Domestic Encyclopædia (1802)/Comb

COMB, an instrument made of horn, ivory, or other materials, and used for separating, cleaning, and dressing flax, wool, hair, &c. Combs for wool are prohibited to be imported into England.

A very useful Comb-pot was invented, a few years since, by John Ashman, an ingenious person employed by Messrs. Daniel and Thomas Dyke, of Sarum. It consists of an almost cylindrical furnace for water, which contains a smaller one, keeping the suds of the second washing of the wool, to be used with the next quantity of wool, the first way. The whole being a manufacturing process, we refer the reader to the "Letters and Papers of the Bath and West of England Society;" or to the 7th vol. of the "Repertory of the Arts and Manufactures," where he will find it described, together with an illustrative engraving.

In June 1796, a patent was granted to Mr. William Bundy, of Camden-town, Middlesex, for a machine for cutting and making combs; a full description of which, together with a plate, is inserted in the 11th vol. of the last mentioned work.