IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Holden, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Machine Wool Comber, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBRES."
Sealed the 12th June 1868, and dated the 18th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Holden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
December 1862.
I, ISAAC HOLDEN, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine Wool
Comber, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL AND
OTHER FIBRES," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate when using with a circle or succession of holding
or carrying combs, other combs called by me "nacteur" combs, the teeth of
which point in an opposite direction to, and which at the time of drawing off
are in front of those of the carrying or holding comb, to means by which
the fibre may be aided in rising up the teeth of the carrying combs into those
of the "nacteur " combs for the drawing off of the fibre through both sets of
teeth. For this purpose I apply in front of such sets of teeth a plate with an
inclined edge, and an up-and-down motion progressively to effect the desired

page_text: raising of the fibre. This plate I form with a thickened head, or it is
otherwise guided so as to insure its not injuring the teeth of the "nacteur
combs."
Also the improvements relate to means for heating comb teeth when gas or
gas and air combined are used for the purpose, by applying a shield to protect
the heat of the gas from acting injuriously upon the fibre, and in perforating
the head of the carrying or holding comb, by which an upward current is
produced, and the flame and heated air are carried off from contact with the
fibre under operation.
When applying gas heat to working combs, I apply guards or conductors
to conduct the flame or products of combustion up to those apertures in the
head of the carrying or holding comb.
Also the improvements relate to means of clearing both the carrying combs
and other combs acting therewith, but pointing in an opposite direction thereto,
and which I call "nacteur" combs, of the noil left therein after the drawing
off. For this purpose I apply doffers and clearers of such doffers such as
referred to for clearing the "nacteur" combs in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me dated the 28th day of December 1857, No. 3177,
but according to my present improvements I apply both doffers to the same
arm o frame with a rocking guide or guides, between or through which such
arm or frame slides, by which whilst such arm or frame is operated by a crank
or eccentric, it will doff both sets of combs by its doffers alternately.
Also the improvements relate to applying two supporting guides or con-
ductors to such "nacteur combs in place of only one, by which greater ease
and efficiency are obtained.
Also, when employing gill combs as feeders to other gill combs used as
workers, and generally to gill preparers, the improvements relate to conducting
the fibre between aprons guided by at least two pairs of rollers, and so as to
compress the fibres in its feeding.
Also the improvements relate when employing two sets of gill-working
combs, the teeth of one set pointing in an opposite direction to the other,
to applying a plate as a guard to protect the points of the teeth of one set
from being injured by the points or heads of the other set.
Such plate I also apply to protect the points of the teeth of what I have
called "nacteur" combs from being injured by the drawing-off apparatus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Isaac Holden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISACC
HOLDEN, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine Wool Comber, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Isaac Holden, Her special licence, that I, the said Isaac
Holden, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Isaac Holden, 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, 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 MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PREPARING AND COMBING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Isaac Holden, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Isaac Holden, 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 state-
ment thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements relate, first, when in the combing of wool or other fibres
by the aid of a circle or succession of holding or carrying combs, other combs
called by me "nacteur" combs are used, the teeth of which point in an oppo-
site direction to and at the time of drawing off are in front of those of the
carrying or holding comb, to means by which the fibre may be aided in rising
up the teeth of the carrying combs into those of the "nacteur" combs for the
drawing off of the fibre through both sets of teeth. For this purpose I apply in
front of such sets of teeth a plate with an inclined edge, and an up-and-down
motion progressively to effect the desired raising of the fibre. This plate I

page_text: form with a thickened head, or it may be otherwise guided so as to ensure its
not injuring the teeth of the "nacteur" combs.
"
Figure 1 of the Drawing shews a sectional view; and Figure 2, a front
view of part of a circle of carrying or holding combs together with a "nacteur
comb in the position they would assume when the teeth of such "nacteur" comb
are in front of the teeth of the holding or carrying comb, and the fibre is
being drawn off by the drawing-off rollers. a, a, is the circle of holding or
carrying combs, and a¹ the comb teeth; b, the "nacteur" combs, and b¹, their
teeth; c, c, are the drawing-off rollers, and c', the endless belt or apron acting
with them; are parts of the stationary frame; e is a plate with an inclined
upper edge, whilst the lower parts e, e¹, of it are formed to slide freely up and
down in the brackets e², e². This up-and-down motion is obtained by means
of the rod e³, the upper end of which is by pin joint e, connected to the stem e'
of the plate e, whilst the lower end embraces the stud e on the plate e affixed
to the shaft or axis e, which is capable of revolving freely in the fixed
bearing d', and has affixed to it the pulley es to receive a strap or band by
which rotary motion may be imparted to the axis e, and thence an up-and-
down motion given to the plate e. The combs a and b are supposed to be
travelling in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, when it will be seen that
upon an up-and-down motion being given to the plate e, the inclined upper
edge thereof will act upon the fibre brought forward by the teeth of the
combs a, with a tendency to lift it progressively into the teeth b¹, while it is
being drawn off by the drawing-off rollers, so that in the drawing off such
fibre may more easily leave the comb teeth a', and be drawn through the
comb teeth. The plate e is prevented from contact with the points of the
teeth by the thickened part of such plate e resting against the circle
carrying the combs a¹.
Secondly, my Invention relates to means for heating comb teeth when gas
or gas and air combined are used for the purpose; and this part of my
improvements consists in applying a shield to protect the heat of the gas from
acting injuriously upon the fibre, together with perforations in the head of the
carrying or holding comb, by which an upward current is produced and the
flame and heated air are carried off from contact with the fibre under opera-
tion. When applying gas heat to working combs I apply guards or conductors
to conduct the flame or products of combustion up to those apertures in the
head of the carrying or holding comb.
Figure 3 shews by a sectional view this part of my improvements applied.
f are the teeth of a holding or carrying comb which is attached to the revolving
circular plate g in the ordinary or other suitable manner; g' is a pipe with jets

page_text: for the conveyance of gas, which, when lighted, imparts heat to the plate g
and thence to the comb f; g and fare perforations through the plate g and
through the head f¹ of the comb f, by which an upward current is produced,
and the flame and heated air carried off from contact with the fibre under
operation; is a flange on the outer edge of the circular plate 9, which
prevents the heat from contact with the beard of wool projecting from the
comb f; h, h, are working combs, and i, i, pipes for the conveyance of gas,
which, when ignited at the jets ³, will impart heat to such working combs;
is a plate with a flange between the gas jets and the working conibs, acting
as a guard to protect the fibre from being burnt by the heat of the flame, and
also serving to conduct the heated air and products of combustion to unite and
pass away with those from the jets by the passages 92 and f. The flange ³
may pass within or up to the flange g³ for this purpose.
"
Thirdly, the improvements relate to means by which both the carrying
combs and also other combs acting with the carrying combs but pointing in an
opposite direction to them, and which I call "nacteur," combs may be cleared
of the noil left in them after the drawing off. For this purpose I apply doffers
and clearers of such doffers, such as referred to for clearing the "nacteur
combs in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, dated the 28th day
of December 1857, No. 3177, but according to my present improvements I
apply both doffers to the same arm or frame, and I apply a rocking guide or
.guides, between or through which such arm or frame slides, by which, whilst
such arm or frame is operated by a crank or eccentric, it will doff both sets of
combs by its doffers alternately. This part of the improvements is shewn
applied in section and front view by Figures 4 and 5. j indicates a portion of
the carrying or holding comb with its teeth j¹, and a "nacteur" comb with
its teeth k¹; 1 is a doffer for clearing the teeth, and is a doffer for clearing
the teeth ; both these doffers are supported as shewn from the arm A, so
as to move together with that arm, and the requisite motion is obtained to
the doffers. and through the arm in the following manner :-The lower
end of the arm embraces the stud on the disc ', affixed to the axis 1, to
which a rotary motion is imparted by a gut or band acting on the pulley
fixed on that axis, and the upper end of the arm between the two doffers
slides in the free socket . m, m, and n, n, are stationary clearing plates in
position to receive the doffers land and to clear the fibre therefrom as
those doffers recede. The clearings obtained are conducted as shewn down
the trough n² into any suitable receiver.
Fourthly, the improvements relate to applying two supporting guides or

page_text: conductors to such¸"nacteur" combs in place of only one, by which greater
ease and efficiency in working are obtained. This part of the improvements
is shewn in section and front view by Figures 6 and 7. o is the frame of
the "nacteur" comb o¹. This frame is formed with two sockets o³, o², to
slide upon two standards o³, o³, carried by the moving frame of the holding or
carrying combs o*.
Fifthly, my improvements relate when employing gill combs as feeders to
other gill combs which are used as workers, and they consist in conducting
the fibre between aprons guided by at least two pairs of rollers so as to
compress the fibres in the feeding. This part of my improvements is shewn
by the sectional view, Figure 8, where p, p, indicates the pair of aprons
conducted over the rollers p', p'; p², p², and p³, p³, for the purpose of conducting
fibre to the gill teeth z, and in such manner that between the rollers p², p²,
and the part p, p, of the aprons p, p, the fibre becomes compressed more or
less without being positively held.
Sixthly, the improvements relate when employing two sets of gill working
combs, the teeth of one set of which point in an opposite direction to those of
the other to applying a plate as a guard to protect the points of the teeth of
one set from being injured by the points or heads of the other set. This
part of the improvements is shewn by the sectional and front views of
parts at Figures 9 and 10. q, q, represent one set of gill combs in double
row with their teeth pointing upwards, and r, r, represent another set of gill
combs in double row with their teeth pointing downwards, and s is the guard
plate which acts by its position to prevent the teeth of the combs q in rising
in the direction indicated by the arrow from coming in contact with and
being injured or broken by those of the upper row r, and in like manner the
teeth of the combs are protected from being injured by the teeth of the
combs 9. The plate s is supported on arms s¹ from the axis s³, which is carried
by brackets from the main framing, and it is borne towards the combs in the
lower row of such combs by springs s³, and to protect the points of the teeth
of the combs r from injury by the rubbing of the upper edge of the plate s
thereon at the instant of their rising from the lower to the upper of their
saddles, I apply the projections s', s, to the plate s to rest on the ends of the
gill bars until the points of such comb teeth r have risen above the upper
edge of that plate s. Such plate I also apply to protect the points of the teeth
of what I have called "nacteur" combs, from being injured by the drawing-off
apparatus.
.
In section and front view, Figures 11 and 12, a plates is applied, so as to

page_text: protect the points of the teeth of the "nacteur" combs t as the fibre is being
drawn therefrom by the drawing-off rollers u, u.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and means
which I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not claim the various mechanical parts separately considered, nor do
I confine myself to the precise details shewn and described so long as the
peculiar character of the several improvements be retained substantially as
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Holden, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
ISAAC HOLDEN. (L.B.)