IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SPINNING
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Higgins, of Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker, and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, of
the same Place, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS FOR SPINNING."
Sealed the 24th November 1874, and dated the 29th May 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Higgins and
Thomas Schofield Whitworth at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 29th May 1874.
We, JAMES HIGGINS, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, and THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH, of the same Place,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SPINNING," to be as follows :—
The first part of our Invention relates to an improvement upon the
roving or slubbing apparatus, for which Letters Patent were granted' to

page_text: us, bearing date 6th November 1860, No. 2728. According to the
arrangement therein described we formed the spindle with a square part,
passing through a similarly formed hollow in the pinion, which pinion
was supported by a rib projecting from a frame, which beneath the said
rib carried the foot-step.
According our present arrangement the squared part of the spindle
passes into a pinion, which is supported by the foot step. The foot step
may swivel, according to our Invention patented 13th October 1860,
No. 2501, or may be arranged in any ordinary manner, and the spindle
may be adapted to tubes, bolsters, or other such usual apparatus.
Another improvement in roving or slubbing frames relates to that
arrangement in which a tube or long collar passes upward into the
bobbin, which bobbin is then necessarily of special construction.
According to our Invention we extend the tube or collar downward, the
bobbin braid being at the upper end thereof, and we then use a bobbin
of the ordinary construction for other roving or slubbing frames resting
on the said braid.
Another part of our Invention relates to the carding engine, and
consists in the use of certain apparatus for stripping or cleaning the
cylinder. This apparatus consists of a rotatory brush placed in contact
with the cylinder by means of any suitable fixing, and carrying on its
axis a toothed wheel, which by means of others forms a connection with
a toothed ring upon the cylinder. The axis of the brush on being turned
by hand or by power causes a stripping of the cylinder, and the aforesaid
gearing causes the said cylinder to revolve in the right direction for
being stripped, and at a suitable speed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES' 3
HIGGINS, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and
THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH, of the same Place, Manager, send
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth,
Her special license that we, the said James Higgins and Thomas
Schofield Whitworth, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth,
our 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
Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SPINNING," upon the condition, amongst others,
that we, the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, by
an instrument in writing under our hands and seals (or under the hand
and seal of one of us) 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 Thomas Schofield Whitworth, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that
is to say):-
The first part of our Invention relates to an improvement upon the
slubbing or roving apparatus, for which Letters Patent were granted to
us, bearing date the Sixth November One thousand eight hundred and
sixty, No. 2728. According to the arrangement therein described we
formed the spindle with a square part, passing into a similarly formed
hollow in the pinion, through which it is driven. This pinion was
supported by a rib projecting from a frame, which also carried the foot
step.
According to our present. Invention the aforesaid pinion into which

page_text: part of our Invention is shewn under one arrangement at Fig. 1 of the
accompanying Drawing, in which 1 is a tube, or as it is sometimes
called long collar supporting the spindle 2, on the lower end of which is
formed a square part 3 fitting into a similarly. formed recess in the
driving pinion 4, the boss of which runs in a recess formed in the foot
step 5, which is carried by the frame 6, as in our previous Patent
aforesaid, but in that case as before stated the pinion 4 was mounted
independently of the said foot step. By this arrangement the spindle as
before can be removed for cleaning or other purpose without detaching
the pinion, but we now gain the advantage of one oiling place less, and
that which is required may be placed in the recess of the foot step 5,
and will there be retained unless it should overflow.
We have shewn the tube 1 in the above mentioned Fig. mounted in
swivelling apparatus A, B, constructed according to that Invention, for
which Letters Patent were granted to us dated Ninth February One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, No. 331, but any other ordinary.
method of mounting the same may be adopted.
In Figs. 2 and 3 (which also shew another part of our Invention to
be described) the swivelling apparatus A is adapted, but that shewn at
B in Fig. 1 is replaced by a fixed bearing 7.
Another part of our Invention also relates to slubbing or roving
frames, and to that arrangement in which as ordinarily practised a tube
or long collar passes upward into the bobbin, which bobbin is then
necessarily of special construction.
By our Invention we extend the tube or collar downward, the bobbin
braid being at the upper end thereof, and we are then enabled to use a
bobbin of the ordinary construction for other slubbing or roving frames.
This part of our Invention is shewn at Figs. 2 and 3, in which 2 is the
spindle running in the tube or collar 1, which we have shewn as
supported by our swivelling apparatus A before 'referred to. This tube
or collar extends downward from the lower part of the bearing A, and
only sufficiently upward to afford a bearing for the pinion 8, which rests
upon the said part 9 of the swivelling apparatus A. Upon this pinion
or bobbin braid is placed the bobbin 10 of the ordinary barrel con-
struction, and it may therefore be adapted or other ordinary slubbing or
roving frames, and when placed in the crecl of a mule or other spinning
machine may be adapted with either end upward.

