IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIDROUS MATERIALS."
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Holbrey, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Woolsorter, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMBING
WOOL AND OTHER FIDROUS MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Holbrey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
December 1853.
I, JOSEPH HOLBREY, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVED MACHINERY POR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS" to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of machinery for combing
wool and other fibrous materials, wherein I employ gill fallers connected
together by endless bands or chains (which pass over supporting rollers or
guides) for the purpose of taking up the staple from the feeding head, and
transferring it to the travelling combs from which it is stripped off by any
ordinary contrivance. These travelling combs I prefer to connect together by
a hinge or rule joint so as to form therewith an endless chain, and I cause them
to move in a vertical plane, for which purpose I construct a "race" composed
of two plates or guides set at such distance apart as will admit of the combs
moving freely between them, and to retain the combs in the race, they are
provided with flanges which will prevent them from dropping out of place.
The arrangement of the endless chain of gill fallers is such that the gills will
strike into the staple in a line parallel or nearly so with the pins of the feeding

page_text: head, and that when the gills approach the travelling combs to deliver the staple
thereto, the gills and travelling combs will be in the same relative positions.
The traverse of these combs I prefer to effect by means of screws working into
teeth provided at one edge thereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Holbrey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPII
HOLBREY, of Bradford, in the County of York, Woolsorter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Holbrey, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Holbrey, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Holbrey, 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 AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, tho said Joseph Holbrey, 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 Joseph Holbrey, 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 statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention of "Improved Machinery for Combing Wool and other
Fibrous Materials" relates to a novel arrangement of machinery wherein gill
fallers connected together by endless bands or chains are employed. The chains
or bands that carry the gill fallers or 'combs pass over supporting rollers or
guides, and bring the gills or combs forward for the purpose of taking up-the

page_text: wool or other fibrous material from the feeding head and transferring it to
the travelling combs from which it is stripped off by any ordinary contrivance.
These travelling combs I prefer to connect together by a hinge or rule joint
so as to form therewith an endless chain, and I cause them to move in a
vertical plane, for which purpose I construct a "race" composed of two plates
or guides set at such distance apart as will admit of the combs moving freely
between them, and in order to retain the combs in the race, they are provided
with flanges, which will prevent them from dropping out of place.
The arrangement of the endless chain of gill fallers is such that the gills will
strike into the staple in a direction parallel, or nearly so, with the pins of the
feeding head, so that when the gills approach the travelling combs to deliver the
staple thereto, the gills and travelling combs will be in the same relative
positions. The traverse or forward motion of the travelling combs is effected
by means of endless screws which actuate suitable toothed wheels or pinions
that work into teeth made at one edge of the comb bars.
In order, however, that my Invention may be clearly understood, I have in
the accompanying Drawing shewn various views of a machine constructed
according to my improvements. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine com-
plete; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section; and Fig. 3, an end elevation,
some of the parts being shewn in section. a, a, a, a, represent the framework
or standards of the machine; b, b, the main shaft which is driven by a band
passing over the driving pulley c. The gill fallers d, d, d, d, are attached to the
endless travelling chains e, e, which pass over the two chain wheels f, f, on
the main driving shaft b, b, and also over guide pulleys g, g, g, g, Fig. 2. Upon
motion being communicated to the travelling endless chains e, e, the gill fallers
will be carried forward in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2, and will con-
sequently take up the fibrous material from the filling head or feeding combs h,
as it is supplied thereto by any ordinary means. From thence the gill fallers
will carry the material forward to the endless chain of travelling combs i, i,
which are caused to move slowly over horizontal guides j, j, as will be presently
explained. In order to assist the delivery of the staple or fibrous material
from the gill fallers to the travelling combs, two vibrating brushes k, k, are
employed, which being actuated by suitable mechanism are caused to press the
material off the gill fallers on to the teeth of the combs i. The arms of the
vibrating brushes are mounted on centres, and worked by means of connecting
rods 1, 1, (Fig. 2) which are attached by their opposite ends to the horizontal
bar m (Fig. 8). This bar is provided at its centre with an anti-friction roller
which rests upon a cam o, on the shaft p, and by the rotation of this cam the
bar m is worked up and down, and the requisito vibratory motion thereby

page_text: communicated to the brushes k, k. Rotary motion is communicated to the
shaft p, and cam o, by means of the wheels and pinions 9, 9, 9, from the inain
shaft b, as shewn by red lines in Fig. 2.
It has been said that the combs i, i, travel slowly along the guides j, j, in a
horizontal direction. This motion is effected by means of pinions r, r, on one
end of the vertical shafts 8, 8; these pinions gear into racks made on one side
of the comb bars, as shewn in Figures 2 and 3; and on the opposite ends of
the shafts 8, 8, are screw pinions t, t, which are driven by endless screws u, 2, on
the shaft p. In order to prevent the travelling combs i, i, from binding or
sticking in the guides j, j, they are provided with anti-friction rollers at their
under sides, as shewn in the enlarged detached views, Figures 4, 5, and 6.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, are different forms of joinings, which are so shaped
as to make a break joint at the parts where the combs are hinged togethe
Having now described my Invention of "Improved Machinery for Combing
Wool and other Fibrous Materials," and the best means with which I am at
present acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would observe in con-
clusion that I am aware that gill fallers and travelling combs have heretofore
been arranged in an endless series; I do not therefore mean or intend to claim
the exclusive right of so doing. But that which I consider to be new, and
therefore wish to claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent ns
aforesaid, is, -
First, the general arrangement or combination of parts herein shewn and
described, or any mere modification thereof.
I claim particularly the mode herein shewn and described of mounting and
working the gill fallers which draw the wool or other fibrous material from the
filling head.
I also claim the mode of constructing, arranging, and working the travelling
combs as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Holbrey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the 28th day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
ROBERT SUTCliffe,
of Bradford.
JOSEPH HOLBREY.
L.S.)