IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND DOUBLING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Enoch Hird, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Cotton Doubler, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF APPARATUS FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND DOUBLING COTTON OR OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 16th January 1880, and dated the 25th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Enoch Hird at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th August 1879.
ENOCH HIRD, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Doubler. " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND
DOUBLING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
To produce increased velocity in the revolution of a spindle and fly used in
spinning, twisting, or doubling cotton or other fibrous materials without increasing
the vibration and unsteadiness, and thereby obtain a greater production of yarn so
spun, twisted, or doubled than hitherto.
My object is attained as follows:-
I have two stationary rails, one for the top and thick part of the spindle to run
in, and the other as foot step rail for foot of spindle to run in. The spindle is
tubular at the top with a wharve on for. the thread to run down about two
inches, and then out at a side hole on to a flyer which laps the thread on to the
bobbin.
When doffin is required either with frame running or stopped I lift the thick
part of the spindle out of the top rail, and by that means the smaller part of the
spindle replaces it, and consequently gives a swing to the spindle so as to enable
the bobbin to slide off and an empty bobbin to be put on, and the spindle then is
allowed to drop into its place and resume running.
To accomplish the same object the wharve can be put at the bottom of a short
spindle, two or three inches in length, running in the foot step rail, as above
described, the upper part or main spindle to screw in and out of the centre of the
wharve instead of lifting up as above described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Enoch Hird in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th February
1880.
ENOCH HIRD, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Doubler. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND
DOUBLING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS.".
My Invention relates to that class of machinery known as spinning and doubling
frames, and is applicable to other machines used for the purpose of twisting (other
than mules), and consists in an improved method of constructing tubular spindles
with flyers attached, or in which equivalent means are employed, as for instance,
the rings used in ring frames as substitutes for the flyers held between two
stationary rails to secure the same more firmly, whereby the speed can be greatly
increased without increasing the vibration and unsteadiness, thereby obtaining a
greater production of yarn than hitherto.
I employ a spindle which is made tubular at the upper side, and which is of a
larger diameter than the lower portion of the spindle. At the side of the spindle
just above the flyer is a hole communicating with the tubular, part, down and
through which the yarn or thread requiring to be twisted is passed onto the flyer
which laps the yarn or thread onto the bobbin. The spindle is held in two
stationary rails, one at the top which is fitted with a bush or collar to fit the larger
or tubular part of the spindle, the other stationary rail is at the bottom, and is
fitted with a footstep for the spindle to run in. On the top or tubular part of the
spindle immediately above the top rail I fix a wharve or pulley which is driven by
a band from the tin cylinder. Between the two stationary rails is fixed on the
spindle immediately below the hole at the bottom of the tubular part the flyer,
which winds the yarn or thread on to the bobbin.
The bobbin rests or sits on the lifting rail and receives the up and down motion
in the ordinary way, the bobbin being left to rotate with the action of the yarn or
thread, the drag being formed in the ordinary way by bands round the bottom
flange of the bobbins or drag cloth on the lifting rail, and regulated in the ordinary
way. To enable the bobbins to be doffed or taken from the spindles and replaced
with others, I effect it in the following manner :-The bush or collar in the top rail
has two sizes in the diameter, the top side being the largest, the bottom side the
smallest; therefore when the large part of the spindle is lifted out of the bush or
collar, the small part of the spindle takes its place, which allows the spindle to
swivel on one side, so that the bobbin can be taken off and replaced with
another, after which the spindle is dropped into its true position for working when
it commences to revolve.
In order that my improved construction and arrangement of spindle may be used
with the greatest advantage when the operation of piecing has to be performed
when doubling yarn or thread, I attach to the front of the top stationary rail a
plate fitted with thumb screws, so that when the spindle is required to be stopped
the thumb screw is actuated against the wharve or pulley on the top of the spindle,
which of course stops the spindle but allows the driving band to remain running;
after the ends are pieced the thumb screw is released from the wharve or pulley,
when the spindle begins to rotate as usual.
If spinning is being performed the spindle is stopped in the same way, and is
started again in the same way, as soon as the attendant obtains the broken end on
the bobbin or cop and has passed it through the eye of the flyer or the traveller on
the ring, when the yarn is drawn up and put to the rollers, and united to the other
. end of the drawn roving coming from the rollers.
In order that my improved construction and arrangement of spindle may be
rendered efficient by being provided with proper means of lubrication, and so that

page_text: at the same time the oil from the top bush may not come in contact with the
yarn, I fix underneath and on the sides of the top rail a casing of suitable
material, the bottom side being convexed so as to allow any oil which flies off
the spindles or accumulates, and drops from the underside of collar and top rail
to run to the sides, which can be emptied when necessary by opening small taps
or other equivalents fitted into the casings for the purpose, as shewn. Where the
spindles pass through the casings the holes are made with raised sides to keep
the oil from running out, and oblong to enable the spindles to swivel side ways
for doffing purposes; to prevent oil dropping through these holes or run down
the spindles, I fix on the spindles discs immediately above the holes inside the
casings, so that the oil is guided and dripped into the casings.
The building of cops is effected by any ordinary copping motion applied to the
lifting rail.
In some cases I employ a modification of my improved construction and arrange-
ment of spindles, wherein I use instead of the ordinary flyers, well known
equivalents, being the rings and travellers used in ring frames; in such cases a
third stationary rail is fixed between the top and bottom rails before mentioned
for the purpose of carrying or supporting the bobbins, the rings being fixed on the
travelling rail.
In this case the wharve or pulley is fixed on the spindle above the top rail, as
before described, the upper part of the spindle being tubular, in fact in every way
the same, with the exception of the flyer. The yarn is passed down the tubular
part of the spindle and through the hole on the side of the spindle to the traveller
on the ring which performs the action of the flyer before described.
The spindles are stopped in the same way by the thumb screws fixed on the top
rail acting on the wharves or pullies on the top of the spindles.
To effect doffing the third stationary rail for supporting the bobbins is provided
with slots on one side from the centre hole to allow the spindles to swivel side-
ways; also, the travelling rail. The rings on the travelling rail are made in halves,
the back half is securely fixed to the travelling rail, the front half being loose and
fitted with two steady or guiding pins, one on each side of the slot in the travelling
rail, which drops into holes or slots prepared for them in the rail; therefore when
doffing is required the attendant lifts the front half of the ring off the rail, and lifts
the spindle up and swivels it on one side, as before described, when the bobbin can
be taken off the spindle and replaced with another, then drops the spindle down in
the footstep in the bottom rail, and places it in its true position for working, puts
the loose part of the ring in its place, when the spindle and traveller on the ring
commence to revolve.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying Drawings, reference being
made to the figures and letters marked thereon,
Figures 1 and 2 are intended to represent the front elevations of a throstle,.
spinning, or doubling frame to which my improvements are applied.
Fig. 3 is an end or side elevation of the same, shewing the two kinds of flyers or
twisters I employ in my improvements.
A is the bolster or top rail; B, the footstep rail; C, the lifting rail; Y, the third
stationary rail for supporting the bobbins when the ring and traveller substitute
the ordinary flyer, the lifting rail C being worked up and down in the ordinary
way; D are my improved tubular spindles; E, the rail and thumb screws for
stopping the spindles D when piecing is required.
It will be seen that to simplify the driving and dispense with the small tin
guiding drums, which are necessary if the main tin driving cylinders are kept in
the ordinary place, as in existing machines, I raise the tin cylinder F so that its
centre is in the centre of the wharves or pullies G on the spindles D, thereby
making the driving as simple as in the ordinary spinning, doubling, or throstle
frames.
Although I describe this mode and shew the same on the Drawings, I do not

page_text: confine myself, as other modes may be adopted to suit the requirements of the
various machines to which my improvements may be applied. H are the press
rollers; I, the creels; J, the water troughs; K, the driving pullies for the tin
cylinder.
Fig. 4 is a sketch of my improved spindle to a larger scale; D is the spindle, the
upper part of which is made tubular and provided with the hole a for the yarn or
thread to pass down and through after it is delivered from the rollers. Upon the
top side of the spindle D is fixed the wharve or pulley G, which is driven by the
bands V from the tin cylinders, or other equivalents. In the top rail A is fixed the
bolster or collar A, the upper side of which is made of a larger diameter than
the bottom side, to allow of the spindle swivelling side-ways to take the bobbins off
and replace them; when the top or largest part of the spindle b is lifted out of the
collar A² the smallest part of the spindle c is lifted into the part left by the largest
part of the spindle b, as shewn in Fig. 7, which having considerable play on account
of the difference in size allows the spindles to move side-way, which is necessary to
effect doffing.
It being evident that oil from the collar A² would come in contact with the yarn
by running down the spindle D, this I obviate by placing the casing L of suitable
material (preferably tinned iron) under the top rail A, the bottom side of the casing
being convexed, and as it is necessary for the hole e to be in the bottom of this
casing L for the spindle D to pass through to prevent the oil running down the
spindle D through the hole e, I fix on the spindle D the disc or dripper f, to drain
the oil inside the casing L, and the bottom being made convex, the oil will run to
the lowest level which is at the sides, and at such times as it is required to be
emptied; it can be done by simply opening the small taps S, or other equivalents,
fixed underneath for the purpose.
Upon the spindle D, below the tubular part, I fix an ordinary flyer M which
revolves with the spindle D and winds the yarn or thread onto the bobbin N,
which sits on and is supported by the travelling rail C, which is worked in the
ordinary way for bobbins, but may be fitted with any ordinary copping motion if
cops are required to be made.
The lifting rail C is provided with slots C₁, as shewn in Fig. 6, a little wider
than the diameter of the spindle D to allow of the swivelling action to facilitate
doffing; B is the footstep rail which is provided with the footstep T in which the
spindle D runs, and is supported by the same.
In order that piecing may be easily performed I fix to the top rail A a rail
and thumb screw E which actuates on the wharve or pulley G on the top of the
spindle D, and stops the same, the band by which it is driven from the tiu
cylinder, or other equivalents, still running while the spindle D is stopped. The
person in charge of the machine has both hands at liberty; with one hand he
puts a wire hook specially prepared down the tubular part of the spindle, with
the other band finds the broken end on the-bobbin, then laps it round the flyer
leg in the ordinary way, hooks it on the wire hook, which is then drawn up
quickly, when he has both ends in his hands and performs the necessary piecing,
which is the way it is performed when doubling. If the machine is a throstle
spinning, the spindles are stopped in the same way by the thumb screws, the
attendant or person in charge has both hands at liberty, with one hand he puts the
specially prepared wire hook down the tubular part of the spindle D, with the
other hand hooks the yarn on the wire hook, instantly draws it up, unscrews
the thumb screw E when the spindle commences to revolve, and then puts the
twisted.end to the drawn roving coming from the rollers.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of my improved spindles on a larger scale, shewing the
lifting rail and the two stationery rails, the letters marked thereon corresponding
with those on Figs. 1 to 4.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the lifting rail C shewing the slots C¹ in the same to facilitate
doffing, as before described.
Fig. 7 shews the position of the spindle when lifted out of the footstep rail B

page_text: and swivelled on one side to take the bobbin off; C is the lifting rail; C³ shews
the. lifting rail when at the top of the lift, which shews that the bobbins can be
taken off when in that position which is essential.
Fig. 8 is another kind of collar I use in my improvements, only the top side
having a bearing in the top part of the collar, its action is the same as in Figs. 4
and 7. In this Figure I do not shew the disc f on the spindle inside the oil casing,
which is not necessary for some kinds of doubling; in other respects the spindle
and flyer, &c., are the same as those before described.
Fig. 9 is a view of my improved spindle with another kind of bolster at the top
to give the requisite swivelling for doffing purposes. At the upper end of the
spindle D under the wharve or pulley G I fix on the spindle the bush R which
revolves with it, and works on the collar U which is held and supported on the
top rail A by the fixing W; this fixing has two sides with slots for receiving and
holding in position the collar U by the arms Z, through which the spindle revolves
while spinning or doubling; under the collar U I also screw or fix on the spindle D
the bush R', which also works into the collar U. The object of this arrangement is
to prevent the oil running down the spindles upon and round the collar. U is a
reservoir for oil in which the bush R works, thereby working the oil from the
reservoir to the spindle in the collar U, the bush R' underneath catching it and
retaining it still for lubricating purposes, working the oil back as required.
When dofling is required the arms Z on the collar U is. lifted out of the slots in
the fixing W into the round holes O, when the spindle will swivel, as shewn in
Fig. 10, when the bobbins can be either taken off or replaced at will. After fresh
bobbins are put on the spindles are again placed in a vertical position, the bottom
of the spindle falling in the footstep, and the arms Z in the slots in the fixing W.
The spindle is driven and stopped as before described. .
Fig. 10 shews the position of spindle in Fig. 9 when doffing is being performed.
Fig. 11 is a front elevation of Fig. 9.
Fig. 12 is a sectional view of my improved tubular spindles as applied to a ring
frame, the rings and travellers substituting the flyers. Y is the third stationery
rail between the top and bottom stationery ones, and which supports the bobbins.
The rings P are fixed in the travelling rail C upon which works the travellers S¹,
through which yarn passes from the hole a onto the bobbin N. The stationary
rail Y is provided with slots Con one side to allow the spindles to swivel for
doffing; the slots C¹ are also in the travelling rail for the same purpose.
The rings P on the travelling rail are in halves, the back half being fixed to the
travelling rail C, the front half being loose, so as to enable it to be lifted away for
the purpose of doffing; the underside of the front half of the rings P are provided
with pegs m which fit into holes or slots in the travelling rail prepared for them.
Fig. 13 is a front elevation of Fig. 12, two of the spindles shew the rings
complete, one shews the front half of the ring taken away for the purpose of
doffing.
Fig. 14 shews the position of spindle in Fig. 12 when doffing is being performed,
the front half of the ring being taken away for that purpose.
Fig. 15 is a plan of the travelling rail shewing the slots C, two of the rings are
complete as when the spindles are working, one is shewn with the front half of the
ring taken away for doffing purposes.
Fig. 16 is a plan of the third stationary rail Y with the slots C¹, for the purpose
of doffing as before described.
It is evident from the above that many advantages will accrue from this system,
such as:-Doffing without stoppage of machine or disturbing the flyers as under
the old system; greater steadiness in the motion of the spindle, and increase in the
speed which may be applied, and result in corresponding increase in production;
less power required to turn the spindle, being considerably less and lighter than
those in ordinary use.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described the mode of
performing the same, I wish to remark that I do not intend to limit myself to the

page_text: exact details given, as in some cases the same may be varied according to the
peculiar construction of the various machines to which it may be applicable, but
that what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent.is,-
First. The respective combination of parts forming the modifications of appa-
ratus wherein is used my improved construction and arrangement. of spindles, the
spindle being tubular and supported at the top and bottom in stationary rails,
and driven from a wharve or pulley fixed on the spindle above the top rail and
having means provided for stopping the spindle above the top rail, the whole
constructed and operating substantially in the manner described and as shewn on
the Drawings.
Second. The use in spinning and doubling machinery, as herein set forth, of a
tubular spindle with a collar that will allow the spindle to swivel side-ways when
lifted for the purpose of doffing without disturbing the flyer, constructed and
operating substantially in the manner described and as shewn on the Drawings.
Third. The combination of the collar and lubricating arrangement with my
improved construction and arrangement of spindles and swivelling apparatus,
substantially as described and as shewn on the annexed Drawings.
Fourth. The modification of my improved construction and arrangement of
spindles, wherein are used rings in ring frames with travelling rails for supporting
same, and the stationary rail for supporting the bobbins, provided with means for
facilitating doffing, substantially in the manner described and as shewn on the
Drawings.
Fifth. The construction and use of the various modifications of apparatus for
spinning or like operations, consisting of the respective arrangements of my
improved spindles, applied and operating substantially in the manner described
and as shewn in the Drawings in Figs. 1 to 16.
In witness whereof, I, the said Enoch Hird, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
30, Arrowsmith Terrace,
Bolton.
ENOCH HIRD. (L.S.)