CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROVING, TWISTING, OR SPINING COTTON, SILK, WOOL, HEXP, FLAX, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1831

page_text: BAIES
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSHUA
BATES, of Bishopsgate Street, in the City of London, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the second year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joshua Bates, His especial licence, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Joshua Bates, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or, such others
as I, the said Joshua, Bates, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad,.an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR ROVING, TWISTING, OR SPINING COTTON, SILK, WOOL, HEXP, FLAX, OR OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," communicated to me. by a certain Foreigner residing
abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained. a proviso, that I, the said

page_text: Joshua Bates, shall cause a particular description of the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calender
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joshua Bates, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained by the following description thereof (reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon),
that is to say:-
This improved machinery is applicable to the forming of rovings of any
fibrous material fit to be spun into thread or yarn by any other machinery, or it
may be made to give the roving or sliver of fibrous material the necessary twist
fit for any purpose where fine spining is not required, such as rope yarns, &c.,
and by this apparatus the filament of material is drawn to the required fineness
before twisting. It will be seen that this Invention consists of two machines,
viz.,―the " drawing frame, by which a filament is drawn from a mass of
material, and the "bobbin frame, for spining or twisting such filament when
drawn out. The Drawings hereunto annexed are representations of a machine
for spining rope yarns, and will sufficiently explain the nature of this Inven-
tion, although machinery for forming fine rovings or yarns, or for cotton,
silk, &c., must necessarily be made to suit the working of such material, and
the fineness of the thread or yarn required.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the drawing frame; Fig. 2 is a plan; and Fig. 3 is
a sectional plan taken below the dotted line A, B, in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an
elevation of the end where the filament is delivered. Fig. 5 is an elevation of
the ends where the fibrous material enters the machine. Fig. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
11, 12, & 18, are detached views of parts of the machine. The corresponding
letters of reference are used to mark the same parts in all the Figures. This
drawing frame consists of a framework of wood A, A, across the top of which
are mounted in bearings the axles of the drums B1 and B2 carrying the
endless heckle belt C, C. This belt is formed by a number of rows of metal
points a, a, (see Fig. 6 & 7,) firmly secured into the heckle plates b, b.
c, c, are pins at each end of the rows of points, having heads or stops, and are
longer than the points a. Before fixing these pins to the heckle plate b, a
second plate of metal d, shewn at Fig. 8, pierced with holes, corresponding with
the points and pins, is placed upon them; the pins c, c, are then put in their

page_text: places and fixed to the heckle plate 6. The plate d is called a clearer, and
moves freely up and down the points and pins, the pin heads preventing it
from being removed. The plate d is longer than the plate 6, its ends project-
ing over that plate; a strap of leather or strong webbing, long enough to
form the belt C, pierced with holes, in rows crosswise corresponding to the five
middle points a, a, Fig. 6 & 7. These rows of holes are about seven eighths
of an inch apart, and are arranged as shewn in Fig. 2. The strap is passed
between the clearer d and the points a, a (it being raised as in Fig. 6), and
the points inserted in a row of holes and the strap pressed down upon the
plate b; this is repeated until all the holes of the strap are filled. The rows
of points are turned so that the wide space between the first and second points
(Fig. 6) shall be on each side of the strap alternately in the successive rows;
another strap is then firmly secured to one containing the points, the heckle
plates being between them. The straps with the points are then passed
round the pulleys B'1 & B 2, and the ends fastened together, forming the
heckle belt C, C. D is a pulley capable of adjustment, to keep the heckle
belt to a proper tension. E, E, are guides fixed to the frame A, A, to keep
the belt evenly upon the pulleys B 1 & B 2. The parts E, E, point down-
wards (see Fig. 7), the heckle plates passing between them. F, F, are two
iron rails fixed parallel to cach other above the top of the frame A, A. The
distance between these rails is equal to the length of the heckle plates, which,
with the belt C, pass between them as guides; one end of these rails are placed
about one quarter of an inch above the top of the pulley B 1, and the other end
about one inch above the pulley B2 (forming a slight inclined plane), and are
turned down in a curve, see Fig. 1. On the inside of the rails F, F, there
is a projecting ledge about one inch wide, in a line with the tops of the pulleys
B1, B2; these ledges support the ends of the heckle plates b as they slide
along them. The ends of the clearers d, d, slide upon the tops of the rails F, F.
G, G, are two plates of metal fastened to the frame A, A. The sliver of hemp,
flax, or other fibrous material to be operated upon. is introduced into the
machine through the trumpet H, between the plates G, G, and up over the
pulley B 1, in the direction of the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and is delivered
from the contracted end of the trumpet to the action of the heckle points and
the endless chain I, I. This chain is formed of a number of small wooden
rods, having slits formed in each of their ends; in these slits straps are placed;
and the rods fastened to them parallel to each other, at distances corresponding
with the spaces between the rows of heckle points; this chain is carried by the
pulleys K, K, supported in standards affixed to the rails F, F. On the sliver of
material being introduced into the machine, and submitted to the action of the

