CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED FOR MAKING TWISTED ROVINGS AND YARNS OF COTTON, FLAX, SILK, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUB- STANCES
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HIGGINS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, 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 Seventh day of July, in the fifth year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Higgins, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that 1.
the said William Higgins, my exors, adfiiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Higgins, my exors, adiiors, 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 expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED FOR MAKING TWISTED
ROVINGS AND YARNS OF COTTON, FLAX, SILK, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUB-
STANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said
William Higgins, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in
His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Higgins, do hereby declare that the certain improvements in
machinery used for making twisted rovings and yarn of cotton, flax, silk,
wool, and other fibrous substances, which have been communicated to me
by a foreigner residing abroad, consists,―
Firstly, in the Invention of a compound spindle and fly, by which the requi-
site differential or take-up motion for winding on can be communicated to the
surface of the bobbius or tubes in roving and spinning machines in which the
bobbins or tubes revolve on the axis of the twisting spindles; the object of
such improvements being to supersede the differential apparatus employed to
give motion to the bobbins in the ordinary bobbin and fly frame.
Secondly, in the construction of an apparatus for effecting the necessary
shortning of the copping motion by which the rovings or threads are wound
in the form of a cylender with conical ends on the spools or tubes.
I shall first describe the compound spindle and fly referring to the annexed
Drawings, Figures 1 and 4, and the separate spindle, shewn at Figure 5,
in which Figures, as well as in the remainder of the Drawings, certain
letters and figures of reference are used, the same letters and figures of
reference denoting the same parts throughout. The spindle D is formed
with a foot at the bottom, adapted to work in a step; and a neeck half an inch
under the top, adapted to work in a swivel bush, and which will be afterwards
described; but this neck is made half an inch longer than the bush, to admit
of the spindle being raised perpendicularly through the bush Y, to that extent.
About an inch below the neck is fixed a pully or warve E, with a groove for a
band to give motion to the spindle. Through the warve E two mortices are cut
on opposite sides of the centre, through which two legs or arms pass perpen-
dicularly, namely, F and e; the one jointed to a small fork on the under side of
the wave f, and the other similarly jointed to a small fork on the top of the
warve at g. These joints admit of the arms being moved to and from the
exis of the spindle, but in no other direction. The upper part of the arm (e),
including the joint and the part projecting through the warve, is of metal
which, while, the lower part is made of lancewood, or any other light and
similar substance, and the two ends are made to balance one another nearly;
the top end being made rather heaviest at f, for the purpose of keeping the
lower extremity of the arm in contact. The jointed part of the opposite arm
consists of a long metal socket or tube, through which a steel spindle F passes,
having a toothed pinion h fixed on the upper end, and a small wood fluted
cylender I on its lower extremity, the spindle F fitting easy in the socket,
so as to admit of its revolving on its axis. The two ends of the spindle F

page_text: and sockets are balanced, as the opposite arm e.
Below the warve E a small
spiral spring is seen, with one end attached to the spindle and the other to the
lower end of the jointed socket, thus fixed for the purpose of drawing the arm
or spindle F towards the main spindle D. It will be observed that the revolving
spindle F, last described, with its appendages, being so much heavier than the
wood arm c, a counterpoise is required to keep the main spindle D in a state
of equalibrium or balance, which is effected by adding the necessary counter-
weight to the under side of the driving warve E of each spindle. The spindle
D is hollow from the top to the under side of the warve E, a hole being bored
down through the axis, and then brought through the side of the spindle. The
mouth of the hole in the top of the main spindle D is countersunk, as is
usual in roving frames flyers, and is also grooved with shallow smooth grooves
radiating from the center. The flutes or ribs here referred to will be more
clearly seen at Figure 7, and the importance of the effect produced will be
herein-after described.
Having now described my compound spindle and fly, I shall explain the
mode of applying it.
Figure 1 represents a front view; Figure 2, an end view; and Figure 3,
a plan; Figure 4, is a transverse section of the same. In Figures 1 and 4, C
represents coarse roving bobbins in a creel behind, and rollers as usual in
front. Instead of the ordinary spindle and fly, the compound spindles are
shewn, as seen in Figures 1, 3, and 4. The foot of each spindle works in a
step, as is the case with the common spindle, while the upper end or neck
works in a swivel bush y, hung in a fork projecting from the roller beam.
