IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MAMBOY
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ira Dimock, of Florence, Hampshire County, in the
State of Massachusetts, and United States of North America, temporarily
residing at the City of Manchester, Machinist, for the Invention. of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MAMBOYATO
Sealed the 14th June 1864, and dated the 12th February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ira Dimock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th February 1864.
I, IRA DIMOCK, of Florence, Hampshire County, in the State of Massa-
chusetts, and United States of North America, temporarily residing at the
City of Manchester, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
My improvements are based upon that combination of machinery for
combing fibrous materials, which was communicated by Cullen Whipple and
Rufus Stafford, of the United States, to George Tomlinson Bousfield, and for
which Letters Patent for Great Britain were granted to him, dated the
Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one, and numbered 2358.
My improvements relate, firstly, to a mode of constructing the rotatory nipper
cylinders, and consists in casting such cylinders or partial cylinders in one
piece, and of such form that the fixed edge of each jaw can be planed to

page_text: receive the pinching surface; or it consists in casting a cylindrical part with
spaces for the moveable jaws in one piece, and with one or both ends
separate.
Secondly, my improvements consist in applying friction or spring action to
absorb the momentum of the nipper cylinders during the latter part of each
movement, and by this means avoid shock and attain higher speeds. The
friction is applied by cam action or by the frictional contact of one part of
each cylinder with a spring or brake surface during the latter part of each
movement. Spring action may be employed to assist in starting and stopping
the movements of the cylinders.
Thirdly, when operating upon the tufts of material held by the nippers by
means of rotatory combing cylinders, the teeth of which combs begin coarse
and end fine in pitch, my improvement consists in geering such combing
cylinders so that the coarse-pitched comb will first begin to operate upon
the tuft.
Fourthly, my improvements consist in an improved arrangement and com-
'bination of the parts of the said machine in such manner that the space which
it occupies is very considerably reduced, and the parts are so arranged as to
be accessible with ease either from the front or from the back of the machine,
which enables me also to arrange the parts in a frame of any convenient
number of heads, so that the same cams, geering, and shafts may operate
several heads instead of only one head, by which means the machine is so
simplified that the cost of construction is very greatly reduced. I also
simplify the machine by using cylinders having a series of combs beginning
coarse in pitch and ending fine, with which it is only necessary to operate
once upon one end of each tuft. The main feature of the improved arrange-
ment and combination of parts of the said machine consists in placing the
nipping cylinders and doffer so that they will be one above the other, or in
placing two nipper cylinders together, so that one cylinder will be above the
other, and the third cylinder will be on a level with that which is under the
first, the doffer being over the third cylinder; but when only two nipper
cylinders are used the doffer takes the place of the third nipper cylinder in
the above-described arrangement. The combing cylinder, brush, and noil
doffer are placed directly under the nipper cylinders when arranged as above
described. When the tufts are combed twice by combing cylinders, I some-
times arrange one brush to clear both comb cylinders, and deliver the noil
upon one noil doffer. Two nipper cylinders may be arranged on the same
level, and the doffer over the second nipper cylinder. The lap of fibrous
material to be combed may be arranged either above or below the first nipper

page_text: cylinder, or on a level with it.. With any of these improved arrangements
machines of any convenient number of heads may be constructed and operated
by one set of actuating mechanism.
Fifthly, my improvements consist in applying a comb so arranged that
when the nippers have pinched the ends of the fleece fed to them the teeth of
such comb may be caused to pass through the fleece near the nippers and
comb the tail ends of the fibres held by the nippers as they are detached from
the fleece, this comb serving to keep back short fibres and dirt, which
might but for this comb be carried away on the tail ends of the tuft
detached. By the use of this comb all the dirt and short fibre is accumu-
lated in that portion of the tuft held within the nippers, and by this means all
this dirt and short fibre may be removed by one combing operation; in other
words, one end only of each tuft need be combed (in the sense of separating
the noil and dirt), thus dispensing with one nipper cylinder, and the parts for
combing one end of each tuft. The comb used in detaching the tuft is
inserted and withdrawn by cam action, and moves back with the: feeding
rollers when they have oscillating movement.
Sixthly, my improvements consist in making the feed rollers stationary,
except as to their rotatory motion for feeding the material, the fibres being
withdrawn and detached from the fleece or lap by the rotatory movement of
the nipper cylinder. With this arrangement the feed of the lap may be given
just as the nipper jaws come opposite the protruding ends of the lap, and
before the jaws close upon it.
Seventhly, my improvements consist in delivering each comb tuft from the
nipper cylinder to a pair of rollers, so that the forward or free end of the tuft
to be delivered will be made to overlap the back end of the tuft previously
delivered, by which means the tuft will be formed into a continuous sliver
without a doffer. The back ends of the tuft last received by the rollers
protrudes from them to allow the next tuft to be attached, and the rollers have
an intermittent forward motion beginning at the moment, when the tuft in the
nippers is brought against the end of the tuft protruding from the rollers, the
nippers slightly opening to allow the ends of the tuft to be drawn from between
the jaws.
'
Eighthly, my improvements as to combination consist in machines in
which are combined together all or several of my above-described im-

