IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING AND TWISTING MACHINERY
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SPINNING AND TWISTING MACHINERY." A communication from abroad
by Philip Townson, of Thompsonville, in the County of Hartford, State of
Connecticut, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th June 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING AND TWISTING
MACHINERY." [A communication from abroad by Philip Townson, of Thomp-
sonville, in the County of Hartford, State of Connecticut, United States of
America.]
The object of this Invention is to automatically change the speed of the spindles
when the bobbins are about two thirds filled, and also to facilitate the stopping
of the spindles when the flyers have been stopped..
The Invention consists in the combination with the main shaft and counter shaft
of two sets of gear wheels, and a vibrating frame carrying two of the gear wheels,
whereby the speed of the spindles can be changed by shifting the said sets of gear
wheels;
also in the combination with the forked upper end of the said vibrating
shifting frame of a cam and its driving mechanism, a two-toothed ratchet wheel,
and a pawl and its operating mechanism, whereby the said cam is moved quickly
as it vibrates the shifting frame in changing the gearing to prevent the movements
of the operating parts of the machine from being interrupted; also in the combi-
nation with the spinning spindle of a double wheel and a weighted lever, whereby
the spindle can be readily stopped; and also in the combination with the arms of
the flyers of a guard ring, whereby the threads of adjacent bobbins are kept from
becoming entangled, all as hereinafter set forth.
The spindles revolve in bearings in the machine frame and in the lifter frames
that raise and lower them. The flyers revolve at their lower ends upon the spindles
ID CJ1

page_text: and at their upper ends in bearings connected with the main frame. The arms of
each flyer are encircled at about the middle of their length by a ring to serve as
a guard to prevent the threads of adjacent bobbins from becoming entangled. The
flyers are driven by bands from the main shaft, and the spindles are driven by
bands from a counter shaft, so that the spindles and the flyers will be revolved at
different speeds by giving a different speed to the two shafts. On one end of the
main shaft are fixed two equal pinions gearing respectively with two equal gear
wheels, which gear respectively with two unequal pinions attached to the end of
the counter shaft. The large gear wheels are pivoted on gudgeons attached
adjustably to a vibrating frame by means of slotted plates or other suitable means,
so that the one or other of these wheels can be thrown into gear with a pinion
on each shaft, according as it is desired to give the spindles a faster or slower
movement. The vibrating frame at its lower end is pivoted to and rides upon the
counter shaft near its end. The upper part or arm of the vibrating frame works
in a keeper, and is forked to receive a cam by which it is moved to shift the
gearing and change the speed of the spindles. The cam is attached to the outer
end of a short shaft, upon which is placed a loose gear wheel which carries round
the said cam shaft with it in its revolution by a spring pawl engaging with a
ratchet wheel fixed upon said cam shaft, so that the cam shaft can be turned forward
faster than the gear wheel without interfering with the regular movement of the
latter. This wheel gears through an intermediate wheel with a pinion attached to
the inner end of another short shaft, to which is fixed a worm wheel. With this
worm wheel gears a worm attached to the end of an inclined shaft, which revolves
in a long bearing, and has attached to its upper end a worm wheel with which
gears a worm attached to the end of a horizontal shaft at the upper part of the
main frame driven by a band from the main shaft, so that the cam will be driven
from the said main shaft, the gearing connecting the cam with the main shaft
being so arranged as to turn the cam through one revolution while the bobbins
are being filled. To this horizontal shaft is attached an eccentric whose rod is
connected to a lever pivoted on the cam shaft, and carrying a pawl which engages
with the teeth of a two-toothed ratchet wheel attached to the cam shaft. The
teeth of this ratchet wheel are so arranged that the pawl will engage with them
successively as the cam releases each branch of the forked upper end of the
vibrating frame, so that the gear wheels will be shifted quickly to prevent any
interruption or irregularity in the movements of the machine.
Upon the spinning spindle is fixed the hub of a double disc or wheel, between
the parts of which near one side is pivoted a lever whose inner part is heavy and
is carved, so that it can pass partially around the hub of the double disc. When
the spindle is in motion the heavy inner part of the lever is thrown outward by
centrifugal force, drawing the outer part of the said lever inwards towards the rim
of the double disc. When the operator has stopped the flyers he throws the outer
end of this lever outward with his finger so that the said outer end will strike an
arm of the said flyer and thus stop the spindle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING AND TWISTING
MACHINERY." A communication from abroad by Philip Townson, of Thomp-
sonville, in the County of Hartford, State of Connecticut, United States of
America.
The object of this Invention is to automatically change the speed of the spindles
when the bobbins are about two-thirds filled, and also to facilitate the stopping of
the spindles when the flyers have been stopped.
The Invention consists in the combination with the main shaft and counter shaft
of two sets of gear wheels and a vibrating 'frame carrying two of the gear wheels,
whereby the speed of the spindles can be changed by shifting the said sets of gear
wheels; also in the combination with the forked upper end of the said vibrating
shifting frame of a cam and its driving mechanism, a two-toothed ratchet wheel,
and a pawl and its operating mechanism, whereby the said cam is moved quickly
as it vibrates the shifting frame in changing the gearing to prevent the movements
of the operating parts of the machine from being interrupted; also in the combi-
nation with the spinning spindle of a double wheel and weighted lever, whereby
the spindle can be readily stopped, and also in the combination with the arms of
the flyers of a guard ring, whereby the threads of adjacent bobbins are kept from
becoming entangled, all as hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement;
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a plan view of the
same; Figure 4 is an end elevation of the same partly in section; Figure 5 is a
sectional plan view of the mechanism for stopping the spindle taken through the
line x-x, Figure 4, and showing the position of the stop lever when the spindle
is in motion; Figure 6 is the same view as Figure 5, but showing the stop lever
in position for stopping the spindle. Similar letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts.
A represents the frame of the machine; B are the spindles which revolve in
bearings in the frame A and in the frames C that raise and lower the said
spindles B; D are the flyers which revolve at their lower ends upon the spindles B
and at their upper ends in bearings connected with the frame A To the arms of
each flyer D is attached a ring D₁ to serve as a guard to prevent the threads of
adjacent bobbins from becoming entangled. With the lower end of each flyer D
is connected a whirl E, around which passes a band F, said band also passing
around a pulley G attached to the main shaft H, to which the power is applied.
Upon each spindle B is placed a whirl I around which passes a band J, also passing
around a pulley K upon a second shaft L, so that the spindles B and the flyers D
will be revolved at different speeds by giving a different speed to the two shafts
H, L.
On one end of the main shaft H are fixed two pinions M, N, the teeth of
which mesh respectively into the teeth of two gear wheels O, P, which latter gear
respectively into the teeth of two pinions Q; R, upon the end of the counter shaft L.
The pinions M, N, are made of the same size, and the large gear wheels O, P, are
lso of the same size, but the two pinions Q, R, arc of different sizes, the pinion Q
being the larger. The large gear wheels O, P, are pivoted on gudgeons S attached
djustably to a vibrating frame T by means of slotted plates U or other suitable
means, so that the wheel O can be thrown into gear with the pinions M, Q, to give
he spindles B a slower movement; or the wheel P can be thrown into gear with

page_text: the pinions N, R, to give the spindles B a faster_movement.
The frame Tat its
lower end is pivoted to and rides upon the shaft L near its end, and the upper part
or arm of said frame T works in a keeper V attached to the frame A, or to a
support upon the said frame. The upper end or arm of the frame T is forked to
receive a cam W by which it is moved to shift the gearing and change the speed
of the spindles. The cam W is fixed to the outer end of a short shaft X which
works in bearings in the frame A or in a support attached to the said frame A.
Upon the inner part of said shaft X is placed a loose gear wheel Y which is made
to carry the said cam shaft X with it in its revolution by a spring pawl Z attached
to the said gear wheel Y, and which engages with a ratchet wheel a formed upon
or attached to the said cam shaft X. With this construction the cam shaft X can
be turned forward faster than the gear wheel Y without interfering with the
regular movement of the latter. This wheel Y gears through an intermediate
wheel b pivoted to a support on the frame A, with a pinion c attached to the
inner end of a short shaft d which revolves in bearings on the frame A, and having
a worm wheel e upon its outer end. The teeth of this worm wheel e gear with a
worm or endless screw f upon the end of a short shaft g which revolves in a long
bearing attached to the frame A, and has upon its upper end a worm wheel h, the
tecth of which gear with a worm or endless screw upon the end of a shaft j.
This shaft revolves in bearings at the upper part of the frame A, and to its other
end is attached a pulley k driven by a band l, also passing around a pulley m upon
the main shaft H, so that the cam W will be driven from the said main shaft ;
the gearing connecting the cam W with the main shaft H is so arranged as to turn
To the
the cam W through one revolution while the bobbins are being filled.
shaft jis attached an eccentric n whose rod o is connected to the lower end of a
lever p pivoted to the inner end of the cam shaft X. To the upper end of this
lever pis pivoted a pawl q which engages with the teeth of a two-toothed ratchet
wheel upon said cam shaft X. The teeth of this ratchet wheel are so arranged
that the pawl q will engage with them successively as the cam W releases each
branch of the forked upper end of the frame T, so that the gear wheels O, P, will
be shifted quickly to prevent any interruption or irregularity in the movements of
the machine. Upon the spinning spindle B is screwed or to it is otherwise attached
the hub of a double disc or wheels, between the parts of which, near one side, is
pivoted a lever t whose inner part is made heavy or weighted, and curved so that
it can pass partially around the hub of the double wheel s. With this construction
when the spindle B is in motion the centrifugal force engendered by the revolution
of the said spindle will throw the heavy inner part of the lever toutward, as
shown in Figure 5, and draw the outer part of the said lever inwards towards the
rim of the double disc s. When the operator has stopped the flyers D he throws
the outer end of the lever t outward with his finger, so that the said outer end
will strike an arm of the said flyer D and thus stop the spindle.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
1st. In a spinning and twisting mechanism the combination with the main
shaft H and the counter shaft L of the two sets of gear wheels and pinions M, O, Q,
and N, P, R, and the vibrating frame T carrying the gear wheels O, P, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described, whereby the speed of the spindles can
be changed by shifting the said sets of gear wheels, as set forth.
2nd. In a spinning and twisting mechanism the combination with the forked
upper end of the vibrating shifting frame T of the cam W and its driving
mechanism, the two-toothed ratchet wheel 7, and the pawl q and its operating
mechanism, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the said cam is
moved quickly as it vibrates the shifting frame in changing the gearing to prevent
the movements of the operating parts of the machine from being interrupted, as
set forth.
3rd. In a spinning and twisting mechanism the combination with the spindle B

page_text: of the double discs and the weighted lever t, substantially as herein shown and
described, whereby the spindle can be readily stopped, as set forth.
4th. In a spinning and twisting mechanism the combination with the arms of
the flyers D of the ring D¹³, substantially as herein shown and described,
whereby the threads of adjacent bobbins are kept from becoming entangled, as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty second day of December, A.D. 1881.