from side to side is imparted to the receiving band or surface, or to
the detaching nippers, or to both in opposite directions, in the class of wool
combing machines herein before referred to, so as to cause the tufts of wool
brought by the detaching nippers to be deposited on the receiving surface, in
sucli a manner that any irregularities that may exist in the thickness of the
lap of fibrous material fed into the machine (and which will of course exist
proportionally in the tufts detached) should fall in zig-zag lines along the
direction of motion of the endless band or drum, so that instead of the thick
parts of each successive tuft being superposed over the corresponding thick
parts of the preceding one on the receiving surface, the thick parts of one taft

page_text: shall be placed wholly or in part over the thin portions of the preceding one.
In order to effect this part of the Invention the endless receiving band instead
of being fixed as regards its position in the machine, as is well known, receives
a movement bodily from side to side of the machine at each stroke thereof, so
as to vary the relative position of the receiving surface with regard to the
detaching nippers.
Figure 1 of Sheet 2 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 is a plan of so much
of a wool combing machine as suffices to illustrate one means by which this
particular part of my Invention may be carried out, the general arrangment of
the machine may be as shewn and described under the first part of my In-
vention.
A is the framing, and F the feed plate or box, as before described, but the
rollers which carry the receiving band instead of being carried by fixed
bearings as previously shown, are carried by a prolongation a of the brackets
b, b', for carrying the drawing-off, drawing, and delivery rollers; these
brackets are united together by the distance rods c, so as to form a distinct
frame, the sole or base plates d of which are adapted to slide on the planed
upper surface of the stretcher or cross bar e, after the manner of a slide rest,
as shewn in the Drawing. A tail piece f projects downwards from the under-
side of one of the sole plates d of the bracket b, through a long slot formed in
the upper surface of the stretcher e. A bell-crank lever 9 is centred by a
fulcrum pin h to lugs i, i, cast on the side of the stretcher, one arm k of which
lever passes through a slot in the side of the stretcher between the two
lugs i, i, the end of this arm of the lever being rounded, as shown, and taking
into a small slot at the lower end of the tail f. To the end of the other arm
of the bell crank is jointed a rod l, which passes backwards towards the back
end of the machine, and is there adapted to slide backwards and forwards in
the guide m fixed to the frame side and guide slot formed in the stretcher o
of the framing. There are two projecting parts p, p, on the rod 7, upon each
of which the bowls q, q, are mounted. On the shaft C is fixed the pinion r
gearing into a wheels turning loosely on the shaft b of twice the number of
teeth of the pinion. To the wheels is fixed a cam t adapted to act on the
bowls q, q, on the sliding rod after each tuft is detached and deposited by the
other parts of the mechanism for that purpose before described.
The following is the mode of action of this apparatus:-As soon as a tuft
of wool has been combed, detached, and deposited on the toothed band or
drum, the cam t is timed by the wheel and pinion to act on the bowls q, so as
to draw the rod / towards the back of the machine, the bell-crank lever will
by this means be turned partly round on its centre, the end of the arm k being

page_text: engaged in the slot of the tail piece f cast to the bracket, will move the bracket
b, and, consequently, the other bracket 6' united to it by the distance rods to
the opposite side of the machine to that at which it is shown in the Drawing,
the segmental portions of the cam serving to hold the frame carrying the band
and rollers at that side during the next stroke of the machine, until another
tuft has been deposited, when, in consequence of the cam revolving at one-
half the speed of the machine, the rod will be pushed towards the front end,
and the bell-crank lever will move the band and roller frame back into the
position shown; the segmental portions of the cam again serving to hold. it
there during another stroke of the machine, the same movements being re-
peated for the next two strokes, and so on continuously. The effect produced
by this lateral or shogging motion on an irregular fleece is clearly shown.on
the plan, where the thick parts of each tuft are represented by dark hatching,
and the way in which the deposited sliver will be partly or wholly equalized
by the interspacing of such thick and thin portions, the tufts are also shown
deposited in the oblique direction as described under the first head of my
Invention. It is evident that instead of the shogging motion taking place
alternately from side to side of the machine for each stroke thereof, suitable
mechanism may be adapted to move the band from side to side by two, three,
or more successive steps instead of one, each step taking place for each stroke,
and by this means still further uniformity of sliver will be obtained, and
further, it is evident that, if deemed more advisable, and especially for long
stapled fibres, where the drawing-off rollers can be placed farther from the.
receiving surface, the latter only need be made to traverse from side to side,
while the roller carriages remained fixed.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, on Sheet 3 of my Drawings, illustrate the third part of
my Invention. Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of an
improved wool-combing machine, wherein screw gills are employed to act as
the endless receiving surface, in or upon which the detached tufts of combed
wool are successively deposited. Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the
same, and Figure 3 is a detail of the detaching nippers in the reverse position
to that shown in Figure 1. A, represents the screw gills, the object of which
is to partially draw out and straighten the fibres before they are seized by the
drawing-off rollers B, B. This drawing out and straightening action being
effected by the use of gill screws, which are made with their pitch constantly
increasing towards the rollers, so that as the lap is carried forward bodily
amongst the teeth of the gills, the latter move towards the rollers with a con-
stantly increasing velocity to the end of their traverse, and a straightening
action is thereby produced among the fibres carried by them. The detaching

