Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Combing Wool, Flax, China Grass, Silk Waste, or other like Fibrous Material.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Combing Wool, Flax,
China Grass, Silk Waste, or other like Fibrous Material.
We GEORGE EDMUND DONISTHORPE of 12 Oat Lane in the City of London
Merchant and TAYLOR BURROWS of 88 Upper Keunington Lane London in the
County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for combing
wool flax china grass silk waste or other like fibrous materials.
This machine or apparatus has a feed bead or feeding part having a movable
plate (advantageously flat) covered with pins or projections or equivalents thereof
or instead of a flat plate one or more porcupine rollers covered with pins.
The aforesaid pin plates have a short reciprocating motion given same by which
the pins thereon are moved through a kind of grid or perforated plate or surface
so that the said pins are caused to project through said perforated plate and engage
and hold the material as it is being fed to the machine and then these pins are
withdrawn through or into the said perforated plate etcetera and the material being
fed is left free to be moved forward and thereafter the pins are again caused to
engage and hold the material and so on.
If the porcupine rollers are used-these rollers work in hollow dishes and the
pins of each roller pass close to each other and serve to keep each other clean and
all revolve together in the same direction the material being fed behind the first
roller is gradually advanced to the front.
This feed head or feed part is fixed on a slide and is made to advance and
recede by suitable mechanical means or not-as and for the purposes hereinafter
explained.
We may if desired use a gill feed head.
When the pin plate engages and holds the material to be combed-a certain
length or tuft of such material overlaps or extends outside of such pin plate at the
opposite end to the feed inlet.
A suitable nip jaw or gripping device (composed of two currugated rollers to
one or both of which a partial revolution is given at the required moment-or
other equivalent gripping device) is caused to advance towards the feed head or
feeding part from which a tuft or length of material projects as aforesaid and this
nip jaw or gripping device nips or grips and firmly holds the tuft of material-the
pins on the pin plate at that moment are withdrawn from the material and the nip
jaw then retires and draws all the fibrous material with it a short distance where-
upon the pin plate is again caused to engage with the fibrous material on the feed
and firmly hold same.
The nip jaw now retires still further from the feed head and draws out and tears
away a certain quantity of the fibrous material leaving a tuft of said material
projecting from the feed head as before ready for the next advance of the nip jaw.
The nip jaw then releases the quantity of material held therein and a dabbing
brush or other equivalent or suitable device operates to press or force down the
fibrous material onto a pin carrier band or bands or other carrier such as herein-
after described, viz.:
This carrier consists of a revolving endless band (advantageously of steel after
the manner of a band saw) which has pins or projections formed or mounted
therein or thereon so as to retain and carry the fibrous material along therewith
and either one or more such bands may be used.
Or an endless chain or other equivalent device having pins or the like thereon

page_text: may be used if desired but we have found an endless steel band or bands with the
necessary projections (cut out or formed out of the substance of such band) to
answer our purpose very well.
When the porcupine rollers are used and made to move or slide as above set
forth and the feed head is advanced a part turn is given to the rollers and a tuft
of material is presented outside the front dish and carried forward under the nip
jaw or gripping device aforesaid (which may be fixed or movable) and which closes
on it and holds it. The feed head now retiring leaves behind the tuft held by the
nip jaw and a dabbing brush or equivalent device falling on it near the nip which
opens as the brush etcetera descends the material is forced down on the travelling
carrier aforesaid.
A second tuft is deposited in a similar manner on the said carrier or traveller and
so on continuously.
Each band or chain carrier or traveller revolves at each end on a pulley these
pulleys are about 5 feet apart or more or less as desired and between them the said
carrier or traveller slides over an even horizontal bearing plate and passes under
vertical pressing plates. These plates are fixed if desired or may be mounted in
suitable spring bearings so that each one can rise and yield to the pressure of the
fibrous material on the said carrier or traveller.
As the carrier advances with its layers of tufts of fibrous material it presents
the end thereof hanging out from the said carrier to the action of a horizontal
combing roller.
This roller is set with coarse open pins at the beginning end and becomes finer in
pins towards the finishing end or otherwise as desired.
As the material passes over this last mentioned revolving combing roller it is
thoroughly combed and cleaned of all short fibres and impurities-the revolving
comb roller being kept clean by a brush and doffer or in any suitable manner.
The combed end of the tuft is now carried forward and deposited on a second
travelling band or carrier similar to the first and is pressed (in any suitable manner)
into or onto the second carrier or traveller which passes under a second set of
pressing plates or blades at the same time the end of the fibrous material not combed
is lifted out of the first carrier and it is carried forward over a second revolving
comb roller which cleans it in a similar manner to the first the material being held
by the said second set of pressing plates or blades during the combing action.
