IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Battinson and George Battinson, both of
Halifax, in the County of York, Wool Combers, and Thomas
Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead, both of Leeds, in the
said County, Machine and Tool Manufacturers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 6th May 1870, and dated the 10th November 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Battinson, George.
Battinson, Thomas Whitehead, and Henry Walton Whitehead at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 10th November 1869.
We, ISAAC BATTINSON and GEORGE BATTINSON, both of Halifax, in
the County of York, Wool Combers, and THOMAS WHITEHEAD and
HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD, both of Leeds, in the said County,
Machine and Tool Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the

page_text: said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON,
FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our improvements are particularly applicable and intended to be
adapted to the well-known Noble's combing machine or other similar
combing machines where two combs are brought into contact.
Hitherto a quantity of noil has escaped being cleared between the
smaller and larger circular combs, and our object is to effect a clearing
of this by clearing a small portion of the sliver, which we propose to do
by means of a dabbing brush to press the sliver into the large circular
comb in any part where it does not come in contact with the small
circular combs, and whilst the wool is in the circle by means of a comb
falling down or rising up into the wool as close as possible to the larger
circular comb, and then withdrawing a short distance from the larger
circular comb, so as to remove the noil a short distance from such larger
circular comb, but not to withdraw or separate it from the sliver. After
this process the wool or other substance is lifted out of the larger
circular comb by knives or other suitable means and passed forward as
the larger circular comb revolves to the tangent point of the larger and
smaller circles, and then placed into the combs, by which means it will
be seen that one portion of the cleared part of the sliver will be in the
larger circle, and the other portion in the smaller circle, and the division
of the wool will now take place and the sliver be drawn off, and the noil
will be taken out of the smaller circles, as has been hitherto the practice
with Noble's and other combing machines.
Another mode of effecting the same object may be done by taking
hold of the end of the sliver when it is in the larger circular comb by
nippers or other holders so as to draw a small portion of the sliver
forward, and thereby clear that small portion of the sliver and lift it out
and place it partly in the larger and partly in the smaller circular
combs, as before mentioned.
Another mode of clearing the before-mentioned small portion of sliver
is by leaving a wider space than usual in the larger circular comb, so
that a comb or combs may be inserted in such space before the wool is
lifted out of the larger circle, so that it may clear a small portion of the
sliver and be carried forward, as before stated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said Isaac Battinson, George Battinson, Thomas
Whitehead, and Henry Walton Whitehead in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, ISAAC
BATTINSON and GEORGE BATTINSON, both of Halifax, in the County of
York, Wool Combers, and THOMAS WHITEHEAD and HENRY WALTON
WHITEHEAD, both of Leeds, in the said County, Machine and Tool
Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Isaac Battinson, George Battinson, Thomas
Whitehead, and Henry Walton Whitehead, Her special licence that we,
the said Isaac Battinson, George Battinson, Thomas Whitehead, and
Henry Walton Whitehead, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said. Isaac Battinson, George Battinson,
Thomas Whitehead, and Henry Walton Whitehead, our 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, COTTON, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Isaac Battinson,
George Battinson, Thomas Whitehead, and Henry Walton Whitehead,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Whitehead, on behalf of,
myself and of the said Isaac Battinson, George Battinson, and Henry
Walton Whitehead, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly.

page_text: described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
-
Our improvements are particularly applicable and intended to be
adapted to the well-known Noble's combing machine or other similar
combing machines where two combs are brought into close proximity to
receive upon their pins the wool or other fibro to be combed, and by the
recession of the pins of the respective combs from each other the ends
are combed and the fibres presented to the drawing-off rollers.
Hitherto in these machines a quantity of noil has escaped being
cleared between the smaller and larger circular combs, and the object of
this Invention is to effect the removal of this noil by first clearing a
small portion of the sliver and then laying this cleaned portion by means
of a dabbing brush over the space between the pins of the two combs.
This cleaning of the sliver may be effected by means of a comb falling
down or rising up into the wool as close as possible to the inner peri-
phery of the larger circular comb, on to which it is fed in the well-known
manner, and then withdrawing that reciprocating comb a short distance
laterally from the larger circular comb.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, Sheet I., shews in plan view a
part of a Noble's combing machine with our improvements applied
thereto; Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a front
elevation of parts (detached) for actuating the comb or combs employed
for clearing the fibro, and hercin-after termed the "clearing comb";
and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, Sheet II., is a sectional
elevation (on an enlarged scale) of the same parts taken on the line
A, B, of Fig. 3.
In Fig. 1 A, A, are the upright driving shafts of the machine placed
within the large circular comb B, and serving to carry respectively the
smaller circular combs A', As. These shafts A, A, communicate rotation
through the bevil gear 1, 1, to the shaft C, on the other end of which
is a bevil wheel 2 driving the wheel 3 keyed on the crank shaft D.
This shaft is supported by the side frames E, E, bolted to the bottom
gearing plate E' and to the steam chest E, and it serves to actuate
(through the arm F) the slide G, imparting thereto a rising and falling
motion. This slide carries at its upper part the clearing comb H, which
is secured (see Fig. 5) in a slide or V bed J; D' is an adjustable excentric,
which as it rotates bears against the slide G and forces it when in an

