IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND SPINNING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wild and Joseph Wild, of Dalton, near
Huddersfield, in the County of York, Manufacturers, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND SPINNING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 23rd September 1864, and dated the 24th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wild and Joseph
Wild at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 24th March 1864.
We, JAMES WILD and JOSEPH WILD, of Dalton, near Huddersfield, in the
County of York, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND SPINNING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object, firstly, to obtain slivers, rovings, or threads
of wool or other fibrous substances equal in quantity or weight to each other,
or as near so as possible, and to effect this we employ a series of circular
knives or shears, which we apply in conjunction with or betwixt the doffer and
the rubbers of the condenser carding engine, to cut and separate into strips or
slivers the sheet or film of wool or other fibres as the same is produced.

page_text: These knives are mounted upon shafts in such manner as to be capable of
adjustment to the desired. distance apart to cut the strips in equal widths, or
so that when they are rubbed into rovings or threads they may be of equal
weights to equal lengths..
The second part of this Invention has for its object to obtain single spun
threads or yarns of more uniform thickness than heretofore, and also to
produce single yarns of two or more colors; for this purpose we combine two
or more slivers, rovings, or threads of the fibres in the drawing and spinning
process, or by combining two or more cardings or slubbings in the slubbing
process. By this means we can obtain yarns of uniform thickness, and also of
two or more colors, without the necessity of doubling or twisting together two
or more single spun yarns.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Wild and Joseph Wild in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
WILD and JOSEPH WILD, of Dalton, near Huddersfield, in the County of
York, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said James Wild and Joseph Wild, Her special licence that we, the
said James Wild and Joseph Wild, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said James Wild and Joseph Wild, 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 Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND SPINNING
WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said James Wild and Joseph Wild, our executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our
or their hands and seals, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Wild and Joseph Wild, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its object, firstly, to obtain slivers, rovings, or threads
of wool or other fibrous substances equal in quantity or weight to each other,
or as near so as possible, and to effect this we employ a series of circular
knives or shears, which we apply in conjunction with or betwixt the doffer and
the rubbers of the condenser carding engine, to cut and separate into strips or
slivers the sheet or film of wool or other fibres as the same is produced.
These knives are mounted upon shafts in such manner as to be capable of
adjustment to the desired distance apart to cut the strips in equal widths, or
so that when they ar rubbed into rovings or threads they may be of equal
weights to equal lengths.
The second part of this Invention has for its object to obtain single spun
threads or yarns of more uniform thickness than heretofore, and also to
produce single yarns of two or more colors; for this purpose we combine two
or more slivers, rovings, or threads of the fibres in the drawing and spiuning
process, or by combining two or more cardings or slubbings in the slubbing
process. By this means we can obtain yarns of uniform thickness, and also of
two or more colors, without the necessity of doubling or twisting together two
or more single spun yarns.
In order that the nature of this our said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is performed or carried into practical operation, may be fully under-
stood, we will now describe the construction of the circular knives or shears,
and their application and operation in carrying out the first part of the
Invention:
The said knives are circular discs of steel, bored out to fit concentrically
upon suitable spindles or shafts. The edges are thin, and tempered so as to
be brought up to a fine cutting edge, and they are all made of equal thickness
at the boss parts, so that by having washers or rings of equal thickness
to place betwixt the said discs, they may be set at equal distances apart.
And by having washers or rings in sets of different thicknesses any desirable
width between or distance apart of the knives may be provided. A feather is
placed longitudinally on each shaft with recesses in the discs, and rings fitting
thereto prevents them turning on the shafts, and by means of nuts and screws
at each end of the said shafts the discs and rings are all bound firmly together.

page_text: The discs are formed flat or slightly concave on one side, and placed to the
same hand when fixed on the shaft, so by placing two shafts in reverse
positions, or the concave sides of the discs on each shaft brought together, they
form in pairs with their edges in close contact. A pair of these shafts are
applied to the carding engine betwixt the doffer and the rubbing belt in
suitable bearings, and are placed so that fibre as doffed from the carder
swift will pass betwixt the said shafts in a film, which by giving rotary motion
to the shafts in proper direction the knives will cut the said film of fibre into
strips of equal widths, which then pass under the rubbers as usual, "and are
rubbed into rovings or threads of equal thickness and weights, according to
the gauge or distance apart at which the knives are set.
The second part of our Invention will be readily understood by all practical
spinners from the following explanations :-
It is well known that slivers and rovings are thinner or smaller in some
places than others, which continues so through the various processes of drawing
and spinning, but by passing two or more such slivers or rovings through the
sliver or roving folding machine together, the thin part of one is most likely to
be alongside a thick part of another, and the result will be to equalize the
thickness of the yarn when spun. This principle of combining two or more
slivers or rovings may be applied also in the slubbing process by passing two
or more cardings or slubbings through together. And it will be evident that
by this means "polish" or twisted effects and mixture or partly coloured yarns
may be produced in single threads without the necessity of first spinning the
several colours of yarns separately, and afterwards doubling or twisting two or
more single yarns of different colors together to produce the desired effect,
which is a great saving in the costs of production. We either fold or wind
the rovings from two or more ordinary condenser bobbins on to one bobbiu,
and then transfer it to the mule to spin from in the usual manner, or
we make provision on the mule by additional bearings and friction drums
for placing two or more bobbins thereon instead of one as at present.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of the manner in
which this Invention is performed or carried into practice, we would have it
distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details as
herein set forth, as various modifications may be made therein; but what we
claim as of our Invention and believe to be new is,―
Firstly, the method of cutting and dividing the film of fibre into strips as it
is doffed from the condenser carding engine by means of circular knives or
shears.
Secondly, the method or means herein described of producing single yarns

page_text: either of one, two, or more colours, without the necessity of first spinning
the thread small, and then afterwards twisting them together as now
practised.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wild, for and on behalf of myself
and the said Joseph Wild, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named James Wild in the
presence of
W*. TASKER,
JAMES WILD. (LS.)
Patent Agent,
Halifax.