IMPROVE- MENTS IN COMBING WOOL, HAIR, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edmond Donisthorpe and John Crofts,
of Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COMBING WOOL, HAIR, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 23rd March 1858, and dated the 28th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edmond
Donisthorpe, and. John Crofts at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition; on the 28th January 1853.
We, GEORGE EDMOND DONISTHORPE and JOHN CROFTS, of Leeds, in
the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBING WOOL, HAIR, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
to be as follows:-
>
These improvements have for their object modifications of that
class of machinery for. combing wool and other fibrous materials for
which Patents have been obtained. by George, Edmond Donisthorpe
and others, and are generally known to the trade as Lister and
Donisthorpe's Wool Combing Machines, and these improvements
consist,
☐
First, in arranging a porter comb with the teeth downwards in place
of upwards, so that in working the teeth descend into and take the wool

page_text: or fibre from the nipping apparatus, and carry it over the travelling
combs, and deliver the wool or fibre on to the travelling combs by a
brush, or otherwise the teeth of the porter comb move freely through
the brush or discharging apparatus.
And, secondly, the improvements consist in so arranging the apparatus
as to dispense with the "porter" or carrying comb, which has heretofore
taken the wool or fibre from the nipping apparatus, or from a comb,
as the case may be, and has placed the wool or fibre upon a circular or
travelling comb. In the present arrangement no porter or carrying
comb is required, the detached piece of wool or other fibre being
taken from gill or other combs or feeding apparatus by a rotary
comb or nipper when it comes opposite to travelling combs, the teeth of
which are placed in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position; the wool
or fibre is delivered from the rotary comb or nipper and placed on the
teeth of the travelling combs by means of a brush or pressing instru-
ment moved outwards at the time the wool has arrived opposite the
travelling combs. By which combination or arrangement the ends of
the fibre will hang vertically or nearly so from the teeth of the
travelling combs, which position will offer less difficulty in conducting
the wool or fibre to and its being drawn off by drawing apparatus. In
some cases we apply a brush or other suitable apparatus in front of the
gill combs or feeder, which acts to assist in the detaching the wool or
fibre by the rotatory comb or nipper apparatus. The travelling combs are
caused to travel and are guided over a table by means of racks and
pinions, and when the wool has been drawn off from them, and
the noil has been removed, they are taken by an endless band and
conveyed back so as to re-enter their guides to be again filled with wool

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three,
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said George Edmond Donis-
thorpe and John Crofts, Her special licence that we, the said
George Edmond Donisthorpe and John Crofts, our executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George
Edmond Donisthorpe and John Crofts, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Chan-.
nel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
COMBING WOOL, HAIR, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said George Edmond Donisthorpe and
John Crofts, or one of us, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said George Edmond Donisthorpe
and John Crofts, 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,
that is to say:
These improvements have for their object modifications of that class
of machinery for combing wool and other fibrous materials for which
Patents have been obtained by George Edmund Donisthorpe and
others, and are generally known to the trade as Lister and Donis-
thorpe's Wool Combing Machines, and these improvements consist,
first, in arranging a porter comb with the teeth downwards in place
of upwards, so that in working the teeth descend into and take the
wool or fibre from the nipping apparatus, and carry it over the travelling
:

page_text: combs, and deliver the wool or fibre on to the travelling combs by a
brush, or otherwise the teeth of the porter comb move freely through
the brush or discharging apparatus; and, secondly, the improvements
consist in so arranging apparatus as to dispense with the porter or
carrying comb which has heretofore taken the wool or fibre from
nipping apparatus, or from a comb, as the case may be, and has placed
the wool or fibre upon a circular or travelling comb; in the present
arrangement no porter or carrying comb is required, the detached
piece of wool or other fibre being taken from gill or other combs or
feeding apparatus by a rotary comb or nipper when it comes opposite
to travelling combs, the teeth of which are placed in a horizontal or
nearly horizontal position; the wool or fibre is delivered from the
rotary comb or nipper, and placed on the teeth of the travelling, combs
by means of a brush or pressing instrument moved outwards at the
time the wool has arrived opposite the travelling combs. By which
combination or arrangement the ends of the fibre will hang vertically,
or nearly so, from the teeth of the travelling combs, which position will
offer less difficulty in conducting the wool or fibre to and its being
drawn off by drawing off' apparatus. In some cases we apply a brush
or other suitable apparatus in front of the gill combs or feeder, which
acts to assist in the detaching the wool or fibre by the rotatory comb or
nipper apparatus.
The travelling combs are caused to travel and are guided over a
table by means of racks and pinions, and when the wool has been
drawn off from them, and the noil has been removed, they are.
taken by an endless band, and conveyed back so as to re-enter their
guides to be again filled with wool or fibre; and in order that our
Invention may be most fully understood we will proceed to describe
the means pursued by us in carrying out our present improvements.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, shows a vertical section of so much of a machine for
combing wool or other fibrous material as will enable us to describe
the first part of our improvements, which relate to the porter or
carrying comb, and as the other parts of this machine are similar to

page_text: that described in the Specification of a Patent granted to Samuel
Cunliffe Lister, February twenty-fourth, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-one, it will not be necessary to repeat the same, except so far
as to render the nature and mode of working of our present improve-
ments intelligible. ", a, are the gill combs by which the wool or other
fibrous material is supplied to the nipping apparatus b, which receives
motion from the shaft or axis c, by a cam d, as is well understood.
e, is the porter or carrying comb, which is guided in a frame e*,
suspended on axes e', e', carried by the fixed supports e², e², on each
side of the machine; the arrangement and construction of the porter
comb and apparatus for delivering the wool on to the travelling
comb f, will be better understood on examining Figure 2, which
shows a front view of the porter or carrying comb and parts connected
therewith; the comb e, is supported by the rods e³, e, which slide in
guides carried by the frame e, et, and the comb e, is constantly pressed
upwards by the spiral springs e*, ex, acting between the collars on the
rods e, e and the lower part of the frame e', as shown; the rods c³, e¹³,
are connected by the cross bar e, which is connected by a pin joint to
the link e, supported by a pin joint from the lever e³, and an up
and down movement is given to the comb e, to cause it to descend into
and take the wool or fibre from the nipping apparatus in the fol-
lowing manner, is a lever carried by a stud g', on the side framing
of the machine, and g², is a truck or roller constantly borne up by a
spring against the surface of one of the cams d, on the axis c, which
actuates the nipping apparatus, and the lever g, gives an up and down
movement to the lever e', and carrying comb e, by means of the
connecting rod g, at each revolution of the axis c.
We will now describe the brush or discharging apparatus for deliver-
ing the wool or fibre from the carrying comb c, on to the circular, or, it
may be, other travelling combs f. The brush i, is supported by rods i',
, which slide through guides i, i, on the swinging frame e', et; the
rods i, i, are connected by the cross bar i, which is connected by a
link it, with the lever i, carried by the upright support i", affixed to the
framing of the machine; the lever is, and brush i, are raised and lowered
by the lever j, carried by a stud on the side framing of the machine; the

page_text: lever j, is depressed by a friction roller j¹, carried by a stud on the
side of one of the cams d, at each revolution of the axis c, and by
means of a connecting rod j², gives motion to the lever i³, which causes
the brush i, to descend and discharge the wool or fibre from the
carrying comb e, on to the travelling comb f, at the time it is over the
teeth of the comb f. The frame e', is caused to swing to and fro on
its axis e¹, e', in the following manner, in order to be in a position to
take the wool or fibre from the nipping or feeding apparatus, and carry
it into a position over the travelling combs f, to be delivered thereto by
the brush or discharging apparatus just described; k, is a lever moving
on a stud supported by a bracket on the framing of the machine; the
lower end of the lever k, is attached by a pin joint to the connecting
rod k¹, which receives motion from an excentric k², on the axis c, the
upper end of the lever k, being connected by a rod k³, to an arm k*, on
the frame e, all which will be readily understood on examining the.
Drawings. 1, is a curved plate fixed at the back of the travelling combs,
against which the teeth of the porter or carrying comb are brought
in contact in order to cause them to assume the curve of the
travelling comb f, at the time the wool or fibre is being delivered
thereto, the brush i, being formed to suit the curve of the travelling
combs.
:
We will now describe the arrangement of apparatus for combing
wool, hair, or other fibrous material, wherein we dispense with the porter
or carrying comb which has heretofore taken the wool or fibre from
the nipping apparatus, or from a comb, as the case may be, and has
placed the wool or fibre on to circular or travelling combs to be
afterwards drawn off by drawing off apparatus, as is well understood.
Figure 3, shows a vertical section of so much of a machine for combing
wool or other fibrous material as will enable us to describe this part of
our improvements. Figure 4, shows a tranverse section of the rotary
conib or nipper. Figure 5, a longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 6, shows the inner side of one of the end plates, the rim of
which controls the action of the rotary comb; and Figures 7, and 8,
show a front view and longitudinal section of the horizontal travelling-
combs. The feeding apparatus, the gill combs, and the drawing off

