IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING FIBRES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Little of Hartford Works Oldham in the County
of Lancaster Mechanical Engineer Thomas Charles Eastwood of Bradford in
the County of York Machinery Agent John Green and John Fletcher both of
Hartford Works Oldham aforesaid Foremen for an Invention of “Improve-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Little, Thomas
Charles Eastwood, John Green, and John Fletcher at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 11th August 1882.
GEORGE LITTLE of Hartford Works Oldham in the County of Lancaster
Mechanical Engineer THOMAS CHARLES EASTWOOD of Bradford in the County of
York Machinery Agent JOHN GREEN and JOHN FLETCHER both of Hartford
Works Oldham aforesaid, Foremen. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING
FIBRES."
This invention relates to further improvements in machinery (for combing fibres)
of the class for which Letters Patent N° 839 year 1873 and N° 4545 year 1879
were granted to the said George Little and Thomas Charles Eastwood and the
present improvements are specially applicable to the combing of long fibres and
consist
Firstly of improved mechanism for carrying and operating the feeding head
Secondly to improved means of operating the reciprocating nipping jaws.
Thirdly to improved mechanism for operating the divider or instrument
employed for separating the fibre between the feeding head and the nipping jaws.
Fourthly to the application of and means for operating apparatus employed for
preventing the waste of short fibre and for condensing the sliver as and when
drawn off the circle.
The feeding or gill head is mounted on two siving frames having their fulcrums
on a base plate the said siving frames move parallel to each other giving a parallel
motion to the gill or feeding head during its motion to and from the nipping jaws

page_text: and the said feeding head is in part impelled or assisted on its outer movement by
the expanding action of a spiral spring placed on the front siving frame and which
spring also serves when expanded to releive from concussion the siving frame on
the latter nearing termination of its backward movement.
The nipping jaws are mounted on side frames and have a rising, advancing,
receding and falling motion imparted thereto, so that the jaws rise from the
interior of the circular comb advances over the pins of the comb secures its tuft or
feed of fibre, retires or recedes to a position within the circle descends depositing
the fibre on the pins or in position to be forced or dabbed thereupon The motion
of the jaws being secured by means of antifriction bowls working within cam or
bowl races, radiating cam, cam shaft and radial levers.
The apparatus for severing or dividing the tuft of wool after the gill or feeding
head has receded, is mounted on a fixing with its fulcrum near the centre of the
machine having a radiating motion given to it by means of a cam and pair of
quadrant bevels from the second motion shaft the arm or lever of the said divider
has a loose finger at the end, this finger is mounted on a shaft which passes through
the said arm or lever and is coupled with a vertical shaft by means of a pair of
quadrant bevels the said vertical shaft is passed through the fulcrum or sleeve of
the divider at the bottom of which is mounted a cannon bracket and stationary.
The friction plate in this friction plate is a drag plate mounted on the bottom of
the upright shaft which is kept continually in contact with the said friction plate
by means of an open spiral spring and the aforesaid loose finger having two snugs
projecting from it comes in contact with a second stationary snug mounted on the
radial arm or lever during the forward motion of the finger or divider, soon as the
divider arrives at end of its stroke the return motion of the arm creates friction on
the drag plate and causes the snug on the finger to change from one to the other
which imparts motion to the drag plate and the friction of the plate holds the said
finger firmly against the snug. In combination with the drawing off apparatus is
a pair of reciprocating sheets or rubbers of leather so applied as to secure the short
or loose fibre (which heretofore commonly escaped the drawing sheets) and incor-
porate such short fibres with the delivered sliver the latter being condensed and
'rubbed before delivery to the cam.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Little, Thomas Charles Eastwood, John Green, and John
Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th February 1883.
