IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR COMBING THE FILAMENTS OF TEXTILE MATERIALS
Year: 1879

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Ernest de Pass, of the Office for Patents, 68, Fleet Stroot,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR COMBING THE FILAMENTS OF TEXTILE MATERIALS." A com-
munication from abroad by Henri Truxler, of 17, Boulevart Saint-Martin,
Paris France.
Sealed the 25th April 1879, and dated the 23rd January 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest de Pass at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1879.
ERNEST DE PASS, of the Office for Patents, 68, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR COMBING THE FILA-
MENTS OF TEXTILE MATERIALS." A communication from abroad by Henri Truxler,
of 17, Boulevart Saint-Martin, Paris, France.
This Invention has for its object improvements in machines for combing the
filaments of textile materials, and relates, 1st, to the feeding; 2ndly, to the feeding
and combing apparatus: 3rdly, to the seizing apparatus; and 4thly, to the
consolidation of the combed slivers.
I. FEEDING. The textile material as unrolled from its rollers passes over two
unwinding rollers, and it then passes between two feeding cylinders (an upper and
a lower one) mounted on the arms of an oscillating nipper. The fleece advances
slightly at cach revolution according to the material treated. These feeding
cylinders form at the same time retaining nippers, and are set in motion by a pawl
or driver which actuates a ratchet fixed on the lower feeding cylinder.
This feeding movement is effected by the position of the centre on which the
pawl or driver is mounted, and by that of the centre of oscillation of the feeding
apparatus and the pawl during the descent of the apparatus is thus forced to move
the tooth of the raichet, and when the apparatus arrives at the end of its travel,
the pawl or driver has moved the ratchet one entire tooth, which according to the
different sizes of ratchets effects the desired advance. The feeding cylinders thus
effect the feeding of the combs for cotton, silk-waste, and the like, but for longer
materials, such as wool, the cylinders are dispensed with and urchins are employed,
the fleece passes successively between them and into their teeth. A gill-bar is
attached to the arm carrying the comb, and is placed behind the upper nipper and
penetrates the fleece at the desired moment.

page_text: II. FEEDING AND COMBING APPARATUS.-The upper nipper and the lower
oscillating nipper carrying the feeding cylinders form the working parts of this
apparatus, which receives its motion from eccentrics mounted on the driving shaft,
and which are in contact with friction rollers fixed on a slotted connecting bar or
bars attached to the arms of the upper nipper. The centre of the upper nipper is
placed further away from the comb than is the centre of the lower nipper, but it is
the centro of this lower nipper which is the centre of oscillation for the whole
apparatus; the centre of the upper nipper being only the centre of opening of the
nippers, and being placed behind the other so as to give a greater length of lever to
effect a better pressure.
On the connecting bars are fixed friction rollers on which rest the arms of the
lower nipper, such arms having a curve underneath them and against which
friction rollers act; the upper nipper actuates the whole apparatus. When the
connecting bar or bars rise and fall, the lower nipper follows the upper one, and the
curve underneath the arms of the lower nipper permits a slight opening of the
nippers, and likewise the entire separation of the nippers when the pawl effects the
feeding, and the lower nipper continues to descend until it is stopped by abutments,
the upper nipper following and pressing strongly on the lower one by means of
coiled springs forcing a cam into contact with other lower friction rollers, the axes
of which are moveable in the slots of the connecting bars.
When this apparatus reaches its lower position, the lower nipper comes into
contact with a concave or trough shaped bar, and the head of the sliver held by the
nipper lays itself on this concave; it is then that the material thus held undergoes
the combing. The concave or trough shaped bar is adjusted concentrically with
the combing roller, and maintains the head of the sliver on the teeth of the combing
roller as they pass.
The passing of the teeth is then effected whilst the feeding is stopped. The
concave is fixed on two lever arms articulated around the shaft of tho combing
roller, and each of these arms is furnished with a friction roller set in motion by
another eccentric fixed on the driving shaft.
As soon as the last row of teeth has left the combed sliver the concave rises and
resets or straightens the head of the sliver, which under the action of the combs
was slightly folded. This movement must be effected before the rising of the
feeding apparatus.
III-SEIZING APPARATUS WITH ECCENTRO-CIRCULAR AND CONTINUOUS
MOVEMENT CARRYING TWO SEIZING NIPPERS.
The head of the sliver thus combed and straightened or reset is now ready to be
introduced between the first pair of seizing nippers, which at this moment is
prepared ready to receive it.