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ira Dimock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, IRA
DIMOCK, of Florence, Hampshire County, in the State of Massachusetts, and
United States of North America, temporarily residing at the City of Man-
chester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Ira Dimock, Her special license that I, the said Ira
Dimock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
aid Ira Dimock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS. IN.
MACHINERY FOR COMBING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ira Dimock, by an instrument in
writing under iny hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be. per-.
formed, 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 I, the said Ira Dimock, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement and accompanying two Sheets of Drawings (that is to say):-
My improvements are based upon that combination of machinery for.
combing fibrous materials which was communicated by Cullen Whipple and:
Rufus Stafford, of the United States, to George Tomlinson Bousfield, and for:
which Letters Patent for Great Britain were granted to him, dated the
Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one, and numbered 2358.
My improvements relate, firstly, to a mode of constructing the rotatory
nipper cylinders, and consists in casting such cylinders or partial cylinders in
one piece, and of such form that the fixed edge of each jaw can be planed to

page_text: receive the pinching surface; or it consists in casting a cylindrical part
with spaces for the moveable jaws in one piece, and with one or both ends
separate.
Secondly, my improvements consist in applying friction or spring action to
absorb the momentum of the nipper cylinders during the latter part of each
movement, and by this means avoid shock and attain higher speed. The
friction is applied by cam action or by the frictional contact of one part of
each cylinder with a spring or brake surface during the latter part of each
movement. Spring action may be employed to assist in starting and stopping
the movements of the cylinders.
Thirdly, when operating upon the tufts of material held by the nippers of
rotatory nipper cylinders by means of rotatory or oscillatory combing cylinders,
the teeth of which combs begin coarse and end fine in pitch, my improve-
ments consist in gearing such comb cylinders, so that the coarse-pitched comb
will first begin to operate upon the tuft.
Fourthly, my improvements consist in an improved arrangement and com-
bination of the parts of the said machine in such manner that the space which it
occupies is very considerably reduced, and the parts are so arranged as to be
accessible with ease, either from the front or from the back of the machine,
which enables me also to arrange the parts in a frame of any convenient
number of heads, so that the same cams, geering, and shafts may operate
several heads instead of only one head, by which means the machine is so
simplified that the cost of construction is very greatly reduced. I also
simplify the machine by using cylinders having a series of combs begin-
ning coarse in pitch and ending fine, with which it is only necessary to operate
once upon each end of each tuft. The main features of the improved arrange-
ment and combination of parts of the said machine consist in placing the
nipper cylinders and doffer for combed materials so that they will be one:
above the other, or in placing two nipper cylinders together, so that one
cylinder will be above the other, and the third nipper cylinder will be on a level
with that which is under the first nipper cylinder, the doffer for combed
material being over the third cylinder; but when only two nipper cylinders
are used the doffer for combed material takes the place of the third nipper
cylinder in the above-described arrangements. The combing cylinders, brush,
and noil doffer are placed directly under the nipper cylinders when arranged
as above described. When the tufts are combed twice by combing cylinders I
sometimes arrange one brush to clear both comb cylinders and deliver the
noil upon one noil doffer. Two nipper cylinders may be arranged on the
same level, and the doffer over the second nipper cylinder. The lap of fibrous

