CERTAIN IMPROVE. MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COTTON AND OTHER BALLS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Dunseith McKellen, of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE.
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF COTTON AND OTHER BALLS."
Sealed the 28th July 1868, and dated the 5th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Dunseith
McKellen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th February 1868.
I, ROBERT DUNSEITH MCKELLEN, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF COTTON AND OTHER BALLS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to self-acting apparatus to be employed in the
manufacture of cotton or other similar balls, and is designed, first, to
facilitate the process of winding by self-acting means during the
formation of the ball instead of actuating the same by hand; secondly,
in placing or fixing the ticket, in the orifice of the ball by self-acting
means; and, lastly, in securing the end of the material being wound

page_text: when the ball is completed, and "doffing" or removing the ball from
the cap of the spindle also by self-acting means.
The first part of my improvements consists in arranging in an inclined
frame one or more spindles, cach supplied with a cap or detachable
tube, which tubes are driven in the ordinary manner by differential
speed pulleys, and above. these fixed revolving inclined spindles an
oscillating frame is arranged, in which the flyers, tubes, and driving
pulley are supported in a suitable position to deliver the yarn in a
diagonal direction upon the cotton or other ball under formation; this
differential oscillating motion is given to the flyer by means of conical
speed pulleys and cam, which in their action impart the variable throw
or oscillation necessary in the formation of the ball.
"
After the commencement of winding and as the ball begins to form
a ticket or label is to be placed or inserted in the end thereof, for
which purpose I employ the second part of my improvements, which
consists in the use of a sliding tube arranged in the framing beneath
the cap of cach spindle, in which tube a number of tickets are placed,
and after the commencement of the formation of the ball on the cap
this sliding tube is raised into a position at the head of the cap, and
a ticket is withdrawn from the tube by the suction of a revolving
fan or equivalent, the spindles being tubular to admit of such suction.
Simultaneously with the rising of the sliding ticket holder a sliding
"stop" in the flyer. frame protrudes and prevents the revolution of the
flyer and delivery of yarn whilst the ticket is being placed, after which
the stop and ticket slide arc withdrawn and the winding-on continues,
and henceforward the speed may be increased to produce a finer or
closer web. When a given and sufficient length of yarn has been
wound on to complete the ball a lever in connection with a disc which
makes one revolution during the formation of one ball is caused by
the action of the disc to bring a cam into operation, which raises or
lifts a rail supplied with a number of caps that embrace or encircle
the spindle caps beneath the finished ball, the rising or lifting action
of which removes the balls from the taper ends of the caps into a
receptacle placed to receive them. During this operation the "stop"
preventing the revolution of the flyer is again brought into action,
and a finger actuated by a cam and connecting rod is laid upon the
ball in time to allow the last fold of yarn or thread to enclose the
finger, and as the ball is lifted or removed a small projection on the

page_text: end of the finger draws the end of the thread under the last fold,
thereby securing the end, and simultaneously the continuous thread is
brought into contact with a knife or cutter on the finger, which severs
the thread of the complete ball from the continuous thread, which is
instantly caught by the revolving spindle, and the operation of winding
is again commenced with the withdrawal of the "flyer stop" immediately
the removal of the finished ball is effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Dunseith M Kellen in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
DUNSEITH M'KELLEN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, 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-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Dunseith McKellen, Her special
license, that I, the said Robert Dunseith M°Kellen, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Dunseith
McKellen, 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
CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF COTTON AND OTHER BALLS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Robert Dunseith McKellen, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Dunseith M°Kellen, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is
to say):-
My Invention relates to self-acting apparatus to be employed in the
manufacture of cotton or other similar balls, and is designed, first,
to facilitate the process of winding by self-acting means during the
formation of the ball instead of actuating the same by hand; secondly,
in placing or fixing the ticket in the orifice of the ball by self-acting
means; and, lastly, in securing the end of the material, being wound
when the ball is completed, and "doffing" or removing the ball from
the cap of the spindle also by self-acting means.
The first part of my improvements consist in securing in an inclined
frame or rails one or more spindles, each supplied with a cap or
detachable tube, which tubes are driven in the ordinary manner by
differential speed pulleys, and above these fixed inclined spindles an
oscillatory frame is arranged in which the flyers, tubes, driving pulleys,
and wharves are supported in a suitable position to deliver the yarn in
a diagonal direction upon the cotton or other ball under formation,
this differential oscillatory motion is given to the flyer by means of
conical speed pulleys and cam which in their action impart the variable
throw or oscillation necessary in formation of the ball.
After the commencement of winding, and as the ball begins to form
a ticket or label is to be placed or inserted in the end thereof, for which.
purpose I employ the second part of my improvements, which consist
in the use of a sliding tube arranged in the framing beneath the cap
of each spindle, in which tube a number of tickets are placed, and after
the commencement of the formation of the ball on the cap this sliding
tube is raised into a position at the head of the cap, and a ticket is with-
drawn from the tube by the suction of a revolving fan or equivalent,
the spindles being tubular to admit of such suction. Simultaneously
with the rising of the sliding ticket holder a sliding stop in the "flyer:
frame" protrudes and prevents the revolution of the flyer and delivery
of yarn whilst the ticket is being placed, after which the stop and
ticket slide are withdrawn, and the "winding on continuous, and hence-
forward the speed may be increased to produce a finer or closer web.
When a given and sufficient length of yarn has been wound on to.

page_text: complete the ball a lever in connection with disc and sector which
makes one revolution during the formation of one ball is caused by the
action of the disc to bring a cam into operation which raises or lifts a
rail supplied with a number of cups that embrace or encircle the spindle.
caps beneath the finished ball, the rising or lifting action of which.
removes the ball, from the taper ends of the caps into a receptacle
placed to receive them. During this operation the "stop" preventing
the revolution of the flyer is again brought into action, and a finger
actuated by a cam and connecting rod is laid upon the ball in time to
allow the last fold of yarn or thread to enclose the finger, and as the.
ball is lifted or removed a small projection on the end of the finger draws
the end of the thread under the last fold, thereby securing the end, and
simultaneously the continuous thread is brought into contact with a
knife or cutter on the finger, which severs the thread of the complete
ball from the continuous thread which is instantly caught by the
revolving spindle, and the operation of winding is again commenced
with the withdrawal of the "flyer stop immediately the removal
of the finished ball is effected..
"
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained
in detail I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made upon a
scale of about two inches to the foot, similar letters of reference being
marked upon corresponding parts on all the Figures alike.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the improved self-acting balling
machines; Fig. 2 represents a transverse sectional clevation of the
same taken through the line A, B, in which the hollow cap and spindle
are shewn in section and the flyer in the position it would assume
when the ticket is being placed in the orifice of the ball; Fig. 3
represents a vertical section taken through the line C, D, showing the
arrangement of cam for actuating the flyer rail; Fig. 4 represents an
end elevation of the machine; Fig. 5 represents a detached view of
the cam and levers employed for actuating the break; Fig. 6 represents
an enlarged section, and Fig. 7 a front view of the mechanism employed
for effecting the final operations of securing the thread, severing it from
the continuous thread of the supply bobbins, and doffing of the ball
from the hollow cap.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, a, a, is the framing of the machine,
to which is secured the longitudinal rails b, b, supporting the hollow
spindles c, c, in a diagonal position; these spindles are each supplied

page_text: with the hollow cap d, upon which the balls of cotton are formed, the
spindles being driven at a variable speed during the formation of the
ball by means of the gearing e, e, and clutch c', attached to the shaft e
the change of speed being employed for the following purpose:-When
first the formation of the ball is commenced the gearing or double
speed pulleys e, e, are employed which impart a double or maximum
speed to the spindles, after which the speed of the spindles are reduced
to a slower or comparatively slow speed by reason of the clutch e
transferring the driving of such spindles from the pulleys and gearing e
to the pulleys e³, thereby producing a finer and firmer web up to the
completion of the ball. The flyers g, g, are driven by the wharves g
through the medium of the pulley and guides i secured and revolving
with the back shaft k. These flyers form the oblique or diagonal position
of their revolving guides through which the cotton thread passes from
the suspended bobbins 1, 2, on to the cap of the inclined spindle, giving
thereby the necessary formation to the balls. The said flyers arc
supported by the levers and rail m, m, the fulcra of which are situated
and attached to the framing at the points m', m³. These levers during
the formation of the cotton balls are caused to vibrate by reason of their
connection through the medium of the connecting rod n with the
cam n; the motion thus imparted to the rail necessarily gives an
oscillatory motion to the flyer guides 9, 9, the oscillation or throw of
which may be increased or diminished by the adjusting of the rod on
the lever forming the coupling or connection between the levers
actuated by the cam n' and levers m. This oscillatory motion gives
to the flyers the necessary direction to the cotton during winding that
forms a spherical ball. In order that the ball during formation shall
be labelled or receive a ticket upon which a trade mark, number, or
other device is inscribed, tubes or recesses o, o, are mounted in the
rail o, one tube to cach spindle; this rail o' supports the ticket
holders in a position corresponding with the incline of the spindles,
the ends of the rails being caused to rest in the diagonal slides
formed in the brackets p secured to the framing a; this rail is retained
in its highest position so as to be clear of the flyers g, g, by means of
the weight during the time the ball is first under the operation of
formation, that is, when the spindles are actuated by the maximum or
double speed; during this time and immediately before the slow or single
speed comes into operation the cam actuating the rail supporting the
ticket holders suddenly lowers such holders, so as to bring the lowest

page_text: or bottom ticket contained in cach holder into contact and over the
orifice or hole in the cap of the spindles on which the ball is under
formation; simultaneous with this operation the surface cam 8 throws
the gearing and pulley driving the spindles out of gear, their immediate
stoppage being effected by means of the break 8', which is actuated by
the revolving recessed disc 2 through the medium of the levers ; at
this time the sliding rod t supplied with stops or fingers, one to each
spindle, is moved forward by the surface cam s and bar and fork g
into contact with the revolving flyers, by which means the flyers are
retained in their lowest position (as seen in Fig. 2) during the temporary
stoppage of the spindles, and whilst the tickets are being placed over
the orifice in the embryo balls immediately the ticket is in its position,
and before the ticket holders assume their highest position out of the way
of the revolving flyers, a valve in connection with a vacuum chamber is
opened that acts upon the bottom tickets of the holders simultaneously
in such a manner as to attach them by suction one to each orifice of
the balls; during this temporary stoppage of the spindles which derives
their motion from the shaft T through the medium of the clutch 2 and
before-mentioned gearing the cams are slowly revolving and performing
their duty by reason of the cam shaft v, which is constantly and
regularly driven by the shaft T through the worm, worm wheel, and
gearing ; thus immediately the tickets are placed in the orifice of
the balls the recess of the cam giving motion to their various levers
allows the spring a to pull or force back such gear, the mechanism
giving motion to the various parts, thereby resuming the action of the
machine, at which time the single-speed motion is brought into operation,
which gives a reduced speed to the spindles, thereby at once firmly
securing the tickets by embracing them with the accumulated folds of
threads, and also producing a finer web or formation to the ball that
makes them firmer and of better appearance when finished. So soon
as the ball is complete the final process of securing the end, severing
its connection from the continuous thread, and doffing it from the cap
come into operation. The mechanism for effecting these motions aro
seen more clearly in Fig. 6, in which the diagonal spindle, flyer, and
cam are shewn enlarged and in their relative positions with respect to
the mechanism employed to finish the ball, the operation of which may
be thus described:-The continually revolving. "driving" and "cam
shafts so soon as the ball is complete cause the various portions of

page_text: the mechanism actuated by the cams to come into operation and effect
the temporary stoppage of the spindles and other attendent changes as
before described, also the motion actuating the ticket holders. During
the second stoppage of the spindles the "sectors" w revolving with
and actuated by the cam shaft comes into gear with the wheels x
actuating the small cam shafts y; the cams on these shafts during
their revolution forces forward through the medium of the levers and
steel bands & the catch fingers or needles a' connected to the lever b³,
and causes them to rest upon the finished balls, during which time
the ratchet wheel a², Figs. 2 and 3, on the back pulley shaft actuating
the flyers, which being at this time freed from the stops, is caused
partially to revolve by reason of the action of the cam a³ and levers
and pawl a; this said motion of the back pulley shaft gives two
revolutions to the flyers, which carries the thread twice round the catch
fingers during the time they remain on the balls, thereby embracing
the same with the balls; at this time the under thread is taken hold
of by the nippers c actuated by the cam c³, and carried forward so as
to come before and be caught by the eye or hook of the needle, so
that when the needle is caused still further to advance it separates
one fold of the thread from the other by firmly retaining the samic,
after which it partially recedes so as to clear the ball, and by its
peculiar formation, seen in Fig. 7, carrics the thread so caught and
passes it under the fold of thread remaining on the needle.
severing and doffing now come into operation, and are accomplished
by means of the "doffing cup", to which the knife or scissors 5
are secured, and which is now caused to rise upon the spindles by the
combined action of the cam d³ and lever 4, so as to cut or sever the
continuous thread between the points of detention, (i.c.) the eyes of
the needles and the balls; so soon as this severance is effected the
catch fingers and nippers are fulley withdrawn, and the "doffing cup
is caused still further to rise and force the finished balls into a receptacle
placed to receive them; the nippers still retaining the ends of the con-
tinuous threads are now actuated by the recess in the cam c to fall
back to the first or original position, so as to clear the flyers, imme-
diately upon the accomplishment of which the cam motions bring the
various parts of the machine into operation, so that the ends of the
continuous threads held by the nippers are at once taken up, and
the recommencent and formation of a new set of balls again began.
The
"

page_text: Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together
with the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it
to be distinctly understood that I claim, the novel arrangement,
adaptation, employment, and use of the various portions of mechanism
described and set forth, or any slight modification or equivalent thereof,
whereby the combination of the same will produce a spherical cotton
or other ball of the ordinary description by self-acting means, as herein-
before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings
attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Dunseith M°Kellen, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
ROBERT DUNSEITH M°KELLEN. (L.S.)
Witnessed by
JOHN HUGHES,
Clerk to John Davies & Son,
Office for Patents,
Manchester.