provements in the Manufacture of Variegated Yarns.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application. 4th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 24th Oct.. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in the Manufacture of Variegated Yarns.
A communication to me from PAUL SCHMIDT and ADOLF SCHMIDT, both of
Crimmitschau, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers.
1, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
For the production of variegated yarns, properly coloured threads are ordinarily
laid across in the carding machine and are then worked together with the rest of
the material in the machine. In this method of working however it is never
possible to retain the coloured threads as clean bands in the finished product as
they become distorted and disarranged and the different coloured threads become
mixed together.
In the present invention the method of arrangement is different to the above, and
it has the advantages that the similarly or differently coloured yarns or bands
which are placed across the main web or Hecce as it comes from the carding engine
(which may be of the usual kind in which the web is removed by a doffer from the
cylinder of the carding engine) at equal or different distances apart and with or
without interruptions, are no longer likely to become disarranged, so that a perfectly
clean effect is produced.
For this purpose the laying on of the coloured bands is effected in the space
which is available in the upper part of the carding engine, between the doffing
cylinder and the twisting apparatus.
pass
The coloured bands are placed either by hand or by mechanical devices across
the main fleece as it comes from the cylinder of the carding engine, and with
the latter through the different operations in the machine (that is to say, the
dividing engine by which the web is divided into separate bands or skeins, the
twisting machine by which the bands are twisted to form yarn, and the thread
guide over which they pass and are then rolled upon spools) being then in the form
of perfect variegated yarn.
If as mentioned the introduction of coloured bands is effected by hand, it is
nevertheless advisable to provide a mechanical arrangement such as is hereinafter
described.
Above the uncoloured web as it passes from the cylinder to the dividing rollers
in the usual way, a spindle is arranged at right angles to the moving yarns in the
space in the upper part of the machine. Round the circumference of this spindle
a helical right- and left-handed helical groove is formed which at the two ends of
the spindle are connected together by a suitable curve. Upon the spindle fits
freely a short cylinder the inside of which is provided with a pin or with a pro-
jection which fits into the helical groove described, the cylinder having also a
projecting piece above, which slides upon a fixed parallel bar or guide, so that
when the spindle is made to revolve the cylinder and the slide are made to move
backward and forward from end to end of the spindle by the movement of the pin
in the helical groove in the latter.
The slide carries bearings for a roller, above which is arranged a second roller
revolving freely and round which the coloured band or bands or slivers are wound.
This latter roller rests constantly upon the roller below and from it the coloured
bands are led down between two grooved rollers which turn in bearings in a recess
in the slide and are made to revolve by means of a bevilled toothed wheel upon one
of their axles which also turns by an endless cord the thread roller above.

page_text: The working of the apparatus described is as follows:-
The spindle with the helical grooves is made to revolve by means of a belt and
pullies from the carding engine and thereby the slide is moved forward. By means
of toothed wheels driven by the first named spindle a parallel shaft is also made to
revolve. This shaft turns in bearings in the side frames of the machine and upon
it is fitted freely a bevilled toothed wheel having a key which fits into a longitudinal
groove extending from end to end of the shaft. This bevilled wheel drives the one
already described upon the axle of the grooved roller and is kept in gear by means
of an arm or a fork attached to the slide and fitting a groove round the boss of the
driving bevilled wheel, so that as the slide travels backward and forward on the
helically grooved spindle the rollers are kept continually rotating in the same
direction.
