IMPROVEMENTS IN. APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX, Tow, WOOL, AND OTHER. SIMILAR FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton White-
head, both of the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, & Co., of Leeds,.
in the County of York, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN.
APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX, Tow, WOOL, AND OTHER.
SIMILAR FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
-Sealed the 19th July 1870, and dated the 16th February 1870..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Whitehead:
and Henry Walton Whitehead at, the Office of the Commissioners..
of Patents with their Petition, on the 16th February 1870.
We, THOMAS WHITEHEAD, and HENRY WALTON, WHITEHEAD, both
of the Firm. of Taylor, Wordsworth, & Co., of Leeds, in the County of.
York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-.
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX, Tow, WOOL, AND
OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate, first, to means in which the simultaneous
drawing and twisting or spinning of the fibre is effected. For this
purpose the fibre under operation passes down from the feed rollers to

page_text: between a pair of fluted rollers, the flutes or grooves of one roller being
formed to correspond and work with or into those of the other roller.
These rollers are supported in a revolving frame, in which, whilst the
rollers are capable of revolving on their own axes, they are also caused
to rotate in a direction at right angles thereto, so as at the same time to
effect a drawing and a twisting of the fibre under operation. These
revolving frames are supported to revolve in suitable bearings, and
are each at the part where they support this pair of drawing and
twisting rollers carried up in a cup or other suitable form to surround
those rollers, and thereby protect the attendant. Rotary motion is
obtained to these revolving frames by bands from the cylinder, or from
pulleys acting on warves formed on or applied to them or otherwise, and
motion on their own axes is obtained to the rollers carried by these
revolving_frames_by_inclined teeth formed on or applied to the axis of
one of cach pair taking into a scroll or scrolls, or other teeth on the
inside of a hinged picce acting as a cover to the cup or upper portion of
cach revolving frame, and this roller by its grooved or fluted surface
taking into the grooves or flutes of the other gives motion thereto.
"We find it important to preserve a considerable distance between the
feed rollers and these drawing and twisting rollers, and a distance of
about 30 inches answers the purpose well, though we do not confine
ourselves to that distance. The fibre passes to the drawing and twisting
rollers through a hole in the hinged piece or cover, and from the
drawing and twisting rollers it passes down through a very short tubular
portion of the revolving frame of, say, about one inch in length to the
cap or flyer or other conductor to a bobbin or spool to give the finishing
twist to the fibre. By these means simplicity in arrangement is effected
.with economy of construction and protection from injury to the
attendants, also with facility of access of the fingers of the attendant
to the under side of the drawing and twisting rollers.
The Invention relates, secondly, to various improvements in apparatus
employed in what are called hot water spinning frames. In place of
employing a separate trough for cach side of the frame we employ one
trough for both sides, or so that the fibre to be treated may have a
much longer distance to travel through the hot fluid and may be thereby
more fully or certainly saturated, especially in apparatus worked at high
speeds. To facilitate changes in the upper of the feed and drawing
rollers the saddles to act on the middle of the axles between pairs of
the bosses of the pressing rollers are formed with a very short stud on

page_text: .
each side to slide-in grooves in open standards placed between these...
bosses. The pressure levers are formed' cach' with a hook just above..
and close to their fulcra to receive the lower end of a hooked rod, the.
upper end of each of which by a notched piece acts in grooves in a
saddle, and is adjustable by screw nut. The fulcrum of cach-pressure
lever is carried by the same open standard by which fewer parts and
less weight are required. For setting the distance between the front
and back or other of the rollers in place of employing a separate screw
motion to each we connect the whole of a series together by bevil or
other gear so as to adjust all of a row together, by which uniformity
of distance between the rollers is obtained. We also form the caps to
the spindles of brass or other metal in place of iron or steel so as to.
avaid the effect of iron rust on the fibre..
..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,..
filed by the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th August 1870..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WHITEHEAD and HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD, both of the Firm of
Taylor, Wordsworth, & Co.,, of Leeds, in the County of York, send i
greeting.
.
18
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her -
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-.
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give .
and grant unto us, the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton
Whitehead, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Whitehead.
and Henry Walton Whitehead, our executors, administrators, and
assigns; or such others as we, the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry,
Walton Whitehead, 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING
FLAX, Tow,. WOOL, AND OTHER SIMILAR. FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,"
upon the con-