The material is now completely combed having thus been combed at both ends
and is drawn off in the form of a sliver by either horizontal or vertical drawing
off rollers in the usual way or by any other suitable means.
Dated this 16th dor of Oatahan 1001
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentees.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Combing Wool, Flax,
China Grass, Silk Waste, or other like Fibrous Material.
We, GEORGE EDMUND DONISTHORPE of 12 Oat Lane in the City of London,
Merchant, and TAYLOR BURROWS of 88 Upper Kennington Lane, London in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for combing
fibrous materials such as wool flax china grass silk waste or the like and we would
here remark that our present machine will be found more advantageous for some
fibres than for others for instance we consider our present invention more especially
advantageous for fibres such as china grass and flax.

page_text: Our present invention consists of novel means of presenting one end of the fibre
o the combing roller or combing device transferring such fibre to another similar
part of the machine so as to present the other end of the fibre to a second combing
oller or combing device and thereafter the fibre is drawn off (after being thus
combed) in one continuous sliver or as desired.
Furthermore our present invention relates to a graded combing roller or combing
levice having graduated comb pins or teeth thereon and to other details all of
which will be hereinafter fully described and finally pointed out in the claims.
We will now therefore procced to fully describe our said invention with reference
o the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine looking in the direction of the arrow 1
Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a plan of the machine.
Figure 3 is a side view of a piece of the travelling endless band or carrier (shown
louble) which carries along the lengths or tufts of fibre and presents same to the
action of the combing rollers such as Figures 9 and 10.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the feed end of the machine i.e. looking in the
direction of the arrows 2 Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the opposite end of the machine i.e. looking in the
direction of the arrows 3 Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 6 is an enlarged view (looking in the direction of the arrows 2 Figures 1
and 2) of the feed head and parts connected therewith-other parts of the machine
being removed to illustrate more clearly the feed head part.
Figure 7 is a cross section taken through the travelling bands or carriers and
combing roller on line 4-4 Figures 2 and 8.
Figure 8 is a local and enlarged plan view of the combing roller and adjacent
parts showing the relative position of said roller to the carrier band which
presents the material to be combed to the said roller.
Figure 9 is a separate enlarged plan view of the complete combing roller showing
the graded comb teeth or pins thereon.
Figure 10 is an end view of said roller.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
is the supporting frame or standard of any suitable construction carrying the
fast and loose pulleys a' a' which actuate the train of wheels and various moving
parts of our machine carried in or on or supported by the said frame a.
bb are two large pulleys or drums mounted in a horizontal plane and revolved by
the vertical axes & respectively which are mounted in brackets such as bon
the frame (see Figure 1) the said axes being revolved by any suitable mechanism
such as the worm wheel a (on the shaft a actuated by the pulley a¹) gearing with
the toothed wheel on the axis as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
These drums or pulleys bare slowly revolved in the direction of the arrows 5
Figure 2 and carry round with them the endless band or bands (or other equivalent
device) forming the travelling carrier A.
This carrier consists advantageously of two endless steel or other metal bands as
shown (or more than two-if desired) the upper edge of each such band A being
formed with serrations or teeth A' (something like comb teeth) as illustrated in
Figure 3-into which teeth A' the fibre to be combed is intermittently pressed
down in tufts or lengths by the feed head or feeding device hereinafter described
and set forth or by any equivalent or suitable means.
As the material to be combed (i.e. the tufts of fibre) is pressed down across and
into the teeth A' of the endless band A the latter is caused to travel along in the
direction of the arrows 5 Figure 1 (as previously explained) and carries the fibre
along therewith towards the combing roller B which is mounted with its axis,
parallel or thereabouts to the line of travel of the carrier band A between the
pulleys bb.
This comb roller B is suitably revolved (by convenient mechanism not shown) at
a slow or suitable speed and the comb teeth or pins B' of said roller B are.

page_text: advantageously graded as shown (or in any other equivalent manner) so as to
"humour the fibre and not comb same too violently at first but gradually and
steadily comb the fibre down to the degree of fineness required.
The combing roller B is mounted relatively to the travelling band or carrier A
in about the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8 and is cleaned by a brush c
and "doffer" (Figures 1, 2 and 6) or in any similar or convenient manner.
The fibre deposited by the feed in the carrier band A is carried along by the
said travelling band A under the vertical pressing plate C Figures 7 and 8 the
lower edge of which is slotted longitudinally so as to overlap outside and between
the teeth on the two travelling bands A (as shown in Figure 7 or three separate
plates to effect the same purpose may be used instead of one such plate as C) so
that the fibre is pressed right down and "locked" or very securely held in the
teeth A of the carrier.
The lower edge of each band A travels in a slot or guide formed to receive
same in the bearing plate D (Figure 7) which is fixed or mounted--in the
frame a.
