AN IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR DRAWING WOOL AND OTHER STAPLE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Pollard, Overlooker, of Bowling,
near Bradford; in the County of York, for the Invention of "AN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Pollard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th July 1853.
I, NATHAN POLLARD, Overlooker, of Bowling, near Bradford, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN MACHINERY FOR DRAWING WOOL AND OTHER STAPLE" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improvement in machinery used for
taking off wool and other staple from the working combs, and drawing
it into a sliver; the object being to keep back the noils and trash, and
thereby separate these matters from the finished top. This end is
attained by the use of a rotating circular comb or porcupine roller set
between the working comb or comb head and the drawing rollers.
When the circular comb or porcupine roller is used in connection with
loose sliding combs it is mounted on a stud pin carried by the frame of

page_text: the comb slide or the drawing head, and as it revolves its teeth strike
into the staple on the combs. Rotary motion is imparted to the circular
comb or porcupine roller, and it is thereby made to penetrate the staple
(as it is brought by the working combs to a level with the drawing
off rollers), and hold back the noils and trash, while the finished top
is taken from the working combs by the drawing off rollers. It will
be obvious that the Invention is applicable to various kinds of combing
machinery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Nathan
Pollard in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 16th January
1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
NATHAN POLLARD, Overlooker, of Bowling, near Bradford, in the
County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Nathan Pollard, Her especial license that I, the said Nathan
Pollard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Nathan Pollard, 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, usc, 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 FOR DRAWING
WOOL AND OTHER STAPLE," upon the condition, amongst others, that I,
the said Nathan Pollard, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Nathan Pollard, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (and accompanying Drawings) (that
is to say):
My Invention relates to an improvement in machinery used for
taking off wool and other staple from the working combs, and drawing
it into a sliver, the object being to keep back the noils and trash, and
thereby separate these matters from the finished tops. This end is
obtained by the use of a rotating circular comb or porcupine roller or
rollers set between the working comb or comb head and the drawing
rollers. When the circular comb or porcupine roller is used in con-
nection with loose sliding combs it is mounted on a stud pin carried by
the frame of the comb slide or the drawing head, and as it revolves its
teeth strike into the staple on the combs. Rotary motion is imparted
to the circular comb or porcupine roller, and it is thereby made to
penetrate the staple (as it is brought by the working combs to a level
with the drawing off rollers), and hold back the noils and trash, while
the finished top is taken from the working combs by the drawing off
rollers. It will be obvious that my improvements are applicable to
various kinds of combing machinery.
Having thus described generally the object of my improvements, I
will proceed to point out a method by which the same may be carried
into practical effect, and by aid of the Drawings accompanying this
my Specification. Fig. 1, is a longitudinal sectional view of an ordinary
"drawing head;" and Fig. 2, is a cross section, with the balling end of the
machine removed, to shew the application of the circular rotary comb
or porcupine roller in front of the usual loose or sliding combs. Fig. 8,
is a sectional plan view of the loose sliding combs, and shewing the
method of fixing the circular rotary combs. The ordinary loose or
sliding combs, in which the wool is previously placed, are shewn at a,
and which fall by their own gravity until they come into gear with the
pinion b, which causes them to descend until the staple or wool is

page_text: removed. c, c, are the drawing off rollers, between which the endless
band d, passes, and around the roller e. The usual travelling balling
rollers are shewn at f, working on rods supported by bearings at each
end bolted to the framing h, of the machine; g, are the circular rotary
combs or porcupine rollers, working upon studs fixed to the slides for
the vertical combs a; i, is a plate bolted to the guides, and projecting.
a s'i rt distance within the points of the circillar combs for the purpose
of,reventing them from bending outwards. It will be seen that the
prangs of the circular combs work between this plate and the sliding
vertical combs, which in their downward motion with the wool or other
staple cause the circular combs or porcupine rollers to revolve upon
their studs, and thereby causing the spikes or prongs to strike into the
wool or staple. As the prongs of the circular comb are a little in front
of the sliding combs, the drawing off rollers are caused to draw off
through them the long staple, the trash or noil being carried past by
the downward motion imparted to the sliding combs, when they are
then taken out and the trash or noil removed in the usual manner, pre-
vious to being filled with wool for the next operation. The construction
of the circular comb or porcupine roller is shewn in Fig 4, and 5, the
one being a face and the other a sectional view; the spikes or prongs
k, are fixed in the periphery of the circular disc l, to which is attached
a plate m, having upon it a boss to steady the motion of the comb as it
revolves upon the stud pin n, the comb being kept in its place by the
screw o, and plate o*.
Having now ascertained the nature and object of my Invention, I
desire it to be understood that I do not intend to confine myself to the
particular arrangement of machinery shewn and described above in
connection with the circular combs or porcupine rollers, for it will be
evident that the same may be applied to various arrangements of
machinery employed in combing wool when drawing off rollers are
used. In some arrangements it may be found necessary to impart to
the circular comb or porcupine roller a uniform motion by means of
gearing or other mechanism; but I claim as secured to me by the
above in part recited Letters Patent the use or application of a
circular comb or combs, or porcupine roller or rollers, placed between

page_text: the full comb, from which the wool is drawn, and the drawing off
rollers, for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Pollard, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
NATHAN POLLARD. (L.s.)