IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE SEPARATION AND DIVISION OF SKEINS OF SILK PREPARATORY TO WINDING
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Burrows, senior, of Abbey Mills,
Leicester, in the County of Leicester, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE SEPARATION AND
DIVISION OF SKEINS OF SILK PREPARATORY TO WINDING."
Sealed the 23rd February 1869, and dated the 28th August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Burrows at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th August 1868.
I, BENJAMIN BURROWS, senior, of Abbey Mills, Leicester, in the
County of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE SEPARATION
AND DIVISION OF SKEINS OF SILK PREPARATORY TO WINDING," to be as
follows:-
In separating skeins of silk so as to divide them into two or more.
smaller skeins considerable difficulty is experienced by the means
heretofore employed for this purpose when the silk is very fine and
dressing" or foreign matter
of low quality and much charged with "
to impart weight thereto.

page_text: Now the object of this Invention is so to arrange machinery or
apparatus that skeins of silk (more particularly of the above description)
may be readily opened, separated, and divided into smaller skeins, the
condition of the silk being rendered much more suitable for winding
so that children may be employed to superintend the winding on to
bobbins or otherwise in place of more experienced hands; considerable
time is also saved and much waste avoided by means of my
improvements.
In carrying my Invention into practice the skein of silk to be divided
into two or more smaller skeins is placed over. a rotating roller, the
axis of which is supported in a bearing in a suitable frame or support,
at one end only, the other end being free to admit of the skein being passed
over it. The motion of the roller can be arrested from time to time by
means of a treadle or by other suitable mechanical means under the control
of the operator, and the position of the roller can be adjusted to adapt
it for receiving various lengths of skeins. The lower end of the skein
is passed around a lever arm (by raising the end by means of a treadle
or by other suitable means) the lever arm being mounted on a centre
at a suitable distance below the roller. The lever arm and roller are
parallel with each other when the skein is stretched over them by the
depression of the lever arm (which is constantly drawn downwards to
a certain extent by means of a spring), the further depression of the
lever arm being also under the control of the operator so as to put
additional tension upon the skein when required. The skein of silk
thus stretched over the rotating roller and lever arm is first operated
upon by the fingers of the operator so as to open and spread out the
skein upon the roller; a beating action is then imparted to the lever
arm during the rotation of the roller and skein, which effectually opens
and separates the skein of silk, which being evenly distributed over the
surface of the roller can be readily divided into two. or. other number
of separate skeins. The beating action may be imparted to the lever
arm by means of a rotating tappet or. lever acting on the opposite end
of the lever arm and brought into action when required by a treadle
or other mechanical contrivance, or the beating action may be com-
municated to the lever, arm by any other suitable, mechanical means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Benjamin Burrows in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
BURROWS, senior, of Abbey Mills, Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Burrows, Her special licence that
I, the said Benjamin Burrows, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Benjamin Burrows, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE SEPARATION AND DIVISION OF SKEINS OF SILK
PREPARATORY TO WINDING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Benjamin Burrows, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands:
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,.
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within-
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Burrows, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
In separating skeins of silk so as to divide them into two or smaller
skeins considerable difficulty is experienced by the means hereto-
fore employed for this purpose when the silk is very fine and of low
quality and much charged with "dressing" or foreign matter to impart
weight thereto.

page_text: Now the object of this Invention is so to arrange machinery or
apparatus that skeins of silk (more particularly of the above description)
may be readily opened, separated, and divided into smaller skeins, the
condition of the silk being rendered much more suitable for winding, so
that children may be employed to superintend the winding on to
bobbins or otherwise in place of more experienced hands; considerable
time is also saved and much waste avoided by means of my improve-
may be readily opened, separated, and divided into smaller skeins, the
condition of the silk being rendered much more suitable for winding, so
that children may be employed to superintend the winding on to
bobbins or otherwise in place of more experienced hands; considerable
time is also saved and much waste avoided by means of my improve-
ments.
In carrying my Invention into practice the skein of silk to be
divided into two or more smaller skeins is placed over a rotating roller,
the axis of which is supported in a bearing in a suitable frame or
support at one end only, the other end being free to admit of the skein
being passed over it. The motion of the roller can be arrested from
time to time by means of a treadle or by other suitable mechanical
means under the control of the operator, and the position of the
roller can be adjusted to adapt it for receiving various lengths of skeins.
The lower end of the skein is passed around a lever arm (by raising
the end by means of a treadle or by other suitable means) the lever
arm being mounted on a centre at a suitable distance below the roller.
The lever arm and roller are parallel with each other when the skein
is stretched over them by the depression of the lever arm (which is
constantly drawn downwards to a certain extent by means of a spring),
the further depression of the lever arm being also under the control of
the operator so as to put additional tension upon the skcin when
required. The skein of silk thus stretched over the rotating roller and
lever arm is first operated upon by the fingers of the operator so as to
open and spread out the skein upon the roller; a beating action is then
imparted to the lever arm during the rotation of the roller and skein,
which effectually opens and separates the skein of silk, which being
evenly distributed over the surface of the roller can be readily divided
into two or other number of separate skeins. The beating action may
be imparted to the lever arm by means of a rotating tappet or lever
acting on the opposite end of the lever arm and brought into action
when required by a treadle or other mechanical contrivance, or the
beating action may be communicated to the lever arm by any other
suitable mechanical means.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention I will now proceed
the nincs hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a front elevation, and Figures 2 and 3 side elevations
of a machine for straightening, separating, and preparing skeins of silk
for winding constructed according to my Invention.
a, a, is the framing of the machine which is provided with a table a¹
for the convenience of the attendant; b is a roller over which the skein
of silk to be operated upon is placed. The axis of the roller 6 turns
within the bearing 6' secured to the framing of the machine by means
of the hand nut 62. In order to accommodate the machine to various
length of skeins of silk the bearing b is so arranged as to be capable
of being raised or lowered by unscrewing the nut & and turning the
regulating screw 63. The roller 6 is caused to revolve by means of a
belt upon a pulley & turning upon a pin or stud 65 secured to the
framing of the machine. 6 is a toothed wheel attached to and revolving
with the pulley 6', and the toothed wheel 8 takes into and drives the
toothed wheel 67 fixed upon the axis of the roller b. a is a footboard
for the attendant, and the revolution of the roller b can be arrested
by the attendant when required by depressing the treadle lever 68
moving upon the stud 6º secured to the treadle lever c', which is borne
up by the spring c5; 610 is a connecting rod which connects the treadle
lever 68 to the lever moving on a stud 612 secured to the bracket a
attached to the framing of the machine, and by means of the forked
end of the lever the driving belt is moved from the pulley * to
the pulley 6s, and the revolution of the roller 6 arrested when the
treadle 68 is depressed; 6" is a spring which acts to raise the treadle b
and throw the forked end of the lever 6" opposite the pulley b* and
so set the roller 6 in motion again when the treadle 68 is released,
the bracket a² being provided with stops to prevent the forked lever bu
from moving too far in either direction. c is a lever arm, by preference
formed hollow and of polished wood at that part around which the
skein of silk is placed. The lever arm c moves upon a stud c² secured
to the framing and is provided with a tail piece c². The lever arm c
is borne downwards by means of the spring attached to the lever
arm c and to the framing of the machine, and when it is desired to
place a skein of silk over or remove one from the roller band
lever arm c, the latter is raised by the attendant depressing the treadle c
moving on the axis f¹. The treadle lever 68 is so arranged that after
it is depressed a sufficient distance to arrest the motion of the roller b,

