IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING WOOL
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
ROBERT RAMSBOTHAM, of Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Spinner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of
November, (One thousand eight hundred and forty-six,) in the tenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Robert Ramsbotham, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Henry Robert Ramsbotham, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henry Robert Ramsbotham, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING WOOL;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Henry
Robert Ramsbotham, should cause a particular description of the nature of
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be perforined, by
au instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
annear

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Robert Ramsbotham, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists, first, of a means of obtaining slivers of wool from
combs by simply lashing wool into combs, and then drawing off a sliver or
slivers therefrom without working the wool by working combs after lashing it
into a receiving comb.
Secondly, my Invention consists of improvements in machinery for lashing
or feeding wool into a circular or continuous comb, with teeth rising
upwards.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of so constructing a machine to comb wool
as to combine the use of the description of machinery known as the "screw
gill" with a circular or continuous comb.
Fourthly, my Invention consists of so arranging wool-combing machinery
that two slivers may be taken from a circular or continuous comb, as hereafter
described.
Aud, fifthly, my Invention consists of a new combination of a stove to heat
the teeth of revolving endless combs.
And in order that my Invention inay be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
In respect to the first part of my Invention, I cause wool to be lashed on to
a comb according to any of the means heretofore resorted to, and, in place of
causing such wool then to be worked by working combs as heretofore, I at
once proceed to draw off a sliver or slivers of the wool from the comb, in the
same manner as if the wool had been combed out by working co:nbs in addition
to being lashed into the receiving comb. By this mode of working it will be
found that the yarn made will be of a different character to either woollen yarn
or worsted yarn. In fact it will be a manufacture of yarn between the two;
on the one hand, the fibres not standing off from the yarn so much as in
woollen yarn, and, on the other hand, the fibres will not be laid so longi-
tudiually as in worsted yarns. Hence, fabrics may be produced by the use of
such yarns having a different character to those produced when using either
worsted or woollen yarn. Aud I treat all classes of wool in this manner, both
foreign and English, and also those which have and those which have uot
been previously carded and washed. The arrangement of machinery which I
prefer for carrying out this part of my Invention is such as hereafter described,

page_text: leaving out the use of the working combs, in which case the machinery would
simply consist of a revolving circular comb with lashing or feeding apparatus,
also apparatus for taking off one or more slivers, and for removing the noil
together with means of cleaning and heating the combs.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawings show various views of machinery arranged according to my
Invention; but as the nature of each of the views is written on the Drawings,
it will not be necessary to repeat the same here, and it will only be desirable
to state that the same letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts in
all the Drawings. a is a circular comb which is caused to revolve on the
circular guide or bed plate b, which is carried by the framing c. c. Rotary
motion is communicated to the circular comb a by means of the cog wheel d,
which receives motion in the manner herein-after described; e is the main or
driving shaft, which receives motion from a strap or band from a steam engine
or other power. The axis e is hollow, and turns on a fixed-pin, as is shewn
in the Drawing. On the axis or shafte is fixed the drum g, which, by means
of a cross band or strap e, gives motion to the drum hon the shaft or axis i
on which axis are affixed two cog: wheels 1, 3, which take into and drive the
cog
wheels j,j, which carry crank pins 5, which pass through the bars k, lc.
These bars are connected together at their lower ends at , and the bars /
slide through the bar 7, which is capable of turning in the upper parts of the
standards m; and to retain the standards miu position at their upper parts,
the tie bar m² is applied as shown. n is one of the feeding rollers, the necks
or axes of which pass through and have their bearings in the lower endsof.the
bars, and on the necks or axes of the feed roller n are placed the two frames
0, which frames o carry the brasses or bearings of the upper feed roller n³, as
is clearly shewn, and the frames o, o, are retained in any desired position by
the plates o¹, o', affixed to the upper parts of the frames o, o, such plates o¹, o',
being fixed to the bars k by means of screws 03, 0³. By this arrangement the
upper feeding roller n' may be adjusted in its position in respect to the lower
roller so as to work in the most favorable manner according to the nature of
the wool which, for the time being, is being combed by the machine. The
-feeding rollers n and n³ are geared together by cog wheels n², n³, and the
roller n receives rotatory motion by means of a screw wheel n' affixed on the
5 neck or axis at one of its ends, such screw wheel being driven by means of
the screw n on the axis no, the bearings of which axis are affixed to one of the
bars &, as shown, the upper bearing nº of the axis nº. having a projection.or
neck on which the bevilled toothed wheel n' is placed and can revolve. The

