Rieter

The Saco Lowell double-sided comber

Index

Fig. 65 – The double-sided Saco Lowell comber (a) detail of the individual head, b) movements

For several decades Saco Lowell built a very interesting machine, which differs markedly from others available on the market. It is a double-sided design, with six combing heads on each side and a corresponding mirror-image arrangement of the main operating elements on the two sides, including the two deliveries. However, the drive is centrally arranged for the two sides in common.

The swinging movements of the nippers (Fig. 65, ZU/ZO) are derived from the nipper shaft (Z), which rotates backward and forward through small angles. This shaft movement is transmitted via lever (P) and roller (O) to the nippers; during rotation to the right, the right-hand nipper is also swung to the right. Rotation to the left causes the left-hand nipper to swing to the left. The nippers are thus pushed forward by the swinging roller (O), always to one side only. The nippers on the other side are forced to make the same movement, as both nippers (left and right) are connected by a spring (S).

Opening and closing of the nippers is derived automatically from the swinging movement. When the whole mechanism moves to the left, as shown in Fig. 65, a small roller (R) engages at a set time with a fixed rail (A). As it runs up the rail it lifts the upper nipper plate (ZO), with which it is combined into a rigid unit via the short lever (H). The latter is rotatably mounted at D. The nippers are thus opened and the fiber fringe is ready for detaching. As the nippers run back (and with them roller R along fixed rail (A)), as shown in the right-hand part of the illustration, the roller runs off the rail at a set instant, and a spring (not shown) presses the upper nipper (ZO) against the lower nipper (ZU). The fiber fringe is compressed and ready for combing. Accordingly, while detaching is proceeding on one side (the left) of this machine, combing is being carried out simultaneously on the other side, all movements being generated in a central motion. Of course, a top comb also comes into play during the combing sequence. Each head on the left-hand side produces a sliver by piecing and collecting the tufts at its delivery. The sliver of the six heads are passed together through a common drafting arrangement to produce a single sliver which is coiled in a can. Similarly, the six slivers delivered by the heads on the right-hand side are combined into another sliver for coiling in a second can. The comber has two deliveries.