IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING WOOL, COTTON, Tow, CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF HAIR, & OTHER FIBROUS SUB- STANCES
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Robert Rams-
botham and William Brown at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
, with their Petition, on the 18th November 1854.
-We, HENRY ROBERT RAMSBOTHAM, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Worsted Spinner, & WILLIAM BROWN, of the same Place, Mechanic, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING
WOOL, COTTON, Tow, CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF HAIR, & OTHER FIBROUS SUB-
STANCES" to be as follows:-
The improvements consist, when using screw gill combs, or combs acting in
the manner of gill combs, to feed fibrous substances into receiving combs
for the purpose of their being combed, of giving to such feed "combs, in addi-
tion to their ordinary feeding motion; a traverse motion in the direction of
the length of the gill bars, & transversely, or it may be obliquely, to that
of the receiving comb, by which the teeth of the gill combs will point. in a

page_text: direction transversely or obliquely to those of the receiving comb, and each
gill comb as it comes up to the receiving comb will commence to deliver its
fibre from the teeth at one end of its bar, and in its transverse or oblique
traverse progressively deliver from the teeth at that end to the other, & so on,
with each succeeding bar. And we prefer, that in carrying out this part of the
Invention, that the circular or other receiving comb be caused to travel in a
vertical direction.
To prevent the fibre laid on to the receiving comb from being disturbed by
the back motion of the feeding combs, we at such times interpose a guard plate.
We also sometimes cause the gill feed combs in their transverse traverse
motion to incline over the points of the teeth of the receiving comb, the back
row of teeth in which stand out farther than the fronter rows, so as first to
enter the fibre, and thereby take to the back of the receiving combs the noil
or short, and knots, or other matters; and we prefer that the gill comb bars be
of a curved form, to facilitate the delivery of the fibre on to the receiving comb.
Also, in causing gill combs, or combs acting in like manner, to feed on to
receiving combs, to have a to and fro transverse or oblique motion (such as
explained) past such receiving combs, when two sets of receiving combs are
employed, back to back or head to head, whereby the feed will be first on to
one and then on the other of the receiving combs, the teeth of the feed comb
being at all times pointing in a direction transversely or obliquely of that of
the receiving combs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Robert Ramsbotham and William Brown in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
ROBERT-RAMSBOTHAM, of Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Spinner,
and WILLIAM BROWN, of the same Place, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, 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 Henry Robert Ramsbotham and William Brown, Her special
licence that we, the said Henry Robert Ramsbotham and William Brown,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Henry Robert Ramsbotham, and William--Brown, our executors, administra-

page_text: tors, 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 COMBING WOOL, COTTON, TOW, CERTAIN DESCRIP-
TIONS OF HAIR, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Henry Robert Ramsbotham and William Brown,
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 we, the said Henry Robert Ramsbotham and
William Brown, 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 statement thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements consist, when using screw gill combs, or combs acting in
the manner of gill combs, to feed fibrous substances into receiving combs for
the purpose of their being combed, of giving to such feed combs, in addition
to their ordinary. feeding. motion, a traverse motion in the direction of the
length of the gill bars, and transversely, or it may be obliquely, to that of the
receiving comb, by which the teeth of the gill combs will point in a direction
transversely or obliquely to those of the receiving comb, and each gill comb as
it comes up to the receiving comb will commence to deliver its fibre from the
. teeth at one end of its bar, and in its transverse or oblique traverse progres-
sively deliver from the teeth at that end to the other, and so on, with each
succeeding bar. And we prefer, in carrying out this part of the Invention,
that the circular or other receiving comb be caused to travel in a vertical
direction.
To prevent the fibre laid on to the receiving comb from being disturbed by
the back motion of the feeding combs, we at such times interpose a guard plate.
We also sometimes cause the gill feed combs in their transverse traverse
motion to incline over the points of the teeth of the receiving comb, the back
row of teeth in which stand out farther than the fronter rows, so as first to
enter the fibre, and thereby take to the back of the receiving combs the noil or
short, and knots, or other matters; and we, prefer, in some cases, that the gill
comb bars be of a curved form, to facilitate the delivery of the fibre on to the
receiving comb. Also, in causing gill combs, or combs acting in like manner

