IMPROVEMENTS IN ASSORTING AND SEPARATING COMBED FIBRES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THAT PURPOSE.
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Cowper, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ASSORTING AND SEPARATING COMBED FIBRES,
AND IN MACHINERY FOR THAT PURPOSE.-A communication from M. Ziegler,
residing at Guebwiller, in France.
Sealed the 6th May 1859, and dated the 18th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Cowper at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th November 1858.
I, CHARLES COWPER, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ASSORTING AND SEPARATING COMBED
FIBRES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
The object of the present Invention is to assort combed fibres in a somewhat
similar manner to that heretofore proposed by Charles de Jongh, of Lauten-
bach, in the Empire of France, when such fibres are in the form of a sliver,
instead of being in separate stricks. In carrying out the Invention one or
more slivers of such combed fibres of silk, wool, or other fibrous material, are
fed into the assorting machine by means of a feeding apparatus composed of a
gill, porcupine roller, or other suitable holding surfaces, which brings forward
and delivers such fibres so that their projecting ends may be lashed into a
travelling comb or suitable holding surface, where the ends of the fibres so
lashed in are held or nipped by a suitable apparatus, so that by the back
motion of the feeding apparatus, the fibres so held or nipped shall be drawn
through the teeth of the feeding apparatus, and detached from the sliver or

page_text: slivers and left in the travelling comb. The travelling comb or holding surface
will then carry forward such detached fibres, the projecting ends of which
should be supported and held up in their proper position by suitable holders or
guiders, until the needles of one or more travelling combs working parallel to
and at the same speed as the first-mentioned one, enter the projecting ends
of the fibres, so as to leave projecting beyond the outermost travelling comb a
length of the said fibres sufficient to be taken hold of by the first drawing-off
or nipping apparatus, after which, as the travelling combs go forward, the
outermost travelling comb goes away from and leaves the fibres, and so presents
a fresh projecting end ready to be taken hold of and drawn off by a second
drawing-off or nipping apparatus, which is set nearer to the first-mentioned
travelling holding comb, into which the fibres were lashed, and so on for each
travelling comb, of which there may be one, two, or more, till the shortest
fibres are drawn off from the first-mentioned travelling holding comb. The
respective speeds of the feeding apparatus and travelling combs should be
regulated so that the travelling holding comb may be regularly fed and supplied
with sufficient fibres in order that each drawing-off apparatus may deliver a
proper sliver. Instead of a series of travelling combs, one may be sufficient
for certain fibres, provided their projecting ends be properly supported by
suitable guiders, and properly presented to the action of the different drawing-
off or nipping apparatuses, which, if more than one are required, should be
set successively nearer and nearer to the single travelling comb.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Cowper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
COWPER, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Cowper, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Cowper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles Cowper, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time, to time and

page_text: at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ASSORTING AND SEPARATING COMBED FIBRES, AND IN
MACHINERY FOR THAT PURPOSE," communicated to me from M. Ziegler, residing
at Guebwiller, in France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Charles Cowper, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Cowper, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of the present Invention is to assort combed fibres in a somewhat
similar manner to that heretofore proposed by Charles de Jongh, of Lauten-
bach, near Guebwillar, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, and described
in the Specifications of certain Letters Patent granted to him, and respectively
bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six, No. 1211, and the Third day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-eight, No. 1765. The present Invention, however, is adapted for
operating on such fibres when in the form of a sliver or band, instead of being
in separate stricks or bundles. In carrying out the Invention one or more
slivers of such combed fibres of silk, wool, or other fibrous material are fed into
the assorting machine, by means of a feeding apparatus composed of a gill or
porcupine roller or other suitable holding surfaces or instrument, which brings
forward and delivers such fibres, so that their projecting ends may be lashed
into a travelling comb or suitable holding surface where the ends of the
fibres so lashed in are held or nipped by a suitable apparatus, so that by the
back motion of the feeding apparatus the fibres so held or nipped shall be
drawn through the teeth of the feeding apparatus, and detached from the sliver
or slivers and left in the travelling comb. The travelling comb or holding
surface will then carry forward such detached fibres, the projecting ends of
which should be supported and held up in their proper position by suitable
holders or guiders until the needles of one or more travelling combs working
parallel to and at the same speed as the first-mentioned one, enter the project-

page_text: ing ends of the fibres, so as to leave projecting beyond the outermost travelling
comb a length of the said fibres sufficient to be taken hold of by the first
drawing-off or nipping apparatus, after which, as the travelling combs go
forward, the outermost travelling comb goes away from and leaves the fibres,
and so presents a fresh projecting end ready to be taken hold of and drawn off
by a second drawing-off or nipping apparatus, which is set nearer to the first-
mentioned travelling holding comb, into which the fibres were lashed, and so
on for each travelling comb, of which there may be one, two, or more, till the
shortest fibres are drawn off from the first-mentioned travelling holding comb.
The respective speeds of the feeding apparatus and travelling combs should be
regulated so that the travelling holding comb may be regularly fed and supplied
with sufficient fibres in order that each drawing-off apparatus may deliver a
proper sliver. Instead of a series of travelling combs, one may be sufficient
for certain fibres, provided their projecting ends be properly supported by
suitable guiders, and properly presented to the action of the different drawing-
off or nipping apparatus, which should be set successively nearer and nearer
to the single travelling comb.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is an elevation, and Figure 2 is a
plan of a portion of a machine constructed according to the Invention; Figure 3
is a vertical section of the same. The samo letters refer to similar parts in
each Figure.
The parts not shown in the Drawing are (with certain modifications
hereinafter mentioned) similar to those in the machinery described in the
aforesaid Specifications of Charles de Jongh.
X, X, are the main frames of the machine, and Y, Y, are other frames or
bars attached to them. A¹ is a roll of ribbons or slivers or a lap of combed
fibrous material to be operated upon. It is rolled upon a wooden roller with
iron bearings resting in notches or forks in the frames S, S; B, B', are two
rollers, which draw the slivers from the roll, and supply them to the porcupine
roller C; S, S, are two supports or frames which carry the rollers A¹, B, B¹,
and the porcupine C; a is a curved plate or guide which unites the two
supports or pieces S, S, and serves to guide the slivers, and to keep them in
the teeth of the porcupine C. In Figure 1, a portion of the plate a is
removed to show the porcupine roller; Q, Q, are two steel rollers turning
freely on pins or studs b, b, which are fixed to the two pieces S, S; L, L, are
supports or brackets carrying a shaft O", and fixed to the frames or bars Y;
Z, Z, are two cams which may be cast in one piece, and which are fixed on
the shaft O". These cams act against the rollers Q, Q, and communicate an
alternate ascending and descending motion to the frame S; R, R, are two.

