CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY. FOR DRAWING AND COMBING WOOL, SILK, FLAX, HEMP, AND Tow
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
GREENWOOD, Machinist, and JAMES WARBURTON, Worsted Spinner, both of
Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of November, in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Thomas Greenwood and James Warburton, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that we, the said Thomas Greenwood and James
Warburton, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such, others as we, the said
Thomas Greenwood and James Warburton, our exors, adññors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the terin of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use,. exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY.
FOR DRAWING AND COMBING WOOL, SILK, FLAX, HEMP, AND Tow;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging us, the said Thomas Green-
wood and James Warburton, by an instrument in writing under our hands,
and seals, or under the hand and scal of one of us, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her 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 appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Greenwood (on behalf of myself and the said James Warburton), do
hereby declare that the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, is particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
Our Invention consists, firstly, in a new arrangement of screw gill drawing
head, which we term "the intersecting screw gill," the object being to effect
the operation of drawing wool, silk, flax, hemp, and tow in a more expeditious
manner than heretofore.
In the accompanying Drawings, forming part of this our Specification, the
new arrangement of drawing bead is shewn in cross section at Fig. 1, and in
end elevation and partial section at Fig. 2. It will be seen by reference to
these Figures that eight screws a, a, and b, b, are used instead of four (the
ordinary number) for the purpose of giving the gills or fallers their necessary
backward and forward travelling motions. The two lower pairs of screws are
mounted in journals carried by the framing c, c, and by their rotation work the
fallers d, d, in the ordinary manner; but the two upper pairs of screws a, a,
b, b, are, as it were, inverted, and work the fallers d, d, with the gill pins point-
ing downwards. These gills have the same relative position with respect to the
line of draught of the sliver under operation as those of the lower set, and the
gills of one set or row intersect the spaces between the gills of the other set or
row when in the position for working. By this arrangement the sliver is
penetrated both from its upper and its under surface, and thus the sliver is
more perfectly opened out prior to being subjected to the action of the drawing
rollers. It is requisite with this arrangement of fallers and gills that the
pitch of the screws a, a, which carry the fallers towards the drawing rollers,
should be greater than that of the screws ordinarily used for the like purpose,
in order to allow the gills in both the upper and lower row of fallers to follow
each other in the manner already indicated, and thereby to form a continuous
horizontal body of pins, through which the material can be drawn. When
the fallers reach the end of their course the lower ones drop, and are carried
backwards, in the ordinary manner; but the upper ones (or those with the
gills inverted) are lifted up by the top screws b, b, by cams attached to the
upper screws a, a, and are by these screws b, b, carried backward to the
position for commencing to repeat their forward traverse movement. Motion
is communicated to the screw gill drawing head by the bevil wheel e, which
takes into a bevil pinion on the shaft of one of the traversing screws; and

page_text: this rotary motion is communicated by suitable gearing f, f, f, to the other
screws of the drawing head. 9, 9, 9, are the tables for supporting the fallers
d, d, as they are respectively traversed forwards, and returned by the screws
a, a, and b, b; h, h, are the retaining rollers by which the sliver to be operated
upon is fed into the machine; and i, i, are the drawing rollers by which the
sliver is drawn or elongated, and then delivered out of the machine. In
effecting this it is assisted by the leather carrying sheet j. In some cases we
propose to make these drawing rollers as shewn in the detached sectional view,
Fig. 3; that is, with a portion of their periphery cut away on opposite sides of the
rollers, by which means the rollers, although having a continuous rotary motion,
will be made to act at intervals instead of continuously. The effect of this
intermittent drawing motion will be, to render the sliver stationary at given
periods, while the gills have a continuous progression, whereby the sliver
will be subjected to a combing action from the gill pins. From the foregoing
description it will be understood, that for every revolution of the screw shafts,
two fallers instead of one are displaced, and we are therefore enabled to
perform by this arrangement double the amount of work that the ordinary
screw gill drawing head is capable of effecting in the same time.
The second part of this Invention consists of a novel construction and
arrangement of machinery for combing wool, silk, flax, hemp, and tow, the
object being to obtain an increased yield of valuable fibre from a given quantity
of uncombed staple. In the Drawings the improved combing machinery is
shewn in end elevation at Fig. 4, in side elevation at Fig. 5, in plan view at
Fig. 6, and in vertical cross section at Fig. 7. It consists chiefly of an endless
series of combs traversing, in the manner of an endless chain, from one end to
the other of the machine. These combs are furnished with teeth or pins, which
stand out in opposite directions in the same plane, and receive the wool or
other staple to be acted on from a filling head, which vibrates across the
machine at right angles to the line of traverse of the combs, and deposits the
wool on each set of teeth or pins alternately. The combs, as they are fed with
staple, are moved forward on a bed or table, and are brought severally under
the action of a rotating brush, which lays the fibres of the staple even and
parallel. Immediately behind this brush a pair of stripping rollers is situated,
which take up the long fibres of the staple, and deliver them out of the
machine. The comb, thus partially stripped, passes under a second pair of
stripping rollers, which are set rather closer to the comb teeth than the first-
pair; and by these the short fibres of the staple are taken up, and in like
manner delivered out of the machine. The comb, now carrying only the
noils and waste, next passes under a third pair of strippers, which deprive it of

page_text: this fibre, and leave it in a clean state ready to receive a second portion of
staple. For this purpose, if the machine is furnished with but one filling
head, the comb is carried down from the table which supported it in its
forward movement, and deposited on a rail below, along which it is slidden
until it arrives at the front of the machine, when it is lifted on to the table,
and again brought under the vibrating filling head to receive another feed of
staple, which is in like manner separated into long and short staple by means
of the brush and stripping rollers, as already noticed.
Having thus given a brief sketch of the general construction and mode of
working of our improved combing machine, I shall now proceed to describe
more in detail the arrangement and construction of the parts whereby we are
enabled to obtain the result above indicated.
In the Drawings representing this part of our Invention the machine is
supposed to be double; but, to prevent complexity, one filling head only is
shewn. For the same cause, I shall proceed with my explanation as if a
single machine were to be described, it being premised that to construct a
double machine, it is only necessary to duplicate the parts for filling in and
stripping off the staple, and to lengthen the machine sufficiently to admit of
the proper operation of these parts. A, A, are standards connected together
by longitudinal bars B, B, at their upper and lower extremities; C, C, is the bed
over which the bars which carry the combs D, D, traverse. This bed C, C,
is bolted to the standards A, and beneath it is a rail C*, which receives the
comb bars when they leave the bed C, and conduct them back to the front
end of the machine. A connection is made between the bed and this rail by
the semicircular end pieces E, E, which form guides for directing the comb
bars from the bed C to the rail C, and from the rail C to the bed respec-
tively. These comb bars are cast hollow, forming a sort of rectangular trough,
with flanches at their angles, which flanches take into a groove made in the
face of the bed C. They are provided with a rack at their under side, and
they carry near their upper edges the combs D, D, which are bolted to the
sides of the bars. The main driving shaft of the machine is shewn at F, F,
provided at one end with driving pulleys G, G, and at the other with a crank
plate H, H, to which a rod I is attached by a crank pin. This rod I is jointed
to an arm K (see Fig. 4), which is keyed to a rock shaft L, supported in
bearings at the top of the standards A, A. Pendent from the shaft L, and
keyed fast thereto, are the arms M, M, which form the framing of the oscil-
lating feeding head. Situated on either side of the machine is a bracket
frame N, for supporting the balls of sliver intended to be operated upon. The
several slivers are at the starting of the machine conducted down to the filling

page_text: head, and the balls are caused to unwind by the drag put upon them by the
oscillation of the filling head as it is moved across the machine. By referring
to Fig. 7 it will be seen that the arms M, M, carry two pairs of rollers a, a,
which receive the sliver, and conduct it to a pair of gill rollers b, b. These
again pass it down to a pair of sliding combs c, c, which, when a given
amount has been allowed to pass between them, close upon it and hold it
ready for delivery on to the traversing combs D. The rotation of the rollers
a, a, and b, b, is intermittent, and it is effected in the following manner :-On
the axle of each roller a of the upper pair, but at opposite ends thereof, a
cog d is mounted loosely; and each of these wheels is furnished with a click,
which takes into a ratchet wheel keyed to the axle of its cog wheel. Attached
to the framing of the machine are segment racks e, e, into which the cog. wheels
d, d, gear, and thereby receive an axial motion when the arins M, M, oscil-
late across the machine. These wheels d take into their respective racks, as
will be best understood on inspecting Fig. 5; and being mounted as described,
they will only communicate to the rollers the axial motion which they receive
when the filling head is moving towards the central line of its oscillation, and
that motion will be in one and the same direction (videlecit) that suited for
drawing in the sliver. On the filling head passing in the opposite direction
these wheels d merely draw their clicks over the ratchet wheels and produce
no effect on the rollers. The several pairs of rollers are geared together as
shewn at Fig. 7, and intermediate wheels f, f, are employed to carry down the
motion from the upper pair to the others.
