IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Smith, of the Firm of John Smith &
Sons, Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Spinner, Job Stake,
Richard Tolson, and Michael Firth, in the Employment of the said
John Smith & Sons, and Christopher Bradley, of the said Bradford,
Comb Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Smith, Job
Stake, Richard Tolson, Michael Firth, and Christopher Bradley at
.the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 7th March 1872.
We, BENJAMIN SMITH, of the Firm of John Smith & Sons, Bradford,
in the County of York, Worsted Spinner, JOB STAKE, RICHARD TOLSON,
and MICHAEL FIRTH, in the Employment of the said John Smith &
Sons, and CHRISTOPHER BRADLEY, of the said Bradford, Comb Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE COMBING OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," to be as
follows:-
The improvements relate to that class of machinery employed in the
combing of wool and other fibres in which the fibre to be combed is
taken by nipping surfaces from gill or such like teeth so as to be thereby
drawn from such teeth in tufts and thereby have these tufts cleansed at
one end thereof, and in which such tufts are then taken by other combed
surfaces commonly called porter or carrying combs, to be laid by them
with the uncleansed end thereof in or over other teeth to have such
uncleansed ends cleansed by the drawing of such uncleansed ends
through these other teeth; but by such method of cleansing the ends
left uncleansed by the first operation above referred to, successive tufts
are laid over each other, an operation which is objectionable.
Our improvements relate to means for effecting this second operation
of cleansing the respective tufts or takes. For this purpose when the
porter or carrying comb has laid its tufts on to a holding comb, another
or extra pair of nipping surfaces come into operation to take hold of the
cleansed ends of the fibre projecting from the teeth of the holding comb
close up to such comb and in moving therefrom these extra nippers
draw out the tufts through the teeth of the holding combs and thereby
cleanse those ends by which both ends of the tufts or take become
cleansed. These extra nippers, after having thus drawn out the fibre
held by them from the teeth of the holding combs, open to admit of the
fibre thus cleansed at both of its ends to be taken by travelling aprons,
and by them or other suitable carrying means conducted to the teeth of
gill or such likė preparers to be laid into slivers. Brushes or dabbers
aid in causing the fibre as brought by the extra nippers to be fully laid
into the teeth of the holding combs. These holding combs are also
provided with knife bars, lifters, or clearers, to clear them of noil (or
small particles) which is blown into receivers or taken by catch teeth.
In place of the extra nippers being moveable to and from stationary
holding combs, they may be stationary, and the holding combs may be
moveable for the second cleansing.
. By these means each tuft or take is separately cleansed at both of its
ends before being combined with others'

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Smith, Job Stake, Richard Tolson,.
Michael Firth, and Christopher Bradley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, BENJAMIN
SMITH, of the Firm of John Smith & Sons, Bradford, in the County of
York, Worsted Spinner, JOB STAKE, RICHARD TOLSON, and MICHAEL.
FIRTH, in the Employment of the said John Smith & Sons, and
CHRISTOPHER BRADLEY, of the said Bradford, Comb Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March 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 Benjamin Smith, Job Stake, Richard Tolson,.
Michael Firth, and Christopher Bradley, Her special licence that we,
the said Benjamin Smith, Job Stake, Richard Tolson, Michael Firth,
and Christopher Bradley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Benjamin Smith, Job Stake, Richard Tolson,
Michael Firth, and Christopher Bradley, 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 APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE
COMBING OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Benjamin Smith, Job Stake; Richard Tolson, Michael
Firth, and Christopher Bradley, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or 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 Smith, on behalf of
myself and the said Job Stake, Richard Tolson, Michael Firth, and
Christopher Bradley, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say :-
66
The improvements relate to that class of machinery employed in the
combing of wool and other fibres in which the fibre to be combed is
taken by nipping surfaces from gill or such like teeth so as to be thereby
drawn from such teeth in tufts for the cleansing of one end thereof,
and in which such tufts are then taken by other comb surfaces commonly
called "
porter" or 'carrying" combs to be laid by them with the
uncleansed ends thereof in or over and accumulated by other teeth to
have such uncleansed ends cleansed by the drawing of such accumulated
uncleansed ends through these other teeth when they are at once formed
into slivers; but by such method of cleansing the ends left uncleansed
by the first operation above referred to, successive tufts or takes are laid
over each other, an operation which is objectionable.
Our improvements relate to means for effecting this second operation
of cleansing the respective tufts or takes. For this purpose when the
porter or carrying comb has laid its tufts on to a holding comb, another
or extra pair of nipping surfaces come into operation to take hold of the
cleansed ends of the fibre projecting from the teeth of this holding comb
close up to such comb, and in moving therefrom these extra nippers
draw out the separate tufts through the teeth of these holding combs,
and thereby cleanse the ends of them laid into such comb teeth, by
which both ends of the tufts or takes become cleansed. These extra
nippers, after having thus drawn out the fibre held by them from the
teeth of the holding combs open to admit of the fibre thus cleansed at
both of its ends to be taken by travelling aprons, and by them or other
suitable carrying means conducted to the teeth of gill or such like
preparers to be laid into slivers.
But that the Invention may be fully understood, we will by the aid
of the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by us
in carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews by a sectional view the operating parts of an arrange-
בד

