IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING TEXTILE MATERIALS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Emile Hübner, of No. 1, Rue Laffite, Paris, Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING TEXTILE
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 26th July 1878, and dated the 15th May 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Emilé Hübner at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th May 1878.
EMILE HÜBNER, of No. 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR COMBING TEXTILE MATERIALS."
The combing machine embodying my improvements is represented drawn to a
scale of one-fourth of the real size in the four Figures of the four accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, Figure 1 of which represents the machine in elevation, with
certain parts in section, such parts being,-
Firstly. The feeding mechanism.
Secondly. A novel curvilinear continuous holding device.
Thirdly. A novel kind of gear which I denominate differential gear.
And, Fourthly. A horizontal comb consisting in a disc with radiating needles, and
which I denominate a sun comb.
Figure 2 represents a novel arrangement for combing a circular and continuous
fringe of fibres by means of a cylindrical comb Z. This arrangement of parts
procures the advantage of combing the entire projecting fringe of fibrous material
however thick it may be, and when even such fringe projects but a very slight
distance from the comb. In reality, as the fringe presents itself gradually to the
combing agent, its extremity is first combed, and then its middle part, and that
longitudinally with respect to the circular direction which it follows; and, lastly, the
interior part of the fringe is combed, and when thus completely combed, its fibres
present themselves conveniently in the direction of the drawing rollers, to which
they are then presented,

page_text: Figure 4 is a plan of the feeding mechanism in section through the line ▲
Figure 1.
A
A, Figures 1 and 3, are the driving pullies; B, Figures 1, 2, and 3, the driving
shaft, on which are fixed the pulley D, which actuates all the combing mechanism
and the noil-stripping mechanism (see Figure 2), the pulley C actuating the drawing
rollers, the worm E gearing in the horizontal worm wheel F, keyed on the
vertical shaft G, and which imparts to the same a rotary motion from right to left.
On the upper part of this shaft G there is fixed a frame currying spools or rollers
of prepared fibres, which are submitted to the combing agents of this machine.
disc K, with a series of holes arranged near its circumference, is also fixed on the
shaft G, and serves to guide the slivers towards the feeding agents. I is a
cylindrical bell fixed on the shaft G, closed at the top with a rounded cap; M is a
second cylindrical piece fixed on the shaft G, flaring out at its upper face in the
shape of a funnel provided with a series of pendant flanges or ribs, as well as rings,
which surround the bell L at a certain distance therefrom, so as to leave an open
annular space N, Figures 1 and 4. It is within this annular space N that the
material to be operated on descends, and that it is fed downwards. The material
passing within this space N is slightly compressed, and assumes the shape of a
large dense tube, of which the fibres at its under face protrude therefrom downwards
to undergo the combing and drawing operations. In order to feed the material
regularly down this annular space N, I make use of a certain number of combs F¹
provided with a few rows of needles, and I arrange them circularly around the
bell L; these combs are moveable horizontally to and from the centre of the bell;
they are fixed on rods n which slide in sockets n'. These feeding combs are also
moveable in a vertical direction by means of the flat part of the sockets n',
which slides in grooves made in the vertical ribs m. A horizontal ring H fixed
on three columns is arranged concentrically around the bell L.
The feeding operation is as follows:-On arriving at a point a, a pin o fixed on
the rod n of the combs enters an eccentric guide p fixed on the ring H; it slides
along this eccentric part, and withdraws from the space N, and from the tube of
filaments therein the comb engaged therein. On arriving at b the comb travels
again concentrically up to the point c; it is within the space b, c, that there is an
inclined plane q on which the rod n rises, and carries its comb up to a height equal
to the length of tube to be fed forward. This comb remains at this elevation until
it arrives at the point c.
From a to d the end of the rod n is pushed in the direction of the centre of the
machine by its meeting a second eccentric part 7, and the comb is thus entered in
the fibres of the tube, but on a higher level than the one it previously occupied.
On arriving at e the end of the rod n meets a second inclined plane, which causes
the descent of the comb, the amount of which is equal to the height to which it was
elevated by the rise q. It is whilst travelling from e to f that the combs are forced
down, and draw with them the fibrous material to feed the machine.
P, Figure 4, is a small door for the purpose of garnishing the machine, as well as
for the introduction and extraction of the combs F¹.
On continuing its rotation, and after having passed the point f, the head of the
fibrous material fed downwards meets with an endless belt Q, which is driven by a
pulley R, its speed of travel being the same as that of the external circumference of
the bell L.
The rotary motion is imparted to the pulley R by the vertical shaft G and by a
pair of gears. The lower end of the bell on which the belt Q presses is roughened
in order to prevent the fibrous material from slipping. When thus held between
the bottom of the bell and the belt Q the fibrous material whilst advancing is com-
pressed, and presented to the combing agent Z, which, as above stated, combs its
fringe down to the point where it is held, and cleans it of burrs and short fibres,
which constitute the noil. This cylindrical comb Z is cleaned by the circular brush S,
which in its turn is doffed of its noil against the cylinder V, clothed with card wire,
and which in its turn is cleaned by the doffing comb g.

page_text: I have invented, and in certain cases make use, with advantage, of a novel system
of doffing the noil, which consists in replacing the ordinary circular brush by a
metallic brush, to which I give a sufficiently rapid rotary motion that it throws off
the noil and other matter by means of its centrifugal force, and by its friction
against the combing comb. A suction produced by a strong fan draws off this
freed noil from a box in which the metallic brush rotates, and drives it in an open-
work box, which gives passage to the air, and retains the noil.
It is a curved fixture for the purpose of guiding the belt Q and of presenting
properly the projecting head of the fibrous tube to the combing comb Z.
After having been combed, as above stated, this projecting fringe is met by the
horizontal comb T, the teeth of which penetrate it between the combed fringe and
the body of the fibrous tube, and it is in this position that the fringe of combed
fibres presents itself to the drawing cylinders U and U¹, which draw it off in the
shape of a sliver of very great regularity, which regularity is due to the novel
arrangement of the different working agents which consitute this mechanism. Two
long leather sleeves pass between the two drawing rollers U and U, and the sliver
of combed wool is carried by and between them to the rotating funnel a', from
whence it is wound and formed into a spool b¹.
By imparting a longitudinal to-and-fro motion to the guide rollers c' and c¹ a
frictional effect is produced, whereby a more resisting and compact combed sliver is
obtained.
The horizontal comb Toperates in the following manner:-It is fixed on a disc g³,
which is adjusted, and turns on a fixed eccentric h'. The object of this eccentric
position of the comb is to cause its needles to withdraw under the bell at the point i,
then introduce themselves in the combed fringe, and accompany the same.to the
drawing rollers, over which they pass, and withdraw again from the fibrous tube
under the bell at the point j. The teeth of this comb when outside the bell must
always remain in front of the same points of this latter, as well as of the fibrous
tube, during their entire travel outside of the bell; for this purpose I have invented
a novel mechanism, which I call a differential gear, and which answers the purpose
very satisfactorily. This gear is composed of two discs, one of which f¹ is fixed on
the shaft C, and drives the one g¹, which turns on the eccentric '. Each of these
discs is provided with a certain number of teeth, which can be round or oval; they
gear one in the other, and cross within and without of their intersecting circle, as it
is clearly shown in the plans, Figures 1 and 3. The number of teeth on each of
these discs varies according to the amount of eccentricity to be given to the sun comb.
With the view of facilitating the penetration of the needles of this comb in the
fringe of fibrous material, I cause them to enter and slide in a groove cut in a fixed
piece k, which commences at i, and extends beyond the drawing rollers.
For the purpose of extracting the burrs and noil from different fibrous material
to be combed, I clothe the combs with teeth of different forms in cross section.
Thus instead of making use of round or of flattened needles, I provide the combs
with needles having either three flattened sides or square in cross section, and set
in such a manner that their sharp angles face the material in the direction of its
arrival. It is readily understood that these sharp-angled needles will extract or
retain more readily the small burrs contained in the material to be combed than
round needles.
Having explained the nature of my improvements, and the best method I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into practice, I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. In a combing machine the formation with the material to be combed of
a compact vertical tube without any interruptions or breaks descending continually
to the working agents situate below, and which operate on its fringe projecting
downwards, as well as the arrangement of the mechanism employed for this purpose,
as above described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The mechanism for feeding forward the material, that is to say, the
descent of this tube towards the working agents situated below, as above described,
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Thirdly. The system of circular continuous holder accompanying the fibres
towards the combing agent, and holding them solidly whilst they are being combed,
as well as the arrangement of the mechanical parts employed for this purpose, as
above described, and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourthly. The novel arrangement of a cylindrical combing comb acting on a
circular fringe of fibre projecting downwards, as above described, and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly. The system of horizontal comb, denominated sun comb, turning on a
point eccentric with reference to the tube of fibrous material, as well as the
differential gear by which it is driven, as above described, and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Sixthly. Combs provided with sharp edged needles applied to combing
machinery to purge the fibrous material of burrs and other impurities, as above
described.
And, Seventhly. The process of cleaning combs by means of circular metallic
brushes rotated rapidly conjointly with suction fans, which draw such impurities
from the box enclosing the metallic brush, and blow them in an openwork case, as
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Emile Hübner, have hereunto set my hand and
Beal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight