IMPROVEMENTS IN-MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING SILK, COTTON, WOOL; OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Dempsey, of Congleton, in- the County of
Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN-MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING SILK, COTTON, WOOL; OR OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 6th September 1867, and dated the 11th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Dempsey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
.. March 1867.
I, WILLIAM DEMPSEY, of Congleton, in the County of Chester, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING SILK, COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in improved machinery. for superseding the
hand work of silk throwsters, thread, cord, and rope makers, and dispensing
with their attendant boys.
And, secondly, in improvements in throstle frames or. other similar machinery
in which silk, wool, and fibrous materials in general are twisted or spun and
then wound on bobbins or spools.
In the first description of my improved machinery I employ any required
number of spindles for twisting the silk or material, and place them in a
horizontal position in bearings formed in bars fixed to the framework of the
machine, and mount the bobbins containing the raw silk or material to corre-
[Price 8d.]

page_text: spond with the spindles. In front of the spindles I place a reel, and in front
of that a long tramway or frame having grooves or guides, to which is fitted a
carriage which can move to and fro freely. To the carriage is connected a
band which extends to the far end of the tramway, passes over a guide pulley,
and returns to a band pulley placed loose on a shaft fixed to the framework.
The warves of the spindles are connected by cords or bands to a drum which
can be turned in one direction for twisting single threads or strands (technically
called hardening), and in the reverse direction for spinning, doubling. or twisting
two or more threads or strands together, the reverse motions being obtained
by passing the driving band of the drum over two pulleys loose on two driving
shafts revolving in opposite directions, there being clutch boxes for enabling
either pulley to be fast or loose as required. On the shaft of the reel there is
a toothed wheel gearing into a pinion on a shaft having a pulley and clutch
box, and the band pulley can be put in and out of gear of a clutch or wheel
having a slow revolving motion. Before the machine is set to work the
carriage is close up to the reel, and the operative draws the ends of the raw
silk or material from the bobbins, and after passing them round carriers fixed
to the carriage attaches them to one half of the spindles. The machine is
now set on turning the band pulley so as to wind on the band and cause the
carriage to run out to take the threads the required distance, and then the
threads are disconnected from the bobbins and their ends attached to the
other half of the spindles. All the spindles are now caused to revolve and
spin or twist the silk or material, and when the required twist has been given
the spindles are stopped and the ends of the threads detached from them and
attached to the reel which is now turned, so as to wind on the threads in
skeins, and at the same time bring back the carriage, the band pulley being
out of gear, and thus the operations of spinning or twisting, paying out,
bringing back, and winding on, are performed by machinery in a very
efficient manner.
I modify this machinery by placing the spindles in a vertical position, and
using the tramway for placing the carriage stationary at any required distance
from the spindles for obtaining the advantage of length of stretch for giving
elasticity to the twisted threads. In this arrangement when the spindles are
set to work the reel is turned at the same time, and the bobbins give off the
silk or material to the spindles, thus one end from each bobbin is connected
to the spindle, then passed round a carrier and returned to the reel, so that
spinning and reeling take place simultaneously, and when the required lengths
or number of skeins are wound on the reel is stopped by any well-known
stopping motion.

page_text: My improvements in throstle frames or other similar machines are as
follows:-Instead of placing the feed rollers near the tops of the spindles I
place them one or more yards distant, for the purpose of giving elasticity to
the spun threads, and for slightly lengthening and shortening the distance
between the rollers and flyers. I place the spindles on a frame which can be
I
shifted as required by a crank, eccentric, or other mechanical means.
arrange the bobbins and spindles so that the bobbin can be held to the
spindle for spinning without winding on, and also be loose on the spindle for
winding on. On each spindle there is a boss and pin, and in the bobbin a
notch which passes over the pin and holds them together, and below all the
bobbins there are bars which will be raised by a lever and lift the notches off
the pins.
I cause the feed rollers to revolve either continuously as in an ordinary
throstle or intermittently as in the mule in order to adapt my improved
machinery to the various descriptions of yarns and threads, and sewing threads
in particular.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Dempsey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
DEMPSEY, of Congleton, in the County of Chester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Dempsey, Her special license that I, the said William Dempsey,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said
William Dempsey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING SILK. COTTON,
WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Dempsey, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Dempsey, 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 fol-
lowing statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists, first, in improved machinery for superseding the
hand work of silk throwsters, thread, cord, and rope makers, and dispensing
with. their attendant. boys.
And, secondly, in improvements in throstle frames, and other. similar
machinery. in which silk, wool, and fibrous materials in general are twisted or
spun and then wound on. bobbins or spools..
The manner in which, this Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by the following particular description thereof, reference being, had
to the Figures on the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings, and to the
letters of reference marked thereon..
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 a
back elevation of one of my improved arrangements of machinery for spinning
and doubling silk, cotton, wool, flax, hemp, and other fibrous materials, and
Fig. 4 is a side view, and Fig. 5 a section of some of the parts.
In Sheet 2, Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are enlarged views and modifications
of some of the parts shewn in Sheet 1; and' in Sheet 3, Figs. 12, 13, and 14
are different views representing my improvements in throstle frames.
In the arrangement shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, I employ any, required
number of hooked. spindles a, and place them in a horizontal position in
bearings formed. in. bars, b fixed to the side frames c. The bobbins d con-
taining the raw. silk. or material are placed on skewers or stationary spindles
fixed to cross. boards e, the positions. of. the bobbins being arranged to suit the
spindles a. In bearings at the front of the side frames c I place a reel f, and
in front of that a. long tramway or frame g. having grooves or guides, to which
are fitted slides h, supporting. a. carriage i, k; to the carriage is connected an
endless band 1;. which passes over the guide. pulleys m, n, at the back end of
the tramway g over and under the guide pulleys. o. at. one side. of the tramway,
then over the endless band pulley p, and returns over guide pulleys q, r, s, to
be again connected to the carriage. The wharvest of the spindles a are con-
nected by: cords or bands u. to the drum v, which can be: turned in one direction
för twisting single threads or strands,. technically called hardening,, and. in. the

page_text: reverse direction for spinning, doubling, or twisting two or more threads or
strands together. The drum vis provided with two driving bands w, x, which
are passed over two pulleys y on the drum shaft z, and over two pulleys a¹, b¹,
fixed to shafts c', d', provided with fast and loose pulleys e'; f; communi-
cating by straps g, h, with two pulleys on two overhead shafts revolving. in
opposite directions. When the straps are on both the loose pulleys the drum
and spindles are stationary; when one strap is on one fast pulley on one side and
the other strap on the loose pulley on the opposite side the drum and spindles
revolve in one direction, and when the first strap is placed on its corresponding
loose pulley and the second strap on its corresponding fast pulley the motions
of the drum and spindles are reversed. The endless band pulley p works
loose on a stationary shaft k', on which is also placed loose. a bevil: wheelt l
gearing into the pinion m' fixed to one end of the shaft n', at the other end-of
which there is a loose carrier o¹ having fixed to it a bevil pinion p gearing
into the bevil wheel q' fixed' to the shaft of the reel f, and to the shaft: ' are
fixed other two carriers-r', s', and the endless band pulley p is either perma-
nently fixed to the bevil wheel or connected with it by a dog or driver t.
On the same shaft n' are placed two loose pulleys u, v, the one u! connected
by a cross strap wo to the pulley ! fixed to the driving shaft yl, and the other
pulley connected by an open strap z¹ to the pulley a fixed to the same
shaft, so that when revolving. motion is given to the said shaft ! the
pulleys u, v, shall revolve in contrary directions: On the shaft n there are
two pairs of clutch pins b³,. c², a pair passing through: oach pulley u', v', and
the. pins, are. shifted. as required by the clutch levers and bosses d³, e². When
the. clutch. pins, bare. shifted: into gear: with the: carrier ¹ they turn the
shaft n, pinion m',. toothed, wheel. I, and endless band. pulley p for causing
the endless: band. to move the carriage from the front to, the back of the
tramway.. When the clutch, pins bare out of gear and the clutch pins.c²
placed. in gear with the carrier s they turn the said shaft,, pinion, toothed
wheel, and, endless: band pulley p in the opposite direction so as to give a
reverse: motion, to, the endless band. l,. and pull the carriage from. the back to
the front. To the slides h, Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7, fitting the grooves of the
tramway, gis, fixed a. board i forming the foundation. of the carriage, and to
this; board is hinged as narrower board k, and the two boards are maintained
level, with, each other as. long. as required by a spring bolt f which passes
through a hole in the bent plate g fixed to the board. k. To both boards are
fixed skewers or pins on which are placed a number of carrier. bobbins in: pro-
portion to the number of. twisting spindles a. the bobbins h, k, on the board k
being, of, smaller diameters than those marked on the board i for cuabling.