The coloured bands or slivers which pass down from the grooved rollers fall into
a longitudinal trough or channel below the slide into which they are laid evenly by
the movement of the latter. When the slide reaches the left hand end of the
spindle the arm upon it which retains the bevilled wheel as described above comes
in contact with a lever turning upon a centre fixed to the frame and the lower
end of the lever which is forked and embraces a grooved collar upon a transverse
shaft below, presses the latter to the right and throws into gear a coupling fixed to
its other end with a similar coupling which is driven by a toothed wheel actuated
by one of the shafts of the machine which is constantly in motion. By the coupling
to this wheel as described the shaft is itself set in revolution and a projection upon
it comes in contact with the arm of one blade of a pair of shears between the blades
of which the coloured bands have been brought, and the blades therefore close and
sever them from the roller. A band or sliver therefore lies along the groove or
trough which is itself fixed upon the upper side of a shaft or axle turning in bearings
in the frame of the machine. This axle carries a toothed wheel which gears with
a corresponding toothed segment upon the axis of the last described shaft, such
gearing taking place just after the band has been severed. The toothed segment
is arranged to turn the toothed wheel, axle, and trough containing the band half
round, so that the opening of the trough is now below and the coloured band falls
from it for its full length upon the web beneath. The axle carries, diametrically
opposite to the inverted trough a second similar one which is therefore now in its
uppermost position and receives the coloured band during the return movement of
the slide. When the arm upon the slide has released the pivotted lever the latter
is brought back to its original position by a spring and brings with it the axle
sufficiently far to the left to bring the coupling out of gear so that the further
revolution of the trough axis ceases. By the pressure of a spring the shears are
again opened.
At the right hand end of the travel of the slide it comes in contact with a pro-
jection upon the same end as the sliding shaft, bringing the coupling again into
gear and causing the trough axle to make another semi-revolution in the way
already described. The closing of the shears is also again effected by the turning
of the pivotted blade by the pin as before. One of the blades is fixed on a pin
upon the machine whilst the other blade is opened and closed against the fixed one
in the way already described.
Instead of the arrangement described of the revolving troughs, the bands may be
brought between two rollers the circumferences of which are in contact. The
withdrawal of the band from the rollers on which it was originally wound is effected
by a short revolution of the rollers toward one another, so that the full length of
the band advances between the rollers to the fleece.
The revolution of the rollers is so arranged that the slide by means of a fork
partly embracing one of the rollers presses either at the right or at the left end of
the roller against a loose collar to which is attached a toothed wheel which is thus
put into gear with a corresponding wheel upon the continually revolving shaft which
drives the bevilled wheels as first described, and the rollers are caused to revolve
the coloured band or sliver being thus drawn between them from the roller upon

page_text: which it is wound as already described. On the return of the slide the wheels are
thrown out of gear by means of a spring.
In order that several bands may be laid upon the web it is only necessary to use
a greater number of coloured bands or slivers and of the revolving or moveable
troughs into which they are delivered and from which they are discharged.
Instead of the sliding apparatus described two bands may be used which are
wound on a roller, so that the separate coloured slivers at right angles to their
length but parallel with the rollers, are wound between the bands at suitable
distances from each other. After a roller has been thus prepared it is placed in
the space above the machine so that the direction of its axis is at right angles to
that of the web. The double band is then unwound between rollers so that the
coloured slivers are delivered in succession upon the main threads and are worked
up with the latter in the machine.
This 4th day of Mar 1891
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Variegated Yarns.
A communication to me from PAUL SCHMIDT and ADOLF SCHMIDT, both
of Crimmitschau, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers.
1, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying drawings, that is to say :—
For the production of variegated yarns, properly coloured threads or bands are
ordinarily laid across in the carding machine and are then worked together with
the rest of the material in the machine. In this method of working however it is
never possible to retain the coloured threads as even and clean bands in the
finished product, as they become distorted and disarranged and the different
coloured threads become mixed together.
In the present invention the method of arrangement is different to the above,
and it has the advantages that the similarly or differently coloured threads or
bands which are placed across the main web or fleece as it comes from the carding
engine (which may be of the usual kind in which the web is removed by a doffing
comb from the cylinder of the carding engine) at equal or different distances apart
and with or without interruptions, are no longer likely to become disarranged, so
that a perfectly clean effect is produced.
For this purpose the laying on of the coloured threads or bands is effected in
the space S (in the accompanying drawings which are in illustration of the
invention) which is available in the upper part of the carding engine, between the
doffing cylinder and the fleece dividing apparatus or rollers.
The coloured bands or slivers may be laid in the space either across or in the
In the latter case, a simple yarn
same direction with the main web or fleece.
similar to twisting yarn is produced, the coloured bands being laid continually
upon the web. In the former case yarns with coloured parts of any number,
length, and distances apart, are produced, the variegated yarns having coloured
parts or threads with interrupted spaces between.
The coloured bands are placed either by hand or by mechanical devices across
the main fleece as it comes from the cylinder of the carding engine and pass with
the latter through the different operations of the machine (that is to say, the
dividing engine by which the web is divided into separate bands or skeins, the
twisting machine by which the bands are twisted to form yarn, and the thread

page_text: guide over which they pass and are then rolled upon spools) being then in the form
of perfect variegated yarn.
If, as mentioned, the introduction of coloured bands is effected by hand, it is
nevertheless advisable to provide a mechanical arrangement such as is hereinafter
described.
Above the uncoloured fleece or web as it passes from the doffing cylinder to the
dividing apparatus in the usual way, a spindle a (Figure 2) is arranged at right
angles to the direction of movement of the web, in the space S in the upper part
of the machine. Round the circumference of this spindle a right-and-left-handed
helical groove is formed which at the two ends of the spindle are connected
together by a suitable curve. Upon the spindle fits freely a short cylinder b the
inside of which is provided with a pin or with a projection which fits into the
helical groove described the cylinder having also a projecting piece or slide d
above, which slides upon a fixed parallel bar or guide c so that when the spindle
is made to revolve the cylinder and the slide are made to move backward and
forward from end to end of the spindle by the movement of the pin in the helical
groove in the latter.
The slide d carries bearings for a roller e, above which is arranged a second
roller e' revolving freely and round which the coloured thread or band or bands or
slivers are wound. This latter roller rests constantly upon the roller e below, and
from it the coloured threads or bands are led down between two grooved rollers f,f,
(Figure 7) which turn in bearings in a recess in the slide d and are made to revolve
by means of bevilled toothed wheels g, g', which also turn by an endless cord the
roller e above, (Figure 7).
The working of the apparatus described is as follows:-The spindle a with the
helical grooves is made to revolve by means of a belt and pullies from the
carding engine, and thereby the slide apparatus is moved forward. By means of
toothed wheels i, i, driven by the first named spindle a parallel shaft k is also
made to revolve. This shaft turns in bearings in the side frames of the machine
and upon it is fitted freely a bevilled toothed wheel g having a key which fits into
a longitudinal groove extending from end to end of the shaft (Figures 4 and 7).
This bevilled wheel drives the one already described upon the axle of the grooved
roller and is kept in gear by means of an arm or a fork attached to the slide
and fitting a groove round the boss of the driving bevilled wheel g, so that as the
slide & travels backward and forward on the helically grooved spindle a the
rollers, are kept continually rotating in the same direction.
In Figure 5 this arrangement is omitted, for want of space.
The coloured bands or slivers which pass down from the grooved rollers f, f, fall
into a longitudinal trough or channel m (as shewn in Figures 45 and 9) below the
slide, into which they are laid evenly by the movement of the latter.
When the slide reaches the left hand end of the spindle a, the arm / upon it
comes in contact with a lever n turning upon a centre n¹ (Figure 9) fixed to the
frame and the lower end of the lever which is forked and embraces a grooved
collar upon a transverse shaft o below, presses the latter to the right and throws
into gear a coupling p fixed to its other end with a similar coupling p¹ which is
driven by a toothed wheel q actuated by a toothed wheel q' upon one of the
shafts of the machine which is constantly in motion, (Figures 5 and 6). By the
coupling to this wheel q as described the shaft o is itself set in revolution and a
projections upon it comes in contact with the arm of one blade s of a pair of
shears, between the blades of which the coloured bands or threads have been
brought (Figure 9), and the blades therefore close and sever them from the
roller e¹.
