IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Holden, of St. Denis, near Paris, in the
Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING WOOL
AND OTHER FIBRES."
Sealed the 28th April 1857, and dated the 30th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Holden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th January 1857.
.
I, ISAAC HOLDEN, of St. Denis, near Paris, in the Empire of France, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to operating upon the wool or other fibre between
the circular or other passing or carrying comb (upon which it has been fed by
suitable feeding means) and the rollers for drawing off therefrom by other comb
teeth, for the purpose of keeping back the knots and dirt from the fibre as
drawn from the teeth of such carrying or passing comb, the teeth of such
intermediate comb pointing in a direction opposite, whilst they travel in a
direction parallel, or as nearly so as possible, to that of the circular or other
passing comb; and when the passing, or carrying combs are in a circle these
intermediate comb teeth may be in a similar though larger circle, so as to
be concentric with those of the passing or carrying comb, though inclined
somewhat thereto, in order that its teeth may be in the fibre only at or about
the point of drawing off, and be separated therefrom at the feeding; or the

page_text: intermediate comb teeth may be arranged in segments, caused to come con-
secutively into operation so as to act in a similar manner.
When straight,
passing, or carrying combs are employed, the intermediate combs are arranged
to operate in a line parallel, or nearly so, to that of such passing or carrying
combs.
"
My improvements also relate to means of operating so as to effect a
transfer of the wool or other fibre from the teeth of the comb into which it
has been fed to the teeth of another to be drawn off, and consist in causing
the teeth of one comb, whilst pointing towards the other, to come into position
to take the fibre as pushed off or drawn up out of the carrying comb,
whereby the noil and dirt or other matters which would be engaged in the
teeth of the carrying comb, and immediately in front of it, will be laid into
and behind the teeth of the taking comb, and there left in the drawing off by
the drawing-off rollers.
The improvements also relate to mouthpieces or funnels employed in
conducting fibre from the feeding means. to passing or. carrying combs, in order
to its being combed. Heretofore such funnels or mouthpieces have had the
opening through them, sufficiently large freely to allow of the fibre to pass
without pressure thereon; and one part of these improvements consists in
reducing such opening, in order that the sliver of fibre passing therethrough
may be subjected to considerable compression, and thereby have friction put on
it in such passage.
.
Also; in increasing the length through such funnel or mouthpiece to at least
equal to the length of the staple being treated, or thereabouts.
Also, in forming such mouthpiece with hinge joint, in order to admit of the
motion of the feeding means..
Also, in feeding to such mouthpiece by means of plain in place of fluted
rollers.
Also, in substituting for such mouthpieces series of plain rollers, the sup-
porting frame of which is capable of motion to adjust itself to the line of draft
between the holding feed roller, and the comb to which the fibre is fed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Isaac Holden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th July 1857e is
7.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC S
HOLDEN, of St. Denis, near Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting..

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
I 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 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 COMBING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," 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 performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, that is to say:--
The improvements relate to operating upon the wool or other fibre.between
the circular or other passing or carrying comb (upon which it has been fed by
suitable feeding means) and the rollers for drawing off therefrom by other
comb teeth, for the purpose of keeping back the knots and dirt from the fibre
as drawn from the teeth of such carrying or passing comb; the teeth of such
intermediate comb pointing in a direction opposite, whilst they travel in a
direction parallel, or as nearly so as possible, to that of the circular or other
passing comb; and when the passing or carrying combs are in a circle, these'
intermediate comb teeth may be in a similar though larger circle, so as to be
concentric with those of the passing or carrying comb, though inclined somewhat
thereto, in order that its teeth may be in the fibre only at or about the point of
drawing off, and be separated therefrom-at the feeding; or the intermediate
comb teeth may be arranged in segments, caused to come consecutively into
operation, so as to act in a similar manner. When straight, passing, or
carrying combs are employed, the intermediate combs are arranged to operate
in a line parallel, or nearly só, to that of such passing or carrying combs.
My improvements also relate to means of operating so as to effect a'

page_text: transfer of the wool or other fibre from the teeth of the comb into which it
has been fed to the teeth of another to be drawn off, and consist in causing
the teeth of one comb, whilst pointing towards. the other, to come into position
to take the fibre as pushed off or drawn up out of the carrying comb, whereby
tlie noil and dirt or other matters which would be engaged in the teeth of the
carrying comb, and immediately in front of it, will be laid into and behind the
teeth of the taking comb, and there left in the drawing off by the drawing off
rollers.
The improvements relate, secondly, to mouthpieces or funnels employed in
conducting fibre from the feeding means to passing or carrying combs, in order
to its being combed. Heretofore such funnels or mouthpieces have had the
opening through them sufficiently large freely to allow of the fibre to pass
without pressure thereon; and one part of these improvements consists in
reducing such opening, in order that the sliver of fibre passing therethrough
may be subjected to considerable compression, and thereby have friction put
on it in such passage.
Also, the improvements consist in increasing the length through such funnel.
or mouthpiece to at least equal to the length of the staple being treated, or
thereabouts.
Also, the improvements consist in forming such mouthpiece with hinge joint,
in order to admit of the motion of the feeding means.
Also, the improvements consist in feeding to such mouthpiece by means of
plain in place of fluted rollers.
And, thirdly, the improvements consist in substituting for such mouthpieces
series of plain rollers, the supporting frame of which is capable of motion to
adjust itself to the line of draft between the holding feed rollers and the comb
to which the fibre is fed.
But that the nature of these improvements, and the means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the Drawing annexed.
:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a sectional view, and Figure 2 a plan of some of the
working parts of a wool combing machine, in part arranged according to the
first part of my improvements.
.
a is the section of an ordinary circle of carrying combs, a 1 being the comb
teeth, which are heated by steam admitted into the hollow chamber formed in
the fixed table b, whilst the circle has rotary motion given to it, as is well
understood, from an axis c, to which motion is given in a suitable manner from

page_text: '
a steam engine or other suitable power, the axis c having a pinion c¹ fixed
thereon, the teeth of which take into the teeth of the comb circle a, to give
motion thereto; d is another similar circle of comb teeth, supported by the
framing 6, and with a capability of rotating with the circle a, though not
exactly in the same plane, but at an angle thereto, and with the teeth thereof
pointing in a direction opposite to those of the circle a. The rotary motion to
the circle d is given by means of the pinion e, which is also affixed upon the
axis c, and takes into the teeth formed in the inside of the circle d. There are
also other pinions f, supported from the stationary framing, and which take into
the teeth of the circle d, but these only serve to guide the circle d correctly in
its motion. It will be seen that, according to the arrangement shown, the
circle d is supported at such an angle to the circle a that sufficient space may
be allowed at one part thereof for the laying on of fibre to such circle a; and
in carrying out this first part of my improvements, I cause another portion of
the circle d to approach so near the circle a that the teeth of the circle d may
at such time be in front of those of the circle a, as shown by the detached view
of this portion of two such circles, represented at Figure 3; and when acting
according to the arrangement shown by Figure 3, the fibre will be fed. on to
the teeth of the circle a at the point of those circles where, by the angle given
to the circle d, there will be sufficient room for the purpose; and in the rotation
of that circle a and the circle d, the teeth of the circle d will gradually approach
those of the circle a till they successively penetrate the fibre projecting from the
teeth of the comb a, at which time the fibre will be brought opposite the
drawing-off rollers g, as is shown by the Drawing, Figure 3, and will then be
drawn off by those drawing-off rollers in the ordinary manner, except that in
place of only being drawn off through the teeth of the combs a, the fibre will
also be drawn through the teeth of the combs d, and will thereby be more
effectually cleansed. In place, however, of the intermediate comb teeth d
being arranged in a 'continuous circle, they may be arranged in segments,
caused to come consecutively into operation, so as to act in a similar manner
to what has just been described.
Figure 4 shows a plan view, and Figure 5 a section of an arrangement by
which to carry out this modification of these improvements by the aid of such
segments of combs d. There are two segments d (No. 1 and No. 2), and it
will be seen that each of these segments is so supported upon a lever arm i,
jointed at it, and capable of turning upon the fixed centre of motion j. They
have also each a pulley or wheel 2, turning upon a fixed pin ³, and which con-
stantly travels in the groove formed in a stationary frame k, one of which is
shown separately by front view at Figure 6. The lever arms i have also
1

