CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROVING,' SLUBBING, AND SPINNING COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM. THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
SLEDDON Junior, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Second day of February, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-one, in the fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Francis Sleddon, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Francis Sleddon, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Francis
Sleddon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no other, 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 and Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROVING,'
SLUBBING, AND SPINNING COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Francis Sleddon, shall'
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Francis Sleddon, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):-
:-
My Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Roving, Slubbing, and
Spinning Cotton, and other Fibrous Substances, consist,-
Firstly, in a novel construction and arrangement of mechanism or apparatus,
and also in the application of the, same to roving, slubbing, spinning, or
twisting machinery, for the purpose of working in a more simple and efficient
manner those parts of the apparatus usually employed for driving and regu-
lating the motion for taking up or winding on of the roving or yarn upon the
bobbins as it is roved, slubbed, or otherwise spun or twisted. It will be under-
stood by persons conversant with the ordinary machinery employed for roving,
slubbing, or spinning cotton, and other fibrous substances, that it is necessary
to regulate or accomodate the taking up or winding on of the roving or yarn
upon the bobbins to the delivery of the drawing rollers, as the diameter of the
bobbins increase during the process of winding on the yarn, in order to
preserve its uniform. tension throughout, and also that the requisite changes
in the speeds of such motions may be readily varied and adjusted to suit the
different qualities or numbers of the yarn to be produced. This is accom-
plished in the machinery now in general use, by a well-known piece of
mechanism called "Jack in the box," and other general parts employed in
connection with the spindles; and it is to this apparatus that my improvements
particularly apply, as, by their adaptation to such well-known mechanism, a
much more simple and efficient driving motion is produced, combined with
considerable economy in the construction of the machinery, and also in the
power required to drive the same, in consequence of substituting my Inven-
tion in place of the conical drum and strap with its mountings now commonly
employed.
Secondly, my improvements apply more particularly to a novel arrangement
of apparatus for the purpose of working or communicating power to the
traverse or copping motion of roving, slubbing, or spinning machines, and
consists in a peculiar construction of mechanism for regulating the traverse, or
laying the roving or yarn upon the bobbin evenly, side by side, as the process
of winding on continues, and is accomplished by a simple adaptation of the
same improved driving apparatus, which constitutes the first part of my
improvement; and,
Thirdly, my improvements apply particularly to the machinery or apparatus
employed for, roving and slubbing, and consist in a certain arrangement of
mechanism designed for the purpose of forming rovings with taper or conical

page_text: ends, if required. These several improvements, although principally applicable
to roving and slubbing machines, or those spinning or twisting machines
wherein the "Jack-in-the-box" motion is usually employed for spinning or
twisting cotton, yet it must be perfectly understood that they are also appli-
cable to all roving, slubbing, spinning, or twisting machinery wherein such or
similar motions are or may be required or employed. But in order that they
may be more fully explained, I will proceed to detail their application to that
kind of roving or spinning machinery commonly called the "fly frame," after
which their application to all other spinning machinery will be readily under-
stood. As the fly frame and its ordinary operations are so well known, it is
unnecessary here to enter further into its minute description than so far as
regards the application of my improvements thereto. And I would remark,
that, for the sake of distinction and more perfect illustration of my improve-
ments, I have represented the parts of which they consist as shaded with
color, leaving the ordinary mechanism in outline only. Similar letters of
reference will be found upon corresponding parts of the apparatus in all the

