IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH COMBING MACHINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Browne, of the Firm of Browne and Company,
Patent Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH COMBING
MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Thomas Overend and Thomas
Firth. both of Paris. France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Browne at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March 1878.
ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent Agents, of
5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS
CONNECTED WITH COMBING MACHINES." (A communication from abroad, by
Thomas Overend and Thomas Firth, both of Paris, France).
Hitherto fluted rollers have been employed for taking away from the fringe all
the fibres of a certain length, and to withdraw them from the sliver.
What the fluted rollers take away must be put in flocks to the breaker, and pass
afresh through the operation and combing, so that a great part of the advantage
which might be obtained by this process is lost.
Now, the object of this Invention is to dispense with the aforesaid fluted rollers,
and in a direct manner to replace the long fibres (which may exist in the sliver) on
the large drum of the combing machine, so that these pass at once into the combed
cop without being again submitted to any of the operations which these fibres must
otherwise necessarily undergo.
The carrying out of this Invention may be effected in various equivalent ways.
According to one way the large drum or principal comb of the machine is fitted
with several rows of needles, the first two outside rows of which are flat pointed,
and the others are round pointed, and are fixed at proper distances apart and of
ordinary number; a smaller additional drum is furnished to carry the fringe.
Between these two drums is an oscillating gripper, which by its action withdraws

page_text: from the fringe on the smaller drum all fibres projecting beyond a certain distance,
and by its reverse motion places them on the principal comb of the larger drum.
Another equivalent way consists in so placing the two before-mentioned drums
that, by the use and alternate action of a smaller comb and suitable brush, the
Oscillating gripper may be dispensed with.
Another equivalent way consists in interposing between the large and small
drunis a third drum working in the same plain, and a fourth drum acting vertically
thereto in combination with plates on the large drum so as to form grippers of
themselves.
The above may be varied without departing from the principle of the Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Browne in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
September 1878.
.
ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent Agents, of
"IMPROVEMENTS
5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex.
CONNECTED WITH COMBING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by
Thomas Overend and Thomas Firth, both of Paris, France.
Hitherto, as in the Invention patented by Isaac Bailey and Smiths, and dated the
Eleventh day of January 1876, No. 123, a small circular comb has been used for
receiving the fringe and presenting it to a pair of fluted rollers, the object of which
is to carry off all fibres of a certain length and to withdraw them from noils, by
which method what the fluted rollers thus carry off requires to be returned in a
flock (or as a wad) to the carding, machine and undergo a fresh preparation and
combing, thereby diminishing a great proportion of the advantage of the process.
Further, in combing machines constructed according to Isaac Bailey and Smiths
said Invention, as in all machines which are fed by a whipping or lashing motion,
such, for instance, as Holden's combing machine and other similar ones, there is
necessarily produced by the way in which the fibres are lashed on to the great
circular coinb a looping of the fibres behind the pins which causes the breakage of
the fibres thus looped, either by the charging apparatus itself or by the drawing,
cylinders, the wool thereby becoming materially shorter, and the quantity of noil
proportionately greater.
In order to remedy these defects it is proposed, according to this Invention, to
adapt to the class of machines above mentioned combs composed of sets of graduated
pins, as represented in the Drawings accompanying this Specification.
The interior rows receive the lashed fibres, hold them parallel, and prevent their
looping behind the outside rows during the retiring movement of the charging
apparatus, which takes place without our application in ordinary combing
machines.
It will be readily understood that this appliance, although so simple, is of great
importance for all systems of combing wherein the fibres are charged by a lashing

page_text: motion, for it retains all their length and prevents the formation of a very great
quantity of noil.
It is to be understood that this Invention does not consist in the use of these
combs in regulated rows or sets in a general manner, but the application of these
combs to machines fed by a lashing motion, and more particularly to the kind of
machines containing the improvements herein-after described.
At Sheet 2, Figures 1 and 2 (of the accompanying Drawings), is represented one
arrangement of apparatus according to this Invention for obviating the first-
mentioned defect.
A is the large circular comb of graduated pins; B, the small circular comb
according to Bailey and Smith's Invention, carrying one or several rows of pins, as
may be deemed suitable; C, the small eccentric comb, according to Bailey and
Smiths Invention; D, nipping plate with its springs; F, small circular comb.
or comb of any suitable description placed between the noil circular comb
B, of Bailey and Smiths' Invention, and the drawing cylinders G, so as to form
an intersecting comb, through which the fibres are drawn; G, withdrawing cylinders,
as in Bailey and Smiths' method.
This arrangement works in the following manner:-The noil is carried forward
from the large graduated circular comb to the small reversed circular comb as in
Bailey and Smiths' Invention. The fibres thus line the little circular comb, which
in its course meets an eccentric comb E, the fibres become engaged under the
action of a holding plate actuated by springs opposite to this combing motion, so
that the latter combs the long fibres existing in the noils, carries off the impurities
they contain, and forms on the circular comb a perfectly cleansed fringe. This
fringe arrives by rotation of the circular comb in front of the ordinary fluted rollers,
but a "nacteur or intersecting comb suitably placed is interposed at the point of
their separation, and it completes the combing of the tail ends of the fibres which
come out in the shape of a combed sliver sufficiently perfect for mixture at the gills
with ordinary combed slivers. A small comb or other analogous appliance
completes the separation from the comb B of the noil that it contains.
"
This arrangement, as may be seen, is intended to be included in this Patent, for it
avoids a second transit of the long fibres contained in the noils through the cards
and to the combing machine.
According to another method of carrying out this Invention the withdrawing
cylinders (which present several objections) are dispensed with by carrying back in
a direct manner to the large circular comb whatever long fibres may exist in the
noils in such a manner that these pass forthwith into the combed sliver without
being subjected afresh to the operations to which it is necessary to submit these
fibres by employing Bailey and Smiths system.
This important improvement may be effected in several equivalent ways, which
are described in succession as follows:-The first way is shewn in Sheet 1, Figures
1, 2, and 3 of the Drawing herewith. A, Fig. 1, is the large circular comb
according to this Invention; B is the smaller additional circular comb of a machine
constructed according to Bailey and Smiths said Invention; D, a double jawed nip,
one jaw whereof is furnished with springs rotating upon an axis C, and opens
alternately by means of the eccentric E, Figure 2, set in action by the runner F;
G, Figure 2, is a square piece coming to contact with the roller F; H (Figure 2) is
the spring for closing the nip D. The piece I, placed under the fringe to be trans-
ferred, forms a nip with the spring arrangement; J (Figure 1) is a pinion fixed on
the central axis C, gearing in a rack K, rotating on an axis L by means of a rod M,
mounted on an eccentric N; this eccentric N is moved by a toothed wheel O,
receiving its notion from pinions P and Q, communicating with the general motivo
power of the machine. A guider R (Figure 3) serves to support the wool.
It will be seen by the Drawing that the long fibres attached to the outside of the
circular comb B are regularly carried off by the nip D, which will carry them back.
to the circular comb A. The nip has an alternating motion, calculated accordingly to
the progress of the circular comb B in such a manner that the fibres are always

page_text: carried off immédiately they come in front of the nip D. These fibres are deposited
very regularly, and in their entire length, on the circular comb A without having
to undergo any preparation, as before explained.
The second combination is shewn at Figures 6 and 7, in which A is the large
graduated circular comb, according to this Invention; B, the smaller circular comb;
C is an additional circular comb, turning in a plane perpendicular to that of the
circular comb B; this circular comb C receives the fringe projecting from the circular
comb B, and consequently charges itself with the long fibres which are retained
there by means of circular nips D, Figure 7; E is a reversed circular comb for
transferring the fringe to the large circular comb A. The forceing of the long fibres
into the pins of this circular comb A is effected by means of a brush G, furnished
with a to-and-fro movement. This movement is obtained by means of an
eccentric.
A third combination is shewn at Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings (Sheet 1). A is
the large graduated circular comb according to this Invention; B is the smaller
circular comb; C is a comb mounted eccentrically; D is a brush which causes the
material to descend into the large circular comb after an indeterminate traversing of
the smaller circular comb B; E is an eccentric working the brush; F (Figure 5)
are presser plates mounted with springs acting as nips on the inside of the circular
comb A; G is a small cleansing comb, circular or otherwise, turning in the plane of
the great circular comb, and at one point and tangentially to it.
It will be understood that by means of this arrangement the fibres are deposited
very regularly upon the circular comb A, which in its revolution causes them to be
nipped by the plate or plates E. At this monent the fringe outside the large
circular comb becomes caught in the sinall comb, circular or otherwise, G, which
charges itself with all the short fibres or noil, that it may contain, the long fibres
remaining in the large circular comb A.
This arrangement allows of the entire suppression of Bailey and Smith's system,
and of its substitution by an eccentric comb or by a star circular comb which is
shown in Figure 8.
It now remains to describe a special arrangement of horizontal nips applicable
for carrying the long fibres on to the great circular comb in the various arrange-
ments contained in this Invention, and which are shewn in Sheet 2, Figures
3, 4, 5.
A is the large principal circular comb graduated according to this Invention;
B, noil circular comb of Bailey and Smith's system; C, lower plate or disc forming
nip with a ring of leather c, c, on its surface; D, upper plate or disc of leather except the
collar; E, small circular revolving plate or disc always pressing on the collar or leather
ring upon the face of the plate or disc D; F, a roller in advance of the sinall circular
horizontal plate, and forming nip at the point nearest to the noil circle B; G, collar 4
or ring on the upper surface of the leathern plate or disc D, upon which act the
roller and the horizontal plate E; H, Figure 5, a roller which opens the nip at
the opposite side to deposit the fibres on the large circular comb and to receive the
fibres approaching the roller F; I, central and vertical axis. The fringe places
itself between the two plates or disc at the opening H; the plates or nip are closed 4
by the action of the roller F, and the circular revolving plate E; the nips in des-
cribing their course separate the long fibres from noil circle B, and carry them to
the principal circular comb A, where they are opened by the roller H and remain
open till they come in contact with the roller F.
As may be seen the means above described obviate completely the use of the 5
fluted drawing rollers which in Bailey and Smiths system tore out the long fibres,
and delivered them in such a state that it was indispensable that they should
undergo costly processes before being again submitted to combing. They substitute
instead a mechanistu which has for its object to carry back regularly the perfectly
straight fibres into the teeth of the large circular comb.
This arrangement may vary in different ways; many ways have been described
which appear easy of working, but it is intended to include in this Invention any.
5

page_text: equivalent arrangement having for its object the transferring of the long fibres
existing in the noils to the large comb and conducting them direct to the sliver
without having to submit these fibres to any fresh preparative working.
At Sheet 3, Figures 81, 82, A is the large circular comb, as before mentioned,
whereon the long fibres become assorted and drawn out by the operation of the
feeder; B, a small circular comb, of which the pins radiate from the centre
generally called a star circle, in which is caught the noil attached to the outside
of the large graduated circle A. By the rotation of this small star circular comb
B, the noil is lifted from the large circular comb A, at the point 1, where
the outside noil of the circular comb A comes in contact with the point
of the pins of the star circular comb B; the noil then follows the course
of the star circular comb B, to which it has been transferred by the contact
of the two circular combs at the point 1. Following the course of the star circular
comb B on arriving at the point 2 the noil has been advanced outside the large
circular comb A, and the long fibres placed over it. At this moment the fibres
come in contact with the circular brush C (or any other equivalent), which again
occasions their descent into the large graduated circular comb A, and at the same
time the outside noil comes in contact with the knife D, Figure 83, which separates
the noil from the small star circular comb B. The noil becoming detached from the
small star circular comb B, and being still retained by the long fibres, continues its
circuit with the large circular comb A, the long fibres being held by the circular
comb itself and the short outside. In this state they arrive at the nip or nips F,
Figure 82, forming (by the rotation of one or more half moons or eccentrics which
act alternately on the nip or nips) a continuous or intermittent nip, as the case may
be, in which the long fibres are held whilst the noil is carried off by the rotation of
the cleansing comb eccentric or circular G, Figures 81, 82, 83, or any other suitable
comb. In this manner the noil is separated from the long fibres, and these latter
continue their course with the large graduated circular comb A, and alternately
present themselves in front of the feeding motion, the square motion, and finally
the drawing rollers betwixt which they pass, whilst the noil continues its course
with the cleansing comb eccentric or circular G, from which it is carried off in
the ordinary manner.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, what I claim and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,
First. Applying to combing machines working by whipping or lashing, such as
those of Holden or other similar ones, combs with rows of graduated pins,
substantially as herein set forth.
Second. The modification, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1
and 2, Sheet 2, as applied to Bailey and Smiths system.
-
Third. Dispensing in a general way with the grooved drawing rollers, and
finally with the entire application of Bailey and Siniths system, and carrying
back directly on to the large circular coinb the long fibres contained in the
noils in such a manner that these pass forthwith into the combed sliver with-
out requiring to undergo any of the operations to which it is necessary again
to subject these fibres as in Bailey and Smiths system.
Fourth. The mechanical appliances, substantially as described, for effecting those
improvements.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Browne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord