IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DOUBLING AND TWISTING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DOUBLING AND TWISTING FIBROUS MATERIALS."-
A communication from Emile Weber.
Sealed the 13th February 1857, and dated the 23rd September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd September 1856.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DOUBLING AND TWISTING FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
a communication from Emile Weber, a foreigner residing abroad, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved system or mode of doubling and
twisting cotton, silk, and other fibrous materials, whereby a superior twist and
a more even and regular thread is obtained than has hitherto been the case.
The improvement consists in keeping the threads to be doubled and twisted
separate and distinct from each other until they arrive at a certain distance

page_text: from the flyer, or at a point where the greatest twist is obtained, at which
point the threads are allowed to join and be twisted together.
Another improvement consists in giving an increased amount of tension to
the threads during their passage to the spindle, which is effected by causing
them to pass through the feed rollers, and thence back again round a glass
guide or tension bar, from which they repass through the rollers and proceed
to the spindle.
Between the spindle and the feed rollers, however, is fitted a quadrant, the
periphery of which is divided by means of one or more longitudinal raised
projections or ribs, running in the direction of the circumference of the
quadrant, and dividing it into as many grooves as there are threads to be
doubled and twisted together.
By this arrangement the divided threads are prevented from being twisted
together until they leave the quadrant, when they are immediately joined and
firmly twisted together. Should a still greater degree of tension be required
than that obtained in the manner herein-before referred to, the threads may,
before entering the grooves of the quadrant, be passed in a serpentine direction
through a number of vertical pins or studs arranged on a plate attached to
the upper portion of the quadrant.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of
166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Johnson, Her special license that I, the said William Johnson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR DOUBLING AND TWISTING FIBROUS MATERIALS," a communication
from Emile Weber, a foreigner residing abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Johnson, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Johnson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to an improved system or mode of doubling and
twisting cotton, silk, and other fibrous materials, whereby a superior twist and
more even and regular thread is obtained than has hitherto been the case.
The improvement consists in keeping the threads to be doubled and twisted
separate and distinct from each other until they arrive at a certain distance
from the flyer, or at a point where the greatest twist is obtained; at which
point the threads are allowed to join and be twisted together.
Another improvement consists in giving an increased amount of tension to
the threads during their passage to the spindle, which is effected by causing
them to pass through the feed rollers, and then back again round a glass
guide or tension bar, from which they repass through the rollers and proceed
to the spindle.
Between the spindle and the feed rollers, however, is fitted a quadrant, the
periphery of which is divided by means of one or more longitudinal raised
projections or ribs, running in the direction of the circumference of the
quadrant, and dividing it into as many grooves as there are threads to be
doubled and twisted together.
By this arrangement the divided threads are prevented from being twisted
together until they leave the quadrant, when they immediately joined and
firmly twisted together. Should a still greater degree of tension be required
than that obtained in the manner herein-before referred to, the threads may,
before entering the grooves of the quadrant, be passed in a serpentine direction
through a number of vertical pins or studs arranged on a plate attached to the
upper portion of the quadrant.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall

page_text: now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
I shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents, on a scale of half the real size, the
general arrangement of the improved system or mode of twisting and
doubling; Figure 2 is a full-sized side elevation of the quadrant and tension
pins; Figure 3 is a plan of the same; Figure 4 is a transverse section of the
quadrant taken along the line 1, 2; and Figure 5 is a similar section taken
along the line 3, 4.
A, B, are grooved feed rollers, which supply the threads to the spindle, the
groovings of the two rollers being made to gear together, as shewn at a¹ in the
large diagram, Figure 6, and constructed in such a manner that the spaces or
intervals are larger than the projections. The projections or teeth do not
penetrate to the bottom of the grooves, and for this purpose the ends 6¹ of the
upper roller are made smooth, and rest upon the surface of the projections or
grooving of the lower roller.
By this arrangement, which I consider of great importance, the threads are
supplied to the quadrant in a regular and easy manner, without being liable to
deterioration.
The distance between the feed rollers and the quadrant may be greater or
less, according to circumstances. N is a glass guide for directing the threads
to the rollers, and imparting a certain amount of twist thereto. C, D, E, is
the quadrant or regulator, which consists of a segment of a circle composed of
metal, having two, three, or more grooves in its periphery, as shewn at Figures
4 and 5, and fitted with a support for carrying the tension pins 1, 2, 3, 4.
II is the spindle; K, the flyer; and F, the bobbin, upon which the twisted and
doubled thread is wound.
The threads a pass either direct from the bobbins or through a reservoir of
water, according as they are to be twisted in a dry or wet state, and thence
under a guide eye N, and round the upper roller in the direction indicated by
the letters e, b, B, c, d, back to the glass guide N, round which they pass, and
are thence conveyed to the spindle in the direction of the letters e, E, D, C.
If requisite, the threads may be passed round one or more of the pins
1, 2, 3, 4, for the purpose of increasing the drag or tension, but in many cases
the drag produced by the guide N will be sufficient, when the threads will
then proceed direct to the quadrant without being passed round the tension
pins, as shewn in Figure 3. On leaving the tension pins, each thread enters

page_text: a separate groove in the quadrant, and is thus kept isolated from its neighbour.
The two threads are kept separate by means of the projecting blade, which
extends from D to C, being wider at D, and gradually decreasing in width at
C, until it runs off to a knife edge. The twist produced by the flyer rises up
to the point C, where it is arrested by the interposition of the blade C, D,
which separates the two threads. The threads do not unite until they are
subjected to the twisting action, and it is at this moment that they receive the
full force of the twist; both of which points are of great importance in this
Invention. This central blade C, D, which keeps the threads separate, and
arrests the twist beyond the point C, so as only to come into effect at the
moment of junction of the threads, constitutes the base of this Invention.
Any projection may be substituted for this blade, the form of which may be
varied to almost any extent.
It is obvious that, in order that the twist may be complete at the point C,
it is necessary that this point should not be too far removed from the lower
end of the flyer K.
Nos. 1, 2, and 3, in Figure 4, represent three grooves on the quadrant for
three threads, and the three small circles in Figure 5 represent the lower
portion or discharging mouth of the quadrant at the point C.
By the aid of this simple contrivance I am enabled to overcome the defects
which arise in the ordinary process of doubling and twisting, and uneven
threads can be twisted together with the greatest facility without deterioating
from the twist produced. I am also enabled to increase the speed of the
machine considerably, and consequently to increase its powers of production.
Another important result is also obtained, namely, that facility is afforded for
the mechanical twisting of silk, an operation which has been hitherto success-
fully performed by hand only.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus
for doubling and twisting fibrous materials, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of a blade, or other equivalent, for the

page_text: purpose of keeping the threads separate previous to their being doubled and
twisted, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of studs or pins for the purpose of increasing
the drag or tension of the thread, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twentieth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.