IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMBING, DRAWING, OR PREPARING WCOL, COTTON, SILK, HAIR, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
AUGUSTUS PRELLER, of Abchurch Lane, in the City of London. Merchant,
JOHN EASTWOOD, of Bradford, in the County of York, Woolcomber, and
SAMUEL GAMBLE, of Bradford aforesaid, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Sixteenth day
of September, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did give and grant unto us, the said Charles Augustus
Preller, John Eastwood, and Samuel Gamble, our exors, adñiors, and
assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that we, the said Charles Augustus Preller, John Eastwood, and Samuel
Gamble, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others as we, the said
Charles Augustus Preller, John Eastwood, and Samuel Gamble, our exors,
adiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, cur Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
COMBING, DRAWING, OR PREPARING WCOL, COTTON, SILK, HAIR, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso re-
quiring that we, the said Charles Augustus Preller, John Eastwood, and Samuel

page_text: Gamble, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
and cause the same to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Augustus Preller, do hereby declare that the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by this present instrument in writing,
reference being had to the accompanying four Sheets of illustrative Drawings
belonging hereunto, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists of an improved mode or modes of, or improved
machinery for, successively taking off or combing, and afterwards successively
clearing and straightening, and then successively depositing on suitable combs,
small quantities of wool, cotton, silk, hair, and other fibrous materials.
Firstly, by means of an improved instrument or apparatus for carrying a
working or transmitting comb or combs, and which is so constructed and set
in motion as (when moving in one direction) to cause the said comb or combs
to take (from any suitable feeding apparatus) successively separate portions or
small quantities, and to pass them successively against card or other suitable
clearing surfaces, and then so to carry them successively past or beyond any
suitable receiving combs that the said portions may pass quite freely, or so as
not to touch the said receiving combs, and then (on the movement of the said
instrument or apparatus being reversed) to carry the said portions successively
so close to the said receiving combs as to deposit them successively upon the
said receiving combs.
Secondly, by means of an instrument or apparatus for carrying a working
or transmitting comb or combs, which, when moving in one direction, causes
it or them to take (from any suitable feeding apparatus) successively separate
portions of the material, and to pass them successively against card or other
suitable clearing surfaces, and then successively to carry them towards receiving
combs so constructed as (when in action) first to recede and consequently to
allow the working or transmitting comb or combs to pass quite freely, and
afterwards (on the movement of the said instrument or apparatus being
reversed) to advance, so as to allow the said working or transmitting comb or
combs to approach so near to the said receiving combs as that it or they may
deposit the said portions upon the said receiving combs.

page_text: Thirdly, by means of an instrument or apparatus for carrying a working or
transmitting comb or combs, and which (when in motion) causes it or them to
take from any suitable feeding apparatus successively separate portions, and
to pass them successively against card or other suitable clearing surfaces, and
then successively to deliver the said portions to or upon an intermediate
carryi. or transferring comb (or combs), which conveys them from the
working or transmitting comb or combs towards and to, and delivers them
upon, any suitable receiving combs. Our Invention also includes certain
specific parts of the above machinery or apparatus, and consists of an improved
mode or modes of, or improved machinery for, successively taking and then
successively depositing on suitable combs small quantities of wool, cotton, silk,
hair, and other fibrous materials by means,--
Fourthly, of an improved instrument or apparatus for carrying a working or
transmitting comb or combs, and which is so constructed as (when moving in
one direction) to cause the said comb or combs to take (from any suitable
feeding apparatus) successively separate portions or small quantities, and then
so to carry them successively past or beyond any suitable receiving combs,
that the said portions may pass quite freely, or so as not to touch the said
receiving combs, and then (on the movement of the said instrument or
apparatus being reversed) to carry the said portions successively so close to the
said receiving combs as to deposit them successively upon the said receiving
combs.
And, fifthly, of an instrument or apparatus for carrying a working or trans-
mitting comb or combs, which when.moving in one direction causes it or them
to take (from any suitable feeding apparatus) successively separate portions of
the material, and then successively to carry them towards receiving combs, so
constructed as (when in action) first to recede, and consequently to allow the
working comb or combs to pass quite freely, and afterwards (on the movement
of the said lever or apparatus being reversed) to advance, so as to allow the
said working or transmitting comb or combs to approach so near to the said
receiving combs as that it or they may deposit the said portions upon the
said receiving combs.
And having thus described the nature of our said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner in which the same may be best performed, by the
following statement and detailed description of the Drawings, which are made
to a scale of about one-fourth of the actual dimensions.
With reference to our first improvement: In the Drawing No. 1, Figures
1 and 2 are elevations of opposite sides of a single machine or apparatus,
(Figure 1 being shewn partly in section.) In Drawing No. II., Figure 3 is

