CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING, COMBING, STRAIGHTENING. CLEANING, AND PREPARING FOR SPINNING, HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
KING WESTLY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Flax Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourteenth day of January, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William King Westly, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, Herespecial licence, full
power, sele privilege and authority, that I, the said William King Westly,
my exors, adiiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William King
Westly, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDING, COMBING, STRAIGHTENING. CLEANING, AND
PREPARING FOR SPINNING, HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES; " in which
said Letters l'atent is contained a proviso that I, the said William King
Westly, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters l'atent, as, upon
reference thereunto, will fully appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William King Westly, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, is fully described and ascer
tained by the following description thereof, reference being had to the Draw-
ings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon. For
the convenience of description I have arranged my several improvements under
the following heads, namely:-
First. Improvements in the construction of the machine known by the name
of the screw gill.
Second. The use of a material for the manufacture of cylinders for carding
engines and stocks for heckles, combs, and gills, not hitherto used for that
purpose.
Third. An improved bend and bend pin," for a carding engine.
Fourth. An improved geer chain for transmitting motion to the spindles
and bobbins of spinning machinery, which I denominate a flexible rack."
Fifth. A new process of heckling, combing, or brushing fibrous substances.
My first improvement is in the construction of the machine known by the
name of the "screw gill," now using in preparing for spinning fibrous sub-
stances, and for which a Patent was granted to me, the aforesaid William
King Westly, and Samuel Lawson, bearing the following title, "Certain Im-
provements in Machinery and Apparatus for Preparing, Drawing, or Roving
Hemp, Flax, Wool, and other Fibrous Substances, "a Specification of which was
duly inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery. In these machines,
as hitherto constructed, the propelling screws or spirals are supported by pillow
blocks placed between them and the drawing rollers. My improvement con-
sists in removing the pillow blocks from between the drawing rollers and the
comb, and supporting the propelling screws or spirals by two pillow blocks
placed behind the barrel or threaded part of each spiral, or by one pillow
block made of suflicient length to answer the purpose of both bearings, of
otherwise by causing the propelling screws themselves to revolve in tubes
having openings at the sides to admit of receiving the ends of the comb bars
or fallers. This new arrangement enables me to use drawing rollers of smaller
diameter than has hitherto been practicable,and therefore to operate uponthe
shortest fibres. As hitherto constructed, each head of the screw gill contains
four screws or spirals, and each screw is furnished with a cam or tappet for
raising and lowering the comb bars er fallers.
Another of my improvements in this machine consists in removing these
cams or tappets from the spirals themselves, and placing them on separate rods
or shafts lying alongside the spirals and geered to act with them, so that the

page_text: screws will only propel the fallers, which will be raised and lowered by the
side rods. The advantage of this arrangement is, that in a length of carriages
or heads upon one frame, there is no necessity for having four screws between
each head, as two will be sufficient. The intermediate screw being disen-
cumbered of its cam will propel the fallers on both sides. These two improve-
ments of the screw gill may be used either jointly or separately.
Another of my improvements consists of the application and use of the
material called and known by the name of papier machee, for the construction
of the cylinders required in carding engines either hollow or solid. For this
purpose I use the material in two ways: I sometimes cast the pulp into metal
moulds of a suitable form, and make the cylinders at once, and sometimes I
form the material into flat bars, which I bolt in the usual way to drum rims of
iron, and after wards turn true, like wood. I also use the material called papier
machee for the construction of all kinds of stocks for heekles, combs, and
gills, used in the preparing for spinning of fibrous substances. For this pur-
pose the material is either cast in moulds of a proper figure, or sawn and cut
like wood out of blocks to a suitable form for the stock required.
I will now describe my invention of an improved bend and bend pin for
the carding engine. The object of the bend pin is to raise and lower the
smaller cylinders of a carding engine from and to the main cylinder, and also
to adjust the distance of one cylinder from another. The bends are usually made
circular, but flat on their upper surface. My bend is circular, as usual, but it
is also circular in cross section, that is to say, it is the segment of a sphere;
the consequence is, that the concave washer will fit equally flat and true
wherever it is moved or applied. No. 21' is a section of the bend and bend
pin, through the centre of the latter, at right angles to the frame or cylinder
sides; No. 21, a side elevation of a part of the bend, and one bend pin;
No. 21 is the concave washer, upset, or shewing its under side.
