IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMEING WCOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Derham, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMEING WCOL
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 21st November 1854, and dated the 14th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Derham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
July 1854.
I, JAMES DERHAM, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manager, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the operation of combing wool
and other fibrous materials. For this purpose I construct the forward
traverse screws of the screw gill in two parts, the forward ends of which screws
are keyed fast to their respective shafts, and the hinder parts are capable of
sliding lengthwise over a key or feather with which their shafts are provided.
A pair of guide rollers is situated in the rear of the forward traverse screws
for feeding the sheet of wool to the gills or combs. These rollers are carried
by a frame, which is connected with the sliding parts of the screws, and is
intended to slide backwards and forwards with them. The frame is acted
upon by a cam or wiper, for driving it back, and it is returned to its former

page_text: position by means of a pendent weight. The backward movement occurs
immediately after a gill or comb is discharged from the sliding portion to the
fixed portion of the screws, and by that means so much of the wool as remains
in the comb after the drawing rollers have taken up the sliver is drawn back
out of the teeth of the comb, the comb then drops down on to the lower screws,
as usual.
In order to keep the sheet of wool at tension during the recession
of the guide rollers, a roller carried by swinging arms connected to the carriage
of the guide rollers is employed. This roller is supported by the sheet of
wool, and as that becomes slack by reason of the backward movement
of the carriage, the roller will fall by its own weight and keep the wool nt
tension.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Derham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
DERIIAM, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her inost Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, 1ler heirs and successors, give and grant unto. me, the
said James Derham, Her special license that I, the said James Derham,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Derham, my 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 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY
FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Derham, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is 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 I, the said James Derham, 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

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the operation of combing wool
and other fibrous materials, and to prevent the waste that generally occurs
from lashing the fibrous material on to the comb teeth. To this end. I provide
a peculiar arrangement of screw gill machinery, and feed the fibrous material
into the machine (from cans or other suitable receptacles) in the form of bands
or a sheet of sliver. Into this sliver the gill combs are caused to strike, as
they are brought up to the level of the upper or forward traversing screws,
and the combs being thus fed with fibre will carry it forward to the other end
of the machine where the drawing-off' rollers are situated. These rollers have
a forward and backward traverse motion, as is common to the drawing-off
rollers of some other combing machines, and they will draw the fibre while
the combs are stationary. When by their backward traverse the drawing-off
rollers have detached a portion of the sliver from the sheet, the fibre that
remains in the end combs or that nearest the drawing-off rollers is drawn out
of that comb by the recession of the other combs, and the end of the fibre is
thus combed out. . The noil is now removed from the end comb by means of
a traversing clearing fork, and the comb then falls down between the lower
screws, and is traversed back to be lifted up again into contact with the con-
tinuous sheet of sliver. The combs are now moved. forward as before, and the
drawing-off rollers being caused to advance, they will take hold of the combed
end of the fibrous material and continue drawing off the fibres from the combs
until the repetition of the backward traverse of the rollers causes a fresh
detachment of fibres to be made from the sheet of sliver. The recession of
the combs, as above explained, then again takes place to clear the end
comb of fibre and comb the end of the sliver, and this end comb, when.
cleared of noils, &c., by means of a traversing fork, is discharged, as before
explained.
It will now be understood that the action of my improved machine is some-
what different from combing machines generally, in that there is no lashing of
the fibres on to the combs in detached portions, and, therefore, there is no
chance of the fibres getting entangled and broken during the combing operation,
and in consequence of the fibre being drawn from a continuous length or sheet
through teeth, the combing will be more efficiently performed than heretofore,
and a greater yield obtained.
'
In the accompanying Drawing my improved combing machinery is shewn
in several views. Fig. 1 shews the machine in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a
plan view of the same; Fig 3 is a longitudinal sectional..elevation, taken in

page_text: the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a partial cross section, showing the mode
of clearing the combs of noil and knots. a, a, is the main framing of the
machine, in the upper part of which two pairs of shafts b, b, are mounted for
the purpose of carrying the screws which give motion to the combs, and
traverse them to and from the drawing-off rollers. The forward traversing
screws are shewn at c, c, and the return screws at d, d. The upper or
forward traversing screws are composed of two parts, the part c of which is
made capable of sliding endwise over a feather on its shaft, while the part c*
is keyed firmly to its shaft, and always retains the same position upon it. The
screws may be of any desired length, but I prefer to make them of a length
somewhat greater than the longest length of staple required to be operated
upon. This part of the machine is fitted somewhat like the ordinary gill
machinery, with tables to receive the traversing combs e and cams, and pressing
springs for raising and depressing the combs. The wool or other fibrous
material is fed to the combs by means of grooved rollers f, f, and f*, ƒ*, the
former of which are mounted in fixed bearings attached to the main framing,
and the latter in a frame g, which slides on parallel guides on the top face of
the main framing. The sliding parts c of the upper pair of traversing screws
are embraced by bearing brackets, which project from the frame g. When,
therefore, this frame with its rollers f* is caused to slide on its guides, it will
carry with it the parts c of the forward traversing screws. At the opposite
end of the screws a sliding frame h is provided, which also slides on guides on
the main framing. This frame h carries the drawing-off rollers i, i, which
draw the fibre from between the comb teeth, and deliver it out of the machine
in a state fit for the operation of the preparing machine.
I will now describe the mode of actuating the various moving parts of the
machine. is the main driving shaft, which receives motion from a rigger
band. This shaft k carries a pinion 1, which gears into a wheel m, keyed to
an axle that has its bearings in the main framing. To this axle is affixed a
pinion that drives a wheel n, the shaft o of which has its bearings in the main
framing, and passes through slots made in the sliding frame h to receive it.
To the shaft o, a pair of heart cams p is keyed. These cams bear against anti-
friction rollers carried by studs attached to the frame h, and by the combined
action of these cams and pendent weights p, a sliding motion is imparted to
the frame, and consequently a traverse motion is given to the drawing-off
rollers. Rotary motion is communicated to the lower end of these rollers by
means of gearing wheels q in direct connection with the main driving shaft, as
shewn by the red circles in Fig. 3; the upper roller is driven by friction of
In gear with the spur wheel m is a spur wheel r, on a stud axle
contact.

page_text: carried by the main framing, and on the same axle is a pinion which drives a
spur wheel s, keyed to a shaft t, which has also its bearings in the main
framing. This shaft is provided with a pair of cams t', which act upon
bowles t, carried by the sliding frame g. For every rotation therefore of the
shaft t, in the direction of the arrow, the cams will be brought into contact
with the bowles t, and the frame g will thereby be slidden backwards, the
part c of the upper screws being moved with the frame into the dotted
position.
The rotary motion of the scrows is intermittent, that is, at the time the
drawing off of the sliver takes place, the screws and consequently the combs
which they carry are quiescent. This motion I obtain by the following means.
In gear with the spur wheel r is a spur pinion ¹, which takes into and drives
a pinion 2, carried by a bracket from the framing, and in gear with this
pinion is a spur wheel, which is mounted loosely on a shaft u, extending
from one side of the machine to the other. A clutch arrangement u, is pro-
vided for temporarily fixing the wheel on its shaft, and this shaft is thrown
into and out of action by means of a face cam & acting on the tail of a lever t',
the other end of which lies in an annular groove in the clutch box ul. Keyed
to the shaft u are two bevil wheels u², which gear into bevil wheels u³, on the
shafts 6, of the lower screws d, and on the boss of these wheels u³, spur
pinions are cast, which take into spur pinions on the shafts of the upper
screws c. It will now be understood that the rotary motion of the screws is
derived from the wheel 3, and that when that wheel is allowed to run loose on
its shaft by the recession of the face cam from under the tail of the lever, the
motion will cease, the spring which presses the lever in contact with the cam
coming now into action and throwing back the clutch out of connection with
the wheel. Rotary motion is communicated from the shaft u through the
train of gearing v to the lower one of the pair of rollers f, which feed the
fibrous material into the machine by an intermittent action.
The material as it is drawn into the machine from a can or other receptacle
by the first pair of rollers f is passed on to the second pair f*, which present
it to the combs e. These combs as they are severally lifted up to the forward
traverse table, which in this arrangement is attached to the sliding frame g,
will strike into the endless bands or sheet of sliver, and the continued rotation
of the screws will cause them to move forward and carry the fibres towards
the drawing-off rollers without severing the band or sheet. On the transference
of cach succeeding comb (thus charged with fibres) from the sliding part c of
the upper screws to the fixed part c* taking place, the rotation of the screws
will cease and the drawing-off rollers will be caused to advance towards the

page_text: coinb, and draw off the fibres from between the teeth of the series of combs.
The continuous rotation of the cams p will then force back the drawing-off
rollers to the dotted position of Fig. 3, and cause the detachment of the
combed portion of the material from the endless band or sliver. This detached
portion of the sliver as it passes from between the drawing-off rollers is
delivered on to an endless apron y, which runs over the lower one of these
rollers and over a tension roller: y. The combed sliver then passes over a
rollerz, having a surface speed somewhat superior to that of the apron, and
it is guided out of the machine by a roller ', whose surface speed is somewhat
slower to prevent the lapping up of the fibres. These rollers are geared
together, and they derive their motion from the endless apron y. The sliding
parts c of the upper screws will now perform their backward sliding movement
for the purpose of drawing from between the teeth of the comb last transferred
to the fixed part c. of the screws, the fibre remaining after the drawing-off
rollers have ceased to act. During this receding motion (which is effected by
the action of the cams t against the bowles t2 of the sliding frame g,) the
bands or sheet of sliver would become slack, but in order to prevent this, I
provide a roller w, which is carried by swinging arms from the axle of the
upper roller f*, and which by pressing upon the sliver will keep it at tension.
For the purpose of clearing the noil, &c. from the comb'e (which has just
been stripped of the fibrous material by the combined action of the drawing-
off rollers and the receding combs in its rear) prior to discharging it from the
fixed part of the screw on to the lower traversing. table, I attach a forked
piece to a chain a¹, mounted on guide rollers a", (see Fig. 4,) immediately
over the comb, and by rotating this chain by means of suitable gearing taking
its motion from the cam shaft t, as shewn in the Drawing, the fork is caused to
pass between the lines of teeth of the comb and clear the noils and dirt there-
from. The comb is then discharged on to the lower table and traversed back
to be raised again into contact with the sliver.
The above described movements are now repeated, the sliding frame g
first returning, by reason of the pendent weights g, g*, from its dotted to its
drawn position, and the next succeeding comb of the series being then trans-
ferred to the fixed part c* of the forward traversing combs, to present the
fibres to the nip of the advancing drawing-off rollers.
In order to ensure that the receding combs shall draw all the remaining
fibres from the comb in the fixed part c*, after the drawing-off rollers shall
cease to act, I cause the rollers f*, f*, to nip the sliver that lies between them.
just prior to the commencement of the receding action. This I effect by means
of an excentric 1, (Fig. 3,) which receives an axial motion from the spur wheel

page_text: 2, (Fig. 1,) on the axle of which it is mounted in gear with the wheel s.
This excentric presses upon the top surface of the sliding, bearing of the upper
roller and causes it to nip the sliver, and on the return motion of the frame
g with the combs, the sliver will be released from this pressure by the rotation
of the excentric in the opposite direction. Or instead of this provision, I may
employ a brush, or a strip of metal or wood, for putting pressure upon the fibro
contained in that comb which is adjacent to the comb to be stripped, and by
causing this pressing instrument to descend between the teeth of the comb
at the proper moment and travel with the frame g, the required pressure to
ensure the stripping of the fibres from the stationary comb will be ensured.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,-
First, the means herein described, or any mere modification thereof, for
combing wool and other fibrous substances, whereby I am enabled to operate
upon a continuous sliver and draw off the fibrous material under operation in
detached slivers fit for the preparing machine and leave the noils and dirt
between the comb teeth.
Secondly, I claim the travelling fork or its equivalent for clearing the combs
of the noils and dirt extracted from the fibrous material under operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Derham, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JAMES DERHAM. (L.S.)