IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND IN PROCESSES FOR PREPARING, HECKLING, DRESSING, AND COMBING FLAX
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tongue, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND
IN PROCESSES FOR PREPARING, HECKLING, DRESSING, AND COMBING FLAX,
Sealed the 9th May 1862, and dated the 18th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
March 1862.
I, WILLIAM TONGUE, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
AND IN PROCESSES FOR PREPARING, HECKLING, DRESSING, AND COMBING FLAX, HEMP,
SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention has for its object improved arrangements of
machinery and apparatus together with combined operations for treating and
preparing silk, flax, hemp, china grass, rhea, and other vegetable fibres
(except those which grow in pots) which may be treated advantageously by
silk dressing or flax heckling machinery. Hitherto in the treatment of silk
preparatory to its being operated upon in the "silk dressing frame, it has first
been placed in "a filling engine" or "tufting machine," to form it into tufts
suitable for being taken by books or holders to be subjected to the ordinary
dressing process in the silk dressing frame, as is well understood, and in the
treatment of flax, hemp, and other similar long vegetable fibrous material,
A

page_text: preparatory to being heckled, it has been usual to place it in books or holder
or to cut or break the same into suitable lengths, and then to place it in book
or holders to be heckled, and in some cases "tufting machines" or filling
engines have been employed to form the same into tufts before being
theckled.
Now, according to this part of my Invention, I first open and straighten the
fibres of silk, flax, hemp, china grass, rhea, or other fibrous materials of this
character by machinery similar to that described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to Henry Rawson, dated January 27th, 1859, No. 249, or by
any of the improved arrangements of machinery for this purpose described in
the Provisional Specification of a Patent now being applied for by me, dated
March 5th, 1862, No. 596, and for which Provisional Protection has been
granted. Having thus previously prepared the fibrous material I proceed to
form it into tufts in the ordinary manner preparatory to subjecting the same
to the process of heckling, as hereafter described according to another part of
my Invention.
The arrangements of machinery and processes which I employ in carrying
out this part of my Invention consist in first opening and straightening the
silk, flax, hemp, or other fibrous materials by the arrangements of machinery
before referred to for this purpose; I then conduct it in the form of a
sliver or otherwise to a filling engine or other machinery for forming it
into tufts; but I prefer for this purpose to conduct the fibrous material
through a screw gill feeding apparatus, from which it is detached in
the form of tufts by means of an ordinary "nipper." The detached tufts
are transferred to rotating combs, several of such detached tufts being
accumulated upon each rotating comb, from which they are taken by books or
holders preparatory to being placed in and operated upon by ordinary
heckling machinery, or by that of the improved construction herein-after
described.
Another improvement under this part of my Invention consists in sub-
mitting "silk laps" or sheets as obtained (by the use of the ordinary opening
machine) from a species of waste silk, known as pierced cocoons, to the
operation of the machinery before referred to for opening and straightening
fibrous materials, in order to open and straighten the fibres of such silk laps
preparatory to being formed into tufts, ready to be subjected to the ordinary
silk dressing processes.
I will now describe another part of my Invention, which relates to several
improvements in the arrangement and combination of machinery or apparatus
for heckling fibrous materials. The books or holders of heckling machinery

page_text: constructed according to my Invention may be of the ordinary construction,
but in place of moving them continuously through the machine or bodily from
opposite one set of heckles to another set, as heretofore practised, I cause
them to travel through the machine by a step-by-step movement, the move-
ment by preference taking place when the pins of the heckles are inserted
amongst the fibres, and I cause the heckle-plate or bar to partake of this
forward movement in order that the fibres may be maintained in a vertical
position whilst being operated upon. The heckle plate or bar which I prefer
to employ in carrying out this part of my Invention is so constructed and
arranged that the points of the heckles shall commence on the points of the
fibres as they are presented to their action, and gradually operate thereon
nearer and nearer to the holders until the whole length of the fibres becomes
immersed in or amongst the teeth of the heckle plate or plates. The pins or
teeth of the heckle plate or plates are so arranged as to present finer and finer.
surfaces thereof to act upon the fibrous material as it progresses through the
machine. The heckle plates or bars constructed according to this part of my
Invention are furnished with plates or bars between the rows or pins or teeth;
in order to force out the fibres and the tow or noil when the heckle pins are
withdrawn from the fibrous material; and the heckle pins are by preference
caused to enter the fibres at right angles thereto, and to move downwards
through them a short distance, and then be withdrawn again at right angles, and
then moved upwards into a position to re-enter as before in quick succession.
In order to obtain this action of the heckles upon the fibres, and at the same
time maintain them in a vertical position, a combined angular horizontal and
vertical movement may be given to the heckle plates or bars, or tlie books or
holders may have this combined movement forward and up and down imparted
thereto, and the heckles be simply moved into and out of the fibres. A set of
beckles of this character may be arranged to operate on each side of the
fibrous materials held suspended between. them, intersecting each other in
their action upon the fibres; and a set of heckles may be employed on one
side of the fibres, the other side being pressed in amongst the teeth by a brush
or by other means. The heckle plates may be so formed as to recommence
and repeat their action upon the ends of the fibres (gradually working up to
the holder) several times during their progress through the machine if desired:
It will be seen that by arranging heckles to operate on fibrous materials as
before described, a much greater number of heckle pins may be caused tö
penetrate and act upon the fibres at one time than by any previous arrange-
ment of apparatus hitherto employed for this purpose, and one result of this
arrangement is that the fibres of the tow or noil are delivered continuously in