page_text: shaft Q. Upon this shaft a small mitre wheel R, gearing into a similar
wheel S, communicates motion to the upright shaft T, as in the ordinary manner
of driving the. conical drum in common use. For this purpose, and in this
place, my improvements, come into operation. At the lower end of this
shaft T, a spur wheel a, working into the long pinion 6 upon the stud c,
drives a small spur wheel e upon the vertical shaft f, gearing with a similar
spur wheel upon the vertical shaft h. It will be observed that the shafts
f and h are furnished at their upper extremities with a pair of friction rollers
or bowls i and kc, covered with leather, or other suitable surface, to promote
friction, and are mounted at their higher ends in a pair of clip levers 7 and m;
and have their lower ends passing through ball and socket swivels in the
foundation plate n, in order that they may be readily set in and out of contact,
as required. The clip levers are jointed about the middle, and have their
fulcrum bearing upon an upright pillar o, their outer extremities being forced
apart by means of a spring, wedge, or other regulating power placed in the
box p, and slidden outwards by hand as required. This is for. the purpose of
forcing the other extremities of the clip levers carrying the bowls.i and k
inwards, and causing the bowls to bear with any degree of friction against each
side of the surface plate q, q, mounted upon the main driving shaft M, and
connected to the gearing of the "Jack-in-the-box" motion by means of the
long boss r. By this means it will be perceived that the surface plate q, q, is
driven, and thus gives motion to the "Jack in the box" L, and through that
apparatus a suitable rotary motion is given to the spindles and bobbins, as
usual. The detached Figures 6 & 7, being enlarged views of my improved
motion, will clearly illustrate their detail. Now, as the diameter of the bobbin
increases by becoming filled with yarn, it is requisite to impart a variable speed
to the winding-on or taking-up apparatus, and for that purpose my improve-
ments are particularly applicable, as, by shifting the friction rollers i and k
from the centre of the plate q towards its periphery, a gradually diminishing
speed of the plate q will readily be attained, or vice versa. In order to shift
the driving friction rollers from the centre of the surface plate q, q, towards its
periphery, as the winding on of the yarn continues, the second part of my
improvements now come into operation; as it is done by the traverse motion.
The traverse or copping motion is also driven from and regulated by the
surface plate q, q, instead of by the cone, in the usual way. Upon the reverse
side of the plate to the long boss r, a similar pinion s is attached by means of
a coupling between its boss and that of the plate q, which pinion drives the
traverse or copping motion in the usual manner.. It will be seen that the
pinion gears into the spur wheel t, and thus drives the pinion u mounted

page_text: upon the same stud, which, by means of the carrier wheel v, drives the spur
wheel w upon one extremity of the shaft x, which carries at its other end the
mangle pinion y, driving the mangle wheel z. Now, as this shaft x is shifted
sideways by the changing of the mangle pinion y upon the mangle wheel, the
alteration in the position of the friction rollers upon the plate q is simul-
taneously effected. Upon the mangle pinion shaft a is a connecting rod 1
(which may be lifted on and off at pleasure), and is connected by means of
the link 2 to the shaft 3, upon which are fixed two cams or tumblers 4 and 5,
lifting alternately the catch levers 6 and 7. These levers are provided with studs
or pins 8 and 9, falling into the notches of the ratchet wheel 10, and as they are
alternately released, this wheel will drop round a tooth, and, by means of the
pinion 11 fixed upon the shaft 12 of the ratchet wheel, will lower the circular
rack 18 with the clip levers 7 and m, and thus carry the friction bowls i and k
gradually towards the periphery of the plate q, q, and thus impart the requisite
regulating, winding on, or taking up motion. It will be seen by reference to
Figure 7, that there is a small regulating screw 14 at the top of the circular
rack 18, in order to regulate or adjust the clip lever higher or lower slightly
by hand at any time it may be required.
The third part of my improvements consist in placing a spur wheel 15 in
connection with the circular rack 18, for the purpose of obtaining any required
motion for tapering the ends of bobbins, if necessary, which motion may either
be similar to that drawn in red lines in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, or any other
suitable contrivance.
Having now particularly described my Improvements in Machinery or
Apparatus for Roving, Slubbing, or Spinning Cotton and other Fibrous Sub-
stances, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to
be particularly understoood that I claim as my Invention the novel construc-
tion and arrangement of mechanism or apparatus for the purposes of driving
and regulating the ordinary winding-on or taking-up motion, and also the
traverse or copping motions in roving, slubbing, and spinning machinery, by
means of the combination of the friction rollers or bowls i and k, with the
surface plate q, and the apparatus in connection therewith, as shewn in the
various figures of the Drawings attached to these Presents, and herein parti-
cularly set forth, in whatever manner the same may be varied, modified, or
arranged to suit the purposes required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Sleddon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
FRANCIS (L.s.) SLEDDON, Jun'.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-ninth day of
July, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Francis Sleddon came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Second day of August, in the year above written.