Improved Apparatus for Grinding the Ends of Spindles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1896-4ccepted, 9th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Grinding the Ends of Spindles.
I FRANK ASHTON, Manager of Spindle Works, of Hargreaves Spindle Works,
Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus to be employed for grinding and rounding
the end of any kind of spindles as used in spinning or preparing machinery for
cotton, woollen flax, and other fibrous substances. It is especially applicable to
mule, ring, throstle flyer and roving spindles. It is however applicable to grinding
any spindle rod or shaft which requires the end or ends to be hemispherical or
partially hemispherical in shape.
For this purpose I use a grinding wheel of suitable diameter and width mounted
upon a horizontal revolving shaft mounted upon a stand capable of. a movement
sideways, that is end wise with regard to the same shaft.
In front of this wheel I mount a table on a vertical pivot, the table and pivot
being adjustable nearer to or further from the edge of the grinding wheel; the
said table is also capable of turning or revolving partially round the pivot.
Upon this table and not far from the centre of the pivot is fixed a bracket or
carrier to support the spindle or other article near the end to he operated upon,
the other end being supported by a suitable adjustable centre also fastened on to
the table.
A pair of carrier drums driven by a single band strap or belt from a shaft
overhead are carried by a hand lever or bracket which is hinged to an adjustable
bracket on the table, so that the said drums can be brought down over the spindle
or rod, and thus (by the friction of the belt) make the spindle or rod to revolve on
its own axis; the hand lever can then be raised carrying the drums and strap or
belt with it, and the spindle or rod removed.
The aforesaid adjustable centre supporting the spindle or rod and carried by the
swinging or revolving table is adjusted so as to make the right length of spindle,
the spindle being in such a state that a small quantity has to be ground from
the end.
A spindle or rod having been placed in position to be operated upon, the hand
lever is brought down so that the belt presses down on the spindle and causes it to
rotate rapidly; the grinding wheel is then traversed across the front of the
spindle, grinding the end off; at the same time the pivoted table is caused to
make a portion of a revolution to the left, thus taking off the corner and rounding
off the point of the spindle or rod, the radius of the spherical part being the
distance from the front surface of the grinding wheel to the centre of the pivot
o the revolving table, the table is then brought back into a position at right
angles to the shaft carrying the grinding wheel, the hand lever lifted and the
spindle removed.
By this means a spindle rod or shaft may have formed on its end a hemisphere
or a portion of a hemisphere.

page_text: Improved Apparatus for Grinding the Ends of Spindles.
I FRANK ASHTON, of Hargreaves Spindle Works, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager of Spindle Works, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to apparatus to be employed for grinding and rounding
the end or ends of any kind of spindles as used in the spinning and preparing.
machinery for cotton, woollen, flax, or other fibrous materials, and is especially
applicable to mule, ring, throstle-flier, and roving spindles. It is, however,
applicable to grinding any spindle rod or shaft which requires the end to be
hemispherical in shape.
In order that this invention may be understood, I refer to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking at the left hand
of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus or machine.
The same letter is attached to corresponding parts in all three views shown.
According to this invention I use a grinding wheel a of suitable diameter and
width mounted upon a horizontal revolving shaft a', driven by the pulley a+ and
mounted upon a stand or head-stock a 2, capable of a movement sidewise, that is
eud wise with regard to the said shaft al. This stand or head stock a 2 can slide
upon an ordinary V-slide a 3 upon a bed a 4, which can be placed upon a bench or
mounted upon suitable legs and fastened at a 5, a 6. The sliding of the said head-
stock a 2 is or may be performed by a lever a 7, having its fulcrum at a 8.
I prefer to form the part a 8, through which the end of the lever a 7 is passed
with a shank a 9, capable of turning in a bearing a 10, which is a fixture on the
bed a 4.
The lever a 7 is centred on a stud a 11, fixed to the head stock a 2, so that by
moving the lever to the left or right the head stock a 2 and also the grinding
wheel a are moved therewith. Upon a projecting part a 12 in front of this
wheel a I mount a table 6 on a vertical pivot b, the table b and pivot b¹
being adjustable nearer to or farther from the edge of the grinding wheel a. The
said table 6 is also capable of turning or revolving partially round the centre of
the pivot b'.
The part a 12 of the bed a 4 is formed with a V-slide, in which a carriage b2
fits and is capable of sliding. On the bottom of this carriage is a long boss 6 3,
through which fits the long stud or pivot 6', the upper end of which is fixed into
the table b, which is thus free to revolve through a portion of a circle around the
centre of the stud b'.
The carriage 2 is or may be adjusted to increase or diminish the distance of
the centre of rotation of the table 6 from the grinding wheel a by turning the
small handle 64, fastened to the screw 65, which passes through a nut 66, fixed to
or forming part of the carriage 62. Upon this table and not far from the centre
of the pivot is fixed an adjustable bracket c or carrier to support the spindle a or
other article near the end to be operated upon, the other end being supported by a
suitable adjustable centre d, d¹, d 2, hereinafter described, also fastened onto the
table b.
The bracket c is adjustable sidewise (that is in a direction across the table) by
means of the screw c, and it carries a vertically adjustable plate c 2 with a V or
notch in its upper end for the spindle or rod a to revolve in, its adjustment being
performed, according to the diameter of the said spindle or rod a, by the nut and
bolt 3.

