Improvements in Twisting Machines for the Manufacture of Rope, Cord, or Twine.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov.. 188
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Twisting Machines for the Manufacture of Rope,
Cord, or Twine.
I GEORGE LOOMIS BROWNELL of Worcester in the County of Worcester and
State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to that class of twisting machines in which several strands
are twisted into a rope cord or twine by means of a rotary motion imparted to the
strands as they are drawn from separate spools, or cops, and brought together into
a line coincident with their axis of rotation.
1. The first part of my invention relates to the portion of the mechanism
employed in twisting each of the component strands and delivering them to the
mechanism by which they are twisted together into a rope or cord and it consists
of the novel arrangement and combination of the several parts as follows: to wit, a
series of spool carrying spindles arranged around a central vertical post; disks
attached to the spindles upon which the spools rest; vertical pins placed con-
centrically around the spools with their lower ends attached to the disks and with
their upper and free ends bent outwardly and downward to form hooks, and a spider
adjustably attached to the central vertical post above the spools with radial arms
corresponding with the spools and each provided with a strand guiding eye. Each
strand is taken from its spool around the vertical pins surrounding the spool under
the hooked end of one of the pins, and thence through one of the eyes in the spider
to the rotating "head" by which the strands are twisted together into a single cord
or rope.
2. The second part of my invention relates to the "compressor" by which the
individual strands, or threads are brought together into a line coincident with the
axis of the revolving "head" and a pressure imparted to the cord or rope as it is
being twisted. My improvements in the "compressor" consist of a tube coincident
with the axis of rotation of the revolving "head" and having its end next the
strand spools or cops enlarged to receive a pair of pins capable of sliding in ways
placed obliquely to the axis of the tube; the converging ends of the pins being
provided with grooves, which, as the ends are brought together form a passage for
the cord or rope. The tension of a spring is applied to the sliding pins to bring
their grooved ends together and thereby impart a pressure to the twisted cord which
passes between the ends of the pins into the tube.
The grooved ends of the pins are bevelled to form a close joint when not separated
by the cord or rope.
33
3. The third part of my invention relates to the devices by which the force of
the spring applied to the sliding pins in the "compressor is varied in order to
regulate the pressure given to the twisted cord, or rope, and it consists in a sleeve
sliding on the compressor tube and having flanges extending over and resting upon
the divergent ends of the sliding pins. Between the tube and sliding sleeve is an
annular chamber open at one end and forming a chamber to receive a spiral spring.
The section of the tube above the sliding sleeve is screw-threaded and carries a nut
which is provided with a concentric annular flange entering the annular spring
chamber. Between the flange of the nut and a shoulder upon the inside of the
sleeve a spiral spring is placed whose tension as the nut is screwed down is exerted
to force the sliding sleeve downward with its flanges upon the divergent ends of the
sliding pins thereby crowding their opposite grooved ends upon the cord or rope as
it passes into the tube.
4. The fourth part of my invention relates to the arrangement and combination of
the operating mechanism by which a rotary motion is imparted to the revolving

page_text: "head" and to the stretching and winding mechanism carried by the revolving
*head."
The revolving "head" consists of a flyer frame having hollow journals and
inclosing a rotating winding spool, which is driven through a hollow spindle passing
through one of the hollow journals of the flyer frame.
The journal of the flyer frame and its enclosed hollow spindle have pinions
engaged by intermediate pinions held upon a stud in the frame work of the machine
and which are driven by large gears also revolving about studs held in the frame
work and having bevelled pinions attached, which are driven by similar bevelled
pinions upon shafts running lengthwise the machine and which are themselves
geared together by "change gears" allowing the relative speed of the two shafts
and connected flyer frame and winding spool to be varied.
Rotary motion is
imparted to one of the parallel longitudinal shafts and by means of the "change
gears to the other longitudinal shaft. From these shafts motion is imparted
through the bevelled pinions to the large driving gear and from them, through the
intermediate pinions to the pinions upon the journal of the flyer frame and its
enclosed hollow spindle by which the winding spool is driven.
5. The fifth part of my invention relates to the device for laying the twisted cord
or rope upon the winding spool, and it consists in a travelling carriage having a
traversing motion along ways upon one side of the flyer frame and carrying a pulley
serving as a guide for the cord or rope. The carriage is moved in one direction by
means of an attached chain or cord which passing over guiding pulleys is conducted
out of the flyer frame through one of its hollow journals to winding mechanism,
which consists of a drum rotated in one direction to wind up the chain or cord and
then rotated in the opposite direction to release the chain or cord and allow the
carriage upon the flyer frame to reverse its motion as actuated by the tension of the
twisted cord or rope which being wound upon the winding spool.
