IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING FRINGES OF TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Shields, of the City and County of Perth,
North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMBING FRINGES OF TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
37
Sealed the 29th November 1872, and dated the 25th September 1872,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Shields at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th September 1872.
IN THE
I, JOHN SHIELDS, of the City and County of Perth, North Britain,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING FRINGES OF TEXTILE FABRICS, AND
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is
to say :-
This Invention which relates to improvements in combing the fringes
of textile fabrics, such for example, as the fringes of towels or napkins,
consists in the employment of a revolving toothed or spiked roller, or
brush or an endless travelling web carrying gills, teeth, or pins, as the

page_text: instrument by which the combing action is effected. The textile fabrics
whose fringes are to be combed are held in a guide which is fitted so as
to slide to and from the revolving roller, brush, or travelling web, the
to-and-fro motion thereof being performed by means of a screw or
screws, racks and pinions, or their equivalent, operated by the hand of
the attendant.
As the fringes are brought into contact with the revolving roller,
brush, or the travelling web, the teeth, spikes, hairs, or gills therein act
upon the fibres of the fringe (which have become matted together by
previous operations) and separate them. An adjustable brush is also
provided to press the fringes gradually on to the teeth, spikes, hairs, or
gills of the revolving roller, brush, or travelling web.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Shields in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SHIELDS, of the City and County of Perth, North Britain, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two,
in the 86th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Shields, Her special
license that I, the said John Shields, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Shields, my executors,
administrators, or 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, 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 COMMING FRINGES OF Textila FABRICE, AND IN THE MACHINERY Or Åpparatus
EMPLOYED THEREFOz," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Shields, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-

page_text: vention, 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 I, the said John Shields, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thorcon, that is to say:—
My said Invention relates to improvements in combing the fringes of
textile fabrics, such, for example, as the fringes of towels or napkins,
and it consists in the employment of a revolving toothed or spiked roller,
or brush, on an endless travelling web, carrying gills, teeth, or pins, as
the instrument by which the combing action is effected. The textile
fabrics whose fringes are to be combed are held in a guide or on tension
rollers.
As the fringes are brought into contact with the revolving roller,
brush, or the travelling web, the teeth, spikes, hairs, or gills therein act
upon the fibres of the fringe, which have become matted together by
previous operations, and separate them. An adjustable brush is also
provided to press the fringes gradually on to the teeth, spikes, hairs, or
gills of the revolving roller, brush, or travelling web.
:
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :-
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended, Figure 1 is a front
elevation of my improved machine for combing the fringes of textile
fabrics; Figure 2 is a plan thereof, whilst Figure 3 is an end elevation
of the same.
As shewn by the Drawings the framing of the machine consists of
two vertical standards A connected together by stays A'. The standards A
support in bearings a a revolving brush B which constitutes the instru-
ment by which the combing action is effected. A carriage C is situated
at the upper part of the framing, and is supported on guide rods D.
The carriago O is moved to or from the revolving brush B on the guide

page_text: rods D by means of a screw E working in a nut E' attached to the under
side of the carriage C. At one extremity of the screw E a bevil pinion F
is placed, which gears with a second bevil pinion G carried by a shaft H.
A hand wheel I is situated at one end of the shaft H, by means of which
the attendant actuates the pinions F and G, and screw E, thereby
causing the carriage C to move to or from the revolving brush B. The
axle 6 of the revolving brush B is provided with a fixed conical clutch
pulley J, over which is situate the loose clutch pulley K, over which the
driving belt c passes, and to which the forked end of a lever L is
attached, the other end of the lever being connected by means of a rod d
to an eccentric disc or cam M provided with a handle N. On the
handle N being turned outwards by the attendant the loose clutch
pulley K round which passes the belts c becomes pressed against the
fixed conical clutch pulley J, and thereby revolves the brush B, and in
like manner when the handle N is turned inwards the loose pulley K
becomes free, and the brush B is stopped rotating. Situated above the
revolving brush B is an adjustable brush O, the axle e of which can be
raised or lowered in the bearings ƒ by means of screws g. The adjustable
brush O is used for gradually pressing the fringes of the textile fabrics
into the hairs of the revolving brush B whilst being combed thereby.
The textile fabrics such, for example, as towels or napkins, are first
placed in a gripper P (shown more particularly at Fig. 2), which
is placed on the carriage C, and secured thereto by means of pinching
screws / or their equivalent, the fringed ends of the textile fabrics being
next to the revolving brush B. The carriage C is then moved towards
the revolving brush B until the fibres of the matted fringe or fringes
being brought into contact with the hairs of the revolving brush B, and
are separated thereby. In place of actuating the carriage C by means
of a screw and pinions as herein-before described and illustrated on the
annexed Sheet of Drawings a rack and pinion or racks and pinions may
be used.
At Figure 4 of the Drawings is shown in front elevation a modified
arrangement of the machine. In this case the fringes of the textile
fabrics are combed previous to disconnecting the articles, such, for
example, as towels or napkins from cach other by cutting the fringes
across through their centres "in the piece.' Figure 5 is a plan thereof,
whilst Figure 6 is an end elevation of the same. Under this
ment the front part of the framing A is provided with tension
"
arrange-

page_text: rollers B, C, and D, respectively. The textile fabric x passes between
and presses against alternate sides of the rollers B, C, and D, and
along the top of the framing A over the revolving brush E, and between
drawing rollers F and G respectively, which are covered with india-
rubber or other similar material, and are situated at the back of the
revolving brush E. An adjustable brush O, similar to the one herein-
before described and shewn at Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings, is
placed above the brush E for gradually pressing the fringes of the
textile fabrics in or on to the hairs of the revolving brush E, whilst
being combed thereby. The axle a of the drawing roller G is supported
in bearings 6 formed in or attached to the framing A, whilst the axle c
of the drawing roller F is attached at each end to a leaver H provided
with a weight I, by means of which the requisite pressure is obtained on
the lower roller G. A hand wheel J is attached to one end of the axle a
of the roller G, by means of which the attendant rotates the drawing
rollers F and G, which causes the textile fabric to be drawn forward
over the brush E. The revolving brush E is provided with adjustable
guide rods d, the ends of which rest on ledges formed in the framing A.
The guide rods d at each end pass through segmental slots e (shewn
more particularly at Fig. 6) formed in plates which are situated in
vertical slides attached to the framing A. The plates fare connected by
means of rods K. to cranks g carried on a crank shaft L, and attached to
one of the cranks g is a treadle M. The treadle M on being depressed
by the foot of the attendant draws down the plates f, when by the action
of the segmental slots e on the ends of the guide rods d the guide rods d
are brought closer together, and can be so adjusted by the extent of
movement of the treadle M so as to suit the width of the fringe being
combed.
In combing fringes of textile fabrics under this arrangement the
attendant first draws the textile fabric z through the drawing rollers F
and G by means of the hand wheel J until the matted fringe is on the
brush E. The guide rods & arc then adjusted to the width of the fringe,

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the general arrangement and construction of
fringe combing machines, and in particular a revolving brush, spiked
roller, or endless travelling web provided with gills, teeth, or pins, as
the combing instrument, substantially as herein-before described and
shewn on the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Shields, have hercunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.