Year: 1888

page_text: I, HORACE WYMAN, Loom-builder, of Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention to bo as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object to improve the construction of that class of wool
combing machine known as the Noble, the aim of my invention being to simplify the
construction of the working parts and improve the quality of the combing.
The peculiar construction and combination of parts of my improved machine with
relation one to the other, as hereinafter described, although run at faster speed than
other combing machines known to me, is such that the working strain and vibration
is less than heretofore, it being a great desideration in this class of machine to gain
the maximum of speed combined with the minimum of twisting strain and vibration,
the steadiness of operation of the parts working even at increased speed resulting
in the production of better combing.
In accordance with my invention, I have so constructed the working parts, and
especially the wool and noil-comb circles, the wool comb circle outermost, that the
belt to drive the machine from a counter shaft overhead is passed down through the
noil-comb circle and is passed about the main shaft of the machine located below
the bed-plate near the floor, the bearing for the said shaft being very rigid and
attached preferably to the base of the machine frame.
The main shaft is provided with a gear for rotating the two comb circles, their
connected parts and the drawing-off rolls, the said shaft also having a pulley which
receives a belt by which to rotate a short shaft having a suitable eccentric or eccentrics,
or their equivalents, such as cams, to actuate one or more dabbing brushes attached to
carriages adapted to slide in vertical guide-ways, one brush ascending as the other
descends, both running consequently at the same rather than at different speeds,, but
as herein provided for, the shaft actuating the dabbing brushes is rotated at a much
faster speed than the shaft for actuating the comb circles.

page_text: By the employment of two dabbing brushes run at high speed, as stated, rather than
one brush, it is possible to more uniformly crowd the wool down into the teeth of the
combs at about the tangent points of the two circles; and further by the employ-
ment of two small dabbing brushes of substantially the same size and shape, preferably
octagonal in shape, it is possible to partially rotate the same upon their carriers as
the brushes become worn in use, thus reducing the cost of hrushes.
It has been found by practical trials that by the use of a large inside noil-comb
circle, say one greater in diameter than one half that of the wool-comb circle, whereby
the two comb-circles are caused to approach each other in diameter and thus practically
increase the extent of their surfaces nearly in contact, the noil-comb circle will retain
a very much larger amount of long wool or "top" especially if the wool is properly
dabbed into the nearly coincident feeth of the two circles, than by the use of small
noil-comb circles of less than half the diameter of the wool-comb circle, such as
commonly employed in the so-called Noble comb while the outside or wool-comb circle
will still carry the usual amount, the long wool drawn from the two comb circles by
their respective drawing-off rolls when united producing a "sliver nearly as much
in quantity as that produced from the common Noble comb with its two noil-comb
circles, and their two sets of drawing-off rolls combined with the two sets of
drawing-off rolls for the large wool-comb circle thus making four slivers in all to be
united.
::
It has not been found practicable to run a dabbing-brush motion beyond a certain
number of reciprocations per minute, and as there must be a proper relation between
the number of dabs of the brush and the velocity at which the teeth of the circles
move under the brush, it follows that the speed with which the circles move is limited
by the number of dabs given by the brush, but by the use of two dabbing motions,
the speed of the circles can be very much increased over that wherein only one is
used, a result which is not attainable with the small noil-comb circles common to the
Noble comb.
My invention is limited to the use of one noil-comb circle, inside of the wool-comb
circle, of a greater diameter than one-half that of the wool-comb circle, each circle having
co-operating with it a single pair of vertically arranged drawing-off rolls, an opening
being made through both circles and the bed-plate, the gearing of the machine being
so located as to provide an uninterrupted passage for the driving belt from above
through the circles and bed-plate to the driving pulley located below the machine, and
I have also provided the machine with means to move the two circles at different
circumferential speeds so as to provide for drawing the wool from the two ends more
nearly in radial lines, as will be described.
To obtain the high speed mentioned and consequent large production from the comb,
the means to feed the wool to the comb circles must also be adapted for this high rate
of speed, and consequently I have combined with the paris or elements mentioned, an
endless series of wool boxes which revolve with the outside or wool-comb circle, and
I have also combined with the parts aforesaid a set of plows to lift the wool from the
pins of the wool-comb circle, and a feed apparatus to place the wool continuously over
the two circles preparatory to being dabbed into the pins by the dabbing brush, the
said brush, boxes, and plow, being substantially as common to the Noble comb.