page_text: t
The improvements relate, first, to means in which the simultaneous
drawing and twisting or spinning of the fibre is effected. For this
purpose the fibre under operation passes down from the feed rollers to
between a pair of fluted rollers, the flutes or grooves of one roller being
formed to correspond and work with or into those of the other roller.
These rollers are supported in a revolving frame, in which whilst the
rollers are capable of revolving on their own axes they are also caused
to rotate in a direction at right angles thereto, so as at the same time to
effect a drawing and a twisting of the fibre under operation. These
revolving frames are supported to revolve in suitable bearings, and are
each at the part where they support this pair of drawing and twisting
rollers carried up in a cup or other suitable form to surround those
rollers, and thereby protect the attendant. Rotary motion is obtained
to these revolving frames by bands from the cylinder or from pullies
acting on warves formed on or applied to them, or otherwise, and motion
on their own axes is obtained to the rollers carried by these revolving
frames by inclined teeth formed on or applied to the axis of one of each
pair taking into a scroll or scrolls or other teeth on the inside of a
hinged piece acting as a cover to the cup or upper portion of each
revolving frame, and this roller by its grooved or fluted surface taking
into the grooves or flutes of the other gives motion thereto. The
distance between the feed rollers and these drawing and twisting rollers,
which we find answers well, is about 21 to 12 inches, though we do not
confine ourselves thereto. The fibre passes to the drawing and twisting
rollers through a hole in the hinged piece or cover, and from the

page_text: drawing and twisting rollers it passes down through a very short tubular
portion of the revolving frame of, say, about one inch in length, to the
cap or flyer or other conductor to a bobbin or spool to give the finishing
twist to the fibre. By these means simplicity in arrangement is effected
with economy of construction and protection from injury to the
attendants, also with facility of access of the fingers of the attendant
to the under side of the drawing and twisting rollers. .
The Invention relates, secondly, to various improvements in apparatus
employed in what are called hot water spinning frames. In place of
.employing a separate trough for each side of the frame, we employ oue
trough for both sides, or so that the fibre to be treated may have a much.
longer distance to travel through the hot fluid, and may be thereby
more fully or certainly saturated, especially in apparatus worked at high
speeds. To facilitate changes in the upper of the feed and drawing
rollers the saddles to act on the middle of the axles between pairs of the
bosses of the pressing rollers are formed with a very short stud on each
side to slide in grooves in open standards placed between these bosses.
The pressure levers are formed each with a hook or loop just above and
close to their fulcra to receive the lower end of a hooked or looped rod,
the upper end of each of which by a notched piece acts in grooves in a
saddle, and is adjustable by screw nut. The fulcrum of each pressure
lever is carried by the same open standard, by which fewer parts and
less weight are required. For setting the distance between the front
and back or other of the rollers in place of employing a separate screw
motion to each we connect the whole of a series together by bevil or
other gearing so as to adjust all of a row together, by which uniformity of
distance between the rollers is obtained. We also form the caps to the
spindles of brass or other metal in place of iron or steel, so as to avoid
the effect of iron rust on the fibre.
But that the Invention may be fully understood, we will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by us in
carrying the same into effect..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 rannaconta an'and slaveation of nude
forms with.