These Figures
are all half the real size. A is the bend of a cast iron hollow, and boxed up
below by a rib of iron marked blue; B the small cylinder shaft to be raised or
lowered; C, a standard supporting the cylinder shaft; the stem of this
standard is screwed or chased with a right-hand thread; D, asocket to receive
the stem of the standard C; it is tapped inside with a right-hand thread; it is
screwed or chased outside with a left-hand thread; of course, therefore, when
turned either to right or left, it will thrust out or draw in the standard C.
E is a socket in a reversed position to D; it is tapped inside with a left-hand
thread to receive the socket D, and its head, marked E, E, in the section, is
inside of the bend, passing through a short mortice in the bend. 1 and 2,
are two six-sided nuts. The nut 1 steadies the standard C to the socket D

page_text: when the required height of the shaft B is obtained. The nut 2 fastens the
socket E to the bend itself, by pressing upon the concave washer when the
lateral position of the shaft B has been obtained. F is the concave washer
it turns loose upon the socket E, but is capable of being made fast by the nut
2; for this purpose its upper surface is flat, but its under surface, or that
next to the bend, is concave, to suit the globular form of the top side.
of the bend, and this under surface is also cut into a spiral groove or
face screw, as seen in Figure 3. G is a small pin, supposed to project from
the bend under the washer, and taken into its spiral groove, but quite fixed
itself in the bend. Now, if the nut 2 be loosened, and the concave washer F
turned either to the right or left, the pin C will, of course, draw it sideways
accordingly, and when so drawn, it is made fast by again tightening the nut 2.
The quantity of side movement required is small.
I have also invented a flexible rack for communicating motion to the cylin
ders, spindles, bobbins, and other parts of machinery for preparing for spinning
fibrous substances. To explain the difference betwixt my flexible rack and the
common pitch chain, I would observe, that a common chain drives a wheel by
being flexible, and having a bar, or pin, or tooth at each joint that takes into
teeth or pius upon the wheel. Mine is quite different. The teeth are inde-
pendant of the links. The links may be long or coarse, but the teeth may be
extremely fine, and my chain or flexible rack is wholly inflexible on the side it
works; it is only made flexible on one side to enable it to return. Figure 22
shews the application of this flexible rack to driving the spindles of a roving
frame. A, A, is the chain, the links of which have teeth outside, capable of
working in spur wheels. B, B, B, are the spindles or bobbins, furnished with
spur wheels, which may be of the same or different diameters.
I will now describe my new method of heckling, combing, or brushing
fibrous substances, which is mainly effected by the various application of
holders capable of partial or complete rotation. These holders may be of any
suitable length, and of any figure, in transverse section, round, square, or poly-
gonal; they may be made of iron or any other fit material, or of iron covered
with felt. They may be used in single couples, or in any number combined
together in frames, which I call holder frames.
Figure 23 shews a couple of round holders A. A, screwed together by the
links B, B; but the method of uniting them admits of great variety. The
fibrous substance is introduced between them by hand or by machinery, and
in this state they may be used together with any heckling machine now in
C, C, are square ends, which I call the key ends; it is not necessary
that they should always be square; they may be of any shape that will enable
use.

page_text: them to be occasionally turned, partially or wholly. My method of proceeding
varies with the nature of the material under operation; fibresina tangled and
confused state, such as wool, silk, or tow, must be first arranged into a leve
mass, ribon, or sliver; but flax, and some other substances which are already
in a comparatively straight condition, will not require this preliminary opera
tion. The fibrous substance may be brought into a sliver by many well-known
ways. It may be spread by hand on a creeping sheet at the back of a screw
gill drawing frame, or it may be extended over a long cloth or parchment,
which may afterwards be rolled up and placed behind a screw gill drawing,
and while the cloth or parchment is wound upon a roller, the fibrous substance
may be made to go upon the combs of the gill frame, and be drawn off by
drawing rollers in the usual way.
It will be advisable, in order to obtain the utmost possible levelness of slivers
and straightness of fibre to combine a number of these crude slivers, and to
draw them again over any suitable drawing frame. This prepared sliver is
then taken to the stricking machine, by which it is separated into stricks or
small parcels and introduced into the holders, and the latter placed with the
fibrous substance into the holder frames. Flaxor hemp being already straight,
is broken into stricks by the common flax-breaking machines, and is taken at
once to the filling machine, which fills the holders with the fibrous substance,
and places them in the holder frame.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FILLING MACHINE.
Figure 1 is an elevation of one of the frame sides, viewed from within, one
fourth of the real size; it is of cast iron, about half an inch thick, and a mor-
tice A, A, is planed down the centre to receive and guide the holder ends, as
hereafter described. Figure 2nd is an elevation of the binding bar, which
connects the two frame sides of the machine at the end nearest to the operative;
the cross bars are for the sake of supporting wheels. Figure 3ª is an elevation
of the binding bar at the other extremity of the machine. Figure 4th is an edge
view of the binding bar, Fig. 3. The skeleton of the machine, therefore,
consists of two of these frame sides with their guiding mortices A, A, placed
inwards, and the two frame sides are kept together by the binding bars.
Figure 5th is an elevation of that side of the machine which is to the left of the
operative when he stands in his place in front of the handles B, B. Figure 6th
is an elevation of the front of the machine, opposite to which stands the
operative. Figure 7 is an elevation of that side of the machine which is to
the right of the operative when in his place at the handles B, B. Figure 8th
is a vertical section of the whole machine when in part filled with flax. Figure

page_text: 9th is a bird's-eye view of the machine when at the point of receiving an addi-
tional strick of flax. Figure 10th is a bird's-eye view of the machine when the
handles B, B, have performed half their upward stroke. Figure 11 isa holder
frame with two holders in it, with their square ends c, c, placed alternately
right and left. Figure 12th is an edge view of the same holder frame. These
Figures are all one fourth of the real size, and the same letters of reference
refer to the same parts throughout them all. B, B3, are two handles screwed
into an intermediate bar, which handles are worked one sixth of a circle
upwards, and down again as much. They communicate this motion through
the arms D, D, to the shaft E, to which the arms D, D, are made fast. The
shaft E carries a wheel of 60 teeth, F, and outside of this wheel a ratchet
wheel G, of 6 teeth. The ratchet wheel is fast upon the shaft E; but the
wheel F, of sixty teeth, is loose thereon, yet, as it carries a click or pall which
takes into the ratchet wheel, it receives the motion of the latter during the
upward stroke of the handles B, B, but remains at rest during their descent.
H, I, are two pinions of twenty teeth each, fast to the arbors of the two folding
tables H, I. These folding tables are two thin plates of cast iron, capable of
rotation, and gearing by means of two stud wheels into the wheel F; hence,
when the handles B, B, are drawn upwards, the wheel F, of sixty teeth, makes
one sixth of a revolution, the two folding tables H, I, having twenty teeth,
make one half of a revolution, remaining at rest while the handles B, B, are
drawn down; when the handles B, B, have made only half their upward stroke
the table will assume a vertical position, as seen in Figure 10, and while they
are so left, the holder frame J, (see also Figures 11 and 12), is lowered into
its place, then, on completing the upward stroke of the handles, the table
becomes horizontal, ready for spreading thereon the material as shewn in
Figure 9. K, K, are two short arms fast on the shaft E. These arms are
attached by rivet joints to two flat hooks, marked K, K', which stand up out-
side of, and serve as checks to the holder frame J. They reach just above the
slit in the holder frame for receiving the holders, and they are designed to draw
down the holders, which they do at the same time as the tables are turned
half round, that is, during the upstroke of the handles B, 13, after which they
begin to resume their position, which they entirely regain when the handes
B,B,are brought down back to their place. The action of the machine,as so far
described, is us follows:-The handles B, B, being raised half way of their up
stroke, the holder frame is lowered into its place, the up stroke is completed, and
the folding tables become horizontal; the down stroke of the handles is then
made, and the hooks K', K', rise up into their places on each side of the holder
frame. A holder C is now introduced under the hooks K', K', into the slits of

page_text: the holder frame, with its square or key end into one of the mortices A of the
frame. The holder is prevented from falling down the slits by a counterweight
cradle L, hereafter described. A strick of flax or other material is now evenly
spread upon the folding table across the holder,and upon the material other
two holders are placed, introduced as before under the hooks K',K', and into
the slits of the holder frame. The holders are always placed with their square
or key ends c, c, alternately in the right and left mortices A, A, of the frame.
The handles B, B, are now drawn up, and the holders, with the flax, descend,
pressed against the counterweight cradle L, whilethetables H',I', turning half
round, fold over the descending flax and resume their position. The holders
are kept down against the pressure of the counterweight cradle by the pro-
jection of the detent M, herein-after described. The operation is continued
till the holder frame is filled with holders, the material being constantly under
clastic pressure, regulated by the counterweight cradle. It is now necessary
to apply the fixed pressure to the holders, to enable them to retain the flax or
other material against the action of the heckles or combs. N, N, are two
handles, which, by means of the intermediate wheels O, P, Q, and R, give
motion to the spur pinion S, which geers into the wheels T, T, fixed on the
two socket keys T,T¹. These socket keys are two vertical arbors, with deep
squared recesses to receive the square heads of the hardening or tightening
screws U, U, of the holder frame, and when the latter is let down into its place
its screw heads are made to enter into the socket keys. As soon as the holder
frame is filled, the operative turns the handles N, N, till he obtains the required
degree of fixed pressure. The handles B, B, are then drawn half way up, the
filled holder frame removed, and an empty one inserted in its place. The
counterweight cradle consists of two plates of forged iron L,connected by two
rods L,L(Figure 10), and supported at each corner by chains passing over
pullies (see Figure S), and attached to weights V,V. A cross bar W between
the two plates L supports two short pillars WI, W, between which hangs the
platform X, on which the holders rest while the holder frame is being filled.
The platform X being on a joint, offers no impediment to the withdrawal of a
holder frame, and readily admits of an empty one.
Figure 13 shows a side view of the detent M, drawn in full size. Figure 14
is a front view of the same. I is the arbor of the folding table I¹ of the pre-
ceding Figures; it is forged with a tappet a, which, while the folding table is
turning round, as before described, pushes back the detent M, which again is
returned to its place by the pressure of the spring Y. is a piece of steel
screwed to the detent M for the tappet a to press against. Z, Z, is a cast-iron
box bolted to the frame sides, and in which slides the detent M. It may be

page_text: here observed, that in spreading the flax or other material upon the folding
tables across the holders, it must be so laid down that the holders shall not
grasp the strick or parcel of fibrous substance in the centre thereof, but as
much on one side of the centre as may be equal to a quarter of the circum-
ference or other rotary portion of the holder. This arrangement is required
in order that no portion of the strick should escape the action of the combs, as,
after the fixed pressure is applied, it is the longest ends of the stricks so dis-
posed that are first heckled or combed. The holder frame is then placed in
the shifting machine,and there, the fixed pressure being removed or diminished
till the holders become capable of rotation, they are simultaneously turned half
round,and this motion draws in or shortens the longest and heckled portion of
the stricks, and lengthens that which was the shortest or that which remains
to be heckled, which now in its turn projects from the holder beyond its own
centrea space equal as before to a quarter of the circumference of the holder,
for though the holders in making half a turn have delivered a length of strick
equal to half their circumference, yet; as the strick previously overhung their
centre a quarter of a turn the contrary way,a half turn backwards causes them
to overhang only a quarter of a turn in their present position. The holder
frame being now again passed over the combing machine, with the longest or
unheckled ends of the stricks exposed to the combs, their action extending
from each extremity of the stricks will meet, and cross somewhat beyond their
centres, ensuring thereby their thorough combing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE STRICKING MACHINE.
