The first attempt to construct a mechanical wool-comber was made by Dr. Cartwright, the original inventor of the power-loom. This comber, though not much more successful than the same inventor's previous efforts, suggested the idea and formed the basis npou which succeeding mechanicians laboured to accomplish the end he sought. The first who made any decided advance upon it was Hawkesley, of Nottingham. His efforts were followed at a, long interval—about 35 years—by the more successful attempts of Platt and Collier, which was a great improvement. A considerable number of these machines were adopted by manufacturers, and many ha.ve remained in use until within a recent date. In 1842, Donisthorpe made a flu-tiler decided step in advance, and again in 1844.
The process of combing by hand, though it harl been in vog,ue for ages, had several serious defects. The principal of these was that during washing the fibres got considerably entangled, and when the wool came to be combed, these crossed fibres would coil around the teeth of the comb when the wool was lashed into them, and which in fact it was necessary should be the case in order to secure its withdrawal and the combing of the portion under operation. When, however, the part left upon the holding comb came to be taken out, it was so firmly lashed around the pins that a great portion of the lerng fibres,required to be broken in order te get it out, thereby increasing the quantity of "nail or waste, and diminishing the " top " or best portion. The plans of ell the inventors who worked at the problem of effecting combing by mechanical appliances were based upon this idea, regarding it as an eseential element, and therefore in all their designs and achieve ments this serious defect reappeared.
Josudlnumn, the French inventor of the celebrated machine known by his name, however, revolutionized this process of combing by the new principles be embodied in his invention. The essential parte of the important improvement are as follows. The framework cunt tins two jaws, or nippers, through which tbe prepared wool is fed into the machine ; when the fleece has passed stifficiently through, these close upon and hold it firmly. That part of the revolving drum which is armed with c,otnb teeth then passes up and combs the end hanging out, the nippers holding the wool firmly and securely in this position whilst it is combed by the passing drum. In the forward revolution of the drum, the plain part of its surface passes up and presses ag,ainst the uppermost of the drnwing-rollers when they are in their uppermost position ; at the same time it gathers up the cleaned end of the fleece, end passes it between the drawing-rollers. The upper roller is turned by the ft ietion of the drums, and the lower roller by prt ssure from the upper roller, thus a tuft of wool is detached from the fleece, and again held by a second pair of nippers. As soon as ridler and drum have taken hold of the cleaned end, the first pair of nippers open, and, in the act of opening, press the fleece up into the teeth of the cotnb, at the same time that another comb is caused to fall into this fleece, and thus, as the tail eud is detached, it is also partly clamed by being drawn throug,h these combs. The tuft is now entirely held between the two drawing-rellers, which, with their framework, are caused to travel down from their uppermost position to the lower most one which they occupy, at a greater speed than the surface speed of the drum ; the lower of the two drawing-rollers is then brought into contact with the plain part of the drum, causing the rollers to turn in a contrary direction, 80 bringing back the partly combed tail end of the tuft, which is held until it has received a second combing from the succeeding portion of the drum furnished with comb teeth ; the rollers then deliver the thoroughly cleaned tuft and return into their former position to repeat the operation. A continuous sliver is formed by each succeeding
tuft bding so laid as to elightly overlap that which has gone before, and it is then passed forward into the can by the conducting-rollers. The card-rollers are for the purpose uf brushing the neil out of the teeth of the drum, and this is pushed out of the teeth of the drum by a deffing-knife, and carried away by conducting-rollers.
The introduction of the nipper prinoiple into the combing-machine constituted a great advance over the preceding plans. Succeeding inventers therefore embodied it in their improvements, the result being that a great amount of litigation was engaged in before the rights of each could be clearly defined. Listur and Donisthorpe had invented a plan of combing wool, which, though accomplished by slightly different means, embodied Heilmann's principle ; the consequence was that an aotion was commenced by the proprietors of Heihnann's patent, who secured a verdict in their favour. Lister thereupon made arrangements with them, whereby he secured the sole right of Its application to wool-combing for the sum of 30,0001. This was done, not with the purpose of using the machine as made by Hellmann, but to secure the unmolested right to use and amend his own, which was considerably superior. Lister subsequently took out a number of additional patents, which were merely variations of the first, and intended only to prevent any colourable evasion though real infringement of his rights. Since 1852, when the purchase above mentioned took place, the machine as made and vended is said to have returned to the owner an immenee sum of money, The essential parts of the oombing-tnachine as constructed by Lister & Donisthorpe are shown in Fig. 1468. The comber is combined with a serew-gill frame, the feed-roller a end the gill-bars a a of which, conduct the material into the machine, the tail end of each tuft of wool being combed as it is drawn from the last gill-bars The brush b descends and presses upon the fleece every time that the nippers detach a portion, to prevent it rising out of the pine. There is a pair of nippers c, the upper jaw of which consists of a broad blade with a sharp edge, which is a fixture, and the under one of an upright bar which is caused to slide up and down by the revolution of the tappet e ; this under jaw has a grooved surface, into which the edge of the blade is inserted at each nip. A carrier-comb d tak-es the tuft from the nippers, and places it upon or rather in the teeth of the circular receiving-comb f, of which only a section is shown. A brush g drops into the points of the teeth, and presses the tuft down into a proper position for being drawn off. The illustration shows the nippers in position to detach a tuft from the gill-bars; when they have closed upon it, the framework which they are held is made to traverse the arc of a circle into the position shown at /t ; there the carrier-comb advances to the same position, and pushes its teeth into the end uf the tuft, just as the nippers open to release it ; the carrier then passes away from the dotted position, and, in those to which it passes, transfers the tuft to the receiving-comb. The portion deposited here is drawn away in a continuous sliver, and, as it is the dirty end or neil which is placed upon the circular comb, this is cleaned by being drawn off, the noil left being removed iu the usual way by a knife-lifter and conductor-rollers.