IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR COMBING OR SPINNING.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Mirfield, of Montserrat Mills, Holme
Lane, near Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Top Maker,
and John Scott, of the same Place, Overlooker, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING WOOL OR
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR COMBING OR SPINNING.'
Sealed the 29th November 1872, and dated the 1st June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Mirfield and
John Scott at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 1st June 1872.
We, MATTHEW MIRFIELD, of Montserrat Mills, Holme Lane, near
Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Top Maker, and JOHN SCOTT,
of the same Place, Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRE-
PARING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR COMBING OR SPINNING," to be as
follows:

page_text: This Invention has reference to an Invention of machinery or apparatus
for combing wool or other fibrous substances for which Letters Patent
were granted to us, the said Matthew Mirfield and John Scott, dated
16th December 1870, No. 3293, and our object is now to adapt or
render the said machinery or apparatus available for being used in
preparing wool according to the technical meaning of the word, which
is to separate the fibres and thus prepare the wool for the process
of combing. By these means we dispense with part of the preparers or
machinery now in use, and also supersede (for the most part) the present
process of and machinery for carding wool, which has the effect of
making the wool shorter and more tender.
Firstly. In the application of a comb inside the nippers (by pre-
ference) fixed to the lower jaw with a moveable grating for lifting
the fibres out of the teeth, or the grating may be fixed and the comb
moveable. When the end of the silver is fed into the nipper in the
manner described in the said Specification for the purpose of detaching
a tuft, this comb receives a portion of the same and separates the fibre,
and when the tuft is released by the opening of the jaws of the nippers,
the tuft is taken away by the travelling endless apron to the gill box,
as previously explained in the Patent referred to.
Secondly. In applying an endless card apron outside of the nippers
instead of the noil comb as now applied thereto, and explained in the
said Specification referred to, for cleansing the end of the tuft projecting
through the nippers and conducting the noil or drossy part of the fibre
to a miniaiture carding engine attached to the said machine or apparatus
to be carded, and the sliver from the said miniature carding engine
to be placed amongst the other silvers to be combed if required, and
by so doing the good part of the fibre is not subject to the carding
process.
39

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Matthew Mirfield and John Scott in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 30th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MATTHEW
MIRFIELD, of Montserrat Mills, Holme Lane, near Bradford, in the
County of York, Worsted Top Maker, and JOHN SCOTT, of the same
Place, Overlooker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Matther Mirfield and John Scott, Her
special licence that we, the said Matthew Mirfield and John Scott, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Matthew Mirfield and John Scott, our 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 “IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
PREPARING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR COMBING OR SPINNING,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Matthew Mirfield
and John Scott, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, 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 we, the said Matthew Mirfield and John Scott
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings
(that is to say) :-
This Invention has reference to an Invention of machinery or apparatus
for combing wool or other fibrous substances for which Letters Patent

page_text: were granted to us, the said Matthew Mirfield and John Scott, dated
16th December 1870, No. 3293, and our object now is to adapt or render
the said machinery or apparatus available for being used in "preparing"
wool according to the technical meaning of the word, which is to
separate the fibres and thus prepare the wool for the process of combing.
By these means we dispense with part of the "preparers or machinery
now in use, and also supersede (for the most part) the present process
of and machinery for carding wool, which has the effect of making the
wool shorter and more tender.
"

page_text: A is a portion of the framework of the machine described in the
former Patent; B is the lower nipping jaw (closed by the action of the
eccentric or cam C acting on the bowl E) to which the comb H is
attached; and G is the upper nipping jaw; J is the moveable grating
attached to the upper jaw by slide pins K acted upon by spiral springs L
(see Fig. 2, which is the inside elevation of the jaws) to lift it out of
the teeth of the comb H when the jaws open, so that when the end of
the sliver is fed into the said nipping jaws (as described in the Speci-
fication of Patent referred to) for the purpose of detaching a tuft the
comb H receives a portion of such sliver and separates the fibres, and
when the said tuft is released by the opening of the jaws it is taken
away or conducted by the travelling endless apron, shewn and described
in the former Patent, to the gill box, as therein fully explained. Outside
of the nippers is placed an endless card apron M instead of the usual noil
comb, which apron operates on the noil end of the sliver while projecting
through the nippers for the purpose of opening the said noil end. The
noil taken out by the said apron is thereby conducted to a small swift
or card cylinder N, which carries it under and in contact with a series
of workers or card rollers O, and a fancy" P, delivering it to a
doffer Q, from which it is doffed or stripped by doffer plate or blade R
in the usual way.
The roller M' which carries one end of the apron M
is mounted in a frame V hinged on a shaft S, on which the other
carrying roller S¹ is fixed. In this frame is a friction roller U resting
upon an eccentric T fixed upon a shaft W, which at each revolution lifts
the said frame and removes the card apron from the point of contact
of the nippers so as not to obstruct the noil end of the sliver entering
into or between the said nippers, and then while the noil end is held
by the said nippers the card apron is again lowered to the nip to card
and remove the noil to the swift, as aforesaid.
66
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and shewn
by Drawings in what manner the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, we would have it understood that what
we claim as of our Invention is,―
Firstly. The application of a comb and grate inside or at the back of
the nippers, in manner and for purposes shewn and described.
Secondly. The application of an endless card apron outside or in front
of the said nippers for opening and cleansing the tufts while projecting

page_text: therefrom, and conducting the noil or drossy part to a miniature carding
engine to be carded.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Scott, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Matthew Mirfield, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
W. TASKER,
Tasker & Brierley,
Patent Agents,
Halifax & Bradford.
JOHN SCOTT. (L.S.)