IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO VARIOUS MACHINES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VARN OR THREAD
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Orr, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Thread Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO VARIOUS MACHINES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF VARN OR THREAD"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Orr at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
June 1858.
I, ROBERT ORR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Thread Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO VARIOUS MACHINES USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF YARN OR THREAD," to be as follows, that is to say :-
The improved apparatus forming the subject of the present Invention is
designed to render uniform the effect of the "drag" or frictional resistance,
by means of which the yarn or thread is wound upon the bobbin in various
machines used in the manufacture of yarn or thread, such as "throstles" and
"doubling frames."
In order that the effect of the frictional resistance may be rendered uniform,
it is necessary that such frictional resistance be gradually increased, as the
quantity of yarn or thread gradually increases on the bobbin, and as its
tensional strain or pull in consequence acts with gradually increasing leverage
to turn the bobbin. In the improved apparatus a comparatively slow and
duly proportioned motion, or a gradually increasing pressure is imparted by
the machine itself to a bar or other piece or pieces so connected with the

page_text: frictional appliance or appliances employed, as by such motion or pressure to
gradually increase their resisting action. The improved apparatus is suscep-
tible of various modifications, and in one of these a slowly traversing bar acts
by means of teeth or otherwise upon wheels lying immediately one beneath
each bobbin, and turning loosely on the slightly projecting brass, in which the
spindle works in the building rail or in a recess in the building rail. The
bobbins may either rest on these wheels, or on supports, contrived to be as
frictionless as possible, whilst the varying friction is applied to each bobbin or
its supporting washer by means of a small cord attached at one end to a pin
projecting up from the wheel below the bobbin, the cord passing thence round
a circumferential groove formed upon the bottom disc of the bobbin or its
supporting washer, and over a rail to a small weight. When the bobbin is
empty, the weighted cord is in contact with only a small portion of the groove,
but as the twisting or spinning and winding proceeds, the slow traverse of the
bar gradually turns round the wheel, and thereby causes the friction cord to
act on a gradually increasing portion of the groove. This will obviously
gradually increase the frictional resistance to the rotation of the bobbin, and
if the motions of the parts are duly proportioned, the increase of resistance
will exactly correspond to the increase in the leverage of the yarn or thread's
pull.
In another modification of the apparatus, friction cords are used as in the
modification just described, each cord being fixed at one end to a stud pro-
jecting up from the building rail, and passing in contact with the groove in
the bottom disc of the bobbin, and thence over a notch in a travelling bar or
rail to the weight, a comparatively slow and duly proportioned motion being
imparted to the bar or rail, in such a was as to cause the friction cord to apply
itself to a gradually increasing portion of the groove round the disc of the
bobbin.
In another modification of the apparatus, two friction cords, proceeding from
onc or separate studs on the building rail, pass one on each side of the grooved
bobbin disc, and are fixed to a roller or bar in such a way that a slow motion
of or a gradually increasing pressure on such roller or bar causes them to
compress or nip the bobbin disc between them with gradually increasing
force.
It will be obvious to the practical spinner that the Invention may be em-
bodied in various other modifications, its essential feature being the application
to certain twisting or spinning machines of a "drag" or frictional resistance,
which increases by self-acting means as the bobbins fill.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Orr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
ORR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Thread Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Orr, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Orr, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Orr, my
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 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE
APPLIED TO VARIOUS MACHINES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF YARN OR THREAD,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Orr, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Robert Orr, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that. is to say :-
"
My said Invention relates to improved apparatus designed to render uniform
the effect of the drag" or frictional resistance, by means of which the yarn
or thread is wound upon the bobbin in various machines used in the manu-
facture of yarn or thread, such as "throstles" and "doubling frames."
In order that the effect of the frictional resistance may be rendered uniform,
it is necessary that such frictional resistance be gradually increased as the
quantity of yarn or thread gradually increases on the bobbin, and as its
tensional strain or pull in consequence acts with gradually increasing leverage