page_text: toothed wheel n has a projection or pin n³ fixed to its boss; this pin passes
through and slides freely in the cylinder no, which turns freely on a fixed neck
or axis carried by the standard n10. By this arrangement the axis of the
wheel n' will be carried round by the bar k, and the wheel n' will be caused
to revolve on its axis by means of the pin n8; hence, motion will be commu-
nicated to the axis n by the wheel w taking into and driving the wheel 2";
and thus will wool, placed on to the trough p, be fed into the comb a. The
nature of the trough, and its mouth-piece beyond the rollers, being fullyshewn
in the Drawings, it will not be necessary to describe the same, and it will be
seen that the trough is fixed to and carried by the bars k, and the mouth-
piece is fixed to the frames which carry the upper feeding roller, as is shown.
It will be seen, on a careful examination of the Drawings, that this mode of
feeding moving combs, which have their teeth upwards, is vory advantageous, as
the wool is only well entered into the teeth when the feeding rollers depart from
the teeth, drawing the wool into a horizontal or nearly horizontal plane; and
this apparatus does not draw the wool down against the head of the comb; and
it is important to call attention to the circumstance that by this mode of feed-
ing there is no flap or instrument necessary to act on the wool in the comb a,
as has heretofore been found necessary in machinery having combs similar to
a, where the feeding apparatus is so arranged as to draw the points of the
wool down below the head of the comb a. I would here state that various
arrangements of feeding apparatus have before been used, and in some respects
the working of the apparatus above described is not new in itself. It is, how-
ever, new to combine such an arrangement of feeding apparatus with moving
combs, the teeth of which rise upwards from the upper surface of the head of
the comb, and such combination constitutes one of the improvements secured
under the present. Letters Patent.
I will now proceed to describe the application of what I call screw gill
combs, in combination with the continuously moving circular or endless comb,
carrying wool to becomb by working combs, and I call this apparatus screwgill
combs, because theapparatus is similar to the screw gill machinery long known
in the manufacture of flax, as well as in the preparing for spinning purposes of
wool that has been previously combed. On the main ordriving shaft e is fixed
the cog
wheel 9, which takes into and drives the cog wheel r, on the axis s, on
which axis the bevilled tooth wheel t is fixed, which takes into and drives the
bevilled tooth wheel von the axis u, and on this axis is affixed the drum w,
which, by means of a strap or band w', gives motion to the drum on the axis x,
on which axis are affixed the two bevilled toothed wheels a,, which give
constant rotatory motion to the two screws y, y, which move the gill combs

page_text: (the nature of which is clearly shewn in the Drawings) towards the moving
circular comb a. On the axis of the two upper screws there are cog
wheels y', y', which take into and drive two cog wheels on the axes of two
similar screws below for moving the gill combs from the comb a, and thus
comb out the wool as it is continuously brought up by the moving or passing
comb a; and it should be stated that this gill apparatus works in a similar
manner to those heretofore used, the chief difference being that the points of
the comb teeth are downwards, and that they are in the act of combing when
at their lowest position, and their action is as follows:-Each comb is succes-
sively raised from the lowest screws up to the upper screws, which move each
succeeding comb towards the comb a; and when each comb comes as near as
it is permitted to do towards the comb a. it falls down, the points of the gill
comb teeth descending through the wool carried by the comb a, and imme-
diately each gill comb so descends it is moved back by the under screws, by
which it will be seen that in working the gill comb heads do not pass below
the head of the passing comb a, but comb out the wool therein in a horizontal
direction, by which the prejudicial effect consequent on rotatory combs is
avoided. The heads of the rotatory combs heretofore used as they descend
pass below the head of the receiving comb a, and thus drag the wool in such
manner that the wool is drawn closely into the head of the comb a, as well as
into the heads of the working combs, and much wool is broken in consequence
thereof, when drawing off the wool from both classes of combs so used or
worked. The wool taken by the gill combs is drawn out therefrom into
a sliver in the following manner:-On the axis x is fixed a cog wheel &,
which takes into and drives the intermediate wheel A, which gives motion
to the cog wheel B on the axis O, and on this axis O is fixed a roller D, which
carries the endless belt E, which passes under the upper drawing roller D, the
lower drawing roller F being driven by the upperone, their axes being geared
together by cog wheels; and the wool thus received or taken from the gill
combs is then passed through the condensing tube G, which gives twist to the
wool between the rollers D, F, and the tube, but again takes out such twist in
delivering it from the tube, as is well understood. The tube G is caused
to revolve by means of an endless band H, which is driven by a pulley 1, fixed
on the axis of one of the lower screws, as shewn, and the sliver is passed be-
tween the rollersJ, and is received into a can, the rollers Jreceiving motion from
the axis x by means of the strap K, which is driven by the pulley L on the
axis x, such band giving motion to an axis M, which, by means of u cog wheel
fixed thereon, gives motion to the cog wheel N on the axis of one of the rollers
J, and the two rollers J are geared together by cog wheels on their axes.