GEORGE LITTLE of Hartford Works, Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer THOMAS CHARLES EASTWOOD of Bradford, in the County of
York, Machinery Agent, JOHN GREEN and JOHN FLETCHER both of Hartford
Works, Oldham aforesaid Foremen. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING
FIBRES
"
'This invention relates to further improvements in machinery (for combing fibres)
of the class for which Letters Patent No 839 year 1873 and No 4545 year 1879
were granted to the said George Little and Thomas Charles Eastwood and the
present improvements are specially applicable to the combing of long fibres and
consist.
Firstly Of improved mechanism for carrying and operating the feeding head.
Secondly to improved means of operating the reciprocating nipping jaws.
Thirdly to improved mechanism for operating the divider or instrument
employed for separating the fibre, between the feeding head and the nipping jaws.
Fourthly to the application of and means for operating apparatus employed for
preventing the waste of short fibre and for condensing the sliver as and when
drawn off the circle.
The feeding or gill head is mounted on two swing frames having their fulcrums
on a base plate, the said swing frames having a radial motion and carrying at their
head the gill or feeding head thus imparting to the gill or feeding head in its
motion to and from the nipping jaws, a slight radial notion describing a very
large radius (or which for all practical purposes may be described as a parallel
inotion).
The said gill head, is in part retarded on its outward movement by the com-
pression of a spiral spring placed on the front swing frame and which spring also
serves when compressed to relieve from concussion the feeding head and swing
frames at the moment of the latter completing their outward movement and
commencing the return movement.
The nipping jaws are mounted on side frames and have a rising, advancing,
receding and falling motion imparted thereto so that the jaws rise from the interior
of the circular comb, advances over the pins of the comb, secures its tuft or feed of
fibre, retires or recedes to a position within the circle descends depositing the fibre
on the pins or in position to be forced or dabbed thereupon, the motion of the jaws,
being secured by means of antifriction bowls working within cam or bowl races
radiating cam, cam shaft and radial levers.
The apparatus for severing or dividing the tuft of wool after the gill or feeding
head has receded, is mounted on a fixing with its fulcrum near the centre of the
machine having a radiating motion, given to it by means of a cam and pair of
quadrant bevels from the second motion shaft, the arm or lever of the said divider
has a loose finger at the end this finger is mounted on a shaft which passes through
the said arm or lever and is coupled with a vertical shaft by means of a pair of
quadrant bevels the said vertical shaft is passed through the fulcrum or sleeve of
the divider at the bottom of which is mounted a cannon bracket and stationary the
friction plate in this friction plate is a drag plate mounted on the bottom of the
upright shaft which is kept continually in contact with the said friction plate by
means of an open spiral spring and the aforesaid loose finger having two snugs
projecting from it comes in contact with a second stationary snug mounted on the

page_text: Fig 1 is an elevation of the improved apparatus employed for carrying and
operating the feeding head-Fig: 2 is a sectional elevation and Fig: 3 is plan of
apparatus for operating the nipping jaws-Figs 4 and 5 are detached views of
saine Figs 6 and 7 are elevation and plan of the improved apparatus for working
the divider Figs 8 and 9 are elevation and plan of the improved rubbers and
apparatus for operating same.
Referring now to Fig: 1. The feeding or gill head 1 is mounted on and carried
by the two swing frames 2. 3. having their fulcrums on the shafts 4. 5 and the said
frames 2. 3 by reason of large radius impart practically to the feeding head a
parallel motion to and from the nipping jaws. Motion is imparted to the said
frames 2. 3 and the gill head from the shaft 6 by crank 7 connecting link 8 bell
crank lever 9 and adjustable connecting rod 10 at 11 is a box containing spiral
spring 12 the gill head is in part retarded on its outward movement by the
compression of the said spiral spring which also relieves from concussion the feeding
head and swing frames when completing their outward movement the expansion of
the spring 12 assisting the return-The nipping jaws 13 (Figs 2. 3. 4. 5) and their
carrying frames 14. 14 and cam plate 15 are raised and lowered through the
action of cam races of plate 15 acting on bowl 16 the stud of the latter being
fixed to the side frames of the machine and the position of the said bowl is
adjustable by screws 17 whereby the amount of lift and fall of the nipping jaws is
determined and regulated. The advancing and receding motion of the jaws for
securing and drawing the tuft of fibre from the feeding head ready for depositing
on the pins of the circular comb 18 is obtained by means of the bowls 19. 19
(which as the frames 14. 14 and cam plate. 15 are raised and lowered) move
within the cam slot 20 formed in each of the brackets 21. 21 imparting to the
jaws 13 the requisite reciprocating motion.
The closing the jaws 13 is effected through the action of the lever 22 caused to
move on its fulcrum shaft 23 (by means of the cam plate 24 and bowl 25) the other
or upper end of the said lever 22 carrying the loose lever 20 on axis 26ª and
bowl 27 the latter being shewn in the drawings in the position when the jaws are
closed when the cam p'ate 24 has made another half revolution the lever 22 and
the bowl 27 will have moved close to the jaws 13 leaving the end 28 of the upper
one free to descend by gravitation on its axle 29 the downward movement of the
upper part 28 of the jaw 28 may be further assisted by means of a twisted spiral
spring 30 on shaft 29-It will be understood that the cam plate 24 is on the same
shaft as the cam plate 15 and is lifted and lowered as and by means of the action of
the cam 15 and fixed bowl 16 as already described-and that the cross shaft 31
on which the said cam plates work is carried by the connecting arms or links 32. 32
having for fulcrum the cross shaft 33-The apparatus for severing or dividing the

page_text: tuft of fibre (Fig 6 and 7) when the feeding head recedes consists of a cam 34
driven by the shaft 35 within its groove 36 is received the antifriction bowl
mounted on the arm 37 of the bell crank lever 38 working on a stud 39 the upper
rin of the bell crank is provided with teeth forming segment gearing with a
pinion 40 on the upright shaft 41 carried in the cannon or long collar 42 at 43 is a
boss and segment wheel secured on the upright shaft 41 the segment 43 gearing
with the bevel wheel 44 on end of internal shaft 45 carried by the horizontal
cannon or long collar 46 on the end of a shaft 45 is the pendant divider 47 so that
it will be seen that each rotation of the cam 34 the bell crank lever will receive
motion on its stud 39 imparting by the upright and horizontal shafts 41 and 45 a to
and fro motion on the dotted line 48 between the feeding head and the pins of the
circular comb 49-The robber motion (Figs 8 and 9) consists of a disc or crank
plate 50 driven by upright shaft from shaft 51-52 is a connecting link attaching
to the plate 50 and to the rocking lever 53 working on the fulcrum stud 54 55
and 56 are the shafts of the rubber rollers 57 and 58 and connected to and receiving
lateral motion from the rocking lever 53-59 is a broad spur wheel and 60 is
similar gear for imparting rotation to the rubber rollers 57 and 58 and admitting
the necessary lateral or end wise motion
The several appliances herein described are not necessarily to be employed in
combination that is to say all on one machine as each of the appliances is
complete in itself and as such separately applicable to the use for which it is
designed and intended.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this our said invention
together with the manner in which the same is to be performed or carried into
practical effect we would have it understood that we lay no claim to any part
per se what we do claim is
Firstly The combination of parts constituting our improved feeding head
comprising the swing frames connecting and operating links levers and concussion
spring, substantially as described and illustrated by drawings
Secondly-The combination of mechanism employed for operating the nipping
jaws, comprising the cams operated by fixed bowl, cam and levers for closing the
jaws, substantially as illustrated and as herein described
Thirdly The radial divider, combined with the mechanism for operating the
same, substantially as such is illustrated by the drawings and herein described.
Fourthly The rubbers operated by apparatus as described and in combination
with the "drawing off" apparatus of fibre combing machines and as such is
illustrated by the drawings.
In Witness whereof I the said George Little have for and on behalf of
myself and the said Thomas Charles Eastwood, John Green and John
Fletcher hereunto set my hand and seal this eighth day of February in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.