IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Whitley, of Holme Lane, Tong, in the
Parish of Birstal, in the County of York, Overlooker, and Jonas Jowett,
of Fitzgerald Street, Bradford, in the County of York, Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN COMBING WOOL AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 18th June 1865, and dated the 24th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Whitley and
Jonas Jowett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 24th December 1864.
We, THOMAS WHITLEY, of Holme Lane, Tong, in the Parish of Birstal,
in the County.of York, Overlooker, and JONAS JOWETT, of Fitzgerald Street,
Bradford, in the County of York, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN COMBING WOOL AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used in
combing wool and other fibrous materials. For these purposes two endless
and by preference circular travelling combs are used, one within the other,
the position of the axes of which do not coincide, but are arranged in such
manner as to cause the inner endless travelling comb to come in contact with
the outer endless travelling comb at one point, where the feeding of the wool
or fibrous materials into the two combs takes place. It should, however, be
stated, that the arranging two endless travelling combs, as above explained, is

page_text: well known and in use. With these two endless travelling combs reciprocating
feeding heads are employed, using by preference two feeding heads, one exterior
of the larger travelling comb, and the other interior of the smaller travelling
comb. The two reciprocating feeding heads are opposite each other, and are
connected together, so that when by their reciprocating action one of the
feeding heads is moving away from the travelling combs, the other is moving
up to the travelling combs. These feeding heads work in the locality where
the two travelling combs come together and act as one receiving comb where
the feeding takes place. The feeding heads employed are of a class which is
well known, they being arranged in such manner as not only to feed wool or
other fibres into the travelling combs, but also to comb out the projecting
fringe of fibres projecting from the teeth of the travelling combs, and also
from the teeth of the combs of the feeding heads, such fringes being pro-
,duced by the separation of the feeding heads from the travelling combs.
Drawing apparatus or rollers are applied to draw off slivers on both sides of
each of the travelling combs, hence there will be at least four slivers drawn
from the two travelling combs; but if desired there may be more than two
slivers drawn from each comb, as has heretofore been the practice in some
machines. The noil, as heretofore, is removed from each of the travelling
combs after the slivers have been drawn off, and before the two travelling
combs come together where the feeding takes place.
'SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said Thomas Whitley and Jonas Jowett in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WHITLEY, of Holme Lane, Tong, in the Parish of Birstal, in the County of
York, Overlooker, and JONAS JOWETT, of Fitzgerald Street, Bradford, in the
County of York, Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of a
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Thomas Whitley and Jonas Jowett, Her special licence that
we, the said Thomas Whitley and Jonas Jowett, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Whitley and Jonas 3
Jowett, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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
MACHINERY USED IN COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Whitley and Jonas
Jowett, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, or
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 we, the said Thomas Whitley and Jonas Jowett,
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 :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used in
combing wool and other fibrous materials. For these purposes two endless
and by preference circular travelling combs are used, one within the other,
the position of the axes of which do not coincide, but are arranged in such
manner as to cause the inner endless travelling comb to come in contact with
the outer endless travelling comb at one point where the feeding of the wool
or fibrous materials into the two combs takes place. It should, however, be
stated that the arranging two endless travelling combs as above explained is
well known and in use. With these two endless travelling combs recipro-
cating feeding heads are employed, using by preference two feeding heads,
one exterior of the larger travelling comb, and the other interior of the
smaller travelling comb. The two reciprocating feeding heads are opposite
each other, and are connected together, so that when by their reciprocating
action one of the feeding heads is moving away from the travelling combs, the
other is moving up to the travelling combs. These feeding heads work in
the locality where the two travelling combs come together, and the travelling
combs act as one receiving comb where the feeding takes place. The feeding
heads employed are of a class which is well known, they being arranged in
such manner as not only to feed wool or other fibres into the travelling combs,
but also to comb out the projecting fringe of fibres projecting from the teeth
of the travelling combs, and also from the teeth of the combs of the feeding
heads, such fringes being produced by the separation of the feeding heads
from the travelling combs. Drawing apparatus or rollers are applied to draw

page_text: off slivers on both sides of each of the travelling combs, hence there will be at
least four slivers drawn from the two travelling combs, but if desired thero
may be more than two slivers drawn from each comb, as has heretofore been
the practice in some machines. The noil, as heretofore, is removed from each
of the travelling combs after the slivers have been drawn off, and before the
two travelling combs come together where the feeding takes place.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a side elevation; Figure 3, a longitudinal
section; and Figure 4, a transverse vertical section of a-machine constructed
according to our Invention for combing wool and other fibres.
a is the main driving shaft upon which fast and loose pulleys b, b, 'are
mounted; c, c, are two toothed wheels also mounted on the shaft a, they take
into and give motion to two other toothed wheels d, d, keyed upon the shaft e.
