Improvements in or relating to Noble Combing Machines or the like Circular Combing Machines, primarily to adapt same for Combing Flax or other Vegetable Fibres.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1898
Improvements in or relating to Noble Combing Machines or the like
Circular Combing Machines, primarily to adapt same for Combing
Flax or other Vegetable Fibres.
We, THE FLAX COMBING SYNDICATE LIMITED (a British Joint Stock Company of
Limited Liability-duly incorporated under the laws of Great Britain and Ireland),
whose registered offices are Throgmorton House, Copthall. Avenue, London, and
TAYLOR BURROWs, of 88, Upper Kennington Lane, London, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention 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 has for its object improvements in or relating to Noble combing
machines or the like primarily to adapt same for combing vegetable fibres such as
Bax or china-grass and consists as follows:-
(1) Improvements in or relating to the feed or feeding arrangement.
(2) Improvements in or relating to the means for dabbing the fibre into the.
circular combs and in the method and means employed in this connection.
66
(3) Improvements in or relating to the means employed for separating or
"stroking" the fibrous material strained between the diverging circular combs.
All of which will be hereinafter separately and fully described (in the above
order) with reference to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan or diagrammatic view in plan of a "Noble" combing machine
having the present improvements applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a side view or elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 1 Fig. 1.
Figs. 3 to 6 are detail views of the feeding arrangement.
Fig. 3 being local detail view on an enlarged scale showing one arrangement for
feeding; Fig. 4 a local plan view of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 a local sectional view viz.: on
line 5 5 Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale showing a slightly modified feeding arrange-
ment and Fig. 6 is a local plan view of Fig. 5.
Figs. 7 to 9 are detail views of the dabbing arrangement.
Fig. 7 being a local view in elevation on an enlarged scale showing the "dabbing"
arrangement i.e. Fig. 7 is a local view looking in the direction of the arrow 7 Fig. 1
omitting the feeding boxes.
Fig. 8 is a "local"
cross sectional view on line 8-8 Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a local plan partly in horizontal section on line 9-9 Fig. 7.
Figs. 10 to 12 are detail views of the stroking arrangement.
Fig. 10 being local view in elevation on a greatly enlarged scale looking in
the direction of the arrow 10 Fig. 1.
Fig. 11 is a view at right angles to Fig. 9 i.e. looking in the direction of the
arrow 11 Fig. 10.
Fig. 12 is a plan of Figs. 10 and 11 and also showing part view of the combs with
Price 8d1

page_text: FEEDING ARRANGEMENT.
A bobbin reel or spool a (which will hereinafter be referred to as a "reel") is
used having a spindle or axle passed centrally through same the projecting ends a¹ of
which form the axes on which said reels revolve (see Figs. 1 to 6).
Or these axes a¹ may be simply trunnions fixed to the side cheeks of the reel a.
Or the slivers may be wound on to circular tubes or rods (without flanges if
desired).
Four or other suitable number of slivers b are wound parallel on to each said reel 1
and are advantageously tightly wound thereon so as to obtain the double advantage
of (1) getting more material on each reel and (2) it is found that the fibre especially.
flax or china-grass will thereby run off or unwind very much better when thus
tightly wound.
The projecting ends or trunnions a' (of this reel a on which the slivers are wound)
rest when on the combing machine in V-shaped or approximately V-shaped bear-
ings or holders c so that the weight of the reel a at its full charge being heavy con-
sequently presses the ends a¹ down so that the latter are wedged between the
converging sides of the V-shaped holder or bearing c.
These V-shapod bearings c may be mounted on short stays or supports e¹ bolted:
screwed or otherwise suitably fixed to and carried on or by the circular revolving
frame d'of the Noble or the like combing machine and are carried round therewith.
This arrangement of V-shaped bearings carried in fixed supports on the revolving
part of the machine is shown in Figs. and 2 and in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 and
in this case the feed plate e is carried on a bracket et pivotted at d¹ to the aforesaid
revolving frame d.
This pivotted bracket e¹ has an extension e³ which comes to rest against the
underside of the revolving frame d and thereby prevents the bracket e¹ from turn-
ing (outwards) on the pivot d beyond the position shown in Fig. 3. This bracket e¹
also carries another arm projecting downwards below the pivot and as this down-
wardly projecting arm e³ is carried round with the revolving frame d such arm e³
rides against a fixed cam-like surface e rigidly mounted (on a fixed part of the
framing of the machine) in the path of travel of said arm e³ consequently said arm e³
is forced by the came from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 into the
position shown in dotted lines and thus the feed plate e is raised and draws a certain
amount of sliver b off the reel a and then the arm e³ passes clear of the fixed cam-
like surface e* and the feed plate drops back and thus leaves a small amount of
slack in the sliver b which thus permits the feeding operation to readily take place.
Or said V-shaped bearings c may be carried on rocking supports as shown in
Figs. 5 and 6 for instance a forked device consisting of the forked arms f¹ fl pivotted
at f f in supports f³ fixed to the revolving frame d. the forked arms f¹ fi con-
verging and terminating in the single arm or lever f which latter extending in-
wardly (ie. towards the centre of the machine) rides under an inclined plane or
device fixed (to some stationary part of the machine) in the path of travel of said
arm or lever f.
Thus as each lever f in its path of travel rides under the inclined plane f³ thereby
each said lever f is depressed and consequently the forked ends f¹ thereof are
raised and thereby the reel a in the bearing c is lifted bodily just before the feed
takes place as shown in Fig. 2 (and in this arrangement the feed plates e would not
require to be raised or tilted as shown in Figs. 3 and 4) and thus the suiver between
the ball and the feed boxes a is thrown slack as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5
and the reel a is maintained in this raised position until after the feed has taken
place and then the lever f passes clear of the fixed inclined plane or device f* where-
upon the forked ends fl and the reel a supported therein are lowered and conse-
quently the amount of the sliver b absorbed in the last feed is now unrolled off said

page_text: feel a and then the latter comes to rest again in its V-shaped bearings c which
bearings prevent any excess of unwinding taking place and consequently maintain
the slivers in a taut condition.
Thus in a circular combing machine of the character illustrated in Fig. 1 where
the mandril is fed twice in the course of each revolution consequently the reels a
are each raised and lowered twice in the course of each revolution of the machine
according to the arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
DABBING.
Referring more particularly to Figs. 7 to 9-a series of plates or strips h of metal
or otherwise are arranged edgewise on a block h¹ and of any suitable width or widths
but always so as to be adapted to enter in the spaces between the respective circular
rows of teeth i in the main comb and in suchwise that the said plates or strips h
will not strike or touch such comb teeth or pins i or in anywise injure same.
are the pins or combing teeth on the small circular combs see Figs. 1,.
8 and 9.
To ensure this the plates h h pass through a sort of grid or fixed guiding device
held just above the points of the circular combing teeth or pins i such guiding
device ; while permitting free vertical reciprocation of the strips or plates h will:
serve as guides to said plates and prevent lateral motion thereof whereby it follows
that such plates can enter only into the spaces between the said rows of teeth i-
and similarly with respect to the pins 21.
"
In addition to this the ordinary "ploughs or fixed inclined plates kon edge.
(which are inserted between the rings of teeth i of the main circular comb in. order
to lift out the ends of the fibres in readiness to permit the feeding operation to take
place) are mounted as usual or in any suitable manner and then such inclined
plates are prolonged at 7 and descend and extend towards and under the dabbing
plates h; or the strips or plates I may advantageously be separate from the ploughs k.
The ends of said plates extend quite under the dabbing device (see Fig. 7)
and are fixed and held rigidly between the respective revolving circular rows of
pins or teeth i of the main circular comb so as to ensure the said rows of pins or
teeth being maintained at their proper distances apart and this definite position
of the parallel rows of pins or teeth i is thus ensured and maintained and the said
strips or plates h on the block or support h¹ being reciprocated vertically always in
the same vertical plane for instance by the reciprocating plunger or connecting
rody Fig. 8 consequently it is thus ensured that the said dabbing plates h will
always accurately fit or enter between the circular rows of teeth i without touching
the latter and enable rigid plates such as h to be used instead of bristles.
•
SEPARATING OR "STROKING" DEVICE.
Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, 10, 11 and 12:—
At the point where the paths of travel of the main circular comb i and the small
circular combs ¹ diverge and strain the fibre between them as shown in Figs. 1
and 12-a special separating and stroking device is employed in order to separate
or release such strained fibre from one comb or the other and direct same towards
the point where it is nipped and drawn out of its comb by any suitable means
such as the usual belt or drawing leather m (which passes round the vertical
rollers m¹ see Fig. 12) between which leather m and the vertical roller n the fibre is
drawn out of the main comb i while the long fibres in the small comb ¹ are drawn
out between the drawing leather o (passing round the rollers o¹) and the roller p
and similarly at the opposite side of the machine the fibres are drawn out from the
main comb and the second small comb i¹ and are led in a sliver through the tubular
guide q in between the aforesaid leather m and leather o so that the whole of the
fibres drawn out of the combs and converge or are led into one sliver at r and
by means of a suitable tube or guides are led above the combs clear of the machine
into the sliver can or other suitable receptacle all in the usual and well-known manner

page_text: as at present in use on circular combing machines of the type illustrated in Fig. 1.
Just over or near the point. (where the fibres are to be separated a long finger.or
arm is mounted by means of a prolonged slot in the upper end of said
fingert travelling on a fixed stud or guide-pin u¹ secured to a fixed part u of the
frame a of the machine.
υ
Lower down on said long finger or arm t.same is pivotally connected by a crank
pin v or other suitable means to a crank (which latter advantageously is provided,
with a radial slot 1 therein to permit adjustment of the crank pin v in the crank v
and thus enable the stroke or amount of movement imparted to the lower end of
the fingert to be adjusted) such crank being fixed to a crank shaft journalled
in the fixed part u of the framing a of the machine and rotated by means of an
endless band (not shown) on a pulley 3 fixed on said crank shaft v -or the latter
may be rotated by any other suitable means.
The lowermost end or point of the long finger or arm is thus caused to travel
in an elliptical path (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10) so that this finger or
stroker will descend amongst the strained fibres and be then caused to travel
transversely thereto or thereabouts and thus separate and stroke or direct said fibres
in the manner desired next the stroker t is raised to a point above the level of the
fibres and is then carried back over the top of the following strained fibres between
the combs and ¹ and descends again amongst the fibres and separates them and
so on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The combination in Noble or the like combing machines of the herein-
described improved feeding apparatus improved dabbing apparatus and improved
separating or stroking apparatus arranged and operating in conjunction with said
machine substantially in the manner and for the purposes specified and illustrated
in the drawings hereunto annexed.
2. The arrangement and combination in and with a Noble or the like combing
machine of the several improvements hereinbefore specified and illustrated in the
drawings for the purpose of adapting said machine for combing flax, china grass,
or the like.