page_text: heckle belt C, C, it is set in motion by a band or strap passing from any first
mover to the fast rigger L, upon the shaft M; this shaft also carries the rigger
which communicates by the strap O to the pulley P, near the bottom of the
machine, which gives motion through a connection called the regulator (herein-
after described) to the pulley Q, from whence a strap R passes to the pulley S
on a cross shaft upon the top of the frame A, A. Upon this shaft is the
pinion T, taking into the intermediate wheel U upon another shaft, carrying the
pinion V, which takes into and communicates motion to the toothed wheel W,
upon the axle of the drum B 1, in the direction of the arrows. The sliver will
now be carried forward by the chain I, I, pressing the filament into the heckle
points (the rods laying between the rows of points) until it reaches the other
end of the machine where the chain rises, and the heckle points turn down
over the pulley B 2; the sliver will now be raised out of the heckle points by
the clearers, and collected by the gatherer or guide X, and passed between the
pair of drawing rollers Y, Y, mounted upon axles Z, Z, the upper one turning
in bearings in the levers e, e, having their fulcrums on the standard f. f, of the
cross piece 9, and are connected together by the bent piece h. The axis of the
lower roller has its bearings in the standard f, (see Fig. 9). Motion is commu-
nication to the rollers Y by the pinion i on the shaft M, taking into the spur
wheel k on the axis 1, connected by coupling pieces to the axis of the lower
drawing roller. On the shaft is also a pinion m, taking into another.pinion n,
on a similar axle to coupled to the axle of the upper drawing roller. The
gatherer X is fixed upon a support from the piece g, and is formed of plates of
metal, like an unequal sided pyramid, with its open base towards the heckle
points, and its apex opening between the drawing rollers Y, Y. The top of
the gatherer is continued towards the chain I with pieces of metal o, o,, bent
over it on each side between the heckle points and the pins c, c. The end of
the filament being passed through the gatherer will be made to enter between
the drawing rollers, and if they are turned faster than the heckle belt moves
it will be drawn out from the heckle points, and elongated into a thinner
filament.
I shall now proceed to describe the mode of regulating the supply of the
material to the drawing rollers. for preventing. irregularity in the roving or
yarn. When the filament is passed between the drawing rollers the upper one
rests upon it, and should the filament as it proceeds become too small it will
decend, approaching nearer the lower one. To the ends of the levers e, e, are
attached the virtical rods p, p, supporting a cross head q, seen best in Fig. 4.
Upon this cross head rests the adjusting thumb screw of the rod r, which is
connected at its lower end to the lever s, on the end of the shaft t, turning in

page_text: bearings at the bottom of the frame. At the opposite end of this shaft t is the
vertical arm u, see Fig. 5; a steel spring v is fixed upon the shaft t near its
middle, which lays along the shaft and turns upwards, pressing against the top of
the arm u; a connecting rod passes from a hook in the top of this spring v to
another hook, fixed in the under side of the horizontal sliding bar x, x. y is a
right angle lever having its fulcrum in the angle on a support attached to tho
inside of the frame A. The vertical arm of the lever y is connected to tho
bottom of the slide bar a, and on the other arm is suspended the weight z.
The pulley P, before mentioned, is mounted on a shaft 1, running ou centres
in the frame 2, 2, and carrying the toothed wheels 3 & 4, turning loosely upon
it, but kept in their places by collars (3 having fifty, and 4, seventy teeth);
this shaft also carries the clutch boxes 5 & 6, which are allowed to slide along
the shaft, but are keyed to it by a pin and groove, so that they must revolve
with it (see Fig. 10). On the slide bar are the armis 7 & 8, carrying the
pieces 9 & 10, which embrace and work in the clutch boxes 5 & 6, and as
the slide bar moves they slide the clutch boxes along the shaft (this bar is
shewn as seen on its under side at Fig. 11). The pulley Q is mounted upon
the shaft 11, which also carries the toothed wheels 12 and 13 (12 having
seventy, and 13, fifty teeth). The clutch box 5 carries the catch or locking
pin 14, connected by a hinge joint to the clutch box 6, which is kept in its
proper place by a spring and stop on the clutch box. On the supply of
material to the drawing rollers decreasing, the upper one must decend, as also
the levers e, e, depressing the rod p, p, the cross bar 2, and the rod r, when the
weight z, through the lever y, will draw the slide bar to the right, as also the
vertical arm u and spring v, turning the shaft t partly round, keeping the arm s
in contact with the rod r. This movement of the slide bar will bring the
catch 14 against the stud 15 on the wheel 3, and cause it to revolve, driving
the wheel 12, which will communicate motion to the pulley Q, the strap R,
and through the train of wheels before mentioned to the pulley B 1, and thus
the heckle belt will be moved and the filament advanced towards the drawing
rollers Y. If the advance of the fibres is sufficient to increase the filament
to its proper size, then the upper drawing roller will be raised, and the
bar x, x, with the clutch boxes, be moved back to the left, by which the
catch 14 will be disengaged from the pin 15 and the wheel 3, the pulleys,
wheels, and pinions, by which it gave motion to the pulley B 1, come to a state
of rest. It may happen the size of the filament does not encrease sufficiently,
but that it still diminishes. In this case the upper roller will continue to fall,
and the bar to move to the right, till the catch 16, on the clutch box 6,
engages with the pin 17 upon the wheel 4, and carrying it round, gives motion to

page_text: the wheel 13 and the shaft 11, the pulley Q, and consequently the heckle belt,
will then be driven must faster, and the filament be advanced more rapidly.to
the drawing rollers Y. On the filament encreasing to the proper size, the top
roller will rise, the bar x and the clutch boxes move to the right, and the
catch 16 be disengaged from 17. When the catch 16 is engaged with the
pin 17, the catch 15 will move faster than 14, and 15 must pass 14 without
locking; to do this their back sides form inclined planes, sliding upon each
other when in contact, the catch 14 giving way by the spring and allowing 15
to pass, the spring forcing 14 into its former position (see Figure 13). If
the advancement of the filament as above brings too great a number of fibres
to the drawing rollers, the upper rollers will be elevated above its proper place,
and also the levers e, e, the rods p, p, cross head 9, the rod r, and the arm's
turning the shaft t partly round the reverse way, will cause the spring v to
move the sliding bar x and clutch boxes to the left, until the locking pin 18,
on the clutch box 6, engages with the star wheel 19; this star wheel turns
loosely upon the shaft 1, kept in its place by collars. The plates 20 project
over the arms (see Fig. 12). 21 is a lever, moving between the guides 22, its
fulcrum being at 23; upon the end of this lever next the star wheel is a piece
of metal 24, united to it by a hinge joint. The lower end of the piece 24 is
in the horizontal plane of the centre of the shaft 1, but so far from it that
the plates 20 are just capable of throwing it upwards when they are turned
round; 25 is a stop upon the end of the lever; 26 is a spring to keep the top
of 24 against 25; 27 is a catch, connected by a hinge joint to the frame 22,
and passing up through a hole in the slide bar x. A spring is fixed to the
frame e, e, which tends to press 27 against 21, and whenever its end is raised
by the movement of the star wheel above the catch 27, it will slip under
it and hold it up. There is a stop piece fixed on the slide bar, and when it
is moved back again, it will push back the catch 27, also the locking pin 18,
from the star wheel; 28 is a weight to depress the lever into its former
position. On the star wheel raising the end of the lever 21, the other end will
be depressed, also the rods 29 connected to it, by 30, and the comb 31 fixed on
the top of the rods; this comb is formed of several rows of heckle teeth fixed
to an iron plate, as seen in Figs. 1 & 2. On the top of the gatherer X there are
holes formed, corresponding to the points of the comb, to allow the teeth
passing through them into the sliver. 32 is a lever, its fulcrum being at 22;
one end of this lever is connected by hooks to 21, the other to the rod 33,
passing upwards through the bottom of the gatherer X. In the gatherer is a
false bottom hung by a joint at the end next the drawing rollers; this false
bottom has holes in it like the top. When the right-hand end of 21 is depressed,

