Improvement in Machinery for Combing or Hackling Flax, Hemp, Jute, Rhea, Silk Waste, or similar Fibres requiring Combing.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Machinery for Combing or Hackling Flax, Hemp,
Jute, Rhea, Silk Waste, or similar Fibres requiring Combing.
DICK EDWARDS RADCLYFFE commonly known and called Dick Radclyffe
Horticultural Decorator &c. 129 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This machine consists of a drum or drums or cylinder or cylinder or endless
sheet or sheets of leather metal or other suitable substance covered with pins or
teeth either straight inclined or bent also of one two or more feed rollers which
have a movement of rotation backward & forward an endless apron or sheet of
leather metal or other suitable material or series of rollers acting as carrier or
carriers advances the material to be acted upon & presents same to the feed
rollers the action is as follows. To ensure a cheap effective combing action on
fibrous material such as flax hemp jute rhea silk waste or similar fibres I place it
lengthwise on a travelling apron or endless sheet or series of rollers which carries
it forward under one or more pairs of rollers which may be fluted or plain these
rollers as they advance the material present the first end to the teeth covering a
cylinder or endless porcupine sheet which on its revolution combs the material
& splits it up & removes therefrom all impurities short fibres knots tanglements &c.
A cam or crank or reverse gear is worked by a pinion on the shaft end of the
cylinder or it may be worked by a pedal or other suitable method. When the
material has advanced about of its length, now changes the direction of these
feed rollers & they revolve back & withdraw this part which has been so called.
The attendant now turns the material & the part not yet combed is in turn
advanced by the feed rollers & a similar combing action is given to it and it is
withdrawn by the reverse motion so that the material is cleaned in all its length.
The tow or waste taken out by the comb cylinder or endless sheet has all the
fibres in a parallel position which are striped off when the teeth are sufficiently
charged by means of a lifting knife rod or blade or blades causing the cylinder or
endless sheet to revolve backwards. This lot of tow or waste can then be either
combed or drawn at once into sliver & spun to coarse yarns. I have then all the
fibre in two qualities without any waste.
I reserve the right to duplicate the combing cylinders or endless sheets so that
the return motion can feed the uncombed part to the second cylinder or sheet or
sheets completing the operation with one feeding.
Jan. 3/93.
DICK EDWARDS RADCLIFFE,
Commonly known as and called Dick Radclyffe.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Machinery for Combing or Hackling Flax, Hemp,
Jute, Rhea, Silk Waste, or similar Fibres requiring Combing.
DICK EDWARDS RADCLYFFE commonly called and known as Dick Radclyffe
0 Horticultural Decorators &c. 129 High Holborn London, W.C. do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
Price 81

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This machine consists of a drum or cylinder (A.), or endless sheet of leather,
metal or other suitable substance, such as rubber, cloth, &c., covered with pins or
teeth, either straight (1), inclined (2), or bent (3) as in (A) also of one or two pairs
of feed rollers (B1 B2), which have a movement of rotation forward & backward,
controlable at will.
An ordinary feed sheet (C) which is well known, advances the material to be
acted. upon & presents same to the feed rollers.
The action of combing or hackling is as follows:
I obtain a cheap & effective combing action on fibrous material such as flax,
hemp, jute, china grass, silk waste, or other fibres requiring combing.
I place the fibre lengthwise on a travelling apron or feed sheet (C) Fig. 1 which
carries it forward under one or more pairs of metal feed rollers (B' B), which may
be fluted or plain, or may be covered with rubber or vulcanite, or other suitable
material. The feed sheet if of leather, rubber, or sheeting passes over & round
the bottom feed roller or rollers, & the pressing rollers are placed over this
leather feed sheet, or the feed sheet may be arranged to run over its own rollers,
& deliver the material to one or more pair of rollers which present it to the
action of the comb cylinder. As the feed sheet & feed rollers advance the
material the first end of which it presents to the action of the teeth on the quickly
revolving cylinder, which combs it, & splits it up, & removes therefrom all
impurities, short fibres, knots, tanglements &c. A cam or crank or other suitable
gearing, for reversing or changing the direction of the feed rollers is worked by a
pinion (D) on the shaft end of the cylinder.
The advance of the fibre by the feed rollers & return of same by the reverse
motion, may be actuated by a positive & uniform movement such as a can or
crank, or may be regulated at will by the action of a pedal or lever, Fig. 1.
I
I obtain this motion of advance & return at will in the following manner.
place a grooved wheel (E) on the end of the feed roller or on a stud near the feed
roller & gear into same.
Near the outer rim of this grooved wheel (E) I place a lever (F) or bearing
working on a stud (S) having thereon 2 intergearing wheels (G G) working on
studs & each of these wheels carry a friction wheel, both of which are made to
run close up to, & in the groove of the wheel (E). The wheels (G G) receive
their motion from a wheel on the cylinder shaft end (D) either direct, or by
means of an intermediate carrier wheel (H). These two wheels (G. G) have
therefore a movement of rotation, but in opposite directions, & if therefore by
means of a pedal or lever motion, I oscillate the part (F) carrying (G. G.) I
cause one or other of the friction wheels to press into & against the groove of
wheel (E) & thus causing the feed rollers to run the material forward or back-
ward, a spring (J) or weight will always act to bring back the lever when the
foot or hand is taken off. When combing I cause the material to advance, till
about of it is engaged in the teeth of the cylinder which combs it as it advances
& then by changing the motion I cause it to be withdrawn, leaving all the
impurities & short fibres, on the cylinder.
The attendant now turns the material end for end, & the part not combed, is
fed on, & a similar combing action is given to it, so that the material is combed in
all its length. The tow or waste taken out by the teeth on the cylinder, has all
its fibres in a parallel position, & is in the form of an endless lap. After combing
a certain quantity of long fibre & a sufficient quantity of tow being on the
cylinder, the machine is stopped, & by means of a lifting knife, rod or blade the
lap on the cylinder is severed or divided & is drawn off by causing the cylinder
to revolve backwards. This lap of tow or waste can be either drawn & spun
direct from the sliver as tow yarn, or the sliver may be combed on a tow comber
for finer numbers of yarn.

