NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL OR VARIOUS OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1856

page_text: NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL OR VARIOUS
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 8th August 1856, and dated the 18th May-1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Hodge Simpson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th May 1856:
I, MICHAEL HODGE SIMPSON, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "CERTAIN
NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL OR VARIOUS
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
. The machine, on which my Invention has been based, was, as I believe,
originally invented by one Samuel Couillard, a citizen of the United States of
America, and by him patented in that country on the Seventeenth day of
July 1835. The machine, I believe, is extensively known in various parts
of the world, and particularly in Great Britain and the United States of
America.
The principle elements of such machine consisted in a feeding apron, one or
two carding cylinders (one of which was termed a combing doffer), a toothed
combing belt, a curved plate arranged between the main card cylinder and the
said combing belt, a fringe belt, a set of draw rollers, a condenser tube, and a

page_text: drum reel or bobbin, arranged and applied as shewn in the Specification and
Drawings of the said Couillard's American Patent. After adding to the card
cylinder a main card cylinder, sundry workers and stripers, and a "licker-in,"
as used in a common carding engine, I connect therewith my improvements;
the first of which consists in arranging between the main card cylinder last
mentioned and the combing doffer (or lower card cylinder, as used in the
machine of the said Couillard), and combining therewith an extra doffer and a
stripper, and this in order that the speed of the combing doffer may be such
as not to tear out or break the teeth of the combing belt. In respect to the
draw rollers arranged in front of the combing belt, I arrange one of them at
a greater distance from the belt than the other, while the latter is placed very
close to it; and I generally make the latter either equal to or larger in
diameter than the former, such an arrangement and construction presenting
advantages in the working of the machine. Such arrangement and construction
constitute my second, or next improvement. My third improvement consists
in arranging the wires of the fringe belt so that they may extend below its
table, and run between it and the said fringe belt. My fourth, and most im-
portant improvement, consists in combining with the fringe belt, when such is
used with a combing belt, a revolving brush, or an equivalent contrivance,
for the purpose of removing from the fringe belt the surplus wool or fibrous
material left thereon. My next, and fifth improvement, consists in combining
with the curved plate, which is between the combing doffer and the combing
helt, a means of heating such plate. My next, and sixth improvement, con-
sists in combining with the combing mechanism, and machinery for condensing
and winding the sliver on a bobbin, a flyer, or mechanism for finally twisting
the sliver previous to its being wound on a bobbin.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Hodge Simpson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HODGE SIMPSON, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, A.D. 1856, in the nineteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant

page_text: unto me, the said Michael Hodge Simpson, Her special licence that I, the
said Michael Hodge Simpson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Michael Hodge Simpson, my executors, admini-
strators, 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 of CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
COMBING WOOL OR VARIOUS OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Michael Hodge Simpson, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Michael Hodge Simpson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following Specification, and the accompanying Drawings, of which Figure 1
exhibits a top view of the main frame of my machine, and several of the
operative parts applied thereto; Figure 2, an elevation of one side of it;
Figure 3, an elevation of its other side; Figure 4, a front end elevation of it;
Figure 5, a transverse & vertical section, taken just in front of the fringe
belt of said machine. Figures 6 and 7 are top views of some of the parts of
the mechanism used for imparting vertical motions to the draw rollers, as well
as to the bobbin on the spindle of the flyer, the parts to which such Figures
refer being exhibited in the other Figures.
My Invention has reference to a wool-combing machine which was invented
by Samuel Couillard, and was the subject of a Patent granted to him by the
United States Commissioner of Patents on the 7th day of July A.D. 1835, I
having made sundry important improvements thereon.
The principal elements of such machine, or the combination, invented by the
said Couillard, consisted of a feeding apron, one or two carding cylinders, a
combing belt, a curved plate arranged between the main card cylinder and said
combing belt, a fringe belt, a condenser tube, draw rollers, and a drum reel or
bobbin for receiving the sliver. While I retain most of these features or
mechanical contrivances, I have connected therewith certain valuable and
important additions or improvements, which will be herein-after particularly
specified and described.

