AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEARING YARNS OR THREADS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Harwood, John Bolton Scholes, and Edward
Roocroft, all of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEARING YARNS OR
THREADS."
Sealed the 26th June 1877, and dated the 29th December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Harwood, John
Bolton Scholes, and Edward Roocroft at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 29th December 1876.
GEORGE HARWOOD, JOHN BOLTON SCHOLES, and EDWARD ROOCROFT, all of.
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS
FOR CLEARING YARNS OR THREADS."
This Invention is intended to be used as a substitute for the ordinary process
of "picking" yarns on the warping mill. Hitherto when each knot of the yarn
was laid on the warping mill the warper examined the ends or threads, and where-
ever he saw a bad end (with knots or other imperfections in it) he broke this part
of the thread away and joined in another piece of good yarn, tying each end of the
inserted piece by a knot to the corresponding piece of the warp thread, from which
the bad or imperfect part had been removed. This was necessarily a slow and
imperfect process, as many of the bad ends and imperfections were quite out of the
sight and reach of the warper, and each piece of thread introduced caused two knots
to be made.
Our Invention consists principally in providing a special apparatus or frame
for the purpose, whereby the yarn is picked and mended as it is being wound from
one set of spools over a dark surface on to another, and previous to either balling
or warping.
We prefer to make these frames double, with two sloping boards or surfaces
placed back to back and meeting (or nearly so) at the top. At or near the top of each
sloping board or surface we fix two or more rows of pegs or pins, on which the spools
of yarn to be "picked" and mended are placed loosely; and at or near the bottom
of each sloping board or surface we arrange a corresponding number of spindles, on
which are mounted the spools upon which the mended yarn is to be wound. These
spindles are caused to revolve slowly, so as to draw the threads off the spools above,
Drine i 1

page_text: and as the threads pass over the dark surface the attendant can see and repair all
faults with case and certainty. The threads pass to these latter spools through
glass guides fixed in a rail between the spools, which rail has a slow rising and
falling motion given to it, so as to guide or lay on the thread evenly from end to
end of the spool.
The mending is performed, not by the insertion of another short piece of yarn as
heretofore, but by simply breaking out the defective portion and joining the two
ends together, thus saving one half of the number of knots. This the attendant
is enabled to do by pulling an equivalent length of thread forward from the upper
spool, which is loose on its pin or peg.
The advantages derived from the use of this process and apparatus are,-
1. The process is much quicker, because the yarn needs no picking on the
warping mill, and is more economical; there is also a great saving of room, as those
frames require less room than warping inills.
2. The threads all pass over a dark ground within easy reach of the attendant's
eye and hand, and hence all imperfections can be seen and remedied.
3. Each "mend" only necessitates one knot instead of two.
4. Girls can be employed for this purpose, who receive lower wages and make
smaller knots than men do.
•
5. The process is not only more economical but the result is that a better and
more even yarn is produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said George Harwood, John Bolton Scholes, and Edward Roocroft in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th June 1877.
FE
GEORGE HARWOOD, JOHN BOLTON, SCHOLES, and EDWARD ROOCROFT, all of
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster. AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS
FOR CLEARING YARNS OR THREADS."
"
This Invention is intended to be used as a substitute for the ordinary process of
picking" yarns on the warping mill. Hitherto when each knot of the yarn was
laid on the warping mill the warper examined the ends or threads, and wherever
he saw a bad end (with knots or other imperfections in it) he broke this part of
the thread away and joined in another piece of good yarn, tying each end of the
inserted piece by a knot to the corresponding piece of the warp thread from which
the bad or imperfect part had been removed. This was necessarily a slow and
imperfect process, as many of the bad ends and imperfections were quite out of the
sight and reach of the warper, and each piece of thread introduced caused two knots
to be made.
Our Invention consists principally in providing a special apparatus or frame for
this purpose, whereby the yarn is picked and mended as it is being wound from one
set of spools over a dark surface on to another, and previous to either balling or
warping.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention, we will now proceed
to describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be clearly under-
stood we have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and
have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof :—
We prefer to make these frames double, with two sloping boards or surfaces
placed back to back and meeting (or nearly so) at the top, as shown in section at
Fig. 1, and in elevation at Fig. 2, in the annexed Drawing. At or near the top of
each sloping board or surface a, a, we fix two or more rows of pegs or pins, on
which the spools b, b, of yarn to be "picked and mended " are placed loosely; and

page_text: at or near the bottom of each sloping board or surface a, a, we arrange a corre-
sponding number of spindles c, c, on which are mounted the spools d, d, upon
which the yarn is to be wound. These spindles c, c, are caused to revolve slowly
by means of the tin roller and bands e, e, so as to draw the threads off the
spools b, b, above, and as the threads pass over the dark surface of the sloping
boards a, a, the attendant can see and repair all faults with ease and certainty
The threads pass to these latter spools through glass guides fixed in a rail f, f,
between the spools, which rail has a slow rising and falling motion given to it, so
as to guide or lay on the thread evenly from end to end of the spools d, d.
The mending is performed not by the insertion of another short piece of yarn, as
heretofore, but by simply breaking out the defective portion and joining the two
ends together, thus saving one half the number of knots. This tho attendant is
enabled to do by pulling an equivalent length of thread forward from the upper
spool b, b, which is loose on its pin or peg.
The advantages derived from the use of this process and apparatus are,
1. The process is much quicker, because the yarn needs no picking on the
warping mill, and more economical; there is also a great saving of room, as these
frames require less room than warping mills.
2. The threads all pass over a dark ground within easy reach of the attendant's
eye and hand, and hence all imperfections can be seen and remedied.
3. Each "mend" only necessitates one knot instead of two.
4. Girls can be employed for this purpose, who receive lower wages and make
smaller knots than men do.
5. The process is not only more economical but the result is that a better and
more even yarn is produced.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our Invention the
improved process of and apparatus for clearing yarns or threads, herein-before par-
ticularly described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Harwood (on behalf of myself and
the said John Bolton Scholes and Edward Roocroft), have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.