(No Model.) C, FLETCHER MACHINE FOR , &c, No. 271325. Patented Jan, 30, 1883,

Y\\\esses YN ent)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FLETCHER, OF PROVIDENCE, REIODE ISLAND. MACHINE FOR COMBING WOOL, &c. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271325, dated January 30, 1883. Application filed March 10, 1882. (No model.) To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLEs FLETCHER, partsto cause is itgreater to work than effectively is necessary at these for harderthe ef. ofIsland, the city have of Providence,invented a innew the and State useful of Rhode Im fective operation of the more elastic parts of 55 provement in Machines for Combing Wool, &c., the apron; and as any practicable joint formed of which the following is a specification. by the uniting of the ends of such apron is My invention relates to that class of ma necessarily much harder and less elastic than clines, known as “ combing,” “,” and the other parts, it is obvious that my seamless “drawing' machines, for preparing the apron requires less tension to cause it to work 65 of wool . In such machines front and back effectively and evenly in drawing the fiber in draft-rolls have heretofore been used in a well all its parts than a jointed apron, and this en known manner, and an apron bas been used ables the entire machine to be operated witly with and passing between the front draft-rolls less power and wear of parts. in a well-known manner, to aid in the drawing Having thus described the principle upon 65 process, such apron having been constructed which my invention operates, I will now pro with a seam or joining across it where the ceed to describe its construction as used upon ends were brought together. a wool-combing machine. My invention consists in making this apron The drawing represents the draft-rolls of a end less and seamless transversely of it, and Combing-machine and adjacent parts of the using and applying it in the same place and machine to which my invention is applied. position as before in the machine, substantially AA are the front draft-rolls of the combing so as to constitute a combination of the apron machine. ID ID are the back draft-rolls. E. with its co-operating rolls, substantially as are the faller - gills. The fiber passes first hereinafter described and claimed; and the through the back draft-rollers, thence over the 75 principle upon which it operates is that, be. faller-gills, and thence between the front draft cause there is no such joint or seam in such rollers, which run at such a relative speed as to apron, the fiber, in passing through between draw out the sliver as it passes through them. such apron and the draft-roll pressing upon it These parts of the machine are well known and against the other roll, will grasp and draw and of the ordinary construction, and need no the fiber evenly at all parts of the impact of further description to be understood. The the apron against it, because all parts of the other parts of the machine to which they are apron passing between the draft-rolls are of connected are also of the ordinary construc substantially the same texture and elasticity, tion and well known, and therefore are not owing to the manner in which I construct it, shown in the drawing. as described. Besides, the grease or oil ex At some distance below the lower draft-roll pressed from the fiber while passing between A, and parallel thereto, is mounted the roller the draft-roll and apron does not operate to B, of equal length with the former. Around destroy the apron for use by penetrating into the lower roller A and the roller B is passed and acting upon to harden or destroy any glue, the endless apron C, which has a breadth equal 90 cement, or joining material used to unite the to the length of these rolls, and is pressed ends of the apron in a suitable manner for use upon by the upper draft-roll as it passes the with such draft-rolls, because there is no such nip of that and the lower one. This causes joining of ends and consequent joining mate the apron to traverse continuously around the rial used with my apron upon which it can act. roller B, which is allowed to revolve freely for 95 45 It is of course understood and well known in that purpose, and to present constantly a dif practice that the apron passes between the ferent part of the apron to the nip of the rolls craft-rolls under tension, and that this tension A. A. The fiber to be drawn out passes be must be greater to promote its effective opera tween the upper draft-roll A and the surface tion the harder and less elastic the material of the traversing apron C, thus forming an elas OO of the apron is, and if any part of an apron is tic grip upon the fiber, which is necessary to harder and less elastic than another the ten properly draw it out. The apron C is made of sion necessarily applied to the entire apron endless material, so as to have no seam or joining across its breadth. It thus presents 27,325 between the rolls A A a substantially-uniform What I claim as new and of my invention structuretakes hold at ofall thepoints fiber of constantlyits traverse, pressed which isIn combination with the drawing-rolls AA, against it at all points alike, and thus draws the endless traveling cushion or apron C, pass. 15 it out with the greatest degree of evenness and ing between them, formed of an endless piece 5 regularity, which is essential to the perfect of material without joining or seam, substan preparation of the sliver. After passing the tially as described. rolls AA and apron C the sliver may be either CHARLES FLETCHER. conducted to a can or into other parts of the Witnesses: - machine, to be further operated upon, accord- C. L. EATON, IO ing to its construction. DAVID HALL RICE.