page_text: In the first place, I employ a main card cylinder, as shown at A in the
Drawings, such as is usually employed in machinery for carding wool, and I
provide such with an endless feeding apron B and a pair of feed rollers C, D,
arranged as seen in the Drawings. Between such feed rollers and the main
card cylinder A, I make use of a card cylinder E, which I term the "licker-in,"
its object being to transfer the fibrous material from the feeding rollers to the
main card cylinder A. To such main card cylinder I apply a series of workers
F, F, F, and a series of strippers G, G, G, arranged as seen in Figures 2 and 3.
I also apply to 'said card cylinder what is termed by carders a fancy card
cylinder H, the same being arranged as seen in Figures 2 and 3.
In front of the main card cylinder I dispose a combing doffer or cylinder I,
above which I place a cleaning fancy card cylinder K, such combing doffer
and cleaning fancy having been used in the machine of the said Couillard.
Between the combing doffer I and the main card cylinder I arrange, as seen
in Figures 1, 2, and 3, another doffer L and a stripper M, the doffer. L being
employed to remove the fibrous material from the main card cylinder A and
Jay it on the doffer I. The stripper M takes the surplus fibrous material from
the doffer L and transfers it to the combing doffer I., The object I have in
view in employing the extra doffer L and the stripper M in combination with
the main card cylinder and the combing doffer I, is to enable me to rotate the
latter at such a moderate speed as will prevent it from breaking or tearing
away the teeth of the horizontal combing belt N, arranged in front of and
operating with the doffer I, such belt being placed and made to work around
two pullies O, P, disposed as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5. Although while
the machine is in operation, the speed of the combing doffer I is about 300
turns, or less, a minute, that of the main card cylinder is not far from 100
revolutions in such time, yet owing to their difference in size, the speed of the
doffer would have to be materially increased, in order that its cylinder or card
surface may run at a greater speed than that of the cylinder A; for, were the
doffer made to act directly against the card cylinder A,, and so as to properly
remove the fibrous material therefrom, as a general thing, the speed of the
doffer would have to be so great as to cause said doffer to damage the combing
belt N. In order to avoid this, and to impart to the doffer I a proper speed,
I employ another doffer L, and a stripper M, as described.
Directly between the combing doffer I and the endless combing belt N, I
apply or arrange a curved guard plate R, the same being made to extend from
one end to the other of the doffer I, and with respect to the same and the
endless belt N, as seen in Figures 1 and 3. This plate forms one side of a
hollow steam chest or box S, arranged between the cylinder and belt, and

page_text: provided with some means by which heat may be introduced into it. For
convenience of heating said steam, box so as to heat the plate R, steam may
be introduced into it by a pipe T, which may lead into said box S from a
steam boiler or generator. For the purpose of moistening the wool,' said box
may have sundry small holes arranged in suitable parts of it, steam being
discharged through said holes directly upon the wool. The purpose, however,
of such steam box is more particularly to. apply. heat to the wool, by heating
the teeth of the doffer I, than it is to moisten said wool; but as sometimes it
may be desirable to impart more or less moisture to it, I have thought it
proper to suggest how such might be accomplished. Heating the wool when
on the doffer serves to improve it, or enable it to be operated upon to better
advantage. There are various other modes by which the curved guard R may
be heated instead of having steam directly applied to it, as herein-before
described. The said guard R, by extending downward from the lower part of
the teeth of the belt N, as shown in Figure 3, serves to keep the fibrous
material on the teeth of the belt, in contact with the teeth of the doffer I.
Directly in advance of the combing belt N are 2 draw rollers U, V, and what
is termed the fringe belt W, they being arranged as shown in Figures 1 and 5.
This endless fringe belt works around 2. vertical rollers X, Y, and carries a
series of wires or teeth a, a, extending down from it, as seen in Figures. 1
and 5. It will be observed, by inspection of Figures 1 and 5, that the roller
U is larger in diameter than the roller V, and is placed or arranged as close
as it can be in practice to the teeth of the combing belt N; the roller V being
made of a different material, and disposed at a greater distance from the belt.
I would remark that the roller Y should be made of hardened steel, while
the roller U should be constructed of a more elastic yielding material, such as
leather applied to a vertical metallic shaft, the two rollers being fluted rollers.
In practice the roller V may be about an inch in diameter, while the roller U
has a diameter about 1 inches. In using draft rollers, where each has the
same diameter, and is placed close up to the combing belt, it has been found
that the staple of the wool was more or less broken, during the operation of
drawing it from the combing belt. As the draft is in a direction away from
the pulley O, the farther we place the roller V from the belt N the less will
be the arc of surface of the roller V, against which the fibres will lay and be
bound or compressed, and the nearer we carry the roller U towards the belt
the more we diminish the aforesaid arc; consequently, making the two rollers
of different sizes, and arranging them together, as described with respect to the
belt N, is a matter of great importance, as by it I am enabled to effect a great
improvement in the operation of the machine; such not only permitting