Each swivel bush y is toothed on the outside at the lower end, so as to form
a small pinion suited to geer into the pinion h, fixed on the end of the spindle F.
The bush y is fixed at such a height above the step rail as to admit of the
spindle being lifted perpendicularly out of the step, and the pivots of the
several bushes y, being hung parallel to the step rail, the foot of the spindle
D when lifted out of the step can be moved outwards, so as to admit of a
bobbin or tube being slipped on or off the spindle D. A band from a pulley
or drum on the main shaft a of the machine passes round each warve E,
and gives motion to each spindle D. Between the step rail and the roller
beam, and parallel to them, is tho copping rail E', fixed as usual to slido up
5 and down with the bobbins. The spindles do not pass through holes in the
copping rail, as in machines of the ordinary construction, but through slits or
slots open at the front, which admits of the spindles being moved outwards at
the foot, for the purpose of putting on and taking off the bobbins, keeping in
view that the pinion h at the top end of the spindle F is of such a size as to pitch

page_text: or geer with, the stationary pinion, on the swival bush y. It will be ovident
that when the main spindle D is made to revolve, the spindle E will not only
revolve with it round the axis of the main spindle D, but will also, by the
action of the pinion h, revolving on the stationary pinion on the bushy, receive
a revolution on its own axis, and that this latter motion will be dependant
upon the comparative size of the stationary and revolving pinion h. Now,
supposing a tube or bobbin to be placed upon the spindle D and resting its
lower end upon the copying rail E, the small fluted cylinder I on the end of
the spindle F will be held by the spiral spring in close contact with the surface
of the tube or bobbin; and if the main spindle D is made to revolve, the tube
will be carried round with it by the contact of the fluted cylinder I. If the
fluted cylinders and spindles F did not revolve upon. their own axis, the tube
and spindle D would revolve together, as if they formed one piece; but it has
been shewn that the spindle F. and fluted cylinder I will have a motion of
their own, independant of that of the main spindle D. This motion they will
communicate to the surface of the tube or bobbin, and thus make it to vary
or differ from that of the main spindle D in any proportion dependant on the
size of the stationary pinion and pinion h and the diameter of the cylinder I.
Then, if the relative diameters of the pinion h, and the stationary pinion into
which it geers, together with the diameter of the fluted cylinders I, be adapted
so as to give to the surface of the bobbin or spool.d. the same speed as the
surface motion of the front roller, the bobbin will have the proper take-up
motion.
Having now shown in what way the differential or take-up motion is
communicated to the bobbin or tube, I shall explain the manner in which
the roving is conducted to and wound upon the bobbin. The roving issuing
from the front roller is drawn down by means of a long hook (seen at a¹,
Figure 1,) through the hole in the axis of the spindle D, and brought out at
the side hole formerly described; it is then wound two or three times in a
spiral direction round the armn e, which, for the purpose of keeping the coils in
a proper position, is grooved with a spiral groove towards the bottom, and
passing from thence, the roving is lapped round the tube or bobbin upon the
main spindle, and the tube being turned by the hand till the end is made
tight, the arme is drawn close to the surface of the bobbin d. This is
also the position of the arm when in action, by which it delivers the roving so
close to the point of winding on, that the latter may be laid on with a con-
siderable degree of tightness and without injury, a point essential to the proper
action of the fluted cylinder on the spindle F.
I shall now explain the mode of adjusting the surface motion of the

page_text: fluted cylinder, so as to make the bobbins wind up the rovings at the
proper speed. It will be obvious that the revolution of the spindle F
relative to those of the front roller are dependant no less upon the
turns of the main spindle D than upon the relative size of the pinion h
and the stationary pinion, so that every change of twist will alter the
take-up motion. When a change is made in the twist, I find it the most con-
venient way to adjust the take-up motion by changing the small fluted
cylinders I, which for that purpose are screwed, but not permanently fixed, on
the spindle F, and substituting others of a greater. or less diameter, suited to
the change in the twist. In the machine which I am describing I use six and
a half revolutions of the spindle for one revolution of the front roller, of one
inch diameter, and the roving is four hanks to the pound, the stationary
pinion ten teeth, and the wheel h on spindle F twenty-nine teeth, and the
diameter of the fluted cylinder is one half an inch, which proportions must be
varied according to the amount of twist required. In very extreme changes
of twist it might be necessary to alter the. relative. size of the pinion hand the
stationary pinion; but for small alterations of twist, such as one-eighth or one-
tenth, I do not find in practice that any change in the take-up is requisite for
ordinary work. Figure 7 represents a plan or bird's eye view of the top of
one of the spindles D. of the full size, for the purpose of shewing the peculiar
construction of the interior. of the tube or opening through which the roving
passes in its passage from the front roller of the machine to the vibrating
arm e. This opening is constructed with a fluted 'or ribbed surface, which I
find an important aid in keeping the twist in the rovings up to the front roller,
instead of allowing it to distribute down the vibrating arme, which I find the
case if this precaution is not adopted. The second improvement, which I shall
now describe, is the construction of an alternate decreasing traverse apparatus,
for the purpose of producing what is generally called a "shortening copping
motion," which is required. to distribute the yarn or roving in regular helical
coils on the surface of the spool or bobbin, and to lay the rovings on the bobbins
or spools in the form of a cylinder with conical ends. On referring to Figures 2
and 4, it will be seen that motion is conveyed at a decreased speed by means of
belts from the driving shaft a, through the pullies K and L, which latter
pulley is fastened on an horizontal shaft 7, best seen at Figure 3; on the oppo-
site extremity of this shaft is placed a small bevel wheel a, which alternately
geers into one or other of the bevels M and N, as seen in Figures 2, 3, and 4.
These two last bevels, M and N, are fast on the same shaft, at the extremity
of which is placed a small bevil pinion n, as seen at Figure 3, which imparts
motion to a bevil wheel m, placed upon another shaft 0 (as seen at Figures

page_text: 1 and 4), which passes the whole length of the machine, and is provided with
two spur pinions, p and q, as seen at Figure 1, but clearer at Figure 4. These
last-named spur pinions, p and q, geer into racks fastened into the copping
rail E', on which the bobbins d are supported, and the upwards or downwards
traverse of this rail E' necessarily depends on the direction of rotation of these
pinions p and 9. Now, it is obvious that the continuous rotation of the small
bevil, which alternately drives the wheels M and N, will revolve the shaft
on which those wheels are placed in an opposite direction of rotation, accord-
ing to the bevel M or N, into which it is made to geer. The alternate geering
of the small bevil wheel z into either of these wheels depends on the traverse
of the copping rail, as I shall now procede to describe. In Figure 4, R, R, R,
represent the three arms of a lever vibrating on the centre r; S and S are the
two arms of another lever vibrating on the centre s. At the extremity of the
upper arm S is placed the step or support which carries the shaft I, and at
the extremity of the lower arm S is placed a stud 11, which takes into a groove
cut in the extremity of the arm R, as shewn in Figure 4, and separate, with
the stud removed, at Figure 6. Immediately under the center s, and near that
fulcrum, connected with the two arms S and S, is screwed or rivetted a straight
metallic spring T, the lower extremity of which is connected to one of the
arms R by a slot, as seen in the Drawing at Figure 4; so that when the arms
R, R, R, are in in the position represented at Figure 4, the spring T has a
tendency to force the small bevel on the shaft l into geer with the wheel N;
but when the part R, R, R, is by the elevation of the copping rail vibrated to
the position indicated by dotted lines, seen in Figure 4, the spring T has a
tendency to force the bevil into geer with the wheel M, and thereby reverse
the rotation of the wheel M' and the direction of the copping motion. The
exact period at which the position of the bevil on the shaft is reversed
from M to N, or the reverse, depends on the position of the curved groove,
shewn separate at Figure 6. the outer groove marked t, containing the stud r¹
on the arm S, when the bevil is in geer with the wheel N, and the inner
groove u, containing the stud 2, when the bevil Z is in geer with the wheel M,
the change of the small bevil Z from one wheel to the other only taking place,
when; by the motion of the copping rail acting upon the long end of the lever
R, the stud has a tendency of escaping at one or other end of the small rib
placed between the grooves t and ut, as seen at Figure 6, such tendancy to
escape being produced by the action of the spring T, as before described.