page_text: the same end of 32 will be elevated, moveing the rod 33 upwards, lifting the
false bottom of the gatherer, the comb at the same time being depressed; these
movements will cause the teeth of the comb to be passed into the filament in
the gatherer, and prevent the free passage of the fibres to the drawing rollers;
the size of the filament will be thus reduced; the slide bar will then move to
the right, carrying the catch 27 from under the lever 21; the weight 28
depressing the lever, by which the comb 31 will be raised and the false bottom
depressed. On the passage of a knot of entangled fibres or tow through the
drawing rollers, the clutch boxes will be brought against the collars of the
wheels 4 & 19, preventing the bar x from moveing farther to the left; the spring
v then yoilds as the shaft t turns; after the tow, &c. has passed through, the
upper roller falls, and the spring v returned.
Having described the construction and mode of operation of the drawing
frame, I shall proceed to explain the second part of this Invention, viz., the
bobbin frame, by which the filament is twisted and wound upon the bobbin.
Fig. 14 is an elevation as connected with the drawing frame. Fig. 15 is a
plan, and Fig. 16 an elevation of the end next the drawing frame. A, A, is a
framework of wood; B, the bobbin spindle running in bearings upon the
cross pieces of the frame; C is the bobbin kept in its place upon the spindle
by a pin passing through it and an ear on the bobbin; motion is communi-
cated to the spindle through the pulley D, as follows:-On the shaft M,
in the drawing frame, Fig. 1, is the pulley E, with a band F communicating
motion to the pulley G (Fig. 14), on the shaft H, carrying the bevel wheel I,
taking into another bevel wheel K, on the shaft of the drum L; M is a strap
giving motion from L to the pulley D. The pulley N in the swing frame O
bears against the strap M to keep it in proper tension. P is the bobbin flyer
turning on the hollow bearings Q, R, receiving motion by the pulley T, through
the strap S, from an enlarged part of the drum L. If the filament as
delivered from the drawing rollers is passed through the hollow gudgeon Q,
over the small pulleys a & b, and its end fastened to the bobbin, it must,
by the revolutions of the flyer and bobbin, be twisted into roving thread
or yarn, according to the speed given to the machine. In order that it may
be would up, the bobbin and flyer do not make an equal number of revolutions
in an equal time, the pulley T receiving its motion from a larger part of the
drum L than the strap M, while the pulleys D & T are nearly equal in size.
Hence the flyer moves faster than the bobbin, and the twisted filament is
wound upon it. The tension of the strap M is so slight that the tension or
draft of the yarn, as the bobbin becomes filled, draws the bobbin spindle
and drum round faster than the strap M moves. To spread the yarn or

page_text: roving over the surface of the bobbin, it is moved alternately to and fro in the
flyer. c is a collar on the spindle running in a stud d, on the slide bar e,
which receives its reciprocating motion as follows:-On the shaft M of the
drawing frame, Fig. 1, is the sunall pulley 9, with a band 9 passing to the
pulley h, also on the drawing frame; on its axle is another pulley i, and strapj,
giving motion to the pulleys k & l, Fig. 14. A band m gives motion to the
pulleys n and o, which gives motion by the strap p to the pulley q and heart
wheel r, which, as it revolves between the pins 8, s, moves the bart back-
wards and forwards. The straps u, u, are fastened to the bar and pass over
the pulley v in opposite directions, attached at their other ends to its periphery
on different sides; and upon its axle is another pulley w, having two straps a, a,
passed round it similar to u, u, and fastened to the slide bar e, e, thus com-
municating the necessary reciprocating motion to it and the bobbin, the
strap M sliding along the drum L. and pulley N.
There remains now to describe the apparatus by which the motion of the
machine is is stopped whenever the thread, roving, or yarn is broken. U,
Fig. 2, is a rod connected by a joint at one end to the drawing frame; the other
end is bent into a hook resting against the yarn or roving where it is being
twisted, between Fig. 1 and 4. Upon one side of the rod is the forked piece V;
through it the strap by which the machine is driven passes. To the hooked end
of the bar U is attached a cord, passing over the pulley W on the end of the
bobbin frame, see Fig. 6, and suspending a small weight Z, which keeps the
hooked end against the thread or yarn. Should the yarn break, the end of
the bar U will be moved by the weight towards the pulley W, and the driving
strap carried by the forked guide V on to the loose pulley X; consequently
the motion of the machine will be stopped.
In the foregoing Specification I have described many parts which are not new
and are not intended to be claimed by me as novel, or as exclusively belonging
to this Invention. But I consider, and therefore claim under the above-named
Letters Patent, as novel, improvements in machinery or apparatus for roving
and twisting fibrous materials; the combinations and arrangements of plates,
points, pins, clearers, straps, &c., forming the heckle belt, with its pulleys,
rails, and forcing plates, constitutes the apparatus from which a sliver of
hemp, flax, or other fibrous material is drawn out or elongated into a fine
filament by the drawing roller; and also the manner or mode of regulating
the supply of fibrous material to the drawing rollers through the parts of the
regulator, and its connection with the first mover, the heckle belt, the comb,
and gatherer, and the drawing rollers; though I do not mean to confine myself
to the precise form or arrangement of the parts as herein described, as different

page_text: fibrous materials will require different parts, speeds, and motions. And also
I claim generally the arrangement of the whole machinery or apparatus with
the bobbin frame where the filament is twisted, as herein described; together
with the manner of stopping the machine on the breaking of the yarn or
thread.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Bates, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.
JOSHUA (L.B.) BATES.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-seventh day of April,
in the second year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, the
said Joshua Bates came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument afore-
said was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth
year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-seventh day of April, One thousand eight hundred