IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING AND PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Croft, of Leeas Street, Keighley, in the
County of York, Mechanic, and Smith David Steel, of Greengate Mills,
in the Parish of Keighley, in the said County of York, Manager, for the
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING
AND PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 4th June 1858, and dated the 24th December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Croft and Smith
David Steel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 24th December 1857.
We, GEORGE CROFT, of Leeas Street, Keighley, in the County of York,
Mechanic, and SMITH DAVID STEEL, of Greengate Mills, in the Parish of
Keighley, in the said County of York, Manager, do hereby declare the nature
of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
COMBING AND PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of self-
acting mechanism for combing and preparing wool, cotton, silk, flax, hair, and
other fibrous substances, and consists in the employment of a number of combs,
forming each a segment of a circle, and attached to a horizontal table or dise
which rotates freely upon a vertical central shaft, the disc and shaft being
severally driven by suitable bevel gearing of their own, worked from a
horizontal shaft in the lower part of the machine, which latter shaft receives

page_text: its motion from a main driving shaft carried in the framing of the drawing-off
mechanism.
The combs whilst rotating continuously pass in front of a feeding apparatus,
and whilst advancing thereto have a peculiar combing motion imparted to
them by means of cranks, eccentrics, tappets, or other mechanical contrivance,
which will cause them to rise and fall, whilst at the same time they advance in
a radiating direction from the centre of the rotatory carrying disc. Suitable
bevil gearing is employed, driven from the vertical central shaft, for the purpose
of actuating the cranks or other apparatus which impart the requisite combing
motion to the combs. As fast as each comb takes its proper quantity of wool
from the feeder, which may be of any of the well-known descriptions, it carries
it direct to the drawing-off' rollers, which may be of the ordinary construction;
or, if found desirablo, a double combing machine may be used, and so
arranged that the wool or other fibrous substances will be combed between
them on their way to the drawing-off rollers. The combs, just before they
arrive at the drawing-off rollers, approach again towards the centro of the disc.
and are freed from noil and dirt by a circular brush or other means after they
have passed the drawing-off mechanism. Suitable self-acting clutches on the
shafts which actuate the combs are thrown in and out of gear by means
of forked levers, worked by a cam or guide so as to stop their peculiar combing
motion whilst they are passing through heated boxes or chambers for heating
the comb teeth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Croft and Smith David Steel in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
CROFT, of Leens Street, Keighley, in the County of York, Mechanic, and
SMITH DAVID STEEL, of Greengate Mills, in the Parish of Keighley, in the
said County of York, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of 'our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said George Croft and Smith David Steel, Her special license that wo,
the said George Croft and Smith David Steel, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Croft and Smith David

page_text: Steel, our executors, administrators, or 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 COMBING AND PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George
Croft and Smith David Steel, by an instrument in writing under our 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 George Croft and Smith David
Steel, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accou-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
Our said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
self-acting mechanism for combing and preparing wool, cotton, silk, flax, hair,
and other fibrous substances, and consists in the employment of a number of
combs, forming each a segment, and fixed to the outer ends of a set of
radiating arms, carried by a horizontal table or disc which rotates freely upon
a vertical central shaft, the disc and shaft being severally driven by suitable
bevel gearing of their own, worked from a horizontal shaft in the lower part of
the machine, which latter shaft receives its motion from a main driving shaft
carried in the framing of the "drawing-off" mechanism or any other more
convenient part.
The combs whilst rotating continuously pass in front of a feeding apparatus,
and whilst advancing thereto have a peculiar combing motion imparted to
them by means of cranks, eccentrics, tappets, or other mechanical contrivance,.
which will cause them to rise and fall, whilst at the same time they advance in
a radiating direction from the centre of the rotatory carrying disc. Suitable
bevel gearing is employed, driven from the vertical central shaft, for the
purpose of actuating the cranks or other apparatus which impart the requisite
combing motion to the combs. As fast as each comb takes its proper quantity
of wool from the feeder, which may be of any of the well-known descriptions,
it carries it direct to the " drawing-off" rollers, which may be of the ordinary
construction; or, if found desirable, a double combing machine may be used,

