CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED IN SPINNING, DOUBLING, AND WEAVING COTTON, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CLARKSON MILNS and SAMUEL PICKSTONE, of Ratcliffe Bridge, in the County
of Lancaster, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-.
minster, the Eleventh day of January, in the Fourteenth year of Her reign, and
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, did thereby,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said John
Clarkson Milns and Samuel Pickstone, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said John Clarkson Milns and Samuel
Pickstone, our exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as we, the said
John Clarkson Milns and Samuel Pickstone, our exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and .at all
times during the term of years, therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS USED IN SPINNING, DOUBLING, AND WEAVING COTTON, FLAX, AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, that we, the said John Clarkson Milns and Samuel Pickstone, or one
of us, shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in

page_text: by the samics reference being oneretanto nad, win more funy and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Clarkson Milns, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
Our improvements consist, firstly, in the employment of apparatus for con-
veying moisture to cotton and other fibrous materials as they are in progress
of being spun.
Secondly, in the application to doubling machines of a roller or rollers for
conveying moisture to the yarns in progress of being doubled, or for operating
upon the surfaces of the same after they have been moistened by the usual
method, so as to effect a smoothing of the fibres.
Thirdly, in the application of an arrangement of roller or rollers for con-
veying starch or other gummy substance to fibrous materials during the
operations of spinning and doubling:
Fourthly, the application to spinning and doubling machines of apparatus
for distributing artificial heat, for the purpose of drying cotton and other
fibrous materials which have been moistened during the operations of spinning
and doubling.
Fifthly, the application of cork for constituting the washers for effecting the
drag of spinning and doubling machines.
Sixthly, in a method of constructing and adjusting the parts constituting.
guides for the "rising shuttle boxes" of looms.
And in order that the practical methods of carrying out these several points
of our Invention may be fully understood, we have appended to this our
Specification certain Drawings, which we will now proceed to describe.
Fig. 1 represents a partial sectional view of a throstle frame, with our first-
mentioned improvement applied thereto. The rovings proceed from the
creeled bobbins through a series of guides, as shewn at à, à, and from thence
between two rollers b, b; these rollers are of wood or other suitable material,
and covered, with cloth or other absorbent substance; they are of sufficient.
length to take in the whole range of rovings to be spun, and the lower one is
partly immersed in a trough c, c, containing water. The rollers b, b, are. S
mounted, so as to turn in bearings at either end, and the under one is connected
to a moving part of the machine by means of suitable gear, so that its surface
shall revolve at the same rate. as the surfaces of the usual rollers d, d. The
axis of the upper roller is mounted in slots, so as to be allowed to press by its

page_text: weight upon the under one, and revolve by the friction of contact. By this
arrangement of apparatus, the royings, as they are drawn onwards, will become
moistened by the roller b, and their fibres therefore be caused to lie closer and
more evenly when they are spun into yarn. When treating cotton and other
fibrous materials, according to this part of our Invention, it will be necessary to
cover the ordinary roller between which they pass with brass, or other substance,
that will not rust by becoming wet.
Our second improvement is shewn in the partial section, and also plan views
of a doubling frame at Figs. 2 and 3. The threads 'proceed from the usual
creeled bobbins a, a, a, a, and from thence are conducted through guides b, b, b,
mounted upon the side of a trough c, c, c. This trough contains the wafer, or
other liquid, intended to be conveyed to the threads, and in it is placed a roller
d, d, so as to be partly immersed in the fluid. The roller we employ is of
wood, covered with flannel, other woven cloth or felt, or other such substance,
and provided with axes mounted so as to turn in bearings, affixed to the ends
of the trough. One end of the roller axis is provided with a toothed wheel c,
taking into a pinion f, affixed to the axle of one of the delivering rollers. The
yarns after passing through the guides b, b, b, are carried over the upper part
of the periphery of the roller d, from thence around the roller g, and back
again so as to be carried round the glass guides h, h, h, and then through the
rollers g, i, to the flyer, as usual. By this arrangement of parts, the roller
will be caused to revolve in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2), causing its
periphery to rub against the yarns which are passing onwards in the contrary
direction, and thus effect a smoothing down of the outside fibres, so as to cause
them to incorporate with those composing the main part of the yarns; at the
same time, the revolution of the roller in the trough c will constantly supply it
with a sufficient quantity of the liquid therein, to enable it to transfer the
necessary amount of moisture to the yarns as usually required, and will also
through that means attach together the outside fibres as they are smoothed
down by the rubbing action. We have described the use of one roller d only,
but, if desired, two or more may be employed, acting successively upon the
surface of the yarns.
We have also described the said roller as travelling in a
direction contrary to that of the thread; it may, however, be caused to rotate
the other way; but we prefer the arrangement shewn and described. Instead
of the arrangement we have above described, a modification thereof may be
adopted, by causing the yarns to pass through water, after the ordinary manner
of doubling machines, and be subsequently submitted to the action of a
revolving surface or surfaces, so as to effect the required smoothing of the fibres.
Our third improvement may be illustrated by Fig. 1, before referred to. In

