IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Bailey, of Keighley, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES."
Sealed the 7th October 1871, and dated the 10th April 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Bailey
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th April 1871.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BAILEY, of Keighley, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," to be
as follows:-
4
My improvements relate, first, to the employment of a porcupino
roller acting with a bar curved to correspond with the curve formed
by the points of the teeth of the porcupine roller to conduct fibre to the

page_text: tect of gill combs. The teeth of the porcupine roller are inclined with
their points from the direction of feed.
Secondly. The improvements relate to means for actuating the gill
combs or faller bars, when employing what are commonly called squaro
motion arrangements for that purpose.
In carrying out this part of my improvements I employ two sets of
pushers, one set acting to propel the bars or fallers, whilst the other
set is returning for action. The gill bars or fallers are shaped or cut
to clear the pusher that actuates its neighbouring faller. The rising
and lowering of the gill bars or fallers is by means of lifters or fingers
operated by a crank or cranks or other suitablo means. In addition to
pushers acting on the ends of the bars there may be others to opcrato
at intermediate distances, or the ends of the gill bars or fallers may bo
formed each with a tooth or teeth, so that the ends of a row of them
would present the appearance of a rack. These teeth are taken into by
the teeth of pinions at each side, and at each end of each course;
one pair to each course acting to propel, and the other to hold and
guide.
Thirdly. The improvements relate to combing machinery, in which
a tuft of fibre to be operated upon is detached from the feeding apparatus a
by comb or by nippers, and then the projecting end of it is presented
to the cleansing action of a series of toothed or card surfaces, and
afterwards the dirty or uncleansed ond of it is placed on a receiving
comb to be cleansed in the act of drawing off.
In carrying my improvements therein into effect the detaching comb 2
teeth are applied by preferenco straight, and also by preference on
vibrating frames or arms, with the outer surfaces thereof formed as parts
of segments of the circle in which they move; but I do not confine
myself to the form of frame, so long as a corresponding action is
obtained. The points of the teeth of these detaching combs aro in a 3
direction across that of the axis of the vibrating frame or arms. In
passing the feeding means these teeth take a tuft of fibre, which they
then present to the action of clearing surfaces of fine or comparatively
fine teeth, depending on tho character of the fibre under operation.
When a vibrating frame has arrived nearly to the oxtent of its move- 3
ment other teeth aided by a brush acting from behind enter the fibre

page_text: and remove the tuft from the teeth of the detaching comb, and then
deposit the fibre on to a circular receiving comb, from which sliver is
drawn by drawing-off means. The teeth of the circular receiving comb
point radially; those of the carrying comb are set so as to be parallel
with the teeth of the detaching comb when the tuft is being removed
therefrom, but the contour of the teeth of this comb form a curve
agreeing with that of the circular comb. The vibrating or detaching
comb frame carries a doffer, which enters slightly the cleansing surfaces,
to take from them matter they had gathered, but which doffer moves out
of the way of the beard of fibre projecting from the feed head, and then
deposits the matter it has collected in a box or receiver for the purpose.
Other form of detaching frame will have doffer or doffers applied to it.
I sometimes employ stationary plates placed to stand by the side of the
rows of teeth of the receiving comb, or in the chambers thereof, so as
to act on the fibre as it approaches them, and cause it to pass more
fully into such teeth, and be slightly held therein at the time of
drawing off.
Fourthly. The improvements relate to means used when drawing off
wool or other fibre from receiving combs. The fibre on the receiving
combs is guided by a small roller into one end of a tube, the opposito
end of which is provided with a flat or elongated mouth with elastic
jaws, or with a pair of plain or porcupine or such like toothed rollers,
or near that end the tube may be formed with a pair of openings by
which the fibre may pass out therefrom and back again. The tube and
parts carried thereby have rotary motion imparted to them, and they
conduct the fibre to the nip of drawing off rollers. By these means a
twist is temporarily put into the sliver of fibre in its passage to the
drawing-off rollers, such as to facilitate the holding of them together,
particularly when operating on short staple fibre.
Also the improvements relate to the employment of secondary rollers
of small diameter to act after the primary drawing-off rollers, and to
take the fibre missed by them, and this sliver from the small rollers
is then conducted to pass between the primary rollers, and be enveloped
by the primary sliver in its subsequent passage through the tweedler or
such like means. The beard of fibre may be aided in its passage to these
rollers by a revolving brush or such like means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Bailey in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY BAILEY, of Keighley, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Henry Bailey, Her special
licence that I, the said William Henry Bailey, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry
Bailey, 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
“IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBRES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Henry Bailey, my executors 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 date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Bailey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
My improvements relate, first, to the employment of a porcupine
roller acting with a bar curved to correspond with the curve formed by
the points of the teeth of the porcupine roller to conduct fibre to the
teeth of gill combs. The teeth of the porcupine roller are inclined with
their points from the direction of feed.
Secondly. The improvements relate to means for actuating the gill
comb or faller bars when employing what are commonly called square
motion arrangements for that purpose.

