IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, SILK, AND OTHER FIBRES."
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Mathew Mirfield, of Monserrat Mills, Holme
Lane, near Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Top Maker,
and John Scott, of the same Place, Manager, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, SILK, AND
OTHER FIBRES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Mathew Mirfield and
John Scott at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 12th June 1873.
We, MATHEW MIRFIELD, of Monserrat Mills, Holme Lane, near
Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Top Maker, and JOHN
SCOTT, of the same Place, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL,
COTTON, SILK, AND OTHER FIBRES," to be as follows:---
The Invention consists in an approved description of combing machine
in which there is combined with a revolving comb a fixed knife or

page_text: instrument adapted for intercepting with the aid of an ordinary holding
knife or other suitable instrument the fibrous substance being combed
as it projects from or lies between the teeth of the revolving comb, and
is in the revolution of the revolving comb brought into contact with the
fixed knife, so that the fixed knife prevents the fibres, whether forming
part of a continuous lap or sliver, or lying in a loose layer as the case
may be, from following the teeth of the revolving comb in its further
revolution, and thereby the fibres are drawn through the teeth or some
rows of the teeth of the revolving comb, and a clean end is made to the
fibres, and afterwards the sliver or loose layer of fibres, as the case may
be, is by suitable and usual means again fed or transferred on to and
dabbed into the revolving comb (or in case of a revolving comb
surrounded by other combs revolving with it but radiating to and fro,
then on to and into the revolving comb, and one of the radiating combs
when brought close together or held together with some of their teeth
intermingling), in such manner that a clean fringe is left projecting
from the revolving comb which is then drawn off by drawing rollers in
the usual manner, so that a continuous sliver of long and short or
short fibre, as the case may be, is obtained free from all noil and other
impurities.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Mathew Mirfield and John Scott in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 12th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MATTHEW
MIRFIELD, of Montserrat Mills, Holme Lane, near Bradford, in the
County of York, Worsted Top Maker, and JOHN SCOTT, of the same
Place, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Matthew Mirfield and John
Scott, Her special licence that we, the said Matthew Mirfield and
John Scott, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Matthew Mirfield and John Scott, our executors,

page_text: 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 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, SILK, AND OTHER FIBRES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Matthew Mirfield
and John Scott, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Matthew Mirfield and John
Scott, 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 and accompanying Sheets
of Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in an improved description of combing machine
in which there is combined with a revolving comb a fixed knife or
instrument adapted for intercepting with the aid of an ordinary holding
knife or other suitable instrument the fibrous substance being combed
as it projects from or lies between the teeth of the revolving comb, and
in the revolution of the revolving comb brought into contact with the
fixed knife, so that the fixed knife prevents the loose end of the fibres,
whether forming part of a continuous lap or sliver, or lying in a loose
layer as the case may be, from following the teeth of the revolving
comb, in its further revolution and thereby a portion of the fibre is
drawn through the teeth or some rows of the teeth of the revolving
comb, and a clean end is made to the fibres, and afterwards the sliver or
loose layer of fibres, as the case may be, is by suitable and usual means
again fed or transferred on to and dabbed into the revolving comb (or
in case of a revolving comb surrounded by other combs revolving with
it but radiating to and fro, then on to and into the revolving comb, and
one of the radiating combs when brought close together or held together
with some of their teeth intermingling), in such manner that a clean
fringe is left projecting from the revolving comb, which is then drawn
off by drawing rollers in the usual manner, so that a continuous sliver

