1180 



WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE 



is the sheeting drum as before ; B, B, the fluted feed-rollers ; c, c, the porcupine 

 combing-rollers, -which gear into the fluted ones ; D, D, are the grooved guide-rollers ; 

 F, F, are brush-cylinders, which may in the case of long work be dispensed -with ; G, o, 

 are the endless webs upon which the wool is laid. The framing and gearing by 

 which the several parts are put in motion are omitted in the drawings, for the purpose 

 of clearly exhibiting the more important working parts of the machine. The arrange- 

 ment of sheeting machines just described, so far as regards the employment 

 of a fluted feed-roller in conjunction with a porcupine combing-roller, and grooved 

 guide-roller, is more especially applicable to sheeting fine short wool, but may also 

 be applied with advantage to wool or other material of a longer staple. In the case 

 of fine short wool, the sheet may be drawn off by means of rollers, in the manner 

 represented in fig. 2149. H, H, are the drawing or straightening rollers, and i the 

 receiving roller. During the operation of drawing the wool and winding it on the 

 receiving roller, the sheeting cylinder must have a motion imparted to it in the 

 reverse direction. 



The next head of Mr. Eoss's specification embraces several improvements in comb- 

 filling machines, which have for their common object the partial combing of the wool 

 while it is in the course of being filled into the combs. We select for exemplification 

 what the patentee regards as the best of these arrangements: fig. 2150 is a side 

 elevation of a comb filling machine as thus improved. A, A, is a skeleton drum, 

 which is composed of two rings a a, affixed to the arms b, b, which last are mounted 

 upon the main shaft of the machine, which has its bearings upon the general fram : 

 F, F ; B', B -i are the porcupine combing rollers, and c 1 , c 2 brushes by which the por 

 cupine combing rollers are cleansed from the wool that collects upon them, and b/ 



2150 



which the wool is again delivered to the combs c, e ; T>, D, are the feed-rollers, and F 

 an endless web which runs over the lower feed-roller and the plain roller o, which is 

 situated at the front of the machine ; H, H, are the driving pulleys, by which the 

 power is applied to the machine, and i, i, i, the wheel gearing by which motion is 

 communicated to the different parts. The wool which has undergone the process of 

 sheeting in the machine first described is spread upon the endless web E, and in 

 pissing between the feed-rollers, and between or under or over the porcupine combing 

 rollers, is taken hold of by the combs e, e, as they revolve, and, being drawn under 

 the first porcupine roller B 1 and the brush c 1 , the continued revolution of the drum 

 and combs causes the wool to be brought into contact with the other porcupine 

 combing roller B 2 and brush c 2 . As the combs get filled, the wool is thus continuously 

 being brought under the action of the porcupine combing rollers and brushes ; and 

 each new portion of the wool taken up is instantly combed out. For some purposes 

 the combing will be found carried so far by this operation that the wool will require 

 no further preparation previous to being formed into slivers in the machine just 

 described, and which is calculated for filling the combs and combing the wool or 

 other fibrous material, when the staple is some considerable length (say from 4 to 16 

 inches), there are two porcupine comb rollers with their brushes employed ; but the 

 patentee did not confine himself to that number, as in some cases a single porcupine 

 combing roller and brush will bo found sufficient for the purpose of facilitating the 

 process of combing and filling the combs ; three or more rollers and brush cylinders 



