IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBRES FOR THE · COMBING PROCESS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Holden, of the Firm of Isaac Holden
and Sons, of Bradford, in the County of York, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBRES FOR THE
· COMBING PROCESS."
Sealed the 4th Augut 1874, and dated the 16th February 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Holden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th February 1874.
I, EDWARD HOLDEN, of the Firm of Isaac Holden and Sons, of
Bradford, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER SIMILAR
FIBRES FOR THE COMBING PROCESS," to be as follows :-
The object of the Invention is to separate the longer from the shorter
staple of the fibre in the processes of preparing before such fibre is
finally combed, and so that in such final combing the longer and the
shorter fibres may be separately operated upon. For this purpose I
prepare the fibre for the final combing by the use of comb teeth of any

page_text: suitable kind on to which it is fed, and from which it is drawn by two
or more sets of drawing off rollers applied at various distances from the
carrying or holding combs.
The different distances of the respective drawing-off rollers will be
varied to the length of staple of fibre for the time under operation, so
that the longer fibre only may be drawn off by one set of drawing-off
rollers, and the shorter fibre only by another or other sets.
In drawing off the longer staple I generally accumulate it on an
endless apron before removing it for the final combing, as described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me bearing date the 31st
of March 1873, No. 1184. I may also accumulate the shorter fibre in
the same way, or I then treat it by carding and gilling before final
combing.
By these means I am enabled to finally comb the shorter staple
of fibre separately from the longer staple of the same fibre with greatly 1
increased advantages to both considered in relation to the subsequent
operations of spinning and weaving.
The improvements also relate to preparing the fibre by straightening
it before combing it. For this purpose the fibre is fed into gill comb
teeth which conduct it to between nipping surfaces, and these nipping :
surfaces then conduct it to porcupine or such like teeth applied at an
angle to the axis of a roller; and these porcupine teeth aided by an
endless apron conduct the fibre to other gill combs to be further
straightened; or in place of the porcupine teeth the nippers may conduct
the fibre direct to the second set of gill combs. This method of a
operating upon the fibre to straighten it is particularly applicable before
preparing the fibre by combing it before a final combing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Holden in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HOLDEN, of the Firm of Isaac Holden and Sons, of Bradford, in the
County of York, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Holden, Her special
license, that I, the said Edward Holden, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Holden, 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
PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBRES FOR THE COMBING PROCESS,” upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Holden, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of 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 I, the said Edward Holden, 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 :-
The object of the first part of the Invention is to separate the longer
from the shorter staple of the fibres in the processes of preparing before
such fibre is finally combed, and so that in such final combing the
longer and the shorter fibres may be separately operated upon. For this
purpose I prepare the fibre for the final combing by the use of comb
teeth of any suitable kind on to which it is fed, and from which it is
drawn by two or more sets of drawing-off rollers applied at various
distances from the carrying or holding combs.
'
The different distances of the respective drawing-off rollers will be
varied to the length of staple of fibre for the time under operation, so
that the longer fibre only may be drawn off by one set of drawing-off
rollers, and the shorter fibre only by another or other sets.
In drawing off the longer staple I generally accumulate it on an
endless apron before removing it for the final combing, as described in