there were in each set of six nippers no less than 564 pieces, including those belonging to their fixings. From this an idea may be formed as to its complicated character. These parts have been reduced to 216, showing a diminution of no less than 348 parts. In Heilmann's machines it took ten hours to set the nippers, which was a delicate operation, demanding the exercise of both care and skill. By the changes that have been made, this can now be performed in half an hour, and is so simple that any carder can easily and quickly be made to comprehend the method of doing it. The nipper has been reconstructed and made to hold the cotton to be combed against the fluted feed roller, thus dispensing with the cushion plate. The cotton is drawn into the top comb by detaching rollers, which draw it in a straight line from the grip of the feed rollers, thus combining great simplicity with efficiency. The working of the detaching rollers has been simplified, so that they can be stopped with greater accuracy, thereby ensuring a more equal delivery at each stroke. When changing the staple of cotton in the original machine, it was necessary to have two new large cams and a notch wheel. In the improved form, the makers have managed to dispense with these objections altogether. Combs must be perfect to do good work, and as they are liable to damage, great facilities should exist for replacing them quickly and easily; the latter have been much increased by the changes introduced. The different parts, formerly incapable of it, are now made adjustable, so that they can now be more nicely regulated, and all wear be taken up with facility. The connecting rods and half the joints have been dispensed with altogether, whilst two rollers can be set with one screw in front.

Instead of the waste, as formerly, being discharged behind into a receptacle, it is now deposited upon a travelling lattice, which conveys it to two calender rollers, whence it passes into a coiler at the end of the machine, These slivers are subsequently made into a lap, and used

in the ordinary way for spinning coarse counts. The improved comber can be adapted to work good American cottons, all kinds of Egyptian, Fijian, Sea Island, and all kinds of long stapled varieties.

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But with all the improvements that have been effected, the comber on the Heilmann model remained rather limited in the extent or range of its use. It is only fitted for the longer stapled cottons, such as have been indicated. want has, however, long been experienced for a machine of this sort, that should be capable of dealing with a greater variety, including those of short staple, and capable of doing a larger quantity of work. The want may be described as being for a comber that should take and do the work now performed by the finisher card, but in a better manner. Owing to the class of work which the Continental manufacturers are engaged upon, this want has been more strongly felt by them than by ours, and accordingly we find that attempts have been made to supply the requirement. The most successful of these efforts is that shown in a machine exhibited at Paris in 1878, which is the invention of M. J. Imbs. This, it is said, has met with extensive adoption on the Continent, amongst the manufacturers of France, Alsace, and Italy.

In the following, Fig. 37, a sectional view of this machine is given. The two rollers, A, have the lap, B, containing its rollers, placed in the position as shown, where it is retained by two stands. The revolution of these rollers uncoils the lap, the sheet then being conducted to the feed rollers, c c, and over the fixed rail, D, and thence between the nipper jaws, E, F, and the fluted rails, G, H. The parts, E, G, F, are connected with each other, and form the receiving and combing nippers, which are opened and closed at the proper moment by the action of the cams, K', and the rods, I, the jaws of the nipper, G, H, being attached to the latter. The cams, K, act upon the rods, J, to which all parts of the nippers are attached, and by this means the rod is moved backward or forward, or kept at rest, as

required; the springs, n, pull this rod back, whilst the shafts, o o', make the same number of revolutions. The part, E, is covered with cloth and leather, and the jaws, G and H, are acted upon by the springs placed above them.

The two jaws, R R', compose the delivering nippers, and are respectively connected with two large levers, x x', which turn on their fulcrum, x, moved by the cams on the shaft, 0, which act upon the friction bowls, V, attached to the levers, xx'. After the action of the cam has been completed, the spring, m, returns the levers, x x', to their first position. The nipper jaw, R', is fixed to the lever, x, whilst the jaw, R, can slide up the rod, I', when the nippers are required to open, and descend again when they are to close. The delivery nippers are actuated by the cam, T, fixed on the shaft, o2, which turns on the bar, u. The shaft, o2, in its action makes the same and corresponding revolutions to the shafts, o o'.

The comb rod, P, is placed between the delivery and receiving nippers, and has an ascending and descending motion, pausing at the extremity of each. It is actuated by the cam, M, and the frame, L, which slides in the guide bars, N. The comb rod, P, contains from two to four rows of combs, which may be arranged to operate either together or in succession.

All arrangements being complete for work, the operation of the machine is as follows:-the delivery nippers, RR', seize and pull through the combs a certain quantity of cotton, which then passes on to the brush segment, s, of o2, and is passed by its revolution to the doffer, Y. The latter is arranged to oscillate, so as to receive the portions of cotton deposited upon it at regular and stated intervals. The receiving jaws in going back comb a length of cotton. When the combs descend they are cleaned by the revolving brush, Q, which takes and deposits the waste upon the revolving roller, q'. During the descent of the combs, the receiving jaws descend with the sliver to the central line,

and the delivering jaws return to the same position open, again seizing and closing upon the proffered cotton; the receiving jaws are then opened, and recede in order to be fed anew. The combs next rise and again pass through the sliver, when the preceding operations are repeated. The vibrating combs, z z', detach first the combed cotton, and second, the waste; the first named is formed into a sliver, and conducted between the four pairs of draw rollers, a a a a, and the delivery rollers, b b, thence to the coiler for deposit in the sliver can.

It is asserted that this machine does its work very well, both when dealing with long and short stapled cotton, getting through a great quantity, making a small amount of waste, and needing but little attention,-in these respects comparing favourably with the finisher carding engine.

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