IM- PROVED MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE PREPARATION OF COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FORPIN
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Lucas, of 3, Furnival's Inn, in the City
of London, Mechanical Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVED MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE PREPARATION OF COTTON AND
Sealed the 12th May 1853, and dated the 13th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Lucas at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th November 1852.
I, ROBERT LUCAS, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE PREPARATION OF COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SPINNING " to be as follows:-
Namely, to coil rovings into cans or around rods by this Invention,
so that a greater quantity of roving can be pressed into the cans or
around the rods than by the machinery heretofore used for that pur-
pose. Fig. 1, in the accompanying Drawing shews a front view of the
improved coiling machine. Fig. 2, a plan of the top part of the same.
Fig. 3, another plan view, shewing the wheels for carrying the cans and

page_text: rods. The crank c, gives motion to a plate P, carrying feed rollers B,
which rollers are driven by skin bevil gear A, attached to the crank c.
In the revolving can or cans D, there a vertical rod L, with a foot M.
On the rod L, is a disc K, having a spring in the centre, the object of
which is to allow of the plate K, to decend as the rovings are being
delivered from the drawing rollers, whereby a greater quantity of
roving may be compressed than when it falls direct to the bottom of
the can. After a sufficient quantity of roving has been coiled round
the rod L, the rod can then be taken and inverted into cans or slight
square boxes, to despense with the usual cans used-for rovings. A-bell-
shaped can may be used, which is opened at the side to allow of the
condensed mass of rovings being removed, which is effected by taking
the rod along with it, the same as a bobbin; sometimes compound
cranks may be used, giving two motions to the plate P, allowing the
cans or rods to remain stationary; in some cases both movements
may be given. to the cans or rods below, and keeping the plate P,
stationary; in others the cans or rods may have an undulating action
on a pivot below, which action may be obtained by cams, levers, cranks,
ratchets, and wheels, or other equivalent agents; by this arrangement
of machinery one or more coils may be delivered in a series of loops
through a tube or tubes in the plate P, into revolving cans or around
rods.
Claim the combination of parts by which the oscillating or revolving.
vibratory motion which distributes the sliver to be pressed in loops of
any form, from parallel lines to oblongs or circles, which may be desired,
by cranks, cams, excentrics, levers, or other contrivances substantially
the same in effect.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Lucas, Her special license that
I, the said Robert Lucas, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Robert Lucas, 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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY TO BE USED
IN THE PREPARATION OF COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR SPIN-
NING," being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Lucas, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Robert Lucas, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention of improved machinery, to be used in the preparation
of cotton and other fibrous materials for spinning, has for its object to
coil rovings into cans or around rods in such a manner that a greater
quantity of roving can be pressed into the cans or around the rods than
can be effected by the arrangements and machinery heretofore used for
that purpose.
This object has hitherto been sought to be effected by causing the
cans into which the rovings are delivered to rotate, in order that the
rovings may be regularly coiled therein in such a manner that they may
be compressed, so as to admit of a large quantity being placed therein.

page_text: In the improved machinery, for which I have obtained Letters Patent
as aforesaid, the cans may, if required; be made to rotate by means of
any convenient mechanism; and in addition to this motion of the cans,
and in some cases instead thereof, I communicate an oscillating in
vibratory or reciprocating motion to the delivering rollers and their
accessories, so as to cause the rovings to be coiled in the caus in
concentric coils or loops or in any other suitable manner, according to
the peculiar arrangement and construction of mechanism that may be
employed for actuating the various parts. In conjunction with these
amotions I adapt to the inside of the cans a contrivance, whereby the
rovings are, from the commencement of the operation of delivering into
the cans, subjected to a certain and constant amount of compression or
condensation, instead of the rovings being compressed only at certain
stages of the operation, as has heretofore been the case. Fig. 1, in the
accompanying Drawings represents a front elevation of a series of cans
constructed and arranged upon the improved plan; certain of the parts
being shewn in section in order more clearly to shew the construction
of the internal parts. Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same, as seen from
above; and Fig. 3, is another plan view, shewing the arrangement of
gearing, whereby the cans may be made to rotate on their centres.
a, a, a, a, are the cans, into which the rovings are delivered from the
feeding rollers b, b, b, b, which are mounted in bearings c, c, c, c, on the
plate d, d, d, d: This plate d, is mounted on the cranks e, e, one of
which is placed at each end of the plate. The crank e, at the left-hand
end of the apparatus, turns on a stud fixed on the stationary frame
plate f, and the crank e, at the right-hand end of the apparatus is fixed
on the upper end of the vertical shaft g, which turns in bearings in the
stationary frame plate f, and the foundation plate h. The shaft I, also
carries at its upper end a bevel toothed wheel i, which is driven by a
similar wheel j, on the end of the driving shaft k. The lower end of
the shaft g, carries a pinion 7, which drives the system of gearing m, m,
m, m, whereby rotatory motion is communicated to the cans a, a.
Instead of this simple motion, the cans may, if preferred, be fixed on a
plate, to which may be communicated a kind of circular reciprocating
motion by means of cranks, excentrics, or other equivalent mechanical
contrivances. Inside the cans a, a, there is a vertical rod n, with a foot o,

page_text: and a moveable disc p, through which the rod n, passes; this disc p,
is furnished with a spring clip, which embraces the rod, and the disc p;
will be thereby held thereon at any point until forced down by external
pressure, as when a quantity of rovings is being delivered from the
drawing or feeding rollers. It has been said, that the plate d, is
actuated by the cranks e, e; but in order to communicate motion to the
feeding rollers b, b, horizontal bevel wheels 9, 9, are mounted on the
upper ends of the crank pins, and drive the bevel pinions 1, 2, on
the ends of one of the shafts of the feeding rollers, as seen in
Fig. 1, and 2. By this means, as motion is not only communicated
to the cans, but also the feeding rollers b, b, the combined move-
ments may be so arranged as to deposit the rovings in coils or loops,
or in any other suitable manner, on the moveable disc or plate p,
which, being furnished with a spring at its centre, will be made to
descend on the rod n, as the rovings are coiled thereon. After a suffi-
cient quantity of roving has been coiled round the rod n, in the cansa,
the rod can be taken out and inverted into other cans or boxes. If
thought desirable, the usual cans may be dispensed with, and the rovings
may be merely coiled round the rod n, in the same manner as just
described; it will; however, then be necessary to employ a bell-shaped
mouth or short can, as shewn at A, Fig. 1. This bell-shaped can must
be furnished with a door, so that on opening the same the condensed
rovings surrounding the rod n, may be removed from the apparatus, just
as a full bobbin may be taken away from a roving or spinning frame.
A modification of the plan above described may be made by employing
compound cranks to actuate the plate d, and impart the necessary com-
pound motions to it; the cans or rods.n, with their discs p, in such an
arrangement being stationary. Another modification may be made by
communicating to the cans a, or rods n, the requisite compound motions;
the plate d, being made stationary instead of moveable. Instead of
actuating the cans or rods n, in the manner above mentioned, an undu-
lating swinging or rocking motion may be communicated to them by
mounting them on pivots, and actuating them by cranks, cams, or other
suitable mechanical contrivances.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated

page_text: to me by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, I would observe, in
conclusion, that although I have described the best means with which
I am at present acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I do
not mean or intend to confine myself rigidly thereto, as some of the
mechanical contrivances may perhaps be varied without departing from
the nature and object of the present improvements. I would further
remark, that I am aware that cotton and other yarns or rovings have
been coiled in cans in a regular manner by communicating to such
cans a rotary motion on their centres. I do not, therefore, intend to
claim any such contrivances as constituting part of the present Inven-
tion; but that which I consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent, is, the general arrangement of machinery or apparatus
herein shewn and described, or any mere modification thereof, whereby
rovings may be coiled or deposited in cans or around rods by means of
an oscillating or reciprocating motion communicated either to the
drawing or feeding rollers, as shewn, or to the cans a, or rods n, as
described.
I claim, particularly, the employment and application, for the pur-
poses herein set forth, of the moveable plate d, on which the drawing
or feeding rollers and their appendages are mounted.
And I also claim the method herein shewn and described, or any
mere modification thereof, for communicating motion to the several
parts.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Lucas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
ROBERT LUCAS. (L.S.)