IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOL COMBING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS-PATENT to Thomas Speight, the elder, of Bradford, in the
County of York, Machine Wool Comber, and William Henry
France, of the same Place, Machine Wool Comb Maker, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOL COMBING MACHINES."
Scaled the 23rd April 1869, and dated the 26th October 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Speight and
William Henry France at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 26th October 1868.
We, THOMAS SPEIGHT, the elder, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Machine Wool Comber, and WILLIAM HENRY FRANCE, of the same
Place, Machine Wool Comb Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOL COMBING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class or kind of wool-
combing machines wherein one or more circular or ring combs are.
placed and arranged to work or revolve within and in conjunction with
another larger circular or ring comb. Now our improvements consist in
dispensing with the interior comb or combs, and substituting in lieu
thereof one or more barrel porcupine combs or screw gill combs or
endless card or pin belts to work in conjunction with the said large

page_text: comb for cleaning the projecting ends of wool or other fibres fed thereto;
also a nipping instrument for holding the wool or other fibre on the said
large circular comb whilst it is being operated upon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Speight and William Henry France in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
SPEIGHT, the elder, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine Wool
Comber, and WILLIAM HENRY FRANCE, of the same Place, Machine
Wool Comb Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Speight, the elder, and
William Henry France, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas
Speight, the elder, and William Henry France, our exccutors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Speight, the
elder, and William Henry France, 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 WOOL COMBING MACHINES,"
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Speight
and William Henry France, 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.
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NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Speight, the elder, and
William Henry France, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly

page_text: described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class or kind of wool-
combing machines wherein one or more circular or ring combs are
placed and arranged to work or revolve within and in conjunction with
another larger circular or ring comb. Now our improvements consist in
dispensing with the interior comb or combs and substituting in lieu
thereof one or more barrel porcupine combs or endless card or pin belts
to work in conjunction with the said large comb for cleaning the
projecting ends of wool or other fibres fed thereto.
In order that this Invention may be clearly understood we herewith
annex a Sheet of Drawings of such portions of a wool-combing machine
of the class referred to as will show our improvements applied thereto,
reference being had to the Figures and letters marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 2 are vortical sections, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of sanie.
A is the ordinary large circular or ring comb; B are the troughs
through which the slivers are fed from the bobbins or reels C to the
teeth of the comb in the usual manner, but in some cases we prefer to
employ a pair of feed rollers instead of these troughs, or a pair of nipping
jaws with suitable motions for feeding the slivers of wool to the teeth
of the comb; D is the barrel porcupine comb, which is formed to fit the
interior edge of the ring or the inner side of the comb teeth, and is
mounted upon a shaft E, to which rotary motion is given through the
train of gearing F from a rotary shaft G of the machine; H is a rotary
brush working in contact with the porcupine, and I is an endless card
belt to work in contact with the brush; K is a pressing plate to press
and hold the slivers in the wool in the teeth of the ring comb while the.
porcupine combs it; L is a ring of leather or other flexible substance
for the plate K to press upon to hold the wool; M is a "stroker" or
pair of rotary wings for turning the ends of the combed wool into suitable
position to enable the drawing-off rollers to seize and draw it off into a
sliver as usual. It will be readily seen that the teeth of the porcupine
comb D will enter into and comb the projecting ends of the slivers fed
to the circular comb A, cleansing the same, and carrying the noil forward
until coming in contact with the brush H, which will strip it therefrom
and transmit it to the card belt I, from which it will be doffed or taken

page_text: off by the doffing plates or combs J, and thence formed into an endless
sheet. It will also be observed that an endless card belt may be adapted
to work in contact with the ring comb for taking off the noil and
cleansing the projecting end of the sliver, suitable arrangements being
provided for carrying the same forward to be doffed off, but we prefer
the barrel porcupine comb for this purpose.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and shewn
by Drawings and explanations the manner in which the same is to be or
may be performed or carried into practice, we would have it understood
that we do not confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details set
forth, but what we claim as of our Invention is,-
Firstly. The application and use of barrel porcupine combs constructed
and arranged to work in conjunction with circular or ring combs.
Secondly. The application and use of card belts constructed and
arranged to work in conjunction with circular or ring combs.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of the several parts herein
referred to in manner and for purposes substantially as shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Speight, the elder, and
William Henry France, have hereunto set our hands and scals,
this Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
THOMAS SPEIGHT, SEX. (L.S.)
W. H. FRANCE.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Thomas Speight, the
elder, and William Henry France,
in the presence of
W. TASKER,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Bradford.
(L.S.)