6. My sixth improvement consists in placing a swivel in the chain or cord by
which the rope guiding carriage is drawn in one direction and extending the
journal through which the chain or cord passes to inclose the swivel. The swivel
inclosing tube is provided with longitudinal slots or grooves and the swivel has
projecting pins entering the grooves or slots in the tube so the rotation of the tube
will cause the rotation of that portion of the chain inclosed within it by imparting a
rotary motion to that portion of the swivel attached to the tube-inclosed portion of
the chain or cord.
7. The seventh part of my invention relates to the device employed to prevent
the "kinking" of the chain by which the rope guiding carriage is drawn in one
direction, and it consists in applying to the shaft carrying the drum upon which the
chain is wound a coiled spring whose tension is less than the strain of the cord or
rope which is being wound, upon the traversing carriage, and which is held in a state
of compression during the winding of the twisted cord or rope; but in case the
cord or rope becomes broken so the traversing carriage is relieved of its strain, then
the coiled spring will rotate the shaft carrying the winding drum and take up the
chain or cord, drawing the traversing rope-guiding carriage to its highest point and
holding the attached cord or chain taut.
The drum upon which the chain or cord attached to the rope-guiding carriage is
wound is rotated in one direction to wind up the cord or chain and then rotated in
the opposite direction to allow the cord or chain to be released and the strain of the
rope upon the traversing carriage to reverse the motion of the carriage. This direct
and reverse motion of the winding drum I accomplish by means of a mangle
wheel"; but this portion of the operating mechanism forms no part of my present
invention and requires no particular description as its construction and operation
will be familiar to all who are conversant with this class of machinery.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of December 1888
"
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Twisting Machines for the Manufacture of Rope,
Cord, or Twine.
I, GEORGE LOOMIS BROWNELL of Worcester in the County of Worcester and State
of Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My improvements relate to that class of twisting machines, in which several
strandis are twisted into a rope, cord or twine by means of a rotary motion imparted
to the strands as they are drawn from separate spools, or cops, and brought together
into a line coincident with their axis of rotation.
In the following description of the nature of my invention, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings, which show so much of a twisting machine as are
necessary to illustrate the essential features of my invention and the mode of carrying
the same into effect like letters of reference indicating like parts in the several
figures.
Figure 1 represents a plan view of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line X, X, Fig. 1, showing, however, but one half
part of the machine, one side having been removed, the twisting mechanism upon
that side being a duplicate of that shown.
Fig. 3 shows a sectional view, through its central section, of the upper hollow
journal of the revolving flyer frame, with a portion of the chain and swivel joint
inclosed in the journal.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the spool support, which carries the winding spool
upon which the twisted cord or rope is wound.
Fig. 5 is a detached view of the compressor and showing the gears by which the
flyer frame and the winding spool are driven.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the portions of the machine which are represented in
Fig. 5, the section being shown on line Y, Y, Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the compressor tube taken on line X', X¹, Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 represents the lower end of the compressor.
Fig. 9 is a plan view of the system of gearing by which the flyer frame and winding
spool are driven, shown in detached view.
Fig. 10 represents the shaft carrying the winding drum, upon which the chain is
wound in order to move the rope guiding carriage along its way upon the flyer
frame in one direction; it also shows in sectional view a drum inclosing a spring
whose tension is applied to hold the chain taut whenever the rope becomes broken,
as hereinafter described.
Fig. 11 represents a sectional view of the drum upon which the chain attached
to the rope guiding carriage is wound, the section being shown in line X', X',
Fig. 12.
Fig. 12 represents a sectional view of the chain winding drum on line X2, X2,
Fig. 11, and
Fig. 13 is a side view of the drum containing the spring by which a torsional
tension is applied to the shaft represented in Fig. 10.
A A, denotes the framework forming the ends of the machine and which are
connected by girths, or rails, B, C, D, shown upon one side of the machine in sectional
view in Fig. 2.
In the machine shown in the accompanying drawings two revolving "heads" are
represented upon opposite sides of the machine, only one of which is shown in Fig. 2,
the description of which will serve as a description of both.
