Improvements in the "Square Motion" Wool-combing Machine.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct.. 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd July, 1990-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the "Square Motion" Wool-combing Machine.
We, THOMAS CRAIG, of the Alston Works, Bradford, in the County of York, Wool
Comber, and THOMAS WALTER HARDING of the Tower Works, Leeds in the County
of York, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention refers specially to the combing machine known as "Holden's," and
consists in improvements adapted to the automatic picking or cleaning of the square
motion combs on the system patented by one of us in Harding's Specification No. 7512
A.D. 1888.
1. For the satisfactory working of the doffer comb into the transverse rows of the
square motion combs, the fallers must have no lateral play, but must be kept steadily
up to one side of the slido, preferably to that side to which the drag of the wool to
some extent pulls them. In order to secure this, we use in the opposite side of the
slide a looso working face which presses against the faller ends by the action of a
spring or springs, so that the fallers in working are kept well up to one side of the
slide.
The correct position of the fallers relatively to the doffer comb may be also secured
by the doffer comb being provided at each end with a projecting arm or guide working
in conjunction with projections on the fallers or on the combs themselves.
2. When the square motion combs withdraw downwards through the blades of the
doffer comb-upon which they leave the noil or "robbings" -we find that the
pushing action of the combs as they succeed each other is not sufficient to cause
the "robbings" to freely pass from the surface of the doffer comb to the receptacle
beyond it.
To ensure this removal into the receptacle we fix an oscillating doffing knife over
the doffer comb, which delivers the wool between the teeth of two fixed knives so that
the fibres are not carried back by the oscillating knife but fall by their own weight
into the receptacle.
Another way of dealing with the "robbings" deposited by the square motion combs
upon the doffer comb, is to cause a roller to revolve over it, and turning preferably in
a direction so that the teeth of the roller meet the advancing square motion combs.
The roller is in its turn stripped by an oscillating doffing knife, delivering the fibres
between the teeth of fixed knives over the receptacle.
3. In the construction of the doffer comb itself, our invention consists in forming
the stock of the comb substantially of a plate fitted with rows of pins of a thickness
equivalent to the space required between the blades. These pins serve as guides to
hold the blades the required distance apart, and, solder being afterwards melted into
and over them and the blades, they serve further to hold down and fix the blades to
the metal base.
4. Our invention consists further in making the square motion combs, and, in some
cases also the doffer comb in several parts, in which form we find they are more
conveniently fitted to each other and repaired.
Dated this 24th day of October 1889
THOMAS CRAIG.
T. WALTER HARDING.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
.Improvements in the "Square Motion" Wool-combing Machine.
We, THOMAS CRAIG of the Alston Works, Thornton Road, Bradford in the County
of York, Wool Comber, and THOMAS WALTER HARDING, of the Tower Works, Globe
Road, Leeds in the County of York, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention consists in improvements adapted to the automatic "picking" or
cleaning of the square motion combs on the system patented by one of us in Harding's
specification No. 7512 A.D. 1888.
(1) For the satisfactory working of the doffer-comb into the transverse rows of the
square motion combs the fallers must have no lateral play, but must be kept steadily
up to that side to which the drag of the wool to some extent pulls them. In order to
secure this we use in the opposite side of the slide a loose working face which is
pressed against the faller ends by the action of a spring or springs, so that the fallers
in working are kept well up to one side of the slide.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of this arrangement in which the central part of the square
motion combs has been omitted. The arrow shews the direction in which the drag of
the wool pulls the square motion combs. A A are the square motion combs fixed
upon the fallers CC which are pushed up in the direction of the arrow by the action
of the spiral springs E E acting on the loose working face D.
The correct position of the fallers relatively to the doffer-comb may be also secured
by the doffer-comb being provided at each end with a projecting arm or guide
working in conjunction with projections on the fallers or on the combs themselves.
(2) When the square motion combs withdraw downwards through the blades of the
doffer comb upon which they leave the noil or "robbings," we find that the pushing
action of the combs as they succeed each other is not sufficient to cause the
robbings" to pass freely from the surface of the doffer-comb to the receptacle
beyond it.
66
To ensure this removal into the receptacle we fix an oscillating doffing knife over
the doffer-cemb which delivers the wool between the teeth of two fixed knives so that
the fibres are not carried back by the oscillating knife. From the teeth of the fixed
knives the wool falls by its own weight into the receptacle.
Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of the combing machine in which A A are the
.square motion combs fixed upon the square motion fallers CC. B is the doffer comb
working into the rows of the square motion combs. F is the oscillating doffing knife
the action of which removes the "robbings" deposited upon the doffing comb B and
delivers them between the fixed doffing knives G H from which they fall by their
own weight into the receptacle K.
Another way
of dealing with the "robbings" deposited by the square motion combs
upon the doffer-comb is to cause a roller to revolve over it, preferably in a direction
such that the teeth of the roller meet the advancing square motion combs. The roller
is in its turn stripped by an oscillating doffing knife delivering the fibres between the
teeth of fixed knives over the receptacle.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of part of the machine shewing the square motion combs
at A A and one end of the roller I alluded to above. Jis the shaft carrying the said
roller. L L are doffing knives screwed on to the circumference of the roller.
Fig. 3 is an end view of this arrangement in which the same parts are indicated by
the same letters.
This view plainly shews the roller I which removes the robbings from the doffer
comb B in the direction shewn by the arrow, and these robbings are removed from
the roller itself by the action of the oscillating doffing knife M which delivers them
between the teeth of the fixed knives N N whence they fall into the receptacle K.
(3) In the construction of the doffer comb itself our invention consists in adding to
the stock of the comb a plate screwed to it fitted with rows of pins of a thickness

page_text: equivalent to the spaces required between the blades. These pins serve as guides to
hold the blades the required distance apart, and solder being afterwards melted into
and over them and the blades, they serve further to hold down the blades to the metal
base.
On Fig. 1 will be found shewn in plan one end of such a doffer comb and at Figs. 2
and 3 sectional views of the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1) The construction, use and application of a loose working face at one end of the
faller slide for the purpose of pressing the fallers to that end of the slide towards
which the drag of the wool is exerted substantially as described and shewn in
Fig. 1.
(2) The construction and use of an oscillating doffing knife over the doffer comb
to carry the robbings into the receptacle substantially as described and shewn in
Fig. 2.
(3) The construction and use of a roller revolving over the doffer comb in com-
bination with an oscillating doffing knife to carry the robbings into the receptacle
substantially as described and shewn in Figs. 1 and 3.
(4) In the construction of the doffer comb itself adding to the stock of the comb a
plate fitted with rows of pins of a thickness equivalent to the spaces required between
the blades, to serve as guides to hold the blades the required distance apart,-and
further, when solder is melted over and into them to hold down the blades to the metal
base substantially as described and shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
Dated this 19th day of July 1890.
THOMAS CRAIG.
T. WALTER HARDING.