page_text: a is the feed table on which the fibre is placed in its passage to the
feed rollers b, b, which feed the fibre to the teeth of the gill combs c, by
which the fibre is fed, so as to be in a position to be taken by nippers d, d,
as is well understood by persons acquainted with this class of wool
combing machinery; e is the porter or carrying comb by which the
fibre is taken from between the nipping surfaces d, and laid into the
teeth of a stationary combf somewhat as when feeding fibre into a
circle of travelling combs by the use of nipping surfaces and a carrying
comb, but according to our Invention in place of the tufts of fibre under
operation being accumulated on these combs to be drawn therefrom
by drawing-off rollers, they are drawn from the combs f by means of
another pair of nipping surfaces g, g, by such surfaces g, g, taking hold
of the ends of the tufts of fibre projecting from the face of the combs f,
and then by the drawing of the fibre through the teeth f the part thereof
which had been held between the jaws of the first pair of nippers d, d,
becomes cleansed so that the whole length of tuft is now fully cleansed.
The successive tufts or takes of fibre thus taken by the nipping
surfaces g, g, are in the opening of those surfaces delivered on to
the endless apron or feed cloth h, and by it delivered on to another
endless apron or feed cloth i, by which the accumulated tufts or takes
are fed to between the feed rollers j, j, and by them to the gill combs k,
which by having a draught given to them greater than the surface speed
of the rollers j, j, tend to lay and straighten the fibres acted upon by
them; 1, 1, and m, m, are the ordinary delivery rollers.
The motions to the various parts being of the ordinary character
employed in the class of wool combing machinery referred to, and being
well understood by persons familiar with such machinery, -
.we have not
thought it necessary to complicate the Drawings and description by
shewing and describing such motions.
Figure 1 shows the parts in the position they assume when the carrier
or porter comb e has delivered its tuft of fibre to the comb f, and has then
receded a short distance therefrom, and the second pair of nipping surfaces
g, g, have just come into position to take hold of the projecting end of
tuft projecting from the teeth of the comb f, whilst the nippers d, d,
are also taking a fresh tuft from the gill or such like feed combs c to
be taken by the carrier comb e, as shewn by Figure 2; and Figure 3
shews a tuft or take which had been taken by the carrier or porter
combe from nippers d, d, being laid into the teeth of the comb f.

page_text: Brushes or dabbers n and o aid in causing the fibre to be pressed into
the respective comb teeth. The holding combs are also provided with
lifting blades, lifters, or clearers, to lift the noil or other fibre or small
particles from the chambers, or between the respective rows of teeth when
it is blown on to a receiving apron or into other suitable receiver, or is
taken by catch teeth or by other suitable means.
Although we have shewn the second nipping surfaces to be of the
same form as that of the ordinary nipping surfaces used in such character
of wool combing machinery, we do not confine ourselves to such precise
form so long as the nipping surfaces employed are adapted firmly to
take hold of the projecting end of the tufts of fibre and draw them
through the comb teeth. Also in place of the nipping surfaces g, y,
moving to and from the combs f, the requisite motion may be given
to the bar carrying those combs f. By these means each tuft or take is
separately cleansed at both of its ends before being combined or mixed
with others.
Having thus described our Invention and means which we adopt in
carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that we do
not confine ourselves to the precise arrangements of parts as shewn and
described; but what we do claim is, the arranging or combining parts
of apparatus employed in the combing of wool and other fibres, so
that the separate tufts of the fibre may be cleansed by the use of
extra nipping surfaces, drawing off the tufts of fibre from comb teeth
on to which such tufts have been fed by a porter or carrying comb
from other nipping surfaces, and the accumulation of such tufts for
the feeding of them to gill or such like operating teeth, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.