IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonathan Holden and John Edward Holden, Manu-
facturers, of Reims, Marne, in the Republic of France, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIAL
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Jonathan Holden and John
Edward Holden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th
September 1876.
JONATHAN HOLDEN and JOHN EDWARD HOLDEN, Manufacturers, of Reims, Depart-
ment of the Marne, France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR COMBING WOOL
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL."
These improvements in machines for combing wool and other fibrous material are
more specially adapted to what are known as square motion machines, in which the
wool is charged in a circular rotary comb, the fibres forming an externally
projecting fringe, which travels in front of a stationary part of the machine
containing the square motion combing mechanism. consisting in a series of long
combs provided with several 10ws of teeth, and which rise up successively in the
fibrous material, whilst at the same time a brush situated above descends on the
rising comb in order to drive the wool in its teeth, then the comb is drawn back
horizontally through the fibres, thereby cleaning or combing the same, and also
making room for the following comb, which operates in a similar manner, and so
on.
In order to better maintain the wool in the circular comb whilst it is being
combed by the square motion combs, a double keeping plate is brought down at
that place on the wool charged in the teeth of the said circular comb, one of its
plates being applied externally, and the other internally of the said teeth
The projecting fringe of wool after having been operated on by the square
motion comes round to rollers which draw it through the teeth of the circular comb,
thereby its combing is completed. It occurs in this system of combing that the part
of the tuft situated close to the circumference of the circular comb is not so well
combed as its two extremities, and consequently it contains burrs and other
impurities, more particularly so on the upper part, because notwithstanding the
[Price 6d.]

page_text: action of the brush above mentioned the rising square motion comb tends to lift the
wool, so that such elevated part of the fibres is not operated on by the said comb
whilst the remaining portion which has been thoroughly depressed within its teeth
is completely cleaned; the length of wool thus insufficiently combed in each tuft
may be estimated at from seven to twelve millimetres.
The object of this Invention is to overcome this defect by the use of a small
supplementary comb, bent to the circumference of the circular comb, and the length
of which may vary according to circumstances, this comb being placed above those
of which the square motion is composed is brought rapidly down in the tuft close to
the circular comb, just when each square motion comb has been drawn a sufficient
distance from the circular comb to admit of its insertion, it then follows the
horizontal motion of the latter, rises when arrived at the extremity of this stroke,
and returns horizontally to its previous position ready to act in a similar manner
with the next rising square motion comb; this supplementary comb is provided
with a knife or blade for the purpose of cleaning or doffing the same each time that
it 1ises.
In order to put this Invention into practical operation many mechanical con-
trivances may be adopted; it will therefore be sufficient for the purpose to describe
one, which in practice has been found to give excellent results, and which will now
be described in detail conjointly with the three Figures of the accompanying
Drawing, representing part of a square motion combing machine to which these
improvements have been added, and of which Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a
lateral sectional elevation; and Figure 3, a similar partial elevation indicating
certain parts in a second position.
In these Figures a is the circular rotary comb; b, the nactor comb; c, c¹, c², c³, ct,
c, and c, the combs of the square motion, which travel in the direction of the
arrows by means of cams and frames shewn in Figure 2; d, the biush which
descends and drives the wool in the teeth of the combs c on the latter rising; and z,
the double keeping plate which holds the wool in the teeth of the circular comb a,
e is the new supplementary comb suspended over the essential parts of the combing.
machine, and to which is imparted a to-and-fro vertical as well as horizontal motion,
it is attached to the lower extremities of two rods f. f, suspended by their upper
extremities to the ends of two levers g, g, keyed on a shaft h mounted in the
framing, and which shaft has also keyed on it outside of the framing a third lever i
connected by a rod j to a lower lever k hung at 2, which is lowered by a cam m
keyed on the shaft n, and raised by a counterweight o, or by a spring p, or by both
conjointly; it is by these means that the vertical to-and-fro motion is imparted to
the said comb e, its horizontal motion is derived from the two horizontal rods q, the
front ends of which are jointed to the small socket pieces on the rods f, whilst
their rear ends travel in the supports s attached to the lug t projecting from the
frame which imparts the to-and-fro motion to the combs c; however this to-and-fro
motion of the combe is not in all points similar to and simultaneous with that of
the combs c, as hereafter described, and further a spring u fitted on the rod q
contributes to cause this difference of motion, as is also described below; v is the
knife or blade serving to clean the comb e with which it is constantly in contact; it
is carried by a vertical rod w provided with a spiral spring x, and fitted in a right
angle frame y suspended above from the framing. This plate v remains constantly
at the same height, and consequently does not participate in the to-and-fio vertical
motion of the comb e, whilst it follows the same freely in its to-and-fro horizontal
motion, for this latter purpose the foot of the frame y is provided with a slot, see
Figure 1. The plate and the comb e are connected in such a manner that the
latter slides over the plate when it rises and falls.

page_text: mentary comb e remains stationary in its most elevated position, the upper row of
combs composed of c, c, c², and c³, commence moving horizontally in the direction
of the arrow, and when they have arrived to about the position indicated in Figure 3
the combe, which up to this moment has remained stationary as regards its hori-
zontal travel, in consequence of the play existing between the support 8, and the set
ring to its right descends rapidly into the position shewn at Figure 3, with its
teeth penetrating the wool as close as possible to the outer face of the double
keeping plate, against which it is constantly pushed by the springs u; this
sudden descent of the comb is due to the raising of the lever k by the cut of the
cam m passing its extremity, see Figure 2; after this vertical motion the comb e
participates in the horizontal motion of the comb c to the end of its stroke, after
which the cam m lowers the lever k, which by means of the above-mentioned parts
raises the combe, which following the return stroke of the frame to which the
lug t is attached returns to the position indicated at Figure 2; it should however,
here be remarked that the travel of the combs c is from ten to eleven millemetres
ahead of the comb e, in consequence of the compression of the springs u on starting.
Under the above-mentioned circumstances the comb e is again in position ready
to recommence, as regards the comb co, the same operation. It is during the rise of
the comb e that it is cleaned by the plate v, which remains stationary.
By the use of the above-described comb e the nactor comb b may be dispensed with
by suppressing entirely or partially the external plate of the keeper z, whilst still
using its internal plate to hold the wool the new combe can be brought to act close up
against the teeth of the circular comb a, and thus comb the entire length of the tuft
projecting from the said circular comb, it will hence follow that whilst producing
better work the machine will be materially simplified.
Having thus described the nature of our improvements, as well as the best means
we are acquainted with for putting the same into practical operation, we claim as
our Invention,
Firstly. The use of a supplementary comb acting conjointly with each comb of a
square motion combing machine for the purposes mentioned, as above described and
illustrated.
Secondly. The mechanism above described and illustrated, or its mechanical
equivalents for imparting the requisite to-and-fro vertical and horizontal motions to
the above-mentioned supplementary comb.
In witness whereof, we, the said Jonathan Holden and John Edward Holden,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
40 Witness,
E. ESTEULLE
Witness,
D. H. BRANDON.
JONATHAN HOLDEN. (L.S.)
JOHN ED. HOLDEN.
(LS.)