IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, HAIR, FLAX, Tow, COTTON, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1860

page_text: ".
LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Whitehead, of Holbeck, in the Parish of
Leeds, in the County of York, a Partner in the Firm of Taylor, Words-
worth and Company, Machine and Tool Makers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, HAIR, FLAX, Tow, COTTON, SILK,
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 12th-March 1861, and dated 3rd December 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Whitehead at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd December 1860.
I, THOMAS WHITEHEAD; of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the County
of York, a Partner in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, and Company, Machine
and Tool Makers," do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, HAIR, FLAX, Tow, COTTON, SILK, AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improved 'machinery for combing wool, hair, 'flax, tow,
cotton, silk, and other fibrous substances relates, first, to an improved arrange-
ment of combing machinery, in which two travelling combs are combined,
arranged; 'and 'operated."'in 'such a manner "that" the wool or other fibrous "

page_text: material is fed by any suitable feeding apparatus into one of the travelling
combs, and is then carried forward thereby to the other travelling comb.
These travelling combs move, rotate, or work in different planes, and they are
combined in such a manner and their teeth are so arranged that when the first
or receiving comb has been supplied with fibre, and brings the material round
into close proximity to the teeth of the second travelling comb, the teeth of this
latter will therefore enter the fibrous mass, and as the teeth of the two travel-
ling combs recede from each other, the fibrous -material will be combed out.
By this means a "top" or, combed end will protrude from the teeth of each
travelling comb, and may be drawn out therefrom by means of any suitable
drawing-off apparatus.
These travelling combs may be combined and arranged in various ways to
effect the desired object, but all modifications of the arrangement of the parts
will involve the same principle of operation, which consists in feeding the fibres
on to the teeth of one travelling comb, and carrying them forward to the teeth
of another travelling comb, which will comb out and straighten the fibres.
Another improvement, relates to that description of combing machinery in
which screw gill fallers are employed in the drawing or feeding, head or heads,
and consists in a peculiar arrangement of the gearing of the feeding head,
whereby the motion of the screw gill fallers and rollers may be retarded or
stopped whilst the drawing or feeding head is receding from the travelling
comb.
My next improvement consists in the employment of a drawing head or
heads provided with a series of pairs of rollers and gills or combs arranged
alternately. The fibres are held by or between the rollers, which have an
intermittent rotary motion given to them, for the purpose of moving the fibres
forward at the proper time when the combs or gills are lifted up out of the
fibrous material. The rollers will also hold or retain the fibres while the
combs are rising and falling. The whole arrangement or combination of
rollers and combs constituting the feeding head is made to move, forward to
lash the fibres on to the teeth of the travelling combs; and to recede from the
travelling combs. after placing the fibres on the teeth of the same; and this
receding action of the feeding head will, as is well known, comb out or
straighten the fibres.
A modification of the above apparatus consists of a drawing head or heads,
provided with a series of double bars and gills or combs. The gills have
an. intermittent rising and falling as well as forward and backward motion
whereby the fibres are moved forward at the proper moment: When the gills

page_text: rise out of the fibres the double bars will hold the fibres in position. The gills
will then move back and will again descend into the fibres, thus entering a
fresh portion of the fibrous mass of material, and when the gills.or combs are
moved forward a second time they will carry forward the mass of fibre, and.
cause a fresh portion to protrude from the gills leading to the travelling combs.
Another improvement consists in the application of one or more pairs of
horizontal drawing-off-rollers to each side of the travelling comb in lieu of ver-
tical rollers, as is now the case. This improvement is applicable to various
arrangements or constructions of travelling, or passing, or receiving combs,
and has for its object to draw off "top" or clean fibres from each side of the
comb.
:
Another improvement consists in the application of one or more horizontal
noil rollers to take off the noil or short dirty fibres from the travelling comb,
instead of using vertical rollers, as is now the case. One or more of these
horizontal noil rollers may be placed on each side of the travelling comb, if
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Whitehead in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; THOMAS
WHITEHEAD, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the County of York,
a-Partner in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth & Co., Machine and Tool
Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant: unto me, the
said Thomas Whitehead, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas White-
head, my executors, administrators, and assigus, or such others as I, the
.said Thomas Whitehead, 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 " IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, HAIR, FLAX, Tow, COTTON, SILK, AND. OTHER
.

