IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING TO BE SPUN COTTON AND OTHER FIBRES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Roberts, of the City of Manchester,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PREPARING TO BE SPUN COTTON AND OTHER FIBRES."
Sealed the 5th January 1855, and dated the 20th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Roberts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
July 1854.
I, RICHARD ROBERTS, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PREPARING TO BE SPUN COTTON AND OTHER FIBRES" to be as follows:-
My improvements in machinery for preparing to be spun cotton and other
fibres consist,-
Firstly, in a machine for detaching cotton from the seed, consisting of a
travelling web distended by rollers to form a receptacle for the cotton; a
cylinder, having serrated perforations, the teeth of which detach the cotton
from the seed; and a rotary brush, to clear the cotton from the cylinder.
Secondly, as regards cotton and other light fibres, in applying to the ordinary
beater or scutcher a long chamber, in which a current of air is produced by a
fan or other suitable means adapted to carry the fibres over travelling webs,
and against wire or other ventilating drums, so placed that the lighter fibres
may be carried further than the heavier, and be delivered in fleeces or slivers

page_text: at different points, leaving heavier matters, such as broken seed, sand, and the
like, behind.
Thirdly, in peculiar apparatus for disengaging the teeth of the working
combs in rotary combing machines in their transition to the receiving comb,
from the fibres detached by those combs from the feeding apparatus, and in an
improved carrier for the brush that presses the fibres into the receiving comb.
Fourthly, in putting the joint pins of chain travelling combs about one-fourth
the length of the link from its ends, that the chain may travel more smoothly
over the poligonal wheels on which it is distended.
Fifthly, in applying two or more combing heads of rotary machines in series
along the chain travelling comb, or around the circular comb, as the case may
be, so as to economise space and labour.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ROBERTS, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Roberts, Her special license that I, the said Richard
Roberts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Richard Roberts, 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,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING TO BE SPUN COTTON AND OTHER FIBRES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Roberts,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Roberts, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, that is to say :-
The nature of my Invention consists,―
First, in an improved machine for detaching cotton from the seed.
Secondly, in improvements applicable to the machines for preparing cotton
and other light fibre to be spun, commonly called beaters or scutchers.
Thirdly, in improvements applicable to machines for combing animal and
vegitable fibre.
Fourthly, in an improved mode of constructing chain travelling combs used
in combing machines.
And, lastly, in applying two or more combing heads to rotary combing
machines.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the two accompanying Sheets of Drawings,
reference being had to the figures, letters, and arrows marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a machine for detaching
cotton from the seed, consisting of a travelling web distended by rollers to form
the bottom and one side of a receptacle for the cotton requiring to be cleansed;
a sheet metal cylinder, having serrated' perforations (too small for the seed to
pass through) forming the other side, and two rotary discs forming the ends of
it. The cotton is cleared from the teeth of the serrated cylinder by a rotary
brush. Figure 2 an end view, and Figure 3 a plan view, of the machine.
The wheels and parts of the framework are omitted, as unnecessary for the
comprehension of the principle of the machine. Figure 4 shews on a large
scale a few of the diagonally-serrated perforations of the drum F. A, A, is the
framing; B, B, B, rollers, over which the travelling web C is distended; D, D,
discs, forming the ends of the receptacle for the cotton, which distend and rotate
with the travelling web; E, E, small rollers, to support the travelling web,
which is stiffened in the direction of the length of the rollers, by wire or slips
of wood attached to it, or enclosed between two cloths, united together at
intervals in the loom or otherwise. The web has thick binding at its edges to
keep it on the rollers; (the travelling web may be made entirely of wire). F,
the perforated cylinder; G, G, rotary brushes for clearing the cotton from the
teeth of the cylinder F; H, a partition across the machine, to prevent the seed
as it drops between the cylinder F and left-hand roller B mixing with the