page_text: an elevation, corresponding with Figure 1, of the framing and of some parts
of the machine which are not distinctly represented in that Figure. Figure 4
is a transverse section, taken through the line Z, Z, in Figure 2, shewing a
side view of the receiving chain or travelling combs, with the chains and
wheels which carry them. In the Drawing No. III., Figure 5 is a plan view
of the, machine. In the Drawing No. IV., Figures 6, 7, and 8 are side views
of an improved instrument or apparatus for carrying the working or trans-
mitting comb or combs, representing it in three several different positions,
explanatory of the compound motion to which it is subject, and also shewing
a feeding apparatus and card rollers, and rollers for stripping them. In the
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, A is the driving shaft, carrying the pinion A*, which
gears with the wheel B on the shaft B*. C is a tappit or cam fixed on this
shaft, which bears against the periphery of the circular disc or roller D, which
is mounted on an axis in the lever E. This lever works on an axis at its
end Ex, and its opposite end is jointed to the lower end of the vertical.
connecting rod F, which by the raising and lowering of the lever E and by
means of the pin F* (see Figure 5) communicates an alternate vibrating or
rocking motion to the tappit or cam G, to which the upper end is jointed.
The cam G is mounted on the shaft H, on which it turns loosely. K is a
crank keyed upon the shaft B*, which by means of the connecting rod L gives
an alternate motion to the lever M. The upper end of this lever is formed
with a toothed sector M*, and gears with the wheel N, which is fixed on the
shaft, before mentioned, to which consequently an alternate vibrating or
rocking motion is communicated.
The improved instrument or apparatus herein-before mentioned is also fixed
to the said shaft, rocking backwards and forwards with it; and I prefer to make
this instrument or apparatus in the form of a rocking or balance lever, as
shewn in the Drawings by the part marked O. One end of this lever is move-
able, consisting of or being formed with a slide P, the outer end of which holds
the working or transmitting comb Q. O is a counterbalance weight on the
opposite end of the lever O, carrying a bar O for laying or smoothing the wool
throughout its entire width as it is fed into the machine; R, R, are rollers
turning on studs fixed on the slide P, which bear against the turned-up rim or
flange of the cam G. The peculiar form of this cam regulates the action of
the slide P, the inward or return motion of which is assisted by the spring O".
S and S* are cylinders, covered with suitable card filletting, for removing the
short fibres, knots, and other impurities from the wool or other material under
operation, and for opening out and straightening its fibres and laying them
parallel, each of the said cylinders being furnished with a series of stripping

page_text: rollers T and T for clearing them (as shewn most distinctly in the Figures 6,
7, and 8); but instead of the card cylinders S and S*, any other suitable
clearing surface or apparatus may be employed. The smaller cylinder S is
driven from the shaft B* by means of the pinion U and the intermediate
wheels and pinions marked V, V, V, V, V, V³, the last of which train is keyed
on the shaft which carries the said cylinder. This cylinder from the opposite
end of its axis (see Figure 5) communicates motion to the larger cylinder S*
by means of the wheel W fixed to the cylinder S, the intermediate wheel W*
(not shewn in this Figure), and the wheel We fixed to the cylinder S* (see also
Figures 1, 3, and 5); but it is to be observed that the W train of wheels are
only shewn by their pitch lines, represented by the dotted circles in the Figure 1.
The wheels W and W drive the stripping rollers T and T* of their respective
card cylinders by means of pinions W and W. The wheel V₁ (see Figure 2)
also actuates the trains of wheels marked X, X, X, the last of which is keyed
on the axis of one of the pair of feeding rollers marked Y, and from this axis
motion is also communicated by the train of wheels Y*, Y, Y, on the opposite
side of the machine to the pair of feeding rollers marked Z, one of them being
on the same axis with the last wheel of this train. Instead of the feeding
rollers Y and Z, any other suitable feeding apparatus may be employed. Z*
is a bridge or bar over which the wool or other material is passed as it is fed
by the rollers Z and Y into the machine.
In Figures 2, 4, and 5, a is a bevil pinion upon the shaft B, which gears
with the bevil pinion a*, and thence transmits motion by means of its axis, and
the additional bevil gearing b, bx, and the worm gearing c, cx, and the spur
pinion d, to the wheel e, fixed to the former of the two wheels f,f*, which carry
the receiving combs g, g, g, upon the links of an endless chain g*, the joints of
the said chain being furnished with studs or pins which rest in notches formed
for their reception in the said wheels f,f. The spindle of the worm c also
actuates the bevil and worm gearing h, h*, h2, h3, h, l, which drives the rollers
i, i. These are for the purpose of drawing a continuous sliver from the combs
9,9, as ordinarily practised; and k, k, are likewise ordinary drawing rollers
working at a different speed for receiving the sliver from the rollers i, i, and
passing it into a can. These latter (k, k,) are driven by the wheel h, which is
actuated by the worm .
The action of the principal working parts of the machine is as follows, that
of the remainder being sufficiently elucidated by the foregoing description :-
The wool or other material, as it is fed into the machine over the bridge or
bar Z*, is subjected to the action of the working or transmitting comb Q,
which takes up a portion, as shown by the Figure 6, and passes it over the

page_text: The upward
surface of the card cylinders S* and S. These open out, clear, and straighten
the fibres, and lay them parallel without breakage or injury to the staple.
After leaving the card surfaces it is carried forward and upward, so as to pass
clear of the receiving chain combs g, as shewn by the Figure 7.
motion being still continued after the comb Q has passed the comb g, the
slide P will be forced outwards by the full side of the cam G; and on the
reverse motion of the rocking or balance lever 0 (the cam being caused to
move with it and the slide being consequently kept out), the working comb Q
will descend, and pass close to the receiving comb g, and deposit the clear or
finished work on the outer or further side thereof, and leave only the noil on
the inner or nearer side, as shewn by the Figure 8. By the above operation
the liability to loop upon the brooches or teeth of the comb is greatly lessened,
and consequently also the breakage of the fibre is much diminished while being
drawn off the comb, which is a very common occurrence in many machines.
The wool or other material, after being deposited upon the receiving chain
comb, may be pressed down by a brush or other suitable means. The continued
action of the machine will bring the several parts into their original positions,
when the above operation will be repeated, and separate portions of the
material will be successively acted upon, as before set forth. The noils may
be brushed out from the receiving combs by a revolving brush driven by the
machine, but not shewn in the Drawings, or may be removed in any other
convenient manner. The receiving combs are to be heated by steam or in any
other approved way when oil is used in combing. When steam is employed
for this purpose, it may be applied by means of two pipes placed at the lower
part of the machine between which the combs may pass before going again
upwards.
It is here to be observed, that although we prefer to effect this improve-
ment in the manner herein-before described, the same may be accomplished,
if desired, by a traversing motion of the axis of the rocking or balance lever,
which will dispense with the slide P, together with those parts of the machine
which are employed for working it. It is also to be observed, that instead of
the single machine, herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings,
double or even still wider machines may be made, that is to say, working with
two or more rocking or balance levers and working combs (either on traversing
axes or without them), and only one series of driving gear and one chain or
set of receiving combs; and in the case of a whole or double machine, the
driving gear, instead of being on one side, is to be placed in the middle
between those parts of the machine which are in duplicate.
With reference to our second improvement, the instrument or apparatus

