IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR COMBING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."-A communi-
cation.
Sealed the 15th July 1853, and dated the 23rd April 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd April 1853.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the machinery
employed in the separation of the long staples from the short ones, in
the treatment of wool or similar fibrous materials. It consists in the
employment of an endless chain of combs, the heating of which is

page_text: effected by a current of steam, which passes through the support over
which the chain is traversed. Its lubrication_is_effected by rotatory
cylindrical brushes, which deposit a certain amount of oil on to the
teeth of the combs as they pass in front of them.
The feeding of the combs is effected by a moveable table, which is
fitted with a pair of rollers for the purpose of drawing forward the sliver,
and depositing the end of it on to the comb, a small brush serving to
press it into the teeth. The combing action is effected by a pair of
mechanical hands fitted with combs, one of which presses a moveable
comb into the wool presented to it, and withdraws a portion therefrom;
and the other one removes the wool taken up by the first hand, and
deposits it on to the endless chain comb, leaving the long fibres or
staples projecting outside.
In order to present the extremities of the long staples to the drawing
cylinders, a continuous rubber is employed, which consists of an endless
band driven by a pair of rollers. This band traverses rapidly in the
direction of the chain comb, and directs the ends of the staples between
the drawing cylinders.
The removal of the short staples, and the cleaning of the comb, is
effected by a pair of rotatory brushes working beneath the lower portion
of the endless chain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Johnson, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 22nd October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Johnson, Her spécial licence

page_text: that I, the said William Johnson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Johnson, my executors,.
administrators, or 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." 'IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
being a communication to me from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Johnson, 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 William Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accom-
panying drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
The said Invention relates to various arrangements of machinery,
apparatus, or means to be used for combing and otherwise preparing
wool and other fibrous materials, and for separating the long stapled
portions from the shorter fibres. The main comb is made up of a
series of short pieces, jointed together and forming an endless chain,
which passes round and is actuated by a couple of polygonal drums..
It travels slowly in front of the feeding mechanism, which feeds the
wool into the teeth in successive small quantities, pressing it well into.
them by means of a brush. The continued motion of the comb carries
the wool in front of the combers, which straighten out the fibres, causing
the longer ones to project out laterally from the comb, whilst the short
staple remains behind in the teeth. The combers are contrived to have
a variable number of strokes, according to the nature of the material.
operated upon. After being thoroughly combed, the wool passes on to

page_text: a pair of drawing rollers, which seize on the long projecting fibres, and-
remove them from the comb in the condition of a sliver or ribbon.
The shorter fibres and waste remain in the comb, to be removed after-
wards. The comb slides over a long narrow chamber, into which
heated air, water, or steam is admitted, so that the combing teeth are
thereby kept at the requisite temperature for efficient working, whilst
they are lubricated by rotatory brushes revolving in a reservoir of lubri-
cating matter below the machine.
And in order that the Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto attached. Figure 1, on the Sheet of Drawings, is a vertical.
longitudinal section of the improved combing machine. Figure 2, is a
transverse vertical section, shewing the details of the feeding mechanism.
Figure 3, is a similar section, shewing the details of the combers and of
the lubricating mechanism; and Figure 4, is a similar section, shewing
the details of the apparatus for removing the long fibres, as well as that
for taking off the shorter ones and waste, and for clearing the comb.
The main framing consists of the two oval-shaped end standards A,
and the two side pieces B, and it is further stiffened by the longitudinal
tie rods C, below. Motion is given to the machine through the fast
and loose pulleys D, the belt being put in and out of gear by
means of the over-head rod E, extending along the whole length of the
machine, and having a loop or slot for the passage of the belt imme--
diately over the pulleys. From the shaft of the pulley D, the motion
is transmitted to the various moving details by spur, bevil, or other
appropriate gearing. The main comb F, is made in short lengths
articulated together, and forming an endless chain, which passes round
the hexagonal pulleys G, and is caused by them to travel slowly in the
direction of the arrow. The comb is duplex, having a row of teeth
along each side of it; and the feeding, combing, and delivering mechanism
is likewise duplex to correspond. The comb slides over the long
hollow casting H, into which steam, hot air, or warm water is
admitted by the pipes I, fitted with stop-cocks to regulate the circula-
tion of the heating medium. A bar J, fixed to the end standards A,
passes along the centre of the comb between the two rows of teeth,

page_text: serving to steady their motion; and a similar bar J', passes along the
underneath or return portion of the comb for a similar purpose. The
feeding operation is effected by means of the rollers K, carried by a
frame I, to which a peculiar movement is given by the following
means: The frame L, is hung by adjustable bearings towards its
fore part upon a pin M, attached to two disc wheels N, acting as a
crank, whilst the hind extremity of the frame has fixed to it a
horizontal pin working in horizontal sloted guides O, attached to the
main framing. The revolution of the wheels N, combined with the
action of the guide slots O, causes the front part of the frame I, with
the feeding rollers K, to trace the elliptical path indicated by the dotted
lines. The rotatory delivering movement of the rollers upon their own
axes is produced by a worm upon the crank pin M, the motion of
which is transmitted to them by a small worm wheel and a couple of
bevil wheels. The sliver of wool or other material to be combed is
introduced between the rollers K, and is by them deposited upon the
endless comb F, in small quantities. Immediately above the rollers K,
is fixed a small brush, which follows the wool, and insures its insertion
into the teeth of the main comb. The wool thus received is carried in
front of the combing mechanism, consisting of right and left hand
combs, one of which takes off a small quantity of the wool lying in the
main comb teeth, and allows the other to seize it in its turn and
replace it on the main comb, when the longer fibres will be found to
project laterally from the comb, whilst the shorter fibres will remain
behind in the teeth. The right hand comb P', is carried on the end of
the lever Q, jointed to the pin of the crank R, which is made to revolve
by suitable gear. To the extremities of the lever Q, are fixed stud
pins S, S; one, S, working under the guide plate T, and the other, S',
over the guide plate T. The revolution of the crank R, combined
with the action of the guide plates T, U, will cause the pins S, S', of
the lever Q, to trace the differential paths indicated by the dotted
lines, whilst the teeth of the comb P, will describe a similar path, also
indicated in dotted lines, first descending down close to the main
comb F, and inserting its teeth into the wool, and then retreating in a
direction almost at right angles to the main comb. This action draws