page_text: material to be combed may be arranged either above or below the first nipper
cylinder, or on a level with it. With any of these improved arrangements
machines of any convenient number of heads may be constructed and operated
by one set of actuating mechanism.
Fifthly, my improvements consist in applying a comb so arranged that
when the nippers have pinched the ends of the fleece fed to them the teeth
of such comb may be caused to pass through the fleece near the nippers and
comb the tail ends of the fibres held by the nippers as they are detached from
the fleece, this comb serving to keep back short fibres and dirt which
might but for this comb be carried away on the tail ends of the tuft detached.
By the use of this comb all the dirt and short fibre is accumulated in that
portion of the tuft held within the nippers, and by this means all this dirt and
short fibre may be removed by one combing operation. In other words, one
end only of each tuft need be combed in the sense of separating the noil and
dirt, thus dispensing with one nipper cylinder and the parts for combing one
end of each tuft. The comb used in detaching the tuft from the fleece is
inserted and withdrawn by cam action, and moves back with the feeding
rollers when they have oscillating movement.
Sixthly, my improvements consist in making the feed rollers stationary,
except as to their rotatory motion, for feeding the material, the fibres being
withdrawn and detached from the fleece or lap by the rotatory movement of
the nipper cylinder. With this arrangement the feed of the lap may be given
just as the nipper jaws come opposite the protruding ends of the lap or fleece,
and before the jaws close upon it.
Seventhly, my improvements consist in delivering each combed tuft from
the nipper cylinder to a pair of rollers, so that the forward or free ends of the
tuft to be delivered will be made to overlap the back ends of the tuft pre-
viously delivered, by which means the tufts will be formed into a continuous
sliver of combed material without a doffer. The back ends of the tuft last
received by the rollers protrude from them to allow the next tuft to be
attached, and the rollers have an intermittent forward motion, beginning at
the moment when the tuft in the nippers is brought against the end of the
tuft protruding from the rollers, the nippers slightly opening to allow the
ends of the tuft to be withdrawn from them.
Eighthly, my improvements as to combination consist of machines in which
are combined together all or several of my above-described improvements,
and the arrangements for carrying out such combinations.
The accompanying two Sheets of Drawings illustrate the manner in which
my improvements are carried into effect.

page_text: Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 shew improvements under the first, second, third,
fourth, and fifth heads of my Invention combined together in one machine,
according to the eighth head of my Invention; and Fig. 5 illustrates the
mode of carrying into effect improvements under the fourth, sixth, and seventh
heads of my Invention.
Fig. 1 is a cross sectional elevation through the operating parts of the
machine; Fig. 2 is an elevation of that end of the machine at which the
driving pulleys are placed; Fig. 3 is an elevation of that end of the machine
opposite to the driving end; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal elevation of the
feeding side of the machine, showing the machine to have two heads or sets of
operating parts. In the machine shewn by these Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, two
nipper cylinders are employed arranged on a level with each other, the doffer
for combed material being placed above the second nipper cylinder according
to one arrangement under the fourth head of my Invention.
The framing of the machine is formed by three standards A connected by
longitudinal beams or bars (not shewn in the Drawings). a are the fast and
loose driving pulleys; a¹, the first motion shaft, upon which the cylindrical
brushes (a2) (not shewn in Fig. 4) are secured for removing the noil from the
combing cylinders and delivering it to the noil doffer. Motion is conveyed
from the brush shaft (a¹) to the two combing shafts (6) by a wheel (a³), which
geers with a wheel (61) upon one of the combing shafts (6), and the brush
shaft (a) is arranged in vertical brackets, so that by altering the diameter of
the wheels (a³ and 6¹) the brushes (a2) may be adjusted to the combing
.cylinders (62) as they wear, and the noil doffers can be also readily adjusted
to the cylindrical brushes (a2). The noil doffers (c) are of ordinary con-
struction covered with card teeth, and the noil is doffed by comb (c¹) on
oscillating arms worked by a crank motion from any convenient part of the
machine (not shewn), the noil from each doffer being collected and delivered
by rollers (c) in the form of a sliver in the usual manner. The shaft for the
noil doffers receives motion from the shaft of the doffer for the combed
.material by means of an endless belt (c³), and a pulley on the end of each
shaft (see Fig. 4). The two combing cylinders (62) are geered together by
means of an intermediate wheel (63), which geers with a wheel (6) on each
..of the combing shafts (6), and it is by means of a crank pin (65) on one of
these wheels that the intermittent motion is given to the nipper cylinders, so
that the combing shaft makes one revolution for each movement of the nipper
cylinders, the combs beginning coarse and ending fine in pitch, and being
arranged so that the coarse pitched comb will first act upon the tuft, according
to my improvements under the third and fourth parts of my Invention. The