page_text: view of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a front elevation of Figure 1. In
each of these Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the same letters are employed to
indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
A is the main framing; B, the driving pullies receiving motion from
a steam engine or other suitable power; C is the driving shaft which.
gives motion through the wheels C¹, C³, C³, to the shafts D, each of
which carries a series of bevil wheels D¹ to give motion to the bevil and
spur wheels D, and communicate motion to the wheels D³ attached to
the cups
E. Each of these cups E is supported to revolve in suitable
bearings or boxes E fixed from the beam E7, and each contains the
revolving and rotating fluted rollers E' and E², such rollers E¹ and E2
being supported'in suitable bearings E and E**, (as shown in Figure 3).
The-pressing-rollers-Emay_be_made_of_metal, wood, or leather, and the
desired pressure may be given thereto by means of 'spiral springs, as
shown at E, Figure 2, or otherwise. The wheel F is attached to the
fluted roller E¹, and it is formed with inclined teeth, which pass into the
thread or scroll F formed on the inside of the hinged or stationary
pieces, which acts as covers and as guide plates. The threads or
scrolls F acting on the teeth of the wheels F cause the rollers E' and
pressing rollers E² to revolve on their own axes in the rotatory motion
given to the cups E; or in place of the covers H being stationary they
may be caused to revolve by warves or otherwise, or by similar gearing
to that to the bevil and spur wheels D³ for communicating motion to the
wheel D³ attached to the cups E. The motion from the covers II to the
wheels F causes more or less twist to be given to the slivers or fibres as
may be required whilst the fibres are being drawn or elongated. Wheels
I on the shaft D give motion through wheels I' and change wheels I* to
the wheel J on the feed roller J and pressing roller J. The wheel Js
through the wheel J* gives motion to the wheel Js on the surface
roller K, which gives motion to the bobbins K' containing the slivers
or fibres to be operated upon.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The slivers or fibres are
taken from bobbins K' over the surface roller K, and they thence cach
pass through a conductor K² to between a feed roller J' and pressing
roller J2, and thence through a small hole H¹ in a cover H to between
a roller E¹ and pressing roller E, and then through a large hole E³ in
each revolving cup E. The cloth rubbers Es are formed to clean the
rollers E' and E, and prevent the slivers or fibres lapping round them.

page_text: By the revolving motions of the rollers E¹ and pressing rollers Es being
quicker than the feed roller J¹ and pressing roller Js, the sliver or fibre
is caused to be twisted and drawn or elongated in length to the proper
thickness required. The passage formed by the small hole H³ in each
cover H is constructed very short in order to facilitate the threading to
the rollers E' and E. The tubular portion E³ of each cup E is also
constructed very short and with a large hole in it, by which
simplicity in arrangement is effected with economy of construction
together with facility of access of the fingers of the attendant to the
under side of the drawing and twisting rollers, and generally the
arrangement affords protection from injury to the attendant. Each`
sliver or fibre now passes down to and through an eye L, which revolves
on each ring L' fixed in a lifted L³, and is wound on a bobbin or spool L³,
thereby receiving the twist requisite to be given to the yarn or thread.
Motion is given to the spindles M and bobbin or spool L' by the.
wheel M on the driving shaft C through the wheel M¹ and change
wheel Ms on the cylinder M³, which by means of the bands M' gives
motion to the warves M³ on the spindles Me, or by an additional stud.
wheel the yarn or thread may be caused to have a right or left-hand
twist, as may be required.
It will be seen from the Drawings that the sliver or fibre from the
feed roller J to the cup E and spindle M is in a perpendicular line, or
nearly so, and the object of this arrangement is to facilitate the twist*
on the fibres under operation running up from the spindles M* to tho'
rollers E¹ and E2 in the cups E, and also the twist on the fibre in its
passage from the rollers E¹ and E2 in the cups E to the feed roller J, by
which means a more even yarn is produced, especially adapted for very
short fibres. The necessary shape is given to the yarn forming the
bobbin or spool by means of a spool or or traverse motion, is well
understood.
We would remark that the position of the rollers E¹, E², and parts.
connected therewith in relation to the rollers J', J³, may be varied, and,
in some cases even inverted, or there may be two or more of such
rollers E¹, E, and parts acting therewith to operate in succession on
the yarn.
We will now describe the second part of our Invention which relates-
to various improvements in apparatus employed in what are called hot-
atav spinning fromas