page_text: the threads or strands to be nearly equidistant apart. Or, instead of carrier
bobbins I attach carrier hooks to the carriage, as shewn in Figs. 8 and 9,
one line of hooks m³ being screwed in the cross bar n connected to the
standards o fixed to the board i, and the other line of hooks p being fixed to
the hinged board k; or both lines of hooks may be screwed in hinged boards.
The bobbins d containing the raw silk or material are placed on their skewers
and the threads or strands passed through holes in plates which revolve on the
skewers as the threads or strands pass off the bobbins, and the threads or
strands are passed under guide rollers g2, Figs. 2 and 5, in a trough h² con-
taining water only or water mixed with size, and from thence over a guide
bars and through eyes t² to the carriers on the carriage. When desired the
bobbins may be placed in a horizontal position and allowed to revolve to give
off the raw thread or material, and this part of the arrangement may be
varied in any required manner.
When the threads or strands of silk or material have to be hardened and
wound on a reel, the carriage is brought up close to the reel before the machine
is set to work, and the operative draws the ends of the raw silk or material
from the bobbins d, and after passing them through the eyes t, passes them
round the carrier bobbins, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7, or hooks them on the
carrier hooks, Figs. 8 and 9, after which he passes them through eyes u³, and
attaches them to one half of the twisting spindles a. The strap is then put
on the fast pulley on the shaft y', and the clutch pins be placed in contact with
the carrier r¹ by means of the clutch lever d, the effect of which is to turn
the shaft n', the pinion m¹, the toothed wheel 1, and the endless band
pulley p, and thereby give motion to the endless band for drawing the carriage
from the front to the back, and taking with it the threads of the raw silk or
material. When the carriage has travelled the required distance the operative
pulls the clutch pins b³ out of gear and stops the endless band pulley p, after
which he disconnects the threads from the bobbins and attaches their ends to
the other half of the twisting spindles a, and after giving the threads a stretch
he shifts the strap g¹ from the loose pulley to the fast pulley on the shaft c¹ in
order to make all the spindles revolve to twist and harden the threads or
strands, the operative at intervals or by degrees turning the endless band
pulley p to bring forward the carriage as the twist shortens the threads.
When the required twist has been given to the threads the twisting spindles a
are stopped, and then the ends of the threads detached from them and attached
to the reel, after which the clutch pins c are pushed in contact with the
carriers s¹, o, the carrier s giving reverse motion to the shaft n', pinion m³,
bevil wheel, and endless band pulley p to bring the carriage forwards and

page_text: the carrier o turning the pinion p' and toothed wheel q' to turn the reel for
winding the threads upon it in skeins, and thus the operations of hardening,
spinning, or twisting and winding on are performed by machinery in a very
efficient manner.
When after hardening two or more threads have to be doubled I pass the
threads before they are hardened over the large carrier bobbins on the
board i, and also over the smaller carrier bobbins h, k, on the hinged board k,
as shewn in Fig. 7, and after the threads are hardened I release the bolt f
from the plate g2 by means of the cord w, so as to allow the hinged board
with its carriers to drop and give off the threads to the top carriers, and then
the threads are doubled and wound on the reel; or instead of placing the
threads on the bobbin carriers they are placed on the hooks m³, p, as
shewn in Figs. 8 and 9.
