IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Whitehead a partner in the firm of Taylor
Wordsworth and Company of Leeds in the County of York for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING WOOL, COTTON, SILK AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Whitehead
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th December 1882.
JOHN HENRY WHITEHEAD, a partner in the firm of Taylor Wordsworth and
Company of Leeds in the County of York "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
COMBING WOOL, COTTON, SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES"
Firstly. My invention has reference to what is known as the "feed knife "
employed on combing machines known as " Nobles," such improvements being
also applicable to other combing machines on which feed knives are employed.
One portion of the feed knife is employed for holding down the wool or sliver in
the comb whilst it is being drawn therefrom by the drawing off rollers, and the
other part is employed to regulate the feed of the wool to the comb circle.
Hitherto the feed knife has been made in one piece and rigid and a great
difficulty has been caused when the knife has to be adjusted for the purpose of
regulating the feed of the wool, because when the knife is raised at one end to
increase the feed, the other end is lowered and comes in contact or nearly so with
the comb circle.
Now according to my improvements I divide the knife into two parts which
These parts
may when preferred be hinged together though not necessarily 80.
are suspended on adjustable screws carried on brackets and are capable of being
regulated separately so that the means of adjusting the feed of the wool to the
comb may be regulated independently of that part used for holding down the wool
or sliver in the comb whilst it is being drawn therefrom by the drawing-off
rollers.

page_text: Secondly: My improvements have reference to the guide which is used for con-
ducting the wool from the "balls" into the feeding boxes. Hitherto the guide
has been made of a flat plate form, having holes therein through which the sliver
is made to pass. The disadvantages of these holes have been that the slivers in
passing through them frequently become entangled and very liable thereby to
cross or rob each other of wool, thus preventing even slivers being fed into the
boxes.
Now according to this part of my improvements I dispense with the herein
before mentioned plate and employ a straight rod or open guide, or a flanged roller
whereby the slivers are conducted to the boxes evenly..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henry Whitehead in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th June 1883.
JOHN HENRY WHITEHEAD a partner in the firm of Taylor Wordsworth and
Company of Leeds in the County of York "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
COMBING WOOL, COTTON, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
"
Firstly My Invention has reference to what is known as the "Feed-Knife "
employed on combing machines known as Nobles such improvements being
also applicable to other combing machines on which feed knives are employed
One portion of the feed knife is employed for holding down the wool or sliver
in the comb whilst it is being drawn therefrom by the drawing off rollers and the
other part is employed to regulate the feed of the wool to the comb circle.
Hitherto the feed knife has been made in one piece and rigid and a great
difficulty has been caused when the knife has to be adjusted for the purpose of
regulating the feed of the wool, because when the knife is raised at one end to
increase the feed the other end is lowered and comes in contact or nearly so with
the comb circle.
Now according to my Improvements I divide the knife into two parts which
may when preferred be hinged together though not necessarily so.
These parts
are suspended on adjustable screws carried on brackets and are capable of being
regulated separately so that the means of adjusting the feed of the. wool to the
comb may be regulated. independently of that part used for holding down the
wool or sliver in the comb whilst it is being drawn therefrom by the drawing off
rollers.
33
Secondly My improvements have reference to the guide which is used for
conducting the wool from the "balls into the feeding boxes. Hitherto the guide
has been made of a flat plate form having holes therein through which the sliver
is made to pass. The disadvantages of these holes have been that the slivers in
passing through them frequently become entangled and are very liable thereby to
rob each other of wool thus preventing even slivers being fed into the boxes.
Now according to this part of my Improvements I dispense with the herein-
before mentioned plate and employ a straight rod or open guide, or a flanged
roller whereby the slivers are conducted to the boxes evenly.
And in order that my Invention may be the more completely understood
reference is given to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and marks
thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Fig 1 is an elevation of part of the comb circle of a combing machine shewing
my improvements in Feed Knives. Fig 2 is an elevation of part of a combing
machine outside the feed boxes shewing my improvements in guides used for
conducting the wool from the balls into the feeding boxes. Fig 3 is a plan of
Figs 1 and 2. Fig 4 shews another arrangement of feed knife. In Figs 1 and 3
the feed knife is shewn divided into two parts a a and b b which may when
preferred be hinged together at c, though not necessarily so. Fig 4 shews another
mode of connecting together the two parts a a and b b of the feed knife; where
the two parts a a and b b are formed in one piece which is flattened or thinned
at c' to such an extent as to form a flexible joint so that whilst the part bb is
held rigid the part a α may be raised or lowered. The parts a a and b b are
suspended from the adjustable screws d and e respectively which are carried on

page_text: the bracket f. The part b b of the feed knife is carried rigidly from the adjustable
screw e so that as it is raised and lowered it remains horizontal. By this arrange-
ment the adjustment of the parts a a and b b may be effected independantly or
separately, that is to say the part a a which is used for adjusting the feed of the
wool to the comb may be altered in position without interfering with the part 6 b
which is used for holding down the wool or sliver on the comb whilst it is being
withdrawn therefrom by the drawing off rollers g 9:
In Figs 2 and 3 hh.are the guides which are used for conducting the wool from
the balls into the feeding boxes l k.. Hitherto the guide has been made of a flat
plate form having holes therein through which the sliver is made to pass. The
disadvantage of these holes have been that the slivers in passing through them are
very liable to become entangled and rob each other of wool thus preventing even
slivers being fed into the boxes. In my Improvements I dispense with the herein-
before mentioned plate and employ a straight rodi with flanges at each end or
open guides h as shewn in Figs 2 and 3; or when preferred a flanged roller
presenting a similar face to the wool.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and shewn by the aid
of drawings how the same may be carried into practice I would have it understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise details; or configuration of the parts I
have described and shewn as the same may be varied or modified without
departing from the nature of my said Invention but what I do claim is
「
Firstly The arrangement and construction of the feed-knife divided into two
parts a a and b b substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.,
..Secondly-The arrangement; construction, and application of the guides. h or
flauged roller substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
1
In Witness whereof I the said John Henry Whitehead have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twenty fourth day of April in the year of Our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
TATTat