page_text: elevated position away from the comb B, thereby causing the clearing
comb II to take the position shewn in dots at Fig. 5. The fibre having
been pressed on to the pins of the large circular comb B by the action of
additional dabbing brushes K (the position of which is indicated by red
lines in Fig. 1), the clearing comb is passed upwards through the fibre
by the throw of the crank shaft D, and the excentric D' now acting by
the rotation of that shaft on the slide G will force or move the comb H
outwards, traversing it a short distance through the fibre, and thereby
pushing the "noil" to near the free end of the fibre, but not actually
separating it therefrom. The clearing comb H is now drawn by the
friction and traverse of the fibre in a lateral direction along its bed
(see Fig. 3) so as to prevent its catching the under side of the fibres on
withdrawal. The free or outer ends of the fibre rest on the bearing or
support S (see Fig. 5) (covered with flannel to obtain drag or hold) to
facilitate withdrawal. The crank now passing its centre on its return
stroke depresses the slide G and withdraws the clearing comb H. A
runner M fitted on the end of this comb having by the endway motion
of the comb come into contact with a fixed cam plate N, the comb' will
in its descent be pushed along its bed into position for repeating the
clearing operation on the next stroke of the crank. The slide G on
being depressed is returned to its original position by the spring G³ and
runner G. At G₁ are shewn fixed knives for lifting the fibre out of the
large circular comb B and bringing it to the proper elevation for being
laid across that comb and on to the smaller circular comb A' or A³, as
the case may be, the portion of fibre so cleared of noil lying between the
larger and smaller circular combs at their nearest point of approach, the
ordinary dabbing brush P being used to press the fibre into the teeth of
the combs. A division of the fibre now takes place through the con-
tinued rotation of the combs, and the combed or straightened fibres aro
next drawn off by the nearest set of stripping apparatus. The noil left
in the smaller combs is removed by knives or appliances commonly
employed for the purpose. At R, R, are runners on each side of the
slide G, these being fixed by bolts and studs at varying heights, according
to the traverse of the slide and clearing comb required.
Fig. 6 is a modification of the above-described arrangement shewing
the clearing comb H inverted and passing down instead of upwards. It.
is operated precisely as above described.
Fig. 7 shews another mode of cleaning the before-mentioned small

page_text: portion of the sliver fed to the large circular comb. In this case we
leave a wider space. than usual in the circular comb B, so that an
expanding comb or pair of combs may be inserted in such space, so that
before the wool is lifted by the fixed knives clear of the pins the
expanding comb may clear a small portion of the sliver, which is then
to be carried forward, as before stated, to be laid upon the combs A' and
B. In Fig. 7, R', R', are two circular clearing combs placed obliquely to
cach other on the shaft or spindle R and working loosely thereon. The
pins on these circular clearing combs converge within a chamber or space
between the pins on the large circular comb B, which it will be seen aro
set wider apart than usual. A boss or collar S on the shaft or spindle R³
between the two circular clearing combs ensures the rotation of the
clearing combs on their oblique line, and thus their pins will converge
or meet in the fibre: When the vertical line of the pins is passed they
will diverge or separate, thereby clearing or moving the noil in opposite
directions. The rotation of the clearing combs R', R', is imparted by the
frictional contact or tension of the fibre passing on the comb B. R³ is a
bracket or arm attached to the steam chest E³ for supporting the spindle
or shaft R on which the combs R' rotate.
Another mode of carrying out the object of our Invention is by
causing a pair of nippers to take hold of the fibres and retain a grip
thereof for a short time while the pins of the largo circular comb by its
rotation will recede sufficiently far from the nippers to clear by their
combing action the required space in the length of the gripped fibres.
Fig. 8 shews in elevation a pair of nippers applied to the large circular
comb and designed to effect this object, and Fig. 9 is a sectional plan of
the same. W, W', are the nippers, the lower nipper W being stationary
and made fast to a hollow stem, and the upper one W' having a rotary
motion for the purpose of taking hold of the fibres presented to it by the
comb B and releasing them after they have been acted on as described.
The nippers may be said to consist of two cups, the lips of which are
brought together and held in contact by the pressure of a coiled spring wo.
The upper nipper, is carried by a vertical spindle c¹ which passes up
through the hollow stem, and around it the pressure spring 10 is coiled;
it is screwed at the top to receive adjusting nuts which determine the
pressure to be put on the nipper. The lip of the upper nipper is formed
with a V edge which enters a V groove formed in the lower nipper, and
it is roughened in order that it may the better take hold of the fibres.

page_text: The edge of the lower nipper is cut away for some distance both in
advance and rear of the part which with the upper nipper grips the
fibres. As the comb B rotates the fibres which it carries will be
laid on the incline formed by the first opening and moving up the
incline will be caught between the nipping surfaces. The nipper W
moving forward with the comb will assist in carrying round the
nipped fibres, holding them at the same time fast in its grip, and the
fibres being thus to some extent drawn out of the comb will to the
extent of the length of that drawing out be cleared of the noils. On the
fibres arriving at the rear opening they will escape from the grip of the
nippers and be carried forward by the comb B to be operated upon as
before described.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements
in Machinery for Combing Wool, Cotton, Flax, and other Fibrous
Materials," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent we claim,―
First. The partial clearing of the fibres submitted to the combing
machine, in the manner and for the purpose above described.
Secondly. The various means above described whereby the partial
clearing of the fibres of noils is effected before the fibres are laid over
the working combs at their nearest point of approximation.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Whitehead, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
THOMAS WHITEHEAD. (L.s.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the said Thomas Whitehead, in
the presence of
EDWARD WHITELEY,
Clerk to Messrs. Richardson & Turner,
Solicitors,
Leeds.