ROSS'S PATENT IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOL-COMBING MACHINERY,

(See ante pages 256 & 280.)

THE importance of the improvements specified under this patent to the woolcombing business, calls upon us for a fuller description of them than we were able to give at the time of the enrolment of Mr. Ross's specification.

I, The first improvements described have relation to the machine for forming the wool into sheets of a nearly uniform thickness, technically known as the "sheeter," and consist chiefly in combining with the ordinary sheeting-drum or cylinder rollers, designated, from their resemblance to porcupine quills, "porcupine rollers;" these rollers having their teeth or quills set in rows, and the rows of one roller gearing or taking into the spaces between the rows of the other.

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Fig. 1 is a side-elevation of a sheeting-machine thus constructed:-FF is the general framework upon which the several working parts of the machine are mounted. A is the main or sheeting-drum or cylinder which is studded with rows of combs or "porcupine teeth a, a, a, the length and fineness of which are varied according to the length of the staple of the wool or other material to be operated upon. Instead of the rows consisting each of a single set of teeth, two, three, or more sets may be combined together. The number of wires which may be placed on one line should vary with the quality of the wool or other material. In long staple machines, the number may vary from four to ten or more, and in short staple machines from five to twenty or more per inch. BB are two fluted feed-rollers. CC two porcupine combing-rollers, by which the wool is partly combed while passing from the feed-rollers to the surface of the sheeting-drum; an end elevation of the porcupine combing-rollers on an enlarged scale is given at fig. 2. The teeth cc are set in rows, and the rows of one roller take or gear into the spaces between the rows of the other. D is a grooved guide-roller for preventing the wool or other material escaping the combing action. The wool or other material is laid by the attendant evenly upon the upper surface of an endless web G, which works over the under feed-roller, and a plain roller H which is mounted in bearings on the front of the machine, The feed-rollers gradually supply the wool thus spread upon the endless web to the two porcupine-combing rollers, where it is partly combed and separated, and being so prepared it is laid hold of by the teeth of the sheeting-drum, by which it is still further drawn out on account of the greater velocity with which the surface of the sheeting-drum travels. When a sufficient quantity of the wool or other material has been thus collected on the surface of the drum, it is removed by the attendant passing a hooked rod across the surface of the drum, and raising up one end of the sheet, when the whole may be easily stripped off and removed, being then in a fit state for being supplied to the comb-filling machine next to be described. A modification of this sheeting-machine is represented in figs, 3 and 4; which differs from it in this, that it is fed from both ends:

In this modification a double set of feeding-rollers is employed, so that the machine may be fed from both ends. These rollers are grooved and gear into porcupine combingrollers similar to those before described, which are followed by brush cylinders or grooved guide-rollers. A is the sheeting-drum as before. BB the fluted feed-rollers. CC the porcupine combing-rollers, which gear into the fluted ones. DD are the grooved guide-rollers. FF are brush cylinders, which may in the case of long work be dispensed with. GG 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 arrangement of sheeting-machines just described, in 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. 4. HH are the drawing or straightening-rollers, and I the receiving-rollers. 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.

II. The next head of Mr. Ross'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. 5 is a side elevation of a comb-filling machine as thus improved. AA is a skeleton drum, which is composed of two rings aa, affixed to the arms bb, which last are mounted upon the mainshaft of the machine, which has its bearings upon the general frame FF. B1 B2 are the porcupine combing-rollers, and CC2 brushes by which the porcupine combing-rollers are cleansed from the wool that collects upon them, and by which the wool is again delivered to the combs e e, DD are the feed-rollers, and E an endless web which runs over the lower feed-roller and the plain roller G, 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 passing between the feed-rollers, and between or under or over the porcupine combing-rollers, is taken hold of by the combs ee as they revolve, and, being drawn under the first porcupine-roller B1 and the brush C1, the continued revolution of the drum and combs causes the wool to be brought into contact with the other porcupine combing-roller B and brush C2, 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 of some considerable length (say from four to sixteen inches),

there are two porcupine combing-rollers, with their brushes, employed; but I do not confine myself to that number, as in some cases a single porcupine combing-roller and brush will be found sufficient. For the purpose of facilitating the process of combing and filling the combs, three or more rollers and brush-cylinders may be used with advantage; such as where the staple is short, or where the fibrous material operated upon is very close, and separated with difficulty.

III. Mr. Ross next describes some improvements in the combing-machine of his invention, patented in 1841, and now extensively used. The following general description will indicate with sufficient distinctness to those familiar with the machine the nature of these improvements:

First, I give to the saddle-combs in the said machine a compound to-and-fro and up-anddown movement, whereby they recede from and advance towards the comb-gates, and simultaneously therewith alternately rise and fall, so that each time the comb-gates pass the saddle-combs they do so in a different plane, and thus the position of the combs in relation to each other, as well as to the hold they take of the wool or other material, is constantly being changed. Secondly, I employ a fan to lash the wool in the comb-gate or flying comb up against the saddle-comb, which renders it impossible for the wool to pass by the saddlecomb without being acted upon by it. Thirdly, I attach the springs by which the gates are actuated to the lower arms of the comb-gates, instead of their being placed parallel to the upright shaft of the machine, as formerly, whereby a considerable gain in space and compactness is effected; and, Fourthly, I use breaks to prevent the sudden jerk which is caused when the wool in the comb-gate leaves its hold of the saddle-comb, or inclined plane, and also to counteract the sudden recoil of the springs, by which the comb-gates are pressed in when these springs are released from the grip or pressure of the inclined plane. IV. Mr. Ross concludes with a description of an improved method of heating the combs, which has for its object the economizing of fuel, the better heating of the combs, and the prevention of mistake in removing the combs before they have been a sufficient time exposed to the heat:

The body of the heating box or stove is divided by a partition into two portions, which communicate together at the back or further end of the stove, so that the flame and heated vapours, after having circulated under and along the sides of the two lower comb-chambers, ascend into the upper portion of the stove, where they have to traverse along the sides and over the top of the two upper chambers, ultimately escaping into the chimney through a pipe. The length of the heating-box, or the chambers, should be about double the length of the combs. The cold combs are inserted at one end, and, on being put into their places, push the more heated combs towards the other end of the chambers, from which they are removed.

NOTES ON THE THEORY OF ALGEBRAIC EQUATIONS. M.A., BARRISTER AT-LAW. (Continued from page 173.)

Third and Concluding Series.

VII. CUBICS.

BY JAMES COCKLE, ESQ.,

and when, in addition to the preceding condition, a2=36, all the roots are equal.

The reader will find a discussion of the nature of the roots in my remarks "On a Solution of a Cubic Equation" at pp. 95 -6 of vol. iv. of the Cambridge and Dublin Mathematical Journal.

At page 186 of the sixth volume of the same work, Mr. CAYLEY has applied my method to the case in which as has a coefficient. His result, like everything which emanates from his mind, is well worthy of contemplation

Let us now consider the relation which the foregoing method of solving a cubic bears to the general theory of LAGRANGE. For this purpose, if x, x, and x, de