page_text: FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Whitehead, 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 Thomas Whitehead, do hereby declare
:the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of improved machinery for combing wool, hair, flax, tow,
cotton, silk, and other fibrous substances, relates, first, to an improved arrange-
ment of combing machinery in which two travelling combs are combined,
arranged, and operated, in such a manner that the wool or other fibrous ma-
terial is fed by any suitable feeding apparatus into one of the travelling combs,
and is then carried forward thereby to the other travelling comb. These tra-
velling combs move, rotate, or work in different planes, and they are combined in
such a manner, and their teeth are so arranged, that when the first or receiving
comb has been supplied with fibre it carries or brings the material round into
close proximity to the teeth of the second travelling comb. The teeth of this
latter will therefore then enter the fibrous mass, and as the teeth of the two
travelling combs recede from each other, the fibrous material will be combed
out. By this means a "top" or combed end will protrude from the teeth of
each travelling comb, and therefore a top or combed end may be drawn out
from each comb by means of any suitable drawing-off apparatus.
These travelling combs may be combined and arranged in various ways to
effect the desired object, but all modifications of the arrangement of the parts
will involve the same principle of operation, which consists in feeding the fibres
on to the teeth of one travelling comb and carrying them forward to the teeth
of another travelling comb, which will comb out and straighten the fibres, after
which the "top" or combed end may be drawn off from both combs:
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one arrange-
ment for carrying out this part of my Invention. a is a roller, on which is
wound the carded or prepared sliver of wool to be operated upon. The end
.of the sliver passes through a feeding box b, which is provided with sides to
prevent the wool from escaping laterally, and with a block or board c for
keeping the wool.down. Feeding boxes of this kind, of which there may be

page_text: any convenient number according to the size of the machine, are, together with
their respective sliver rollers a, attached to a rotating drum or cylinder d,
which is mounted on a horizontal shaft e, which is driven by bevil gearing, as
shewn in the 'Drawing. The inner edge of the drum or cylinder d is provided:
with radial teeth or comb pins as at 1, 1, and these pins surround the cylinder:
The feeding boxes are mounted on centres 2, on which they vibrate or move
up and down. As the drum or cylinder d rotates, bowls f at the end of arms
extending from the back of the boxes b are carried along an excentric groove
inade on the face of the fixed vertical plate g. It will now be understood that
when the bowls f arrive at the shorter radius of the excentric groove they will
be pressed down, and the further ends of the feeding boxes b will consequently
be raised, and a portion of the wool or fibres will be thereby drawn forward:
from 'under the .block c. While the box b'is rising the fibres are kept in the
combs.1, 1, by means of a stationary guard or plate, not shewn in the Drawing...
By the continued rotation of the drum d the fibres will be carried from under.
this guard and over a fixed inclined plate or plates, whereby the fibres will be
lifted out of the teeth of the comb 1. A moveable wiper gently lifts up the
fibres and pushes them forward over the comb, and then the feeding box. b
descends and lays the fibres on to the top of the comb, and at the same time a.
brush descends and pushes the fibres down between the teeth of the comb.. In.
order to prevent the blocks c from falling out of the box b as the latter is carried
round with the drum or cylinder d, the blocks are held down by a screw and
spring i, as shewn in the Drawing. The sliver having now been fed on to the
comb 1, 1, it will protrude from the face of the comb, and will by the rotation.
of the latter be brought into the teeth 3 of another comb, which is made to
rotate in the direction of the arrow at the same or nearly the same surface.
speed as the comb 1 of the cylinder d. By this means the wool. or fibre will
be combed out, and an end of combed fibre will thus be made to protrude from.
each of the travelling or passing combs 1 and 3. The ends of combed fibre-
are then drawn from each of the travelling combs in. continuous slivers, the-
end from the comb 1 of the cylinder d being drawn off by the rollers.j,j, and.
the end from the teeth of the comb 3 by the rollers k; k.. The two."-tops" or
combed slivers thus produced from the two combs are conducted through the
rotating trumpet 1, whereby they are consolidated, and after. passing. between.
another pair of rollers the united sliver may be wound. on. a ball, or be
deposited in a can. The noil or short dirty fibres that remain in the teeth of
the comb 3, are lifted out of the teeth 3 by means of an inclined dead plate-or
plates, and are conveyed out of the machine by the rollers m, m.
i

