IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE COMBING OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Smith, of the Firm of John Smith &
Sons, of Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Spinners,
Job Stake, of Manningham, in the Borough of the said Bradford,
Richard Tolson and Michael Firth, in the Employment of the
said John Smith & Sons, and Christopher Bradley, of the said
Bradford, Comb Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR THE COMBING OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES."
Sealed the 15th May 1873, and dated the 15th March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Smith,
Job Stake, Richard Tolson, Michael Firth, and Christopher Bradley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 15th March 1873.

page_text: Manningham, in the Borough of the said Bradford, RICHARD TOLSON
and MICHAEL FIRTH, in the Employment of the said John Smith &
Sons, and CHRISTOPHER BRADLEY, of the said Bradford, Comb Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR THE COMBING OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES," to be as
follows:-
The improvements have reference to means of working in the combing
of wool or other fibres in which the fibre under operation is detached
from feed teeth in rows of tufts by means of nipping surfaces, and the
tufts so detached are conducted by the carrier or porter comb to other
or holding combs from which it is again drawn in separate rows of tufts
for the cleansing of the uncleansed end thereof by other nipping
surfaces to be accumulated on apron or such like surface, in apparatus
of the character of that for which Letters Patent were granted to us
bearing date the 7th of March 1872, No. 700, and the present improve-
ments consist in causing the carrier or porter comb, when it has taken
its row of tufts of fibre from the first pair of nippers, to deliver such row
of tufts on to the holding comb with the tail or cleansed ends of the
tufts on the side of such holding combs, the farthest from the first pair
of nippers and on to a travelling apron in position to sustain such ends.
The apron at this part passes over a small fluted roller to which rapid
rotary motion is given, adapted when pressure is applied on such apron
to quick progressive motion to that apron. This pressure is obtained by
another small fluted roller carried by arms and operated to come into
position and press on the fibre after each feed on to the holding
combs close up to such combs. These two fluted rollers act in this case
as the second nipping surfaces by taking hold of the cleansed or tail end
of the fibre on the apron and drawing it out of the teeth of the holding
combs, and at the same time accumulating such rows of tufts in succession
upon the apron to be thereby fed to other gill or such like combs. The
carrier or porter comb in this case is supported so as to move in an
extended arc of a circle or traverse, say of about half a revolution, and
the tail or cleansed end carried thereby is assisted in being thrown over
therefrom on to the apron by a draft or current of air conducted through
the frame of such carrier or porter comb aided by other side drafts or
currents of air. A dabbing brush also aids the feed to these receiving
or holding combs.

page_text: risen after nipping the apron is dawn back, slipping over its nip roller, so
as to bring the last row of tufts received on to that apron in position
properly to receive the next row of tufts, and so on in succession. The
noil left in the holding combs is then raised by grate bars and cleansed
therefrom by brushes which come into position for the purpose, and in
some cases movement at such time may be given to the holding comb
so as to facilitate the cleansing thereof of noil. The apron is supported
at the feed to the other gill or such like teeth by one of a pair of feed
rollers which also give a feed motion to it.
We also in some cases apply a pair of moveable fluted rollers to nip
the row of tufts as those tufts are being drawn out by the first pair of
nippers in detaching the row of tufts from the feed gill or such like
combs. In some cases the position of the rollers for the second nip and
the apron may be reversed, when the action of the carrier or porter
comb will be arranged accordingly.