page_text: as above described, the treadle surface of the lever 68 comes in contact
with the treadle surface of the treadle c* (which at other times is
borne up by the spring c³); c is a connecting rod from the stud c
(secured to the treadle lever c) to the lever moving on a stud c
secured to the framing of the machine, and by depressing the treadle c
the end of the lever is caused to act to raise the lever arm c
so as to allow a skein of silk to be placed over it and the roller b,
the combined movement of the treadles b and c by reason of the
position of the centres imparting very little further movement to the
forked lever ". After a skein of silk has been placed over the lever
arm c, the treadles b and c are released and the roller b then revolves
carrying the skein of silk around with it, and causing it to slip over the
lever arm c, which is borne down by the spring c. The skein of silk
thus stretched over the rotating roller 6 and the lever arm c is first
operated upon by the fingers of the attendant so as to open and spread
out the skein of silk, and additional tension can during this operation be
put upon the skein of silk by the attendant depressing the treadle d,
which at other times is borne up by means of the spring d. The treadle
d moves upon the axis f¹, and acts upon the lever d² by means of the
connecting rod d³, the lever de being attached to the lever arm c by
means of the cord d' so as to draw the lever arm c downwards, when the
needle d is depressed. g is a surface mounted at the back of the skein
of silk to assist the operator in distinguishing and spreading the threads.
After the skein of silk has been opened as above described a beating
action is imparted to the lever arm c during the rotation of the roller b,
and this beating action is brought into operation by the attendant
depressing the treadle f. The treadle f is fastened on the axis f¹ and
is borne upwards by the spring f. f is a forked lever fixed upon the
axis f, and when the treadle f is depressed the forked end of the lever
fs is caused to move so as to guide a driving belt from the pulley f to
the pulley f, stops being provided upon the bracket as to prevent the
forked lever f from moving too far in either direction. The pullies f*
and f move upon a stud fe secured to the bracket a. f is a truck or
roller turning on a stud which is secured to and carried round with the
pulley fs, so that when by depressing the lever f the driving belt causes
the pulley f to revolve, the truck or roller f is carried round and acts
upon the tail piece c³ attached to the lever arm c, which by this means
is raised and released from time to time, the spring bringing it down
upon the skein of silk with a beating action while carried round by the

page_text: roller b so long as the treadle f is depressed by the attendant. f³ is a
spring which presses upon the surface of the pulley & so as to arrest its
movement as soon as the driving belt is moved on to the pulley f*.
fo is a cord connected to the tail piece and to the framing, and the
end facts to retain the lever arm c in a suitable position after the skein
of silk has been removed. After the threads composing the skein of silk
have been thoroughly separated and properly arranged for the subsequent
winding process it can if desired be readily divided into two or more
separate skeins and afterwards removed from the machine, which will
then be free to operate upon another skein of silk in like manner, and
so on.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the best means
with which I am acquainted for carrying the same into operation, I
would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
details of construction and arrangement herein shewn and described,
which as well as the mechanical contrivances by which the parts are
actuated may be greatly varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention, but what I claim is,―
Firstly. The employment of a rotating roller in combination with
means or apparatus for beating or shaking in order to facilitate the
separation of the threads in skeins of silk and their division preparatory
to winding, the apparatus employed being under the control of the
operator, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Secondly. The arrangement and combination of parts into a machine
or apparatus for facilitating the separation and division of skeins of silk
preparatory to winding, substantially as herein described and shewn in
the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Burrows, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine.