IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Mordecai Jefferson, of Bradford, in the County
of York, Machine Maker and Iron Founder, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING
WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 6th September 1870, and dated the 29th April 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Mordecai Jefferson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th April 1870.
I, MORDECAI JEFFERSON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine
Maker and Iron Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND
COMBING WOOL OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," (to be as follows) :-
This Invention relates to the drawing-off apparatus or rollers and
leathers or endless aprons, which are employed in such machinery for
drawing off the slivers of wool or other fibrous substances which may
be under operation; and the improvements consist in a novel means or

page_text: method of traversing or effecting the lateral movement of the said
leathers or aprons so as slowly and gradually to present different parts
of the working surfaces thereof for action upon the slivers, and thereby
to prevent undue wear of the aprons, and to maintain equality of the
said surfaces. This traversing or lateral motion I obtain from the rotary.
motion of either the tightening roller or one of the fluted rollers by
applying a worm or screw on the shaft so as to be driven thereby, but
capable of sliding thereon; this worm gears into a worm wheel affixed
on a shaft, on which is also another worm gearing with a wheel on
another shaft, in which is a stud forming a crank pin, which is con-
nected by a rod to a slide bar which takes into a groove on the said
roller shaft, by the action of which a slow reciprocating or endwise
motion of the said roller is effected; or in some cases racks and pinions
or other equivalents may be used in connection with worms and
wheels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Mordecai Jefferson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th October 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MORDECAI
JEFFERSON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine Maker and
Iron Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Mordecai Jefferson, Her special
licence that I, the said Mordecai Jefferson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Mordecai Jefferson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND COMBING WOOL
OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Mordecai Jefferson, my executors or administrators,.

page_text: is also fixed a worm F, which gears into a worm wheel G fixed on
another short shaft G', on which is fixed a worm H, which gears into a
wheel I fixed on a shaft J, upon which is fixed a stud plate K. The
stud K' is adjustable in a slot of the plate, and to this stud is attached a.
rod L connected to a lug or shackle M fixed (and capable of adjustment
by set screw) to a slide bar N, to which bar are fixed two strap guides P
encircling the roller B, but which do not necessarily need to do so, and
it is betwixt these guides that the drawing-off leather or apron is placed..
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The rotary motion of the
roller B gives rotary motion to the worm D, from which the motion is
communicated by the train of gearing, or worms, wheels, and shafts E, F,
G, H, I, J, to the stud plate K, which by the rod L and lug M gives a
slow reciprocatory motion to the slide bar N and consequently to the
guides P, by which the said drawing-off leather or apron is traversed on
the roller.
The three Figures shewn on Sheet 2 of these Drawings represent a
modified arrangement of this Invention, where instead of the slide bar
extending upwards to carry the strap guides P, it extends downwards
carrying a footstep Q, upon which the end of the shaft C rests on a
hardened centre point, thereby to diminish friction, and the worm D is
loose on the shaft, being driven by a feather or key entering a groove, so
that the shaft can slide up and down in the bearer and the worm by the
action of the slide bar. The roller is also loose on the shaft, but driven
by a feather on the said shaft sliding in a groove formed in the roller;
which rests on the bearer, as in Sheet 1, and the strap guides or rings R
are screwed fast to this feather, so that as the shaft is caused to slide or
move up and down in the roller the guides are also caused to move or
traverse the leather or drawing-off apron on the roller.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of this part, shewing the method of fitting and
fixing the guides to the shaft.
In the foregoing description, as well as by the Drawings, it will be
seen that the tightening roller B is not traversed or moved endwise, but
the leather or drawing-off apron is caused to traverse very slowly or
gradually to move laterally or sideways to and fro by means of the slide
bar and strap guides actuated by the rotary motion of the said roller,
but it will however be evident that this apparatus and the method of
operating the same may be applied and used to move the tightening
roller endwise, as well also as one or both the fluted rollers if desirable.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and shewn by
Drawings in what manner the same is or may be performed or carried
into practical operation, I would have it distinctly understood that I do
not claim the traversing of the leather or drawing-off apron, or the
moving endwise of the tightening roller, or the drawing-off roller or
rollers for that purpose, as I am aware such motions are not new; but
what I do claim as of my Invention, and believe to be new is, the method
of traversing or producing lateral motion of the leather or drawing-off
apron of such machinery by means of a worm and suitable gearing
operated by the tightening roller or one of the drawing-off rollers, in
manner substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Mordecai Jefferson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
MORDECAI JEFFERSON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Mordecai Jefferson,
in the presence of
Wч. TASKER,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Bradford.