page_text: '
and so arranged that the wool or other fibrous substances will be combod between
them on their way to the "drawing-off" rollers. The combs, just before they
arrive at the "drawing-off" rollers, approach again towards the centre of the
disc, and are freed from "noil" and dirt by a circular brush or other means
after they have passed the "drawing-off" mechanism. Suitable self-acting
clutches on the shafts which actuate the combs are thrown in and out of gear
by means of forked or other levers, worked by a cam or guide so as to stop
their peculiar combing motion during the time the sliver is being drawn off,
and the combs are passing through suitable heated boxes or chambers for
heating the comb teeth.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose we shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of our Drawings, represents a side elevation and
partial section of our double combing machine; Figure 2 is a corresponding
plan of the same, with the feeding and "drawing-off" mechanism connected
therewith; and Figure 3, on Sheet 2, is a vertical section of one of the
machines, taken along the line 1-2, in Figure 2.
A, A, represent the main framings of the machine, and B the driving or
first motion shaft. This shaft carries a pair of ordinary fast and loose driving
pullies C, C, and is represented in the Drawings as working in bearings in
the framing of the "drawing-off" mechanism, but it may be placed in any
other convenient situation if found desirable. Motion is transmitted from this
shaft to the horizontal shaft B by the spur gearing E, E; and from this latter
shaft D are conveyed all the requisite motions to the feeding and combing
machinery. This shaft works in suitable bearings F in the two combing
machines A and B.
As the two machines A and B are precisely similar in their construction
and mode of working, with this exception, that the comb teeth of one point
downwards, whilst the corresponding teeth of the other point upwards, we
shall use the same indicating letters on the Drawings for the corresponding
parts in both machines. On the shaft D are keyed two mitre wheels G, G,
which gear into corresponding mitre wheels II, II, fast on the vertical
shafts I, I, of each machine; but the wheels G are so disposed as to cause the
two vertical shafts I to rotate in opposite directions, as will be evident on
referring to the Drawings. The shafts I work in footstep bearings at J, J,
and are supported by an ordinary plummer-block bearing. at K, bolted to

page_text: a cross rail of the framing. To the upper ends of the shafts I, I, are severally
keyed the bevel wheels L, L, which gear into a number of bevel pinions M, M,
working loosely on the inner ends of the radiating spindles. N, N, and capable
of being brought into or out of action by the sliding clutches O, O, herein-after
referred to. These spindles are supported at their inner or converging ends in
suitable bearings in the hollow brackets P, P, which brackets surround the
shafts 1, and are bolted to the central portion of the circular revolving tables
Q, Q, whilst the outer ends of the spindles N work in brackets R, R, bolted
to the outer edges of the tables Q. These tables are fitted or formed with
long collar bosses S, S, which work freely round the shafts I, and are held up
or supported by fixed collars T, T, secured to the shafts I by set screws
(as shewn) or other suitable contrivance. To the outer end of each of the
radiating spindles N is fixed a bevel pinion U, which gears into a bevel wheel
V carried by a short spindle W. This spindle also works in the bracket R;
but at right angles to the spindle N, and it carries at each extremity outside
the bracket a disc, eccentric, or counterbalanced crank X. On the outer face
of each of these discs X is a crank pin, the two pins of each pair of discs being
connected to the arms Y of the segmental combs Z. These arms slide
freely in a longitudinal direction through swivel guide eyes at a in the ends of
the brackets R, such guide eyes forming the centres of oscillation of the
combs when the discs X, X, are rotated on their axes.
As the arms Y of the combs are connected directly to the rotating discs, it
follows that they will not only have a longitudinal motion imparted to themi
in a radial direction to the extent of the stroke of the crank pin, but.will also
simultaneously receive a vertical rising and falling motion on the centres or
swivel guide eyes a.
These combined motions of the combs in each machine
produce a combing action which assimilates very nearly to the motions of the
hands in hand combing, the two machines being so arranged that their
respective combs will simultaneously move in opposite directions, that is to say,
the combs on machine A having their teeth pointing upwards, will ascend,
whilst those on machine B having their teeth pointing downwards will descend,
the two combs thus passing each other in their course, and combing the wool or
other fibrous material between them. The clutches O, O, herein-before referred
to are worked by short levers b, b, which are forked at their upper ends to
embrace their respective clutches, and work upon fixed centres in lugs bolted to
the revolving tables Q. The lower ends of these clutch levers pass through
openings in the tables, and are each. fitted with an antifriction pulley, which
runs freely in a groove in the horizontal fixed cams c,.c, carried by cross rails
in the upper part of the framing. The tables Q, Q, receive their rotatory