page_text: hollow levers or trunks, which turn loose upon the shaft O", and are capable
of oscillating upon or around it. In these trunks R, R, the pieces S, S,
slide up and down, with their studs b, b, projecting through slots or openings
in the sides of the trunks; O is a shaft supported by brackets f, f, and
carrying a crank I, which communicates an oscillating motion by a connecting
rod I to the trunks or levers R, R; this connecting rod is jointed to a pin or
pins on a plate or plates u, which can be fixed at different heights on the
levers R. The extent of oscillation may be such as to communicate a lateral
motion of about eight inches to the axis of the porcupine C; but the extent
of this motion may be varied according to the length and nature of the fibres
to be operated upon. D is an endless chain of combs which corresponds to:
the central comb in the aforesaid machinery of Charles de Jongh. This comb
is driven by a polygonal roller E, carried by brackets U, V; D¹, D³, D³, D',
are other endless chains of combs passing round rollers or polygons on the
spindle of a wheel e", which communicates motion through an intermediate
wheel el, to an equal wheel e on the axis of the polygon E. The spindle of
the wheel el is driven in any convenient manner by gearing from the driving
shaft O; these combs D¹, D3, D3, D', are of gradually diminishing length as
in the aforesaid machinery of Charles de Jongh, and drawing-off rollers are
placed for drawing off the fibres which project beyond the combs, as in the
aforesaid machinery. It will be seen, however, that these combs are all on
the same side of the comb D, and not on both sides of it, as in the aforesaid
machinery of Charles de Jongh. F, F, are two brackets fixed to the frame of
the machine, and carrying a rod or pin q, on which two arms or levers G, G,
are pivoted; these arms carry a brush, which may be about four inches
long, or more or less; H is a connecting rod jointed at the upper end to a
rod q', which unites the two levers G, G, and at the lower end to a crank H
on the shaft O¹.
An up-and-down motion is thus communicated to the
brush z; the extent of this motion may be about three and a half inches, or
more or less. The motion of the brush is in an arc of a circle from the
centre q, and it thus recedes somewhat when it rises, but yet falls almost perpen-
dicularly on to the comb D; M, M, are brackets supporting the shaft O¹. N is
one of the brackets supporting the driving shaft O; P is a ratchet or star
wheel, which is advanced a little at each revolution of the shaft O", by a
finger or lever T attached to the shaft; c is a bracket attached to the
piece R, and carrying the wheel P; t is the spindle of the ratchet wheel,
which passes through a guide or bearing i, attached to the oscillating piece R,:
and carries an endless screw which drives a wheel p on the spindle of the
porcupine C. J is a bent or jointed or elbow lever fitted on the shafts Ou

page_text: and O, and carrying the intermediate toothed wheels n, n¹, n"; K is another
elbow lever or a continuation of the lever J fitted on the shafts O and O
and carrying the intermediate toothed wheel n¹¹¹. W is an endless cloth
which passes round an inclined roller w and two horizontal rollers x, y, as
shown separately on a larger scale in elevation in Figure 4, and in plan in
Figure 5, and in end view in Figure 6. This cloth raises the ends of the
fibres or tufts which are held by the comb D, and brings them into a horizontal
position as shown in Figure 6, and 1 and 2, and thus delivers them to the
chain combs D¹, D³, D³, D'. The inclined roller w carries a pulley, which is
driven by a band or otherwise at such a velocity as to cause the cloth to travel
at the same rate or rather faster than the comb D. It may be driven from a
pulley running loose on the spindle of the polygon E, and driven in any con-
venient manner at the required velocity. The driving shaft O carries a
toothed wheel m", which drives the wheel m' on the shaft O", through the
intermediate wheel n11. The shaft O carries another wheel m¹, which
drives an equal wheel m¹ on the shaft O', which carries the crank which
drives the brush z. The feeding motion is given by the ratchet P and endless
screw, which turns the wheel p on the axis of the porcupine. This wheel p
or another wheel on the same axis communicates motion through an inter-
mediate wheel p' to a wheel p", on the axis of one of the feeding rollers B¹.
These wheels are so proportioned that the porcupine roller may move somewhat
faster than the feed rollers. The chain combs or travelling combs D¹, D³,
D³, D', are driven as in the aforesaid machinery of Charles de Jongh or in
any convenient manner.
The motion of the pieces R and S is such, that the centre of the porcupine C
moves in a path of a form approximating to a square. Thus it is advanced
by the crank I until the tuft or tufts of wool or other fibrous material which
project from the porcupine are over the comb D; the porcupine then descends
by the action of the cams Z on the rollers Q, and thus lashes the tufts into
the comb D. It continues to descend until the lowest part of the cams are
under the rollers Q, and it is then drawn back by the crank I, leaving the
tuft or tufts in the comb D. It is then raised by the cams Z, and again
advanced by the crank I, so as to repeat the operation of lashing the fibrous
material into the comb D, which has advanced a certain distance in the
meantime. The crank shaft O carries a wheel m, which is driven by an
equal wheel m¹ on the shaft O", through the train of intermediate wheels
n", n¹, n. The cams Z and the crank I are thus caused to revolve at the
same speed, and the shaft O' which drives the brush is also driven at the
same speed by the equal wheels m¹ and m¹. The shaft O" carries two equal.

page_text: wheels both marked m³, and represented by one red circle in Figure 3, but
shewn separately in Figure 1. One of these wheels communicates motion to
the wheel m, and the other drives the wheel n", and is driven by the
wheel n, as herein-before mentioned.
The fibrous material being lashed into the comb D, as herein-before
described, is carried by it over the endless cloth W, which raises the fibres
into a horizontal position. The chain combs D', D2, D3, D4, then rise up and
receive the fibres, and travel along with the comb D until they reach the first
pair of drawing-off rollers, which draw out the long fibres which project
beyond the comb D. This chain comb D* then descends, and passes round a
roller or polygon, and returns to the polygon on the axis of the wheel e".
The second pair of drawing-off rollers then draws out the fibres which project
beyond the comb D³, which then returns to the polygon on the axis of e", and
so on with the other combs, as in the aforesaid machinery of Charles de
Jongh, except that the combs D', D2, D3, D', are all on the same side of the
comb D, as herein-before mentioned, and therefore the drawing-off rollers or
nippers, or other drawing-off apparatus, are also all on the same side of the
comb D. The machine may, however, be constructed with a lashing or feeding
apparatus on each side of the comb D, and it is then to be provided with other
chain combs and drawing-off apparatus on each side of the comb D.
In some
cases, as, for example, in operating upon short fibres, the machine may be con-
structed with the comb D, but without any other chain combs, the place of
such chain combs being supplied by a guider or endless band or bands, which
support the fibres and present them to the drawing-off rollers or apparatus.
Instead of the lashing apparatus shewn in the Drawing, nipping rollers or
other means may be employed for drawing out the fibres from the feeding
apparatus, and depositing them in the comb D. In all cases the fibres are to
be separated from a continuous or long band or sliver, or bands or slivers, and
equalized at the end, which is held by the comb D, so that the inequalities
may project at the other end, from which the fibres of different lengths are
successively removed by the drawing-off apparatuses.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The ends of the fibres being
presented by the porcupine, are lashed or laid into the comb D, and held by
its teeth, assisted by the brush while the porcupine recedes. The fibres thus
held by one end in the comb are drawn out from among the teeth of the por-
cupine, and carried away by the comb D. The projecting fibres are raised
into a horizontal position by the cloth W, and deposited in or transferred to
the combs D', D³, D³, D'. The ends of the longest fibres project beyond the
comb D, and are seized and drawn out by the first drawing-off apparatus.

page_text: The next longest fibres which project beyond the comb D³, but not beyond the
comb D', are then exposed by the descent of the comb D, and are drawn off
The fibres of different
by the second drawing-off apparatus, and so on.
lengths are thus equalized at one end in the comb D, while their other ends
extend to different distances, and are selected and drawn off by the successive
drawing-off apparatus.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is,
First, assorting and separating combed fibres when in the state of bands or
slivers, by feeding or supplying such bands or slivers by means of a gill or gills,
or a porcupine roller, or otherwise, and lashing or placing portions of such
bands or slivers in a travelling comb, acting in conjunction with one or two
or more other travelling combs, or bands, or guiders, and with two or more sets
of drawing-off rollers or apparatus, in manner herein-before described.
Second, constructing machinery for assorting and separating combed fibres
when in the state of bands or slivers, with a travelling comb arranged in con-
junction with one or two or more other travelling combs or bands, or guiders,
and with two or more sets of drawing-off rollers or apparatus, and combined
with one or more feeding apparatus, consisting of a gill or gills, or a porcupine
roller, or other suitable apparatus adapted for lashing or drawing out and
placing portions of the bands or slivers in the first-mentioned travelling comb,
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Cowper, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
CHARLES COWPER. (L.s.)
Witness,
THO. TAYLOR,
7, Wellington Row, Bethnal Green,
London.