page_text: Figure 5 is an end elevation of such parts of a hot. water spinning
frame with our improvements attached thereto; Figure 6 and Figure 7,
are an elevation and a plan of the stand and saddle (full size). In each-
of these Figures the same letters apply to corresponding parts.
The trough g is made in one instead of in two (or one for each side of
the frame) as now constructed, so that the fibre or sliver g' may have a
longer distance to travel through the hot fluid, and may be thereby
more fully or certainly saturated, especially in apparatus worked at
high speeds, also fewer steam pipes and syphons are required for
heating the fluid and 'taking it therefrom.
3.
1
i The operation of the machine is as follows:-The separate strands of
fibre or sliver g¹ are taken from the bobbins ; over the guide rods % into.
the trough-g, they then pass under the guide rods and out at the other
side of the trough g over a guide, and are each passed between-a-back_
roller e and pressing roller e³, then between a drawing, roller and
pressing roller b', and down through the thread plate i, thence to the
bobbin's by means of brass or other suitable metal caps¸m, thus
receiving the twist requisite, to, be given to the yarn, or thread, The
regulation of the traverse motion shown is in the ordinary manner, as is.
well understood. The stands a' are fixed to the beams a², which support
the front drawing rollers in suitable bearings.. The pressing rollers &₁
are supported by the saddles 3, the saddles & being so formed that each
may carry a very large pressing roller 6₁, or so as to admit of the use of
a small pressing roller. 6", if desired. The studs s or short.arms of the
saddles 3 slide in the open standards c placed between the bosses of
pairs of the pressing rollers 6. The open standards c are made open
at the bottom to allow of the levers d to take their fulcra, by which
arrangement a short fulcrum is obtained with fewer parts and less
weight. Each lever d is formed with a hook d¹ close to the fulcra to
take hold of a hooked or looped rod d³, and we would remark that the
hook d' at the end of the levers d may be turned in opposite directions,
as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 6. The upper end of the rod dis
screwed, and has applied to it à v-piece 5 secured by nut 7 to act in
grooves or notches formed for it in the saddles band with facility for adjust-
ment. The back rollers e are supported by the adjustable bearings e¹,
which are capable of sliding on the stands a¹, and they are caused to
move to and from the front drawing rollers 6 by means of the screws e²
passing each through an adjustable bearing e¹. The pressing rollers e

page_text: are carried by grooved pieces e³* fitted in the saddles 63. Each grooved
piece e* is formed with a screw piece et, which is fixed in a saddle b²
by means of a notch plate e and nut with capability of adjustment.
The screws e are caused simultaneously to revolve by the bevil wheels f
thereon gearing with the bevil wheels f¹ fixed on the shaft f², such shaft
being made the full length of the machine or other suitable length as
may be desired, and it is capable of being turned by a handle or other-
wise. By these means uniformity of distance between the respective
drawing rollers 6 and e is obtained.
Having thus described our Invention, we would have it understood
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details and arrangements
of parts shown and described, as these may be varied; but what we
claim is,
Firstly. The adaptation or combination of means for effecting the
simultaneous drawing and twisting or spinning of fibre in the passage
from the feed rollers to the bobbins or spindles, substantially as
described.
Secondly. We claim the arranging troughs in what are called hot
water spinning frames continuous from side to side thereof, so as to
afford facility for the fibre to travel a much longer distance through the
fluid contained in such troughs, substantially as described.
Also we claim the adaptation or combination of means for facilitating
changes in the feed rollers in apparatus for preparing and spinning
flax, tow, wool, and other similar fibrous substances, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry
Walton Whitehead, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.
THOMAS WHITEHEAD.
(L.S.)
HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)