page_text: In carrying out this part of my improvements I employ two sets of
pushers, one set acting to propel the bars or fallers whilst the other set is
returning for action. The gill bars or fallers are shaped or cut to clear
the pusher that actuates its neighboring faller. The raising and lowering
of the gill bars or fallers is by means of lifters or fingers operated by a
crank or cranks or other suitable means. In addition to pushers acting
on the ends of the bars there may be others to operate at intermediate
distances, or the ends of the gill bars or fallers may be formed each with
a tooth or teeth so that the ends of a row of them would present the
appearance of a rack. These teeth are taken into by the teeth of pinions
at each side of the frame and at cach end of each course, one pair to
cach course acting to propel and the other to hold and guide.
Thirdly. The improvements relate to combing machinery in which
a tuft of fibre to be operated upon is detached from the feeding apparatus
by comb or by nippers, and then the projecting end of it is presented to
the cleansing action of a series of toothed or card surfaces, and afterwards
the dirty or uncleansed end of it is placed on a receiving comb to be
cleansed in the act of drawing off.
In carrying my improvements into effect the detaching comb is
applied by preference straight or parallel to the axis or line of motion
of the comb bars and also by preference on vibrating frames or arms
with the outer surface thereof formed as parts of segments of the circle
in which they move, but I do not confine myself to the form of frame
so long as a corresponding action is obtained. The points of the teeth
of these detaching combs are in a direction across that of the axis of the
vibrating frame or arms, or they point in a line which forms a tangent
to the arc in which they move. In passing the feeding means these
teeth take a tuft of fibre, which they then present to the action of
clearing surfaces of fine or comparatively fine teeth depending on the
character of the fibre under operation. When a vibrating frame has
arrived nearly to the extent of its movement the tuft of fibre is removed
therefrom and deposited on to a circular receiving comb, from which
sliver is drawn by drawing off means.
Fourthly. The improvements relate to means used when drawning off
wool or other fibres from receiving combs. The fibre on the receiving
comb is guided by a small roller into one end of a tube, the opposite
end of which is provided with a flat or elongated mouth with elastic
jaws or with a pair of plain or porcupine or such-like toothed. rollers,

page_text: Figure 2 shows a slight modification of Figure 1, in which the fibre
is conducted to pass partly round the under surface of the porcupine
roller c. In this case however it is desirable to employ a dabbing brush
or it may be a rotary one to aid in stripping the porcupine and laying
the fibres correctly in the teeth of the combs e. In Figure 2 similar
parts are marked with the same letters of reference as in Figure 1.
Figure 3 shews by sectional side view, and Figure 4 by plan view
parts of a gill preparer arranged to work according to the second head
of the Invention.
Figures 5 and 6 show two of the gill comb bars separately; Figure 7
shews separately a pair of upper and lower pushers *, h, as applied
to the bar h.
In these Figures a is a driving shaft, on which is applied a pinion a¹
of, say, 20 teeth to take into the teeth of another ¹ of, say, 40 teeth
applied on the shaft or axis b. In the side of this wheel is applied a
stud 62 acting as a crank pin to receive one end of a connecting rod b³,
the other end of which is connected to the outer end of a lever arm c
from the axis d, so that in the rotary motion given to the wheel b'a
vibratory motion may be imparted to the lever arm c and thence to the
axis or shaft d. The lever c is provided with studs e, e, which are
received into vertical slotted grooves formed for them in sliding rods f
and g, so as to impart a to and fro horizontal movement to those
bars and g. The bar g is affixed to a cross bar & extending across the
machine. The barf is applied to a similar bar i. These bars ½ and i
are guided in their movement, and they carry pushers or propellers
h¹, h³, h³, hª, i¹, 2, 3, and 3, respectively for acting on the ends of the gill
fallers or gill bars x, y.
By examining the plan view Figure 4 it will be seen that the bars x, y,
are arranged so that the ends of alternate ones, say x, project on one
side, and those of the intermediate ones y project on the other side,
whilst the gill teeth of the respective bars x and y are arranged to work
correctly in lines one with the other. The pushers or propellers ³, 2³,
of the bar i act on the bars x whilst the pushers or propellers h¹, h³, of
the bar act on the gill bars y. The pushers or propellers ' and i
act on the bars x and y by embracing their outer projecting ends, whilst
the pushers or propellers and act only on those parts of the gil
bars x and y that project inwards. It will thus be seen that by the
action of the arm c as one set of pushers, say and are propelling

