IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING AND STRAIGHTENING FLAX, HEMP, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING AND
STRAIGHTENING FLAX, HEMP, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."-A
communication from abroad by Alberic Benoit Masurel, the younger,
of Timne
ealed the 30th August 1870, and dated the 11th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th March 1870.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING
AND STRAIGHTENING FLAX, HEMP, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," a
communication from abroad by Alberic Benoit Masurel, the younger,
of Paris, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar combination and arrangement of
machinery or apparatus for combing and straightening or preparing for
spinning flax, hemp, jute, and other fibrous substances.

page_text: According to this Invention two endless chains consisting of flat links
are caused to travel together over flat sided pullies one over the other,
the two adjoining or opposing surfaces being held in contact with each
other by passing between guides; these surfaces form nippers for holding
the tufts of fibres whilst being combed or straightened and serve to carry
them along at the same time to a receiving trough, wherein each tuft is
deposited in succession, the one overlapping slightly the other. The
bottom of the receiving trough consists of an endless travelling band
which continuously conveys away the combed tufts in the form of a
ribban or sliver. A vibrating arm worked by a crank and provided with
a cross head or rake serves to take each tuft as it is relieved from the
nippers and draw it into the receiving trough. As the links of the two
endless chains enter the guiding groove they close upon and nip the
material to be combed, and during the time the said tufts are being
carried along they are combed and straightened by means of combs
carried on an endless travelling apron situate on one side of the chains,
or two of such endless travelling aprons with combs may be employed
situate one on each side of the said chains so as to comb the fibrous
material from opposite sides of the chains. The said combs are situate
at a slight angle with the chains so as to take the ends of the tufts
only at first and gradually enter further therein until by the time the
tuft has arrived at the point of delivery it is combed throughout the
whole of its protruding portion; the links which hold it then open by
entering on their respective pullies, and the combed tuft is released and
drawn into the receiving trough above referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Jolinson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMBING AND STRAIGHT-
ENING FLAX, HEMP, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," a communication
to me from abroad by Benoit Masurel, the younger, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and scal, 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 six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar combination and arrangement
of machinery or apparatus for combing and straightening or preparing
for spinning flax, hemp, jute, and other fibrous substances.
According to this Invention two endless chains consisting of flat
links are caused to travel together over flat-sided pulleys and disposed
one above the other, the two adjoining or opposing surfaces of the two
chains being held in contact with each other by passing between guides.
These surfaces form nippers for holding the tufts of fibres whilst being
combed or straightened, and serve to carry them along at the same time
to a receiving trough, wherein each tuft is deposited in succession, the
one overlapping slightly the other. The bottom of the receiving trough
consists of an endless travelling band which continuously conveys away
the combed tufts in the form of a ribbon or sliver. A vibrating arm
worked by a crank and provided with a cross head or rake serves to take

page_text: each tuft as it is released from the nippers and draw it into the receiving
trough. As the links of the two endless chains enter the guiding groove
they close upon and nip the material to be combed, and during the time
the said tufts are being carried along they are combed and straightened
by means of combs carried on an endless travelling apron situate on one
side of the chains, or two of such endless travelling aprons with combs
may be employed situate one on each side of the said chains so as to
comb the fibrous material from opposite sides of the chains. The said
combs are situate at a slight angle with the chains so as to take the ends
of the tufts only at first, and gradually to enter further therein until
by the time the tuft has arrived at the point of delivery it is combed
throughout the whole of its protruding portion; the links which hold
it then open by entering on their respective pullies, and the combed
tuft is released and drawn into the receiving trough above referred to.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed is a vertical section taken along
the line 1-2 (Figure 2); Figure 2 is a plan; and Figure 3 a vertical
section taken along the line 3-4 (Figure 2) of a machine constructed
according to this Invention.
A, A¹, are two endless chains formed of flat holders or links intended
to hold or nip the fibrous materials to be operated upon, which chains
are actuated by four pullies b, b1, 2, 3, of an hexagonal or other suitable
shape. The pulley b³ is made of greater width than the rest, and is
provided with projecting ribs f, in which the holders lodge and receive
the tufts of fibrous material. The chains in traversing along carry the
said material with them, and the holders are closed by the aid of two
guides C, C¹, disposed the one above the other like the chains themselves.
As soon as the holder is closed the point or points of the tufts come
in contact with a horizontal or inclined endless apron T provided with
combs. This apron is supported by a moveable frame which admits of
its being brought into an oblique position in relation to the chains of
holders, as shewn in Figure 2, and the traverse of the tufts perpen-
dicularly to the chains is obtained by the helicoidal developement of the

page_text: endless apron. This developement should be always equal to the speed
of the holders or chains, and the apron is disposed more or less obliquely
according as the speed of the holders is greater or less.
Another effect of the obliquity of the table is to prevent the material
becoming engaged in the teeth of the combs except at the extremity of
the tufts, and the tuft becomes involved gradually as far as to its centre
or heart at the time of its exit.
For example, a tuft x, Figure 2, is carried along by the chain of
holders A; at the point P its extremity x¹ will come in contact with
the combs on the apron T, and when the tuft arrives at the point E the
whole of it will be engaged up to the heart or centre thereof. At this
point the apron will be free from combs; the chain of holders then
commences to open, and the tuft is discharged into a receiver or trough G,
the moveable bottom of which is formed by the endless cloth g of a
spreading machine. The chains A, A³, serve to conduct the tuft into
the trough G with the aid of any suitable arrangement of apparatus
which will act as a rake.
In the machine shewn in the Drawing a rake r is mounted on the
extremity of a connecting rod attached to the crank m. When the
crank is in its horizontal position the connecting rod is also horizontal,
and its extremity or rake - bears on the trough G and guides the tuft
thereinto. The tuft falls into the trough, and on to the cloth g,
being at the same time deposited on to the preceding tuft, and
at any required distance; it is then carried away by the endless
cloth.
Thus the machine without hand labor combs and spreads any
required textile fibrous material; the tow or waste from the apron is
taken hold of by daffers, and formed immediately into a sliver. An
oblique apron and set of combs may be disposed on each side of the
chains, the two operating in precisely the same manner as a single
apron.
The Drawings indicate sufficiently clearly the mode of actuating
the apron T and the chains without the addition of any detailed
description.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to

page_text: be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The combination of the two endless chains of flat holding
surfaces with their flat-sided pullies and guides arranged and operating
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second. The combination with the said endless chains and guides of
one or two endless aprons provided with comb teeth disposed helically
thereon, and arranged obliquely to the line of motion of the chains,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Third. The combination with the said apparatus of a receiving trough
provided with an endless travelling apron and a self-acting rake or its
equivalent, the whole being arranged and operating substantially as
and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of
September One thousand eight hundred and seventy.