IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edmund Donisthorpe, of Leeds, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRE."
Sealed the 14th August 1866, and dated the 23rd February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edmund Donis-
thorpe at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd February 1866.
I, GEORGE EDMUND DONISTHORPE, of Leeds, in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for combing
wool and other fibre, and relates principally to that description of combing
machine in which the ends of the slivers to be combed are ranged around the
circumference of a circular comb, with which other smaller circular combs
work, and which is arranged in such manner that the ends of the slivers are in
succession laid into the teeth of the large and small.combs at the point where
they meet together, and are combed out by the combs revolving and so
separating the one from the other. In this description of combing machine as
the combs can only meet together at one point there must always be a small space

page_text: between the combs on each side of this point, and when the fibre is laid into the
teeth of the two combs any knots in the fibre which pass down into this space
escape being combed out; to obviate this I now combine with the smaller combs
moveable segments carrying comb teeth which come on the exterior of the teeth
of these combs the teeth of each segment are set so that they may fill in the
space between the two comb, on one side of the point at which the combs
meet, and the segments are actuated in such manner that as by the revolution
of the combs they are brought round to the point where the fibre is laid across
the teeth of the combs; they descend in succession so that their teeth pass
into the fibre which lies across the space above mentioned, and the segments
remain down in this position until after they have been by the revolution of
the combs carried past the point at which the clean fringe of fibre projecting
out from them has been drawn off by the drawing rollers, the segments then
rise before they come round to the point at which fibre is fed into the combs,
similar segments of teeth may be combined with other combing machines
where the combing is effected by the separation of two revolving circular
combs, excentric the one to the other.
In the Provisional Specification to a Patent applied for by me on the 31st
October 1865 (No. 2797) was described the applying to the circular combs
of combing machines of this description segments carrying comb teeth that
pointed downwards and entered between the teeth of the combs.. I now
propose to combine in a similar manner with these combs segments carrying
bristles or brushes, the segments being arranged to work in the manner
therein described. When using moveable segments of teeth to descend
between two circular combs in the manner herein first described, the segments
may have combined with them bristles or brushes to enter between the teeth
of the comb, around which the segments are placed, the brushes are then by
preference connected to the segments by springs, so that when the segments
descend the force with which the brushes are pressed into the comb will be
governed by the strength of the springs.
-
Another improvement in the description of combing machine herein first
mentioned relates to a mode of feeding forward the ends of the slivers of
fibre through the tubes or troughs that carry them. This I now propose to
do in the following manner :-As the tubes or troughs are by the revolution
of the comb brought round to the point at which the slivers are to be fed
forwards the ends of the slivers are raised out of the teeth of the comb by
'inclines or lifting blades, and are then laid hold of between a stationary bar or
blade (curved to the segment of a circle) and a revolving disc which is pressed
by a spring against the blade; as the disc revolves it slides the ends of the

page_text: slivers along the blade, and as the blade by being curved recedes from the
ends of the troughs or tubes the ends of the slivers are at the same time
drawn forward until they have been carried round beyond the end of the
curved blade, the amount the slivers are to be drawn forward is regulated by
the length of the curved blades employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Edmund Donisthorpe in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
EDMUND DONISTHORPE, of Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Edmund Dónisthorpe, Her special licence that I, the
said George Edmund Donisthorpe, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Edmund, Donisthorpe, my 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 FOR COMBING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBRE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Edmund Donisthorpe, my executors or administrators, by an instru
ment in writing under my, 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 I, the said George Edmund Donisthorpe, do
bereby declare the nature of the said Invention, 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:
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for combing
wool and other fibre; and relates principally to that description of combing
machine in which the ends of the slivers to be combed are ranged around the

page_text: circumference of a circular comb with which other smaller circular combs
work, and which is arranged in such manner that the ends of the slivers are
in succession laid into the teeth of the large and small combs at the point
where they meet together, and are combed out by the combs revolving, and
so separating the one from the other. In this description of combing machine
as the combs can only meet together at one point there must always be a
small space between the combs on each side of this point, and when the fibre
is laid into the teeth of the two combs any knots in the fibre which pass down
into this space escape being combed out; to obviate this I now combine with
the smaller combs moveable segments carrying comb teeth which comme on the
exterior of the teeth of these combs, the teeth of each segment are set so that
they may fill in the space between the two combs. on one. side of the point at
which the combs meet, and the segments are actuated in such manner that
as by the revolution of the combs they are brought round to the point where
the fibre is laid- across the teeth of the combs they descend in succession, so
that their teeth pass into the fibre which lies across the space above mentioned,
and the segments remain down in this position until after they have been by
the revolution of the combs carried past the point at which the clean fringe
of fibre projecting out from them has been drawn off by the drawing rollers;
the segments then rise before they come round to the point at which fibre.is
fed into the combs.
The segments of comb teeth may have the requisite motions imparted to
them by inclines, as described in the Specification of a former Patent granted
to me on the 31st day of October 1865, No. 2797. Similar segments of teeth
may be combined with other combing machines where the combing is effected
by the separation of two revolving circular combs, excentric the one to the other.
Although I prefer that the segments of comb teeth which come on the exterior
of the teeth of the comb, with which the segments are combined, should be of
such a shape as to fill in the space between the two circular combs on one
side of the point at which they meet together, I do not confine myself to
this precise arrangement, as great advantage may be obtained by employing
segments carrying a row or rows of teeth concentric with the rows of teeth of
the comb around which the segments are placed, as by causing the outer rows
of comb teeth of one circular comb to point in the opposite direction to the
other teeth, and to be carried by moving segments, these outer rows of teeth
of the comb may be brought much closer up to the teeth of the other circular
comb than is otherwise practicable.
In the Provisional Specification to a Patent applied for by me on the 31st
October 1865 (No. 2797) was described the applying to the circular combs

page_text: of combing machines of this description segments carrying comb teeth that
pointed downwards and entered between the teeth of the combs. I now
propose to combine in a similar manner with these combs segments carrying
bristles or brushes, the segments being arranged to work in the manner therein
described. When using moveable segments of teeth to descend between two
circular combs, in the manner herein first described, the segments may have
combined with them bristles or brushes to enter between the teeth of the
comb around which the segments are placed, the brushes are then by preference
connected to the segments by springs so that when the segments descend the
force with which the brushes are pressed into the comb will be governed by
the strength of the springs.
Another improvement in the description of combing machine herein first
mentioned relates to a mode of feeding forward the ends of the slivers of fibre
through the tubes or troughs that carry them. This I now propose to do in
the following manner:-As the tubes or troughs are by the revolution of the
comb brought round to the point at which the slivers are to be fed forwards,
the ends of the slivers are raised out of the teeth of the comb by inclines or
lifting blades, and are then laid hold of between a stationary bar or blade
(curved to the segment of a circle) and a revolving disc which is pressed by a
spring against the blade; as the disc revolves it slides the ends of the slivers
along the blade, and as the blade by being curved recedes from the ends of the
troughs or tubes the ends of the slivers are at the same time drawn forward
until they have been carried round beyond the end of the curved blade; the
amount the slivers are to be drawn forward is regulated by the length of the
curved blades employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edmund Donisthorpe, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
G. E. DONISTHORPE. (L.S.)