The small rib between the grooves t and u is moved by the traverse of the
copping rail.
On referring to Figure 3 and 4, v represents an horizontal
screw, which revolves freely in a small carriage firmly connected with the

page_text: copping rail, and provided with the ratchet or star wheel W at one extremity.
The longest of the arms of the lever R passes through a nut placed on the
screw v, and thereby partakes of the motion of the copping rail. Now, suppose
the nut to be run to that end of the screw which carries the star or ratchet
wheel W, it will require a certain amount of traverse of the copping rail to
vibrate the rib, so as to admit of the alternate escape of the stud at one end
or the other of the said rib; but if the nut be screwed forward in the opposite
direction, as indicated by the arrow at Figure 4 and 3, and the distance from
the nut to the centre r thereby decreased, a less amount of traverse will
produce the same effects. In Figure 1, 3, and 4, a represents a vibrating
catch, which gathers a tooth of the star wheel W at every upward traverse of
the copping rail, but allows it to pass in the opposite direction; by which
arrangements the nut which carries the end of the R lever is gradually screwed,
so as to approach the center of the lever R, and thus diminish the amount of
the traverse, which decrease produces the conical ends of the rovings, as
represented on the various spools or bobbins, as shewn in the Drawings. I
would here remark, that the machine which I have delineated and described
for the purpose of shewing the mode of applying my improvements to roving
and spinning machines, is one which I have in actual work; but I am well
aware that great improvements may be made in the construction of machines
of this nature, inasmuch as the various bands and straps represented for driving
the different speeds of the machine may be replaced by tooth and pinion, as
well as the driving of the spindles. To drive the spindles by geering, I
should recommend a lying shaft to be placed beneath each row or range of
spindles, as in some of the ordinary bobbins and fly frames, from which motion
would be conveyed to the respective spindles by bevil wheels. But the
bevil pinion, which in ordinary bobbin and fly frames would be fixed to the
spindle, would in this case require to revolve in bearings, and to be provided
with an oblong hole at its upper extremity, into which the spindle foot should
fit. By this arrangement the spindle would receive the rotation from the
bevel geering, at the same time that the spindles could be lifted out without
disturbing the pinions, in the manner before described.
Having now fully described the several improvements communicated to me
by a foreigner residing abroad, and the method of applying them to roving and
spinning machines, in which twisted rovings or threads are made, I declare
that the leading characteristic of the Invention consisis in giving the take-up
motion to bobbins or tubes revolving on the axis of the twisting spindles by a
motion applied to the surface of such bobbins or tubes.

page_text: And I also declare that I do not claim, individually taken, the jointed arme,
which conducts the rovings from the neck of the spindle to the bobbin, nor
the spindle D, nor the warve, nor the swivel bush; but that I do claim,―
Firstly, the jointed arm, consisting of the socket and the spindle F, with its
pinion and cylinder I, and spring. And that I also claim the combination of
the several parts of the compound spindle and fly, herein set forth and
described, for the purpose of twisting, conducting to, and winding rovings and
threads upon bobbins or tubes, or other instruments revolving upon the axis
of the twisting spindle. And I also claim the finted or ribbed interior of the
spindle or fly, as applicable to roving frame spindles and flys in general, as
herein described.
Secondly, I do claim the arrangement and construction of an apparatus by
which the decreasing and alternate copping motion is effected, as herein-before
described and set forth.
And, thirdly, I claim the application and use of both or either of these
Inventions or improvements to machines used for making twisted rovings and
yarn of cotton, flax, silk, wool, and other fibrous substances; and as these
forms and parts of machinery may admit of different modifications in the con-
struction thereof, all capable of producing the same effect without departing
from the said Invention, as herein set forth and described, I claim such
modification of these forms or parts of machinery as applied to machinery used
for making twisted rovings, whereby the effect herein-before set forth and
described is or may be produced, such improvements being, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, new, and never before used. I hereby declare this as
my true and faithful Specification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Higgins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of January, in the
year of our Lord 1835, the aforesaid William Higgins came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and everything therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that
purpose.
Inrolled the Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.