page_text: larger roving to be drawn, but allowing the same to pass between the rollers
in a manner less liable to injure the fibres in comparison to what would take
place were the rollers of equal size & arranged in the common way. The
'rollers may be made of equal diameter, and the roller V be arranged at a
"greater distance from the combing belt than the roller U. It is better, however,
to make a difference in the size of the rollers, as described.,
I have denominated the toothed belt W, the fringe belt, in order to distin-
guish it from the combing belt N, although said latter belt has sometimes been,
and in the Specification of the said Couillard's Patent is termed the fringe
belt.
Instead of causing the wires or teeth a, a, to, work entirely above a smooth
metallic table Z, see Figures 1 and 5, I arrange said table so that the wires
may extend somewhat below it as well as above it, and work through a slot or
passage c, made between the said table and the combing belt; this serving not
only to preserve the teeth from injury, but to carry along the fringe of the
wool more perfectly towards the draw rollers.
In practice the fringe belt W has been found to accumulate upon its wires
quantities of wool, such operating to interfere more or less with the correct
action of the draw rollers U and V. In order to obviate this difficulty, I
combine with said belt a rotary clearer or brush d, arranged with respect to
the fringe belt as seen in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the same being put in rotation
so as to brush or clean out the surplus wool from the wires a, a, as they pass
around and in contact with it, and thus it saves the attention and labor of an
attendant, who, during the operation of the original or Couillard machine,
has generally been employed to pick such wool from the belt. From the
draw rollers U and V, the roving or sliver, seen at e, in Figures 1 and 4,
is carried through an endless condenser belt f, arranged as seen in the Draw-
ings, and made to run over and upon the top surface of a standard y, see
Figure 1; the said condenser belt being caused to perform 2 functions,
viz., that of twisting or condensing the sliver e, and that of carrying motion to
the shaft of the brush d. From the belt f the sliver e is carried between the
guide rollers h, i, and thence through the neck k of a flier 1, 1, it being carried
down either of the legs of said flier in guides m, m, and to a bobbin n placed
on the spindle of said flier. The object of the flier is to twist the roving and
wind it upon the said bobbin, and for this purpose the bobbin should have
suitable vertical movements imparted to it, whereby during the revolution of
the flyer the roving may be properly packed or laid on the bobbin, in order
that the mass when completed may have a cylindrical or any other desired
form.

page_text: A' is a revolving toothed wheel, arranged and applied to the combing belt N,
as seen in the Drawings. The object of such toothed wheel is to remove from
the teeth of the revolving comb N the short fibrous and knobby portions of
wool which remain on said combing belt after the longer fibres have been
withdrawn from it by the action of the draw rollers U, V.. Such a toothed
wheel constitutes one of the material parts of the Couillard machine..
Although I have represented in the Drawings mechanism such as I have
employed for imparting to the bobbin its suitable vertical movements on the
flier spindle, and the mechanism for moving the other rollers vertically, yet I
do not deem such as making part of my Invention, but as more properly.
matters of construction, intending to employ any suitable mechanism for so
operating the bobbin and draw rollers.. Furthermore, although I have repre-
sented in such Drawings various belts, pullies, geers, and other mechanical
devices for the purpose of imparting to the main operative parts of the machine
their movements, I deem such as matters of construction more than Invention,
and as capable of being modified and otherwise arranged as circumstance may
require.
I have confined my description more particularly to a simple enumeration
and short explanation of the material parts or members of the machine of the
said Couillard, particularly specifying and representing such additions as con-
stitute my Invention, and which may be termed improvements on the original
machine, showing by arrows the directions, in which most of the operative
parts are moved.
The general operation of the machine does not vary essentially from that of
the machine of the said Couillard. There is one important difference, however,
the same being found in the winding apparatus. In the Couillard machine
either a reel or a can was employed to receive the roving, the reel being made
in the form of a bobbin. In addition to the bobbin I employ a flier, and this
for the purpose of twisting the roving as well as winding it on the bobbin,
thereby rendering the mechanism more perfect and useful in its action.
In operating with this machine, the wool or fibrous material, as in the
original machine of Couillard, is spread upon the endless apron B, and by
means of the feed rollers and "licker in "it is taken from said apron and
transferred to the main card cylinder A, and during the revolutions of the
same the fibrous material is subjected to the
strippers, and situated above said card cylinder.
doffer L and stripper M, it is removed from the
upon the combing doffer I, by which it is thrown upon and amongst the teeth
of the revolving comb N. From the latter the longer fibres are drawn by the
action of the workers and
Next, by means of the extra
main card cylinder and laid
'

page_text: draw rollers U, V, and froni thence in the form of a sliver they pay through
the condensing belt f, thence between the rollers h, i, and into the neck of the
flier, and are finally wound upon the bobbin.
The proper modes of arranging the card teeth, or the clothing of the various
carding drums or cylinders, will be understood by persons skilled in mechanism
for carding or combing wool."
,་
Having thus described my improved machine, what. I claim therein is as
follows:
: I claim the combination and arrangement of an extra doffer L and stripper
M, or the equivalents therefor, with the main card cylinder, and the combing
doffer I, when said doffer I is applied and used in connection with the combing
belt N, substantially in manner and for the purpose as herein-before specified."
I also claim the above described improved arrangement and construction of
the draft rollers U, V, with respect to each other, and the combing belt N.
I also claim making the wires of the fringe belt W to extend below the
table Z and run through a passage c, formed between the part Z and the
combing belt, or in the table, as specified.
"I also claim combining with the fringe belt W, when said fringe belt is
used in connection with the combing belt N; as described, a revolving brush
or other suitable means of cleaning said fringe belt of refuse or surplus wool
which it may have received from the combing belt.
I also claim combining with the curved plate R, when such is employed:
in connection with the doffer. I and the combing belt N, a' steam-licating
chamber S, or other suitable means of heating such plate, as set forth.
I also claim combining with the combing mechanism, and machinery for
condensing and winding the sliver on a bobbin, a flier ör mechanism for
firmly twisting the sliver previous to its being wound on the bobbin.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature and affixed
my seal, this Twenty-sixth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-six.
MICHAEL HODGE SIMPSON. (L.S.).