The principal elements therefore embraced in my improved comb are the driving
shaft located below the machine for stability; the bed-plate having an opening or
passage through it for the driving belt, thus admitting of driving the main shaft from
either above or below according to the location of the main shafting of the mill; the
practically long point of substantial contact or coincidence or tangent-point of the two
circles; the double acting dabbing brushes; the endless series of wool-boxes revolving
with the wool-comb circle receiving wool from balls of wool also travelling with the
said comb-circles, whereby the feed of the wool upon the pins of the two circles is
continuous; and means to impart differential speeds to the two circles, all co-operating
to enable the machine to be run at a high rate of speed.
It is a great desideratum in combing wool to avoid as much as possible the formation
of sharp angles in the fibre, and when but one noil-comb eircle is employed withi
2

page_text: the wool-comb circle, it is obvious that the wool fibres after leaving the dabbing
brushes (where the teeth of the two comb circles separate to draw the wool apart)
will be sharply bent about the teeth of the noil-comb circle, especially if both comb-
circles travel at the same surface speed.
To obviate this, the inner or smaller noil-comb circle is in the mechanism herein
described driven at a slower surface speed so that the strain on the fibre is maintained
as straight and direct as possible.
To gain great strength and stiffness for the parts and at the samo time cheapen the
construction of the machine, I have made the bed-plate as a single casting, its top
being cored to constitute an annular steam chamber as well as an annular guide for
the top-plate carrying the wool-comb circle, the feed boxes and the arms or brackets
supporting the balls or rolls of wool-roping to be combed, the bottom of the said bed-
plate being provided with an opening at a point below the centre of the inner or
noil-comb circle and outside of it for the passage of the driving belt and the escape
of the noil, the said bed-plate also serving to support the said stand constituting, the
guide for the dabbing brushes, and also the stands for holding and adjusting the
drawing-off rolls and their co-operating belts.
The bed-plate, A, of the machine has its upper portion cored to constitute a steam
chamber, A, and form an annular guide for the usual top plate, A². The bottom' or
central part of the bed-plate connecting the upright portion containing the steam
chamber referred to is cut away centrally to receive the driving belt, A³, deriving its
motion from a pulley upon any usual or suitable counter-shaft, the said belt acting
upon a fast pulley, A, attached to the main shaft, A³, of the combing machine.
The opening referred to in the bed-plate is large enough to permit the passage down-
ward through it of the noils at a point outside the noil comb circle, D².
The bed-plate has also made in it holes, A, for the passage of a belt, A', employed
to rotate a shaft, A10, which has its bearings in a stand, e, bolted to the bed-plate, A,
and effects the reciprocation of the dabbing brushes, to be described, the said belt
being extended over a pulley, A8, on the main shaft, A³, and over a pulley, A*. fast on
the shaft, A" The bed-plate is supported from the floor upon suitable legs or
uprights, B, provided with lugs, B¹, to which are bolted a bottom plate, B2, upon
which is erected a bearing yoke, B³, and suitable bearings, B4, for the main
shaft, A.
The main shaft, A³, has attached to it a bevelled pinion, B5, which engages and
rotates a bevelled gear, B6, secured to a shaft having its bearing in the yoke, 13³. The
said shaft above the said yoke has secured to it a toothed gear, B7, and yet above it a
toothed pinion, B8, which latter engages an intermediate gear, B, loose on a stud, a¹,
secured to a cross-bar, a², attached by suitable set screws, a³, to bearing sleeves, a',
the said bearing sleeves being adjustably attached to the interior or bottom portion of
the bed-plate in holes, a*.
The
The said intermediate pinion engages a gear C, fast upon a shaft C¹, extended
upward through the said bearing sleeve, at, bolted to the bed-plate, the said shaft
having keyed to it a gear C³, and a pinion, C. The gear 03, engages a gear C³, of
corresponding size secured to a short sleeve C*, fitted to revolve about a stud; C6,
erected upon the said bed-plate the sleeve being fitted with a fast pinion; C.
two gears C3, and, are of the same size and run at the same speed, but the
pinions, C, C, are of different sizes, so that the parts driven by them are actnated
at different speeds. In practice the pinions may be changed for others of different
diameter, so that any desired difference in speed may be attained for the comb
circles D, and D, respectively driven by them.
Herein the top-plate, A, attached in usual manner to the larger or wool comb
circle, D, and toothed in usual manner, is driven by the pinion; C. The pinion, C,
however, engages the toothed annular flange at the outer side of a plate, D, to which
is attached in usual manner, the smaller or noil comb circle, D; the said plate; D',
resting upon, moving over and being guided by an annular cast metal steam
chamber, D3, of usual construction and having legs or feet, D, which are: bolted upon
the interior or bottom portion of the bed-plate.

