IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Holden, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Machine Wool Comber, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 19th December 1862, and dated the 27th June 1862.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
June 1862.
I, ISAAC HOLDEN, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine Wool
Comber, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to adaptations and combinations of means in
connection with apparatus for preparing and combing wool and other fibrous
materials.
I apply in connection with screws for giving the horizontal motions to gill
bars, frames having vertical motions by cams or cranks, or other suitable
means, and recesses formed in them adapted to receive the bars at the times
for their ascending and for their descending motions. To insure the
proper action of these recesses I also sometimes apply to them spring
catches.
To gill preparers I apply flat brushes in pairs, to act simultaneously upon
opposite sides or surfaces of the fibre whilst it is passing from the feeding
to the working conibs, such brushes having motions to and from each other:.
In applying gill combs as working combs in combing wool and other fibres,

page_text: I form the bars partly in form concentric with the circle of carrying combs,
and partly of a larger circle eccentric thereto, by which the teeth of such combs
will be found better to work the beard of the fibre as the fibre approaches, and
is operated by such working combs.
I also apply a rotating circular plate placed in an inclined or horizontal
direction, and projecting more or less beyond the periphery of the carrying
circular comb, with brushes at its periphery to aid in lifting the fringe of fibre
carried by the circle of carrying combs forward and up to the working comb
teeth.
To facilitate the heating of comb teeth by jets of gas, or other fire heat, I
form the surface of the heating plate next the fire heat with projections,
passing down to and amongst the flames thereof.
For giving motion to the feed rollers of what are known as eccentric
filling heads, I drive such rollers by star wheel motion and spur wheels.
To facilitate the use of keeping plates between rows of comb teeth, I form
the comb teeth flat with the edges of one row opposite the edges of the next,
or with the flattened sides of the teeth in either row towards each other, by
which the keeping plate will be better protected from passing out between
the rows.
"
In using in connection with the circle of carrying combs other combs
pointing towards and capable of coming in front of the carrying combs, some-
times called "nacteur" combs, I form the adjoining ends of the heads of the
sections of such "nacteur combs inclining upwards from each other. To
facilitate these motions without breaking the teeth, when passing each other
at such adjacent parts, I also form such adjacent parts inclined borizontally,
so that the teeth of one section may be in front of or overlap those of the.
adjoining.
'
I give rotary motion to the travelling comb circle by means of a screw,
acting upon teeth on the exterior of its periphery. The screw being firmly
secured from moving endways, gives a more equable and steady motion to
such circle.

page_text: WHEREAS Her .most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Isaac Holden, Her special licence, that I, the said Isaac Holden,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Isaac Holden, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Isaac Holden, my executors or administrators by an instrument 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 Isaac Holden, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements relate to adaptations and combinations of means, in con-
nection with apparatus for preparing and combing wool and other fibrous
materials.
But that the improvements. may be better understood, I will proceed by the
aid of.the accompanying Drawings more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a longitudinal sectional view, and Figure 2 a front view
partly in section of one side of parts of apparatus, arranged according to the
first part of my Invention, which. relates to giving the horizontal motion to
gill bars by means of screws, whilst giving the vertical motions to such bars
by means of frames, actuated vertically by means of cams, or they may be
actuated by cranks or other suitable means, and having recesses formed in
them, adapted to receive such gill bars at the times of their ascending and of
their descending motions. a, a, shews part of the main framing; b, an upper,
and c, a lower screw, such as is now commonly used for giving the to-and-fro

page_text: motions to gill bars in screw gill apparatus, used in preparing wool and other
fibres; d is the top saddle or race for the gill bars z, whilst they are being
moved by the upper pair of screws 6; and e is the lower saddle or race for the
gill bars, whilst they in their return motion are being actuated by the lower
pair of screws c. f is one of the frames by which I obtain the vertical
motions to the gill bars, to raise them from the lower to the upper screws,
and to lower them from the upper to the lower screws. It will be under-
stood that there are two of these frames f, one to operate at each end of the
gill bars. I would here state that I have in the Specification of a former
Patent granted to me, dated the 5th of May 1856, No. 1058, described the
operation of bars or frames for giving the lifting and the lowering motions
to gill bars; and in the Specification of a subsequent Patent, dated the 30th
of January 1857, No. 280, I described a modification of such bars, in
which a lifting and a lowering bar are combined into one frame with
recesses adapted to receive the gill bars for each motion, but the horizontal
motions in this latter case to the gill bars were obtained by other means
than screws; and this part of my present improvements relates to a modification
of such frames having recesses in them to receive the gill bars for their
ascending and descending motions so that they may be better suited to be
used when screws are employed for giving the horizontal motions to such gill
bars. These frames f, carry trucks or bowls f', f', which embrace cams g,
affixed on the shaft g', which receives motion by suitable gearing, as is well
understood, so that in the revolution of the cams g with the shaft g'a vertical
movement will be given to these frames f. The frame f is shewn in its highest
position. Figure 3 shews one of these frames separately, f is the recess into
which a gill bar is moved by the screw c, for the purpose of being raised into
the upper row to be carried forward by the screw b in the direction of the arrow,
and f³ is the recess by which a gill bar is taken down from the upper to tho
lower row. The depth of the recesses f2,f³, should be proportionate to the
pitch of the screws and the resting surfaces of the cams g. The depth of
the upper parts (1), (1), of the recesses f, f³, bear the same proportion to
the pitch of the screw b, as the resting surface 93, of the cam g would bear
to the circumference of the cam g if that surface g³ were continued. And the
depth of the lower parts (2), (2), of the recesses f³, f³, bear the same pro-
portion to the pitch of the screw c as the resting surface g³ of the cam g bears,
to the circumference of a circle obtained by the continuation of the surface f
or thereabouts.
According to the arrangement shewn when the times of rest to the frames f
obtained by the cams g or other lifting or lowering means used are a little

page_text: in excess of the times allowed for their rising or lowering motions, say in the
relations of 18 to 14 respectively, I find it convenient to have the depth
of the upper portion (1), (1), of the recesses about of the pitch of the screw
b, and the depth of the lower portion of the recesses at (2), (2), about 1 of
the pitch of the screw c, increasing or diminishing the depth of the recesses at
(1), (1), and (2), (2), in the same relative proportion as the times of rest
are increased or diminished, the object of which is to admit of the continuous
notions of the screws with the gill bars during the vertical motions to these
frames f, without the upper portions (3), (3), of the frames f interfering
with either the gill bar which is coming into position to be raised, or that which
is coming into position to be lowered, and to insure the rising and falling of the
gill bars in planes at right angles to the direction of length of the fibre.
And in some cases in order to insure the proper action of the upper portion
(1), (1), of the recess f³, I apply spring catches h each of which turns upon
an axis h', and at its upper end is acted upon by a suitable spring h² with a
tendency to force the lower end thereof outwards. Whilst the frames of are
rising supposing the lower ends h³ of the catches h to come against a gill bar
those catches will simply be forced inwards, and when the frames' f havo
ascended to their highest position the catches h will by their springs be forced
with their lower ends on to the top of such gill bar to aid in taking it down
in the recess with the descent of the frames f.
a', a', are projections from the framing a, forming guides for the upper parts
of the frames f; and i is one of a pair of guides supported upon the axis g¹ so'
that that axis may freely revolve through it for guiding the lower portions
of the frames f.
The second part of my improvements relates to the application to what are
known in the trade as gill preparers of flat brushes in pairs to act simultaneously
upon opposite sides or surfaces of the fibre under operation in its passage from
the feeding to the working combs, such brushes having motions to and from
each other. Figure 4 shews an end view of one of the side framings and parts
carried thereby of apparatus arranged according to this part of the improve-
ments, and Figure 5 a vertical section of the same; j represents one of the
pair of brushes, and the other of them. These brushes j, j¹, have motion
towards and from each other by means of cams ³, affixed to axes 77, such
cams acting each upon a pair of trucks or bowls ³, j³, turning on studs j*,*,
projecting from the frames to which the brushes j and are affixed, or
these motions may be obtained by other suitable means. The frames j³ are
guided in their motions by guides jo, j; k, k; represent the feeding combs,

page_text: and 7, 1, the working combs and between these feeding and working combs
the brushes are caused to act in conjunction with each working comb, and
the tendency of them is to assist the correct laying of the separate fibres
in their passage from one set of combs to the other.
Thirdly, the improvements relate when applying gill combs as working combs
in combing wool and other fibres to forming the gill bars partly in form con-
centric with the circle of carrying combs and partly of a larger circle eccentric
thereto, by which the teeth of such combs will be found better to work the
beard of the fibre as the fibre approaches and is operated by such working
combs. Figure 6 shews by plan view a Diagrani of parts arranged according
to this part of the improvements; m indicates a portion of a circle of carrying
or holding combs such as is well known for holding wool or other fibre whilst
the same is being worked by working combs n, which are of the character of
gill combs, and according to this part of the improvements they are formed
from (1) to (2), of a form corresponding or concentric with the circle m but
from (2) to (3), they assume another curve larger and eccentric to the
circle m by which the beard of the fibre will be more gradually entered by
the teeth of such working combs.
This Figure also illustrates the fourth part of the improvements, which consists
in applying a rotating circular plate placed in an inclined or horizontal direction
and projecting more or less beyond the periphery of the carrying circular
comb with brushes at its periphery to aid in lifting the fringe of fibre carried
by the circle of carrying combs forward and up to the working comb teeth;
o shews this plate in position with brushes o' arranged around its periphery
so that as it is caused to revolve upon its axis o, in the direction indicated by
the arrow and at a surface speed to the brushes somewhat faster than that
of the circle of combs m, it will have a tendency to lift the fringe of fibre
hanging from the circle of holding or carrying combs m and carry the beard
forward to the working combs.
Fifthly, the improvements relate to facilitating the heating of comb teeth
by jets of gas or other fire heat by forming the surface of the heating plate
next the fire heat with projections passing down to and amongst the flames
thereof. Figures 7 and 8 shew an arrangement of parts according to this
part of the improvements. p is the heating plate, such as is used for heating
in their transit over it of comb teeth used in preparing and combing wool and
other fibres; and q, q, are a series of pipes, with jets. for flames of gas for
heating the same; but according to this part of the improvements the plate p
is formed with numerous projections p¹ passing down to and amongst the
:

page_text: flames from the jets q, in order to assist in conducting the heat therefrom
upwards to the plate p, and thence to the bars of comb teeth in their passage
over such plate.
Sixthly, the improvements relate to giving motion to the feed rollers of-
what are known as eccentric filling heads by star-wheel motion and spur
wheels. Figure 9 shews an end view of a feeding head arranged according to
this part of my improvements. r, r, are the axes of the feed rollers, sup-
ported in the frame s, which is formed to receive the eccentric t affixed to and
revolving with the axis t¹, whilst the lower end of the frames is by pin-
joint s¹ connected to one end of the link s², the other end of which simply
turns.or rocks on a fixed stud s³, as is well understood; u is what is commonly-
called a star wheel, which is capable of turning on the fixed stud u¹, and
is formed with a series of recesses ², one of which at each rotation of the
eccentric t is taken into by the stud t2 thereon, so as to move that wheel u-
partly round a distance equal to that between one recess u² and the next, and.
then the star wheel u is held stationary until the eccentric t has made another-
rotation by the surface of the eccentric t sliding upon a surface of the star-
wheel between two adjoining recesses u³, as is well understood. To the star
wheel u is affixed a pinion w, the teeth of which take into the teeth of the.
wheel w', upon which is affixed a pinion w³, the teeth of which take into the
teeth of the pinion w³, upon which is affixed the pinion w', the teeth of which.
take into the teeth of the pinion w affixed upon the axis of one of the
rollers r, by which an intermittent motion will be given to the rollers r, r.
.
Seventhly, the improvements relate to facilitating the use of keeping plates.
as applied between rows of comb teeth. For this purpose I form the comb
teeth flat with the edges of one row opposite the edges of the next, or with
the flattened sides of the teeth in either row towards each other, by which the
keeping plate will be better protected from passing out between the rows.
Eighthly, the improvements relate, when using, in connection with the circle
of carrying combs, other combs in sections, with the teeth thereof pointing
towards and capable of coming in front of the carrying combs, which other.
combs I call "nacteur" combs, and they have been fully described by me in
the Specification of Letters Patent, dated January 7th, 1859, No. 52, under
the last head of Invention, and the present improvements consist in forming
5 the adjoining ends of the heads of the sections of such "nacteur" combs
inclining upwards from each other to facilitate their up-and-down motions
without endangering the breaking of the teeth when passing each other. I
also form such, adjacent parts inclined horizontally; so that the teeth of one
section may be in front of or overlap those of the adjoining. This part of

page_text: the improvements is shewn by Figures 10 and 11. x, x, are segments of
_nacteur" combs having their teeth at a¹; but in place of the adjoining ends
of these comb heads being formed vertical and parallel to each other, as
heretofore, they are inclined from (1) to (2), by which facility is obtained for
their freely passing each other in their rising and falling motions without the
teeth towards the ends of one segment a being injured by the sides from (1)
to (2) of adjoining comb heads, as in the event of the points of such teeth
coming opposite the end of an adjoining comb head, by such ends being
inclined, the points will readily slide down those inclines without being injured.
These adjoining parts with the teeth therein also overlap each other, as
indicated by the inclined line (1) to (3), so as not to interfere with the
contiguity of operation of the teeth of such "nacteur" combs.
Ninthly, the improvements relate to giving rotary motion to the travelling
comb circle by means of a screw acting upon teeth on the exterior of its
periphery. The screw being firmily secured from moving endways gives.a
more equable and steady motion to such circle. This part of the improve-
ments is shewn by the sectional and plan views, Figures 12 and 13. A
represents the circular travelling or carrying comb, which in carrying out this
part of my improvements would have the driving teeth A¹ formed on the
outer circumference in place of on the inner circumiferénce thereof, as is the
general practice, and these teeth are taken into by the teeth of a screw B,
the axis of which is supported in suitable bearings, and has motion given to
it, as required; C is a plate, serving to protect the fibre held in the teeth of
the circle A from being injured by the teeth of the screw B.
Having thus described the said Invention, and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shewn and described, so long as the
peculiar character of the several improvements be retained substantially as
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Holden, have hereunto set my
-hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of December, in the year of
our Lord One. thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
ISAAC HOLDEN. (L.S.)