page_text: combs and combing cylinder are constructed in the usual manner, the comb
cylinders (62) being made in two halves so as to be screwed together, and thus
'fixed upon the combing shaft or removed therefrom without disturbing it. The
oscillating shaft (d) for the first nipper cylinders (d'), which receives the tufts
from the fleece is placed in bearings fixed in position, the oscillating shaft (d) of
the second nipper cylinder (d') is in bearings in arms (d²) secured on a shaft (d³)
carried in brackets on the framing. By this arrangement the shaft (d) of the
second nipper cylinder (d¹) can be readily adjusted to allow the. proper space
between the nipper cylinders to suit the length of the staple to be combed, the
two sets of nipper cylinders being kept parallel to each other. When the
second nipper cylinder (d') is adjusted the arms are secured by bolts (d')
passing through the framing and slots in the arms (d'), which permit of the
adjustment (see Figs. 2 and 3). The nipper cylinders (d¹): are free to rotate
on their shafts (d), which have only an oscillatory movement. These nipper
cylinders are cast in one piece, according to the first head of my improve-
ments; they are then bored and turned, and those edges forming one jaw of
each pair of nippers are planed and grooved or fluted, so as to take firm hold
'of the ends of the tufts to be operated upon, the moveable jaws (d') are then
fitted, each jaw being jointed upon a pivot (de) in each end of the cylinder,
being accurately fitted to shut close from end to end. Each moveable jaw (ds)
has a groove formed in it to receive a piece of india-rubber or other elastic
material, which is cemented or otherwise secured to the jaw, and to this
india-rubber a leather facing is secured (by cement or other means) which will
come in contact with the tuft when placed between the jaws, the elastic
material being a provision against little inequalities in the tuft. The jaws of
each cylinder are actuated by one cam (d7) secured upon the nipper cylinder
shaft (d), this cam acting upon tail pieces (d) from about the centre of each
moveable nipper jaw (d³). The cams (d') act upon the moveable jaws of the
nipper cylinders during the back movement when the nipper cylinders are
stationary. These cams are so shaped and arranged that at the completion of
a movement in the nipper cylinders those jaws of the first nipper cylinder
opposite the fleece will be wide open, and those jaws having the two last tufts
detached will be closed, and the fourth jaw slightly open, but in the second
nipper cylinder only those jaws will be open opposite the point where the transfer
'takes place from one nipper cylinder to the other, all the other jaws will be shut,
as shewn in Fig. 1. When the cams have finished their movements all the jaws
in both nipper cylinders that were wide open will be shut, the jaws of the first
cylinder delivering the tuft to the second cylinder will be slightly opened, and the
jaws next to receive the tuft from the fleece will be wholly opened and the jaws