Affixed to the outsides of the toothed wheels d, d, are two crank pins f, f,
which receive the ends of connecting rods g, g, the other ends of the connecting
rods 9, 9, being connected to the axis h* carried by the feeding head h, which
thereby receives a to-and-fro motion. The feeding head is at its base fixed to
a base plate or oblong table i, which is able to slide in guides on the frame, as
is shewn; the table i also has affixed at its other end another feeding head j.
Two circular travelling combs k and I are employed in connection with the
feeding heads h and j; they are arranged the one within the other, and their
axes do not coincide, but are so arranged that at one place they come together
so as to form one receiving comb, and they receive the wool or other fibres
from the feeding heads h and j alternately, both feeding heads being caused
'alternately to move towards and away from that part of the travelling combs k
and Z, where those combs come together.
The feeding heads we prefer to employ are very similar to those described
in the Specification of a Patent granted to Henry Rawson; and dated 28th
April 1860, No. 1083; the feeding combs receive the requisite motions in the
following manner:-Affixed to the framing of the machine are two plates
h¹, j', each carrying two pins or tappets h³,, which as 'the feeding heads h
and move to and fro act alternately upon the lower ends of the levers h³, j",
which are mounted on axes h*, *; upon the axes h, j, are also mounted
arms h, j, at the upper ends of which slots are formed, into which pins h³, j³.
projecting from the rods h', ', enter; these rods slide in tubular guides 18,8,

page_text: and have combs h, j, affixed to their outer ends. These combs are arranged.
with their teeth downwards, or pointing towards the fixed teeth of the feeding
heads; they are feeding combs, and by them the slivers are moved on through.
the feeding heads; their forward motion takes place when the slivers are in.
their teeth and out of the fixed teeth of the head, and the return motion of the
combs h and takes place when they are empty, the slivers having been replaced.
into the fixed teeth of the head. The connecting rods g, g,. are extended.
somewhat beyond the axis h*, and such extended parts g' act upon the pro-
jections gå affixed to the slides ³, which are arranged to move up and down
vertically in guides on the feeding head h. The upper ends of the slides g?
carry the lifting blades g' and depressing blades g"; the slivers of wool or
other fibre to be combed passing between the two sets of blades.. The
depressing blades g³ act to press the slivers into the fixed teeth of the combs
of the feeding head, and the lifting blades g' to raise them out of the said
teeth. The slides g³ with the lifting plates 9' and depressing blades 9" after
they have been raised, would descend again immediately by their own weight,
when the parts of the connecting rods 9, 9, move away from beneath the
projections.g of the slides, but this is prevented by the cranked studs g³, 9º,
affixed to the inner sides of the slides g³, g³, passing over and resting upon the
ledges g', g', affixed to the framing of the machine, and the crank studs
continue to uphold the slides g and parts carried thereby, until the feeding
beadh has moved almost close up to the travelling comb k, at which time
they arrive at and drop off the ends of the ledges or saddle pieces g', 9', and
the slides g³ with the lifting blades 9%, and the depressing blades g' descend
with the slivers between them, and press the fibres into the teeth of the
feeding head h; and the fibres are also pressed into the teeth of the travelling
combs k and by means of the brush m, which is caused to descend simul-
taneously with the slides 93, 9³. The shaft or axis h* passes through from
side to side of the feeding head h, and it is keyed to the connecting rods g,
which cause it to rock; a short arm n is affixed to the axis h* about midway
between the two sides of the feeding head h. To this arm n a connecting
link n' is pin jointed, and the other end of this link is attached to one end of a
rocking lever or beam n³, which has a fulcrum at n³, carried by bearings
attached to the under side of the base plate or table i.