page_text: to feed on to receiving combs, to have a to and fro transverse or oblique motion
(such as explained) past such receiving coinbs, when two sets of receiving
combs are employed, back to back or head to head, whereby. the feed will be
first on to one and then on the other of the receiving combs, the teeth.of the
feed comb being at all times pointing in a direction transversely, or obliquely
to that of the receiving combs. But that the nature of our said Invention.may
be more fully understood, we will proceed to describe. the means, which, we
adopt in carrying the same into effect.
"
DESCRIPTION. OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows a side view, Figure 2 an end view, and Figure 3-a plan, of
apparatus arranged according to our Invention; other. views show; some of the
parts separately. a, a, is the framing of the machine; b is the main axis,
from-which the various movements are obtained. Motion is obtained to this
axis from a-steam engine or other suitable power. by means of a strap or
band, acting upon the fixed drum-or.pulley bc is a circle of comb teeth;
forming the receiving comb; -d-is. the feeding, means, which consists of a series
of gill combs or "fallers," which are actuated in the ordinary. manner adopted
in other screw gill apparatus, by rotating screws or axes, d, in order to bring up
the fresh gill combs as desired with the fibre carried thereby, that it may feed
into the teeth of the receiving comb c; but, the modes of actuating the gill
combs, or combs acting as gill combs, may be varied. And it will be seen that
the gill combs in-feeding, and the receiving.combs in taking their fibre, work
transversely, or they may be somewhat obliquely to each other, and it is
this peculiarity which constitutes the main feature of our improvements.
According to the arrangement shown by the. Drawings, the receiving comb.is
of the rotating kind, travelling in a vertical direction around a centre of motion,
with the teeth pointing horizontally. We do not, however, confine ourselves, to
the circular form of receiving comb, as straight or other combs may be used:
And the gill bars are supported by a carriage e, to which a traversing motion
is given, in order to effect the laying of the fibres into the teeth of the receiving
comb in the manner. desired; but we do not confine ourselves to this arrange-
ment for effecting the laying on of fibre from the teeth of gill combs to the
teeth of receiving combs acting in-a-transverse, or-it-may-be-in-an-oblique,.
direction, the one set of teeth to the other, as variations in the working of the
respective parts may be made without departing from our. Invention. The
gill carriagee has friction rollers e', by which it is supported on the table or
rails e, e³, whilst it has guides which partly embrace the edge of the table

page_text: It will be seen by reference to Figure: 2; that the upper part of the carriage
ewith the parts carried thereby.for, actuating the feed: rollers and the gill
fallers; or bars, are arranged to cause, those feed rollers and gill bars to incline
at an angle to the planeuon: which the gillycarriage e moves, whilst the gill
teeth are placed in the gill bars to act vertically, or to point in a direction at
right angles to that plane; and also-in-a-direction at right angles," or it may be
obliquely, to the direction in which the teeth of the receiving.comb point; and
we would here state,. that although we have shown the gill bars inclining to the
plane on which the gill carriage e traverses at that. angle, which we have found
to answer..well to facilitate, the laying on of the fibre when working, wool, we
do not confine ourselves to splacing them at that 'angle, as variations, may be
made therein without departing from our Invention. The traversing motion
is obtained to the carriage'e from the main axis in the following manner:
Upon the axis is affixed a bevilled pinion which takes into and drives
the bevilled pinion eupon the shaft or axis which is supported in bearings
carried by the main framing, as shown, and carries the pinione, which takes
into and drives-the toothed wheel e, affixed to the shaft or axis-e-In one
of the arms of the toothed wheel'e' is affixed the stud,to receive one end of
the connecting rod e, the other end of which is carried by the stud carried
by the lever e. This lever, e turns upon the axis e and at its upper end is
connected by the link to the axis of one of the supporting rollers e¹ of the
carriage e: The fibre, to be combed is fed through the holes formed in the
plate to the feed rollers e, and thence to the gill bars d, and the forward
motion to the feed rollers and to the gill bars for the supply of fibre is
obtained in the backward motion of the carriage e, after fibre has been 'fed
into the teeth of the receiving comb, whilst the feed rollers and gill combs are
Stationary during that portion of the traverse of the carriage e when the.
laying of fibre into the receiving combs is effected: These movements are
obtained in the following inaninere is a fixed plate, upon which are formed
the angular ridges or teeth e, which take into, and in the traverse motion of
carriage'e give motion to, the tooth segment es, which turns loosely upon the
axis eUpon this axis eis affixed the ratchet wheel eo, which is taken into
by the click or catch e. When the, carriage e is traversing from left to
right (looking at Figure 2) to lay fibre into the teeth of the receiving comb,
motion will be given to the segment of teeth es by the teeth e, but the
spring click or catch e" will, in that motion of the carriage e, slip over the teeth
of the ratchet wheel eo, without giving any rotary motion to the axis e¹, but
in the return motion from right to left; when the tooth segment will be caused
to perform a partial rotation in the opposite direction by moving along the

page_text: teeth e; the click or catch e" will take into one of the teeth of the ratchet
wheeled to give partial rotation thereto, and to the axis e, upon which are
affixed the bevilled pinions e, which take into and drive the bevilled pinions
es, upon the axes d¹ of the lower screws, for actuating the gill bars. Upon
these lower axes d¹ are also affixed the pinions, which gear into and give
motion to other pinions affixed upon the axes of the upper screws, by which
the onward motion is given to the gill bars or "fallers," in like manner to
what is ordinarily practised with other gill apparatus; and we would have it
understood that we have not thought it necessary to enter into all the details
of working in order to effect the various movements to the gill bars, as such
are well understood, and, separately, form no part of our Invention. Motion
is given to one of the feed rollers e¹ from the axis e, by there being affixed
upon that axis a pinion e, which takes into and drives the intermediate
wheel e, which turns upon the axis e30, and has affixed to it the pinion e³¹,
which takes into and drives another intermediate wheel e, which drives the
toothed wheel, affixed upon the axis of one of the feed rollers e¹. fis a
brush, by which the-fibre is pressed into the teeth of the gill combs; the brush
fis affixed to arms f¹, carried by the axis f, which is supported in the
standards f³, carried by the carriage e. Upon the axis f³ is affixed the arm
f, which carries a truck or roller f³, which rests against the cam or tappet
fo, affixed to the axis e¹. In the partial rotation of this axis e¹, the brush
will be caused to-rise from and-then-fall-to-press-the fibre into the gill teeth:
g is what we call a "catch comb," the teeth of which take into the projecting
ends of the fibre, brought forward by the gill combs, and draw forward the
noil therein, in order that it may be laid at the inside of the teeth of the
receiving comb, in manner such as was described in the Specification of a
Patent recently granted to us, bearing date on or about the Eighth day of
September, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four. This "catch comb ".
is affixed to arms g¹, which turn upon axes carried by the frame g³, so as to
be capable of a motion towards and from the gill combs to take into and-draw
forward the noil in the fibre brought forward by the gill teeth. This to and
fro motion to the "catch comb" is effected by means of a projection upon the
face of the wheel or plate g³, affixed to the axis e, acting upon the truck or
roller g' carried-by-the-lower-end-of-the-lever-g, which-turns-upon-the-axis-
g, whilst towards its upper end the lever g³ is slotted, and receives the slide 9',
to which is connected by a pin joint the link or lever g³, one end of which
is connected by-a-pin. joint. to the -catch comb g, whilst the other end is.
guided by passing through the hole formed in the stud 9%, the stem of which
is capable of turning in the bearing go. The lever gis borne with its truck
'g

page_text: g against the plate or cam g³ by a coiled or other suitable spring. The
frame g is also capable of downward and upward motion, in order that the
teeth of the "catch comb" may take into the fibre projecting from the feeding
means, and then release themselves again, ready for a fresh supply. In order
to this, the two side bars of the frame g² are at their upper and lower ends
formed into necks 9"; which are capable of sliding in the fixed guides g¹. The
upward motion to the frame is effected by means of the cam g¹³, affixed to
the axis g, upon which is affixed a pinion g, which is taken into and driven
by a pinion go, affixed on the axis e³. The cam g¹³ acts upon the truck or
roller g, carried by a pin standing out from a projection from the frame 9³.
The frame g is borne downwards, so that its truck or roller g" may follow the
course of the cam g13 by the springs 918. The points of the teeth of the "catch
comb "g incline towards the teeth of the carrying comb, and thereby they
readily clear themselves from the fibre after they have drawn forward the noil
contained in it, and when the frame e is moved on its rails e³, in a direction to
lay the fibre into the teeth of the carrying comb, whilst the head of the "catch
comb" is, by preference, placed in the same plane as that of the gill bars used.
x is a thin stationary bar, which is affixed to the frame or carriage e, and has
short teeth towards its lower edge, which enter the spaces between the row or
rows of teeth of the gill combs, which for the time are frontermost, so as to
support such row or rows of gill teeth separately, when they are brought into.
position to fill fibre on to the receiving combs. h is a guard plate, affixed to and
rotating with the axis h¹; and at the time when the gill combs are traversing
from right to left (of Figure 2), this plate is in the position indicated by the
Drawings, and serves to prevent the fibre already laid on to the receiving comb
from being disturbed by the back motion of the feeding combs; but when the
fibre is being laid or lashed into the receiving comb, the plate is turned out of
the way, to admit of the fibre being fully lashed into the teeth of the comb c.
Rotary motion is given to the axis h¹ by there being affixed on that axis a
bevilled pinion h², which is taken into by the teeth of the bevilled pinion h";
affixed to the axis h*, which turns in bearings carried by the framing, and has
affixed to it the bevilled pinion h³, which is taken into by, and receives motion
from, the bevilled pinion 6, affixed to the pinion ', which turns upon the fixed
stud h³, and is taken into and driven by the pinion h, carried by the shaft or.
axis e. i, i, are fans or wipers, which are affixed to the axis ', which is sup-
ported so as to rotate in the bearing formed in the upper end of the fixed arm i²;
whilst it has motion given to it by the strap or band, as shown. The object
of these fans or wipers is to lift the points of the fibre carried round by the
teeth of the receiving, or carrying comb, in, order to those points being in a

page_text: better position to be laid by the boards or plates j, to be taken by the drawing-
off rollers. These boards or plates j'are affixed to the endless-band or apron j,
carried by the pulleys, which turn upon the axes ³, carried by the standard jª.
Motion is given to one of these pulley's 3 by a band or strap 7, passing partly
around that pulley and partly around the pulley, affixed on the axis b. k, k
are the drawing-off rollers, which, with the belt k', draw the fibre from the teeth
of the carrying comb; and we would here state, that although we have shown
the drawing-off rollers placed horizontally, they may be otherwise placed, as
may be found most convenient, according to the length of staple or character of
fibre being treated. .k is a plate, which passes partly around and projects over
the teeth of the receiving comb, for the purpose of aiding to hold the fibre into
those teeth; and is a plate, which extends across the surface of the teeth in
the receiving comb, for the purpose of clearing that comb at the point of
drawing off by the drawing-off rollers; m is a comb; carried by the end
of the arm m', affixed to the eccentric ring m³, and which is guided by passing
through the stud m³; the-neck of which is capable of turning in the fixed
bearing m In the rotary motion of the eccentric'm², motion will be given to
tlie combm to raise the fibre from the bottom of the teeth of the receiving
comb, and thereby loosen the fibres therefrom Motion is given to the eccen-
tric m by there being affixed to the axis thereof a pulley m; to receive the
gut or band m, which receives motion from the pulley m³, affixed to the axis e'.
The noilsis-lifted from the teeth of the receiving comb by means of an angular
plate placed between the rows of teeth, as is well understood. The circle of
receiving comb is formed with teeth, and receives motion in the following
manner Upon the main axis bis affixed the toothed wheel o;-which takes
into and drives; by means of the intermediate wheel p; the toothed wheel q,
fixed on the axis of one of the drawing-off rollers. Upon this axis is fixed the
pinion g', which takes into and drives the tooth wheel r, to which is affixed
the pinion wheels, which takes into and drives the tooth wheel t, affixed to
the axis u; upon which is formed or affixed the pinion v, which takes into the
teeth formed in the circle of receiving combs. The circle of receiving combs
is formed hollow to receive steam, which is conducted by arms w, through the
hollow axis w of the circle c: It will be seen, by-reference to the Drawings,
-that-the-rail-or-table--is-inclined-at-an-angle_to_the_axis of the receiving
comb, by which the face of the gill combs will somewhat incline over the
points of the teeth of the receiving comb, and we have found this an advan-
tage, inasmuch as the fibre carried thereby will be more effectually laid or
lashed into the teeth of the receiving comb.
In place, however, of this traverse motion to the gills across the receiving

page_text: combs being in a straight line, it may be in a curved course, by the rails es
being formed to part of the segment of a circle or otherwise, when we should'
prefer for the gill combs to be formed to a like curve. And in some cases we
use two sets of receiving combs, placed head to head or back to back, so that
the feed may be on to both, sets of teeth alternately.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the best means
we are acquainted with for carrying the same into practice, we would have it
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein shown
and described, as variations may be made therein without departing from our
Invention; but what we do claim is, for arranging, combining, and working
apparatus, substantially as herein explained, for combing wool, cotton, tow,
certain descriptions of hair, and other fibrous substances, whereby the feeding
of the fibre on to the teeth of the receiving comb is through screw gill combs,
or combs acting in the manner of gill combs, the teeth of which point in a
direction transversely or obliquely to those of the receiving comb.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Robert Ramsbotham and William
Brown, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
HENRY ROBERT RAMSBOTHAM.. (L.S.)
WILLIAM BROWN.
(L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE HARROWBY.