These nippers are fixed to pieces fitted in slides contrived in plates or discs
keyed on a shaft revolving at half the speed of the driving shaft, and carrying the
whole of this apparatus. These pieces have a movement given to them by the two
curves of eccentrics, which come in contact with friction rollers strongly pressed by
coiled springs, which have ono extremity attached to them, and the other to the
axis of the arms of other nippers, forming jaws with the first mentioned nippers,
and having the saine eccentric rotation. In this manner the springs act at the
same time for pressing a pair of nippers against the curves of the eccentrics, and to
effect the compression on the other pair of nippers. The plates or discs are
furnished with studs, so that when the arms of the nippers encounter them these
arms are obliged to separate, and to open without effort, the pair of nippers
corresponding to the pair of rollers pushed outwards by the curve of the eccentric.
The seizing apparatus is set at a certain distance from the feeding apparatus,
and when this last apparatus is in the act of ascending the two apparatus draw
nearer to each other by their movement, like two gear wheels.
The finishing comb is usually of a very fine number to comb the tail of the
filaments; this arrangement moreover permits of its being made single, double, or

page_text: treble, as desired, according to the materials, and proportionately to the distance
apart of the feeding and the seizing contrivances.
When the feeding apparatus redescends the head of the sliver remains engaged
in the finishing comb, until this comb through its set screws comes to rest again on
the frames of the machine, it is then that the head of the sliver disengages itself
from the comb by the complete descent of the feeding apparatus. This movement
is effected imperceptibly, as if the finishing comb were itself operated by a direct
movement. In consequence of the position of the finishing comb no dirt remains
on it, the head of the sliver carrying along all with it.
IV. SUPERIMPOSING ROLLER AND CONSOLIDATING BRUSHES.
The super-
imposing roller or doffer is furnished with carding teeth having triangular points,
it receives the combed slivers taken from the jaws, which after having taken them
through the last cleaning comb continue their eccentro-circular travel, undergoing
in passing before the doffer a movement of readvancement caused by the eccentric
curves, and at the same time the stud on the seizing apparatus effects the opening
of the jaw which only held the combed sliver by the head; the whole of the tail of
the filaments passing bebind the nipper is thus caught on the doffer by its
extremity, and at the same time penetrates therein by the rotary action of the jaw,
which opens and gives up the sliver which is forced to penetrate the doffer by
means of consolidating brushes. These brushes are placed on the seizing apparatus,
and receive their motion from the doffer. One of the brushes is fixed behind each
of these jaws between the gudgeons on which the springs are hooked; these
gudgeons hold it by two points turned over at the ends of its axis.
The operation of the second jaw is like that of the first, it lays the following
eliver on the doffer nearly half the length of the preceding sliver, that is to say, the
tail coming from the first jaw receives the head of the second, and so on, the doffer
having a slow and continuous rotation. The consolidating brushes thus finish by
forcing the filaments to penetrate, consolidate, and superimpose themselves one on
the other, and to form a compact fleece without breaks.
The fleece, detached from the roller by another comb, passes united into a guide-
funnel, then between two drawing rollers which compress it strongly, and the
fleece thus transformed into a whole sliver is left to settle in a turning can.

page_text: In the Drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a machino on an
approximate scale of half size, and Figure 2 a detail of the feeding arrangement for
certain cases.
I. THE FEEDING.-A are the rollers of textile material which are unwound upon
the unwinding rollers B, B. The material, as unwound, passes between the cylinders
D, D, which are mounted in supports D' fixed on the arms G of the oscillating
nipper G', G, G".
E
At each evolution the fleece is advanced 5, 6, 8" (inch) according to
the materials, the cylinders D, D, being very near the feeding nippers form at the
same time a retaining nipper. They are actuated by the pawl F working the
ratchet E, which is fixed on the lower cylinder D.
This feeding movement is effected by the position of the centre m of the pawl,
and by that of the centre of oscillation G' of the feeding nipper, on which are the
cylinders; these two centres, by their position, cause the nose or end of the pawl
and the cylinder D carrying the ratchet to describe each a different circumference,
and these two circumferences to react the one upon the other, that is to say, the one
approaches the other towards a point of intersection which would be lower than tho
described travel. Thus the pawl while the apparatus descends is forced to push
the tooth of the ratchet, and when the apparatus arrives at the end of its descent
the pawl is thus forced by itself to push the ratchet one entire tooth, which, according
to the different sizes of ratchets, effects as desired the developement of the cylinders
for 5, 6, 8, millimetres.