page_text: Fig. 2 is an edge view, and Fig. 2ª a side view, of a pair of combs arranged
and operated in a somewhat different manner to that shewn in Fig. 1, but the
same effect will be produced. It will be seen that in Fig. 2 the two combs
are placed at a slight angle to each other, so that the fibres being fed on to the
teeth 1 will be taken hold of afterwards by the inclined teeth 3 of the other
comb, and as the two combs diverge the fibres will be combed out. The
".tops are drawn off and the noils removed from each of the combs in
an analogous manner to that shewn in Fig. 1.
"
Fig. 3 is an edge view, and Fig. 3ª a plan view, of another arrangement of
combs, in which there is one large comb 1, which is fed with fibre in any con-
venient manner, and there are two other combs 3, 3, .one on each side of the
comb 1. The combs 3, 3, work in a different plane to the comb 1. A larger
number of taking-off combs.3.may be employed, if the horizontal comb 1 be
increased in diameter sufficiently.to allow of the feeding and drawing-off rollers
being conveniently applied. It will also be obvious that by increasing. the
diameter of the comb 1, the taking-off.combs 3, 3, may be placed and made to
operate inside the circle..
.
Fig. 4 is a perspective. view of another mode of arranging the combs. It
will be obvious to any intelligent mechanic that travelling combs of: different
forms may be combined, arranged, and operated in various other manners, and
yet effect the same object as that. herein set forth. I do not, therefore,
mean to limit myself rigidly to the precise arrangement or construction of parts
herein shewn and described. .
"
Another improvement relates to that description of combing machinery in
which screw gill fallers are employed in the drawing or feeding head or heads,
and consists. in a peculiar arrangement of the gearing of the feeding head,
whereby the motion of the screw gill fallers and rollers may be retarded
or.stopped whilst the drawing or feeding head is receding from the travelling
comb.
Fig. 5 represents the principal working parts whereby the object to be attained.
by means of this improvement is effected. n, n, represent the screw gill fallers;
o, the screws by which the fallers are worked; p. is a rod for connecting..the
screw shaft with a crank q, whereby the. to-and-fro motion of the gills is
effected. The gills n, as is well known, are raised and lowered by the rotation
of the screw o, which is actuated by the bevil gearing r, r, which is driven by
the pinions. This latter is driven by the moveable stud or intermediate
wheel t, which together with the pinion s travels to and fro with the gill head,
and these wheels t and s. receive their motion from the pinion u on a fixed