page_text: I would state that I do not claim the screwgill apparatus here shown and
described separately; nor do I claim the use of a comb continuously bringing
up wool to be combed, in the manner in which the same is done by the comba,
when separately considered; this improvement consisting in a combination
of screw gill apparatns with combs working with a continuously passing comb,
The sliver of wool
to bring up wool to be combed by the gill combs.
obtained from the gill or working combs I cause to be combed again with
other wool.
I will now proceed to describe the means of taking off two slivers, accord-
ing to my Invention, from a rotating comb in place of one, as heretofore, and by
which I first take a sliver of the long wool, and then a sliver of the short wool.
On the axis s is fixed a bevelled toothed wheel O, which takes into and drives
the bevelled tooth wheel P on the axis Q, and on the axis Q there is also
fixed the cog wheel Q', which takes into and drives the intermediate cog wheel
Q, which gives motion to the cog wheel R on the axis of one of the pairs of
drawing rollers S, the axis of which turns in bearings at its upper and lower
ends, as shown at S',S'. The other drawing roller S receives its motion from
the one which is driven, as will be seen on examining the Drawings. And it
will also be seen that the endless belt T, which guides the wool on the comb a
to the rollers S, is carried by one of the drawing rollers S and the two pulleys
or rollers S³, S³, as is clearly shown by the Drawings. The wool, as it comes
from the drawing rollers S, passes through the funnel V, and then between the
rollers U, which receive motion from the axiss by means of the strap W,
which is guided to its work by the pulleys W, W, and such strap gives
motion to the druin W3 affixed on the axis of one of the rollers U, and the
two rollers U are geared together by cog wheels, as is shown. The sliver of
long wool thus obtained is to be received into a can, or otherwise, as hereto-
fore. And I would here state that I make no claim to the drawing off this
first sliver, the same not being new ; but I will now proceed to explain how a
second sliver may be obtained by applying suitable apparatus to a second pair
of drawing rollers X ; and such second sliver will consist of a shorter wool
than that which composes the first sliver obtained from the drawing rollers S,
and this second pair of drawing-off rollers receive motion from the axis of the
first pair of drawing-off rollers by means of a cog wheel Y, which takes into
and drives the cog wheel Y', on the axis of which is another cog wheel Y,
which takes into and drives the cog wheel Y³, on the axis of which is the
pinion d, which takes into and drives the cog teeth on the inner surface of the
head of the comb a, and thus is the comb a moved continually round. The
cog wheel Y¹ takes into and drives the intermediate cog wheel Z, which takes

page_text: into and drives the second intermediate cog wheel Z', and the wheel Z¹ takes
into and drives the cog wheel Z³ on the axis of one of the drawing-off rollers
✗, and thereby the pair of drawing-off rollers X receives motion, and with-
draws the wool from the comb, and the same is formed into a sliver by
employing a condensing tube and a pair of rollers, the condensing tube
giving twist in taking the wool from the drawing rollers, and again taking out
that twist in delivering it to the rollers. X' is an endless belt, which inclines
and directs the wool to the drawing-off rollers ✗, and these rollers X draw off
the wool, and the same is conducted through the condensing tube Z3, and then
through between the rollers Z, and the sliver thus obtained is received into a
can, or otherwise, and as the same is not equal, many of them are doubled and
again combed. The condensing tube Z³ is caused to revolve by means of the
endless band Z³, which receives motion from the pulley Zo, and the same is
guided by the pulleys Z'. The rollers Z receive motion from the axis of one
of the rollers U, which has affixed thereon a cog wheel Z, which, by means of
the intermediate cog wheel Z, gives motion to the cog wheel Z10 on the axis
of one of the rollers Z, and the axes of the rollers Z' are geared together, as
is shown.
I would here state, that I am aware thatasecond pair of drawing-off rollers
similar to X has been before applied to a circular comb like a, for taking off
the wool therefrom; but in such case the wool was wound around an endless
belt of cloth, and accumulated thereon, and from time to time broken off.
And it is proper to state that this part of my Invention consists in combining
apparatus, such as described in respect to Z³, Z, X¹, with a second pair of
drawing-off rollers, working with a circular or endless comb a. I prefer that
the wool after it has been combed by the gill-combs should have the ends
combed out by rotatory combs, as is shown at (1), which receive motion from
the axis u, by an endless band (2), in the manner shown in the Drawings.
The wool from the back of the comb a is drawn off by a pair of drawing rollers
on the interior of the comba, as has heretofore been done in similar machines
now in extensive use, excepting that these drawing rollers have bearings at
their lower ends carried by the frame (Y4), which is affixed to the bed plate b,
but allowing of adjustment by reason of the plate (Y), attached to the
frame (Y) having a slot therein, as is shown. The comb a is cleared of any
remaining wool or noil by means of two brushes, one of which raises the wool
in the teeth of the comb, and the other brushes it off. (3) is the brush for
raising the wool in the comb; it is mounted on the bell crank lever (4), and
receives motion from a crank pin fixed on the axis Q, by means of a con-
necting rod (5), as is shown; and (6) is a rotatory brush, which, by its