page_text: cleansed fibre; I is the main shaft, to which rotary motion is communicated
by hand or otherwise, and from this shaft by band or gearing to the brushes
G, G, rollers B, B, and seed-doffing roller J; their relative surface velocities
being about as one of the travelling web to twenty of the cylinder F, thirty of
the roller J, and one hundred of the brushes G, G.
The operation of the machine is thus :-The receptacle having been supplied
with cotton, and the machine set in motion, the mass of cotton is made to
revolve slowly by its contact with the travelling web, aided by the drag of the
teeth of the cylinder F, which teeth detach the cotton from the seed and carry
it over to be struck off by the brushes, the seed being prevented from going
over the cylinder F with the cotton by the stripping roller J. The travelling
web is adjusted with reference to the serrated cylinder, so as not to allow the
seed to pass between them until it is as nearly as niay be divested of fibre.
The direction of motion of the several parts is indicated by arrows.
"
My improvements applicable to the ordinary "beater or "scutcher," and
machines of that class, for preparing to be spun cotton and other light fibre,
consist in the admission and extraction of air, in such manner as shall create a
current in the machine that will carry the fibre slowly over the receptacle for
dust, freed from the heavier foreign matters, and allow it to settle upon a
travelling web or webs, more or less distant, according to the levity of the fibre,
and in the use of travelling webs or ventilating drums, to collect fibres of
different degrees of fineness into separate fleeces.
The mechanical arrangements by which I effect these objects are shewn in
Sheet 1, in which Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section; Figure 6, a plan
view, partly in section; and Figure 7, an end view, part of the casing being
omitted to shew the interior of the machine. A, A, the casing, which should
be as nearly air-tight as may be; L*, a partition across the casing; B, the
"feeding web" or traveller; B*, the feeding rollers; C, the first beater; D, the
grating for impurities to escape through into the dust chambers E and E*;
F, a ventilating drum, having perforations, through which air may pass freely
to the exhaust pipes G, G, of the ordinary kind; H, a travelling web or wire,
distended over the cylinder I and drum F, by which it is ventilated, and
bearing against the cylinder J; L, L, travelling webs, which conduct the fleece
under the partition L* to the feeding rollers M, M; N, the second beater;
O, a receptacle for dust, near the bottom of which is a travelling web P, P, to
discharge the dust; Q, Q, Q, Q, travelling webs for collecting the fibre into
fleeces; P and Q*, rollers to prevent the admission of air; R, R, and R*,
transverse passages, into which air is admitted through regulating valves at the
side of the machine; these air passages are furnished near their apex with per-

page_text: forations or longitudinal openings, to which regulating valves may be applied,
as shewn at R*, instead of at the side of the machine; S, a ventilating drum,
also in connection with the exhaust pipes G, G.
The operation of the machine is thus:-Fibre being laid upon the feeding
web B, is carried by that and the rollers B to the beater C (in the ordinary
manner), by which it is struck from the feed in almost detached fibres, and is
then carried forward by a current of air to the travelling web H or the drum
J, the admission of air being regulated by the valves T and U, in addition to
the usual admission of air through the beater, so as to float the fibre, whilst it
allows foreign matter of a heavier description to descend through the grating
D, which may be made as shewn in the Drawing, or in any other approved
manner; (the grating may be dispensed with in some cases). The fibre, after
being arrested by the web H, is carried forward between it and the drum J to
the webs L, L, and thence by the rollers M, M, to the second beater N, to be
again operated upon as by the first beater, and to be carried forward by a
current of air, so regulated by means of valves in the passages R*, and R, R,
or the like, as to allow the fibres of greatest specific gravity to deposit them-
selves on the first travelling web Q, those of the next degree on the second, and
so on, according to the number of fleeces of various degrees of fineness it may
be desirable to separate the fibres into.
In some cases it may be convenient to divide the scutching machine into
two, putting the second half immediately over the first, and allowing the fibre
to be carried by the current of air through the floor of the second room to the
beater of the second portion of the machine.
My improvements applicable to machines for combing animal and vegitablo
fibre consist in peculiar apparatus for disengaging the teeth of taking combs
from the fibre detached by them from the feeding apparatur, and in an improved
carrier, whereby pressing or fixing brushes are made to retire out of the way of
fibre in transit.
N.B. It having been arranged by the arbitrator and counsel in the case
Lister v. Eastwood, heard at Harrogate in October last, that the comb which
receives fibre from the feeding apparatus should be called the taking comb, and
that the comb from which the fibre is drawn into sliver should be called the
receiving comb, I propose in this 'Specification to adopt those names to avoid
the ambiguity heretofore existing in the trade.
In Sheet 2, Figure 8 is a sectional elevation taken from front to back
of my improved combing machine.
Figure 9, a plan view of so much of the machine as is necessary to explain
the nature of my improvements; the feeding apparatus, receiving comb,

page_text: drawing-off rollers, noil stripper, and other parts well known by the trade are
omitted.
Figure 10 is a front view of the taking comb and fixing brush. A, A, the
driving shaft, to which motion is communicated through the pulley B by a
strap C, a wheel, which gives motion to D, another wheel of double the
number of teeth, fixed on the main shaft E, which turns in bearings in the
framing F, F, G, G, arms fixed on the shaft E, and carrying in bearings at
their extremities shafts H, H, (one only of which is shewn in the Drawings,
as the parts carried by both extremities of the arms G, G, are the same as
those shewn,) to which are fixed the lever links H*, H*, and at one end the
lever I, carrying at its extremity the roller I*, which as the shaft E revolves
is conducted by the cam J fixed to the framing. The links *, *, are con-
nected by the shaft J* to the taking comb carriers K, K, (the other pair of
comb carriers K*, K*, are bent, so that they may work between K, K,) which
-slide on the main shaft E as they retire to draw tufts of fibre from the feeding
apparatus L, which is represented as a screw gill, but any other approved
feeding apparatus may be used. L*, a shaft, working in bearings in the
carriers K, K, and having a lever with stud and roller M fixed on one end;
M*, M, arms, to which is attached the taking comb N, the teeth of which
pass through the stripping bar N*, seen in Figure 10, into which they are
made to retire on coming to the receiving comb R, by the roller M pressing
against the tappet O, fixed to the framing, and to reprotrude by the action of
the spring Ox secured by one end to the stretcher K*; P, a shaft, also working
in bearings in the carriers K, K, and having a lever P* fixed on one end;
P**, a cam, fixed to the framing, which actuates the lever P*; Q, Q, arms, to
which is attached the brush Q*, for fixing the fibre in the taking comb. This
brush is brought into action by the spring Q**, one end of which is secured
to the stretcher K*, and the other end to à lever on the shaft P. R, the
receiving comb; R*, the brush for fixing the fibre in the comb R. This brush
is carried by studs attached to the rods S, S, jointed at their lower extremity
to bent levers S*, fixed on the shaft S**, turning in bearings in the framing,
and at their upper end moving freely through the swivel bar T, turning in
bearings in levers T* fixed on the shaft T**, also turning in bearings in the
framing. On the shaft A is fixed a cam U, which, by its action on the roller
in the lever U*, connected by the rod V with the bent lever S*, raises the
fixing brush R into the position shown by dotted lines, and at the proper
time allows it to descend by its own weight,, or by means of a spring.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-By the rotation of the shaft E,
the taking comb N is brought against one side of the fibre protruding from

page_text: the feeding apparatus L, and at the same time the lever P* escapes from the
cam P**, and thereby allows the brush Q* to close upon the fibre, and fix it
in the taking comb (which to hold firmly should be fine); the rotation of the
shaft E continuing, the roller I*, governed by the cam J, causes the comb
carriers K, K, to recede in a direct line from the feeding apparatus, and
thereby causes the comb N to detach a tuft of fibre from the feed, which tuft
is then carried forward past the fixing brush R* whilst it is in the position
shown in dotted lines. Immediately the tuft has passed, the brush follows it,
travelling through an arc of a circle until it arrives at the position shown in
the Drawing, when the arm T* is arrested by a stud in the framing, after
which the rods S, S, in their further descent, slide through the swivel bar T,
whereby the parallelism of the brush with the teeth of the comb is preserved.
When the taking comb, with its tuft of fibre, has arrived at the position shown
by dotted lines, the tuft has been entered by the receiving comb, and the
cam O, by its contact with the roller M, has caused the taking comb to retire
into the stripping bar N*, at the same time the lever P, having been acted
upon by the cam P**, has withdrawn the brush Q*, that it may the more
casily pass the fibre in the receiving comb R. Before the taking comb has
again arrived at the feeding apparatus the brush Q* will have been brought
into position ready to strike the fibres into the comb; should this combing
head be applied according to the improved arrangement herein-after specified,
its place would be over the receiving comb, so that the cleansed ends of the
tufts of fibre would hang downwards by their own gravity; but if the head
should be placed horizontally, and the receiving comb with its teeth vertically,
it will be desirable to project the loose end of the fibres over it by means of a
current of air, to facilitate which process wire gauze may be
put behind the
fibre, to keep it as far from the centre as the receiving comb will admit the
gauze to pass.
My improvements in chain travelling combs for receiving fibre preparatory
to its being drawn off into slivers consist in putting the joint pins of the
comb-carrying links nearer together than heretofore, and increasing the length
of the connecting links until the distances between the respective joint pins is
equal, or nearly so; also in fitting the ends of the comb stocks to each other,
by bevelling them from both sides instead of from one side only. In Sheet 2,
Figure 11 is a side view, Figure 12 a plan, and Figure 13 a cross section,
of the links of a chain-receiving comb made according to my improvements.
A is a comb stock; B, comb carriage or carrying link; C, C, connecting
liuks; D, joint pin; E, poligonal wheel, having one flanch off, which with the
improved chain may advantageously be made with an odd number of notches ;

page_text: F, bar to carry the comb between the wheels E; G, G, guide plates bolted
to the bar F. As the last tuft of fibre placed on the receiving comb forms
an inclined plane to the base of the comb, it follows that the teeth of the
comb should be put in the comb stock at right angles to that plane.
My improvements in applying combing heads around or along receiving
combs have reference to receiving combs that rotate about vertical centres of
their own or that of chain wheels, in which combs the teeth are in the plane
of the horizon, and.consist in placing the combing heads, comprising feeding
and tuft detaching apparatus, under or over the combs, according to the
principle of the heads, so that the cleansed ends of the tufts shall depend from
the comb, ready to be drawn off into slivers by the ordinary means.
arrangement about one half only of the depth of the combing heads, instead
of the whole length, as at present, will project beyond the teeth of the
receiving combs; thus, if the circular comb be large in diameter, or the chain
comb long, several combing heads in series may be attended to by one operative,
and space saved.
By this
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
details herein set forth, as the same may be varied without departing from the
peculiar character of my Invention; but what I claim is,-
1stly, the use of a travelling web to contain and bring forward fresh
portions of fibre to a toothed cylinder for detaching the fibre from seed or
other impurities, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
2ndly, the use of a sheet metal cylinder, having serrated or toothed perfora-
tions, as shewn in Figure 4, for detaching fibre from impurities.
3rdly, the use of ventilating drums, when they are placed at such an eleva-
tion above the beater as to allow the current of air towards the drums to carry
the fibre upwards, so that in its progress forwards it shall afford time for im-
purities to descend into the dust chambers, as shewn and described in reference
to Figures 5, 6, and 7.
4thly, the use of ventilating endless webs or wire fabrics, so elevated with
reference to the beater as to allow the current of air towards the said webs
to suspend the fibre and give time for impurities to fall into the dust chambers,
as shewn and described in reference to Figures 5, 6, and 7.
5thly, the use of transverse l'assages, similar to those marked R*, and
R, R, in Figure 5, to admit air for buoying up the fibre whilst carrying it
forward to be deposited on travelling webs or drums; also of air valves to
regulate the current, so as to admit of the fine fibre being carried to a greater
distance than the medium or coarse fibre.

page_text: 6thly, the use of two or more travelling webs for the purpose of delivering
simultaneously fleeces of fibre of different specific gravities and degrees of
purity, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 5, 6, and 7.
7thly, the arrangement of mechanism for carrying the taking comb and
its fixing brush, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 8, 9,
and 10.
8thly, the means employed for causing the taking comb to retire in the plane
of the feeding apparatus whilst detaching a tuft of fibre, as shewn and described
in reference to Figures 8, 9, and 10.
9thly, causing the teeth of the taking comb to withdraw from the tufts
immediately they are pierced by the teeth of the receiving comb, as shewn and
described in reference to Figures 8, 9, and 10.
10thly, the peculiar construction and application of a fixing brush to the
taking comb, as described.
11thly, the arrangement of mechanism shewn and described in reference to
Figures 8, 9, and 10, for carrying and working the pressing brush for fixing
fibre in the receiving comb.
12thly, the improved construction of receiving combs, in which the joint
pins are equidistant, or nearly so; also joining the ends of the comb stocks
by bevelling them from both sides, as shewn and described in reference to
Figures 11, 12, and 13..
And, lastly, the exclusive right to use the herein-before described arrange-
ment of combing heads, with reference to receiving combs.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Roberts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
Witness to the signature of Rich Roberts,
H. B. BARLOW,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
RICH ROBERTS. (L.S.)