page_text: apparatus employed in connection with this machine being similar to
what has been before described in Patents granted to the said George
Edmund Donisthorpe and others, it will not be necessary to repeat the
same, as a workman acquainted with this class of machinery will readily
understand how to apply the same in combination with our present
improvements, and we have only thought it necessary to give a par-
ticular description of the construction of the rotary comb or nipper
apparatus which takes detached pieces of wool or fibre from gill or
other combs or feeding apparatus, which are delivered directly therefrom,
without the aid of a porter comb, on to the teeth of horizontal travelling
combs, the nature of which we shall also particularly describe. a, is
the axis of the rotary comb or nipper apparatus, which turns in bearings
on the side framing of the machine, and receives motion by a band or
strap from a steam engine or other motive power. b, is a drum or
cylinder carried by the axis a, and then are grooves formed in the ends
of the cylinder b, which guide the bars c, d, that carry the rotary comb
and delivering brush or instrument when in the act of taking the wool
or fibre from the gill or other feeding apparatus, and in delivering it on
to the travelling combs. c, c, are the bars which carry the rotary combs
or nippers, and c¹, c', are friction rollers on the ends of the bars c,
which in the rotation of the cylinder b, travel over the cam surfaces
formed within the rims of the end plates e, e, affixed to the side framing
of the machine; the bars c, c, with their combs, are constantly pressed
outwards by the spiral springs c³, c, which by pressing against the
bars d, d, act to force the bars d, d, inwards, together with the brush
or delivering instruments which are attached to the bars d, d, by the
plates d', d'; when the friction rollers c¹, c¹, and combs c*, in their
revolution arrive at the step c*, of the cam surface, the teeth of the
combs c*, will be forced out from the surface of the cylinder, and pass
into the portion of wool or fibre which is presented to it by the feeding
apparatus, and in its further revolution a piece of wool or fibre will be
detached and carried forward to a point opposite to the teeth of the
horizontal travelling comb f, at which point the cam surface will act to
withdraw the teeth of the comb c*, within the surface of the cylinder b,
and at the same time the ends of the bar d, will be acted upon to force.

page_text: out the brush or delivering instruments dx, so as to place the detached
piece of wool or fibre upon the teeth of the travelling comb f.
In order to assist the rotatory comb in detaching the wool or fibre
from the gill or feeding apparatus, in cases where the nature of the
fibrous material renders it desirable, a brush or other yielding surface
may be caused to come into action and meet the point of the rotatory
comb just at the time it enters the wool or fibre, and then move away
with it whilst the detaching of the fibre takes place. The ends of the
bars d, d. are acted upon to force out the brush d*, in the following
manner, is a cam on the axis g*, which gives motion to the screw
gill or feed apparatus; the cam g, in its revolution depresses the end of
the lever h, which is constantly borne against the surface of the cam
by a spring , as shown; the lever h, is carried by the axis i, on which
there are arms, to which bars k, are attached by pin joints; the other
ends of the bars k, being bent at right angles pass through slots or
openings, formed in the end plates e, e, and when the ends of
the bars d, d, in their revolution come opposite to the ends of the
bars, the bars, will come into action and force the ends of the
bars d, outwards, and the wool or fibre will be delivered from the
comb c*, on to the teeth of the travelling comb, the nature and action
of which we will now proceed to describe. In front of the drum or
cylinder b, which carries the rotatory comb, there is a fixed table 1, over
the lower surface of which the combs f, are caused to travel by means
of pinions m, m, which pass through slots formed in the table 1,
and take into racks formed on the under side of the plates f', which
carry the combs f; motion is communicated to the pinions m, m, from
the main shaft or axis in any convenient manner; the combs f, will
successively force each other along the surface of the table, and when
the wool or fibre has been drawn off by suitable drawing off: apparatus,
and the noil has been removed, the plates f¹, and combs will be
successively tilted by the spring n, into the position shown in the
Drawing, and a sharp point or points on the upper surface of the
plate f, will enter into the surface of the endless band p, by which the
combs f, will be successively drawn over the upper surface 1, of the
table 1, and will then fall on to the lower surface, and be caused to

page_text: re-enter between the guide surfaces 1, and 1 of the table by the
weighted lever o, which, by its own gravity, presses each successive
plate f, and comb, so that its rack may be taken into by the teeth of
the pinions m, and be again filled with wool or fibre by the rotary
comb or nipping apparatus, all which will be readily understood on
examining the Drawings.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that we
make no claim to the parts separately, nor do we confine ourselves to
the details herein described. But what we claim is,―
First, the combination herein described for causing the porter comb
to work with its teeth downwards, and to descend into and take the
wool or fibre from the nipping apparatus, and carry it over the
travelling combs, and deliver the wool or fibre on to the travelling
combs by a brush or otherwise.
And, secondly, we claim the combination of apparatus herein de-
scribed for dispensing with the porter or carrying comb, and causing
the wool or fibre to be delivered from the rotatory comb or nipper, and
to be placed in the tecth of travelling combs.
In witness whercof, we, the said George Edmund Donisthorpe
and John Crofts, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this
Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
5
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
G. E. DONISTHORPE. (L.S.)
JOHN CROFTS.
(L.E.)