page_text: rotation, removes any wool or noil which may remain in the teeth of the
comb a, the brush (6) having a cover (7), as is shewn by dotted lines, and
the wool or noil is thrown into a receptacle below. The brush (6) receives
motion by the strap (8), which is actuated by a pulley or drum on the
axis u.
I will now describe the means of heating the comb a, by the application of
heat derived from a stove which is capable of keeping a large supply of
charcoal, so as only to require attention at distant times. The stove itself is
similar to what is used for heating rooms and places, and separately is not of
my Invention, but its application, in combination with the use of a continuous
passing comb, will be found very beneficial and superior to the stoves hereto-
fore used for such purposes. And, further, the heated vapours or products
Howing from the stove are conducted into a chamber through which the comb
teeth pass, and thereby become heated. (9) is the stove, which consists of two
parts, first, the part where the fuel is at all times in a state of ignition, and
which is the space above the fire bars, and up to the flue or outlet (10), the
part above constituting a chamber for a quantity of fuel, which descends
as the lower part is consumed, thus keeping a regular and long continued
supply; (11) is the flue which conducts the heated products up to and
amongst the teeth of the comb a, the flue being enlarged into a chamber
(12) at its end where the teeth of the combs pass, and (13) is a flue or
chimney for conveying off the products from the end of the flue; and in order
to regulate and shut off the heat of this stove there is a damper (14) to regu-
late the admission of the air to the fire, and another damper (15) to regulate
the quantity of heated vapours passing to the chamber (12), which dampers
are so arranged as to be actuated or moved by the lever (16), and in such
manner that by closing one the other is closed. By this arrangement no blast
of air to the fire is required, the simple flow of heated products amongst
the teeth of the passing comb a being sufficient to heat that comb.
By such description of machinery I comb foreign as well as English wool,
and either carded and washed before combing or combed in a dry state; but I
make no claim to any particular state in which wool is combed by my improve-
ments, as herein described.
I have now described the Invention as working with a particular lashing
apparatus, as shewn; but I would state that this lashing apparatus may
be varied to some extent so long as the same is combined with a circular or
endless comb a, with the teeth rising upwards; and to show that such is the
case I have shewn several views marked Z of an apparatus for lashing or
feeding wool into the comb a, which differs from that shewn in some of the

page_text: details, but is substantively the same apparatus, and may be substituted for the
one shewn in the other Drawings,and above described, there being thisadvan-
tage, in the present over the previously described apparatus, that the present
apparatus works more in a horizontal position. The bars & in the apparatus
are horizontal, and they are worked by four wheels j,j, each having crank
pins 11, hence the bars & are at all times horizontal. The trough p is affixed
to and carried by the bars k, as is shewn, and the axes of the lower feeding
roller pass through the bars k, k. The frames o,o, for the bearings of the
upper feeding roller move on the axes of the lower feeding roller, and the posi-
tion of the upper roller is regulated in respect to the lower by slots in the
plates o', by which the frames o are attached to the bars. This apparatus
receives its lashing motion in the same manner as before described from an
axis i driven by a strap e', On the axis i are two cog wheels it, which take
into and drive the four cogwheels j, asis shewn, and rotatory motion is commu-
nicated to the feed rollers by means of the screw wheel n³, the screw nt, on
the axis no, having on it the bevelled toothed wheel n", which taking into is
driven by the bevelled toothed wheel n², the bevelled toothed wheel 7 being
affixed to one of the wheels j, so that as the wheel j revolves each revolu-
tion will cause the wheel nl, and consequently the shaft no to make one
revolution.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described so long as the
peculiar character of either part of my Invention be retained; but what I
claim is,―
First, is the production of slivers of wool, by simply lashing or feeding
wool into a suitable circular or other receiving comb, and then drawing off a
sliver or slivers without working such wool by working combs.
Secondly, I claim the combining of apparatus for lashing or feeding wool,
such as herein described, with a circnlar or endless comb a, having teeth rising
from the head upward, as described.
Thirdly, I claim the application of gill-combing apparatus, in combination
with a circular or endless comb a, as herein described.
Fourthly, I claim the application of the combined apparatus Z3,Z4,X', to a
second pair of drawing-off rollers, working with a circular or endless comba,
so as to remove a second sliver therefrom.
And, fifthly, I claim the application of a stove, such as herein described, in
combinationwithacircular or continuous comb,in order to heat the teeth thereof,
and also the so heating a flue or chamber by the passage of heated vapours