IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING, HACKLING, AND STRAIGHTENING WOOL, FLAX, TOW, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WHITEHEAD, of Leeds, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Tenth day of October, in the ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
and grant unto
me, the said John Whitehead, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John White-
head, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Whitehead, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and.
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING, HACKLING, AND STRAIGHTENING WOOL,
FLAX, TOW, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that I, the said John Whitehead, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto.
had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Whitehead, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to
say):
No. 1: A, the driving shaft and pullies; B is a shaft, with a cam on the
same, for the contracting and expanding motion, which revolves three times
round for the shaft C once; C is the shaft on which is fixed the drums for
carrying the endless chain for putting in motion the travelling comb; for
once round of this shaft three combs pass over, so as the combs on the con-
tracting and expanding frame contract to meet the travelling comb, and expand
to draw out the material, which is better shown in No. 2.
No. 2: A, the driving shaft; B is a shaft on which is fixed the cam for
contracting and expanding the frame, on which are fixed the combs for
straightening and drawing out the material, which revolves three times
round for shaft C once; C is the shaft on which are fixed the drums
for carrying the endless chain for putting in motion the travelling combs;
for once round of this shaft three combs pass over, so as the combs on
the contracting frames will contract to meet the travelling combs; D; D, are
the travelling combs; E, E, are the contracting and expanding combs; F is
the cam for the contracting and expanding motion; G is the connecting
rod from the cam to the lever on the top of the frame; H, H, are the
levers on the top of the frame for contracting and expanding the frames on
which are fixed the combs; I, I, are the upright rods from the levers to the
contracting and expanding frames; J is the change pinion for altering the
speed of cam K; K, is the cam for driving the lever L to the speed of this
cam, to be altered by the change pinion, so as to give more or less work to the
material to be acted upon as required; L is the lever moved by cam K, and
connected to the upright rods I, I, which contracts and expands to comb the
wool or other material to be acted upon; this motion bends the rods I, I, at
the joints M, M, M, M, to bend or straighten these rods so as to allow the
contracting and expanding combs to commence at any required distance the
wool, &c. may require, and to allow them to approach nearer and nearer on
every strike of the comb B, until the combs strike quite close to each other;
N, N, are two feeding rollers to feed the wool on to the combs; O, the feeding
table to lay the wool on to pass through the rollers N, N; this feeding table can
Le placed at cither end of the machine. P are cans containing any kind of carded

page_text: wool, which has been carded before combing; when carded wool is used, the
feeding table O will not be required, and can be taken from the machine.
Having fully stated how my machines work, and described the various
motions, I would have it understood that I claim as my improvement or
Invention, a machine for combing all kinds of wool, silk, or other fibrous sub-
stances by combs, travelling horizontal, perpendicular, or inclined straight lines
with combs contracting to meet the travelling combs, and expanding to draw
out, comb, or straighten wool, silk, or other fibrous substances, the contracting
and expanding combs to commence at any required distance from the travelling
combs, and at every strike approach nearer and nearer to the travelling combs
until they strike close to each other, and to continue to strike close until the wool
is sufficiently operated upon. I also claim to comb wool that has been first
carded, and to comb wool, silk, and other fibrous substances that has not been
operated upon by this machine or any other machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Whitehead, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand sight hundred and fantre of