Figure 15 shews a plan or bird's-eye view, and Figure 16 shews an eleva-
tion of the machine. Both Figures are drawn to half the real size. A, A, is
the main framing of the machine; B, B, are two plates bolted upon the main
framing to support the upper work; C1, C2, C3, are three pullies upon the
shaft C. The pulley C 1 receives motion from the prime mover by a belt in
the direction of the arrow, but being loose upon the shaft C, it can communi-
cate no motion thereto till the belt is moved on to the pulley C 2, fast to the
shaft, when the shaft C revolves. The pulley C3 is also loose upon the shaft
C, therefore when the belt is placed upon it, the shaft C also stands; but the
pulley C 3 moves, and along with it carries the pinion D, which, by a cross shaft,
not marked, to avoid confusion, gives motion to the pinion E. The shaft C
carries two cams F, F, which are circular discs of cast iron, having grooves
cut into their sides, as seen by the dotted lines in the elevation; into these
grooves work pins G, G, fast upon two connecting rods G, G', which give
their motion they receive from the cams to four beams H, H, H, H, which

page_text: carry the feeding rollers I, J; the four beams II, II, II, II, vibrate upon the
cross shaft H. The shaft C also carries a crank K, which, by means of a
connecting rod K', works backwards and forwards the plate L,which is loose
upon the axle M of the roller M'. The plate L carries a click or pall which
works into a ratchet wheel of four teeth fast on the axle M, and so placed as
seen in the elevation; but when the cams are raising and lowering the feeding
rollers I, J, which takes place during one half of their revolutions, then the
pall of the plate L slips over the ratchet wheel teeth of the roller M', and the
latter stand still, but during the other half of the revolution of the cams, when
the carriage of the feeding rollers is stationary, the direction of motion of the
crank is reversed, and with it that of the plate L, the pall of which now takes
into the ratchet wheel of the roller M and moves it of a revolution. The
roller M communicates its motion to a similar roller N¹, by means of two
equal sized wheels Me and Ne. The roller M carries a wheel O of 60
teeth, which geers into a pinion of fifteen teeth I, on the shaft of the feeding
roller I; this geering only takes place while the feeding roller carriage is
stationary, that is, however, while the roller M is moving, and the latter
accordingly communicates its motion to the former, and carrying a wheel of
sixty teeth and driving one of fifteen teeth, while the roller M' turns of a
revolution,the feeding roller makes an entire one. The vibrating plate Lalso
carries a stud P, which, by means of the connecting rods P1, P1, gives motion
to the arins P2, P, which arms carry palls which take into ratchet wheels
Q, Q, upon the shafts Q1, Q¹, and give them an intermitting motion. This is
shewn in the elevation, but omitted in the plan to avoid confusion. The shafts
Q,Q, by means of the bevelled wheels R, R, R, R, give their intermitting motion
to four screws S, S, S, S, which propel the holders T, T, T, and each pair of screws
at each half turn forces a holder into the flutes,hereafter described, ofthe rollers
M and N. The holders of course slide upona table or plate of iron, not shown
for the sake of clearness. The radius of the stud P, in proportion to that of
the arms P, P, is as four to three, and the proportion of the bevelled wheels on
the shafts Q1, Q', to the bevilled wheels on the screws S, S, S, S, is as three to
two, therefore, while the plate L makes of a revolution, the shaft Q' makes one
third, and the screws S, S, S, S, make half of a revolution, and being double
threaded at each half turn, they force a holder into the flutes of the rollers.
The holders are laid into their places with their key ends right and left by
hand labor. The shaft Q', in front of the machine, carries an arm U, which
by a connecting rod U moves the arm V on the shaft V, supported by
brackets from the main framing. The shaft V1 carries two arms W, W,
formed at their extremities into a hammer or hatchet shape, as seen at W, in
C

page_text: the elevation. These two arms W, W, force the united pair of holders T, T,
after they have been filled with the material and brought into the position:
shewn in the Figure, by the rotation of the roller M' and N1, into the holder.
frame below the roller M. X is a bar with brackets projecting, to prevent the
holders from falling down; the bar X goes across the frame, its extremities
sliding on and guided by two upright rods Yard counter-balanced by a weight
Z. It must be observed that the ratchet wheels on the shafts Q', Q', are so
placed as to move those shafts while the rollers M¹ and N are standing, and
while they are moving the clicks or palls are recovering their position for a
fresh stroke. The rollers M and Ni are of cast iron, in diameter suitable to
the length of the fibre operated upon, and in length both exactly equal to the
breadth of the inside of the holder frame. The roller M revolves in fixed.
bearings, but the roller N¹ is capable of a small movement at right anglesto
its axis, being strongly but elastically pressed against the roller M' bymeans of
springs, screws, or any other well known contrivance. Both, rollers are each.
furnished with four flutes of depth and diameter sufficient to receive a holder,
and both rollers carry circular plates a, a, each with four half round notches,
which take the holders under their collars and prevent theirmoving sideways.
The roller M also carries a circular plate b, which has four square notches
cut into its periphery opposite to the half round notches in the plate a. The
use of these is to receive the square or key end of the holder from the screws.
S, S, and to prevent any motion in the holder during the rotation of the roller
M. The roller N', instead of a plate similar to b, bears loosely upon its axle a
groove plate c, which is shewn separately in Fig. 17. The screws S, S, force
the key end of the holder into the groove d, d, and the rotation of the roller
N carries it along it till it meets the other holder in the roller M'.
Figure 18 is a diagram shewing the course of the holders and the way in
which they are united. M and N are two fluted rollers; Tare the holders.
inserted at T, T, into the rollers by the action of the screws S, S, S, S; .the
rollers revolve in the direction of the arrows of a revolution at a time, and
carry the holders along with them till they unite at the point of contact of the
rollers Mand N'. The roller M'carries alongside its boss two circular plates
e, e, having also notches cut into their peripheries to receive the holders, but
the plates are as much larger in diameter than the bess of M' as enables them
to overlap the holder in the roller N at the place of contact, and to carry it
along with itself and coupled to its own holder with the fibrous substance
between them. The two holders are held together and guided in their course
by the grooved plate c, c, already described, and also by the plate, which is
supported by the axle of the roller N1, and by resting against a pin g fixed to

page_text: the plates B, when the united holders arrive at their next stopping place they
are both freed down together into the holder frame at h.
The action of the machine may now be described as follows:-The fibrous
substance having been made into slivers, as already described, is either lapped
upon a bobbin, as is usual in feeding cards, or the slivers are drawn direct
from the cams in any thickness that may seem adviseable. The fibrous
substance enters the feeding rollers, as seen in the elevation, Figure 16, at i,
at this moment the feeding rollers, being in gear with the roller M',are moving,
and a certain quantity of fibrous substance is measured off to the rollers M¹
and N',and by their revolution inclosed and grasped by their respective holders
at their point of contact. The feeding rollers are now raised by the revolution
of the cams F, F, and the fibrous substance is torn asunder between the
feeding rollers and the rollers M', N. To prevent either pair of rollers from
yielding to the pull of the substance in the act of tearing asunder, the feeding
rollers are secured from turning back by a ratchet wheel and click marked 1,
and the rollers M'and N' are secured by similar palls and ratchet wheels,
marked k, l, and m, n. During this action, while the rollers M', N', are
standing, the screws S, S, S, S, insert fresh holders into the rollers M' N',
and the levers or arms W, W, force down a loaded pair of holders into the
holder frame. After the feeders are brought down, the continued rotation of
the shaft Cbrings the crank K again to work upon the rollers, and measure off
a fresh portion of material, and thus the operation is continued till the holder
frame is filled.
It must be observed, that, as in describing the filling machine, the
measuring off must be so calculated that the parcels of material or stricks
will overhang or be longer on one side of the holder than the other, for tho
reason then detailed.
When the holder frame is full, the operative moves the driving belt from the
pulley C² to the pulley C³, and the frame stops. He then swings the holder
frame by the handle Ointo a horizontal position, and applies the cap hereafter
described; in this position the wheels upon the socket keys come into
gear with the pinion E. These socket keys are precisely similar to those
described in the filling machine, and receive the tightening screws of the
holder frame. The operative now pushes the driving belt on to the pulley C³,
and screws the holders together; he then stops the machine, takes out the
holder frame and carries it to the heckling or combing machine. The holder
frame in the stricking machine is somewhat different from that in the filling
machine.

page_text: Figure 19 gives a side view (full size) of the top of the holder frame, which
is necessarily opened; the lower part is precisely similar to that used with the
filling machine. A, A, is the holder frame, having two round pegs projecting
at a, a;,B is a hook which retains the holders and the caps after they have
been forced down; it is kept in its place by a spring C.
Figure 20 is the cap. The upper plate A las holes drilled in to receive
the pins of the holder frame a, a, and the projecting studs are received under
the hooks B of the holder frame. The holder frame in the stricking machine
is-also held in a swinging frame, the inside of which has mortices to receive
and guide the holder ends like the mortices A, A, in the filling machines
Figure 24 is a side view of the swinging frame. A is the outside of the
part, which receives the holder frame; B is the part which contains the
socket keys; Cis the shaft or centre on which it swings; D is a moveable]
head, consisting of two pieces hinged together, and capable of sliding on the
part A. It is intended to steady and support the holder frame while being
filled with holders, by receiving the pins as a, of the holder frame, Fig. 19,
and in the position it is now shewn it is immoveable, but when the holder
frame is to be taken out, the moveable head D is slided up till its upper half
falls back at the hinge and allows the holder frame to be taken out.
Figure 25 is a plan or bird's-eye view of the moveable head D.. The
part A of the swinging frame is received at A.
Figure 26 is a front view of the upper part of the swinging frame. A is
the swinging frame; D, the moveable liead-piece; E, the holder frame; F is
n stud to facilitate the drawing up of the moveable head piece:-The-holder
frames, being now-filled with holders with fibrous substance between every
two holders, are laid upon sledges.
Figure 27 is a side view, Figure 28 is a plan, and Figure 29 is an.end view
of the sledge, drawn to its full size. A is a frame of cast iron, on which is laid
the holder frame; B,B, are the skates on which it slides along the rails in
the combing machine over the combs; C, C, are hooks that catch the under
ledge of the rails to secure the sledge from being driven off by the force of the
combs; D is a rod-secured by a button E, to fasten the holder frame to the
.sledges; F is a projecting piece by which the sledges are pulled along over
the combs.
:
Figure 30.is a plan, Figure 31 is a side view, and Figaro 32 is an end view,
drawn full size, of the sledge, with a holder frame and holders laid down upon
it. The same letters of reference refer to the same parts. Gis the holder
Й
frame; the holders; and I the tightening screws. The sledges are slided
along a railway to the heckling or combing machine.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE HECKLING OR COMBING MACHINE.
Figure 33 is a plan or bird's-eye view of the machine,one fourth of the real
size. A, A, A, is the main framing of the machine, formed on its upper part
into railways, on which slide the holder frames; B, B, the live and dead
driving pullies; C, C, C, C, the heckling or combing cylinders; they are
geared into each other, and therefore each series revolves in a contrary direction
to the other. The machine may consist of any number of series,and the series
may consist of any number of rollers, or simply of one roller, or even of a slicet
of combs, and the combs may be fixed, or in any way moveable.
Figures 34 and 35 are two elevations of the machine, one fourth of the
real size. D, D, D, are cylinders covered with bristles, revolving in an
opposite direction to the comb cylinders, but disposed in the same order, so
that each comb cylinder has a brush cylinder under it. The brush cylinders
derive their motion from the main shaft, as seen in Figure 34; their object is
to clean the comb cylinders of their tow or noils, and to throw it upon E, E, E,
which are cylinders, one beneath each brush cylinder, covered with card
filletting. The tow or noils are accumulated upon these cylinders, and it is
stripped off by the doffing cranks F, F, F, F, and formed into slivers by the
delivering rollers G, G, and delivered into cans. The doffing cranks are
moved by an excentric H. On the main shaft I (Figure 35), is a pinion on
the main shaft, running into a double stud-wheel which moves the wheel J.
The wheel J carries a spur pinion which drives the wheel R, by which motion
is given to the doffing cylinders, and also it carries a mitre wheel, by which it
drives the shaft L, which, by means of the mitre wheels M, M, and bevelled
wheels N, N, drives the delivering rollers G, G. One of the delivering rollers
carries a pinion O, which, through a stud wheel P, drives the shaft Q. The
shaft Q', by bevelled wheels R, drives the upright spindles R¹, which carry
chains S, S, in the direction of the arrows; the object of these chains is to
pull the sledges T,T,T, T, along the rails over the combs. The shaft Q¹ carries
a pinion at Q, Figure 35, which gives motion to another shaft in the proportion
of three to four, which latter shaft carries at its extremity a snail u. This snail
raises a rack having a weight V attached to it, and this rack takes into a
pinion W on the shaft W₁; when the snail has performed one revolution it
allows the weight and rack to fall by a regulated velocity, and along with it
moves the shaft W' one third part of a revolution. The shaft W'carries upon
it four chain pullies X, X, X, X, which carry with them four endless chains
Y, Y,Y, Y. These chains carry with them segments of the railways Z, Z, Z, Z,
which segments in their course slide over other transverse railways, which also
serve to bind the framing together.

page_text: The action of the machine may be described as follows:-The sledge loaded
with the holder frames being slided upon the combing machine is carried by
the chains S, S, over one series of combs, and when it has arrived at the end
of its course, in the position shewn in Figure 33, having combed one side of
the stricks, the skates of the sledge will be exactly over the moveable segments
of the railway Z, Z, Z, Z. The weight V descends, and causing the shaft Wi
to make one third of a revolution, brings the sledge that has passed to the next
railway, where it meets with the returning part of the chain S, S, which pulls
it back over combs revolving the contrary way, to comb the other side of its
stricks, and at the same time brings a fresh sledge into the line of the first
railway, and then the operation goes on without interruption. In each series
the cylinders gradually increase in diameter in order to comb the fibrous
substances gradually from the extremity to the middle of the strick. The
sledges having passed over the desired number of cylinders backwards and
forwards, the fibrous substance has become heckled or combed at one extremity
of its strick. To comb, heckle, or brush the other extremity, the sledge is
slided into the shifting machine.
Figure 36 is a plan, and Figure 37 an end view of the shifting machine
drawn to half of the real size. A, A, is the main frame of the machine.
B, B3, B, B, are four plates supporting the keys C, C, C, C, which are shaped
like forks to receive the key ends of the holders as the sledge is slided between
them upon the rails D, D, while at the same time the square heads of the
tightening screws of the holder frame enter into the socket keys E, E. The
keys C, C, are all geered together by the bevelled wheels F, F, upon the
shafts F, F, and these latter are connected by bevelled wheels G, G, G, G,
and the shaft G1, so as to be simultaneously turned by the handle H. The
socket keys E, E, in like manner are connected together by the pinion I, and
capable of being turned by the small fly wheel J. The sledge and holder
frame being slided into its place, the pressure upon the holders is taken off or
diminished by turning the fly wheel J, and unscrewing the tightening screws
of the holder frame. The handle H is now used to turn the forked keys C, C,
and with them the holders, half round, the pressure is then restored, and the
sledge being slided out the holder frame, is turned on its side to allow the
uncombed portion of the stricks to hang downwards; after this the sledge is
passed a second time over the combing machine, when the material will be
found perfectly combed; the pressure being removed the holder frame is laid
on a creeping sheet at the back of a drawing frame, and the holders being
removed one by one sideways out of the holder frame, the fibrous substance
will be left evenly disposed in a regular mass, with the stricks lapped partly

page_text: over each other, like the scales of a fish. It is now drawn into a sliver. The
method of shifting the holders from series to series of combs, as herein-before
described, Inpply to the excentric circular heckling machine in common use
as follows-Any number of circular machines being disposed in a row or
united in one frame, back and front alternately, I cause the holders to descend
upon a rail crossed by an endless chain and rail segments, as described above.
The holders are lowered to and taken up from the cross rail by arms or pins
projecting from barrels or bosses running loose upon a fixed shaft extending
along the machines. These barrels are geered into the main wheels of the
excentric circular heckling machines...
Having now explained the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of
carrying the same into effect, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do
not claim as of my Invention all the machinery or parts of machinery described
in this my Specification, as some of them are or may be in common use. But
I claim as original and of my Invention,
First, I claim the improvement in the apparatus or machine known by the
name of the screw gill, as herein-before specified, and the application of the
machine, together with its improvements, as well as the screw gill in common
use, as a feeding mechanism to carding engines, instead of the cylinder now
used called feeders or feeding rollers.
1
Secondly, I claim the application and use of the material called and known
by the name of papier machee for the construction of cylinders for carding
engines, whether hollow or solid, stocks for heckles, combs, and gills.
Thirdly, I claim the Invention of an improved bend and bend piu for the
carding engine, as set forth.
Fourthly, I claim the construction of toothed or geer chain for commu-
nicating motion to the cylinder,spindles, bobbins, and other parts of machinery
for preparing or spinning fibrous substances, as before described, being in fact
a flexible rack.
Fifthly, I claim the method of heckling, combing, or brushing fibrous
substances, as herein-before described, and which is mainly effected by means
of holders capable of partial or complete rotation, which holders may be made
of iron, of iron covered with felt, or of any other fit material or combination
of materials of any suitable length, and in their transverse section of a round,
square, polygonal, or any other figure.
Sixthly, I claim the application of the mode of shifting the holders from
series to series of combs, as herein-before described, to the excentric circular
heckling machine in common use.
And such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,

page_text: entirely new, and never before practised, I hereby declare it to be my intention
to maintain an exclusive privilege for the same.
As witness my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Tenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid William King Westly came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One