page_text: lines parallel to each other, which is not the case in machines where rows o
bars of heckles are employed with spaces of considerable width betwee
them.
Machinery constructed and arranged to operate on fibrous materials a
above described may be employed according to my Invention in combination
with ordinary heckling processes, the fibrous materials in passing through the
machine being subjected to the action of ordinary heckle sheets as a finishing
process. In place of moving the holders by a step-by-step movement as before
described, they may be moved opposite to heckle plates constructed as beford
described, and lowered so as to bring the fibrous materials gradually under the
operation of such plates, then, the holders may be raised and moved forward
opposite to heckle plates similarly arranged, but having finer rows of heckle pins,
and so on in succession to be operated upon by finer and finer heckle plates as
in ordinary flax heckling machinery.
Another part of my Invention consists in the application of a reciprocating
comb (or combs) to act as cleaning apparatus to machinery for combing
fibrous materials. This reciprocating comb or pointed surface is arranged to
operate upon the fibrous materials by the teeth being inserted into, moved a
short distance through, and then withdrawn from the fibres in quick succession
so, as to clean the fibrous materials held by a travelling comb, travelling
nipper, or other apparatus such as is employed in combing machinery, and it
acts upon
the fibres in a similar manner to the action of the heckle plates or
pointed surfaces previously described for heckling flax, hemp, or other fibrous
material. When employing a comb of this character to act as a cleaning
apparatus in combination with apparatus for combing wool, flax, silk, or other
fibrous materials, I cause it to operate thereon and move in such manner as
to maintain the fibres in a straight line.
Another of my improvements in machinery for combing fibrous materials
relates to the application of improved feeding apparatus to that class of
machinery which was fully described in the Specification of a Patent granted
to Samuel Cunliffe Lister, dated February 24th, 1851, No. 13,532, wherein a
mode was described of detaching tufts of fibrous material (by suitable pipping
apparatus) from feed rollers or screw gill feeding apparatus, such tufts being
transferred to a travelling comb as is well understood, and this part of my
improvements consists in feeding forward the sliver or slivers of fibrous
material to the detaching apparatus or nipper by means of a reciprocating or
moveable feed comb or combs having teeth, by. preference of progressive
degrees of fineness, the comb being by preference of a length equal or nearly
equal to or in excess of the length of the staple of the fibrous material being

page_text: fed forward; such feed comb being employed in place of the screw gill feeding
apparatus ordinarily employed. The reciprocating feeding comb is arranged'
according to this part of my Invention in combination with plates or bars
which enter between the rows of pins or teeth for the purpose of discharging
the fibres from or depositing them amongst the teeth of the comb from time'
to time as it is inserted into or withdrawn. successively from them in order to
re-insert it into the sliver of fibrous material to feed it forward to the detaching
apparatus, or a brush may be employed for depositing the fibres amongst the
teeth of the feeding comb.
In the second part of a Provisional Specification of a Patent granted to me,'
dated September 21st, 1861, No. 2367, several modes, are described of trans-*
ferring continuous tufts of fibrous materials from one nipping surface' to'
another whilst the fibres are in a pendant position, and this part of my present'
improvements consists in transferring the pendant fibres held between hori-
zontal nipping surfaces to vertical-nipping surfaces placed below, and. causing
the horizontal nipper. to leave the uncleaned ends of the fibres (previously
held) in a position to be carded or combed out by suitable cleaning apparatus,
or I cause the uncleaned ends of the fibres, whilst held by the vertical nipping
surfaces, to be bent or turned over the upper surface thereof, a third nipping
surface being caused to press upon and hold: the uncleaned end in a position
to be carded or combed out whilst so held.
Under the sixth improvement, in the second' part of a Provisional Specifi-
cation of a Patent granted to me, dated September 21st, 1861, No. 2367, an
arrangement of machinery for combing fibrous materials is described, wherein
only one travelling nipper is used, the stationary and nipping surfaces being
formed of metal with more than one wedge-shaped groove and rib, now I have
sinóe discovered that other nipping surfaces such as described in. the Specifi-*
cation of a Patent granted to Charles Cowper, dated February 23rd, 1852,
No. 13,977, or such as described in the Specification of a Patent granted to
Samuel Cunliffe Lister and James Warburton, dated December 13th, 1859,
No.-2832, may be employed in carrying out that part of my improvements.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to Josue Heilmann, dated February
25th, 1846, No. 11,103, an arrangement of machinery is. described for first
combing one end of a sliver of fibrous materials by means of a rotating
circular pointed surface or comb, then taking hold of the cleaned end by a
nipping surface and detaching it in the form of a tuft, the uncleaned end of the
tuft being then presented to and cleaned or combed out by the rotating comb.
Now it is well known that rotating combs of this description do not operate
upon the fibrous material to comb out the noil.or short 'fibres so perfectly as

page_text: combs or pointed surfaces which enter amongst the fibres at right angles
thereto or nearly so, and this part of my improvements in machinery for
combing fibrous materials consists in arranging a series of combs to pass in
succession into to clean or comb out the end of a sliver of fibrous materials
which is drawn through each comb in succession. The cleaned end of the
sliver is then taken. hold of by suitable nipping apparatus and detached, and
the uncleaned end of the tuft so detached is then placed in a position to be
cleaned or combed by a series of combs which pass into and through which it
is drawn in a similar manner to that described for first cleaning or combing
the end of the sliver. As each of the series of combs.before referred to (the
number of which may be varied) pass into the uncleaned end of the fibrous
material it is drawn back a sufficient distance to admit each successive.comb to
pass into it in succession, each successive comb being finer and finér as they
pass into the fibrous material close to. the point at which it is held. Each tuft
as it is thus cleaned may be transferred to a travelling comb or be formed into
a sliver in any convenient manner. The combs or cleaning instruments are
arranged with plates or bars which act to force out the tow or noil; which may
be delivered on to a brush which transfers) it to gill teeth or other pointed
surfaces to conduct it away in the form of a sliver.
Another improvement under this part of my Invention consists in the
application to combing machinery arranged to work. according to the Patent
granted to Josué Heilmann before referred to, of a card cleaning apparatus or
pointed surfaces moving in straight lines to comb or clean out the fibres whilst
held in a pendant position in such machinery, such card cleaning apparatus or
pointed surfaces acting in straight lines upon the fibres in place of curved lines
as heretofore practised in such machinery, and I prefer to employ card cleaning
apparatus for this purpose such as is described in the Provisional Specification
of a Patent granted to me, dated September 21st, 1861; before referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office. on the 18th 30
September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TONGUE, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord 35
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Tongue, Her special licence that I, the said William Tongue, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Tongue, 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
MACHINERY AND IN. PROCESSES. FOR PREPARING, HECKLING, DRESSING, AND COMBING
FLAX, HEMP,. SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Tongue, my executors or adminis
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 William Tongue, do hereby declare tho
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say
The first part of my Invention. has for its object improved arrangements of
machinery and apparatus, together with combined operations for treating and
preparing silk, flax,. hemp, China grass,. rhea, and other vegetable fibres
(except those which grow in pods), which may be treated advantageously by
silk dressing or flax heckling machinery.. Hitherto the treatment of silk
preparatory to its being operated upon in the "silk dressing frame" it has
first been placed in a "filling engine" or "tufting machine" to form it into
tufts suitable for being taken by books or holders to be subjected to the
ordinary dressing process in the silk dressing frame, as is well understood, and
in the treatment of flax, hemp, and other similar long vegetable fibrous
material preparatory to being heckled.it has been usual to place it in books or
holders, or to cut or break the same into suitable lengths, and then to place it
in books or holders to be heckled, and in some cases "tufting machines" or
filling engines" have been employed to form the same into tufts before being
heckled..
Now according to this part of my Invention I first open and straighten the
fibres of silk, flax, hemp,, China grass, rhea, or other fibrous 'materials of this
character by machinery similar to that described in the Specification of a
.

page_text: Patent granted to Henry Kawson, dated January 27th, 1859, No. 249, or b
any of the improved arrangements of machinery for this purpose described i
the Specification of a Patent granted to me, dated March 5th, 1862, No. 596
Having thus previously prepared the fibrous material, I. proceed to form i
into tufts in the ordinary manner preparatory to subjecting the same to the
process of heckling, as hereafter described according to another part of my
Invention.
The arrangements of machinery and processes which I employ in carrying
out this part of my Invention Consist in first opening and straightening the
silk, flax, hemp, or other fibrous material by the arrangements of machinery
referred to for this purpose; I then conduct it in the form of a sliver or other
wise to a filling engine or other machinery for forming it into tufts, but I
prefer for this purpose to conduct the fibrous material through a screw gill
feeding apparatus, from which it is detached in the form of tufts by means of
an ordinary "nipper." The detached tufts are transferred to rotating combs,
several of such detached tufts being accumulated upon each rotating comb,
from which they are taken by books or holders preparatory to being placed in
and operated upon by ordinary heckling machinery, or by that of the improved
construction herein-after described.
An arrangement of apparatus such as above described for detaching tufts of
fibrous material suitable for the purposes of this part of my Invention is shown
and described in the Specification of a Patent granted to Thomas Bazley,
dated 24th June 1852, No. 14,188. The tufts of fibrous material detached
by the rotating comb d from the screw gill b, in place of being transferred to
the "nipper" u, v, are allowed to accumulate upon the comb c, the "nipper"
u, v, being dispensed with, and when a sufficient quantity of fibre has been
accumulated upon the combs it is removed. therefrom by books or holders to
be heckled as previously described.
Another improvement under this part, of my Invention consists in submitting
silk laps in sheets as obtained (by the use of the ordinary opening machine)
from a species of waste silk known as pierced cocoons, to the operation of the
patented machinery before referred, to granted to Henry Rawson and to myself
for opening and straightening fibrous materials, in order to open and straighten
the fibres of such silk laps preparatory to being formed into tufts ready to be
subjected to the ordinary silk dressing processes.
I will now describe another part of my Invention, which relates to several
improvements in the arrangement and combination of machinery or apparatus
for heckling fibrous materials., The books or holders of heckling machinery con-
structed according to my Invention, may be of the ordinary construction, but in

page_text: place of moving them continuously through the machine or bodily from opposite
one set of heckles to another set as heretofore practiced, I cause them to travel
through the machine by a step-by-step movement, the movement by preference
taking place when the pins of the heckles are inserted amongst the fibres, and
I cause the heckle plate or bar to partake of this forward movement, in order
that the fibres may be maintained in a vertical position whilst being operated
upon. The heckle plate or bar which I prefer to employ in carrying out this
part of my Invention is so constructed and arranged that the points of the
heckles shall commence on the points of the fibres as they are presented to
their action, and gradually operate thereon nearer and nearer to the holders
until the whole length of the fibres becomes immersed in or amongst the teeth
of the heckle plate or plates. The pins or teeth of the heckle plate or plates
are so arranged as to present finer and finer surfaces thereof to act upon the
fibrous material as it progresses through the machine.. The heckle plates or
bars constructed according to this part of my Invention are furnished with
plates or bars between the rows of pins or teeth in order to force out the fibres
and the tow or noil when the heckle pins are withdrawn from the fibrous
material, and the heckle pins are by preference caused to enter the fibres at
right angles thereto, and to move downwards through them a short distance,
and then be withdrawn again at right angles, and then moved upwards into a
position to re-enter as before in quick succession. In order to obtain this
action of the heckles upon the fibres, and at the same time maintain them in
a vertical position, a combined angular, horizontal, and vertical movement may
be given to the heckle plates or bars, or the books or holders may have this
combined movement forward and up and down imparted thereto, and the
Licckles be simply moved into and out of the fibres. A set of heckles of this
character may be arranged to operate on each side of the fibrous materials
held suspended between them, intersecting each other in their action upon the
fibres, and a set of heckles may be employed on one side of the fibres, the
other side being pressed in amongst the teeth by a brush or by other means.
The heckle plates may be so formed as to recommence and repeat their action
upon the ends of the fibres (gradually working up to the holder) several times
during their progress through the machine if desired.
It will be seen that by arranging heckles to operate on fibrous materials as
before described, a much greater number of heckle pins may be caused to
penetrate and act upon the fibres at one time than by any previous arrange-
ment of apparatus hitherto employed for this purpose, and one result of this
arrangement is that the fibres of the tow or noil are delivered continuously in
lines parallel to each other, which is not the case in machines where rows or

page_text: Wind Detween
them.
· Machinery constructed and arranged to operate on fibrous materials as
above described may be employed according to my Invention in combination
with ordinary heckling processes; the fibrous materials in passing through the
machine being subjected to the action of ordinary heckle sheets as a finishing
process. In place of moving. the holders by a step-by-step 'movement, as
before described, they may be moved opposite to heckle plates constructed as
before described, and lowered so as to bring the fibrous materials gradually
under the operation of such plates; then the holders may be raised and moved
forward opposite to heckle plates similarly arranged; but having finer rows of
heckle pins, and so on in succession, to be operated upon by finer. and finer
heckle plates, as in ordinary flax heckling machinery..
"
I would here remark that it has before been proposed to arrange machinery
for heckling fibrous materials somewhat similar to that previously described
according to this part of my Invention, and a Patent was granted to C. De
Iongh, dated July 26th 1858, No. 1681, for machinery of this character, in
which the fibrous materials are conducted through the. machinery, and
operated upon whilst in a horizontal position, whereas the improvement under
this
part of my
Invention consists in operating upon the fibrous materials
whilst in a pendant position. I have not thought it necessary to illustrate this
part of my improvements by Drawings; as a competent workman acquainted
with this class of machinery, aided by reference to the Specification last
referred to, will readily arrange machinery in accordance with the character of
this part of my Invention.
Another part of my Invention consists in the application of a reciprocating
comb (or combs) to act as cleaning apparatus to the machinery for combing
fibrous materials. This reciprocating comb or pointed surface is arranged to
operate upon the fibrous materials by the teeth being inserted into, moved a
short distance through, and then withdrawn from the fibres in quick. suc-
cession so as to clean the fibrous materials held by a travelling comb, travelling
nipper, or other apparatus such as is employed in combing machinery, and it
acts upon the fibres in a similar manner. to the action of the heckle plates or
pointed surfaces previously described for heckling flax, hemp, or other fibrous
materials. When employing a comb of this character to act as a cleaning
apparatus; in combination with apparatus for combing wool, flax, silk, or other
fibrous materials, I cause it to operate thereon, and move in such manner as
to maintain the fibres in a straight line. This part of my improvements
relates particularly to the cleaning, the fringe of fibres in that description of

page_text: combing machinery, wherein self-acting feed apparatus is employed, and in
which the fringe of fibres is transferred from one self-acting nipper to another,
the nature of such machinery being fully described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to me, dated September 21st 1861, No. 2367...
The apparatus, according to this part of. my Invention, is arranged to act
upon the fringe of fibrous material in a similar manner to that described under
the previous part of my improvements; and in accordance with the arrange-
ment of apparatus described in the Specification of C. De Iongh, before referred
to, by examining which a competent workman will readily understand and
apply my improvements to self-acting combing machinery in accordance with
this part of niy Invention.
.
Another of my improvements in machinery for combing fibrous materials
relates to the application of improved feeding apparatus: to that class of
machinery which was fully described in the Specification of a Patent granted
to Samuel Cunliffe Lister, dated February 24th 1851, No. 13,523, wherein a
mode was described of detaching tufts of fibrous material (by suitable.nipping.
apparatus) from feed rollers in a screw gill feeding apparatus, such tufts being
transferred to a travelling comb, as is well understood; and this part of. my.
improvements consists in feeding forward the sliver or slivers of fibrous
material to the detaching apparatus or nipper by means of a reciprocating or
moveable feed comb. or combs having teeth, by preference, of progressive
degrees of fineness, the comb being, by preference, of a length equal. or.
nearly equal or in excess of the length of the staple of the fibrous material.
being fed forward, such feed comb being employed in place. of the screw
gill feeding apparatus ordinarily employed. The reciprocating feeding.comb
is arranged, according to this part. of my Invention, in combination with
plates or bars which enter between the rows of pins or teeth. for the purpose
of discharging the fibres, or depositing them amongst the teeth of the comb.
from time to time as it is inserted into or withdrawn successively from them,
in order to reinsert it into the sliver of fibrous material to feed it forward. to.
the detaching apparatus, or a brush may be employed for depositing the.fibres
amongst the teeth of the feeding.comb.
"
Under the sixth improvement in the second part of the Specification of
a Patent granted to me, dated September 21st 1861, No. 2367, an arrange-,
ment of machinery for combing fibrous materials is described wherein. only
one travelling nipper is used, the stationary and nipping surfaces being formed
of metal with more than one wedge-shaped groove and rib. Now, I have
since discovered that other nipping surfaces, such as described, in the Speci-
fication of a Patent granted to Charles Cowper, dated: February 23rd, 1852,

page_text: or such as described in the Specification of a Patent granted to Samuel
Cunliffe Lister and James Warburton, dated December 13th 1859, No. 2832,
may be employed in carrying out that part of my improvements. By examining
the Specifications and Drawings of the several Patents before referred to, a
competent workman, acquainted with this class of machinery, will readily carry
out in practice this part of my improvements, without entering into a more
detailed description of the same. **
In the second part of the Specification of a Patent granted to me, dated
September 21st 1861, No. 2367, several modes are shown and described of
transferring continuous tufts of fibrous materials from one nipping surface to
another whilst the fibres are in a pendant position; and this part of my
present improvements consists in transferring the pendant fibres held between
horizontal, nipping surfaces to vertical nipping surfaces placed below, and.
causing the horizontal nipper to leave the uncleaned ends of the fibres (pre-
viously held) in a position to be. carded or combed out by suitable cleaning
apparatus; or I cause the uncleaned ends of the fibres whilst held by the
vertical nipping surfaces to be bent or turned over the upper surface thereof,.
a third nipping surface being caused to press upon and hold the uncleaned.
end in a position to be carded or.combed out whilst so held.
This part of my improvements is illustrated by the several Diagrams shown
in Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, the corresponding parts being
marked with similar letters of reference to those shown and described in the.
second part of the Specification of the Patent granted to me, before referred.
to, an examination of which will assist in rendering the following description.
more intelligible.
.Diagram No. 1 shows the fringe of fibrous material brought into a pendant
position after passing the card cleaner B, the uncleaned end being held by the
nipping surfaces b, the position of the parts corresponding with Diagram
No. 1, Sheet 8, of the Drawings attached to my former Specification. The
fringe of fibres, in their onward movement, are caused to enter between the
outer circumference of the revolving nipper c and the inner circumference of
the stationary nipper c*, which thus form vertical nipping surfaces between
which the fibres are taken and held, as shown by Diagram No. 2, which shows
a section of the nippers b, c, and c*; taken at the point 1, 1, of the Diagram
No. 2, which is a plan of part of these nipping surfaces. The nipper 6 now
ceases to hold the fibres, which are carried by the revolving nipper c into a
position for the uncleaned end (which has been previously raised into a
vertical position by a brush or a current of air or otherwise) to be operated
upon by the endless card cleaner C, as shown by Diagram No. 3. The vertical.

page_text: ends of the fibres, after passing the card cleaner C, are deposited by the
brush amongst the teeth of the endless travelling comb i, as shown by
Diagram No. 4, the stationary, nipping surface c* ceasing to hold the fibres at
this point. The combed fibres are drawn off from the endless travelling
comb by suitable drawing-off rollers or apparatus, as is well understood: .
Diagram: A, Sheet 1, shows the pendant fringe of fibres held between the
nipping surfaces b in the act of being conducted between and taken hold
of by the vertical nipping surfaces. c* and c, and when the fibres have passed
by and been released by. the nipping surfaces b, the uncleaned ends of the
fibres are bent or turned over the upper surface of the nipper c by means of a
brush or otherwise, the nipping surface d being caused to press upon and-hold:
the uncleaned ends in a position to be carded or combed out by the endless.
card cleaner C, as shown by Diagram B. After passing the card cleaner C,
the ends of the fibres cease to be pressed upon by the nipper d, but 'are con-
ducted and held between the vertical nipping surfaces c and e, the upper ends
of the fibres being raised into a vertical position by a brush, or otherwise.
ready to be deposited by the "dabbing brush" h, amongst the teeth of the
endless travelling comb i, as shown at B*; in Diagram A, all which will be
readily understood on examining the Drawing.
'
In the Specification of a Patent granted to Josue Heilmann, dated February
25th 1846, No. 11,103, an arrangement of machinery is described for first
combing one end of a sliver of fibrous materials by means of a rotating circular-
pointed surface or comb, then taking hold of the cleaned end by a nipping-surface,
and detaching it in the form of a tuft, the uncleaned end of the tuft. being'
then presented to and cleaned or combed out by the rotating comb. Now, it'
is well known that rotating combs of this description do not operate upon tho
fibrous material to comb out the noil or short fibres so perfectly as combs or
pointed surfaces which enter amongst the fibres at right angles thereto, or'
nearly so; and this part of my improvements in machinery for combing.
fibrous materials consists in arranging a series of combs to pass in succession'
into to clean or comb out the end of a sliver of fibrous materials, which is
drawn through each comb in succession. The cleaned end of the sliver is'
then taken hold of by suitable nipping apparatus and detached, and the
uncleaned end of the tuft so detached is then placed in a position to be
cleaned or combed by a series of combs, which pass into it, and through which'
it is drawn in a similar manner to that described for first cleaning or combing'
the end of the sliver; as each of the series of combs before referred to (the'
number of which may be varied) pass into the uncleaned end of the fibrous"
material, it is drawn back a sufficient distance to admit each successive comb

page_text: to pass into it in succession, each successive comb being finer and finer as
they pass into the fibrous material close to the point at which it is held. Each
tuft as it is thus cleaned may be transferred to a travelling comb, or be formed
into a sliver in any convenient manner. The combs or cleaning instruments
are arranged with plates or bars which act to force out the tow or noil, which
may be delivered on to a brush, which transfers it .to gill teeth or other
pointed surfaces to conduct it away in the form of a sliver.
:
Sheet 2 of the Drawings shews a series' of Diagrams, numbered from 1 to 6,
of the vertical longitudinal section of the working parts of a machine con-
structed according to this part of my Invention, the mechanical arrangements
for actuating the various parts of the machine not being shewn in the Drawing,
as a workman acquainted with this class of machinery would readily apply
the same, and I would here remark, that the arrangement of the working
parts of the machine is similar to that improved arrangement of Hielmann's
machine for which a Patent was granted to J. H. Johnson, dated April 26th
1859, and numbered 1050.
In Diagram No. 1, B and C are the feed rollers, and a is the feed comb,
the sliver of fibrous material, being pressed into such. feed comb by the instru-
ment f, consisting of a series of plates entering between the rows of pins in the
feed comb; the sliver of fibrous materials is firmly held in front of the feed
comb by the nipper E, and the projecting end of the sliver of fibrous materials
has been cleaned by having been drawn through the series of heckles 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; U is the detaching nipper holding a tuft of fibrous material.
which it has drawn from the end of the sliver and through the feed comb d' as
well as through the series of heckles (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15),
(16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21). The nipper, by its further movement
having carried the tuft of fibrous matérials into such a position over the endless
card sheet d that it may be deposited therein by a brush or otherwise, it will
be seen that the nipper U and the nipper E, together with the feed apparatus
and detaining comb c, are caused by the action of the machine alternately
to approach towards and recede from each other, the séries of heckles num-
bered from 1 to 21 being raised out of the way to allow the two nippers U
and E to approach each other.
In Diagram No. 2, the heckles numbered from 1 to 21 are shewn partly
raised up and the nipper U has completed its receding movement and been
opened, the tuft of fibrous material previously held by it having been left upon
the travelling card sheet d and deposited therein by a "dabbing" brush or
otherwise, the nipper E and pressing instrument ƒ have been lowered, so that
upon the two nippers U and E being brought together the nipper U may

page_text: take hold of the projecting end of the sliver of fibrous materials, as shewn in
Diagram No. 3, when the series of heckles 1 to 21 are shewn raised up; to;
their highest position and the detaining comb c is shewn inserted into the end;:
of the sliver so as to insure the more perfect cleaning of the fringe of, fibrous;
materials, the feed comb a, besides its movement together with the feed appa-
ratus, having had a further movement imparted to it in order to bring it into,
a position for the detaining comb c to be inserted into the end of the sliver, of
fibrous materials. The feed apparatus now remains stationary while the,
nipper U recedes from it, the heckles numbered from 10 to 21 being succes-,
sively inserted into the fibres detached by the nipper U, as by its receding:
movement a sufficient space is formed between the nipper U and the feed
apparatus, the heckle, numbered 10 being inserted first, and so on for each one
in succession, until the whole series of heckles is inserted into the tuft of fibres,
held, by the nipper U, each heckle being successively inserted into the fibrous;
material close to the nipper U, and each successive heckle being, by preference,
finer than the one previously inserted.....
Diagram No. 4 shews, the nipper U in its further receding movement, having,
detached the tuft of fibrous material from the end of the sliver and drawn it
partially through the series of heckles 10 to 21, the feeding comb a having
been raised out of the sliver of, fibrous material, the series of bars or plates
forcing the fibrous material, out of the feed comb a on to the, instrument f.;
The feed comb a and bars, 6 are then, caused to return towards the feed rollers.
B, C, and the feed comb is then lowered through the bars or grating b, the,
instrument being raised at the same time so as to press the sliver of fibrous,
materials into the feed comb a and cause the nipper E to take hold of the end;
of the sliver of fibrous material, a portion of which will now project beyond
the nipper E, the detaining comb c being lowered to its former position, as:
shewn at Diagram No. 5, the nipper U having, during these movements of the
feed apparatus, continued its, receding motion. The nipper E, together with
the feed apparatus, now commences a receding movement under the series of
heckles numbered from 1 to 9, and as the nipper E moves under such series.
of heckles the heckle numbered 1 is inserted into the end of the sliver of;
fibrous.materials projecting from and held by the nipper E, and as the nipper E,
by its receding movement, presents a suitable space, the heckle numbered 2 is.
inserted into the fibrous material, and so on until the whole series of heckles
numbered from 1 to 9 have been inserted into the fibrous material projecting
from the nipper E, each heckle being successively inserted into the fibrous,
material close to the nipper E, and each successive heckle being, by preference,.
finer than the one previously inserted.

page_text: Diagram No. 6 shews the parts in the position just described, the nipper U
and nipper E, together with the feed apparatus, continuing their receding
movement until they arrive at the position shewn at Diagram No. 1, when the
series of operations above described are repeated. The endless card sheet d
has a slow movement in the direction of the arrow imparted to it, so that it
carries the tufts of fibrous material accumulated upon it to the delivering
rollers O, from which the fibrous material may be conducted in the form of.a
sliver out of the machine or into a screw gill drawing apparatus, as may be
desired; when the heckles 1 to 21 are raised up the fibres and "noil". or
refuse retained by them is delivered from them by bars or plates between the
rows of heckle pins, as is well understood, and the fibre so delivered from the
heckles may be deposited on to a brush to be delivered to drawing apparatus
or otherwise, as is commonly practised, and a "dabbing" brush or brushes
may be used to force the fibrous material into the heckles 1 to 21 when they
are brought down into the fibrous materials.
Another improvement under this part of my Invention consists in the
application to combing machinery arranged to work according to the Patent
granted to Josue Heilmann, before referred to, of a card cleaning apparatus or
pointed surface moving in straight lines to comb or clean out the fibres whilst
held in a pendant position in such machinery, such card cleaning apparatus or
pointed surfaces acting in straight lines upon the fibres in place of curved
lines, as heretofore practised in such machinery, and I prefer to employ card
cleaning apparatus for this purpose such as is described in the Specification
of a Patent granted to me dated September 21st 1861, No. 2367, before
referred to.
Sheet 3 of the Drawings shews so much of the transverse longitudinal
section of a machine for combing fibrous materials arranged according to this
part of my Invention as will enable me to explain the same, the mechanical
arrangement for giving motion to the various parts of the machine not being
shewn in the Drawing, as a workman acquainted with this class of machinery
will readily apply the same; and I would here remark that in carrying out
this part of my improvements, the arrangement of the working parts of the
machine, known as "Heilmann's machine," is, by preference, somewhat
altered from that arrangement shewn and described in the Specification of his
Patent before referred to, though the action of the machine remains unaltered.
In the machine shewn and described in the Specification of the Patent before
referred to, the feeding and detaching apparatus remains stationary while the
pointed cleaning surface is moved from one position to another, in order to
cause it to act upon the end of the sliver of fibrous material, and upon the

page_text: tuft of fibres: detached from the end of the sliver, but in the arrangement I'
prefer to adopt in carrying out this part of my improvements, the pointed surfaces'
in place of moving from point to point remain stationary, and the feeding and
detaching apparatus are caused to move from one position to another, in order
to present the fibrous material to the action of the pointed cleaning surfaces.
In the Drawing a, a, are bobbins, upon which slivers of fibrous materials are'
wound, and these bobbins are carried by the plates 6 carried by. the axis c.
(30), (30), arc feed combs, into which the slivers of fibrous materials are
pressed by instruments '38, 33, from time to time; d, d, are plates, bars,
or gratings, which force out the sliver of fibrous materials from time to
time from the feed combs (30), (30); 34 are the nipping instruments, which
take hold of the end of the slivers of fibrous materials, allowing a portion of
such slivers to project beyond them; and (31) are the detaining combs; which
are inserted from time to time in front of the feed combs 30 into the slivers of
fibrous materials, so as to insure the more perfect cleansing of the fibres drawn
through such feed combs 30, and detaining combs 31, by the detaching
nippers 22, carried by the plates f fixed on the axis c. The feed apparatus,.
together with the bobbins of fibrous materials, rotate with the axis c, which
has (as well as the axes e and detaching nippers 22), an intermittent rotating.
movement in the direction of the arrows, such intermittent rotating movement'
causing the axes c and e with their attendant apparatus to make one-fourth of
a revolution, and then remain for a short time in the position shewn in the
Drawing at the points A, B, C, D, E, F, G. The instruments 33 are
attached to the plates b, and revolve with them and the axis c, but the feed.
combs 30 are carried in slides in the plates b, and as they approach to the'
point A are caused to recede from the instruments 33, the bars or grates d, d,'
at the same time being caused (by coming against stops in the plates 6) to:
force the sliver of fibrous material from among the pins of the feed combs 30,
the bars or grates d, d, being at other times drawn within the pins of the feed:
combs 30 by means of springs. As the feed apparatus travels from the
point A to the point B, the feed combs 30 and gratings are caused to approach
a short distance towards the axis c, and the detaining combs 31-being with-
drawn within the circumference of the plates b the feed combs 30 are
then caused to approach the instruments 33, so as to cause such instruments
to press the sliver of fibrous material in among the teeth of the feed combs 30,
and also so as to cause the nippers 34 to take hold of the ends of the slivers of
fibrous material, the portion of the sliver projecting beyond such nippers 34,
being when so held presented at the point B to the action of the cleaning. card,
Sheet 14, or other pointed surface travelling in a straight line, after dwelling.

page_text: a short time in this position, so as to allow the cleaning apparatus time to
operate effectually upon the end of the sliver of fibrous materials, the feed
apparatus are then by their further rotation moved forward from the point B
to the point C, and during such movement the feed combs 30 are caused to
recede a short distance from the instruments 33, so as to withdraw the points
of the feed combs 30 from such instruments 33; the nippers 34 being at the
same time opened. The feed apparatus are now by the further rotation of the
axis c, carried from the point C to the point D, and while travelling from the
point C to the point D the feed combs 30 are caused to move a short distance
outwards from the axis c; the amount of this movement regulating the length
of the sliver of fibrous material fed forwards, the detaining combs 31 being at
the same time inserted into the ends of the slivers of fibrous materials pre-
paratory to the projecting fibres being taken hold of by the detaching
nippers 22 which are travelling from the point G, while the feeding appa-
ratus are travelling from the point C to the point D, the detaching nippers 22
being opened during such movement, so that as by the rotation of the feeding
apparatus and nippers they approach each other; the cleaned ends of the
fibres projecting from the feed apparatus may be inserted between the
nippers 22, which when they and the feed apparatus have arrived at the
point D are caused to close upon the fibres projecting from the feed appa
ratus. The nippers 22 are now caused by the rotation of the axis e and
plates f, to travel from the point D to the point E, the feed apparatus at the
same time travelling from the point D to the point A, and it will be seen that
the nippers 22 and the feed apparatus will by reason of this rotating, move-
ment be caused to separate from each other, the nippers 22 drawing through.
the feed comb 30 and detaining comb 31, and carrying with them, in the
form of a tuft, the fibres which projected from the feed apparatus. The
nippers 22 having arrived at the point E present the uncleaned ends of the
fibres drawn by them from the feed apparatus to the action of the cleaning
card, Sheet 14*, or other pointed surface travelling in a straight line after
dwelling a short time in the position, so as to allow the cleaning apparatus to
operate effectually upon the fibre held by the nippers 22; the nippers 22 are
by the further rotation of the axis e and plates f carried forward to the
point F, when they present the tuft of fibrous material after having been
operated upon by pointed cleaning surfaces from one end to the other to the
endless travelling card g in such a position that the fibres may be deposited into
such card surface by a "dabbing brush" or otherwise, as is well understood;
the nippers 22 are then caused to open and travel forward from the point F
to the point G, leaving the tufts of fibrous material upon the travelling card g;

page_text: and it will be seen upon examining the Drawing that the operations above
described are constantly repeated as the feed apparatus and nippers 22 move
from one position to another. The feed combs 30 are carried by segmental
slides h, moving in the plates b; the feed combs being also capable of sliding
in the segments h, in a radial direction to and from the axis c; and the feed
combs 30 are caused to approach towards and recede from the instruments' 33
by means of the bell-crank levers i, carried by the plates 6, motion being
communicated to the levers i by means of the stationary cam surfaces k, the
levers actuating the slides h by means of pins ; and the feed combs are
caused to move towards and from the axis c by means of projections from
them entering into the stationary cam surfaces m. The detaining combs 31
are attached to levers n' jointed to the bell-crank levers n, which are actuated
by the stationary cam surfaces o; the detaining combs are caused to recede
within the circumference of the plates 6 by the tail pieces of the levers n',
being actuated by the cam surfaces p carried by the plates b, b. The
nippers 22 are caused to open and close at the points F and D by the cam
surfaces r acting upon the levers s, to which the moving nippers 22 are attached,
the other parts of the levers 22 being carried by the plates f, and the cam
surfaces r are caused to act upon the nippers, so as to close and open them
while dwelling at the points D and F by an oscillating movement imparted to
the cam surfaces r, causing them to rotate on the axis e, first in one direction
and then in the other, in such manner that when the nippers 22 arrive at the
points D and F, the parts r¹ and r² of the cam surfaces r will be respectively
opposite the trucks or rollers carried by the levers s, and while the nippers 22
remain opposite to the points D and F, the cam surfaces r are caused to
oscillate, so as to bring the points and opposite the trucks or rollers
carried by the levers 8, and thus respectively close and open the nippers 22
while dwelling at the points D and F. The endless card sheet h is caused to
travel forward slowly and deliver the tufts of fibrous material accumulated
upon it to the delivering rollers t, from which it may be delivered out of the
machine in the form of a sliver, or be conducted into gill or other drawing
apparatus. The noil and fibre removed by the pointed surfaces 14 and 14*
can be removed by a revolving brush, as described in the Patent granted to
me before referred to, or by any other well known means, and it will be seen
that by increasing the number of feeding apparatus and nippers 22 around
the axes c and e, cleaning apparatus may be applied at more than one point
around the circumference, so that as the feeding apparatus or the nippers 22
travel from one point to another, they may carry the fibrous material respec-
tively presented by them from one cleaning apparatus to another, each

page_text: successive cleaning surface being finer than the one preceding it. The
cleaning apparatus may be also arranged, to be withdrawn from the feeding
apparatus or the nippers 22 as they approach the cleaning apparatus, which
will be caused to approach nearer and nearer to the feed apparatus or
nippers 22 while they remain stationary, and then be again withdrawn to allow
the feed apparatus and nippers 22 to travel forward; and I would here
remark that the method of accumulating the tufts of fibrous material may
be greatly varied, and that in place of accumulating, them upon a card sheet
they may be deposited upon a travelling comb or otherwise, and, the arrange-
ment of the machine may be otherwise greatly varied without departing
from the nature of this part of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tongue, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C..
W. TONGUE. (L.S.)