AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPINNING FRAMES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Craven, of Idle, near Leeds, in the County
of York, Overlooker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPINNING
FRAMES."
Sealed the 30th July 1867, and dated the 5th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Craven at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
February 1867.
I, THOMAS CRAVEN, of Idle, near Leeds, in the County of York, Overlooker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
SPINNING FRAMES," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to prevent what is known as "double" in
the spinning of yarns. For this purpose in place of the ordinary semicircular
guard which is now secured to the top board so as to hang between two con-
tiguous spindles for the purpose of preventing the threads of the same from
uniting, but which does not effectually accomplish that result in consequence
of its formation, I use a guard secured and placed as before to the top board
having a heart formation, that is to say, the front and back edges sloping
rapidly towards the bottom of the guard, the front upper edge being formed
with a curve, and projecting slightly above the top board, which it may clip.
The result of this is that if the thread or yarn from a pair of front rollers
breaks off from its proper flyer, and has a tendency to run into the contiguous
flyer and thus form "double," the shape of the guard causes it to slope off

page_text: and break instead of catching the adjoining flyer, whether at the front or back
edge of the guard. An additional advantage gained by this shape of guard is
that after the thread or yarn is so cut off the waste it may make is simply
what is known "lap." I can also attain the same result by having the
guard of a triangular or wedge shape.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Craven in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
CRAVEN, of Idle, near Leeds, in the County of York, Overlooker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Craven, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Craven, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Craven, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN SPINNING FRAMES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Craven, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of 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 calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Craven, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to prevent what is known as "double" in
the spinning of yarns. For this purpose in place of the ordinary semicircular
guard which is now secured to the top board, so as to hang between two con-

page_text: tiguous spindles, for the purpose of preventing the threads of the same from
uniting, but which does not effectually accomplish that result in consequence of
its formation, I use in place thereof a guard secured and placed as before to
the top board, having a heart formation, that is to say, the front and back edges
sloping rapidly towards the bottom of the guard (which is narrow), the front
upper edge being formed with a curve, and projecting slightly above the top
board, which it may clip, or be nicked into, the better to prevent snarls. The
bottom portion or edge of the guard may also be pointed, rounded, or flat,
and the back edge may also be partially hollowed and rounded, or wholly
one or other when not in a straight line, the main and essential feature being
that the front edge shall (with the exception of the upper front edge, which,
as before described, may be formed with a curve,) be straight, and rapidly
falling towards the centre of the bottom portion, or if not quite straight of
such a slight curve or hollow as to effect in conjunction with its depth (which
I prefer to make about half as great again as is customary) the desired result,
as well as to allow freedom of access to the spindle by the "spinner." Another
purport of the increased depth of the guard is to more effectually divide the
currents of air created by the revolutions of any two contiguous spindles, and
thus cause the outer fibres of each thread or yarn to lay more closely to the
main bulk of such thread, and thus produce a "kinder" or more finished and
softer as well as stronger yarn. The result of this is that if the thread or
yarn from a pair of front rollers breaks off from its proper flyer, and has a
tendency to or actually should run into the contiguous flyer, and thus form
"double," the shape of the guard causes it to slope off and break, whether at
the front or back edge of the guard. An additional advantage gained by this
shape of guard is that after the thread or yarn is so cut off the waste it may
make is simply what is known as "lap." I can also attain the same result by
having the guard of a triangular or wedge shape, the front upper edge being
curved as before. A variety of shapes are shown in the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, similar letters denoting similar parts, that is to say :-
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a useful shape of guard baving a rounded upper front
edge a, a continued front edge b, and a curved back edge c, the lip d being an
ordinary turn-over ledge to secure the guard by means of screws to the top
board when fastened to it, although in some instances it may be deemed
advisable to secure it otherwise, its relative position to the spindles when in
work being as usual; Figure 2 shews a front edge 6 partially straight and
partially slightly hollowed, the bottom e flat, and the back edge c partially

page_text: hollowed and partially curved; Figure 3 has a rounded bottom part e with
straight sides b and c; Figure 4, a flat front edge b, a straight vertical back
-edge c, and flat bottom e; Figure 5 a heart formation of sides; Figure 6,
straight front and back edges b and c, and pointed bottom e; Figure 7 is a
slight modification of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a guard not so deep as the
previous ones, and with straight edges b and c and bottom e; Figure 9 is a
slight modification of Figure 5.
The shapes may of course be modified in various degrees, but in all the
projecting rounded upper edge and the rapid falling away of the front edge
(which is most important) will be perceived, together with the increased
depth of the guards in contradistinction to the shallow rounded guards in
general use, thus in a great measure, if not entirely, preventing snarls or bard
waste, and causing a superior yarn to be spun or produced.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Craven, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 27th day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
THOMAS CRAVEN.
(L.S.)