The cylinders D thus feed the combing cylinders for cottons, silk waste, and the
like, but for longer materials, such as wool, for instance, instead of using cylinders,
urchins h, h¹, h, driven by a like pawl are employed (see Fig. 2), between which,
and in the needle clothing of which, the fleece travels successively. A gill bar d is
placed behind the nipper H", and penetrates the fleece at the desired moment, and
for this purpose it is attached to the comb I' hereinafter described, or more correctly
to the arms I which carry the comb I'. Consequently this gill bar d will participato
in the movements of the said comb I'.
II. FEEDING AND COMBING APPARATUS.-The upper nipper H" and the lower
nipper G carrying the feeding cylinders D form the working parts of this apparatus.
It (the apparatus) receives its movement from the two eccentrics L, which are fixed
on the driving shaft K, these eccentrics L are in contact with the friction rollers
M, M', which are fixed on the connecting rods J, which rods are attached at i to the
arms H of the upper nipper H". The centre H' of the upper nipper H" is further
away than the centro G₁ of the lower nipper G", but it is the centre G' which is

page_text: the centre of oscillation of the whole apparatus, the centre H³ being only the centre
of opening of the nipper H"; this centre is further away from the other in order to
be able to give a greater length of lever so as to effect better pressure.
The lower nipper G" is fixed on the arms G oscillating at G¹. On the connecting
rods J are fixed two friction rollers P¹ acting in contact with a curve P formed
under the arms G, and it is these friction rollers P' which support these arms Gand
the lower nipper. The other nipper H" fixed to the arms H having their centre H'
on a point of the arms G extending beyond G₁ is the driver of the whole appa-
ratus. When the connecting rods J rise and fall, the lower nipper P, G, G¹¹, only
follows the upper nipper H, H. Besides, the curve P supporting the lower nipper
on the friction rollers P' is so shaped as to allow of a slight opening in the position
shewn, and on the contrary to allow (when the connecting rods J descend) the
lower nipper (always resting and supported on the friction rollers P') to separate
freely from the upper nipper, and thus to form the full opening of the nippers at the
moment that the feeding arrangement is actuated by the pawl F; the descent still
continuing an instant the lower nipper comes against two stops or abutments o
before the eccentrics L fixed on the driving shaft K have finished their course;
when at length the lower nipper is thus stopped the upper nipper continuing is descent
places itself in its turn on the lower nipper. The upper friction rollers M of the
connecting rods J in contact with the eccentrics L have their axles fixed, the lower
ones have theirs moveable in slots contrived in the connecting rods J; these
friction rollers M' are kept in contact by the pressure of the springs N, and effect
thereby pressure on the upper friction rollers, full liberty of movement existing by
means of the large slots Jin the connecting rods J and through which the driving
shaft K passes. Thus when the lower nipper rests on the abutments or stops the
upper nipper in consequence of the travel presses energetically on it, the eccentrics
L being at the moment in contact with the lower friction rollers M', and leaving
the fixed friction rollers M for some millimeters, according to the setting, the springs
N yielding to the same extent by transmitting to the nippers their strong and
clastic pressure.
On arriving in this lower position the nipper G comes in contact and flush with
the concave or trough shaped har Q1, and the head of the sliver held by the nipper
is laid on the concave bar; it is then than the material so held undergoes the
combing. The concave or trough shaped bar Q", which is of gun metal, is fitted
concentrically to the combing roller Q, and holds the head of the sliver in the teeth
or needles, which are set circularly on the roller Q'ns they pass.
The passage of the teeth is therefore effected whilst the eccentrics L leave the
feeding apparatus motionless. The gun metal bar Q is provided with two lover
arms g, on which it is fixed; these arms y are articulated around the shaft Q of the
combing roller Q', and carry each a friction roller n capable of being actuated by an
eccentric L¹ fixed on the shaft K. At this moment the levers and the concave
bar Qare stationary; the combing roller then presents its segment of combs, and
the teeth or needles, passing very near in the concave part of the bar, penetrate the
head of the material, and pass through it in combing it.
As soon as the last row of teeth or needles has passed, the concave bar Q",
oscillating on the centre of the roller by the action of the eccentrics L' on the fric-
tien rollers n and the levers g, rises suddenly for two or three millimeters, and
resets or straightens, by this effect, the head of the sliver which had undergone
a slight fold under the action of the combs. This movement must be effected even
before the eccentrics L are ready to cause the feeding apparatus to rise.
III. SEIZING APPARATUS, WITH CONTINUOUS ECCENTRO-CIRCULAR MOVEMENT,
CARRYING TWO SEIZING NIPPERS.
The head of the sliver thus combed and reset or straightened is now ready to be
introduced into the first pair of seizing nippers S, S₁, which at this moment is
ready to onen to receive it

page_text: The shaft R which carries these two organs or appliances works at half the speed
of the driving shaft K.
The nippers S are fixed to pieces a which aro fitted on plates T", in grooves cast
on these plates, and forming slide guides. The plates, keyed on the shaft R, carry
the whole apparatus in their rotation. The pieces a bearing the nippers S carried
in this travel obey moreover, by the contact of their friction rollers T¹, two eccentric
curves T fixed to the framework. By this means they follow the eccentric rotation
resulting from the eccentric curves T, ou which the friction rollers T' fixed to the
pieces & are strongly pressed upon by the springs S₁ in turn by turn.
The movement of this apparatus is effected by gearing, it is consequently con-
tinuous, and is not intermittent, and the generatrices of the surfaces described are
straight, and parallel with the feeding and combing appliances.
The nippers S¹ form jaws with the nippers S; S and S' follow together the same
eccentric rotation. The arms a' which carry the nippers S₁ articulated on the same
rods or axles fixed to the pieces 8, and which form the centres of the friction
rollers T. On these rods or axles the springs S are hooked, they being hooked at
their other ends to the extremities a" of the arms s'. These springs S" extend then
from the draw-axle T¹ of one pair of nippers to the axles 81 of the arm 8¹ of the
other pair of nippers. In this manner the springs S" act both to press upon a pair
of nippers on the fixed curved eccentrics T, shewn in dotted lines, and to effect the
compression on the other pair of nippers.
Finally, when one of the pairs of friction rollers T', pushed by the curves T and
drawing the pieces 8, carries the pair S, S¹, of corresponding nippers towards the
exterior, the arins 8 coming against a button U fixed to the plate, are obliged to
Beparate by oscillating around T, and they open without effort this pair of nippers,
since at the same moment the other pair of friction rollers T¹ come nearer to the
centre R. The springs are thus naturally stretched when pressure is necessary,
and return in the same way to their normal position when said pressure is no
longer necessary.
The seizing apparatus turns in the direction of the arrow, and is regulated at a
certain distance of 0005 (+4 inch), for example, from the feeding apparatus; this
latter is then beginning to reascend, and the two apparatus come together naturally
by their movement like two gear wheels.
At the moment that the feeding apparatus was stopped ready to ascend the first
jaw of the seizing apparatus by the action of the fixed eccentric curves T, and by
one of the axles Ū abutting against the opening and closing arms &¹ corresponding
with it is ready to open the corresponding nipper to allow of the introduction of
the combed head of the sliver. Though not having the same speed, the two
apparatus coincide in ascending by the slackening of the working of the feeding
apparatus, such slackening being produced by the suitably shaped eccentrics L.
Thus the sliver, combed and dressed or straightened, ascends, whilst opposite the
ascent of the first jaw opened is effected; the outer end or point of the sliver is
introduced imperceptibly into the opening by the effect of the tangency of the two
organs or appliances which approach each other little by little; as soon as these
two organs or appliances, the feeding one and the nipping one, are on the diagonal
line of their respective centers, the sliver is taken by the closing of the jaws S, S¹.
At this moment the material is engaged also in the finishing cleaning comb I
(peigne nacteur), which is articulated on the same centre G¹ as the feeding
apparatus, but which till then had remained stationary in the position shown.
Then the eccentrics L not having yet finished their travel continue to raiso the
feeding apparatus, and to carry away the finishing cleaning comb I' by its lover
arms I, above the position of rest shewn and determined by the aid of set screws
abutting on the framework. In this manner the material remains engaged in the
finishing comb, and this comb maintains its same distance in regard to the feeding
apparatus which then stops, notwithstanding that the seizing apparatus continuing
its rotation in getting further away from the feeding apparatus by the excess of

page_text: travel above the line of centres, carries off the filaments by drawing them through
the finishing comb.
The jaws S, S¹, in thus separating undergo at the same time a backward
movement towards the centre of its apparatus by the action of the fixed eccentric
curves T, this backward movement is effected on an inclined plane of 45°, and is
added to the backward movement, or to the proper distance apart of the circum-
ferences described by the two organs or appliances. This backward movement
permits of short stapled materials being extracted through the finishing comb as
well as long ones, without changing the speed of any organ or appliance; the
working is by this reason for the short as for the long extremely smooth, and
allows of the machine working at a greater speed than any other of its kind.
