Improvements in Machines for Combing Cotton or other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st May, 1891-Accepted, 6th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Combing Cotton or other Fibrous
Materials.
I, BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of the firm of Dobson and Barlow, of Bolton,
in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, which has been communicated to me from abroad by Alfred Bourcart,
of Guebwiller, Alsace, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in those combing machines for combing
cotton or other fibrous materials wherein the comb cylinder has two or more sets of
combs and fluted segments.
One improvement consists in constructing the reversing cam in such a way that
the revolution of the fluted detaching roller is completely arrested before the
driving mechanism is disengaged, thereby giving a fixed absolute length to the
backward and forward motion and preventing over-running or variation in
movement and irregular piecing.
The second improvement in this cam consists in making that portion of it that
controls the speed of the backward motion of such form that the backward motion
of the fluted detaching roller begins slightly before the last row of combs has com-
pletely left the fibre, whereby the speed inay be gradually increased to equal, or
exceed the surface speed of the combs, so that the fibre, turned backwards for the
purpose of detaching and piecing, follows close behind the last row of combs in such
a manner that there is no loss of time; consequently, the whole surface of the fluted
segment is available for piecing and detaching purposes, thus saving considerable
surface space which is of importance when it is required to place two sets of combs
and fluted segments in about the same diameter as that occupied now by one set of
combs and one segment.
A further improvement relates to the cams that regulate the nipper, lifter and
quadrant and the clutch gear of the fluted detaching roller. in all attempts
hitherto made as far as I am aware to double the motion of combing machines the
shaft has been furnished with multiple cams, so that one revolution of this shaft
would give two, or more complete motions upon every cam.
The improvement consists in simplifying the machine by retaining, as at present,
single cams and by altering the gearing so as to make this shaft revolve twice or
more where the cylinder shaft revolves once. This permits the action of each
cam to be eased and regulated with more certainty than is possible with multiple
cams.
Dated this 21st dow of Tula 1000
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Combing Cotton or other Fibrous
Materials.
I, BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of the firm of Dobson and Barlow, of Bolton,
in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, which has been c.inmunicated to me from abroad by Alfred Bourcart, of
Guebwiller, Alsace, Manufacturer, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in those combing machines for combing

page_text: cotton or other fibrous materials wherein the comb cylinder has two or more sets of
combs and fluted segments.
One improvement consists in constructing the reversing cam in such a way that
the revolution of the fluted detaching roller is completely arrested before the driving
mechanism is disengaged, thereby giving a fixed absolute length to the backward
and forward motion and preventing over running or variation in nevement and
irregular piecing.
The second improvement in this cam consists in making that portion of it that
.controls the speed of the backward motion of such form that the backward motion
of the fluted detaching roller begins slightly after the last row of combs has
completely left the fibre, whereby the speed may be gradually increased to equal,
or exceed the surface speed of the combs, so that the fibre, turned backwards for
the purpose of detaching and piecing, follows close behind the last row of combs in
such a manner that there is no loss of time; consequently, the whole surface of the
fluted segment is available for piecing and detaching purposes, thus saving
considerable surface space which is of importance when it is required to place two
sets of combs and fluted segments in about the same diameter as that occupied now
by one set of combs and one segment.
A further improvement relates to the cams that regulate the nipper, lifter and
quadrant and the clutch gear of the fluted detaching roller.
In all attempts
hitherto made as far as I am aware to double the motion or speed of combing
machines the shaft has been furnished with multiple cains, so that one revolution of
this shaft would give two, or more complete motions upon every cam.
The improvement consists in simplifying the machine by retaining, as at present,
single cams and by altering the gearing so as to make this shaft revolve twice or
more where the cylinder shaft revolves once. This permits the action of each cam
...to be eased and regulated with more certainty than is possible with multiple
cams.
And in order that this invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying four sheets of drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a combing machine to which the improvements
have been applied.
Fig. 2 is a view of the improved reversing cam and the gearing for actuating the
quadrant in a combing machine the cylinder of which has two sets of combs and
fluted segments.
Fig. 3 is a view of the cam and clutch gear for actuating the bottom fluted
detached roller and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the improved reversing or quadrant
cam.
In Fig. 1. a designates the lap plate over which the lap of cotton or other
fibrous material is drawn by the pair of driven feed rollers b, c the pair of nippers,
the vibrating top comb, e the comb cylinder shaft upon which the comb cylinder
is mounted the comb cylinder in this case is shown with two sets of combs g and
two sets of Huted segments hi is the usual leather covered detaching roller, the
top and the bottom fluted detaching roller, is the sliver tin, m the pair of
calender rollers, n is the lifter shaft, o the lifter lever, p the lifter lever shaft, and
o the bowl which lies in the groove of the cam, is the nipper lever shaft, the
nipper lever connected by the rod to the usual nipper levers e¹ and s¹ the bowl of
which lies in the groove of the cam u.
Both the cams and u are fixed upon the
cam shaft v, the lifter cam y being indicated by dotted lines and the nipper cam u
by full lines in Fig. 1.
The cam shaft according to these improvements is driven by means of the
gearing illustrated in Fig. 2 at twice the speed of the comb cylinder shaft e.
This is effected by the following means-on the main driving shaft w is fixed a
spur wheel with say 21 teeth gearing into a spur wheel e¹ with 80 teeth fixed on
the comb cylinder shaft e, and by means of two carrier wheels each with 21 teeth
the spur wheel e' transmits motion to a spur wheel ' with 40 teeth fixed on the cam

page_text: U
2
shaft so that the latter makes two rotations to every one of the comb cylinder
shaft e.
On the cam shaft is fixed the improved reversing cam y in the groove of
which lies the bowl of the usual quadrant lever which is fulcrumed on the fixed
centre and has rack teeth 2 gearing with a sliding clutch wheel 3 mounted on the
shaft of the bottom fluted detaching roller kon which is fixed the other half
clutch wheel 4.
The clutch gear is shown best in Fig. 3 on referring to which it will be seen that
the sliding clutch wheel 3 has teeth on its boss into which gear the rack teeth 2 of the
quadrant lever :. The sliding part 3 of the clutch is held normally in contact with
the fixed part 4 by means of a spring 5 connected at one end to the framing 6 and at
the other to the clutch lever 7 which is fulcrumed at S. One end of the clutch
lever 7 engages the sliding clutch 3 and the other end carries a bowl 9 which lies
in the groove of the clutch cam 10 fixed on the cam shaft v in addition to the three
other cams g, u and y already described.
A reference to the detail view Fig. 4 will now make the cycle of operations
clear.
=
When the machine is in motion the cams and other parts are so set and arranged
that when the reversing or quadrant cam in its rotation reaches the point A the
clutch cam 10 allows the spring 5 to move the clutch lever 7 and so slide the clutch
wheel 3 into gear with the fixed part 4. As the cam y continuing its rotation in
the direction indicated by the arrow reaches the point B the quadrant lever is
actuated and by its rack teeth 2 drives the clutch 3 and 4 and so gives the backward
motion to the bottom fluted detaching roller k. When the cam y reaches the
point C this motion of the fluted detaching roller is reversed as the quadrant
lever is now moved away from the centre of the cam shaft v and so the forward
motion of the fluted detaching roller k continues until the cam y in its rotation
reaches the point D. While the said roller & receives its backward and forward
motion between the points B and D as described the leather covered detaching
roller touches one of the fluted segments of the comb cylinder at the point E,
the vibrating top comb d comes down at the point F the leather covered roller i
leaves the fluted segment at the point G and one set of the combs on the
cylinder commence combing at the point H. Then the sliding clutch wheel 3
comes out of gear with the fixed portion 4 at the point I and the cylinder finishes
combing at the point J.
It will be understood that this cycle of operations is repeated at the next revolu-
tion of the cam shaft v which as already stated is driven two to one of the cylinder
shaft e.
In the event of it being found advantageous or desirable to have three sets of
combs and three fluted segments on the comb cylinder it would be necessary to
change the gearing so as to drive the cam shaft three to one of the cylinder
shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
In a combing machine wherein the comb cylinder has two or more sets of combs
and a corresponding number of fluted segments-
1. The improved construction and application of the reversing or quadrant cam,
substantially as herein described, with reference to the drawings annexed, whereby
the quadrant lever remains practically stationary and so the motion of the bottom
fluted detaching roller is arrested for about one third of the rotation of the cam
shaft.
2. Employing single lift cams to actuate the nipper, lifter, quadrant and clutch
levers respectively and driving the shaft upon which said cams are mounted two or
more rotations for every rotation of the comb cylinder shaft substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth.

page_text: 3. The combined arrangement of parts embodying the improvements substantially
as herein described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of April 1891.
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.