page_text: nippers employed in combination with these gills for depositing the tufts of
wool thereon, may be made either to deposit the tufts with their heads or
thicker ends towards the drawing-off rollers, or, which I prefer, they may be
made and operated so as to deposit the tufts of wool upon the gills, with their
tails or thin ends pointing in the direction of the drawing-off rollers.
For this purpose I propose to employ the peculiar arrangement of detach-
ing nippers, and mode of operating the same illustrated on Sheet 3 of my
Drawings. These nippers C, after having detached a tuft from the wool being
fed into the machine, and whilst conveying it to the gill combs, are caused to
describe a semicircle round the centre D, thus reversing their direction, and
consequently the relative position of the tuft of wool carried by them. This
action is effected in the following manner :-A shaft D extends across between
the slides E, E, and turns in bearings in such slides, the ends of the shaft
passing through and carrying connecting rods F, F, actuated by crank pins or
otherwise for the purpose of giving the to-and-fro motion of the nippers. The
base of the nippers is keyed fast upon this shaft by means of the bosses H cast
on the projections I, extending from the lower jaw. The pinion K is also
keyed near the end of the shaft, and gears into the internal toothed segment
L, centred on the stud M, which is fitted on to the bottom flange of the
slide E, and turns loosely upon it. A segmental slot N, formed in the web of
the toothed segment, allows of the shaft D passing through it, and at the same
time admits of the necessary movement of the segment L. Upon the back of
this segment there is cast a pinion O, which gears into a second toothed seg-
ment P (Figure 3) working on the stud Q, also fixed to the bottom flange of
the slide E. An arm R, forming an extension of the segment P, carries a
pin S, which takes into the groove T of a guide plate fixed to the framing. It
will thus be seen that as the pin S moves backwards and forwards in the
peculiarly-shaped groove, a rising and falling motion will be communicated to
the end of the arm R, which acting through the segments P, L, and pinions
K and O, will have the effect of turning the shaft, and consequently the
nippers a half or any desired portion of a revolution round the centre D. The
form of the groove shewn is adapted to allow of the nippers moving away from
the feed in a right line for a certain distance (Figure 3 shows them in the act
of receding), then by the pin S coming to the inclined part of the groove the
nippers will begin to turn over until the pin has arrived at the point U,
when the nippers will have been turned into the position shown in Figure 1
ready to deposit the tuft on the gill combs. The opening and closing of the
nippers is effected in the following manner :-Two levers V are keyed on the
shaft W, upon which the moveable jaw is also fixed, this shaft working in

page_text: bearings in the lugs or projections I. Bent springs X screwed to the fixed
jaw tend constantly to keep the nippers closed until a bowl Y on the ends of
the levers V comes against a fixed incline Z, as the nippers begin to move
back towards the feed, and the moveable jaw is thus relaxed in opposition to
the springs X. The levers V are thus turned on their centres till the studs a
projecting from them are caught by latches b, carried by tail-pieces c, and thus
the nippers are held open until after they are turned half a revolution back
and moved up close to the feed, as before explained, when the latches bare
liberated from the studs a by the fixed studs d, and the springs X are again
allowed to act so as to close the nippers ready for another draw.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of iny said
Invention, and the manner in which the same 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, the so constructing machines for producing slivers of wool or other
fibrous substances, that the drawing-off rollers begin to draw off a tuft at one
corner thereof, in lieu of seizing hold of all the fibres across the tuft at one
and the same time.
Second, the imparting of a shogging or lateral "motion to the detaching
nippers, or to the travelling receiving surface, or to both in machines for
combing wool and other fibrous substances for the purpose of producing a
more even and regular sliver.
Third, the employment in wool combing machines of gill combs worked by
screws, having a gradually increasing pitch for the purpose of receiving the
tufts of wool or other fibrous substance deposited thereon by travelling nippers,
and drawing out and straightening the same, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Fothergill, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
BNJN. FOTHERGILL. (L.S.)