The finishing comb I' is usually of a very fine number for combing the tail of the
filaments; this arrangement moreover permits of its being made single, double,
treble, as desired, according to the materials, and proportionately to the separation
apart of the feeding and seizing organs or appliances.
When the feeding apparatus redescends the head of the sliver remains engaged
in the finishing comb, until this comb through its regulating screws comes to rest
again in a state of repose on the frames of the machine; it is then that the head of
the sliver is disengaged from out of the comb by the completo descent of the
feeding apparatus. This movement is effected imperceptibly as if the finishing
comb were itself driven by a direct movement.
Consequently from the position of the finishing comb no dirt remains on it, the
head of the aliver carrying away all with it.
IV. SUPERIMPOSING ROLLER AND CONSOLIDATING BRUSHES.
The roller X or doffer is provided with card clothing having triangular points;
it receives the combed slivers taken by the jaws; these jaws after having drawn
the slivers through the finishing comb continue their eccentro-circular travel, and
undergo in passing before the doffer X a movement of readvancement by means of
the eccentric curves T, and at the same time the abutting stud U effects the opening
of the jaw which only held the combed sliver by the head; the whole of the tail of
the filaments passing beyond S, S¹, is thus caught on the doffer by its end becoming
penetrated therein by the rotary action of the jaw, which opens and gives up the
sliver which is immediately after further penetrated to 5 or 6 millimeters (+ or
inch) in depth by the consolidating brush V.
This brush following close to the exit of the slivers is mounted loose, and only
turns on being drawn into contact with the superimposing doffer. One of these
brushes V is fixed behind each of the jaws S, S', between the axles 8" on which are
hooked the springs S"; these axles hold it by two points formed at the ends of its
axis.
The operation of the second jaw is like that of the first; it lays the following
sliver on the doffer nearly half the length of the preceding sliver, that is to say, the
tail coming from the first jaw receives the head of the second, and so on, the
doffer X having a slow aud continuous rotation in the direction of the arrow.
The brushes V thus finish by penetrating, consolidating, and superimposing the
filaments one on to the other to form a compact fleece without breaks.
The fleece detached from the roller by a comb X¹ passes united into a guide
funnel, then between two drawing rollers y, y, which compress it strongly, and as
it is now transformed into a ribbon or whole sliver it is left to settle in the turning
can.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. The movement hereinbefore described by which the feeding of the
cylinders D, D, is effected, the said movement consisting in the play of the pawl
on the ratchet resulting from the position of the centres of oscillation.
Second. The movement herein before described by which the opening, the half

page_text: opening, and the closing are effected as well as the rise and fall of the feeding
nipper.
Third. The small circular rising and falling movement of the concave or trough-
shaped bar, concentric with the combing roller for raising the sliver folded by the
combing, as described.
Fourth. The introduction of the combed head into the seizing organ or appliance
by the fact of the gradual coming together of the feeding organ or appliance, and the
seizing organ or appliance, the same resulting from the tangential rotation of these
two organs or appliances, as herein described.
Fifth. The seizing of the sliver by the gradual separation resulting from the
continuation of this tangential rotation beyond the line of the centres, as herein
described.
•
Sixth. The arrangement of the seizing organ or appliance as far as is con-
stituted by a single or multiple nipper actuated by a continuous movement of
rotation, and combined with a movement of bringing together towards its centre
of rotation at the moment of the seizing to accelerate such operation, and the
means described or other equivalents to effect these movements, the said seizing
organ or appliance carrying as many consolidating loose brushes as there are
nippers, all substantially as hereinbefore described.
Seventh. The working of the finishing comb, and in case of need of the retaining
gills, according to the manner in which their relations of position with the feeding
nipper and the seizing appliance are established, without giving any direct
movement to such combs, as herein described.
Eighth. The several means described for effecting the several combinations
hereinbefore mentioned and employed, together or separately, all these combinations
being in general understood to consist principally in operating by a feeding and
coinbing nipper actuated by an oscillatory movement, carrying alternately the
materials towards a rotary combing organ or appliance, then towards a seizing organ
or appliance, such seizing organ or appliance being entirely independent of the
combing one, and at the same tine constituted by nippers and not by cylinders
whatsoever, all substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest de Pass, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Third day of July, in the year One thousand eight hundred
and seventy nine.
1122