page_text: The pinion, C, is smaller than the pinion, C7, and as a result thereof, the noil
comb circle, D2, it having usual teeth, is driven at a slower surface speed than the
wool comb circle, D, such difference in speed, as herein before stated, avoiding sharp
bends or angles in the wool or fibre being drawn from the wool comb circle by the
inner.noil comb circle.
The toothed gear, B', referred to, engages a small pinion, b, fast upon the shaft to
which is secured the main roll, 61, of the set of drawing-off rolls, 61, 62, co-operating
with the noil comb circle, D². The gear, B7, also engages an intermediate gear, 73,
loose on a stud bx, fast on a cross-bar, &, hung from the under side of the bed-plate,
one end of the said cross-bar being attached by suitable bolts to a bearing sleeve, 10,
through which is extended the shaft, 12, of the roll, 13, which constitutes the main
drawing-off roll of the pair of drawing-off rolls, 13, 14, co-operating with and taking
the wool from the wool comb circle, D.
The rolls, 13, 14, receive between them a belt, 16, which is extended over guide-
rolls, 17, 18, while the rolls 61, 62, receive between them a belt, 19, which is extended
over guide-rolls, 20, 21, the roll, 18, occupying such position with relation to the
rolls, 21, and, 22, as to enable the belts, 16, and, 17, to nip the wool between them
close to the rolls, 13, 14, thus bringing the belts in most compact space.
The hub of the pulley, Ax, is provided with two like eccentrics, e¹, having their
points of highest throw set opposite to each other. Each of these eccentrics is
surrounded by an eccentric strap, e², which is made to engage a stud, e³, projecting from
the rear side of a block, ex, adjustably connected by an adjusting screw, e, with a
carriage, e, to the lower end of which is adjustably attached, by a set screw, e,
a dabbing brush, e7, the rotation of the eccentrics causing the carriages, e, both alike
to be reciprocated vertically in guide-ways, es, on the upper part of an upright or
standard, e, supported upon and bolted to the bed-plate by a bolt, e10, the said dabbing
brushes being so actuated that one ascends while the other descends.
The speed of rotation of the short shaft, A10, is so much faster than the speed of
rotation of the main shaft, A³, that the dabbing brushes are made to descend with
great frequency so as to gradually and uniformly crowd the wool into the teeth of
both the wool and noil comb circles at their tangent points. The dabbing brushes, e,
are made smaller than usual and of a regular rather than of an irregular shape, that
is, of such shape that they may be turned more or less about the carriages to which
they are attached and yet operate in their new positions. The adjustment or partial
rotation of the dabbing brushes (which may advantageously be octagonal, hexagonal
or circular) enables the brushes to be adjusted to compensate for wear.
Such dabbing
brushes may be used with advantage in connection with any usual wool or noil comb
circles.
By locating the driving shaft, A5, in the lower part of the frame-work of the
machine close to the floor, it becomes practicable to run the machine at high speed
without imparting undue or injurious vibration or oscillation to the parts, which
cannot be done when the power to drive the machine is applied to the machine
through a cross shaft arranged in pillars erected upon the bed-plate.
To sustain the weight of the top-plate, A2, and its attached parts common to the
Noble combing machine, such for instance, as the wool boxes, g, the sliver guides, gl,
and the brackets, g², and rolls, g³, which support the balls of roping to be combed,
the legs, B, have bolted to them brackets, f, to which are adjustably attached bearings,,
which support sheaves or friction rolls, 2, upon which the said top-plate, A2, rests
and runs.
This latter plate has mounted upon it the usual incline, g, to lift the woo!
boxes at the proper times to draw off from the balls the proper length of roping, and
co-operating with the teeth of both the wool and noil comb circles are employed
suitable plows, h, h³, operating in usual manner, the one lifting the wool from the teeth
of the wool comb circle just before it arrives at the dabbing brushes, the other lifting
the noil from the noil comb circle just before it reaches the discharge plate, 2, of
usual construction, which acts to take away the noil and pass it down through the
opening at the bottom of the bed-plate.
The driving belt, As, is extended through the fork, f, of a belt shipper rod,

page_text: which is adapted to slide in suitable guides forming part of the frame-work and has a
lug, 25, provided with a pin which enters a slot in an arm, 26, connected to the lower
end of a vertical rock-shaft, 27, the upper end of the said shaft having an arm, 28,
the free end of which is extended through a hole in the main shipper handle or slide-
bar 29, mounted to slide in suitable guides 31, 32, and provided at its opposite ends
with handles, 30, so that the operator can stop the machine from diametrically opposite
points. This slide bar, 29, is also notched or otherwise made to have connected to it
an auxiliary pivotted shipper handle or lever, 132, adapted to be engaged at
diametrically opposite points of the machine.
