Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1887
Specification Accepted, 25th Oct., 1887
I, WILLIAM HENRY SHEPHERD of the firm of Messrs. Mitchell and Shepherd,
Spring Mill, Manchester Road, Bradford, in the County of York, Spinner and Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to certain improvements in the tappets or eccentrics used to
actuate the nip of a Lister's or other similar class of combing machine and has for
its object the more gradual and more effective closing of the nip.
Hitherto the tappets in use for the said purpose have by the suddenness of the
stroke, caused a considerable jar upon the machine straining the parts and causing the
frequent breaking of the driving and other wheels: also by the sudden and violent
closing of the nip, the fibre, in the process of combing, has been damaged and cut,
thereby causing waste and further the nip itself has sustained from the same cause
such damage as to necessitate frequent and costly repairs.
By my improved tappet or eccentric the disadvantages above onumerated are
effectually prevented, a great saving not only in the wear and tear of the machines is
effected, but there is more work turned out amounting in some cases to 20 per cent.,
whilst the nips hitherto have needed repairs within six weeks, they will now last
12 months.
I accomplish my object by securing the tappets in the usual positions and forming
the contour shewn by the accompanying diagram in the following manner. The
connections between the nip plates and the pullies revolving on the contour of the
tappets are of the ordinary construction, and by the peculiar configuration of my
improved tappets, the nip plates are opened as rapidly but more gradually closed than
is the case when operated by tappets of the ordinary construction.
When the before mentioned pullies, are in contact with that portion of the respective
tappets indicated by the letter A, the nip plates are beginning to close, the curve from
A to B being struck from a distant centre, closes the nip plates more gradually and
with less vibration than when straight, the said plates being finally and gradually
closed for nipping the fibre while the tappet curves are travelling over the pullies

page_text: from B to C struck from the centre marked 1; the tappets whilst continuing their
course in the direction of the arrow, allow the said plates to remain closed until the
curve from C to D struck from centre 2 has passed the pullies, when the plates are
allowed to gradually open over the curve from D to E struck for the most part from
the centre 3, and further to open on clearing the fibre on the return stroke towards the
fallers whilst travelling over the curve from E to A struck from the centre marked 4,
thus closing and opening the nip plates more gradually and with less vibration to the
combing machine than when the tappets are constructed as hitherto.
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
The use of tappets constructed substantially in the manner described for the purpose
of operating the nip plates of Lister's and other similar combing machines by closing
the said plates more gradually than can be accomplished by tappets as hitherto
constructed.
00
1
1000
JOHN WAUGH,
Bradford, Agent.