IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND TESTING WIRE AND WIRE AND OTHER ROPES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Campbell Eyton, of the Albert Iron
Works, Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND TESTING
WIRE AND WIRE AND OTHER ROPES."
Sealed the 22nd September 1871, and dated the 25th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Campbell
Eyton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 25th March 1871.
I, WILLIAM CAMPBELL EYTON, of the Albert Iron Works, Warrington,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND
TESTING WIRE AND WIRE AND OTHER ROPES," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in applying a self-acting stop motion to
each wire or strand of the spinning machine to stop the machine when
a wire or strand breaks. This stop motion consists of a weighted lever,
one end of which presses upon the wire or strand as it passes from the
bobbin. When the wire or strand breaks one end of the lever falls

page_text: forward, and the other end acts on a rod connected to the driving
apparatus to disconnect it from the motive power.
My Invention consists also in testing the wire strand or rope as it
passes from one drum to another by causing it to pass over two runners
or pulleys, fixed or adjustable, and in applying a weighted pulley to the
wire strand or rope distended between the two runners, the said pulley
being weighted by a lever or compound levers according to the strength
of the wire strand or rope to be tested. The drum on which the wire
strand or rope is wound is driven by a friction roller and disc, or by
differential gearing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Campbell Eyton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CAMPBELL EXTON, of the Albert Iron Works, Warrington, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Campbell Eyton, Her special
license that I, the said William Campbell Eyton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Campbell
Eyton, my executors, administrators, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND TESTING WIRE, AND WIRE AND
OTHER ROPES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Campbell Eyton, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Campbell Eyton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
. My improvements consist in applying a self-acting stop motion to
each wire or strand of the spinning machine to stop the machine when a
wire or strand breaks; also in testing the wire strand or rope as it
passes from one drum to another by causing it to pass over two runners
or pulleys, and in applying a weighted pulley to the wire strand or
rope distended between the two runners, the said pulley being weighted
by a lever or compound levers according to the strength of the wire
strand or rope to be tested. The drum on which the wire strand or
rope is wound is driven by a friction roller and disc, or by differential
gearing, or by cones.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of part of an ordinary wire spinning machine
to which my improvements are applied..
a is a circular plate having holes near the circumference through
which the wires or strands pass; and b is the die to guide the wires or
strands as usual; c is a weighted lever hinged to the plate a, one end of
which presses upon the wire or strand as it passes from the plate a to the
die b, and the other end of the lever is connected to the driving
apparatus when the wire or strand breaks, the upper end of the lever c,
being no longer supported by the wire or strand falls forward and the
other end by lifting the rod d which is connected to the ordinary
driving apparatus moves the driving strap from the fast to the loose
pulley or otherwise stops the machine.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improved machinery for testing
wire; Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4 an end view of the same; Fig. 5
is a section through the line A, B, on Fig. 2.

page_text: The testing machine consists of the driving shaft e on which are the
fast and loose pulleys e¹ and e³, and the cone e³ which by the strap ƒ
gives motion to the cone g¹ on the shaft g. To the shaft e is fixed the
spur pinion e which gears into the wheel h¹ on the shaft h, and a
similar pinion g' is fixed on the shaft 9 to drive the wheel on the
shaft i. To the shaft h is fixed the drum ³ commonly called the
galvanizing block on which the wire to be tested is wound and the wire.
in passing from the drum ³ to the drum on the shaft i is taken over
runners or pulleys j and k which revolve on fixed or adjustable studs,
the pulley bears upon the wire distended between the runners j
and k, and it is weighted by the links, the levers m and n, and the
adjustable weight n², or in any other convenient manner. The lever n is
connected by elbow lever o, side shaft o¹, and lever o³, to the guides p of
the cone strap f
The mode of operation is as follows:-The position of the weight n¹
having previously been determined according to the strain required to be
put on the wire to be tested the machine is then started and the wire
delivered by the drum h³ is taken up and carried forward by the drum →³,
the speed of which is calculated to give the required continuous strain
to the wire; the drum continues to revolve at this speed so long
as the pulley remains at the same level, but if owing to a weak part
in the wire the pulley should drop, the lever n moves the strap
guide in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, thereby increasing
the speed of the drum, which then takes up the extra length of
wire caused by the extension; by this means the pulley is kept in
equilibrium.
The above machine may be used to test the strands of ropes or
finished ropes.
I wish to observe that a friction roller and disc or differential gearing|
may be used instead of the friction cones shewn.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim,―
First. The application of a self-acting stop motion to each wire or
strand of wire spinning machines to stop the machine when a wire or
strand fails.
And, secondly. The improved machinery shewn and described for
testing wire strands or ropes, and particularly the pulley suspended

page_text: by the wire strand or rope with the parts for varying the speed of the
taking-up drum:
In witness whereof, I, the said William Campbell Eyton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.