page_text: the wool out of the teeth of the main comb, after which the comb P,
reascends along an elliptical path for a fresh stroke, parting with the
wool during its ascent to the left hand comb U. This left hand
comb U, (which is only indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3,) consists
of two pieces fixed diametrically opposite to each other upon one
spindle, which is caused to rotate with unequal speeds, during different
parts of its revolution, by the elliptical wheels V, indicated in dotted
lines on the left hand side of Figure 3. It will be seen that, owing to
the complete rotation of this comb about an axis, the teeth are pointed
downwards as at W, when furthest from the main comb F. It is
when in the position shewn by the dotted lines as at W, that the
right hand comb P, which moves at a much more rapid rate, passes
the end W, of the comb U, and necessarily leaves in the teeth of the
latter what wool it may have taken from the main comb. The comb U,
continuing its rotation, turns over and redeposits the wool in the teeth
of the main comb F. The rate of the combing mechanism may be
varied with reference to that of the main comb F, so that the wool
may be subjected to more or fewer strokes in its passage; whilst the
combers, which are represented as parallel to the main comb, may be
placed at a slight inclination thereto, so that the wool may be acted
upon by them in a gradual manner when its peculiar nature requires it.
The continued onward motion of the main comb F, at length brings
the wool in front of the drawing rollers X. The combing action will
now have caused the longer fibres to project laterally from the main
comb; but to insure their lying in a proper direction to be nipped by
the drawing rollers, they are subjected to the action of a rapidly onward-
moving endless belt Y, passing round a couple of vertical rollers, and
lying close up, or nearly so, to the endless comb.
The drawing
rollers X, which are of the ordinary description, are vertical; and a
guide belt or cloth Z, is passed round one of them to guide the wool
properly in between them. Emerging from between the vertical
rollers X, the wool enters the trumpet mouth a, and is finally delivered
in the sliver state by the horizontal rollers b.
The shorter fibres and waste are removed, and the main comb F, is
cleansed below by a couple of rotatory brushes c, the discharged matters
being received by the vessel d. provided for that purpose. Before

page_text: leaving the under part of the machine the main comb is lubricated
by a couple of rotatory brushes e, which dip into a vessel f, containing
lubricating matter.
The whole of the details, whether of the feeding, combing, or
delivering mechanism, are made capable of adjustment by means
of slots and screws, as shewn in the drawings, so that the posi-
tion and movement of each part may be regulated with the greatest
nicety to suit the peculiarities of the material under treatment. Where
the comb is made duplex, as is represented in the drawings, the wool
or other material may be drawn off from both sides of the main
comb F, in a single combined sliver, passing through the trumpet
mouth g, to be gathered upon a roller at h.
Further, it will be obvious to the practical man, that instead of an
articulated main comb, as here shewn, a rigid circular one of large
diameter may be used, either revolving upon a horizontal axis, and
with the teeth radiating from the centre, or upon a vertical axis, and
with the teeth parallel to such axis. In these cases the diameter must
be so large, that the small portion of it which may be in front of the
combers may coincide sufficiently nearly with a straight line. Where
the articulated comb is used, it may be of a much greater length than
that shewn in the drawings; and several sets of feeding, combing, and
delivering apparatus may be stationed along it. Where the circular
comb is used, however, the number of such sets will obviously be more
limited than in the example which I have herein-before given.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I may observe in conclusion that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be inade there-
from without deviating from the principles or main features of the Inven-
tion. But what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangements and construction of machinery,
apparatus, or means for combing, drawing, and otherwise preparing

page_text: and treating wool and other fibrous materials as herein-before
described.
Second, the application and use of the feeder or supplying ap-
paratus, and the system or mode of actuating the same, as herein-
before described.
Third, the system or mode of arranging and constructing right and
left hand combs, wherein one describes a differential and the other a
circular rotatory path, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use of traverse or rotating apparatus
for extending the longer fibres from the comb teeth, as herein-before
described. .
Fifth, the system or mode of combing and preparing fibrous
materials by means of an endless chain or belt of combs, or a circular
comb of large diameter, in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described.
Sixth, the system or mode of lubricating the comb teeth, as herein-
before described.
Seventh, the system or mode of heating the comb teeth, as herein-
before described.
Eighth, the application and use of circular clearers or rotating
brushes for the removal of the shorter fibres and waste, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
WM JOHNSON. (L.S.)