It will be seen that the threads marked a, b, c, Fig. 7, are nearly equidistant
from each other. and this result is obtained by making the carrier bobbins
The
of different diameters, and passing the threads round several bobbins.
thread a passes round the bobbins 1, 2, and 3: the thread b passes round the
bobbins 2, 3, and 4: and the thread c passes round the bobbins 3, 4, and 5,
and when the bobbins 1, 2, 4, and 5 on the hinged board are lowered the
threads a, b, c. are left on the large bobbin 3 and doubled together. To
prevent the strands or threads from entangling together during the operation
of hardening or doubling I employ combs . Figs. 1 and 2, which can be
raised and lowered as required by the handle y. levers 2, and wires a³.
In order to ascertain the amount of twist given to the threads or strands I
employ an indicator having a dial plate 3 and finger c³, Figs. 2 and 3. The
finger is fixed to a shaft d³. having at the bottom a worm wheel e gearing
into the worm on the shaft g carrying the worm wheel h³ gearing into a.
worm on the shaft z of the drum v. The dial plate is divided in the
usual manner, and the movement of the finger indicates the number of
revolutions of the drum.
When the work is light and a number of spindles can be turned by one
band I place the spindles as shewn in Fig. 10, in which the entire row of
spindles are worked by two bands from one driving drum, and when it is
desirable to have a large number of spindles in a certain width, I place one
row of spindles above another row, as shewn in Fig. 11.
I modify this machinery by placing the spindles in a vertical position and
using the tramway for placing the carriage stationary at any required distance
from the spindles for obtaining the advantage of length of stretch for giving
elasticity to the twisted threads. In this arrangement when the spindles are

page_text: set to work the reel is turned at the same time, and the bobbins give off the
silk or material to the spindles; thus one end from each bobbin is connected
to the spindle, then passed round a carrier and returned to the reel so that
spinning and reeling take place simultaneously, and when the required lengths
or number of skeins are wound on, the reel is stopped by any well-known
stopping motion.
In some cases I twist and pay out at the same time, in the following
manner: A thread or strand from each vertical or horizontal bobbin is passed
round a carrier bobbin or hook on the carriage aud afterwards attached to a
horizontal or vertical twisting spindle, and when the twisting spindles are
turned and the carriage moving back the twisting and paying out will be per-
formed simultaneously. When desired I apply the tramway and carriage with
the carrier bobbins or hooks to the old spinning wheels and spindles, and
modify the arrangements to suit the requirements.
The second part of my Invention relating to throstle frames is represented
in Sheet 3, in which Figs. 12 and 13 are end and front views of part of a
throstle frame, and Fig. 14 a view of a spindle and bobbin arranged and con-
structed according to my improvements.
Instead of placing the feed rollers n³, Fig. 12, near the tops of the spindles o³,
I place them one or more yards distant for the purpose of giving clasticity to
the spun threads of silk, cotton, flax, or other material, and arrange the
spindles and bobbins so that each bobbin can be held to its spindle for
spinning without winding on, and also be loose on the spindle for winding on.
In each spindle there is a long groove p³, Fig. 14, fitting a pin or key in the
boss q³ fitted to and working in the lifting rail r. Each boss is provided with
pins, and at the bottom of each bobbin there are notches or recesses into
which the pins can enter to hold the boss and bobbin together. and below all
the bobbins there are levers 3 fixed to a shaft u³ extending the entire length
of the frame, and provided with a handle or lever. When the spindles are
turning, and the notches in the bobbins on the pins, the spindles, bosses.
bobbins, and flyers all turn together for putting in the twist, but when the
bobbins are raised by the levers above the pins they become loose on the
spindles and allow the spun threads to be lapped on the bobbins.
I cause the feed rollers to revolve either continuously as in an ordinary
throstle or independently as in the mule in order to adapt my improved
machinery to the varying descriptions of yarns and threads and sewing threads
in particular; and it is evident that the foregoing improvements in throstle
frames can be applied to various descriptions of spinning machinery.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that claim the improvements in machinery or apparatus for spinning and
doubling silk, cotton, wool, or other fibrous materials, as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof. I, the said William Dempsey. have hereunto set niy
hand and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named William Dempsey,
in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
WILLIAM DEMPSEY. (...)