A band or sliver therefore lies along the groove or trough m which is itself
fixed
upon the
upper side of a shaft or axle m turning in bearings in the frame of
the machine. This axle carries a toothed wheel which gears with a corresponding
toothed segment upon the axis of the shaft o, such gearing taking place just
after the band has been severed. The toothed segment is arranged to turn the

page_text: toothed wheel, axle m', and trough m containing the band, half round, so that
the opening of the trough is now below and the coloured band or sliver falls from
it for its full length upon the fleece or web beneath. The axle m carries,
diametrically opposite to the inverted trough, a second similar one which is there-
fore now in its uppermost position and receives the coloured band during the
return movement of the slide. When the arm upon the slide has released the
pivotted lever n, the latter is brought back to its original position by a spring and
brings with it the axle o sufficiently far to the left to bring the coupling p, pl, out
of gear so that the further revolution of the trough axis m² ceases. By the
pressure of a spring the shears are again opened.
At the right hand end of the travel of the slide it comes in contact with a
projection upon the same end as the sliding shaft o, bringing the coupling p, p',
again into gear and causing the trough axle m¹ to make another revolution in the
way already described. The closing of the shears is again also effected by the
turning of the pivotted blade by the pin s as before. One of the blades
(Figure 12) is fixed on a pin upon the machine whilst the other blade is opened
and closed against the fixed one in the way already described.
Instead of the arrangement described of the revolving troughs, the bands or
slivers may be brought between two rollers t, t', the circumferences of which are
in contact. The withdrawal of the band from the roller e¹ on which it was
originally wound is effected by a short revolution of the rollers toward one another
so that the full length of the band advances between the rollers to the fleece.
The revolution of the rollers is so arranged (as shewn in Figures 7, 13, and 14)
that the slide by means of a fork u partly embracing one of the rollers & presses
either at the right or at the left end of the roller against a loose collar » to which
is attached a toothed wheel which is thus put into gear with a corresponding
wheel, upon the continually revolving shaft k which drives the bevilled wheels as
first described, and the rollers t, and t¹ are caused to revolve, the coloured band or
sliver being thus drawn between them from the roller e¹ upon which it is wound as
already described. On the return of the slide the wheel v¹ is thrown out of gear
with the wheel 2 by means of a spring w.
In order that several bands or slivers may be laid upon the web it is only
necessary to use a greater number of them and of the revolving or moveable
troughs m into which they are delivered and from which they are discharged.
Instead of the sliding apparatus described two bands may be used which are
wound on a roller, so that the separate coloured slivers at right angles to their
length but parallel with the rollers, are wound between the bands at suitable
distances from each other. After a roller has been thus prepared it is placed in
the space S, (Figure 1) above the machine so that the direction of its axis is at
right angles to that of the web.
The double band is then unwound between rollers so that the coloured slivers
are delivered in succession upon the main threads and are worked up with the
latter in the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. For the production of variegated yarns, the method of laying coloured bands
between the doffing comb of the carding engine and the dividing apparatus or
rollers upon the main web or fleece, so that they are afterwards worked up together
with the latter, substantially as described and shewn.
2. For laying on the coloured bands or threads, as described, the arrangement,
in the space between the doffing comb and the dividing apparatus or rollers, of a
spindle or cylinder a, having two helical grooves round its periphery in opposite
directions, in combination with a slide b, d, which is made to travel backward and
forward by the revolution of the spindle, and draws the coloured band from a
roller e¹ by grooved rollers f, f, and lays it lengthways in a groove or trough m or

page_text: between rollers, t, the coloured band being cut by shears at each end of the
stroke of the slide upon the spindle a and deposited upon the main web or fleece
below, substantially as described and shewn.
3. The method of holding the coloured bands between two bands wound upon a
roller, at a suitable distance from each other, the roller being arranged in the
space already described in the carding engine, across the main web or fleece and
the sets of coloured bands falling in succession upon the latter as the bands are
unwound, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of September 1891.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.