the lever n² is connected by means of a connecting link n³ to an arm n* on the
rocking shaft j* of the feeding head j; and this shaft jx carries at its ends
other short arms n³, n, which act upon projections o³, o', of the slides o, o, in
a similar manner to that in which the counecting rods 9, 9, act on the
projections of the slides g³, g³. The slides o, o, have also lifting blades o³,
The further end of

page_text: and depressing blades o³, as well as cranked studs o, and ledges o³ to act in a
similar manner to those already described, thus the connection between the
feeding heads is such that they make precisely similar motions, but alternately
not simultaneously. p, p, are toothed racks, attached the one on either side
of the table; into these toothed racks wheels p', p', gear, so that each time
the table is moved in either direction by the crank pins f, f, a partial
rotation will be given to the toothed wheels p¹, p', and this motion of the
wheels p, p, is employed in the following manner to work the brush m of the
travelling combs. Upon the inner faces of the wheels p', p', swells or pro-
jecting pieces p², p², are formed or affixed, and between them are grooves or
chases p, p, in which a stud m³ works. Upon levers m³, arranged one on
either side of the machine, the studs m³ are fastened, and when either of the
feeding heads h orj is close up to the travelling combs k or l; these studs
descend in consequence of the weight of the parts with which they are
connected, and they enter the grooves or chases p³, which are then presented
to them. The levers m¹ are at one end supported on axes m², carried by the
framing, and at the other end they are connected to the lower ends of con-
necting links m³, m³, which serve to connect them with the slides m, m³, of
the brush m. Each stud m³, when it descends, comes on to a gate piece m*,
which it pushes over, and then as the wheel p¹ returns, the stud rides over this
gate piece and over the further projection or swell p³, and so the brush is
again raised; presently the stud comes up to the opposite groove or chase p³,
which allows the brush again to descend as before. Upon the main driving
shaft a is a bevilled toothed wheel q, which takes into and drives another
bevilled wheel q¹ upon the axis r, on which is another bevilled toothed wheel q³,
which takes into and drives another bevilled wheel g³ on the vertical axis q',
which at its upper end carries a worm g, taking into and driving a worm
wheel upon the shaft q', upon which is also a toothed pinion, gearing into
an intermediate wheel 98, which takes into and drives the pinion q³, fixed upon
the same axis with the lower one of the feed rollers 910, q10, between which the
slivers of wool or other fibres to be combed pass from the guide plate q", to
the feeding head h.
The travelling combs k and 7 are driven in the following manner :-At the
further end of the shaft ris affixed a bevilled wheel ¹, taking into and
driving another bevilled wheel on the shaft 3, upon which axis is also a
pinion which gives motion to the train of wheels 5, 6, 7, which last
named wheel is keyed on the axis s, upon which is a bevilled pinion s¹ taking
into and giving motion to another wheel s³ on the vertical axis s³, upon which
is affixed the pinion st, which takes into and gives motion to spur teeth on the

page_text: travelling comb k. is another pinion on the axis, which takes into a
pinions on the axis s', upon which is a pinion, which takes into and drives
spur teeth on the travelling comb 1. Upon the top of the axis s' is a bevilled
pinion, which takes into a similar pinion t fixed to another pinion t¹, taking
into a pinion t² on the stud t³, on which is also a pinion t, which drives a
pinion on the axis of the lower one of the feed rollers *, *, of the feeding
head j. There is also upon the axis ³ a pinion u, which gives motion to the
train of wheels u³, us, us, u. The pinion u' has upon the same axis another
similar wheel, situated between the side frames of the machine; this wheel
takes into and drives the toothed wheels us and uº, which are keyed respectively
upon the crank shafts u, u³, which by means of the cranks v, w, give an up-
and-down motion to the dividing bars v¹, w¹. Fixed grooves or guides v³, w³,
are carried by the framing to govern the motions of the dividing bars and w¹.