page_text: the gill bars in the upper race forward, the pushers ª and /* are
returning the gill bars in the lower race, and that when the pushers ¹
and are propelling the gill bars forward in the upper race, the pushers ³
and are operating to return or bring back the gill bars in the lower
racc. I would remark that the end pushers ³, 23, of the lower race are
of the same shapes and directly beneath the upper pushers, that is, ³
is shaped like h' and is directly under it, so also the pusher is like the
pusher and is under it.
The lifting of the gill bars x, y, from the lower to the upper race and
the lowering of them from the upper to the lower race is effected in the
following manner:-On the wheel a' on the axis a is applied a crank
pin m¹ to receive one end of a connecting rod m³, the other end of which
is connected to the end of the arm m³ affixed to the shaft m, on which
aro also affixed pairs of arms n. In the outer end of these arms n are
connected by pin joints n³, n', the lifting and lowering fingers p, q, and
the action of these fingers p, q, is as follows:-During one revolution of
the wheel b' two fallers are pushed horizontally, and in the same time
the pinion a' makes two revolutions and lifts two fallers. Owing to this
motion of the lifters a gill bar is inserted whilst the crank operating the
pushers is at or near its dead point. But this method of raising and
lowering the gill bars from one race to the other forms no part of the
present improvements.
When gill comb bars thus operated are applied to the cleansing of
the beard of fibre projecting from the teeth of a circular or other carrying
comb the comb bars are arranged to move in the contrary direction, as
is indicated by the diagram Figure 8, where r represents the position of
a circular or other carrying comb, in the teeth of which the fibre is
retained by the aid of a pressing plate 8, whilst such fibre so held is
being cleansed by the action thereon of the square motion combs x, y.
Figures 9, 10, and 11 show various views of a modification of this
part of the Invention adapted to when the ends of the gill bars aro
formed with teeth and they are actuated for their progressive motions by
pinions taking into those teeth. On the axis a are affixed bevil toothed
wheels b, one on each side of the frame. The teeth of each of these
wheels takes into the teeth of a bevil wheel b' affixed on a socket c for
the purpose of driving it. In the upper end of each of these sockets c is
applied a pinion d. The teeth of these wheels d are adapted to take into
the teeth formed on the opposite ends of the gill bars as they come into

page_text: the lower race for the purpose of propelling them. On the shaft a are
also applied other smaller pinions e, each of which takes into the teeth
of a bevelled pinion e' affixed on a shaft e², and each shaft e³ also passes
through a socket c, and each of these shafts & has applied to its upper
end a pinion f, the teeth of which are in position to take into the teeth
formed in the opposite ends of the gill bar which for the time is in the
upper race opposite to it to hold such bar against any strain which may
be exerted by the use of drawing rollers i, ¹, or other drawing means.
On each socket c is also applied a toothed wheel g, the teeth of each of
which take into the teeth of a corresponding wheel g' applied to axes h,
each of which carries a pinion f¹ the teeth of which take into the teeth
formed in the opposite ends of the gill bars for the time opposite thereto
in the upper race, and for the purpose of imparting a forward motion to
them.
C
The lifting and lowering means may be such as already described.
Figure 12 shews by plan view on a larger scale portions of two gill
bars x, y, with the teeth at those ends thereof as described taken into by
the teeth of a wheel d or for f¹, as the case may be.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which is shown
applied in the sectional side view, Figure 13, and plan view, Figure 14.
In these Figures a indicates the main or driving shaft from which
through the bevil wheels b, b', motion is communicated to the vertical
shaft c and thence by the bevil wheels d, d, to the shaft e. On this
shaft e is applied a pinion e', having, say, 36 teeth to drive a wheel f¹ of,
say, 72 teeth affixed on the axis f. This wheel f¹ carries a crank ping,
which by means of a connecting rod g' imparts in its rotary motion a
vibratory motion to the comb frame / which is supported to rock on the
axis i. The vibrating comb frame h carries a comb the teeth of which
in the vibrating of the frame h enter the fibre projecting from the
porcupine feed head 2, as indicated more clearly by the detached view
of these parts on a larger scale at Figure 15, and in moving away from
this roller the teeth of the comb k take a tuft therefrom partially
cleansed in manner indicated by Figure 16. To facilitate the delivery
of the fibre from the porcupine roller that roller is supported so as to
be capable of vibrating on the axis m. The tuft of fibre thus taken by
the comb teeth k is further cleansed by being passed in contact with
card rollers or other suitable tooth surfaces n, n, n. When the comb k
has arrived at about its extreme position the tuft of fibre which had