page_text: delivering the tuft to the doffer will be wholly opened. The nipper cylinders
shafts (d) receive oscillatory motion from the crank pin (65) in the wheel on
the end of one of the combing shafts, as before mentioned, by means of a con-
necting rod (6) jointed with an arm (d) secured upon the end of that nipper
cylinder shaft (d) which is fixed in position, and motion is conveyed from an
arm (e) on one shaft to an arm (e) secured on the other nipper cylinder
shaft (d) by an adjustable connecting rod (e¹) (shewn best in Fig. 3), the
length of this rod requiring to be readjusted for every change in the position
of the second nipper cylinder. Upon the nipper cylinder shaft (d) an arm (e²)
secured for each nipper cylinder, and to each arm a click or pawl (e³) is
jointed, which works upon the edge of its nipper cylinder (d¹) so as to enter
into one of the four ratchet notches in each nipper cylinder at each oscillation,
and thus propel each nipper cylinder one-fourth of a revolution for each
oscillation of the shafts (d). A retaining pawl (e) centred. on a stud in the
framing is employed for each nipper cylinder to prevent any return movement
when the back oscillation of the shafts (d) takes place; to retard and prevent
the nipper cylinders (d') from overrunning or moving too far, the pawls (e³)
jointed on the arms (²) for propelling the nipper cylinders may be made to
fit and enter square notches in the edges of the nipper cylinders (as shewn in
Fig. 3), and at the end of each movement each pawl may be lifted out of its
notch by a finger (es) on a rotating shaft (e), there being one finger for each
pawl and one shaft for each nipper cylinder shaft which acts upon a tail
piece (ex) from the pawl (e³) shewn in Fig. 3. This shaft (es) is geered by
preference to make two revolutions for each oscillation of the shafts (d) of the
nipper cylinders so that it will act quickly upon the tails (e*) of the pawls (e).
and release them from the notches just before the return movement begins.
These finger shafts (e") may be made to act upon the tail parts (e*) of the
pawls (3) by having movements imparted to them from a suitable cam acting
to give oscillating movements to them. In place of pawls and square notches
in the nipper cylinders the ratchet pawl may be used with means for retarding
the motion of the nipper cylinders during the latter part of each movement,
according to the second part of my Invention. The fingers (e³) on the
shafts (e) may be formed into brake surfaces to press upon the edges of the
nipper cylinders (d'), the shaft carrying the brake surfaces being actuated by
a suitable cam; each brake surface should be arranged with a slightly elastic
backing or other suitable elastic arrangement to allow for inequalities in the
edges of the nipper cylinders, so that each brake will be certain to act upon
its cylinder with equal pressure. In place of brake action a spring (e) may
be employed fixed to the framing, the free end of the spring being arranged to

page_text: come in contact with a projection upon each nipper cylinder at the end of
reach movement of such cylinder, there being one projection on each nipper
-cylinder for each pair of nippers in the cylinder (see Fig. 2). The doffers (1)
for combed material are placed on a shaft (f) above the second nipper
cylinder, and above the doffer is placed a shaft (9) having cylindrical brushes
(g) which serve to mix the fibres in the card surface of the doffers (f). The
*combed material is stripped from each doffer by a pair of rollers (f) and the
fleece withdrawn from each doffer is delivered in the form of a sliver by a
pair of rollers (f³) as shewn, these parts being of ordinary construction,
rotatory motion is conveyed to the doffer (f), stripping (2), delivery rollers
(f) and cylindrical brush (9) from the wheel (6) on one of the comb
shafts (6), which wheel is geered with a wheel (60) on a stud in the framing by
two intermediate wheels (7) and (68) on studs in the framing. The wheel
(6) has a pinion (6*) upon its boss which geers with a wheel (f) upon the
end of the lower doffing or stripping roller shaft (f²). A pinion (f³) on this
roller shaft geers with one (f") on the lower delivery roller shaft by means of
an intermediate wheel (f), (see Fig. 2).. Another wheel (f³) upon the
stripping roller shaft (2) gcers with a wheel (f) on a stud in the framing
- which has a pinion (10) upon its boss, which gears with a wheel (f*) on
the end of the doffer shaft (f) (see Fig. 3). The wheel (6º)
on the stud geers
with a wheel (g³) on the end of the shaft (g) by an interminable wheel
(g), (see Fig. 2). The laps of fibrous material (h) for each head rest on a
pair of rollers (h¹), and these rollers are free to rotate on the shafts (h² and
h³). The lap rollers (h¹) are driven by a shaft (h) passing from end to end
of the machine, each lap roller having a wheel (h) upon it in geer with a
wheel (h) on the shaft (h), (see Fig. 3.) The shaft (h') is driven by the
wheel (*) on the end of the doffer shaft (f), which geers with a wheel (h³)
on the end of the shaft (h) by means of an intermediate wheel (h),
(see Fig. 3). The finger shaft (e) receives motion from the intermediate
wheel (2) by the wheels (9), (9'), (9'), (see Fig. 2). The cam (k¹) for
actuating. the detaching comb is secured on the boss of a wheel (k) free to
rotate upon the end of the shaft (2); this wheel k is in geer with tho
wheel (95), (see Fig. 2). The wheels above referred to are shewn by pitch
line circles in Figs. 2 and 3). The feed rollers are mounted in bearings
which oscillates on arms (¹) fixed upon the shaft (h), also forming the axis.
of one of the lap rollers. These bearings receive oscillating motion from a
cam (62) upon the end of one of the combing shafts (b), which cam acts upon
a stud or antifriction bowl on a stud in a bracket (1×) from the feed roller
bearings. The cam is constructed so that when the nippers have closed upon

page_text: the end of the fleece it will cause the feed rollers to move back and detach
that portion of the fleece held by the nippers before the nipper cylinders begin
to move, and then to move back to insert the end of the fleece within the
open nippers after the movement of the nipper cylinder has been completed.
The feed rollers (13) consist of two lower roller shafts with upper rollers for
each head, as shewn, the upper rollers being weighted or pressed upon the
lower rollers by india-rubber or other elastic springs, or by lever or other
weights. The two lower rollers are geered together by an intermediate
wheel () in geer with wheels (15) upon the ends of the roller shafts (see
Fig. 2). The feed rollers receive motion as shewn in Fig. 3. A lever (1º)
is centred freely on one of the lower roller shafts (13); the upper end of this
lever has a pawl jointed to it which works upon a ratchet wheel (17) secured
upon the roller shaft. The lower end of this lever (1) is jointed with one
end of a rod (78), the other end being centred on a stand in the framing.
When thus arranged, the oscillations of the feed rollers will cause the pawl upon
the lever (16) to act upon the ratchet (17) to feed the material when the feed
rollers are advancing towards the nipper cylinders. The stroke of the ratchet
pawl is adjusted by varying the point of attachment between the rod (18) and
the slotted lever (1º).
are
The detaching combs (²) (according to the fifth part of my Invention,) a
mounted on arms (3) fixed upon a shaft (k) passing from end to end of the
feed roller frame, and having its bearers thereon; this shaft receives move-
ments from the cam (¹), which acts upon a stud or bowl carried on a stud in
the end of an arm (^) secured upon the end of the shaft (k). The cam for
actuating the detaching combs is constructed to insert the combs in the fleece
when the nippers have pinched the end of it, and to remain in the fleece
during the back movement of the feed rollers (1³), and then lift out ready
to be again inserted.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The material from the lap (h)
descends from the outside lap roller to the outside feed rollers (1³), as shown
in dotted line, Fig. 1; it protrudes from the feed rollers in advance of the
detaching combs (k².) If the nipper cylinders (d¹) are supposed to have just
completed a movement, then the nipper jaws opposite the ends of the fleece
are open, and the protruding ends of the fleece have just arrived close to the
jaws, and are then immediately pushed within the jaws which are in the act
of closing when they have pinched the ends of the fleece. The detaching
comb is entered, and the feed rollers begin to withdraw, and have detached
the tuft within the jaws by the time the nipper cylinders begin to move, and
these movements are repeated for each movement of the nipper cylinders.

page_text: When the tufts are detached from the fleeces the first movement of the nipper
cylinders brings those tufts detached opposite the first combing drum (62),
so that when the nipper cylinders are stationary the coarse-pitched comb first
begins to enter, and then the finer pitched combs in succession. The next
movement of the cylinders brings the combed tuft opposite the jaws of the
second nipper cylinder, when the transfer takes place; the opposite end of the
tuft being now free, and at the first movement of the second nipper cylinder
after the transfer the tufts are brought opposite the second combing cylinder,
and in two more movements of the nipper cylinders the tufts are delivered to
the doffer (1) for combed material, the brush (9') then acts as the doffer
rotates to mix the fibres together; they are stripped from the doffer by the
rollers (2), and gathered together and delivered by the rollers (f³) in the
form of a sliver. The slivers from each head may be collected together to
form one united sliver at the end of the machine in the usual manner if
required. The noil extracted by the combing cylinders, is removed by the
cylindrical brush (a²), and delivered to the noil doffer (c), from which it is
stripped and carried away in the usual manner.
Fig. 5 illustrates an arrangement of. three nipper cylinders (d') according
to the fourth head of my Invention, where the first nipper cylinder delivers to
the second nipper cylinder placed immediately below it, and the second nipper
cylinder delivers to a third nipper cylinder on a level with it. This view also
shows how the nipper cylinders may be geered together by means of inter-
mediate wheels (m) geering with wheels (d*) secured to each nipper cylinder,
so, that only one set of nipper cylinders will require to be actuated by the
pawls () on the arms (e³) from the oscillating shaft (d) of the nipper
cylinders.
.
Fig. 5 also illustrates the application of the fixed feeding rollers according
to the sixth head of my Invention. The feed rollers (73) may be actuated by
a lever, pawl, and ratchet, as shown in Fig. 3, except that the lever will have
to be actuated by cam action, the feed movement of the rollers taking place
by preference while the nippers are open to receive the ends of the fleece, and
while the jaws are closing upon it. The rotatory movement of the nipper
cylinder after the ends of the fleece have been pinched will detach the tuft
from the fleece. This may also be wholly or partly effected by causing the
feed rollers to make a back movement after the nippers have pinched the ends
of the fleece. This movement of the feed rollers may be produced by cam
action by means of a lever having a pawl to take into square notches in a
wheel, and cam action to lift the pawl out of the notches, so as to be ready to
take a fresh notch after each backward and forward motion, thus producing a

page_text: greater forward than backward motion of. the feed rollers, the difference
between the two being the length to be fed forward.
Fig. 5 also illustrates the mode of reforming the detached and combed tufts
of material into a continuous fleece. without the. doffer, and according to the
seventh head of my Invention, by means of a pair of rollers, one fluted and
one covered, and weighted against the other. The nip of the rollers (f) is
placed opposite the ends of the tuft as it protrudes from the nippers. The
rollers have intermittent motion, which may be imparted by means of a
ratchet wheel (n) on the lower roller, which ratchet is actuated by a pawl:
jointed in an arm centred on the roller shaft; this arm is connected with the
oscillating nipper cylinder shafts. Or the pawl may be jointed on the arm
from the nipper cylinder shafts, as shown in Fig. 5; but the pawl' acting upon
the ratchet wheel must be so connected with the oscillating nipper shaft or
shafts (d) that when the back movement of those shafts is taking place (the
nipper cylinders being stationary) the pawl will be actuating the ratchet wheel
to give forward motion to the rollers, so as to draw the tuft from the nippers,
which are slightly opened by the action of the cam (d') to release their hold
upon the tuft. The back ends of the tuft are left to protrude from the
rollers (f), so that the front ends of next tuft from the nippers will overlap
the back ends of the last tuft taken from the nippers by the rollers.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which it may be carried into effect, and claim as my Invention,
Firstly, the construction of rotatory nipper cylinders having opening and
closing jaws for combing machines, as herein-before described under the first
head of my Invention.
Secondly, the method of retarding or stopping nipper cylinders used in
combing machines when such cylinders have intermittent rotatory motion, as
herein-before described. under the second head of my Invention.
Thirdly, the use of combs beginning coarse and ending fine in pitch, and
the arrangement of such combs so that the coarse-pitched comb will act first
and the finer pitched combs afterwards when such combs so arranged act
upon tufts held by opening and closing nippers of intermittent rotatory nipper
cylinders, as herein-before described under the third and fourth heads of my
Invention.
Fourthly, the arrangement and combination of intermittent rotatory Dipper
cylinders with opening and closing jaws, as described under the fourth head
of my Invention.
Fifthly, the use of a detaching comb in combing machines when employed

page_text: in combination with intermittent rotatory nipper cylinders with opening and
closing jaws, as described under the fifth head of my Invention.
Sixthly, the combination of stationary feed rollers in combing machines
with intermittent rotatory nipper cylinders, as described under the sixth head
of my Invention.
Seventhly, the method of forming a continuous fleece of detached combed
tufts of fibrous materials by rollers directly from the nipper cylinders of
combing machines, having intermittent rotatory nipper cylinders with opening
and closing jaws, as described under the seventh head of my Invention.
Eighthly, the general combination and arrangement of parts forming
combing machines, as shown in the Drawings by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and
herein-before described..
In witness whereof, I, the said Ira Dimock, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
IRA DIMOCK. (L.S.)