page_text: A pair of carrier-drums e e¹, driven by a single band, strap, or belt e 2 from a
shaft over head, are carried by a hand lever or bracket e 3, which is hinged to an
adjustable bracket e 4 on the table b, so that the said drums e e¹ can be brought
down over the spindle or rod x, and thus by the friction of the belt e 2 make the
spindle or rod x to revolve on its own axis. The hand lever e 3 can then be raised,
carrying the drums e e¹ and strap or belt e 2 with it, and the spindle or rod a may
be removed. I prefer to hinge the hand lever e 3 to the forked rod e 5, adjustable
vertically in the adjustable bracket e 4.
The aforesaid adjustable centre supporting the spindle or rod and carried by
the swinging or revolving table b is adjusted as follows, so as to make the right
length of the spindle a, the spindle being in such a state that a small quantity has
to be ground from the end.
The bracket d carries a foot bearing and length gauge d' capable of adjustment
nearer to or farther from the grinding wheel a, and also a vertically adjustable
plate d 2, similar to the plate c 2. The bracket d is also adjustable in a slot running
almost the whole length of the table b by means of the bolt d 3. The parts d, d
and d2 thus form an adjustable centre.
The method of using the apparatus or machine is as follows: The table b is
brought into the position as shown in Fig. 3, the grinding wheel a is moved to the
right by means of the lever a 7, so that the said grinding wheel will be clear of the
end of the spindle or rod; the grinding wheel a and the endless belt e 2 are set in
motion the handle e 3 is lifted up and with it the pulleys e e¹. A spindle or rod a
is then placed in the V-supports c2 and d 2, as shewn in the drawings, and the
belt e 2 brought down on top of it; the lever a 7 is moved to the left, causing the
grinding-wheel a to pass across the point of the spindle or rod x, grinding a flat
part on the end thereof; the lever a 7 is brought back, so that the end of the
spindle is in contact or opposite to the face of the grinding wheel a. The table b
is then moved to the left upon its pivot, as shewn by the arrow, Fig. 3, carrying
the revolving spindle or rode with it, so that the end in contact with the grinding
wheel is rounded off. The table b is then brought back to its original position and
the lever a 7 moved to the right. The lever e3 is then lifted up and the spindle
removed. It is unnecessary to stop the grinding wheel a or the driving belt e 2 for
insertion or removal of the spindles or rods.
By this means a spindle rod or shaft may have formed on its end a hemisphere
or a portion of a hemisphere, the radius of the round part formed in the end of
the spindle being the distance from the face of the grinding wheel a to the
centre line produced vertically of the stud b₁, measured in a horizontal
direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a grinding wheel and means for rotating the same,
of a table capable of being rotated for part of a revolution upon a vertical
axis, the said table carrying supports for a spindle or rod and means for
rotating the said spindle or rod, the vertical axis of rotation of the said
table being in such a position with regard to the said grinding wheel that the
revolution of the latter and of the spindle or rod and the partial (say one quarter)
revolution of the table shall cause the end of the spindle or rod to be ground to the
form of a true part (say half) of a sphere.
2. The combination with a revolving grinding wheel and means for rotating
the same, of a table capable of being rotated for part of a revolution upon an
adjustable vertical axis, the said table carrying supports for the spindle or rod to
be ground and means for rotating the said spindle or rod substantially as herein-
before set forth.
3. The combination with a sliding stand carrying a revolving grinding wheel
and means for rotating the same, of a table capable of being rotated for part of a

page_text: revolution upon an adjustable vertical axis, the said table carrying adjustable
supports for the spindle or rod to be ground and means for rotating the said spindle,
and the said stand being provided with means for moving the grinding wheel in
or out of place in front of the end of the spindle or rod, substantially as herein-
before set forth.
4. The combination with a sliding stand carrying a revolving grinding wheel and
means for rotating the same, of means for sliding the said stand in front of a table
capable of being rotated for part of a revolution upon an adjustable vertical axis,
the said table carrying adjustable supports for the spindle or rod to be ground and
an adjustable bracket carrying a lever upon which are mounted drums around
which a single strap is passed driving the said spindle or rod to be ground
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 10th day of October 1896.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.