page_text: shaft. All these wheels and pinions rotate in the direction of the arrows, and
as the pinion u rotates at a constant speed, it will be seen that when the head'
is drawn back the wheels s and t will roll over the pinion without receiving
any forward motion. The screw shaft o will consequently remain stationary or
nearly so, but when the gill head moves forward the wheels s, t, t, receive an
accelerated motion, and communicate the same to the screw shaft o, and'
then the fallers are moved forward to their work," as is well known-in
screw gill machinery.
My next improvement consists in the employment of a drawing head or
heads, provided with a series of pairs of rollers and gills or combs arranged
alternately. This improvement is shewn in the sectional view, Fig. 6, in which
a, a, are the gills or combs, and b, b, the pairs of rollers arranged or placed
between them. The fibres are held by or between the rollers b, b, which have
an intermittent rotary motion given to them for the purpose of moving the
fibres forward at the proper time when the combs or gills a, a, are lifted up
out of the fibrous material. The rollers b, b, will also hold or retain the
fibres while the combs a, a, are rising and falling. The whole arrangement or
combination of rollers and combs constituting the feeding head is made to
move forward to lash the fibres on to the teeth of the travelling combs c, c,
and to recede from the travelling combs after placing the fibres on the teeth
of the same, and the receding action of the feeding head will, as is well known,
straighten the fibres.
A modification of the above apparatus is shewn in the sectional view, Fig. 7,
and consists of a drawing head or heads provided with a series of double
bars b', b, and gills or combs a, a. The gills a have an intermittent rising and
falling, as well as a forward and backward motion, whereby the fibres are
moved forward at the proper moment. When the gills rise out of the fibres,
the double bars b', 6', will hold the fibres in position. The gills a will then
move back, and will again descend into the fibres, thus entering a fresh portion
of the fibrous mass of material; and when the gills or combs are moved
forward a second time they will carry forward the mass of fibre, and cause a
fresh portion to protrude from the gills leading to the travelling combs c.
Another improvement consists in the application of one or more pairs of
horizontal drawing-off rollers to each side of the travelling comb, in lieu of
vertical rollers, as is now the case. This improvement is shewn at Fig. 8,
and is applicable to various arrangements or constructions of travelling, or
passing or receiving combs, and has for its object to draw off "top" or clean
fibres from each side of the comb. c, c, is the travelling comb, and d and d¹

page_text: "
are two pair of rollers for drawing-off the top or clean fibres. One pair of:
drawing-off rollers is placed on each side of the comb, so as to draw off "top"
from each side. The noil is removed from the travelling comb by means of
the rollers e. The travelling comb may be made in the form of a chain comb,
which is a well-known form of comb, or the improvement, may be applied to a:
circular comb.
These rollers, as shewn in the Drawing, are placed opposite each other, but
this is not a necessary part of my Invention, as they may be placed in any
other relative position which may be convenient.
My next improvement is also shewn in Fig. 8, and consists in applying to.
and combining with the travelling comb c one or more noil rollers,, which (if
the comb be horizontal) must be placed horizontally, so that they may be
made to take off more effectually and with greater facility than heretofore the
noil or short dirty fibres from the travelling comb. Heretofore vertical rollers:
have been used for this purpose, but I have found that by placing the rollers
horizontally in conjunction with horizontal travelling combs, the intended.
object is effected with greater certainty. One or a pair of these horizontal:
noil rollers is shewn at e in Fig. 8, and one or more of them may be placed on
each side of the travelling comb, if required.
Having now described my Invention of "Improved. Machinery for Combing
Wool, Hair, Flax, Tow, Cotton, Silk, and other Fibrous Substances," and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Inven-
tion secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
First, feeding the fibres on to a travelling comb, which carries them forward-
to a second travelling comb revolving in a different plane from the former, the
two combs being so arranged that the fibres will be combed out and a "top"
or combed out end produced on each comb, from which such top or combed
out end may be drawn off by suitable drawing-off rollers.
:
Second, I claim arranging the gearing of the feeding head of a screw gill, in
such a manner that the fallers and rollers will be in a great degree retarded or
stopped while the drawing or feeding head, is receding from the travelling
comb.
..
Third, I claim constructing drawing or feeding beads, with a series of pairs
of rollers and gills arranged alternately for the purposes herein set forth-in the
descriptive reference to Fig. 6, herein-before contained. I also claim as a
modification of the above, the, combination with gills or combs of a series of
double, bars for the purpose, and operating in the manner above set forth in
the descriptive reference to Fig 7.
:

page_text: Fourth, I claim the application to travelling combs of one or more pairs
of horizontal drawing-off rollers on each side thereof, as set forth in the
descriptive reference to Fig. 8.
Fifth, I claim the use and application to horizontal travelling combs of one
or more horizontal noil rollers; as herein set forth in the descriptive reference
to Fig. 8.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Whitehead, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
THOMAS WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed by the above-named
Thomas Whitehead, in the presence of
J. B. WILKINSON,
17, Albion Street, Leeds.