The vertical pressing plate may be mounted with springs (not shown) so as to
"give" or rise a little with any extra thickness of material in the travelling
carrier A.
The ends of the fibre x (i.e. the ends hanging outside of the band A) thus
securely wedged in the said carrier A are now presented to the action of the
combing roller B and first to the coarse open pins or teeth and then-as the
carrier A continuously travels on-to the finer and finer teeth till at the end of
roller B the ends ' are all thoroughly combed and finished.
The fibre with the end a combed now comes from under the end C¹ (Figure 1)
of the wedging or pressing plate C and is free to be lifted out of the teeth A' of
the band A.
"
This is effected by means of a "plough" or inclined surface (not shown)
arranged close alongside the band A (and also a similar plough in between said
carrier) which raises the fibre a clear out of the teeth A' before reaching the
pulley (and assisted if necessary by a stroking appliance) this removal of the
fibre from the band A taking place at or about the position marked A* Figure 2.
The combed end of the fibre z now falls onto and into the teeth of a second
travelling band or carrier E identical or equivalent in all respects with the first
carrier A.
Said carrier E is carried round in the direction of the arrows 6 by the two drums
or pulleys e e revolved in a similar manner to bb and in all other respects similar
to A this carrier E having teeth same as A' and supporting plate similar to D and
depressing plate similar to C--the object of this second carrier E being to present
the now uncombed end of this fibre to the action of another combing roller F
similar in all respects to B and kept clean also in a similar manner.
The fibre being lifted out of the first carrier A at the point A Figure 2 now
falls into the teeth of the second comb E the part already combed lying in the
teeth and inside of the band E-while the now uncombed end hangs outside aud
the latter is then presented to the action of the graded combing roller F in the
same manner as with the roller B the fibre being so securely held in the carrier E
(during the actual combing) as to withstand the pull or drag of the combing
roller Fas with the first carrier A and roller B.
After passing along the combing roller F the fibre is now completely combed and
finished from end to end and is then drawn off (at about the point marked H
Figure 2) in one continuous sliver f by any well known or suitable " drawing off"
mechanism to which latter no claim is made as same is well known and well
understood.
We will now proceed to describe (more particularly with reference to Figure 6)
the feed head or feeding device.
The material g to be combed is fed in the direction of the arrow 7 in beneath the
plate hand a tuft of said material y protrudes and hangs down at y¹ Figure 6.

page_text: The plate carries a series of pins which pass through the fibre g and enter
corresponding holes or apertures in a kind of grid or perforated plate i below.
The pin plate h has a vertical up and down motion imparted thereto by the
rod at each side thereof so as to tightly hold the fibre g and then leave same
free alternatively.
Opposite the pin plate (on the inside end thereof) a nip jaw m works and is
operated as follows:-
The nip jaw m is brought close up to the pin plate h and engages and nips holds
of the tuft g hanging out-the pin plate is now raised (to about the position shown
at A) and the whole length of the material g is drawn forward freely as the closed
jaw m retires. As the jaw m retires still further away from h the latter is moved
down and the material g is firmly held between and i.
The closed nip jaw m still further retires and now tears out and away from ga
length of the fibre leaving a tuft g' of the material protruding from hi ready for
the next approach of the nip jaw m.
The nip jaw m with the length of material e therein now retires right back to
the limit of its backward motion whereupon the nip jaw is mechanically opened
and the length of fibre a is deposited on to the travelling and A and is pressed
into the teeth of same by a dabbing brush which at that moment descends as
shown in Figure 6.
The second brush o on the dabbing brush arm p serves to brush up and prepare
the protruding end gl ready for the nip jaw m to seize on its next approach.
We have not particularly described and set forth the actuating levers catches
and springs or other means for automatically closing and opening the nip jaw mat
the right moment nor the means of giving the to and fro motion to the said jaws
(ie. advancing towards and receding from the plate ) as these movements will be
all readily understood and easily carried into practice by any person properly
skilled in imechanics and in the art to which our present invention relates.
Instead of the comb roller B we may use any equivalent device for combing for
instance the graded pins or comb teeth may be arranged mounted and secured on an
endless leather or other band the width of which would be about the same as the
length of roller B and such endless band revolved by passing round a roller of
about the same diameter as B and mounted in about the same position as B and
thence passing under or around a second roller down below. Thus an identical or
similar combing action to that of the graded comb roller B would be obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The general arrangement and combination of the endless carrier A of the
combing roller B with graded pins of the endless carrier E and of the combing
roller Fwith graded pins all operating for the purpose of combing fibre substantially
as described and illustrated.
2. The combing rollers B and F with graded teeth substantially as described and
illustrated.
3. The endless carrying bands A and E with the teeth or pins cut or formed out
of the substance of such bands substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
at Figure 3.
י
1
ليود
1
A noct 1000
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
3