IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURE OF COMBS. PORCUPINES. GILLS. AND CARD COVERING.
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Richards Harding, of the Firm of T. R. Harding
and Son, of the Tower Works, Globe Road, Leeds, in the County of York,
Card, Comb, and Pin Manufacturers, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUFACTURE OF COMBS. PORCUPINES. GILLS. AND CARD COVERING.
THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Richards Harding
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th February 1881.
"
THOMAS RICHARDS HARDING, of the Firm of T. R. Harding and Son, of the
Tower Works, Globe Road, Leeds, in the County of York, Card, Comb, and Pin
Manufacturers. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COMBS, PORCUPINES,
GILLS, AND CARD COVERING, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
My Invention consists, firstly, in improved and automatic machinery for drilling
porcupines, gills, and card covering, by which the work is done both more cheaply
and perfectly than heretofore.
The machine is fitted with one or more shafts driven from the motive power.
On said shaft or shafts are mounted cams, each of which gives the required feed
motion to a drilling spindle driven at a high speed in the ordinary way, so as to
cause its drill to enter into the brass barrel or porcupine tube, and form the
required holes.
The shaft or mandrel upon which the porcupine tube or barrel is mounted is
actuated intermittently by a ratchet and wheel; the number of teeth of the latter
correspond with the number of rows of holes required in the porcupine.
I do not in this machine drill row by row as is usually done, but begin at
one end of the barrel or tube, and continue in a helical or spiral form to the
other end.
For this purpose one of the cam shafts or the driving shaft carries a crank and
stud connected by a rod with an arrangement for working the ratchet wheel, so
that after each perforation of the drill the barrel is moved forward angularly the
required distance between two rows. The ratchet wheel is connected by toothed

page_text: wheels with a screw which actuates the slide carrying the porcupine shaft or
mandrel, in such a way that when the ratchet wheel and porcupine have made one
complete turn the porcupine has been moved endwise the required distance or
pitch between one pin and the next in the row. Thus the holes drilled round the
barrel are in a helical or spiral form, so that without stopping the machine all the
holes in one set of rows may be drilled from one end to the other of the barrels.
This having been done the screw is wound back to a starting point, and the
intervening set of rows are drilled so as to produce the required quincunx
form.
The machine may be fitted with several drilling heads actuated by one or more
cam shafts, and several porcupine barrels may be fitted or mounted on the porcupine
shaft or mandrel, and acted on at the same time.
Secondly. When it is required to drill gill stocks on this machine the porcupine
shaft or mandrel is fitted with a cylinder or cylinders, or simply with discs, upon
which the gill stocks are fixed at equal distances around the same, the number of
stocks corresponding with the number of the teeth in the ratchet wheel used.
The gill stocks may then be said to form a kind of complex or built up porcupine
barrel, and the drilling performed in the same way as already described, with this
exception, that they are not drilled in the helical or spiral form. The action of the
screw is counteracted by a suitably formed cam or by arresting the action of the
screw during the revolution of the ratchet wheel. For gill stocks I use drills
on opposite sides of the barrel, so that one drills one row of holes and the
opposite one the other. Porcupines may also be drilled in the same manner.
Thirdly. The machine is also convenient for drilling the wood or metal segments
used for forming the coverings of the "workers," "strippers," and "doffers" of
cards.
The segments are fitted on a shaft so as to form a complete round or cylinder,
and are dealt with in a similar way to that already described for porcupines and
gills.
"
Fourthly. For these last named articles I generally use by preference rolled or
drawn brass, which is more dense, tough, and homogeneous than cast brass. My
improved methods of drilling leads me to adopt this kind of brass for "circle
combs," and for a kind of comb of eccentric or irregular shape, known as the
'square motion comb." Instead of bending these to form I prefer cutting them
out of solid plates of brass, which may be done in various ways, but I find the
most convenient to be as follows:-I take plates of brass sufficiently wide to allow
of a number of combs being cut out of them, and in a machine similar to those
now used for drilling these combs; I drill from end to end a row of holes as close
as possible to each other, and following the shape of a master template; this is
done for as many combs as the width of the brass allows.
The work is then gone
over with a punch instead of a drill so as to cut out the metal between the
holes.
For small circle combs the rings may be cut
otherwise.
out of solid plates by turning or
For circles of large size I use bars of rolled brass of the desired section, and
bend them either by rollers or dies into "form." The ends are united by a suitable
scarf joint and rivets. The said joint may or may not be brazed.
Fifthly. My Invention consists further in improved means of pressing the pins
into the drilled porcupine barrels. For this purpose I use a machine or apparatus
consisting of a lever, which receives a rapid reciprocating motion from an eccentric
or cam driven from the motive power; the lever is fitted with a hammer or die to
press in the pins, and the porcupine rests against an adjustable plate carried by a
slide in such a way as to permit of very carefully regulating the distance to which
the pins are to be pressed in.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Richards Harding in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th August 1881.
THOMAS RICHARDS HARDING, of the Firm of T. R. Harding and Son, of the
Tower Works, Globe Road, Leeds, in the County of York, Card, Comb, and Pin
Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COMBS, PORCUPINES,
GILLS, AND CARD COVERING, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
This Invention consists, firstly, in improved and automatic machinery for drilling
porcupines, gills, and card covering, by which the work is done both more cheaply
and perfectly than heretofore. The machine is fitted with one or more shafts
driven from the motive power. On said shaft or shafts are mounted cams, each of
which gives the required feed motion to a drilling spindle driven at a high speed
in the ordinary way, so as to cause its drill to enter into the brass barrels or
porcupine tubes and form the required holes. The shaft or mandrel upon which
the porcupine tube or barrel is mounted is actuated intermittently by a pawl upon
a ratchet-wheel, the number of teeth in which correspond with the number of rows
of holes required in the porcupine. I do not in this machine drill row by row as
is usually done, but begin at one end of the barrel or tube, and continue in a
helical or spiral form to the other end. For this purpose one of the cam shafts or
the driving shaft carries a crank and stud, connected by a rod or link with an
arrangement of parts for working the ratchet-wheel, so that after each perforation
of the drill the barrel is moved forward angularly the required distance between
the rows. The ratchet-wheel is connected by toothed wheels with a screw which
actuates the slide carrying the porcupine shaft or mandrel in such a way that when
the ratchet-wheel and porcupine have made one complete turn the porcupine has
been moved end wise the required distance or pitch between one pin and the next
in the row. Thus the holes drilled round the barrel are in a helical or spiral form,
so that without stopping the machine all the holes in one set of rows may be
drilled from one end to the other of the barrel. This having been done the screw
is wound back to a starting point, and the intervening sets of rows are drilled so
as to produce the required quincunx form. The machine may be fitted with
several drilling heads actuated by one or more cam shafts, and several porcupine
barrels may be fitted or mounted on the porcupine shaft or mandrel, and acted on
at the same time. Secondly. When it is required to drill gill-stocks on this
machine the porcupine shaft or mandrel is fitted with a cylinder or cylinders, or
simply with discs, upon which the gill-stocks are fixed at equal distances around
the saine, the number of stocks corresponding with the number of the teeth in the
ratchet-wheel used. The gill-stocks may then be said to form a kind of complex
or built up porcupine barrel, and the drilling performed in the same way as already
described. Where it is not required that they be drilled in the helical or spiral
form the action of the screw is counteracted by a suitably formed cam, or by
arresting the action of the screw during the revolution of the ratchet-wheel. For
gill-stocks drills may be used on opposite sides of the barrel so that one drills one
row of holes and the opposite one the other. Porcupines may also be drilled in the
same manner. Thirdly. The machine is also convenient for drilling the wood or
metal segments used for forming the coverings of the "workers," "strippers," and
"doffers" of cards. The segments are fitted on a shaft so as to form a complete
round or cylinder, and are dealt with in a similar way to that already described
for porcupines and gills. Fourthly. For these last named articles I generally use
by preference rolled or drawn brass, which is more dense, tough, and homogeneous

page_text: 1
'
than cast brass. My improved methods of drilling lead me to adopt this kind of
brass for "circle combs," and for a kind of comb of eccentric or irregular shape
known as the "square motion comb." Instead of bending these latter to form I
prefer cutting them out of solid plates of brass, which may be done in various
ways, but I find the most convenient to be as follows:-I take plates of brass
sufficiently wide to allow of a number of combs being cut out of them, and in a
machine similar to those now used for drilling these combs I drill from end to end
a row of holes as close as possible to each other, and following the shape of a
master template; this is done for as many combs as the width of brass allows.
The work is then gone over with a punch instead of a drill, so as to cut out the
metal between the holes. For small circle combs the rings may be cut out of solid
plates by turning or otherwise. For circles of large size I use bars of rolled brass
of the desired section, and bend them either by rollers or dies into form; the ends
are united by a suitable scarf joint and rivets, and the said joint may or may
not be brazed; or the joint may be made by butt end brazing or fusing only.