page_text: been carried thereby is deposited on the teeth of the receiving comb o
in the following way:-On the axis e is applied the eccentric p, which
through the rod p¹ gives motion to the arm q, the upper end of which is
by a link q¹ connected to the sliding tables 8, 8, carrying the transfer
combs t, t. The action of these parts will be better seen by reference
to Figure 17, where the comb k is represented in its extreme position
with the tuft of fibre ready for removal. The teeth of the comb & may
now be supposed to be approaching those of the comb k, and in passing
them it takes the tuft of fibre from the comb k.
I would here mention that I prefer to set the teeth of the combs & so
that their points may form a curve corresponding with the curve of the
receiving combo (as better seen by the plan view, Figure 14). The
combs are attached to their sliding tables 8, 8, so as to be capable
of a slight movement thereon. Beneath each of the combs there is
applied a thin steel plate v, or it might be a brush attached to the sliding
table 8, 8, the object of which is to aid at the time desired the delivery of
the fibre from the comb teeth to the teeth o.
In Figure 17 the points of the comb t are shewn projecting beyond
the edge of the plate ready to take the fibre from the teeth of the
comb. The comb then continues its course until it reaches the
receiving combo, when it is arrested by the ends of the bar carrying
the combs coming in contact with the fixed stops w (shewn in
Figuro 14). Each table & for the time operating continues to move
until the plate projects beyond the points of the comb and into a
chamber of the receiving combo, depositing therein the tuft of fibre 1
brought into position by a comb t, as indicated by the separate view,
Figure 18.
For the sake of greater clearness in the Drawing I have shewn a space
as being left between the comb t and the plate v, but in practice the
comb and the plate touch each other, and both occupy in depth or
thickness a very small space.
Figure 19 shows a slight modification in which a nipping bar
y acts
with the comb bar to uip the fibre in taking it from the feeding
means. I sometimes employ stationary plates placed to stand by the side
of the rows of teeth of the receiving comb, or in the chambers thereof,
so as to act on the fibre as it approaches them and cause it to pass
more fully into such teeth and be slightly held therein at the time of
drawing off.

page_text: I will now describe the fourth part of my Invention, which is shown
by Figures 20, 21, 22, and 23. These views show various modifications
of means for drawing fibre according to this part of the Invention from
a receiving comb. In Figure 20 the dotted lines z represent the teeth
of a receiving comb moving in the direction of the arrow, and a is a
roller by which the ends or points of the fibre are directed towards the
revolving tube b, through which it passes, and is conducted by the mouth
or jaws c, c, thereof to the pair of fluted drawing off rollers d, d. The
jaws c, c, form an elongated narrow mouth the two parts of which are
borne together so as to exert a gentle pressure on the fibre by means
of an india-rubber ring e or by other suitable elastic pressure. Thus
the fibre is forcibly drawn through the tube 6 by the action of the
rollers d, d, which by the rapid rotation of the tube b, that tube acting
by its flat mouth upon the fibre, will have the effect of giving a very
considerable amount of twist thereto adapted to make it very much like
cord.
In Figure 21 a pair of small rollers c, c, are applied to the end of
the tube to serve as the jaws to nip the fibre passing through the
tube b to the rollers d.
In Figure 22 two small toothed or porcupine rollers c, c, arc applied
capable of revolving and by clastic pressure on their axes of exerting
elastic pressure on the fibre as jaws.
In Figure 23 the tube b is shewn with two side openings in it b¹, b¹,
by which the fibre in place of passing direct through the tube b passes
out of it by one of the openings and is returned to it again by way
of the other on its passage to the rollers d, d.
I will now describe the fifth part of the Invention, which is represented
by Figures 24, 25, and 26. The improvement under this head of the
Invention consists in applying additional drawing off rollers to machinery
for combing wool and other fibres, so that the sliver of short fibre taken
by such additional rollers from the teeth of the main or carrying combs
may be delivered into the middle or thereabouts of the primary sliver
taken by the main drawing off rollers. For this purpose the sliver of
short fibre drawn off from the teeth of the main circle by the small
rollers c, c, is conducted partly by the apron c¹, and thence it passes to
the funnel end of the tweedler d, by passing through which it is delivered
at or near the middle of the primary sliver as that is being drawn off
the comb by the primary rollers a, a. The small sliver from the

page_text: Fifthly. I claim the adaptation or combination of means or apparatus
whereby a smaller sliver is combined or incorporated with a larger one,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Bailey, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
WILLIAM HENRY BAILEY. (L.S.)