I have said that the combs c, c, are capable of sliding and closing upon
the sliver that is fed out from between the gill rollers. I will now describe
how this is effected. O, O, are two vertical sliding pieces, each of which
are jointed loosely to a pair of levers P, P, supported on studs projecting
from brackets attached to the arms M, M. The outer ends of these pairs
of levers P, P, are bent upwards to form an incline, and they are intended
to be brought alternately into contact with horizontal rods Q, (carried by
brackets attached to the standards A, A.) as the filling head oscillates from
side to side of the machine. By this means the levers P, P, are made
to rock upon their centres (their inner ends being depressed) when the
contact takes place, which will cause the sliding pieces that are pendent there-
from to be driven down; but on the levers being released from the pressure
of contact, the sliding pieces will rise to their former position. The lower
ends of these vertical sliding pieces 0, 0, are made with inclined sides like a
wedge, and they are inserted between the bars of the sliding combs c, c, at the
extremity of the filling head, for the purpose of driving back the combs at

page_text: the proper moment, and causing them to release their hold of the sliver. A
tendency to move inwards is given to the combs by means of springs 9, 9,
which are attached to the arms M, M, and come into operation immediately
the combs are released from the pressure outwards of the sliding pieces O, O.
It will now be understood that when the filling head has passed through the
ascending are of it oscillation, the levers P, P, by being brought into contact
with the fixed rods Q, are made to depress the sliding pieces 0, 0, and
thereby open out a passage, between the combs for the descent of a fresh
supply of sliver, and that on the return motion of the filling head taking place
the cog wheel a will, in rolling over the stationary rack e, receive an axial
motion, which will be communicated to the rollers a, a, and b, b, whereby a
fresh supply of sliver will be drawn down and made to depend from the lower
end of the drawing head. When this supply has been thus obtained, the pair
of levers P, P, in contact with their rod Q, will be once more released, and
the pressure of the springs g, g, will thrust forward the combs c, c, (the sliding
pieces O, O, being allowed to rise,) and cause them to close upon the sliver.
The filling head now continuing its swinging movement will lash the sliver
pendent from its lower end on to the teeth of the comb on the near side of the
traversing comb bars, and will then pass to the other side of the machine to
take up a position for filling the sliver on to the teeth of the comb situate on
the other side of the comb bars. Immediately following this filling operation,
one of a pair of brushes R, R, mounted respectively on the upper end of a
bent rocking lever S, carried by brackets attached to the bed C of the machine,
comes forward and presses the sliver fairly on to the combs. The forward
movement of these brushes, which are situated on opposite sides of the line of
combs, is effected by means of a rotating cam or tappet T, mounted on the
driving shaft F, which tappet, by its rotation, is made to strike alternately
against a friction bowle on the lower end of the levers S, S.
When the tappet
.
has passed the bowle, the lever will assume its former position. Supposing
the comb teeth now under the range of the filling head to be charged with
sliver, it is required to bring up other combs to be similarly supplied, and for
this purpose it is necessary to move the filled combs towards the stripping
rollers. To effect this, rotary motion is communicated by bevil gearing from
the driving shaft F to the short vertical shaft h (see Fig. 5), which, by other
bevil gearing, communicates motion to a central spur pinion i, in gear with
another pinion k, mounted on a horizontal shaft 7, which turns in brackets in
the end standard. Keyed to this shaft is a pinion, which gears into the
teeth of the racks with which the traversing comb bars are provided, and thus
by its rotation drives the combs forward towards the stripping rollers as they

page_text: are brought on to the bed C. The comb bars, it has been said, are traversed
from the back of the machine to the front, along a bar C*. When they have
arrived at the end of this bar, it is required to lift them up on to the bed C.
This is effected by means of a cog wheel m, keyed on a shaft n, supported in
brackets affixed to the front standards A. The wheel m is mounted concen-
trically with the semicircular guide bar E, and is of such a diameter that it
will take into the teeth of the rack on the comb bars when those parts are
pushed on to the guide bar. By the rotation, therefore, of this wheel the
comb bars are severally raised into a line with the bed C, and are pushed
thereon by the next succeeding comb bar that is elevated
the wheel m.
Rotary motion is given to the wheel m
pulley 9, on the shaft 7, passing over a
arrangement is provided at the opposite end of the machine for transferring
the comb bars from the bed C to the rail C; and on the shaft n, at that end,
a pulley is mounted, which, by means of an endless strap, gives motion to a
pulley r, mounted on the axle of a band pulley s. This pulleys, together with
a similar one at the front end of the machine, carries an endless band t, t,
which is provided with projecting fingers, for the purpose of catching against
the hinder end of the comb bars as they are delivered on to the rail C*, and
driving them forward to the front end of the machine.
by means of an endless strap from a
pulley p, on the. shaft n. A similar
Having thus shewn the manner in which the feeding and the traversing of
the combs is effected, it only remains to explain the manner of separating the
different qualities of fibres, and of removing the noils and waste therefrom.
u, u, u, are three pairs of brackets affixed to the side of the bed C. The first
of these carries a rotary brush v, which lays the fibres on the comb teeth
parallel. This pair of brackets also supports the first pair of stripping rollers
w, and likewise a roller, round which an endless belt, from one of the rollers
w, passes for the purpose of carrying up the fibres that are stripped off the
combs by this first pair of strippers, and delivering it out of the machine. The
distance of these rollers w from the comb teeth is so adjusted that they will
take hold of the long fibres and leave the shorter fibres to be stripped off by
the second pair of rollers a, a. This second pair of rollers is brought some-
what nearer to the comb teeth, and by their action the shorter fibres are
removed from the combs, a similar provision to that already mentioned being
here made for delivering the sliver out of the machine. The combs next
pass under the third pair of rollers y, by which they are cleared of the noils or
knotted fibres, and are then ready to descend to the rail C*, and be traversed
back to the front of the machine. But supposing the machine to have two
filling heads, and two sets of strippers, the combs, when cleared by the

page_text: strippers y are brought under the second filling head, and the same operations
are repeated as before described. Rotary motion is communicated to the
brush and rollers w, x, y, in the following manner :-On the driving shaft F
is a spur wheel, which, by a train of spur wheels 1, 1, drives a horizontal
shaft 2 (see Fig. 6). This shaft carries a bevilled pinion 3, which takes into
another bevilled pinion on the axle of a spur pinion 4; and thus, by means of
the train of wheels 5, 5, 5, the brush and the several pairs of stripping
rollers are driven. By continuing this shaft, and providing it at its other end
with a similar bevilled pinion 3, gearing into a pinion on the axle of a similar
spur pinion 4, the train of wheels for giving motion to a second pair of
stripping rollers may be actuated. Instead of brushes on the levers s, 3, we
propose, in some cases, to use plates or bars. It will be readily understood,
that when a doublé filling bead is to be used, it may readily be attached to
the rocking shaft L, and will only require the duplication of the stationary
racks e, e, for its efficient working.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into operation, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent we claim as of our improvements in
machinery for drawing and combing wool, silk, flax, hemp, and tow,-
First, the construction of drawing head, as above described, whereby two
sets of fallers or gills may be made to act simultaneously upon the sliver under
operation, and also the construction of drawing rollers above described, whereby
an intermittent drawing motion is given to the sliver.
Secondly, with respect to the combing machine, we claim the filling of the
combs by means of an oscillating or swinging filling head.
We also claim the employment of the retaining combs e, c, for holding the
sliver while it is being fed on to the traversing combs.
We further claim the use of double travelling combs, or combs with teeth
standing out in opposite directions, and at right angles to their line of motion.
And lastly, we claim the general arrangement and construction of the parts
as above described, and constituting our improved combing machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Greenwood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord'
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
THOMAS (L.s.). GREENWOOD.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid Thomas Greenwood came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-two.