I have described the main shaft as rotated from a counter shaft arranged above the
machine, such being the usual location of counter-shafts, the belt being thus entirely
out of the way of the operator and enabling him at any time to have unimpeded
access to the balls of wool-roping, which is not the case when the driving belt is
arranged outside the frame-work. The main shaft may, however, be driven from a
belt extended from a pulley or a counter shaft at the ceiling of a room below the floor
on which the combing machine rests.
The guide-rolls and the rolls, 62, and, 14, are sustained upon studs or pins rising
from brackets or arms which are adjustably secured in position, all in usual manner.
As hereinbefore described, the drawing-off rolls for the noil comb circle are
arranged a considerable distance in advance of the drawing-off rolls for the wool comb
circle, and such plan I prefer for the reasons stated, but the drawing-off rolls for the
noil comb circle, D2, might be arranged to act firstly in the direction of rotation of
the said comb circles, and the drawing off rolls for the wool comb circle to operate
secondly.
Dated this 11th dor of Ancil 1888
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, HORACE WYMAN, Loom-builder, of Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United
States of America, 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 :—
This Invention has for its object to improve the construction of that class of
wool combing machine known as the "Noble," the aim of my invention being to
simplify the construction of the working parts and improve the quality of the
combing.
The peculiar construction and combination of the parts of my improved machine
with relation one to the other, as hereinafter described, although run at faster speed
than other combing machines known to me, are such that the working strain and
vibration are less than heretofore, it being a great desideratum in this class of machine
to gain the maximum of speed combined with the minimum of twisting strain and
vibration, the steadiness of operation of the parts, working even at increased speed,
resulting in the production of better combing.
In accordance with my Invention, I have so constructed the working parts, and
especially the wool and noil-comb circles, the wool comb circle outermost, that the
belt to drive the machine from a counter shaft overhead is passed down through
the noil-comb circle and is passed about the main shaft of the machine located below the
bed-plate near the floor, the bearing for the said shaft being very rigid, and attached,
preferably, to the base of the machine frame.
The main shaft is provided with a gear for rotating the two comb circles, their
connected parts and the drawing off rolls, the said shaft also having a pulley which
receives a belt by which to rotate a short shaft having a suitable eccentric or eccentrics,
or their equivalents, such as cams, to actuate one or more dabbing brushes attached
to carriages adapted to slide in vertical guide-ways, one brush ascending as the other
descends, both running consequently at the same rather than at different speeds, but
as herein provided for, the shaft actuating the dabbing brushes, is rotated at a much
faster speed than the shaft for actuating the comb circles.
By the employment of two dabbing brushes run at high speed, as stated, rather
than one brush, it is possible to more uniformly crowd the wool down into the teeth of
the combs at about the tangent points of the two circles, and further by the employ-
ment of two small dabbing brushies of substantially the same size and shape, preferably
octagonal in shape, it is possible to partially rotate the same upon their carriers as the
brushes become worn in use, thus reducing the cost of brushes.
It has been found by practical trials that by the use of a large inside noil-comb
circle, say one greater in diameter than one half that of the wool-comb circle, whereby

page_text: the two comb-circles are caused to approach each other in diameter and thus practi-
cally increase the extent of their surfaces nearly in contact, the noil-comb circle will
retain a very much larger aniount of long wool or top" especially if the wool is
properly dabbed into the nearly coincident teeth of the two circles, than by the use of
small noil-comb circles of less than half the diameter of the wool-comb circle, such as
commonly employed in the so-called Noble comb while the outside or wool-comb
circle will still carry the usual amount, the long wool drawn from the two comb circles
by their respective drawing-off rolls when united producing a "sliver nearly as
much in quantity as that produced from the common Noble comb with its two noil-
comb circles, and their two sets of drawing-off rolls combined with the two sets
of drawing-off rolls for the large wool-comb circle thus making four slivers in all to
be united.
It has not been found practicable to run a dabbing-brush motion beyond a certain
number of reciprocations per minute, and as there must be a proper relation between
the number of dabs of the brush and the velocity at which the teeth of the circles
move under the brush, it follows that the speed with which the circles move is limited
by the number of dahs given by the brush, but by the use of two dabbing motions,
the speed of the circles can be very much increased over that wherein only one is
used, a result which is not attainable with the small noil-comb circles common to
the Noble comb.
My invention is limited to the use of one noil-comb circle, inside of the wool-comb
circle, of a greater diameter than one-half that of the wool-comb circle, each circle
having co-operating with it a single pair of vertically arranged drawing-off rolls, an
opening being made through hoth circles and the bed-plate, the gearing of the
machine being so located as to provid ean uninterrupted passage for the driving helt
from above through the circles and bed plate to the driving pulley located below the
machine, and I have also provided the machine with means to move the two circles
at different circumferential speeds so as to provide for drawing the wool from the two
ends more nearly in radial lines, as will be described.
To obtain the high speed mentioned and consequent large production from the
comb, the means to feed the wool to the comb circles must also be adapted for this
high rate of speed, and consequently I have combined with the parts or elements
mentioned, an endless series of wool boxes which revolve with the outside or wool-
comb circle, and I have also combined with the parts aforesaid a set of plows to lift
the wool from the pins of the wool-comb circle, and a feed apparatus to place the
wool continuously over the two circles preparatory to being dabbed into the pins by
the dabbing brush, the said brush, boxes, and plow, being substantially as common to
the Noble comb.
The principal elements therefore embraced in my improved comb are the driving
shaft located below the machine for stability: the bed-plate having an opening or
passage through it for the driving belt, thus admitting of driving the main shaft
from either above or below according to the location of the main shafting of the mill;
the practically long point of substantial contact or coincidence or tangent-point of
the two circles the double acting dabbing brushes; the endless series of wool-boxes
revolving with the wool-comb circle receiving wool from balls of wool also travelling
with the said comh-circles, whereby the feed of the wool upon the pins of the two
circles is continuous, and means to impart differential speeds to the two circles, all
co-operating to enable the machine to be run at a high rate of speed.
It is a great desideratum in combing wool to avoid as much as possible the forma-
tion of sharp angles in the fibre, and when but one noil-comb circle is employed
within the wool-comb circle, it is obvious that the wool fibres after leaving the
dabbing brushes (where the teeth of the two comb circles separate to draw the
wool apart) will be sharply bent about the teeth of the noil-comb circle, especially
if both comb-circles travel at the same surface speed.
To obviate this, the inner or smaller noil comb circle is in the mechanism herein
described driven at a slower surface speed so that the strain on the fibre is maintained
as straight and direct as possible.

page_text: To gain great strength and stiffness for the parts and at the same time cheapen the
construction of the machine, I have made the bed-plate as a single casting, its top
being cored to constitute an annular steam chamber as well as an annular guide for
the top-plate carrying the wool-comb circle, the feed boxes and the arms or brackets
supporting the balls or rolls of wool-roping to be combed, the bottom of the said bed-
plate being provided with an opening at a point below the centre of the inner or
noil-comb circle and outside of it for the passage of the driving belt and the
escape of the noil, the said bed-plate also serving to support the said stand
constituting the guide for the dabbing brushes, and also the stands for holding
and adjusting the drawing-off rolls and their co-operating belts.
Figure 1, is a top or plan view, partially broken away, of a wool-combing machine
embodying my invention, the belts of the drawing-off rolls being omitted; Fig. 2, a
detail showing parts of the two comb circles, the drawing-off rolls, and their belts, the
rolls being in section, the figure also showing the guide-rolls for the belt. Fig. 3, is
a sectional detail in the line, a, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a partial vertical section in the dotted
line a¹, Fig. 1. Fig: 5, is a sectional detail to the left of the dotted line, a², Fig. 4,
chiefly to show the two eccentrics to actuate the dabbing-brushes; Fig. 6, a front
elevation of the stand and guides with the carriages and. their attached dabbing-
brushes; Fig. 7, a sectional detail to illustrate one of the supports for the bed-plate
and for the top-plate. Figs. 8, and, 9, show a top view of the bed-plate and a
section thereof in the line, ³, and Fig. 10, is a modification, to be referred to, of the
drawing-off rolls and belts.
The bed-plate, A, of the machine has integral with it and rising from it vertically
a wall or curb, A2, at the top of which and integral with it is cast the steam
chamber, A, the latter forming an annular guide for the usual top-plate, A². The
bottom or central part of the bed-plate is cut away centrally to receive the driving
belt, A3, deriving its motion from a pulley upon any usual or suitable counter-shaft,
the said belt acting upon a fast pulley, A, attached to the main shaft, A³, of the
combing machine and located perpendicularly below the opening in the bed-plate,
the said belt in Fig. 4, being shown as being on the loose pulley, A, at the side of
the fast pulley.
The opening referred to in the bed-plate is large enough to permit the passage
downward through it of the noils at a point outside the noil-comb circle, D.
The bed-plate has also made in it holes as at, A³, for the passage of a belt, A7,
employed to rotate a shaft, A, which has its bearings in a stand, e, bolted to the
bed-plate, A, and effects the reciprocation of the dabbing brushes, to be described, the
said belt being extended over a pulley, A8, see dotted lines, Fig. 4, on the main
shaft, A., and over a pulley, A*, fast on the shaft, A10. The bed-plate referred to is
supported from the floor upon suitable legs or uprights as, B, provided with lugs
as, B¹, to which is bolted a bottom plate, B2, upon which are erected a bearing
yoke, B³, and suitable bearings as, B4, for the main shaft, A".
The main shaft, A³, has attached to it a bevelled pinion, B, which engages and
rotates a bevelled gear, BB, secured to a shaft having its bearing on the yoke, B³.
The said shaft above the said yoke has secured to it a toothed gear, B, and yet above
it a toothed pinion as, B, see Fig. 1. which latter engages an intermediate gear, B³,
loose on a stud, a', secured to a cross-bar, a, attached by suitable set-screws as, a³, to
bearing sleeves, at, one of which is shown in Fig. 4, the said bearing sleeves being
adjustably attached as in Fig. 3, to the interior or bottom portion of the bed-plate in
holes, a, see Fig. 8. This gear, B, is best shown in Fig. 1. where it is represented
partially by full and partially by dotted lines. The said intermediate pinion engages
a gear, C, (shown by dotted and full lines in Fig. 1. full lines Fig. 4, and in section
in Fig. 3.) the said gear being fast upon a shaft, C', extended upward through the
bearing-sleeve, a', referred to, bolted to the bed-plate, the said shaft having keyed to
it a gear, C3, and a pinion, C. The gear, C³, engages a gear, C³, of corresponding
size, secured to a short sleeve, C, fitted to revolve about a stud, as, C, erected upon
the said bed-plate.
The sleeve referred to has fixed to it a pinion, as, C³.

page_text: The two gears, C³, and, C³, are of the same size and run at the same speed; but
the pinions, C, C, are of different sizes, so that the parts driven by them are actuated
at different speeds. In practice the pinions may be changed for others of different
diameter, so that any desired difference in speed may be attained for the comb-
circles, D², and, D, respectively driven by them. Herein the top plate, A2, attached
in usual manner to the larger or wool-comb circle, D, and toothed in usual manner,
(see Fig. 7.) is driven by the pinion, C. The pinion, C, however, engages the
toothed annular flange at the outer side of the plate, D¹, to which is attached in usual
manner the smaller or oil-comb circle, D2, the said plate, D1, resting upon, moving
over, and being guided by an annular cast-metal steam-chamber, D³, (shown in
section in Fig. 3.) the said steam-chamber being of usual construction and having
legs or feet, D, (see Fig. 4.) which are bolted upon the interior or bottom portion of
the bed-plate.
As herein shown, the pinion, C", is smaller than the pinion, C7, and as a result
thereof, the noil-comb circle, D2, it having usual teeth, is driven at a slower surface
speed than the wool-comb circle, D, such difference in speed, as hereinbefore stated,
avoiding sharp bends or angles in the wool or fibre being drawn from the wool-comb
circle. by the inner noil-comb circle.
The toothed gear, B', referred to, engages a small pinion, b, (shown by dotted lines
in Fig. 1.) fast upon the shaft, to which is secured the main roll, 61, of the set of
vertical drawing-off rolls co-operating with the noil comb circle, D2, the other
drawing-off roll co-operating with it being marked, . The gear, B', also engages
an intermediate gear, 3, loose on a stud, x, fast on a cross-bar, 6, (shown by dotted
lines, Fig. 1.) hung from the under side of the bed-plate, one end of the said cross-
bar being attached by suitable bolts to a bearing-sleeve, as, 10, through which is
extended the shaft, as, 12, of the roll, 13, which constitutes the main drawing off roll
of the pair of vertical drawing-off rolls, 13, 14, co-operating with and taking the wool
from the wool-comb circle, D. The rolls, 13, 14, receive between them the belt, 16,
which is extended over guide-rolls, 17, 18, while the rolls, 1, 2, receive between
them a belt, 19, which is extended over guide-rolls, 20, 21, and, 22, the roll, 18,
occupying such position with relation to the rolls, 21, and, 22, as to enable the
belts, 16, and, 19, to nip the wool between them close to the rolls, 13, 14, thus
bringing the belts in most compact space.
The hub of the pulley, A, (shown best in Figs. 4, and, 5,) is provided with two
like eccentrics, e', e, they having, however, their points of highest throw set opposite
to each other. Each of these eccentrics is surrounded by an eccentric strap, as, e²,
which is made to engage a stud, as, e³, projecting from the rear side of a block, as, ex,
adjustably connected by an adjusting-screw, as, e, with a carriage, as, es, to the
lower end of which is adjustably attached by a set screw, as, e, a dabbing-brush, e,
the rotation of the eccentrics causing the carriages, e, e, both alike, to be reciprocated
vertically in guideways, es, on the upper part of an upright or standard, e, supported
upon and bolted to the bed-plate by a bolt, as, e¹0, the said dabbing-brushes being so
actuated that one ascends while the other descends.
