CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND DOUBLING SILK
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Bostock, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager, and Stephen Greenwood, of the same place, Spindle
Maker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND DOUBLING SILK."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Bostock and
Stephen Greenwood at the Office of the Commissioners of' Patents, with
their Petition, on the 22nd May 1854.
We, CHARLES BOSTOCK, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manager, and STEPHEN GREENWOOD, of the same place, Spindle Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND DOUBLING SILK" to be as follows:-
Our improvements apply, first, solely to the operation of cleaning silk; and,
secondly, both to cleaning and doubling silk.
The novelty in the apparatus for cleaning silk consists in a peculiar con-
struction of the instrument called the "cleaner," commonly employed, and
through which cach fibre of silk passes separately as it is proceeding in winding
upon the bobbins.
I employ. "cleaners" constructed with two small upright round pins or
studs, placed sufficiently close together to only just allow the passage of the

page_text: silk between them, and also so as to arrest the passage of any dirt or extra-
neous matter which may be progressing with the fibres of silk. One of those
pins or studs is made of less diameter than its fellow, but this same diameter
is restored by means of a cap or cover put over the one pin or stud loosely, so
that when so furnished both the pins or studs are of equal diameter; as the
silk passes between them this cap or loose tube will revolve, and thus facilitate
the passage of the thread, as well as cause less wear and tear; and is also
capable of being lifted off the pin when required, and thus facilitate the re-
moval of the dirt, &c. which may have accumulated behind the "cleaners."
Our improvement in the apparatus, which is applicable both in cleaning and
doubling silk, consists simply in fitting a slight elliptical spring on each side of
the "spindles," so that they shall hold the bobbins tightly upon them as
these springs expand and press against the interior or hole in the centre of
the bobbins.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Bostock and Stephen Greenwood in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 22nd November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
BOSTOCK, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manager, and STEPHEN
GREENWOOD, of the samo place, Spindle Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Charles Bostock and Stephen Greenwood, Her especial licence that we, the
said Charles Bostock and Stephen Greenwood, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Bostock and Stephen Greenwood,
our executors, administrators, and 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 tho
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR CLEANING AND DOUBLING SILK," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Charles Bostock and Stephen Greenwood, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and

page_text: 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 we, the said Charles Bostock and Stephen Green-
wood, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement and accompanying Drawing (that is to say):-
Our improvements apply, first, to the operation of cleaning silk; and,
secondly, to doubling silk. The novelty in the apparatus for cleaning silk
consists in a peculiar construction of the instrument called the "cleaner,"
commonly employed, and through which each fibre of silk passes separately
as it is proceeding in winding upon the bobbins. I employ "cleaners" con-
structed with two small upright round pins or studs, placed sufficiently, close
together to only just allow the passage of the silk between them, and also so
as to arrest the passage of any dirt or extraneous matter which may be pro-
gressing with the fibres of the silk. One of those pins or studs is made of
less diameter than its fellow, but this same diameter is restored by means of
a cap or cover put over the one pin or stud loosely, so that when so furnished
both the pins or studs are of equal diameters; as the silk passes between them
this cap or loose tube will revolve, and thus facilitate the passage of the
thread, as well as cause less wear and tear; and is also capable of being lifted
off the pin when required, and thus facilitate the removal of the dirt, &c.
which may have accumulated behind the cleaners.
Secondly, our improvements apply to the apparatus employed in doubling
silk, and consists in fitting a slight elliptical spring on each side of the
"spindles," so that they shall hold the bobbins tightly upon them as those
springs expand, and press against the interior or hole in the centre of the
bobbins; and also the employment of small balance levers, by which the
revolution of any number of bobbins may be checked when a yarn breaks,
and thus the supply to the spindles be stopped; and also the use of a light
lath or rail, "bushed" with brass, giving the necessary rise and fall to the
spools only for "copping" the yarn in lieu of lifting the entire set of spindles.
But in order that our Invention may be the better understood and
explained in detail, we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference being upon similar parts of the machinery or
apparatus; Figs. 1, 2, 8, 9, being made upon a scale of about ten inches
to a foot; Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, being full size; Figs. 10 and 11 being about
half size. Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a cleaning frame with
our improved "cleaner" attached; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same;

page_text: Fig. 3 exhibits a longitudinal elevation of the "cleaner" with the cap or cover
removed; Fig. 4 represents the cap; Fig. 5 illustrates a plan or top view of
the "cleaner." Figs. 1 and 2 fully illustrate the mode of application and
employment of the improved cleaner, but the apparatus itself will be better
understood on reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5. a represents a stationary pin or
stud, and bits fellow, the cap c being removed, and shewn at Fig. 4; the
lower plate d forms a slide for the base plate of the smaller stud or pin b. d is
a screw, working in a stud c, by which the distance or space between the two
pins or studs are regulated. Fig. 6 is an elevation of our improved spindle;
f representing the spindle, and g, g, the elliptical springs. Fig. 8 exhibits a
sido elevation of a doubling frame with our improvements attached; and
Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the same; but the instrument or apparatus
which partly constitutes our improvements will be better understood on re-
ference to Fig. 10, which represents a front elevation, and Fig. 11, which
exhibits a plan view of our apparatus for saving waste, by instantaneously
checking the revolutions of any number of the supply bobbins when a yarn
breaks. h represents a small casting secured on the framing of the doubling
machine, from which rises vertically the guides j, j,-between these projecting
wires.k, k, furnished with eyelets play, and beneath these the balance lever
works, carrying at its heaviest end the small cross pins n, m, and at the other
end branching out into a small arm n, at tho right angle. The
.thread in passing from the supply o (Fig. 8) to the rollers p, p, is encircled
by the cyclet of the projecting wire k, which is clevated by the tension of the
yarn, as shewn in Fig. 8, the heavier or cross pin end of the lever 7 resting
beneath the flyer, the opposite end being proportionately elevated). It will
now be observed, that should the yarn break, the projecting wire k must imme-
diately fall upon the arm n; this extra weight depresses the arm n, and the
opposite end of the lever is at once elevated, presenting or opposing the cross
pins against the flyers and checking the revolution, thereby effecting the saving
of waste. By this arrangement we are enabled to mount single or double
rows of the supply bobbins on the frame; or place them one above the other,
as in a creel, any number of which may be acted upon by an appropriate
arrangement of the cross pins of the lever 1, as hercin-before described. In
Figs. 8 and 9, represents the longitudinal lath or bar, "bushed" with brass,
on which the bobbins rest; the lath or rail may be elevated and depressed,
that is, the "copping" motion effected, by any suitable arrangement of
mechanism, thus dispensing with the necessity of lifting the weight of the
entire set of spindles, as hitherto has been the usual method.
yarn or

page_text: Having thus particularly described the nature of our improvements, and
the manner in which they are to be severally performed and put into practical
effect, we wish it to be particularly understood that we claim,-
mny be
First, the employment, application, and use of a "cleaner," for the purposo
of cleaning silk (on whatever machine or apparatus such "cleaner"
deemed necessary), as herein particularly set forth and described, and fully
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
And, secondly, we claim the employment, application, and use of the elliptical
(or other) springs in conjunction with spindles for the purpose of attaining
steadiness and regularity in the revolution of the bobbins or spools; and
also the particular arrangement of the apparatus for stopping the supply
bobbins as required; and also the longitudinal lath or rail, bushed with brass
or any other suitable metal or material, for the purpose of carrying and lifting
the bobbins, and thereby obtaining a high velocity, as herein particularly
described and set forth, and are fully illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Bostock and Stephen Greenwood,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four.
CHARLES BOSTOCK.
(L.8.)
STEPHEN GREENWOOD. (L.S.)