page_text: I have thus obtained all the long fibres combed in the first operation, & have
a lap of the tow which gives a sliver, without the aid of the cumbersome,
expensive, & injurious carding engine-which breaks the staple of the fibres passed
over it. Thus I have all the fibre in two qualities, & in a state ready for spinning
by existing machinery. I can use a second cylinder & feed rollers to do the
back end of the fibre without turning it by hand, & actuated by the same motion
of advance & return, thus the material once placed in the feed sheet which carries
it forward & combs the advanced portion, & on the motion being reversed the
back portion is presented to the opposite cylinder by the same feed sheet, &
this completes the combing on its entire length with one feeding. I may apply a
circular revolving brush, to work on the teeth of the combing cylinder, or
cylinders, to press in the tow; or a fixed brush (K) of any shape may be used.
I
may have two or more cylinders (A, A 2) fixed on a central shaft (L) so that the
machine need not be stopped for stripping the tow, as one cylinder can always be
kept at work, while one is being stripped (A A 2).
I
As for instance the cylinder (A) as shown in drawing Fig. III is now in the
position of combing, being set close up to the feed rollers, which advance the fibre
to be combed, when these rollers (1 & 2) round the bottom one of which runs the
feed sheet of leather or other suitable substance, the top one pressing on this bottom
roller feed sheet by a spring or weighted lever, has advanced the material to be
combed, & the combing cylinder (A) having become charged by a sufficient
quantity of tow which it has taken out from the fibre fed on & drawn back.
bring the other cylinder into work, by causing the central shaft (L) to revolve on
its axis, by gearing arrangement, or by a handle or spoke wheel, similar to the one
used on ships for moving the rudder. I thus cause the cylinder (A) to leave the
feed rollers, & as the two cylinders (A A 2) are fixed on two bearers attached
to the shaft, the cylinder (A 2) is brought into the position where (A) was, & by a
friction clutch (N) on the shaft of each cylinder, which clutch is always revolving,
being by a cam (cam) pressed against the groove in the cylinder end (0) causes it
to revolve in the direction for combing, as shown by arrow, while the friction clutch
on (A 2) being disengaged & pressed back from its contact with the cylinder either
by a spring or cam, the cylinder is stopped, & can be stripped or cleaned of its tow
& made ready, for the next revolving movement, which will again bring it into the
position of the now working cylinder, & against the cam, which will give it the
former revolving motion & so on. The revolving clutches work loose, on the shaft
ends of each cylinder, & receive their continuous motion of revolution from a
driving wheel (P) working loose on the central shaft, & gearing, with a wheel
attached to each friction clutch. The driving pullies being fixed on a hollow tube,
to which also is attached this driving wheel (P) & this tube revolves loose on the
central shaft (A) as in the drawing frames used in flax preparation.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. Combing from the point.
2. Obtaining all the fibre without waste, & having the tow or waste in a form
suitable for spinning without carding.
3. Running the feed sheet under the pressing rollers, which guarantees a firm
grip on the material & presents it direct to the action of the combing cylinder.
4. A special claim, that duplicating the machine, insures that both ends of the
fibre, & its entire length is combed without further handling.
5. The use of two or more combing cylinders, which enables one to be stripped,
while the other is working, thus obviating stoppage of machine.
6. The quick action of reversing by friction wheels.
7. The fibre thus obtained by direct combing obviates the necessity of hand
combing or re-passing. The tow or waste being in the form of a lap, & having its

page_text: fibres in a parallel form they are ready for the preparing machinery, at present in
use, without the necessity of being carded, I therefore claim to suppress hand-
combing or re-passing, & the carding engine by this process.
Dated this 25th day of October 1893.
DICK RADCLYFFE.