page_text: order to effect this, we substitute for the water in the trough c, a solution of
starch or other gummy substance usually employed for imparting stiffness to:
textile materials; the rovings (in the case of spinning) will therefore. become
saturated by this, and their fibres at the same time smoothed, the usual subse-
quent operation of dressing, therefore, being unnecessary. In applying this part
of our improvements to a doubling frame, we proceed in the same manner as
described in reference to the apparatus of Fig. 2 for conveying water, causing
the yarns previously to their being doubled to pass over a roller or rollers,, and
there absorb a portion of starch, or other stiffening substance, with which the
trough c will in this instance be supplied, such operation at the same time
affording the moisture ordinarily required.
Our fourth improvement we have shewn applied to Fig. 2, before referred
to. At any convenient situation we apply a pipe or chamber k, extending
throughout the range of bobbins, and connect one end thereof by suitable
means to a steam generator, or other apparatus capable of generating heat,.
which being diffused along the pipe or chamber k, will effect the drying of the
material as it is in progress of being spun or doubled. By the adaptation of
this drying process to spinning or doubling machines in which the material has
been moistened, the fibres are prevented from rising from their smoothed posi-
tion; and, in the case of doubling, the colors of party-colored threads.
prevented from running into each other, and a greater clearness of effect is
consequently attained.
The fifth part of our Invention consists, as before stated, in the use of cork
for the "drag washers" of spinning and doubling machines. By the substitu-
tion of this material less alteration in the drag will take place upon the washers
becoming oily, and, consequently, a more even action effected.
Our sixth improvement is shewn in Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying
Drawings, the former being a sectional elevation of part of the "lathe," of
a loom, provided with a "rising shuttle box;" and the latter, a sectional plan
view of the same. The rising shuttle box is shewn at a, a, to the hinder part
of which are attached slides b, b. These slides according to the ordinary mode
of construction move in guides, one side of which only is adjustable, in order to
compensate for slackness, occasioned by wear, and consequently the " "rising.
box" cannot be kept in the same transverse position; but by continual wear
against the front guide, protrudes forward beyond its proper situation, so as to
obstruct the free passage of the shuttle from the opposite side of the machine.
According to our improvements, we make both sides of the guides adjustable,.
and are thereby enabled to keep the "rising box" in a line with the shuttle.
To the lathe of the loom is affixed a 'bar c, c, upon which is mounted a
race.

page_text: plate d, provided with a flange, which constitutes one side of the guide for the
slide of the rising box a, a: Upon this plate there is another e, e; its edge
forming the other side of the guide. The plates d and e are capable of moving
independantly of each other, but of being confined together in a required posi-
tion, by means of tightening bolts, which pass: through slots formed in them,
and are screwed into the bar c. By this arrangement of parts it will be-per-
ceived that the slide b, and, consequently, shuttle box,, may be adjusted in a
backward or forward direction, and at the same time kept sufficiently tight in
the guide by the independant adjustment of the plates d and e. We have in
the Drawing shewn one side of the lathe only; it will, however, of course, be
understood that the other is constructed precisely after the same manner. We
have also shewn the outward end of the shuttle box, furnished with guides of
the usual arrangement, there being no positive necessity for the application of
our improvement in that situation, but if desired it may be adopted.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, we desire it to be understood
that we claim, as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters
Patent,―
Firstly, the application of water to cotton and other fibrous materials as they
pass through the spinning machine.
Secondly, the application of a revolving surface or surfaces for conveying
moisture to yarns as they pass through the doubling machine, or for revolving
in contact with such yarns after they have been moistened by the usual or
other method adopted in doubling.
Thirdly, the application of starch or other gummy or stiffening substance to
cotton and other fibrous materials, as they pass through the spinning or
doubling machine, by means of a roller or rollers partly immersed in the starch
or other such substance.
Fourthly, the application of apparatus for conveying artificial heat to cotton
and other fibrous materials after they have been moistened in the spinning or
doubling machine.
Fifthly, the application of cork for constituting the "drag" washers of
spinning and doubling machines.
Sixthly, so constructing the guides in which the "rising shuttle boxes" of
looms work, that each side thereof shall be capable of independant adjustment.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clarkson Milns, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty one
:
JOHN CLARKSON (L.s.) MILNS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Tenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid John Clarkson Milns came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid; and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.