IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COMBS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Heather Spence of 8 Quality Court Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent. for an Invention of
“IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COMBS" com-
municated to him from abroad by Louis Marie Chorier of Paris in the
Republic of France Comb Manufacturer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Heather Spence at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1883.
WILLIAM HEATHER SPENCE of 8 Quality Court Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF COMBS." (a Communication to me from abroad by Louis Marie
Chorier of Paris in the Republic of France Comb Manufacturer)
This invention relates to the manufacture of combs called "à décrasser" (for
cleaning) and consists in the improvements hereinafter described whereby the
teeth of the combs are cut or shaped with increased regularity and economy of
manufacture is secured.
First In the machines hitherto employed the division of the teeth is effected
by means of successive changes of position of the comb-carrying drum by a
driving rack, the cutter carrier being fixed. The movement thus communicated
to the drum is not continuous but formed of jerks corresponding with the thickness
of the tooth.
It frequently happens that either from wear or any other cause one tooth of the
rack escaping or failing to act the drum has communicated to it a double change
of position, thereby causing to be made at a single stroke on the combs contained
in it a tooth of double thickness.
In order to obviate this inconvenience resulting from the jerks of the rack it was
preferred to employ the simple machine cutting only one comb at a time.
In the improved machine on the contrary the division of the teeth is effected by
an invariably continuous movement of the cutter carrier, the comb-carrying drum
being stationary and having only a rotary motion,

page_text: This continuous and unvarying motion of the cutter-carrier is obtained by a
method of driving analogous to that of the tool carrier in a parallel traverse for
planing, the cutter carrier replacing the tool. In this movement the cutter carrier
determines on the cylinder of revolution generated by the rests of the combs a
helicoidal curve the intersections of which with a single rest (intersections
corresponding with the pitch of the helix) constitute the mathematically
unvarying division of the latter.
If on the other hand the intersections of this curve with the successive rests of
the combs be considered as representing generators of the cylinder of revolution, it
will be seen that these intersections have between them a space of one sixth of the
pitch of the helix that is to say one sixth of the thickness of the tooth (in the case
of a drum with six combs)
By this arrangement there is obtained an infallible shaping of the teeth without
the possibility of defective result.
Secondly. In the existing machines the point of the tooth is made by means of
an auxiliary saw placed above or over the cutter carrier, and which by its difficulty
of regulation, its wear and special method of driving is uncertain in its action, and
an additional complication in the tool machine.
In the improved machine on the contrary, at the moment in which a tooth is cut
by the cutter carrier, a small blade placed on its axis and as it were, touching it
cuts the horn askew, thereby preparing the point of the tooth which is going to be
immediately cut or shaped.
These two arrangements give over the existing tools as stated above, the
advantage of an infallible and certain manufacture.
The economy of manipulation results from the following improvement:
In the machines at present employed the combs after being cut on one side are
required to be taken out of the holders and returned in order to cut them on the
other side, an operation which requires a certain time of stopping and a second
regulating.
This loss of time is overcome by a very simple arrangement by means of which
on one side being cut the combs contained in the drum are caused to participate
simultaneously in a movement of rotation of a half turn, thereby bringing the
second side to be cut into the requisite position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Heather Spence in the Patent Office on the 13th May
1884.
WILLIAM HEATHER SPENCE of 8 Quality Court Chancery Lano in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF COMBS." a Communication to me from abroad by Louis Marie
Chorier of Paris in the Republic of France Comb Manufacturer.
This Invention relates to the manufacture of combs called "a décrasser" (for
cleaning) and consists in the improvements hereinafter described whereby the
teeth of the combs are cut or shaped with increased regularity and economy of
manufacture is secured.
First In the machines hitherto employed the division of the teeth is effected by
means of successive changes of position of the comb-carrying drum by a driving
rack the cutter carrier being fixed.
The movement thus communicated to the drum is not continuous but formed of
jerks corresponding with the thickness of the tooth.
It frequently happens that either from wear or any other cause one tooth of the
rack escaping or failing to act the drum has communicated to it a double change of
position thereby causing to be made at a single stroke on the combs contained in it
a tooth of double thickness.
In order to obviate this inconvenience resulting from the jerks of the rack it
was preferred to employ the simple machine cutting only one comb at a time.
In the improved Machine on the contrary the division of the teeth is effected by
an invariably continuous movement of the cutter carrier the comb carrying drum
being stationary and having only a rotary motion.
This continuous and unvarying motion of the cutter carrier is obtained by a
method of driving analagous to that of the tool carrier in a parallel traverse for
planing the cutter carrier replacing the tool.
In this movement the cutter carrier determines on the cylinder of revolution
generated by the rests of the combs a helicoidal curve the intersections of which
with a single rest (intersections corresponding with the pitch of the helix) constitute
the mathematically unvarying division of the latter.
If on the other hand the intersections of this curve with the successive rests of
the combs be considered as representing generators of the cylinder of revolution it
will be seen that these intersections have between them a space of one sixth of the
pitch of the helix that is to say one sixth of the thickness of the tooth (in the case
of a drum with six combs)
By this arrangement there is obtained an infallible shaping of the teeth without
the possibility of defective result.
Secondly In the existing machines the point of the tooth is made by means of
an auxiliary saw placed above or over the cutter carrier and which by its difficulty
of regulation its wear and special method of driving is uncertain in its action and
an additional complication in the tool machine.
In the improved machine on the contrary at the moment in which a tooth is cut'
by the cutter carrier a small blade placed on its axis and as it were touching it
cuts the horn askew thereby preparing the point of the tooth which is going to be
immediately cut or shaped.
These two arrangements give over the existing tools as stated above the
advantage of an infallible and certain manufacture.
The economy of manipulation results from the following improvement.
In the Machines at present employed the combs after being cut on one side
are required to be taken out of the holders and returned in order to cut them on
C

page_text: the other side an operation which requires a certain time of stopping and a second
regulating.
This loss of time is overcome by a very simple arrangement by means of which
on one side being cut the combs contained in the drum are caused to participate
simultaneously in a movement of rotation of a half turn thereby bringing the
second side to be cut into the requisite position.
The following description to which is added a drawing will cause to be easily
understood the practical arrangements by the aid of which these three principal
improvements are obtained.
:
Fig 1, represents a side elevation of my machine Fig 2 is a front elevation
Figures 3 and 4 represent on a double scale the arrangements of a drum (those of
the two others being alike) in views respectively the same as Figures 1 and 2
Figures 5 and 6 show matters of detail
•
FIRST Division of the teeth. Figures 1 and 2
The cutter carrier A mounted on the table of the bench B is worked by the
screw a on the end of which is fixed the toothed wheel b communicating motion
to one of the intermediate wheels c (the common axis of which is fixed in the
bracket d) the other intermediate wheel e gearing with the pinion ƒ fixed on the
shaft C of the drums.
The toothed wheel b being known the pinion f will be determined by the
ordinary formula for the different thicknesses of teeth these thicknesses
corresponding with the pitch of the belix generated as above stated.
The drum D carrying the comb holders g (the particular arrangements of which
will be shown hereafter) is made solid with the shaft C supported by standards and
on which are mounted a fast and loose pulley.
The cutter h is mounted on a shaft i turning on two pointed screws fixed to a
support E mounted on a bar F fixed on the carriage G worked by a handle and by
means of which will be regulated the invariable position of the cutter for each
depth of teeth determined A movement of rapid rotation is communicated to the
cutter by means of the pinion k on the axle i and the toothed wheel on a shaft m
supported by two standards n n' fixed on the bar F and consequently participating
in the traversing movement of the carrier A driving pulley o is fixed on the
shaft m.
The wheel and the pinion k have oblique teeth.
SECONDLY. Pointing of the teeth Figures 2 and 3
A small blade p is fixed as near the cutter as possible in a recess formed in the
axle i by means of a set screw allowing it to be fixed in any suitable position by
this arrangement at the same time that the cutter will saw a teeth the blade p will
prepare the point of the next tooth The comb represented in Fig 4 shews an
enlarged view of a finished tooth and of the hollow cut prepared for the point of
the tooth to be sawn.
Two counterpoised guides q q¹ placed on each side of the cutter and mounted on
the shaft in the support E prevent the vibration of the cutter by means of two
screws 88¹ which press lightly on the cutter This arrangement is to be found in
existing Machines.
THIRDLY. Movement of rotation of the combs
The drum (properly so called) D formed by the combination of the discs D and
the nave H is loose on the main shaft C as shown in Fig 2 It is flanked on one
side by a toothed wheel t fixed on the shaft C the comb holders are terminated by
trunnions u u¹ inserted in holes v formed for this purpose in the disc D pinions w
gearing with the toothed wheel t are fixed in the trunnions u¹ (Fig 6).
If then keeping stationary the shaft C the drum D is caused to revolve the
toothed wheel t made stationary with the shaft will communicate through the
pinions wa movement of rotation to the comb holders.

page_text: On the other side the drum is flanked by a small disc (Fig 5) fixed also on the
main shaft C this disc has in its circumference notches in which the end of a tooth
in a catch y screwed on the disc D and pressed upon by a spring z can successively
enter The tooth of the catch being engaged in a notch will consequently render
the drum D solid with the shaft C in the movement of rotation of which it will
participate If then the catch be disengaged and the drum (thus become again
foose on the shaft) turned so far as to bring the tooth of the catch into the next
succeeding notch this movement of the drum will have determined the rotation of
a half turn of the comb-holders (the pinions w having been calculated for this
purpose according to the number of the divisions of the disc x corresponding to the
number of the comb holders in each drum) thereby bringing the combs into the
new position desired.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed (communicated to me from abroad as aforesaid) would
remark that it is to be understood that the machine hereinbefore described' is
adapted for cutting combs in various materials such as ivory horn cellulose
hardened India rubber box wood and others.
And I hereby declare that what I claim as of the said Invention is.
First The division of the teeth by an invariably continuous movement of the
cutter (the comb carrying drum being worked only with a movement of rotation)
by a method of driving analagous to that of the tool carrier in a parallel traverse
for planing the cutter carrier replacing the tool.
Secondly. The pointing of the teeth by means of a blade fixed on the axle of the
cutter participating in its movement and at the same time that this cuts a tooth
preparing the point of the next following tooth.
Thirdly The arrangement by means of which one side of the comb having been
cut or shaped the combs contained in the drum are caused to participate
simultaneously in an automatic movement of rotation bringing the side to be cut
or shaped into the desired position.
And this independently of the different arrangements hereinbefore described and
by the aid of which these improvements are obtained reserving the right of varying
the number of the drums and that of the combs fixed on each of them.
In witness whereof I the said William Heather Spence have hereunto set my
hand and seal the thirteenth day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
TIM TT ADANAN