IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR COMBING COTTON, SILK, AND OTHER FIBRES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thompson of the Firm of Messieurs Curtis Sons
and Company of Phoenix Works Manchester in the County of Lancaster and
Thomas Barker of the same place Foreman for an Invention of “IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thompson and
Thomas Barker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
26th April 1883.
JOHN THOMPSON of the Firm of Messieurs Cartis Sons and Company of Phoenix
Works Manchester in the County of Lancaster and THOMAS BARKER of the same
place Foreman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR COMBING COTTON, SILK, AND
OTHER FIBRES
"
The object of our Invention is to comb cotton, silk, silk waste or other fibres by
a machine which draws or takes a tuft of fibre from the lap or roll and combs,
first one end and then the other end of the tuft by means of one cylinder comb
and three or other number of pairs of nip jaws to each combing head and then
lays the combed fibre between rollers which form it into a fleece or sliver: the
whole length of the fibre is thus equally combed, which is an appreciable
advantage.
It is now customary to comb one end of the fibre with a cylinder comb and the
other end by drawing the fibre through a top comb having one or more rows of
needles.
In carrying our Invention into effect we prefer to use three pairs of nip jaws and
one combing cylinder to each head; the first pair of nippers or nip jaws takes
bold of the end of the lap and draws therefrom a tuft of fibre and places it at any
required distance in the second pair of nippers which draws one end of the fibre
through the cylinder combs: when one end is combed the fibre is carried onward
and placed in the third pair of nippers which draw the uncombed end of the tuft
of fibre through the same cylinder combs as before and when combed at both
ends places the tuft between rollers which form it into a fleece.
LD..

page_text: To avoid torsion in the shafts and tubes which carry the nippers and combing
cylinders we prefer to fix the main gearing near the middle of the machine.
On the main driving shaft we secure two pinions gearing into two spur wheels
with a cam cast or fixed on each side of them: each of these cams gives an
oscillating motion to swing beams near the ends of which is hinged a rack or racks
gearing into spur wheels or segments of wheels fixed one on each nipper shaft;
the nipper shafts have a number of arms carrying all the bottom nip jaws which
oscillate in adjustable bearings fixed on the main stands of the machine.
On the nipper shafts are fitted loosely a number of tubes which oscillate and
carry the top nip-jaws, the number of which is regulated by the number of heads
to a machine.
The centre tube on each line of nippers has a spur wheel or part of a wheel
fixed to it and each of these wheels gears into a rack similar. to. those used for the
nipper shafts; the tubes are joined together to form one long tube for each line of
nippers with spring arms attached to carry the top nip-jaws.
By this arrangement both the top and bottom nip-jaws oscillate on the same axis
and move together downward and in their upward movement the top nip-jaws
which are fixed on the aforesaid tubes move quicker than the bottom nip-jaws
and by this means the nip jaws are opened and closed so as to draw the fibre from
the lap and after combing both ends pass it to the rollers where it is formed into a
fleece

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Thompson and Thomas Barker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th October 1883.
-
JOHN THOMPSON, of the firm of Messieurs Curtis, Sons, and Company, of Phoenix
Works, Manchester in the County of Lancaster and THOMAS BARKER, of the same
place, Foreman "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR COMBING COTTON, SILK AND
OTHER FIBRES
"
The object of our Invention is to comb cotton, silk, silk waste or other fibres
by a machine which draws or takes a tuft of fibre from the lap or roll and combs
first one end and then the other end of the tuft by means of one cylinder comb
and three or other number of pairs of nip-jaws to each combing head and then
lays the combed fibre between rollers which form it into a fleece or sliver: the
whole length of the fibre is thus equally combed which is an appreciable
advantage.
It is now customary to comb one end of the fibre with a cylinder comb and the
other end by drawing the fibre through a top comb having one or more rows of
needles.
In carrying our Invention into effect we prefer to use three pairs of nip-jaws
and one combing cylinder to each head: the first pair of nippers or nip-jaws
takes hold of the end of the lap and draws therefrom a tuft of fibre and places it
at any required distance in the second pair of nippers which draws one end of the
fibre through the cylinder combs: when one end is combed the fibre is carried
onward and placed in the third pair of nippers which draw the uncombed end of
the tuft of fibre through the same cylinder combs as before and when combed at
both ends places the tuft between rollers which form it into a fleece.
To avoid torsion in the shafts and tubes which carry the nippers and combing
cylinders we prefer to fix the main gearing near the middle of the machine.
On the main driving shaft we secure two pinions gearing into two spur wheels
with a cam cast or fixed on each side of them: each of these cams gives an
oscillating motion to swing beams near the ends of which is hinged a rack or racks
gearing into spur wheels or segments of wheels fixed one on each nipper shaft:
the nipper shafts have a number of arms carrying all the bottom nip-jaws which
oscillate in adjustable bearings fixed on the main stands of the machine
On the nipper shafts are fitted loosely a number of tubes which oscillate and
carry the top nip-jaws, the number of which is regulated by the number of heads
to a machine.
The centre tube on each line of nippers has a spur wheel or part of a wheel fixed
to it and each of these wheels gears into a rack similar to those used for the nipper
shafts: the tubes are joined together to form one long tube for each line of nippers
with spring arms attached to carry the top nip jaws.
By this arrangement both the top and bottom nip jaws oscillate on the same
axis and move together downward and in their upward movement the top nip
jaws which are fixed on the aforesaid tubes move quicker than the bottom nip-jaws
and by this means the nip-jaws are opened and closed so as to draw the fibre from
the lap and after combing both ends pass it to the rollers where it is formed into a
fleece.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon. 3
3