page_text: employed consists of a rocking or balance lever, formed without a sliding or
moveable end, used with any suitable feeding and clearing apparatus, as herein-
before described; but the framework which carries the receiving combs,
instead of being fixed to the main framing of the machine, is to be supported
upon wheels or slides, and a sliding coupling is to be adapted to the shaft
which carries the bevil pinions a and b (see Figure 2), and a receding and
advancing motion of the said combs is to be given by suitable gearing in
communication with the main part of the machine. By this arrangement the
action is as follows:-The working or transmitting comb when moving in one
direction takes separate portions of the material and passes them against the
clearing surfaces as before; it then carries them to and past the receiving
combs, which recede and allow it to pass quite freely, and afterwards, on the
movement being reversed, it deposits the material upon the receiving combs,
which advance towards it for that purpose. On the operation being con-
tinuously repeated, separate portions will be successively acted upon, as before
set forth.
With reference to our third improvement, we employ a rocking or balance
lever, as in our second improvement, and any suitable feeding apparatus and
clearing apparatus, as in both our first and second improvements, and also any
receiving combs, as in our first improvement; but instead of the working or
transmitting comb depositing the material directly upon the receiving combs,
we employ an intermediate carrying comb, as illustrated by the side views,
Figures 9 and 10 in Drawing No. III. These Figures, and the Figure 11 here-
after referred to, are drawn to about half the scale of the other Figures of the
Drawings. m is a crank actuated by the machine; n, a slotted lever, to which
it gives motion; n*, the intermediate carrying comb at the end of this lever;
and p, a fixed pin or stud on which the lever works. The action is as follows:-
The rocking or balance lever O being on its return or downward stroke when
the crank is in the position shewn in Figure 9, and turning in the direction
denoted by the arrow, the lever n will be lifted and again depressed, and the
angle of its inclination reversed by the time the crank reaches the position
shewn in Figure 10, as is represented by that Figure. The comb n* having
been carried with it will have lifted the wool or other material from the
working or transmitting comb Q, and will be just commencing to deposit it on
the receiving combs g, as shewn, the completion of which operation will be
effected by the further revolution of the crank. The Figure 11 shews a
variation in the form of the chain or set of receiving combs which may be
adopted, if preferred. It is to be understood that any other description of

page_text: intermediate carrying comb, and any different mode of working the same, may
be substituted if deemed advisable.
It is to be observed specifically of the working comb Qon the rocking or
balance lever, particularly if its end be made moveable, that the teeth should
be shorter than in ordinary combs, because it is intended to be filled and
emptied each journey that it makes, and also because with short teeth it can
be made to pass closer to the receiving combs on the downward or delivery
stroke. And it is to be observed generally of all the combs employed that such
sizes and descriptions of combs are to be used as are suitable to the nature and
quality of the material to be operated upon in accordance with the well-known
requirements of all machinery for similar purposes. The Drawings represent
combs intended for operating upon the shorter descriptions of wool.
With reference to our fourth and fifth improvements, they are to be effected
in the manner described under our first and second improvements respectively,
by dispensing with the clearing apparatus, and the gearing for driving the
same; but it is desirable, when the carding or other clearing surface is
dispensed with, that the material should have undergone a clearing as well as
straightening process before being taken off or combed by the working or
transmitting combs.
In witness whereof, I, the said-Charles Augustus Preller, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March, in the year of our