On the same stud as the wheel u³ is another wheel a, which drives a wheel a³,
which by means of a pair of bevilled pinions gives motion to one of the
drawing rollers y, y, for removing the noil which is raised by inclines in the
ordinary way. Upon the shaft 3 is also a bevilled wheel z, which takes into
and drives a bevilled wheel z' on the vertical shaft 2. A pinion ³, mounted
upon the upper part of this axis takes into and drives an intermediate wheel,
which drives a pinion 2 on the axis of one of the draw-off rollers A, A, which
draw combed fibre from the inside of the comb k. The pinion also drives
the toothed wheels B and C, and they drive the toothed wheel D on the axis
of one of the drawing-off rollers E, E, which draw combed fibre from the
outside of the comb 7. The axis r³ bas also a bevilled pinion F fixed on it,
which takes into and drives anothed bevilled wheel G on the shaft H, on which
is a toothed wheel I, which drives other toothed wheels J, K, L, and so gives
motion to the drawing-off rollers M, M, which draw combed fibre from the
inside of the comb l. The toothed wheel J also takes into and drives the
toothed wheel N, and so gives motion to the draw-off rollers O, O, which
draw combed fibre from the outside of the comb k. P is a bevilled wheel
upon the vertical axis H, which gives motion to another wheel Q upon the
horizontal axis R, and this by trains of wheels S, S, and T, T, gives the
requisite motion to the balling apparatus, which is of the ordinary kind, so
that no further description of it is necessary.
In working this machine the slivers from the preparing machine are intro-
duced through the guide plate q₁ and are then fed in between the feed
rollers go, whence they are passed through between the lifting and depressing
blades 9, 9, and beneath the feeding comb h of the feeding head h.. When
the feeding head h moves forward towards the travelling combs the blades

page_text: g' and g³ are raised, and then as the head approaches the end of its stroke the
dividing bar w' raises the projecting fringe of fibre sufficiently to clear it from
the travelling combs k and 2 and keep it straight; the feeding comb º also
moves the slivers forward through the feeding head. As soon as the feeding
head arrives close to the travelling combs, and its fixed combs are in contact
therewith, the depressing plates 9 and parts connected therewith descend
simultaneously with the brush m of the travelling combs k and l, by which
means the fibres become pressed into the teeth of all of the combs. The
feeding head then moves away leaving a clean fringe extending outwards.
from the outer travelling comb k, and another projecting from the teeth of the
feeding head. The dividing bar w¹ descends to assist in dividing the slivers,
and when the head approaches the end of its return stroke the feeding comb h
is drawn back to be ready again to act. The outer feeding head having acted,
the inner feeding head comes up to the travelling combs, and aided by its
dividing bar v² lays a quantity of the fibre on to both travelling combs, and
the brush m, and depressers o³ and parts connected therewith of the inner
feeding head; then act in a manner similar to that already described in
reference to the other or outer feeding head h. The operation being continued
in the same manner successive layers of fibre accumulate upon the travelling
combs and as they continually move forward, as the arrows in the Drawings
indicate. The travelling combs in separating produce two other fringes of
combed fibre, the one projecting from the inside of the comb k and the other
from the outside of the comb l. The separation of the fibre in the two combs.
may, when the staple is long, be assisted by a dividing wheel, as is well under-
stood. As the travelling combs pass on they come to the four sets of drawing
rollers which draw slivers from each side of both combs, and the four slivers
thus produced after passing through the ordinary condensers or revolving
tubes, both separately and together, proceed to the balling rollers and are
wound up in the ordinary way. The noil is raised up the teeth of the travel-
ling combs by inclines in the usual manner and is taken off from both combs
by the noil rollersy. The brush m it will be seen is not rigidly connected to
its slides, but is furnished with studs working in slots which enable it to move
laterally a short distance, so that when down on the travelling combs it may
not interfere with their onward movement, but may be carried on with them.
As soon as the brush is lifted, springs bring it back to the ends of the slots
from which it started. The brush, as shown, has blades combined with it to
enter between the rows of teeth of the travelling combs and assist in pressing
down the fibre.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the exact details described, but what we claim is, the arranging
machinery for combing wool and other fibrous materials with two endless travel-
ling combs meeting each other at ono place in their revolution and then sepa-
rating, such endless travelling combs having combined with them a reciprocating
feeding head or reciprocating feeding heads which feed on to them the wool
or fibre at the place where they come together, such feeding head or heads
being so arranged as in separating at each stroke from the travelling combs
to leave cleaned fringes of fibre projecting from the teeth of the travelling
combs, and also from the teeth of the feeding head.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Whitley and Jonas Jowett, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
THOMAS WHITLEY. (L.B.)
JONAS JOWETT.
(L.S.)
THOMAS WHITLEY. (L.S.)
JONAS JOWETT.
(L.S.)