page_text: to turn the bobbin. In the improved apparatus, a comparatively slow and duly
proportioned motion, or a gradually increasing pressure, is imparted by the
machine itself to a bar or other piece or pieces so connected with the frictional
appliance or appliances employed, as by such motion or pressure to gradually
increase their resisting action. The improved apparatus is susceptible of
various modifications, and in one of these a slowly traversing bar acts by
means of teeth or otherwise upon wheels lying immediately one beneath
cach bobbin, and turning loosely on the slightly projecting brass in which the
spindle works in the building rail, or in a recess in the building rail. The
bobbins may either rest on these wheels or on supports contrived to be as
frictional as possible, whilst the varying friction is applied to each bobbin or
its supporting washer by means of a small cord attached at one end to a pin
projecting up from the wheel below the bobbin, the cord passing thence round
a. circumferential' groove formed upon the bottom disc of the bobbin or its
supporting washer, and over a rail to a small weight. When the bobbin is
empty the weighted cord is in contact with only a small portion of the groove,
but as the twisting or spinning and winding proceeds, the slow traverse of the
bar gradually turus round the wheel, and thereby causes the friction cord to
act on a gradually increasing portion of the groove. This will obviously
gradually increase the frictional resistance to the rotation of the bobbin, and if
the motions of the parts are duly proportioned, the increase of resistance will
exactly correspond to the increase in the leverage of the yarn or thread's pull.
In another modification of the apparatus friction cords are used, as in the
modification just described, each cord being fixed at one end to a stud or lug
projecting up from the building rail, and passing in contact with the groove in
the bottom disc of the bobbin, and thence over a notch in a travelling bar or
rail to the weight, a comparatively slow and duly proportioned motion being
imparted to the bar or rail in such a way as to cause the friction cord to apply
itself to a gradually increasing portion of the groove round the disc of the
.bobbin..
.
. J.
In another modification of the apparatus two friction cords proceeding from
one or separate studs on the building rail pass one on each side of the grooved
bobbin disc, and are fixed to a roller or bar in such a way that a slow motion
of or a gradually increasing pressure on such roller or bar causes them to
compress or nip the bobbin disc between them with gradually increasing force.
It will be obvious to the practical spinner, that the Invention may be
embodied in various other modifications, its essential feature being the appli-
cation to certain twisting or spinning machines of a "drag" or frictional
resistance, which increases by self-acting means as the bobbins fill.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood and
carried into effect, I have delineated upon a Sheet of explanatory Drawings
hereunto appended, and shall now proceed to particularly describe two modi-
fications of apparatus, embodying my improved self-acting variable "drag;"
the same reference letters mark the same or like parts on all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figuro 2 is a horizontal section of a.
portion of one side of a "throstle" frame, as fitted with a modification of my
improved "drag" apparatus; a second modification thereof being represented
as fitted to the frame, shown in front elevation in Figure 3, in horizontal
section in Figure 4, and in transverse vertical section in Figure 5. This last
Figure also corresponds to Figure 1, except as far as regards the details of the
"drag" apparatus. In Figures 2 and 4 the section is supposed to be taken
through the middles of the bobbins, and in all the Figures various well-known
details are omitted, as reference to them is deemed unnecessary in explaining
the application of the present Invention. In the modification represented in
Figures 1 and 2, cach bobbin A rests upon a small toothed wheel B, lying
upon the building rail C. To each wheel B there is attached a small weighted
friction cord D, the weighted end of which hangs over a bar or rail E, attached
to the front of the building rail. The friction cord D applies itself to the rim
of the bottom disc of the bobbin A, or to the rim of a washer supporting and
turning with the bobbin, and offers an easily regulated resistance to the
rotation of the bobbin, for the purpose of making this rotation somewhat
slower than that of the flyer to effect the laying or winding of the thread on
the bobbin, as is well understood. To compensate for the increasing effect of
the pull of the thread, as the bobbin fills, the resistance to the rotation of the
bobbin is gradually increased by the application of the friction cord D to a
greater portion of the bobbin disc or washer rim. This increased application.
of the friction cord is obtained by the slow rotation of the wheel B, which
carries one end of the cord round the bobbin. The wheels are in gear with
a rack Flying upon the building rail C, and at one end of the frame this rack
F is in gear with a pinion attached to a ratchet wheel G, which is actuated by
a lever and paul II. An inclined guide I is fixed to.the stationary framing, in
such a position as to actuate the lever and paul H at each rise of the building
rail C. In Figures 1 and 2 some of the bobbins (towards the right hand) are
represented as subjected to the increased application of the friction cord D,
which the contrivances described will effect when the bobbins become filled,
or nearly filled with thread, whilst some of the bobbins (towards the left
hand) are represented as only slightly retarded by the friction cord, as when
they are empty or nearly empty.

page_text: In the modification of apparatus represented in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the
friction cords D are attached to studs or projections at the back of the
building rail C, and pass in contact with the bobbins A or with washers,
supporting them, and over a bar J in front of the building rail to small
weights. The edge of the bar J is notched to afford an easy means of ad-
justing the frictional resistance of any bobbin by shifting the corresponding
cord D from one notch to another. Or for the bar J there may be sub-
stituted a rod carrying adjustable pieces or ferrules, which can be fixed in
any position by pinching screws or otherwise, each ferrule being notched to
receive one of the friction cords. The bar J is carried upon the front of the
building rail C by means of slots and pins, and a slow longitudinal motion is
imparted to it to cause it to draw the cords further round the bobbins (as
shown at the right-hand part of Figures 3 and 4), to increase the frictional
resistance. The longitudinal motion of the bar J is obtained by means of a
ratchet wheel G, connected to it by a link K, and carried by the building rail
C, whilst it is actuated by a lever and pauls II, which at each rise of the
building rail comes in contact with a pin L, carried by the stationary framing.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I have to state that
I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein-before described or
delineated, and that I do not claim to have invented every separate detail
herein-before described or delineated; but that what I believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is, the application and use in "throstles," "
"doubling
frames," and similar twisting or spinning machines of self-acting contrivances,
such as are herein-before described, for applying a "drag" or frictional
resistance to the bobbins, such "drag" increasing as the bobbins fill.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Orr, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-eight.
Witness,
EDMUND IIUNT, Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow.
ROBERT ORR. (L.S.)