IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Wilson Thornton, Manufacturer, of Cottingley,
and Charles Hoyle, Machine Maker, of Keighley, both in the County of York,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 18th May 1880, and dated the 1st December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Wilson Thornton
and Charles Hoyle at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
1st December 1879.
JOSEPH WILSON THORNTON, Manufacturer, of Cottingley, and CHARLES HOYLE,
Machine Maker, of Keighley, both in the County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Our improvements consist, firstly, in the application of improved "dabbing
brush" apparatus to the machines well known as "Nobles" combing machines or
to other similar combing machines, whereby rapid and steady up and down motions
are given to the dabbing brushes, which are regular in action, diminishing the wear
and tear of the brush bristles, preventing them being rapidly deteriorated, and thus
producing a great saving in "dabbing brushes."
Secondly. In the employment of one sliver funnel to take up the sliver after
having been combed instead of four, five, or more funnels as heretofore employed, by
which means we reduce the working parts of the combing machine, and conse-
quently effect a great saving in the cost of the machine besides producing better
tops.
The improvements under the first part of our Invention consist in greatly
reducing the length of the pillars of the small inner circular comb, producing steady
working of the combing machine, and on the top shaft of the combing machine we
fit for each dabbing brush apparatus a balanced disk in which is eccentrically
fixed a pin or stud, and on which is fitted a block which works in a sharp down-
ward curved sector; this sector is made with a plate on the underside, in which a
slot hole is formed, and the bottom end of the plate is made with a slight projecting
boss, in which is fitted a rod or bar having a screwed end; this end is passed
through a boss cast on a slide, and when the sector is adjusted to the required

page_text: position nuts are secured in position on the screwed end of the bar and on the
top and bottom of the boss of the slide, and a nut is screwed upon a stud fitted
near the top of the slide, which stud passes through the slot hole of the sector's
plate, securing firmly the sector to the slide, by which means we can regulate the
stroke of the brush in the teeth or pins of the combs according to requirements; on
the end of the slide is cast a flange, to which is fixed the dabbing brush.
The slide works in guides cast or fitted to a bracket, which is secured to the
pillar of the small inner circular comb, and one of the slide guides is made moveable
and fitted with set studs-to set it to the slide according to wear and tear.
When the sector's block is at the centre point of the sector the dabbing brush is
pressing the fibres in the pins of the comb, and directly this takes place the block
sliding in the sharply curved sector rapidly lifts out the brush from the teeth of
the comb, which prevents the pins of the comb dragging through the brush bristles,
and consequently prevents the deterioration of the brush, by which means a great
saving is effected, besides allowing of running at an increased speed with a regular
effective pressure on the fibres.
The improvements under the second part of the Invention relate to taking up
the sliver after having been combed by means of one funnel only; for this purpose
we do away with or remove the usual upright rollers and gear, and fit in the
combing machine and in a suitable position an upright pillar, to which is secured
the framework of the press rollers, and which rollers are driven by wheel gear,
which are actuated by a pulley and belt, the belt being worked by a pulley fitted
on the top shaft of the combing machine; on the pillar supporting the press roller
apparatus is secured a projecting arm, to which is fitted a jaw, through which
passes the pipe of the funnel which receives the slivers coming froin the combs ;
between the jaw and over the funnel pipe is fitted a pulley, which gives, when
actuated, a rotary motion to the funnel; the funnel is driven by a band working
over a small pulley fitted on a stud fixed in the end of the projecting arm; this
small pulley is actuated by another pulley cast or fitted to the small pulley, and
the pulley is driven by a band which is actuated by a small pulley fixed on the top
shaft of the combing machine.
By these means we leave more room in the combing machine, and reduce
considerably the cost of the machine, and produce better tops, as there is less
liability of breakages.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by 3
the said Joseph Wilson Thornton and Charles Hoyle in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 31st May 1880.
JOSEPH WILSON THORNTON, Manufacturer, of Cottingley, and CHARLES HOYLE,
Machine Maker, of Keighley, both in the County of York. “IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
The said Invention consists, firstly, in the application of an improved "dabbing-
brush "
apparatus to the machines well known as "Nobles” combing machines

page_text: or to other similar combing machines, whereby rapid and steady up and down
motions are given to the "dabbing brushes," which are regular in action, thereby
diminishing the wear and tear of the brush bristles, preventing them becoming
rapidly deteriorated, and consequently effecting a great saving in dabbing
brushes."
16
S condly. In an improved arrangement of the press rollers, by which means we
reduce the working parts of the combing machine and effect a saving in the cost of
the machine, and are enabled to produce better tops.
The improvements under the first part of our Invention consist in greatly
reducing the length of the pillars of the small inner circular combs, producing
steady working of the combing machines, and on the top shaft of the combing
machine we fit for each dabbing brush apparatus a balanced disk, in which is
eccentrically fixed a pin or stud fitted with a block which works in a sharp down-
ward curved sector; this sector is made with a plate on the underside, in which a
slot hole is formed, and the bottom end of the plate is made with a slight projecting
boss, in which is fitted a rod or bar having a screwed end; this screwed end is
passed through a boss cast on a slide, and when the sector is adjusted to the
-required position nuts are secured in position on the screwed end of the rod or bar,
and on the top and bottom of the boss of the slide; a nut is also screwed up on
the stud fitted near the top of the slide, which stud passes through the slot hole
of the sector plate, which firmly secures the sector to the slide, and by which
means we can regulate the stroke of the brush in the teeth or pins of the combs
according to requirements. On the end of the slide is cast a flange, to which is
fixed the dabbing brush.
The slide works in guides cast or fitted to a bracket secured to the pillar of the
small inner circular comb, and one of the slide guides is inade moveable and fitted
with set studs to set it to the slide according to wear and tear.
When the sector block is at the centre point of the sector the "dabbing brush"
is pressing the fibres into the pins of the comb, and directly this takes place the
block sliding in the sharply curved sector rapidly lifts the brush from out the teeth
or pins of the comb, thus preventing the teeth or pins of the comb dragging through
the brush bristles, and consequently preventing the deterioration of the brush, by
which means a great saving is effected, besides allowing of running at an increased
speed with a regular and effective pressure on the fibres.
In fixing our improved press roller arrangements we first remove or do away
with the usual upright rollers and gear, and we fit in the combing machine in a
suitable position an upright pillar, to which is secured the framework of our press
rollers; these rollers are driven by wheel gear, which is actuated by a pulley and
belt, such belt being actuated by another pulley fitted on the top shaft of the
combing machine.
But in order to enable our improvements to be better understood we will
proceed to describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of our improved "dabbing brush" apparatus,
and Figure 2 a side elevation of the same; Figure 3 represents a front elevation of
our improved press rollers and gear, and Figure 4 a side elevation of the same.
Similar letters of reference are used to represent similar parts. A is the
pillar of a small inner circular comb, which pillar is greatly reduced in
length from that hitherto employed, as will be seen by referring to the Drawing,
which is on a scale of half the original size; the reducing of the length of the
pillar produces very steady working of the combing machine. On the shaft B we
tit a balanced disk C, in which is eccentrically fixed a pin or stud D, on which is
fitted a block E which works in a sector F. When the block is at the centre point,
as shewn in the Drawing, the dabbing brush G is pressing the fibres into the teeth
or pins of the comb, and directly this pressing action takes place the block E
slides in the sharp curves H of the sector and rapidly lifts out the brush, preventing
the teeth or pins of the comb dragging through the bristles of the brush G, and
prevents the deterioration thereof, which effects a great saving in the wear and

page_text: tear of the brushes, and allows of running at an increased speed with a regular and
effective pressure on the fibres. The sector is fitted with a plate I to cover up the
sector and keep the block in working position, and the sector is also inade with a
plate J having a lug K, in which is secured a rod or bar L having a screwed end
which is passed through a lug M, cast on a slide N. When the sector is set at the
required stroke of the brush G the set nuts O are secured in position, and the out P
is also screwed up on the stud Q, which is fixed in the slide N, and the projecting
plate J is made with a slot hole R to allow the moving of the sector either up or
down for 'regulating the stroke of the brush G according to requirements. The
slide N works in guides, one of the guides T being cast on the back plate of a
bracket U, and the other guide V is made moveable and fitted with set screws to
set the slide according to wear and tear; the bracket U is firmly secured to the
pillar A by studs and nuts, and the slide N is made with a flange W, to which is
secured the "dabbing brush" G.
We construct our press rollers with bearing frames X, which are secured to a plate Y
connected to a pillar Z; the frames are fitted with brasses A', in which work the
small shafts B' of the pressing rollers C¹, the pressure on the rollers being regulated
by the spiral springs D¹, which are passed over the rods E, and which screw
through the plate F, which is secured on the top of the frames X; on one of these
frames is cast a projecting bracket G¹, in which is made a slot hole H¹ to allow the
moving of the shaft 1' to alter the wheels J' and K', so as to alter the speed of the
rollers according to requirements; the shaft I' is actuated by a pulley L', which is
worked by a strap actuated by another pulley fitted on the shaft of the pillar A;
on the bottom shaft is fitted a pinion M², which actuates another [pinion N¹ fitted
on the top pressing roller shaft 1.
Having thus described our improvements, and the best means we are acquainted
with for carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the precise details shewn and described, as they may may be
varied without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what
we do claim is, Firstly, The general arrangement, construction, and employment of
dabbing brush" apparatus, whereby the up and down motion is given to the
dabbing brush" by means of a sharp curved sector which presses the fibres into the
teeth or pins of the comb, and rapidly lifts the brush from out the teeth or
pins, substantially as herein before described and represented by the accompanying
Drawing.
16
"
Secondly. The construction and employment of the press rollers, as herein
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Wilson Thornton and Charles Hoyle,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty seventh day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
החיTAAT
WTF OX
FATLADVA
Witness,
WALTER JAS. TURNER, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Bradford.
CHARLES HOYLE.
(L.S.)