IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRE- PARING OR COMBING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hodgkinson, Cotton Spinner, and Daniel
Greenhalgh, Manager, both of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRE-
PARING OR COMBING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 7th August 1862, and dated the 17th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hodgkinson and
Daniel Greenhalgh at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 17th February 1862.
We, JOHN HODGKINSON, Cotton Spinner, and DANIEL GREENHALGII, Manager,
both of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
PREPARING OR COMBING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as
follows:
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the combing machine,
and consists, first, in the employment of one or more stationary knives for
pressing the cotton or other fibrous material into the comb; and, secondly, in
the employment of an endless travelling apron composed of wire set on canvas
or other suitable material, which apron is for the purpose of removing the
waste from the comb, the apron being kept clean by a revolving or oscillating
stripper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hodgkinson and Daniel Greenhalgh in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
HODGKINSON, Cotton Spinner, and DANIEL GREENHALGп, Manager, both of
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Hodgkinson and Daniel Greenhalgh, Her special licence that we, the
said John Hodgkinson and Daniel Greenhalgh, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Hodgkinson and Daniel Green-
halgh, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and on 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
OB APPARATUS FOR PREPARING OR COMBING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
Hodkinson and Daniel Greenhalgh, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands
and seals, 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 John Hodgkinson and Daniel Green-
halgh, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the combing machine,
and consists, first, in the employment of one or more stationary knives in
conjunction with a brush for pressing the fibrous materials into the comb; and
secondly, in the employment of an endless travelling apron for the purpose of
removing the waste from the comb. The apron is composed of wire or bristles
set in canvas or other suitable material, or upon metal lags, hinged together
and working over the ordinary chain wheels, and is kept clean by a revolving
or oscillating stripper.

page_text: These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a
plan, and Fig. 2 an elevation of part of a combing machine having our
improvements attached; Figs. 3, 4, and 5, are detached views of the endless
travelling apron and stripper drawn to an enlarged scale; and Fig. 6, a view
of a modification of the endless apron.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the stationary knives are shewn at a, they are held to the
supports 6 by the screws c and nuts d, by which they are also adjusted to tho
proper depth between the teeth of the combs. The brushes which work in
conjunction with the knives are shewn at c, and by their combined action the
cotton or other material is efficiently pressed into the comb, and thereby it is
better combed than by the brush or knife used separately; the sliver is also
much more level. The machine will do at least one-third more weight, and
the brushes will last four times as long. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, the endless
travelling apron for removing the waste from the comb is shewn at f, it is
carried by the drums g, h, one of which has revolving motion imparted to it
by gearing from one of the upright shafts or circle. In this arrangement the
travelling apron is cleaned by the stripper i, to the shaft of which is fixed the
star wheel k, Fig. 4, acted upon by the pin wheel for the purpose of giving
the stripper intermittent revolving motion. Over the teeth or pins of the
stripper there are bars of metal m held upon rods n fixed to the boss of the
stripper, and having heads to prevent the bars from falling off. As the
stripper revolves and the heads of the rods approach their lowest position, the
bars descend and take off the waste from the teeth or pins of the stripper, and
thereby enable them efficiently to clean the travelling apron. We also form
the travelling apron of wire or bristles set on metal lags hinged together so as
to form a chain, as shewn at o, Fig. 6, the lags being carried by the ordinary
chain wheels. Or if desired we take the waste from the comb by means of a
circular brush in connection with the intermittent revolving stripper i worked
from either of the circles.
By these arrangements for removing the waste or noil from the comb the
said waste is entirely prevented from getting into the cotton; there is also less
liability of the comb being damaged, less manual labour required, and the
waste or noil is improved forty per cent.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that we claim as our Invention, and which to the best of our knowledge
and belief has not been bitherto used within the realm, the improvements in
machinery or apparatus for preparing or combing cotton, wool, and other

page_text: fibrous materials, as such are herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hodgkinson, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Daniel Greenhalgh, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Hodgkinson
in the presence of
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
20, Cross Street,
JOHN HODGKINSON. (L.S.)
Manchester.