page_text: of long and short or short fibre, as the case may be, is obtained free from
all noil and other impurities.
The nature and particulars as to the construction of the several parts
and practical working of this Invention are fully set forth in the
following description and illustrated by Drawings annexed.
Figs. 1 and 2 are plan views of part of a circular comb, having our
improvements attached.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation (drawn about half size) shewing the fixed
knife or intercepting instrument and apparatus connected therewith.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the line a, b, of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a detached view of the fixed knife or intercepting instru-
ment,
Fig. 6 is an elevation of a rotating disc for holding down the fibre,
working in conjuction with the intercepting instrument.
Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the rotating disc and intercepting
instrument applied to that class of circular combs having their outer
rings divided into segments or what are known as radiating combs.
Fig. 8 is a view of apparatus for bringing and holding together the
pins of the radiating combs and rotating combs.
A is the ordinary revolving comb; B is the fixed knife or instrument
for intercepting the fibre laying between or amongst the teeth of the
comb A; C is a holding down knife to which the fixed knife or instru-
ment B is attached. It will be seen on reference to the Drawings that
the instrument B first acts on the portion B¹ of the fibre (brought by the
rotation of the circular comb in contact therewith) by ploughing or
raising by its point E the fibre from the bottom of the comb pins, and the
fibre will, on being further travelled up the inclined portion of the instru-
ment B be further raised within the comb pins F, and on reaching the
part G of such instrument the portion B¹ will thereby be intercepted,
and drawn through the comb pins F and around the part G of such
instrument, thereby combing and cleansing the end B' of the fibre. The
continued rotation of the comb will now have carried the fibre beyond
the holding knife and intercepting instrument, whereupon the fibre will
by ordinary lifting knives be lifted above the teeth of the comb and
"thrown over," that is, a portion of fibre combed and cleansed as already
described will be "thrown over" or caused to project beyond the inner

page_text: line of pins; when the feed is from the outside (or when the feed is from
the inside the fibre will be fed beyond the outer row), so that on being
dabbed on to the pins by a brush a clean end will be presented to the
drawing-off rollers or other apparatus for further dealing with such
fibre.
Between the point at which the intercepting instrument B is placed
and the position of the drawing-off rollers, the noil left in the inner row
of teeth F in the circle A will be removed by ordinary noil knives and
rollers. The holding down knife C is attached by the pins or bolts and
nuts H to the bearing plate J as usual. Or in lieu of the holding down
knife C the disc K may be employed for holding the fibre whilst being
intercepted, drawn through the pins, turned, and diverted as described,
the said disc having its periphery covered with leather L, or other
slightly elastic substance, a semicircular recess being formed in the shoe
or casting M (the said casting M being supported by bracket and
stud M²), to which the intercepting instrument B is attached, and such
recess is of the same radius as the disc in order to secure a considerable
portion of the periphery of the disc as a holding, bearing, and drafting
surface on the fibre, for holding and drafting the same during the action
of the intercepting instrument, and the best results are obtained from
the use of such disc when it is caused to rotate, and at a speed slightly
greater than the speed at which the circular comb A travels, because
this increased speed drafts or draws the fibre thereunder into position for
having its end B¹ more readily drawn past and turned around the part G
of the intercepting instrument B. The said disc is mounted on the
shaft N supported in bearings P from the bracket R, motion being com-
municated to the shaft of the disc by means of the bevel wheels S
and T, the latter being on the shaft W which is the ordinary shaft
employed for driving the circle.
The apparatus employed for securing the teeth of the radiating comb
a being brought and held close to and mingling with the teeth of the
revolving comb 6 (see Fig. 8), as herein-before described consists of the
arm or support c in the recess of the upper part of which rests the cam
or rail d; this cam or rail d directs through the runner e the advance of
the comb a towards and into actual contact with the teeth of the comb b,
as shewn in the Drawings. The arm c is attached at its foot by a pin f
to the bracket h, through which bracket and the arm c is passed the
headed pink and on which pin is a spiral spring m and nut n. The

page_text: action of the spring m and pin k is by drawing the arm c inwards to
compensate for the wear and tear of the cam or rail d and runner e, and
to ensure the cam or rail being in such position always as to secure
through the runner e and part p the comb a (attached to the part p)
being adjusted and brought close to the comb b as desired, and so
presenting a double pitch comb at the points through which the fibre
is to be drawn, and between which there is no room for the escape
of noil.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this our said
Invention, we would have it understood that we claim,―
Firstly. The use of a fixed knife or intercepting instrument, as and
for the purpose herein fully described and illustrated.
Secondly. The disc K working in the recess and holding and drafting
the fibre, as above described and illustrated.
Lastly. The compensating and adjusting apparatus constructed and
applied in the manner and for the purpose as described and illustrated
by Fig. 8 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Mirfield, for and on behalf
of myself and the said John Scott, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
MATTHEW MIRFIELD. (L.S.)
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
(Tasker & Brierley,
Patent Agents,
Halifax, Bradford, & Blackburn.)