page_text: .
Another part of our Invention relates to the use of certain apparatus
for stripping or cleaning the cylinders of carding engines, and is shewn
in two views. at Figs. 4 and 5. At 11 is the frame or bend of the
machine, to which is fixed a stud 12 carrying a plate 13, which is also
supported by a rod 14 extending from the frame, and capable of being
adjusted by means of nuts, so as to move the plate 13 to or fro. In a
slot formed in the said plate is an axis 15 provided with a handle 16,
and the other end of the said axis is supported in a slot at 17. A 18
is a brush mounted on the axis 15, and which, as shewn, is spiral in.
form, but it may be otherwise made. Upon the axis 15 is a pinion 19
taking into another 20 running on the fixed stud 12, and fast with it is
a pinion 21 in gear with another 22 mounted on a stud 23, which is
carried by a lever 24 capable of turning upon the before-mentioned
stud 2, but the said lever 24 is kept in the position shewn by a catch 25
mounted on a centre carried by the plate 13. The top of the lever 24
turns over the axis 15 so as to keep it in its slotted bearing in the
plate 13. Fast with the pinion 22 is another 26, which takes into an
internal wheel 27 formed on the cylinder 28.
The apparatus is shewn in the position it assumes when the stripping
or cleaning operation is to take place. To effect this the attendant turns
the handle 16 in the direction of the arrow, thereby causing the brush 18
to revolve, and at the same time the train of gearing above described
will convey motion to the pinion 26, and by means of the internal
wheel 27 to the cylinder 28, causing it to revolve in the direction of the
arrow, and thus the desired operation will be effected.
When the stripping or cleaning has been completed the catch 25 is
removed from the pin on the lever 24, the upper end of which will then
turn downward and convey the pinion 26 out of gear with the wheel 27,
the upper part of the said lever at the same time turning from the
axis 15 and allowing it and its brush to be removed. The machine is
then ready for its ordinary work. Instead of the handle 16 the motive
power may be used to drive the axis 15.
As a quantity of strippings will accumulate upon the brush 18 it will
be necessary to adapt a comb or other appliance to remove the same.
This may be done in any ordinary manner, but at Figs. 4 and 6 we
have shewn an arrangement for the purpose.

page_text: To the axis 15 are adapted loose arms, as at 30, which may rest for
adjustment upon the bend or other convenient part; and upon these
arms is mounted so as to be capable of turning up and down a bar 31
carrying a comb 32, which may be adjusted in any required position by
a suitable stop. The comb therefore and brush are combined so as to
be removable together to be applied to different cylinders.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it
to be understood that we claim as secured to us under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, and for the purposes aforesaid,―
Firstly, and as an improvement upon our former Patent aforesaid,
supporting the pinion which the squared part of the spindle enters by
the foot step of the said spindle.
Secondly, in reference to Figs. 2 and 3, adapting the tube or collar
below the bobbin braid and applying a bobbin of the ordinary barrel 1
construction, that is, of equal diameters at top and bottom.
Thirdly, in reference to Figs. 4 and 5, the use of the removable
brush 18, wheel 27, and parts for giving motion to the same, arranged
substantially as described.
1
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Schofield Whitworth, have 2
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four.