Improvements in Fibre-feeding Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fibre-feeding Machines.
I, JAMES CHARLES POTTER, of No. 228 Broadway, in the City of Pawtucket,
County of Providence, State of Rhode Island, United States of America,
Manufacturer of Textile Machinery, do hereby declare the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to improvements in combs for fiber-feeding machines and
refers particularly to the construction whereby the comb is made self-clearing.
The object of the invention is to 30 construct a comb of this nature and its
actuating mechanism that the angle of extension of the comb-teeth from their
common axis may be varied in their path of movement.
Another object is to so construct a revolving comb provided with a clearer-frame
that, after passing the points at which the comb-teeth are adapted to engage the
fiber in their combing action, the angle of extension may be so changed that the teeth
are drawn through the spaces between the bars of the clearer-frame at practically
right angles thereto, whereby the fiber adhering to the teeth is stripped off the
same by the clearer-bars in line with the plane assumed by the teeth at this
point.
The further object of the invention is to so construct a revolving-comb and its
clearer-frame that the comb-teeth and clearer-frame will be protected from
lubricant applied to the bearings.
The invention consists in the peculiar construction of the clearer-frame and the
comb-teeth mounted on rotatable supports which are revolvable.
The invention also consists in a revolving comb for fiber-feeding machines which
is provided with comb-teeth mounted on rotatable supports, and means for rotating
the rotatable supports
The invention also consists in the clearer-frame, the comb-shaft rotatable in
bearings within the frame, the shafts, carrying the comb-teeth, rotatable in bearings
mounted on the comb-shaft, and peculiar means for rotating the tooth-shafts.
The invention still further consists in the rotatable tooth-shafts revolvably
mounted, and the novel means for causing the rotation of these shafts independent of
their revolution.
The invention still further consists in the novel manner of protecting the
lubricated parts.
The invention still further consists in such other novel features of construction
and combination of parts as may hereinafter be more fully described and pointed
out in the claims.
Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of a fiber-feeding machine showing
the improved comb in section.
Figure 2 represents a vertical cross-sectional view of the improved combing device
taken on a line a-a Figure 3.
Figure 3 represents a vertical sectional view of one end of the combing device
taken on a line b-b Figure 2.
Figure 4 represents a horizontal sectional view of the combing mechanism
partially broken away in the center.
Figure 5 represents a perspective view of a portion of one of the tooth-shafts
with its actuating crank.
Similar numbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

page_text: In carrying my invention into practice it has been my desire to rigidly support
the comb-teeth and to provide means whereby the action of the teeth on the fiber
with reference to the bars of the clearer-frame will be similar to that of combs
furnished with reciprocating teeth, while the movement is a continuous rotation in
the revolution of the comb, so that while the benefits of presenting the teeth to the
fiber in a combing or sidewise motion and the withdrawing of the teeth from the
fiber in a direction lengthwise of the teeth are maintained, the actuating mechanism
requiring lubrication is thoroughly protected at the ends of the combing device,
thus preventing damage to the fiber by the lubricant.
In the drawings 6-6 indicate portions of the sides of a fiber-feeding machine
which is generally furnished with a lifting-apron which consists of a continuous belt 7
mounted on rollers 8 and 9 by which it is supported in an inclined position. The
rollers 8 and 9 are secured to the shafts 10 and 11 which are journaled in bearings
in the sides of the machine, power being applied to a pulley on one shaft to drive
the shaft in the direction indicated by the arrow X. To the belt 7 are secured
the transverse bars 12-12 in which are fastened the pins or spikes 13-13, those
on the operating portion of the apron extending upward at an outward inclination
to engage the fiber and carry it upward as the apron moves.
At the upper portion of the apron, before it passes over the roller 9, the fiber
carried along thereby is subjected to the action of a combing mechanism, for the
purpose of removing the abnormal thickness of the fiber on the apron, so that the
fiber may be delivered in an even layer, the action of the combing being in a
direction opposite to that in which the fiber is carried by the apron. This combing
mechanism is generally provided with teeth which, to engage the fiber, should
exert a raking or sidewise action thereon, when this surplus fiber has been taken
up by the teeth it is carried backwards by the comb-teeth and would be carried
entirely around by the same, if the clearing devices were omitted, resulting in the
clogging of the comb. This clearing device is generally in the nature of a screen
through which the comb-teeth are extended to engage the fiber and again with-
drawn to clear the fiber from the teeth, in this withdrawal it is obvious that, the
purpose being to release the fiber, the movement of the teeth should be in a direction
which will exert the least drag on the fiber and hence the least tendency to draw
the same within the screen.
My invention has particular reference to the means for removing the surplus
fiber from the feed-apron and for clearing the so removed fiber from the comb-teeth
so that it may drop back and be again taken up by the apron; for this purpose
I provide the upper portion of the sides 6-6 with slots or openings 14-14 and to
the outer surfaces of the sides I secure the brackets 15-15 provided with the
adjusting-pins 16-16 and 17-17 and with the guide-pins 18-18. In these
brackets 15-15 are mounted the bearing-blocks 19-19 having vertical slots
into which the guide-pins extend.
In the bearings of the blocks 19 are journaled the outwardly-extending
sleeves 20-20 of the end-plates 21-21 which are secured in the desired position
by the screws 22-22; these end-plates have cam-grooves 23-23 open on their
inner surfaces and inwardly-extending annular-lips 24-24, the hubs 20-20¹ of
the plates having inwardly-curving annular-lips 25-25, forming receptacles for
lubricating material, which are connected by the channels 26-26 with the outer
ends of the sleeves 20-20.
The upper portions of the end-plates 21 have the projections 27 and 28 the
corresponding projections of the plates being connected by the bars 29 and 30 to
which the parallel curved strips 31-31 are secured, spaces being left between these
strips for the movement of the comb-teeth.
Journaled in the sleeves 20-20 of the end-plates 21-21 is the comb-shaft 32
having at one end the pulley 33 by means of which power is applied to rotate the
shaft and operate the combing mechanisın; to this shaft are rigidly secured circular
concave plates 34-34 the hubs of which have the sleeves 35-35 projecting within
the annular-lips 25-25 of the end-plates 21, the plates 34 serving as shields to

page_text: prevent the inward flow of lubricant from these bearings. At equal distances
from the center of the plate 34 are formed bearings 36-36 extending through the
plates and the plates are so mounted on the shafts 32 that their circular edges are
clearly embraced by the annular-lips 24 of the end-plates.
The comb-teeth 37-37 are rigidly secured in the tooth-shafts 38-38 the ends
of which extend through and are journaled in the bearings 36-36 of the plates 34.
On the ends of the tooth-shafts are mounted crank-arms 39-39, extending at right
angles to the lines of the comb-teeth, movable between the plates 34 and the end-
plates and having pins 40-40 furnished with anti-friction sleeves 41-41 which
engage in the cam-grooves 23 of the end-plates.
The end-plates 21 are generally so adjusted that the cam-grooves 23 will be
located mainly above and towards the apron side of the shaft 32, as this shaft is
rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow Y in the drawings, the tooth-
shafts 38 will revolve in a circle about the shaft 32 while these shafts will 'be
rotated by the following of the anti-friction bearings 41 in the cam-grooves 23 to
bring the comb-teeth into position as 37° in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, so
that they will exert a combing or sidewise action on the surplus fiber, while, as they
leave the point at which the fiber is engaged, their shafts are rotated to swing the
teeth backward until, when the teeth are rising between the curved strips of the
clearer-frame, they move in a direction nearly at right angles thereto and are
drawn from the fiber which is held back by these curved strips.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
Claim 1. In a revolving comb, the combination with side-frames provided with
bearings, a clearer-frame mounted within the side-frames and consisting of end-
plates, bars connecting the end-plates, parallel curved strips secured to the bars
and depending therefrom, and a shaft journaled in the bearings of the side-frames,
of plates secured to the shaft and having bearings, shafts journaled in these
bearings, teeth secured in the shafts and adapted to extend at certain points
between the strips of the clearer-frame, and means for rotating the last-mentioned
shafts.
2. In a revolving comb, the combination with side-frames, bearings mounted
thereon, end-plates having sleeves rotatably adjustable in the bearings, said sleeves
having inwardly-projecting lips forming reservoirs and channels connecting the
outer ends of the sleeves with the reservoirs, the end-plates also having annular
lips, and a clearer-frame carried by the end-plates, of a shaft journaled in the
sleeves of the end-plates, circular plates secured to said shaft and adapted to be
closely embraced by the annular lips of the end-plates, sleeves on said plates
adapted to be embraced by the inwardly turned lips of the end-plate sleeves, and a
combing device carried by the shaft.
3. The combination with the side-frames 6-6 having the openings 14-14,
the brackets 15-15 secured to the side-frames, the bearing-blocks adjustable in
the brackets, the end-plates 21-21 having the annular-lips 24-24 and the
sleeves 20-20 mounted in the bearing-blocks and having on the inner sides of
the plates the inwardly-turned lips 25-25 connected by channels with the outer
ends of the sleeves, and a clearer-frame supported by the end-plates and consisting
of a series of curved strips 31-31 secured to cross-bars, of a comb-shaft journaled
in the sleeves 20-20, a combing device mounted on the shaft and provided with
comb-teeth adapted to move between the clearer-bars, the plates 34 secured to the
comb-shaft and having the sleeves 35-35, the circular edges of these plates closely
fitting within the lips 24 of the plates 21.
4. The combination with side-frames having openings, brackets secured to the
frames, bearing-blocks adjustable in the brackets, the end-plates 21-21 having
the lips 24-24, the cam-grooves 23-23 and central sleeves 20 journaled in the
bearing-blocks and having the inwardly-turned lips 25-25, the cross-bars 27

page_text: and 28 secured to the end-plates and the curved strips 31-31 fastened to these
bars, of the shaft 32 journaled in the sleeves 20-20, the circular-plates 34 mounted
on the shaft and closely embraced by the lips 24 of the end-plates and having the
bearings 36-36 and the sleeves 35-35 extending within the lips 25 of the end-
plates, the shafts 38-38 journaled in the bearings 36--36, the arms 39-39 secured
to the ends of the shaft, and the bearings, formed by the pins 40 and sleeves 41,
secured to the ends of these arms and extending into the cam-grooves 23-23, as
described.
5. In a revolving comb, the combination with a clearer-frame consisting of the
end-plates 21-21, the cross-bars 29 and 30 connecting the end-plates, and a series
of parallel curved strips secured to the cross-bars, of a central shaft journaled in
bearings, plates secured to the shaft and having bearings near the outer portions,
shafts journaled in these bearings, pins secured in the shafts, arms on the ends of
the shafts, guides located adjacent to the ends of the shafts, and means intermediate
the arms and the guides whereby the arms may be directed in a manner to cause the
rotation of the toothed shafts.
JAMES CHARLES POTTER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.