IMPROVEMENTS IN 'NOBLE'S' COMBING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton White-.
head, both of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the County of York,
and Partners in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, and Company, of
the same Place, Machine and Tool Makers, for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Whitehead
and Henry Walton Whitehead at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd June 1873.
We, THOMAS WHITEHEAD and HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD, both of
Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the County of York, and Partners
in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, and Company, of the same Place,
Machine and Tool Makers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN 'NOBLE'S' COMBING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
Our improvements consist in drawing off a "top" from the inner side of
the small circular combs at the point where the large and small circular

page_text: combs, or at a short distance therefrom, and then drawing off from
the outer side of the small circular combs another top, which may either
be run with the first-named top or separately, leaving the noil to be
taken off as before.
It will be understood that the fibre lifted from the large circular comb
and fed forward, and which protrudes beyond the inner part of the small
circular combs, will have already been cleaned by the division between
the two circular combs, and therefore by these improvements a larger
proportion of "top" is produced, which is also cleaner than heretofore.
By these means we dispense with the drawing off of any "top" from
the large circular comb.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said
Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WHITEHEAD and HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD, both of Holbeck, in the
Parish of Leeds, in the County of York, and Partners in the Firm of
Taylor, Wordsworth, and Company, of the same Place, Machine and
Tool Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Whitehead and
Henry Walton Whitehead, Her special licence that we, the said
Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas
Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead, our 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 Ircland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
NOBLE'S COMBING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that

page_text: we, the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 on or before the Fifteenth day of January Ono
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry
Walton Whitehead, 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, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Our improvements relate to the drawing off a "top" from the inner
side of the small circular combs within a short distance of the point of
nearest approach of the large and small circular combs to each other, in
addition to drawing off as usual from the outer side of the small circular
combs, a top which may be run off separately or with the first-named
top, leaving the noil to be taken off as heretofore.
It will be understood that the fibre lifted from the large circular comb
and fed forward, and which protrudes beyond the inner part of tho
small circular combs, will have already been cleaned by the division
between the two circular combs; and therefore by these improvements a
larger proportion of top is produced, and of a cleaner quality than
heretofore. This mode of working permits of our dispensing with the
operation of drawing off "top" from the large circular comb.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 shews in plan view so much
of a Noble's combing machine with our improvements applied thereto as
will serve to explain the manner of drawing off the combed wool from
the inner and outer sides of the small circular combs; Figure 2 is a
vertical section of Figure 1 through the line A, B. In these Figures A
is the driving shaft of the machine placed within and above the large
circular comb B.. On this shaft is keyed the bevil pinion A', which
gives motion through the bevil wheel A2 to the vertical shaft C, from
which the motion for rotating the small circular combs D, D¹, is taken.
These small circular combs are mounted within the large circular
comb B, and in close proximity thereto. The shaft C also communi-

page_text: cates motion through the pinions E and E¹ to a series of change
wheels E³, such series of change wheels E2 giving rotation to the
different drawing off and noil rollers of the machine. The upright
shaft C is carried and supported within the pillar F, which is bolted to
the cross bar of the steam chest G.
It will be noticed that as only one large pillar F is used instead of
two, as hitherto, a great saving is attained, not only in removing the
large or small circular combs from the machine for repairs of the combs,
which are frequent, but much more space is afforded to the attendant to
work the machine. This central pillar F may be applied to any of the
existing Noble's machines. The two small supports or pillars F and F³
(Figure 2), which assist in carrying the upper framing, may be easily
removed in case of the small circular combs requiring removal for
repair. At H are shewn fixed knives for lifting the wool or fibre out
of the large circular comb B, and bringing it to the proper elevation for
being laid across that comb, and on to the small circular combs D and
D', as the case may be. The wool or fibre fed forward, as it arrives at
the nearest point of approach of the large and small circular combs is
forced down between the teeth of the combs by the ordinary dabbing
brushes I and J, which are actuated by crank rods in the usual manner.
A division of the wool or fibre now takes place through the continued
rotation of the combs, and the combed or straightened wool or fibre is.
next drawn off through both combs by the inside drawing-off rollers K
and K. The short wool or fibre left in the small circular combs D and
D¹ is then removed by the ordinary outside drawing-off rollers L and L'.
The noil left in the small circular combs is removed by knives M, and
the noil rollers N, N, commonly employed for the purpose. The wool
or fibre as it passes beyond the action of the small circular comb is
lifed out of the large circular comb B as usual, and is then fed forward
to be operated upon, as before mentioned. The traverse sheets and
guides O and P are actuated as is well understood.
In the Drawing we have shewn two small circular combs D and D'
placed within the large circular comb B, but more than two may be
used with similar arrangements for feeding and stripping if thought
desirable. By these improvements we are enabled to obtain a larger
proportion of top and of a cleaner quality than heretofore, and we
thus dispense with the drawing off of any top from the large circular
comb B.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements
in 'Noble's' Combing Machines," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above,
in part recited Letters Patent we claim, drawing off a "top" from the
inner side of the small circular combs of a "Noble's" combing machine
in the manner and for the purpose above explained.
In witness whereof, the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry
Walton Whitehead, have hereunto set their hands and seals, this
Twentieth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-three.