The speed of rotation of the short shaft, A, is so much faster than the speed of
rotation of the main shaft, A', that the dabbing-brushes are made to descend with
great frequency, so as to gradually and uniformly crowd the wool into the teeth of
both the wool and noil comb circles at their tangent points, or where the two circles
are nearly or substantially coincident.
The dabbing-brushes, e, are made smaller than usual and of a regular rather than
of an irregular shape-that is, of such shape that they may be turned more or less
about the carriages to which they are attached and yet operate in their new
positions.
The adjustment or partial rotation of the dabbing-brushes, herein shown as
octagonal, enables the brushes to be adjusted to compensate for wear. It is obvious,
however, that these brushes might be circular or hexagonal and yet operate, in sub-
stantially the same manner.
By locating the driving-shaft,, A', in the lower part of the frame-work of the

page_text: machine, close to the floor, it becomes practicable to run the machine at high speed
without imparting undue or injurious vibration or oscillation to the parts which
cannot be done when the power to drive the machine is applied to the machine
through a cross-shaft arranged in pillars erected upon the bed-plate.
To sustain the weight of the top plate, A2, and its attached parts common to the
Noble combing-machine-such, for instance as the wool-boxes, g, the sliver- guides, g',
and the brackets, g², and rolls, g³, which support the balls of roping to be combed-
the legs, B, have bolted to them brackets, f, to which are adjustably attached
bearings, f, which support sheaves or friction-rolls, f, upon which the said top
plate, A2, rests and runs. This top plate, A2, has mounted upon it the usual incline, g²,
to lift the wool-boxes at the proper times to draw off from the balls the proper length
of roping, and co-operating with the teeth of both the wool and noil comb circles are
employed suitable plows, as at, h, and, h, which operate in usual manner, the one to
lift the wool from the teeth of the wool-comb circle just before it arrives at the
dabbing-brushes, the other lifting the noils from the noil-comb circle just before it
reaches the discharge plate, 12, of usual construction, which acts to take away the
noils and pass them down through the opening at the bottom of the bed-plate. The
driving-belt, A3, is extended through the fork, 7, of a belt-shipper rod, 8, adapted to
slide in suitable guides forming part of the frame-work. The shipper-rod, 8, has a
lug, 25, (see Fig. 4,) provided with a pin which enters a slot in an arm, 26, connected
to the lower end of a vertical rock-shaft, 27, the upper end of the said shaft having
arm, 28, the free end of which is extended through a hole (see Fig. 4.) in the main
shipper-handle or slide-bar, 29, mounted to slide in suitable guides, as, 31, 32, and
provided at its opposite ends with handles, as, 30, so that the operator can stop the
machine from diametrically opposite points. This handle, 29, is also notched or
otherwise made to have connected to it an auxiliary shipper handle or lever, 132,
pivoted at, 33, and adapted to be engaged at diametrically-opposite points of the
machine.
an
I have shown and described the main shaft as rotated from a counter-shaft
arranged above the machine, such being the usual location of counter shafts, the
beli. Being thus entirely out of the way of the operator and enabling him to at
any time have unimpeded access to the balls of wool-roping, which is not the case
when the driving-belt is arranged outside the frame work.
The main shaft may, however, be driven from a belt extended from a pulley or
a counter-shaft at the ceiling of a room below the floor on which the combing-
machine rests.
The guide-rolls and the rolls, 62, and, 14, are sustained upon studs or pins
rising from brackets or arms which are adjustably secured in position, all in
usual manner.
In that embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1. the drawing-off rolls
co-operating with the larger comb-circle holding the wool first take the wool from
the said wool-comb circle and carry it forward in the direction of rotation of the
two comb-circles, the wool-sliver so taken from the wool-comb circle being
carried by suitable belts to the drawing-off rolls, which co-operate with the
smaller or noil-comb circle, where those fibres worth saving and taken from the
noil-comb circle are delivered upon the stronger sliver of wool taken from
the wool-comb circle.
By arranging the drawing-off rolls for the noil-comb circle at a considerable
distance in advance of the drawing-off rolls for the larger wool-comb circle, I am
enabled to make the wool-comb circle of greater diameter than were the said
drawing-off rolls in substantially a radial line drawn from the centre of the large
comb-circle, and by depositing the wool saved from the noil-comb circle upon
the sliver taken from the wool-comb circle, instead of the reverse of such operation,
I am enabled to save stock and make the ultimate sliver delivered from the
machine more uniform ; but, as shown in Fig. 10. the drawing-off rolls, 40, 41,
for the noil-comb circle, ³, might be arranged to act firstly in the direction
of rotation of the said comb-circles, and the drawing-off rolls, 42, 43, for the

page_text: wool-comb circle operate secondly, as in said figure, and such an arrangement of
drawing-off rolls and their usual belts is within the scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a wool-combing machine, the following instrumentalities, i.; the bed-
plate, the wool-comb circle, the noil-comb circle within it, of a diameter greater than
one-half the diameter of the wool-comb circle, and having an opening through it
suitable to receive a driving-belt from above to a pulley below the said noil-comb circle,
a main shaft supported upon the frame-work below the said wool and noil comb
circles, its driving-pulley located perpendicularly below the opening in the said
noil-comb circle, a pair of vertically arranged drawing-off rolls for each of the
said comb-circles, gearing between the said main shaft and the said drawing-off
rolls and comb-circles to rotate them, an endless revolving series of wool-boxes,
and means to lift the boxes and feed the wool therefrom, the combination being
and operating substantially as herein before described.
2. The wool comb circle, the noil-comb circle within it, of a diameter greater
than one-half of the diameter of the wool-comb circle, a pair of vertically arranged
drawing-off rolls for each of the comb-circles, the main shaft, A³, supported on
the frame-work below the bed-plate and comb-circles, the vertical shaft, C, gearing
whereby said shaft, C, is driven by the main shaft, and spur-gearing from the
vertical shaft to the combs and the two sets of drawing-off rolls, to operate
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The wool-comb circle, the noil-comb circle within it, of a diameter greater
than one-half of the diameter of the wool-comb circle, the endless series of wool-
boxes moved in unison with the wool-comb circle, means to lift the said wool-
boxes in succession to feed wool to the pins of the circles, a pair of vertically
arranged drawing-off rolls for each of the comb-circles, the main shaft, A³,
supported on the frame-work below the bed-plate and comb-circles, the vertical
shaft, C, and gearing whereby the said shaft C is driven by the main shaft
and spur-gearing intermediate the vertical shaft and the two sets of drawing-off
rolls and the wool and noil comb circles, to operate substantially as hereinbefore
described.
:
4. In a wool-combing machine, the following instrumentalities, viz. the bed-plate,
the wool-comb circle, the noil-comb circle within it, having an opening through it
suitable to receive a driving-belt from above to a pulley below the said noil-comb circle,
a main shaft supported upon the frame-work below the said wool and noil comb circle,
its driving-pulley located perpendicularly below the opening in the said noil comb circle,
a pair of vertically arranged drawing-off rolls for each of the said comb-circles, gearing
between the said main shaft and the said drawing-off rolls and comb-circles to rotate
them, an endless revolving scries of wool-boxes, means to lift the boxes and feed the
wool therefrom, a shaft located above said main shaft, means to rotate it, a dabbing-
brush, its carriage, and means between the shaft located above the main shaft and
the said carrage to actuate the latter, substantially as herein before described.
5. The wool-comb circle and the smaller noil-comb circle arranged within it,
combined with the vertically arranged drawing-off rolls for the wool-comb circle,
and the drawing-off rolls for the noil comb circle, an endless revolving series of
wool-boxes, and with means, substantially as described, to rotate the wool-comb
circle and its wool-boxes and the inner noil-comb circle at different speeds, for
the purpose herein before set forth.
6. In a wool-combing machine, the open bed-plate, A, the wool-comb circle, the
noil-comb circle within it, of a diameter greater than one-half of the diameter of the
wool-comb circle, the main shaft, A, located below the said bed-plate, means for
driving said comb-circles from said main shaft, a pulley fast on the said main shaft
vertically below the opening in the noil-comb circle, the driving-belt, A³, extended
from above the said bed-plate through it and the said noil-comb circle and about the

page_text: said fast pulley, the endless revolving series of wool-boxes, means to lift them to
feed the wool to the pins of the said circles, a dabbing-brush, its carriage, the
shaft, A, provided with means to operatively connect it with and to reciprocate the
said carriage, pulleys, Ax, and, A, on the shafts referred to, and a belt, A7, to connect
the said pulleys, the pulleys, Ax, and, As, being of different diameters, whereby the-
shaft, A, is rotated at a faster speed than the shaft, A5, to operate substantially as
herein before described.
7. The wool-comb circle and the smaller single noil-comb circle arranged within it,
combined with the vertically arranged drawing-off rolls for the wool-comb circle and
the drawing-off rolls for the noil-comb circle, and with gearing to rotate the said.
comb-circles at different speeds, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 7th day of August 1888.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.