page_text: Fig. 1 is a sectional view of part of a combing machine made according to
our Invention: the frame is not shown in the drawing. Figs. 2. 3. 4 and 5 are
similar views showing some of the working parts in different positions. Fig. 6 is
an end view of part of the mechanism for giving motion to the feed and delivery
rollers. Figs. 7 and 8 are views showing the main gearing which is placed in this
case near the centre of the machine. Fig. 9 is a plan and Fig. 10 an end view of
& set of nip-jaws showing the mode of coupling one tube to another.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
a is the lap roller with the fibre to be combed: 6 6 the ordinary friction rollera
on which the lap roller a rests: 6¹ is the top conductor: cc the usual fluted
feed rollers and d an oscillating leveller or roller: e is the shaft to which are
secured the arms e which carry and communicate motion from the shaft e to the
lower jaw e of the first pair of nip jawa: the top jaw f is secured by the spring
arms f¹ to the tube f" which is fitted loosely on and has an independent motion to
the sbaft e: g is the shaft to which are secured the arms g which carry and
communicate motion from the shaft g to the lower jaw g³ of the second pair of nip
jaws the top jaw h is secured by the spring arms h¹ to the tube h* which is fitted
loosely on, and has an independent motion to the shaft g: i is the shaft to which
are secured the arms which carry, and communicate motion from the shaft i to,
the lower jaw of the third pair of nip jaws: the top jaw k is secured by the
spring arms to the tube which is fitted loosely on and has an independent
motion to, the shaft i: is the revolving comb cylinder driven from the wheel r¹,
by the wheel keyed to the shaft 1: m m' are the delivery rollers and n is the
movable "attach" roller: o o' are the pair of calender delivery rollers between
which the combed fibre passes to the drawing head. The revolving brush p strips
and cleans the comb cylinder and deposits the waste upon the card cylinder p¹
which is stripped by the doffer comb p².
:
The machine is driven by gearing placed near the centre as shown in Fig. 8:
q is the driving shaft held in suitable bearings in the frame of the machine: the
pinions q'q' are secured to the driving shaft q and gear into the spur wheels r
respectively and thus communicate motion to the machine: fixed to the wheel r
are two hollow cams one on each side: the swing beams 8 8¹ pivoted at 83 to
the machine frame are provided with bowls 3 and 8 which rest in the hollow
cams ³ ³ respectively
In Fig. 7 the swing beam s is shown in front of and covers the swing beam s¹.
The racks t and t¹ are pivoted near the bottom to, and receive motion from, the
swing beams 88, see Fig. 7 and they give motion to the first pair of nip jaws in the
following manner:-The rack t rests upon and is supported by the small bowls u u!
held in a bracket u³: the reciprocating motion which the beam & imparts to the
rack t is communicated to the segment wheel e³ keyed to the shaft e and so to the
lower jawe of the first pair of nip-jaws: the rack t' rests upon bowls vvl and in the
bracket and takes its reciprocating motion from the swing beam s¹ and gears
into the wheel f³ secured or keyed to the tube f2 and so actuates the top jaw ƒ of
the first pair of nip jaws. The brackets u² and v³ which support the racks t and t
are free to oscillate on the tube f* in order that the segment wheel e³ and the
wheels may rest in gear with their respective racks t t'.
The third pair of nip jaws and k are actuated by the racks t³ ³ pivoted to the
swing beams 8 and 8 through the segment wheel secured to the shaft i and the
wheel secured to the tube k in a similar manner to that above described.
The second pair of nip jaws obtain their motion from the spur wheel 7¹¹ secured
to the shaft to which the hollow cams w w¹ are secured or cast: swing
beams w²ware pivoted to the machine frame and have bowls resting in the
cams ww¹ to the upper ends of these beams are pivoted the racks w and w
which gear into and drive the wheel secured to or cast with the tube hand
the segment wheel secured to the shaft g.
-
3:

page_text: The shafts to which the lower jaws are secured extend the whole length of the
machine and the tubes to which the upper jaws are secured are made in sections
and coupled together as clearly shown at ein Figs. 9 and 10.
"
The movable roller n is shown with the mechanism for moving it in Fig. 6.
On each end of the comb cylinder shaft is keyed a spur wheel 1 which gears
into a carrier wheel gearing into. another carrier wheel upon the inside of
which is cast or fixed a cam lacting upon a bowl l held by a stud on a quadrant
with teeth on its periphery which gear into a similar quadrant n' keyed on the end
of a lifting shaft n to which the adjustable arms n³, carrying the movable "attach
roller n, are secured: a chain and weight n is attached to each of the adjustable
arms n³ so as to hold the bowl against the cam 16 and cause the attach roller n to
lay the fibres over one another and form a fleece. The feed rollers c are turned by
a ratchet wheel c¹, see Fig. 6. through the rod c³ connected below to the wheel l
and at the upper end to the ratchet lever with a pawl c' which rests during
part of its traverse on a shield c swivelled on the feed roller c and fixed to the end
of the frame by a screw or bolt by which it may be adjusted: by adjusting the
shield the pawl c* is caused to act upon and take one or more teeth of the
ratchet wheel c¹ at each stroke of the machine and thus to regulate the amount of
feed.
The calender delivery rollers o o' are actuated by the rod o* secured at one end
to the wheel and at the other to a ratchet lever os which turns the notch wheel o*
fixed to the end of the calender roller o. The roller o is connected by spur gearing
or otherwise to drive the delivery rollers m m².
The combing operation is as follows:-The lap of cotton a rests upon the
ordinary friction rollers 6b and passes over the plate b¹ to the fluted feed rollers cc:
below these rollers is the oscillating leveller or roller d which comes between the
feed rollers c and the first pair of nip jaws and receives its motion from the swing
beam through the rod ws and lever d secured to the shaft & to which the
leveller is connected: the leveller d follows the first pair of jaws which in Fig. 1
are shown closed, having seized a tuft of fibre: this pair of jaws swings or moves
in the direction of the arrow and lays the loose ends of the fibre with the assistance
of the leveller d on to the lower jaw of the second pair of nip jaws as shown in
Fig. 2 the top jaw h closes upon the lower jaw g³, seizes the fibre and carries it to
the comb cylinder 7: the fibre is combed at one end by the revolving cylinder
through which it is drawn by the second pair of nip jaws: at this time the first
pair of nip jaws are open and moving back to take more fibre. Fig. 4 shows the
fibre still held by the second pair of nip jaws which have passed the combing
cylinder: the third pair of nip jaws are now closing on the fibre ready to carry it
forward until it is again met by the revolving comb cylinder 2 and the other end
of the fibre combed, see Fig. 5. While this is going on the second pair of nip jaws
are moving back to take more fibre from the first pair. The fibre will have been
combed at both ends when the last pair of nip jaws have finished their stroke and
the fibre is deposited by them upon the delivery rollers by the aid of the movable
or "attach "roller n, see Fig. 2. and carried away in the form of a fleece or aliver.
The combing cylinder is cleaned by the revolving brush p and the short fibre
and foreign matter is stripped from the card cylinder p² by a doffer p*.
By coupling the tubes of the same line of nip jaws in the manner shown and
described we are enabled to increase the number of combing heads of the machine
and leave suitable bearings for the nipper shafts and arms.
Having stated the nature of our Invention and described the manner of
performing the same
We declare that we claim
1.-The improvements in machines for combing cotton, silk and other fibres
substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and described.
2.-In a combing machine, coupling the tubes carrying one line of nip-jaws for the
purposes specified

page_text: 3. The combination in a combing machine of swing beams and racks with spur
wheels and segments of wheels for actuating the top and lower nip jaws substan-
tially in the manner and for the purposes herein shown and described.
In witness whereof I the said John Thompson for myself and on behalf of the
said Thomas Barker have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty fourth day
of October One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.