page_text: attached to them cords or bands i", which pass over pulleys l, and have weights
is attached to them sufficiently to give the arms i, with their combs, a tendency
continually to move in a direction towards the pulleys 7. As these parts are
shown, one of the combs d (No. 1) is in the fibre carried by the comb a, and
that fibre is being drawn through the teeth of that comb as well as through the
teeth of the comb a; and the truck or bowl of this arm i is for the time in
the lower groove of its frame k, thereby keeping the teeth of that segment
fully in the fibre carried by the comb a, the effect of which is to cause that
segment to follow, with the circle a, in the direction of the arrow. The pressure
exerted by the weight, attached to that arm in the opposite direction, being
overcome by the adhesion of the fibre; but so soon as that comb d has arrived
with its bowl at the point ¹ of its frame k, the spring thereof acts upon
that bowl to raise it into the upper groove in the plate k, whereby the teeth of
that segment d will be raised out of the fibre carried by the comb a, and then
the teeth of that segment d (No. 1) being no longer held by the fibre, the
weight will draw that segment to the end, when the weight of that
segment will again cause the teeth thereof to penetrate fresh fibre in the circle
a, and by contact with which to move along therein again with the circle a, the
bowl thereof being again in the lower groove of its frame k; and I would
further state that, although I have here described segments d, d, as adapted to
circles of carrying combs when straight, passing, or carrying combs are em-
ployed, such intermediate combs will readily, from what has been stated, be
caused to operate in parallel lines, or nearly so, to such passing or carrying
combs to effect the object desired.
Such arrangement of combs d, in connection with suitable combs a, is also
adapted to effecting the transfer of wool or other fibre according to another
part of these improvements.
When fibrous material is filled on to a comb by lashing or otherwise, but
particularly by lashing, the ends of the fibres are so interlaced and packed in
the comb that it is difficult to draw out the fibres from the comb without
injury to the comb and fibres; also, when the beard of the fibres projecting
from the comb has been cleaned by working combs, there is always a certain
amount of knots and short wool left in the beard close up to the face of the
comb. In order to clean this part of the beard and to release the ends of the
fibres, the fibré has been taken from one comb by hand, and placed by hand
into the teeth of another comb at the uncleaned part of the beard, and then
the fibre.has been drawn off this latter comb to form a sliver.
The improvement I now propose is to effect this mechanically and con-
tinuously; this I do by placing the points of the teeth of one comb near to

page_text: and a little in front of the points of the teeth of the other comb on which the
fibre may have been filled, and by pushing or drawing, or both combined, to
cause the fibre to pass from the one comb to the other, from which it is drawn
into a sliver.
This operation of transferring wool or other fibre from the teeth of one set
of, combs to those of another is shewn by Figures 1, 2, and 7, where is a
lifter, carried by the rod 1, the lower end of which is supported and operated
by the small crank, upon a shaft, whilst the rod is guided in its move-
ment by a fixed guide l'.
And the fibre, according to this part of the improvements, as brought
forward by the comb a, is constantly pushed upwards out of the teeth of the
comb a to the teeth of the comb d, into which it is further taken by the action
of the drawing-off rollers, whereby, as the action of drawing off draws the
fibre from the teeth d, the noil and dirt, or other matters which would be
engaged in the teeth of the carrying comb a, and immediately in front of it,
will be laid into and behind the teeth of the taking comb d, and there left in
the drawing off by the drawing-off rollers.
In Figure 1, the filling head, shown as the feeding means for conducting
the fibre to be combed out, the comb a is arranged according to the second
part of my improvements. This filling lead m is supported from the arm m³,
which is actuated by a crank which is embraced at m², whilst the motion thus
given by the crank is governed by a link, one end of which is connected by
pin joint to the lower end m³ of the arm, in a similar manner to what has
heretofore been done when using other forms of crank-filling heads. n is the
mouthpiece or funnel employed to conduct the fibre to the passing combs;
and it will be seen that in place of this funnel or mouthpiece being short and
large, freely to allow of the fibre to pass without pressure thereon, the width
between the upper and lower part of such funnel or mouthpiece is reduced to
such an extent that the sliver of fibre passing therethrough may be subjected
to considerable compression, and thereby have friction put on it in its passage.
The length of such mouthpiece is also increased to at least equal to the length
of the staple being treated, or thereabouts. And in order more freely to admit
of the motion of the filling head or feeding means, I apply a hinge to the
mouthpiece at n¹, n³, being a stationary support to sustain the pressure of the
mouthpiece and the fibre passing through it. The hinge joint n' admits of
the outer end of the mouthpiece inclining upwards with the fibre when in the
operation of the crank motion, which operates the filling head, the feeding
means carried thereby would be below the line of the combs a. In order to
admit of the free action of the hinge joint n', the upper part of the mouth-

page_text: piece n is left open for a short distance at n³. The feed rollers 0, 0, 0, 0, for
feeding the fibre to such mouthpiece, in place of being fluted, as is ordinarily
the case, are formed plain on their surfaces, and the fibre, in place of passing
simply between a pair of them, is caused to pass partly round two or more of
them, and in so passing to receive a compound nip between their surfaces, and
thereby the fibre will be found sufficiently held without the necessity for
employing fluted rollers.
Figure 8 shews a form of mouthpiece constructed according to the third
part of these improvements. In this case, in place of a mouthpiece or tube,
a series of plain rollers p, p, p, p; are employed; but although I have shown
only four of them, the number may be varied, and they are by preference
supported by a frame capable of adjustment to the line of draft between the
holding feed rollers and the comb to which the fibre is fed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the 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 thereof be retained substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Holden, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,.
73, Chancery Lane, London,.
Patent Agent.
ISAAC HOLDEN. (L.S.)