IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Fairburn, of Burley in Wharfedale, in
the County of York, Combing Overlooker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL OR OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 18th June 1875, and dated the 21st December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Fairburn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st December 1874.
I, ROBERT FAIRBURN, of Burley in Wharfedale, in the County of
York, Combing Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING
WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of combing machinery which
consists of a revolving circular or segment or chain comb (such as those
known as Lister's and Rawson's combs) in which the wool, after being
fed thereto, is subjected to the action of two sets of drawing-off

page_text: rollers, the second set being for the purpose of drawing off the "beard"
left in the circle after a sliver has been drawn off by the first pair of
drawing rollers.
My Invention consists in dispensing with the second pair of drawing-
off rollers and drawing the "beard" from the circle by means of nipping
jaws actuated in the same manner as in a "gill box." The wool is taken
from the nipping jaws by an ordinary transfer comb, which deposits it
on the points of a comb or series of comb teeth mounted capable of
sliding in brackets or bearings fixed to a rocking shaft. On the ends of
this shaft are wheels gearing with racks, to which a to-and-fro recipro-
catory motion is imparted by means of cams acting similarly to those
employed for actuating the nipping jaws. This to-and-fro motion of the
racks imparts a rocking motion to the shaft carrying the comb. The
teeth of the said comb are upright as they receive the wool from the
transfer comb, but by the rocking of the shaft the position is reversed
and the wool is placed on an endless belt underneath the said shaft, and
at the same time the teeth of the comb are withdrawn from a perforated
plate, through which they project by means of suitably placed inclines
which act on pins or fingers on the ends of the comb during the partial
rotary motion of the same. The wool thus deposited on the endless belt
is carried thereby to a set of gills, after passing through which it is
converted into a sliver by a revolving funnel and may be mixed with
the sliver first drawn off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Fairburn in the Great Seal Patent Office 25
on the 21st June 1875.
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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
FAIRBURN, of Burley in Wharfedale, in the County of York, Combing
Overlooker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 30
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Fairburn, Her special licence that

page_text: I, the said Robert Fairburn, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Fairburn, my executors, admini-
strators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Fairburn, my executors
1 or administrators, by an instrument in writing, under my, 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 dato
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Fairburn, do hereby declaro.
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 and accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is
to say :-
This Invention relates to that class of combing machinery which
consists of a revolving circular or segment or chain comb (such as those
known as Lister's and Rawson's combs) in which the wool after being
fed thereto is subjected to the action of two sets of "drawing-off"
rollers, the second set being for the purpose of drawing off the "beard"
left in the circle after a sliver has been drawn off by the first pair of
drawing rollers.
My Invention consists in dispensing with the second pair of "drawing-
off" rollers and drawing the "beard" from the circle by means of nipping
jaws actuated in the same manner as in a "gill box." The wool is
taken from the nipping jaws by an ordinary transfer comb, which
deposits it on the points of a comb or series of comb teeth mounted and
capable of sliding in brackets or bearings fixed to a rocking shaft. On
the ends of this shaft are wheels gearing with racks, to which a to-and-fro
reciprocatory motion is imparted by means of cams acting similarly to
those employed for actuating the nipping jaws. This "to" and "fro
motion of the racks imparts a rocking motion to the shaft carrying the.
"

page_text: comb. The teeth of the said comb are upright as they receive the wool
from the transfer comb, but by the rocking of the shaft the position is
reversed and the wool is placed on an endless belt underneath the said
shaft, and at the same time the teeth of the said comb are withdrawn from
a perforated plate, through which they project by means of suitably placed
inclines which act on pins or fingers on the ends of the comb during the
partial rotary motion of the same. The wool thus deposited on the
endless belt is carried thereby to a set of gills, after passing through
which it is converted into a sliver by a revolving funnel and may be
mixed with the sliver first drawn off.
In order that this Invention may be more fully understood I herein
give reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings marked with
figures and letters of reference, the same letters referring to the same
parts in the various views or Figures.
Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of a Lister's comb, with my
improvements applied thereto.
Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are details.
I have not thought it necessary to give full Drawings of the circular
comb with the machinery belonging thereto, as the same is well known,
but have just shewn sufficient to illustrate the manner of carrying out
my Invention.
A is the circle and a the rows of comb teeth upon which the wool is
fed by the gill head in the first instance, and a sliver drawn therefrom
by drawing-off rollers leaving a certain amount of wool and noil in the
teeth of the comb. Hitherto it has been usual to draw out the wool
thus left in by a second pair of drawing-off rollers or to plough out the
same along with the noil and mixing it along with other wool to rc-feed
it to the circular comb.
My Invention consists in substituting instead of the second pair of
rollers a pair of nipping jaws B, B', by means of which I draw off
portions of the beard. These portions are taken by an ordinary transfer
comb C and delivered by it upon the teeth of the oscillatory comb D,
which place the wool upon the endless sheet E, by which it is carried
forward and subjected to the action of "gill fallers" and converted into
a sliver by a revolving funnel in the usual manner. The nipping jaws,
transfer comb, and gill box, with the machinery for actuating the same,
are so well known that further description is unnecessary. The oscilla-

page_text: tory comb D and the details in connection therewith, which form one of
the most important features of the Invention, require more minute
description. This comb is for the purpose of receiving the wool from
the transfer comb C and depositing it regularly and evenly upon the
endless belt E. It is carried in brackets 6 mounted upon the shaft o,
the comb teeth passing through a plate d, within which they can be
drawn by means of the rode coming in contact with the inclines f.
On the ends of the shaft c are pinions 9 gearing with racks h attached
to slides i, which are caused to reciprocate or rise and fall by cams k
acting on pullies or bowls . This reciprocatory motion causes the
shaft c to oscillate to the extent of about half a revolution. Fig. 3
shows the comb D in position for receiving the wool from the transfer
comb C. The rack is at its lowest point, the comb teeth nearly upright
and protruding beyond the plate d as far as possible by reason of the
spring m acting thereon. The transfer comb having deposited the wool
on the comb D just as it would deposit it on the teeth of a circular
comb, the shaft c oscillates and reverses the position of the comb as
shewn at Fig. 1, the teeth being at the same time withdrawn within the
plate by the rods e coming in contact with the inclines f. The wool is
thus forced off the comb teeth, which is further assisted by the rod n in
the slides n', which as the comb oscillates falls alternately to each end of
its slides, and so helps to straighten out the wool upon the sheet. It is
then smoothed and pressed by the revolving stroker P.
For holding the wool firmly as the nip is being withdrawn I employ a
holding down knife r, the pressure being applied at the right instant by
the 'cam and lever r², and for severing the wool completely I employ
a cross bars attached to the oscillatory arms 8¹ on the shaft 8², which
is caused to oscillate by levers & and rods t connecting them with
the nipping jaws. I also employ a small comb attached to the lower
nipping jaw with which it rises and falls, and this comb is for the
so that the said jaws may
purpose of straightening out the "beard
take firmly hold.
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Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and shewn by
Drawings how the same is to be performed or carried into practice, I
would have it understood that I claim,-
Firstly. The combination of a "gill box," with a Lister's circular or
other comb herein-before referred to as and for the purpose substantially
as shewn and described.

page_text: Secondly. The use and employment of the comb D and apparatus
immediately connected therewith, as and for the purpose herein shewn
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Fairburn, have hereunto
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set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year 5
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
J. W.
TASKER,
Patent Agent,
Halifax.
ROBERT FAIRBURN. (L.s.)