IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING TO BE SPUN COTTON, WOOL, FLAX, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Fairbairn and Thomas Greenwood, both of
Leeds, in the County of York, Machinists, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING TO BE SPUN COTTON, WOOL, FLAX,
SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 31st October 1854, and dated the 23rd August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Fairbairn and
Thomas Greenwood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 23rd August 1854.
We, PETER FAIRBAIRN and THOMAS GREENWOOD, both of Leeds, in the
County of York, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING TO BE SPUN COTTON,
WOOL, FLAX, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
'This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of machinery for the purpose
of combing fibrous materials.
A pair of feed rollers is placed so as to supply a circular or other gill with
fibrous materials. In front of this gill is placed a cylinder of suitable dimen-
sions, which is made to rotate with either a uniform or a varying speed, and
which carries on its periphery one or more fixed taking combs" (provided with

page_text: suitable strippers), for the purpose of detaching or drawing a portion of the
fibrous material from between the teeth of the gill. As this cylinder continues
to rotate, the detached portions of fibrous material are carried forward in the
"taking combs to a travelling sheet, upon which a weighted roller, having a
rolling as well as a rotating motion, is placed. On reaching this travelling
sheet, the fibrous material is disengaged from the teeth of the "taking combs,"
and placed by suitable means upon the travelling sheet. The weighted roller
then rolls over the end of the fibrous material which has been drawn through
the teeth of the circular or other gill. A series of ordinary combs of different
degrees of fineness is placed upon the rotating cylinder immediately behind
cach "taking comb," for the purpose of combing that end of the detached
portion of fibrous material which was held in the teeth of the "taking combs."
The combed material is then carried forward by the travelling sheet and
weighted roller, which deliver it in the form of a sliver or ribbon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Fairbairn and Thomas Greenwood in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, PETER
FAIRBAIRN and THOMAS GREENWOOD, both of Leeds, in the County of York,
Machinists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Peter Fairbairn and Thomas Greenwood, Her special license that we, the said
Peter Fairbairn and Thomas Greenwood, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Peter Fairbairn and Thomas Greenwood,
our 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, 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
FOR PREPARING TO BE SPUN COTTON, WOOL, FLAX, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Peter

page_text: Fairbairn and Thomas Greenwood, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 Peter Fairbairn (on behalf of myself
and of the said Thomas Greenwood) do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of machinery for combing
fibrous materials, the object being to expedite that operation, and to deliver the
material out of the machine in a combed or prepared state in the form of a
sliver or ribbon.
In carrying out our Invention, we supply the material by means of a pair
of feed rollers to a circular or other gill, which carries it forward to a comb
cylinder, fitted with fixed "taking combs," which, as they come round opposite
the gill cylinder, detach or draw a portion of the fibrous material from between
the teeth of the gill bars. In the rear of these taking combs (and on the
same cylinder) is a series of working combs, which act upon the material after
it has left the taking combs, and while held under the grip of a presser, and
by means of these following combs, the combing of the several portions of
fibrous material successively detached from the gill cylinder or other gill is
completed. The prepared fibre is then passed out of the machine by means
of an endless travelling sheet or apron, to which an intermittent motion is
imparted.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan
view, of our improved machinery.
A, A, is the framework of the machine; B, B, the driving pullies, mounted
upon the driving shaft C, C, to which is keyed a spur wheel D. This spur
wheel D takes into the wheel E, which is keyed upon the shaft a of the comb
cylinder V. On the opposite end of the shaft a is keyed a pinion F, which
takes into a stud wheel G, carrying a pinion H upon its boss. This pinion H
drives a wheel I, which is mounted upon a short shaft that works in the
socket b. This short shaft also carries the pinion J, which takes into the wheel
K, on the end of the shaft c of the gill cylinder L.

page_text: The periphery of the gill cylinder L is provided with radial grooves, for
receiving a set of advancing and receding gill bars, which take up the fibrous
material from the feed rollers, and deliver it on to the taking combs 1, 2, of
the comb cylinder V. The movements of the gill bars in their grooves are
governed by pins from their ends working in cam grooves formed in stationary
end plates, in the manner now commonly practised and particularly described
in the Specification of a Patent granted conjointly to the within-named Peter
Fairbairn and to John Hargrave, dated November Sixth, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-two.
Upon the shaft c is keyed the wheel L, which takes into the inter-
mediate wheel d, and drives the pinion e on the end of the upper feed roller M.
The lower feed roller N is pressed against the upper roller by a weighted
lever, and driven by friction of contact. On the opposite end of the gill
cylinder shaft c is keyed the spur-wheel f, which drives the pricking-in
roller g.
Upon the comb cylinder shaft a is keyed the spur wheel O, which takes into
another spur wheel P, carrying on its boss a flanged plate P*, which is pro-
vided with pins for taking into the slots of the star wheel Q, and driving that
wheel, so as to produce an intermittent motion (in the manner well under-
stood by mechanics), for the purpose of discharging the combed or pre-
pared fibre from the machine. This star wheel Q carries on its boss a spur
pinion, which takes into an intermediate wheel i, and drives a change pinion
keyed on the end of the lower delivery roller R. R is the upper delivery
roller, weighted in the usual manner. On the opposite end of the delivery
roller shaft R is keyed a spur wheel j, which drives the intermediate wheel k;
this wheel takes into the wheel on the end of the sheet roller S. p is an
endless leather sheet or apron, which passes over the sheet roller S, and over
the polished bar of iron q. On the driving shaft C is keyed a chain-wheel m,
which, by means of an endless chain; that passes over a pinion keyed on the
shaft which carries the brush T, gives rotary motion to that brush. A cam R
(being one of a pair) keyed on to the shaft C. forms by its outer rim a pulley.
which receives an endless band, and by that means drives an excentric shaft o,
from which motion is communicated to the doffing comb o* in the usual
manner. This comb is used to clear the noils and dirt from the doffer cylinder
U, which runs in contact with the brush T. Rotary motion is communicated
to the doffer cylinder U by means of a chain, which passes over a chain pinion m
keyed on the shaft a, and thence over a chain wheel keyed on the shaft of the
doffer cylinder.

page_text: On the periphery of the comb cylinder V are mounted two pairs of taking
combs 1, 2, 1, 2, which strip the fibrous material under operation from the gill
cylinder, and transfer it to the endless sheet or apron p. Between each pair
of taking combs (see the detached view of the comb cylinder at Fig. 3) a
thin strip of plate iron or brass is made to work, by means of a pair of
rocking arms 3, to the outer ends of which the strip of metal is connected.
These arms 3 are affixed to a rock shaft, carried by the comb cylinder V, and
they are retained in the position shewn in the Drawing by a coiled spring 3*.
A short arm on the rock shaft, as the comb cylinder V rotates, comes in
contact with a curved piece 4, connected to the framing A, and by that means
the plate carried by the arms is thrown forward, and caused to push the fibrous
material off the taking combs. Behind this apparatus is placed a similar
arrangement of arms and spiral spring 5 and 5*, for carrying a plate of sheet
iron, which is made to slide close to the hindmost taking comb 2, .when
the short arm on the rock shaft comes in contact with the fixed pin or
bowle 6, and thereby turns over the combed ends of the fibres on to the
endless apron.
The position of the bowle or pin 6, and also of the curved piece 4, con-
nected therewith, must be adjusted to suit the amount of motion required to
be imparted to the metal plates. Each pair of taking combs is similarly
provided with stripping and turn-over plates. In the rear of each pair of
taking combs is a set of working combs 1, 1, fixed to the periphery of the
comb cylinder. These are for the purpose of combing the fibres which have
been carried forward by the taking combs, and deposited upon the endless
apron. On the shaft C is mounted a pair of excentrics 8, s, to which are
attached connecting rods, taking hold of the sliding frame A, which carries
the gill cylinder and feed rollers, and is itself supported on " or otherwise
on the main framing. t is the conductor plate, over which slivers are passed
to the feed rollers.
W, W, is a pair of levers, mounted upon the studs u, u, fixed in the
framing A, A. On the other end of these levers are mounted studs carrying
friction bowles which work in the grooves of the cams R, R. In corresponding
slots near the middle of the levers W, W, fulerum pins for carrying a pair of
adjustable connecting rods v, v, are secured. These rods, which are forked at
their upper end, take hold of the presser bar X, which slides in curved grooves,
formed in brackets w, w, attached to the main framing. a, a, are two spiral
springs for softening the action of the presser bar.
It will now be seen that if fibrous material be supplied to the feed rollers,

page_text: and the driving pulley put in motion, the gill cylinder will take up the fibrous
material into the gills as they project beyond the surface of the gill cylinder
at the point 7. When the gill bars reach the point marked 8, they begin to
recede into their respective grooves, and allow the taking combs 1 and 2 to
approach close to the surface of the gill cylinder, and thereby take hold of the
ends of the fibrous material brought forward by the gill cylinder. As the
comb cylinder rotates at a much quicker speed than the gill cylinder, the comb
cylinder will draw a portion of the material from the gill cylinder; and the
ends of these fibres so taken will be drawn through the projecting gills of
the gill cylinder, and thereby cleanse or comb that portion of the material.
At this time the excentrics s, s, will have drawn the gill cylinder, &c. close to
the taking combs, but as the motion continues. the gill cylinder will be pushed
back by the excentrics, so as to allow the working combs to pass the gill
cylinder without taking hold of the material. When the taking combs
approach the presser X, which is situate immediately over the polished bar q,
and forms therewith the grip for holding the material while under the operation
of the working combs, the short arm of the rock shaft 3 will come in contact
with the curved piece 4, and the stripper plate carried by the rocking arms
will strip the fibrous material from the teeth of the taking combs; imme-
diately after, the plate carried by the rocking arms 5 will throw over the
combed end of the fibre, and it will then be laid upon the sheet p. The
levers W, by the action of cams R upon their bowles, will now bring down
the presser X upon the leather sheet, which presser will firmly hold the
combed end of the fibre until the combs r have combed out the end previously
held in the taking comb. When this operation is performed the presser X
will ascend, and the pin of the cam wheel P*, taking into the star wheel Q,
will give an intermitting motion to the sheet p, leaving a portion of the fibres
hanging down ready for the next operation. As the operation proceeds the
combed material is passed through the delivery rollers in a continuous sliver.
The brush T cleans the combs as they come in contact with it, and the noil
is deposited upon the doffer in the usual manner.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in
Machinery for Preparing to be Spun Cotton, Wool, Flax, Silk, and other
Fibrous Materials," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
we wish it to be understood that, under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, we claim, applying to one and the same comb cylinder a taking
comb or combs, and in the rear thereof working combs, which will act
upon the pendent end of the fibrous material immediately after it has

page_text: been discharged from the taking combs, and while held stationary by the
presser bar.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Fairbairn, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFatt,
66, Chancery Lane.
P. FAIRBAIRN. (L.S.)