Fifthly. My Invention consists further in improved means of pressing the pins into
the drilled porcupine barrels. For this purpose I use a machine or apparatus
consisting of a lever which receives a rapid reciprocating motion from an eccentric
or cam driven from the motive power; the lever is fitted with a hammer or die
to press in the pius, and the porcupine barrel rests against an adjustable plate
carried by a slide in such a way as to permit of very carefully regulating the
distance to which the pins are to be pressed in. In the accompanying two Sheets
of Drawings the same reference letters refer to the same or like parts wherever they
are repeated. Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a plan, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 an end
elevation of my improved machine for drilling porcupines, gills, and card covering
according to my Invention. Figs. 8 and 9, Sheet 2, are a plan and elevation of the
same machine shewing its adaptation to drilling "gill-stocks"; Fig. 10, Sheet 2,
shews to an enlarged scale and in cross section the drilling operation. In the above
Figures A is the bed of the machine; B, a sliding carriage moving on A; C, C',
and Care the driving shafts carrying the cams D for feeding the drills. The
shaft C also carries the crank disc K for giving the longitudinal and angular feed
motion to the articles under operation; E, E, are the driving pulleys; F are the
drill spindles; G, the levers acted upon by the cams D for giving the feed to the
drills; H and I are headstocks on the carriage B for carrying the mandrel J upon
which the articles to be operated upon are mounted; K¹ is the crank stud in the
disc K for actuating, through the link L, lever M, and pawl or ratchet N acting on
the ratchet-wheel Ŏ keyed on the mandrel P, the angular and spiral feed motions,
the latter motion being effected by placing the pawl or ratchet N at an angle with
the axis of the mandrel J, as shewn in plan in Fig. 1, Sheet 1, and corresponding
with the amount or pitch of the spiral required, and operating in conjunction with
the longitudinal motion due to the screw T. Either right or left hand spirals can
be obtained as desired. The longitudinal motion is obtained from the ratchet-
wheel O, wheels Q, R, and S on the screw T attached to the carriage B. The drill
spindles F are adjustable both longitudinally and vertically. U represents the
porcupine barrels and card covering under operation. When drilling gill-stocks I
inount a number of stocks V on a barrel W (or on separate discs); this barrel or
the discs are free to move endwise on the mandrel J, but is or are prevented from
any angular movement by the key X or its equivalent. Where it is necessary that
the plane of each circular row should be at right angles to the axis.of the barrel W
or mandrel J, as the longitudinal feed by the screw T is in operation at the same
time as the angular feed, it becomes necessary to counteract the former, which I do
by means of a helical cam Y on the end of the barrel W, which is equal in pitch to
the advance given by the screw T. The said cam being pressed against the fixed
stud Z by means of the spring Z' causes the barrel to be retarded or neutralized in
its endwise motion in the same ratio as that imparted to the carriage B; and to
make a sudden movement backward on the completion of each revolution of the
ratchet-wheel O, the said backward movement being equal to the longitudinal pitch

page_text: of the holes required. Fig. 11, Sheet 2, shews the method of forming small circle-
combs but cutting them out of a sheet of solid rolled brass by turning or otherwise.
a is the sheet of brass, and b the ring for the circle-comb; Fig. 12, Sheet 2, shews
the method of forming a large circle-comb out of a bar of rolled brass, and Figs. 13
the methods of forming the joint of the same by scarfing and rivetting; other forms
of joint may be used, as previously described. Fig. 14 shews the method of cutting
out irregular forms or square motion combs by drilling and punching from a master
template, as previously referred to; Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, Sheet 1, shew my improved
apparatus for pressing the pins into the barrels of porcupines; C is the bed plate of
the machine carrying a driving pulley d at one end revolving on a stud c.
pulley has an eccentric fattached to it, and acts upon the bowl g on one end of the
lever h, which, together with the action of an indian-rubber or other spring n, cause
a reciprocating motion to be imparted to the said lever h (which is mounted upon
the stud i), on the other end of which is the hammer or pressing tool j, which,
operating inside of the barrel , hammers or presses in the pins 7, the operator
meanwhile traverses the barrel along and against the adjustable rest or anvil m.
This
And having described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it understood that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as secured to me under the
Letters Patent hereinbefore in part recited is,-
1. The method of drilling porcupines, gill-stocks, and card staves in a helical
form, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
2. In a machine for drilling porcupines, gill-stocks, and card staves, the general
arrangement and combination of mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and shewn.
3. The making of combs cut out of rolled brass without bending, substantially
as herein before described and shewn.
4. The making of circle combs of rolled brass bent to form and jointed, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
5. The general arrangement and combination of machine for pressing the pins in
porcupines, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Richards Harding, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
MTTA 10 TTADINING