page_text: motion from the shaft D, which has keyed on to it at each extremity a spur
pinion gearing into a spur wheel e, which works loose upon a stud centro at
f in the side of the framing. This wheel is in one piece with the smaller
spur wheel or pinion g, which latter drives a spur wheel h fast on one end of
the horizontal shaft i, which works in collar bearings at k, k. The inner end
of the shaft i in each machine carries a bevel pinion, which gears into and
drives a corresponding bevel wheel m fast upon the long boss of each of the
revolving tables. A slow rotatory motion is thus imparted to each of tho
tables Q, but in opposite directions, as will be evident on referring to
the Drawings; and as these tables carry the combs and their actuating
mechanism, the combs will have a continuous slow rotatory motion imparted
to them, as shewn by the arrows, which enables them to take a supply of wool
or other fibrous material from the feeding mechanism at C, and convey it to the
"drawing off" mechanism at D; such fibrous material being combed and
straightened during its passage by the combing action of the contiguous combs
in the opposite machines, as herein-before described and illustrated by our
Drawings. Motion is communicated to the feeding mechanism C of each
machine by the shafts n, n, working in bearings o, o, at one end in the framing
of the combing machines and in corresponding bearings p, p, in the framing
which carries the feeding mechanism. A bevel pinion q keyed on to one end
of the shaft u gears into and receives motion from the bevel wheel ma on the
boss of the revolving table herein-before referred to. On the opposite end of
the shaft u is keyed a second bevel pinion », which gears into and gives
motion to a bevel wheels on the transverse shaft working in bearings in the
framing of the feeding mechanism. From this shaft motion is transmitted to
the fluted rollers u, u, and feeding card bands w, w, by the train of spur gearing
x, 2. The circular brushes y, y, serve to remove the "noil" and other refuse
and dirt from the card bands. The " drawing-off" mechanism at D receives
its motion from the main driving shaft B. On this shaft are keyed two spur
pinions (Figure 3), one for each set of "drawing-off" rollers, which rollers
receive their motions from the pinions by means of the train of gearing 1, 1.
We may here observe that we wish it to be distinctly understood that we
lay no elaim to nor do we confine or restrict ourselves to the peculiar arrange-
ment of feeding and "drawing-off" mechanism herein-before referred to and
illustrated on our Drawings, as any of the well-known arrangements of
mechanism for accomplishing those objects are equally applicable to our
improved wool-combing machines, and therefore we have not considered it
necessary to enter into any detailed description of such apparatus.
2,2, are heating boxes secured to the main framing, and heated by steam,

page_text: gas, hot water, or other convenient means. The combs traverse through these
boxes in order to be heated whilst on their passage from the "drawing-off"
rollers to the feeding rollers. The teeth of the combs in each machine are
cleaned from "noil" and dirt after passing the "drawing-off" rollers by the
circular revolving brush 3, which is carried in brackets bolted to the side of
the main framing.
In combing wool and other fibrous materials by this machine the tables Q
are rotated in the direction shewn by the arrows, carrying round the several
segmental combs Z along with them. These combs as they approach the
drawing-off" rollers at C are kept in towards the centre of the machine, the
mechanism which imparts the combing action to them being at that time out
of gear, as shewn in the Drawings. This is accomplished by making the con-
tours of the fixed cam grooves, which actuate the clutch levers b, b, of such a
form as to push out the lower ends of such levers, and draw back or disengage
the clutches, which are then held disengaged until the combs having passed
through the heating boxes 2,2, arrive at the feeding rollers. Immediately
before a comb arrives at this point, however, the lower end of the clutch lever
of that particular comb is pushed inwards by entering a portion of the cam
groove, which is of a smaller radius. This has the effect of throwing into gear
the combing mechanism of that comb, whereupon the comb immediately pro-
ceeds to advance from the centre of the machine towards the feeding rollers,
as shewn in red lines in Figure 1. This outward motion of the comb brings
it sufficiently near to the feeding rollers to enable it in its perpendicular
motion to take a proper quantity of wool from the feeding rollers, the rotatory
motion of the comb still going on. The comb actuating mechanism is kept in
gear by the groove in the cam c, until the table Q has made a portion of a
revolution, and the opposite machine having in the meantime performed the
same functions as those we have just described, the combs of the opposite
machines will during their circular course come sufficiently near to each other
to comb the wool, as shewn at Z', Z', in the manner herein-before described,
such combing being carried on during the circular traverse of the combs. By
the time the wool has been thus properly combed and further straightened and
cleaned from "noil" and dirt, and the combs brought in again towards the
centre of their respective machines, as shewn at Z", Z", the clutch levers of
these combs will have arrived at the larger radius of the cam groove, and will
consequently be pushed outwards at the lower end, thereby disengaging the
clutches and stopping the comb actuating mechanism of those particular
combs. These clutches remain out of gear during about two-thirds of the
revolution of the combs, so as to allow the wool to be drawn from off them by

page_text: the "drawing-off" rollers at D, whilst the combs are passing in front of them.
The combs having been thus freed from their wool and from the remaining
"noil" and refuse, pass on through the heating boxes again and repeat the
operations above described.
Although these machines may be used separately, as referred to in the first
part of this our Specification, yet we prefer to use them in combination, as
shown in our Drawings, as by that means a better combing, cleaning, and
straightening of the fibres is obtained.
Having now, described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe in conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of our said Invention; but what we con-
sider to bo novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of mechanism
for combing wool and other fibrous substances, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use to and in the combing of wool and other
fibrous substances of a number of segmental combs carried by a rovolving
table, and having their actuating mechanism thrown into and out of gear by
self-acting clutches, as herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar construction and arrangement of mechanism for actu-
ating a number of segmental combs carried by a revolving table, as herein.
before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Croft and Smith David Steel, havo
hereunto set our bands and scals, this Twenty-second day of June,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
ADAS ARO33
GEORGE CROFT.
(L.S.)
SMITH DAVID STEEL. (L.s.)
GEORGE CROFT.
(L.S.)
SMITH DAVID STEEL. (L.S.)