The lower rail B supports a vertical post B¹, around which are arranged the con-
centric spool bearings a, a, in which the spool spindles a, a, are journalled. To the
spool spindles a, a, are attached the disks a², forming the spool supports and to
which the vertical pins a are attached, arranged concentrically around the spools a

page_text: and being provided with hooks a³ at their upper ends. Adjustably attached to the
vertical post B is a spider b, having radial arms 61 corresponding with the spools a
The individual strands are taken from the spools al and carried around one of more
of the pins a³, according as the tension is required upon the strand. As the strand
leaves the pins a³, it is caught by the hooked end of one of the pins and twisted as
the disks and pins a³ have a rapid rotary motion, driven by a band B² from the
pulley B upon the horizontal shaft B, which is rotated by the short shaft B' through
the gear wheels B, B. The separate strands are taken through eyes in the radial
arms of the spider and are brought together at the compressor E, Fig. 2, also
shown in sectional view in Fig. 6.
The
compressor consists of a tube E', which is cularged at its lower end to receive
the pins E, E, each of which has a slight sliding motion in ways placed obliquely
to the axis of the tube E. The pins E2 are provided with pins E³, which enter
slots E in order to prevent the pins 2 from turning. The lower ends of the
pins E2, E2, are bevelled and each of the bevelled ends are provided with a groove,
the opposing grooves forming a passage E Fig. 8, for the assembled strands as they
enter the tube E. Above the pins E is a sliding sleeve E³, having flanges E', which
rest upon the upper and divergent ends of the pins E. Between the tube E' and
the sleeve E is an annular chamber Es, in which is placed a spiral spring E, with
its tension acting against the shoulder E10 on the sleeve E' and the end of an annular
flange E" on the nut E12, which is placed upon the screw threaded portion of the
tube E¹. As the nut E is screwed down upon the tube the spring E is compressed
and its pressure upon the shoulder E increased, thereby increasing the pressure of
the flanges E upon the ends of the pins E2 and consequently the pressure of the
pins E2 upon the twisted cord or rope as it passes between thein into the tube E¹.
The tube E passes through a hollow stud F, which is screwed into the end of the
yoke, or tie-beam F, extending transversely across the machine, and carries upon its
opposite end a similar stud about which the "head"
upon the opposite side of the
machine revolves.
Around the hollow stud F is a hollow spindle F2, having a gear F³ attached to its
lower end and a pinion F' attached to its upper end, and around the hollow
spindle a gear F rotates, to the hub of which is attached the rectangular
flyer frame F.
The flyer frame F is divided into an upper compartiment containing a winding
spool F and a lower compartment containing the scored stretching drums F, F
journalled in vertical bearings, and having gears F, F, engaged by the pinion F
To the upper ends of the spindles carrying the stretching drums F are attached
gears F, F, which engage and drive the gear F, attached to the winding spool
support F. The winding spool support F, carries a weighted disk ³, Fig. 4,
separated from the spool support by means of a leather washer F. The weighted
disk engages and drives the winding spool F' by means of the spur F, entering
a hole in the head of the spool. The winding spool is held in a vertical position
with its axis concentric with the axis of the Hyer frame F by a spindle F, the
lower end of which enters a socket in the spool support F, and having its upper
end held by a forked bearing F17, allowing the spindle to be raised and removed in
order to change the winding spools.
Guide pulleys G, G', are attached to the flyer frame F, and over these pulleys I
pass a chain G2, one end of which is attached to a sliding rope-guiding carriage G³,
sliding along the bar forming one side of the flyer frame; the opposite end of the
chain is attached to a winding drum G on the shaft G, which is supported by the
posts G, G, placed upon the upper rail D.
Upon the shaft G is a drum G connected by a chain with a drum G8 upon
the shaft G, carrying a mangle wheel G, which is rotated alternately in opposite
directions by means of the pinion G upon a shaft G2, which is driven by a belt
connection from the shaft J, running lengthwise the machine and which is rotated
by a belt from the driving pulley J, Fig. 1. The rotation of the mangle-wheel G
in the direction of the arrow 1 serves to wind up the chain G upon the winding

page_text: :
drum G, causing the sliding rope-guiding carriage G³, to be drawn upward upon
the side of the flyer frame F. The twisted cord or rope as it leaves the com-
pressor tube E' is taken over a guide pulley c, several times around the scored conical
stretching drums F3, F; over the guide pulley d attached to the side of the flyer
frame; thence over the guide pulley e, carried by the sliding carriage G³, to the
winding spool F". As the chain G is wound upon the drum G the rope will be
traversed across the winding spool from the bottom to the top of the spool; and when
the motion of the mangle-wheel is reversed the chain G2 will be released and the
tension of the rope, which is being wound on the spool F, will cause the carriage G³
to reverse its motion and slide down the side of the flyer frame, traversing the rope
across the spool from the top to the bottom. The chain G is provided with a swivel
joint at G, and the upper journal of the flyer frame F is hollow and is extended
upward forming a tube G, inclosing the swivel joint, which is rotated by the rotation
of the flyer frame F, by means of short studs G1, G1, entering slots G, in the
tube G, the lower half of the swivel joint and that portion of the chain attached
thereto and inclosed in the tube G is thereby caused to rotate with the flyer
frame F. In order to provide that the rotation of the shaft G shall be reversed
with certainty in case the tension of the rope upon the rope-guiding carriage G³ is
not sufficient to accomplish that purpose, attach the device shown in Figs. 10
and 13. To the shaft G' I attach a disk f, and to one of the shaft supporting
posts G, I attach a disk f; between the disks f and f¹ is a disk f attached to
the disk by a screw bolt g, which passes through a slot g' in the disk and placed
concentrically with the shaft G. The disk f2 is provided with a flange f³, inclosing an
annular chamber . which contains a coiled spring, having one end attached to
the hub of the disk f' and with the opposite and outer end attached to the inside of
the flange in such a manner that the action of the chain G in being wound
upon the drum G will wind up the spring f, so the tension of the spring will be
applied to reverse the rotation of the shaft G³ as soon as the motion of the mangle-
wheel is reversed. The central disk f' is adjusted with reference to the disk and
shaft G, by means of the adjusting screw bolt g, allowing the tension of the spring f³
to be varied as required.
In case the rope, which is being wound upon the winding spool becomes broken
so its tension is removed from the rope-guiding carriage it will become necessary to
wind up the chain G so as to raise the carriage G³ to its highest point and thereby
hold the chain G2 taut. This is accomplished by the peculiar construction of the
winding drum Gt, which is illustrated in sectional views in Figs. 11 and 12.
hand are disks attached to the shaft G by means of splines or set screws in the
usual manner, and between the disks h, h', is a disk h³, turning around the hubs of
and and having a flange ³ provided with an inwardly projecting spur *,
Fig. 12.
A coiled spring jis placed in the annular chamber j¹, with one of its ends attached
to the hub of one of the fixed disks and its opposite end attached to the flange h³
so as to resist the downward motion of the chain G2. The strain upon the chain G²,
as the rope-guiding carriage G³ is being raised, serves to hold the spur against a
pin held in the disk and projecting into the annular chamber j', and maintaining
the spring in a state of tension sufficient to rotate the winding drum an entire
revolution and wind up the chain G². As the shaft G is rotated to wind up the
chain G the pin resting against the inwardly projecting spur ', will rotate the
flange and wind up the chain G. The system of gearing by which the flyer
frame and the winding spool are rotated is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 9.
The gears F by which the winding spool is rotated and the gear 3 by which the
flyer frame is rotated, revolve about a common axis and in parallel horizontal planes
and they are driven by intermediate pinions H, H', turning loosely about a stud held
in the yoke or tie beam F, the pinion H engaging the gear F and the pinion H'
engaging the gear F. The pinion H is driven by a large central gear H2, turning
about a stud held in the center of the tie beam F and having an attached bevelled
pinion H³, which is engaged by a similar bevelled pinion H* upon the longitudinal,

page_text: horizontal shaft H³. The shaft H is driven by the gears H and H7 upon the
shaft J, upon which is placed the driving pulley J. Upon the shaft J, I place a
bevelled pinion J³, engaging the bevelled pinion J³ attached to the large central
gear Jurning about a stud in the center of the tie beam in common with the
driving gear H2 and engaging the intermediate pinion H. The gears H and H
are what are known as change gears, which allow the relative speed of the two
shafts and H to be varied, thereby varying the relative speed of the flyer frame
and winding spool. Upon the shaft J I place a belt pulley J, from which rotary
motion is conveyed to the pulley B and the lower short shaft B; and by a second
belt pulley J, indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 2, power is communicated to the
pulley upon
the shaft G, carrying the pinion &u, by which the mangle-wheel is
rotated. K, K. denote central supporting frames to which the brackets K', Fig. 2,
are attached and which serve to support the central section of the connecting rails B,
C, and D.
The compressor tube E¹ is held within the hollow spindle F2 and is made to rotate
with the flyer frame F by means of the collar m, Figs. 5 and 6. The collar mis
attached to the upper end of the compressor tube E and is provided with an arm m³,
extending over the edge of the gear and connected with the flyer frame. This
arrangement allows the compressor tube to be removed and another replaced, when
necessary to provide a compressor for a larger or smaller cord. The adjusting nut E¹
by which the tension of the spring E is varied is held from turning as the com-
pressor tube is being rapidly revolved by means of a plate n, sliding upon the
tube E¹ and held from turning thereon, and having its outer ends turned down over
and resting against the opposite sides of the hexagonal nut E12. When it is desired
to adjust the tension of the spring E, the platen is raised so as to release the nut E12,
which may then be turned up or down upon the tube E¹.
29
com-
I do not herein claim broadly the employment of hooked guide pins arranged
around the strand spools, neither do I claim broadly the employment of a
pressor comprising a pair of blocks or nippers held against the cord or rope with
a yielding pressure; nor do I claim broadly the flyer frame, having a rotating
motion and a rope guiding carriage traversing one of the sides of the flyer frame,
as set forth in the provisional specification filed by me, as my fifth improvement;
the essential feature of this portion of my invention consisting in carrying a flexible
rope or chain connection from the rope guiding carriage to its operating mechanism
placed outside of and independently of the flyer frame this is effected by carrying
the flexible connection through one of the journals of the flyer frame in a line
coincident with the axis of its rotation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is or may be performed I desire it to be
understood that I do not claim as of my invention all the detailed parts as set forth
and described in the accompanying drawings, but what I do consider novel and of my
invention is :-
1. The combination and arrangement of the post B1, concentric spool bearings a, a;
spool spindles a¹, al; disks a²; vertical guide pins a³, provided with hooked ends a;
vertically adjustable spider b with radial arms b¹, and a compressor for laying the
cord, as shown and described.
2. The compressor, comprising the sliding blocks or pins, provided with bevelled
and grooved ends between which the cord passes, said blocks or pins being placed
obliquely to the axis of the cord and a spring applied to said blocks or pins to
press their grooved ends against the cord, as shown and described.
3. The combination of tube E', provided with ways placed obliquely to the axis
of the tube; pins E2, E2 sliding in said ways and having bevelled and grooved ends
forming a passage for the cord; a sliding sleeve resting against the divergent ends
of said pins and a spiral spring with its tension applied to force said sleeve against
the ends of the pins E2, E2, as shown and described.
4. The combination of the tube E', provided with ways placed obliquely to the axis

page_text: of the tube; pins E, E sliding in said ways and having bevelled and grooved ends
bearing against the cord; a sliding sleeve E resting upon the divergent ends of the
pins E, E³, a spiral spring E with its tension applied to force the sliding sleeve upon
the pins and an adjusting nut E12, as shown and described.
5. The combination of a flyer frame provided with a hollow journal; a winding
spool carried by the flyer frame with its axis coincident with the axis of rotation of
the flyer frame; a rope guiding carriage traversing the winding spool along a way
at the side of the flyer frame; actuating mechanism, substantially as described, by
which the carriage is traversed, placed outside of said flyer frame and independent
thereof, and a Hexible connection between the actuating mechanism and said rope
guiding carriage, said connection passing through the hollow journal of the flyer
frame, as shown and described.
6. The flyer frame F; tube G forming a hollow journal for the flyer frame and
having slots G6, rope guiding carriage G³, winding drum G; chain G² connecting
the carriage and drum; swivel G¹³ inclosed in the tube G, and studs G, as shown
and described.
7. The combination with the flyer frame, rope guiding carriage traversing the side
of the frame and winding shaft G, of the mechanism for reversing the motion of
the winding shaft and comprising the disk attached to the shaft; disk attached
to one of the supporting posts of the shaft; disk adjustably attached to disk f
and provided with a flange /³, inclosing an annular chamber f^; coiled spring f
having one end attached to the hub of the disk f' and with its opposite end attached
to the flange f, as shown and described.
8. The combination with the actuating mechanism for traversing the rope guiding
carriage, of the winding drum consisting of the disks h and h¹, attached to the winding
shaft G; disk provided with flange and inwardly projecting spur *; coiled
spring with one end attached to the hubs of the fixed disks and with its opposite
end attached to the flange ; pink in the disk h' and projecting into the path of
the spur, as shown and described.
9. The combination and arrangement with the flyer frame and winding spool, of
gears F and F ; intermediate pinions H and H'; central gears H and J; bevelled
pinions H3 and J³; pinion H₁ upon the shaft H'; pinion J2 upon the shaft J ;
shafts Hand J, operatively connected by the gears Hand H', as shown and
described, whereby the relative speed of the flyer frame and the winding spool can
be relatively varied by a change in the size of the gears H and H', as set forth.
Dated this Sixth day of Santamber 1880
GEORGE LOOMIS BROWNELL.
Per Cruikshank & Fairweather,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.