CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PROVISIONAL SPFICATIONACHRY FOR COMBING, PREPARING, AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Dobson, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and James Clough, of the same Place,
Foreman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Dobson and
James Clough at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 8th November 1861.
We, BENJAMIN DOBSON, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster;
Machine Maker, and JAMES CLOUGH, of the same Place, Foreman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR COMBING, PREPARING, AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in machines for combing consist in the application
thereto of self-acting stop motions whereby the machinery may be stopped
when a sliver breaks between the feeding laps and the spouts, or between the
calender rollers and the funnels, or between the funnels and the coiler. In
performing our Invention, the slivers in passing between the feed rollers and
the conducting spouts, are taken over suitable instruments corresponding to
and acting in the same manner as the spoons used in the stop motions of

page_text: drawing frames for preparing cotton. These spoons or other equivalents are
connected by levers, straps, and gearing to the driving strap, so that when a
sliver breaks, the said strap is moved from the driving to the loose pulley.
Other stop motions of a similar construction are or may be placed between the
calender rollers and the rotary funnels, and when requisite another stop motion
may be applied between the rotary funnels and the coiler.
The above description refers to a circular combing machine, but our im-
provements are also applicable to other combing machines.
Our improvements in machinery for preparing and spinning consist in an
improved mode of constructing the cap bars by which the top rollers of the
drawing rollers employed in such machinery are held in their places: It has
heretofore been customary to cast the cap bars with the fingers on which the
adjustable slides fit, in one piece of cast iron. These fingers are very liable to
break, and when one is broken the whole cap bar is useless and has to be
replaced. Now, our Invention consists in making the fingers of round steel
rods flattened on the top; these fingers fit in holes in the cast iron back piece
of the cap bar, and are held therein by set screws acting on the flattened part
of the rods; the adjustable slides for the top rollers are also connected to the
rods by set screws.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Dobson and James Clough in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, BENJAMIN
DOBSON, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker,
and JAMES CLOUGH, of the same Place, Foreman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Benjamin Dobson and James Clough, Her special license that we,
the said Benjamin Dobson and James Clough, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Benjamin Dobson and James
Clough, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR COMBING, PREPARING, AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Benjainin
Dobson and James Clough, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Benjamin Dobson and James Clough,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
--
Our improvements in machines for combing consist in the application
thereto of self-acting stop motions, whereby the machinery may be stopped
when a sliver breaks between the feeding. laps and the spouts, or between the
taking-off rollers and the funnels, or between the funnels and the coiler. In
performing our Invention, the slivers, in passing. between the feed rollers and
the conducting spouts, are taken over suitable instruments corresponding to
and acting in the same manner as the spoons used in the stop motions of
drawing frames for preparing cotton; these spoons or other equivalents are
connected by levers, shafts, and gearing to the driving strap, so that when a
sliver breaks the said strap is moved from the driving to the loose pulley.
Other stop motions of a similar construction are or may be placed between
the taking-off rollers and the rotary funnels, and, when requisite, another stop
motion may be applied between the rotary funnels and the coiler. The above
description refers to a circular combing machine, but our improvements are
also applicable to other combing machines.
Our improvements in machinery for preparing and spinning consist in an
improved mode of constructing the cap bars, by which the top rollers of the
drawing rollers employed in such machinery are held in their places. It has
heretofore been customary to cast the cap bars with the fingers on which the
adjustable slides fit in one piece of cast iron; these fingers are very liable to
break, and when one is broken the whole cap bar is useless and has to be
replaced. Now, our Invention consists in making the fingers of round steel rods
flattened on the top; these fingers fit in holes in the cast-iron back piece of
the cap bár, and are held therein by set screws acting on the flattened part
of the rods; the adjustable slides for the top rollers are also connected to the
rods by set screws.

page_text: And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon..
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the principal parts of a circular combing machine
to which our improvements are applied, Fig. 2 is a front view, and Fig. 3,
a plan of part of the same. a, a, are uprights supporting the stationary ring b,
within which the internal toothed wheel c revolves; d, d, are rollers for sup-
porting the feeding laps e, e; these laps and rollers rotate on their own axes,
and revolve also with the wheel c; the slivers from the laps e pass over the
spouts f, and are then taken to the taking-off rollers and. straps g, g, from
which they are conveyed through rotary funnels to the rollers h and i; the
slivers from all the feeding laps are united by these rollers, and they are then
delivered through a spout to the coiler. The requisite motion is given to the
rollers by the driving shaft k, on which is keyed the driving pulley / and loose
pulley m; n is the strap fork, and o the sliding rod. The parts above referred
to are all constructed in the usual manner. The self-acting stop motion con-
sists of the following parts:-To one of the pillars a³, forming part of the usual
framing of the machine, are fixed two studs for the tumbler levers p, and a
stud for the catch lever q, the upper arm of which takes in a notch in the
sliding rod o, to which is attached one end of a chain or cord r; this chain or
cord passes over the pulley s, and it is provided with a weight t; when the
slivers are passing from the taking-off straps and rollers g, g, to the rollers h
and i, they pass under the bent arms of the tumbler levers p, and hold them
in the positions shewn in the Drawing, but as soon as one of the slivers breaks
or ceases to be delivered by the straps and rollers g, the corresponding tumbler
lever p, being.no longer held up by the sliver, drops by its own gravity, assisted
by that of the moveable weight p¹, (which slides on a stud fixed in the lever p,).
and the horizontal arm of the lever p striking on the lower end of the lever q,
releases the catch from the notch in the sliding rod o, which is then drawn by
the weight t in the direction of the arrow until the driving strap is on the
loose pulley 'm. It is evident that a spring may be used instead of the
weighted cord or chain r. The lower end of the catch lever q is forked, to
connect both the levers p to the sliding rod. When the attendant has pieced
up the broken sliver, the rod o is moved, to bring the driving strap on to the
fast pulley 1, and it is again held by the catch lever q until another breakage
takes place, or until the machine has to be stopped.
Չ
By the application of self-acting stop motions, as above described, the loss
and injury resulting from the breaking down of the sliver, and the consequent
entanglement of the sliver among the gearing, are avoided. In circular combing

page_text: machines it is sufficient to apply the stop motions between the taking-off
rollers and the rotary funnels placed near the delivery rollers, but in other
combing machines to which our improvements are also applicable, it may be
desirable to apply stop motions between the feeding laps and the conducting
spouts or taking-off rollers, and between the delivering rollers and the coiler,
or other receptacle into which the sliver is finally deposited.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent part of a cap bar constructed according to our
improvements; is the back piece of the cap bar, y are round steel rods,
flattened on the top, which fit into holes drilled in the back piece, and which
are held in their places by the set screws ¹; 2,2, are the adjustable slides for
the top rollers, these slides are bored out to fit on the steel rods y, and they are
held in their places and vertical by the set screws, the ends of which fit on
the flattened surface of the rods; these cap bars are more economical in their
construction, and are easier to repair than cap bars made in the ordinary
manner.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, we declare that we claim,--
First, the application of self-acting stop motions to combing machines.
And, secondly, the improved construction of cap bars for the top rollers of
machines for preparing and spinning cotton and other fibrous substances, as
shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Clough, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES CLOUGH. (L.S.)