IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAWING, FINISHING, AND ROVING BOXES USED FOR WOOL, MOHAIR, ALPACA, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Holmes, of the Firm of Fairbank and Holmes, of
Allerton, near Bradford, in the County of York, Spinners and Manufacturers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAWING, FINISHING, AND ROVING
BOXES USED FOR WOOL, MOHAIR, ALPACA, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 4th April 1879, and dated the 19th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Holmes at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th October 1878.
JOHN HOLMES, of the Firm of Fairbank and Holmes, of Allerton, near Bradford,
in the County of York, Spinners and Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRAWING, FINISHING, AND ROVING BOXES USED FOR WOOL, MOHAIR, ALPACA,
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
The object of my Invention is to arrange machines used for drawing, finishing, and
roving wool, mohair, alpaca, or other fibrous materials used in the manufacture of
piece goods, in such a manner that I am enabled to dispense with the use of brushes
or rubbers now used in connection with the top and bottom front rollers of the
various machines before mentioned; also by my Invention I prevent all waste of
the material that is being operated upon, commonly known as brush waste, and the
waste formed by the loose fibres adhering to the flanges of the bobbins on the creels,
and thus produce roving yarn of a more uniform thickness and weight.
I accomplish my object in the following manner:-In front of each pair of top
and bottom front rollers, and in line with the centre of each spindle, I fix a funnel
having a hole bored longitudinally through the centre, and two holes bored through
the side into the longitudinal hole in line with each other and at right angles to the
centre line of the funnel. These funnels are mounted in journals and fixed in such
a position that the continuation of the centre line of each funnel passes between the
top and bottom rollers at the point of contact between the rollers. The funnels
receive rotary motion from an intermediate shaft, mounted in journals that are
Din 621

page_text: secured to the framework of the machine; motion to this shaft is obtained by means
of a strap or gearing in connection with the main driving shaft of the machine or
any intermediate shaft revolving at the proper rate of speed. The material that is
being operated upon is conducted between the top and bottom front rollers, through
the central hole and the two holes through the side of the funnel to the bobbin on
the spindle; the material in passing through the revolving funnels in the manner
described receives such an amount of twist as soon as the same leaves the front
rollers that the fibres at the thin edges of the drawing and finishing slubbing and the
Joose fibres on the roving are twisted round the body of the slubbing or roving, and
thus the loose fibres are prevented from adhering to the front rollers and forming
brush waste, as is the case by the method now in common use.
By manipulating the material in the manner described, and passing the same
through the funnels, the material is compressed, by which means I am enabled to
put more weight on to the bobbins, and thus, in proportion to the increased amount
of weight put upon the bobbins, the number of joinings or piecings will be less,
and consequently a better and more uniform class of yarn is produced from
rovings manipulated in the manner described than can be obtained by the ordinary
method.
By passing the material through the funnels the extra amount of drag required
to draw the same through in combination with the twist obtained between the front
rollers and the funnel compresses the material and makes the slubbing or roving in
the drawing, finishing, or roving boxes more solid, and consequently the loose fibres
do not adhere to the flanges of the bobbins when on the creels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Holmes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th April
1879.
JOHN HOLMES, of the Firm of Fairbank and Holmes, of Allerton, near Bradford,
in the County of York, Spinners and Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRAWING, FINISHING, AND ROVING BOXES USED FOR WOOL, MOHAIR, ALPACA,
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
The object of my Invention is to arrange machines used for drawing, finishing,
and roving wool, mohair, alpaca, or other fibrous materials used in the manufacture
of stuff piece goods in such a manner that I am enabled to dispense with the use of
brushes or rubbers now used in connection with the top and bottom front rollers of
the various machines before mentioned; also by my Invention I prevent all waste
of the material that is being operated upon, commonly known as brush waste,
and the waste formed by the loose fibres adhering to the flanges of the bobbins
when on the creels, and thus produce rovings of a more uniform thickness and
weight.
I accomplish my object in the following manner:-In front of each pair of top
and bottom front rollers, and in line with the centre of each spindle, I fix a revolving
funnel having a hole bored longitudinally through the centre, and two holes bored.
through the side of the funnel into the longitudinal hole in line with each other
and at right angles to the centre line of the funnel. These funnels are mounted in
journals and fixed in such a position that the continuation of the centre line of each
funnel passes between the top and bottom roller at the point of contact between the
rollers. The funnels receive rotary motion from an intermediate shaft mounted in
journals that are secured to the framework of the machine; motion to this shaft is
obtained by means of a strap or gearing in connection with the main driving shaft
of the machine, or any intermediate shaft revolving at the proper rate of speed.
The inaterial that is being operated upon is conducted from the bobbins on the creel.
to between the top and bottom front rollers in the ordinary manner, then through
the central hole and the two holes in the side of the funnel to the bobbin on the
spindle; the material in passing through the revolving funnels in the manner
described receives such an amount of twist as soon as the same leaves the front
rollers that the fibres at the thin edges of the drawing and finishing slubbing and
the loose fibres on the roving are twisted round the body of the slubbing or roving,
and thus the loose fibres are prevented from adhering to the front rollers and forming.
brush waste, as is the case by the method now in common use.
It will be easily understood by practical persons conversant with the preparation
and spinning of fibrous materials used in the manufacture of stuff piece goods that
by the material passing through the rotary funnels in the manner described the
same will obtain such an amount of twist between the front rollers and the funnels,
which twist in combination with the additional drag required to draw the material
through the funnels that the same will be compressed or made more solid, and
consequently more weight of material can be placed upon the bobbins, and in
proportion to the increased weight of material on the bobbins the number of
joinings or piecings will be less, and consequently a better and more even or uniform
thickness of yarn is produced from rovings manipulated in the manner described
than can be obtained by the ordinary method now in common use.
Also by passing the material through the funnels in the manner described, by
which means the loose fibres are twisted round the body of the slubbing or roving
in the drawing, finishing, or roving boxes, and compressed or made more solid.
There are practically no loose fibres to adhere to the flanges of the bobbins when on
the creels and form waste, which waste when gathered by the slubbing, or more
particularly by the roving; the same has a tendency to cause thick places in the
yarn when spun.
7

page_text: Such being the nature and object of this my Invention, I will now proceed to
describe the same more in detail, and in order that the same may be fully understood
I have hereunto annexed one Sheet of Drawings to be hereafter referred to, and
have marked the same with letters of reference.
Figure 1 represents the side elevation of such portions of a slubbing box as are
required to ellucidate my Invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the same; and
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the centre of my revolving funnel. In
all the Figures similar letters represent similar parts.
The framework of the machine is indicated by the letter A, and the material B
that is being manipulated is conducted through the rollers C and carriers D to
between the front rollers E and F in the ordinary manner. After the material B
has passed between the said rollers it enters the funnel G at H and passes through
the holes J and K out at the end of the funnel at L to the bobbin on the spindle.
According to my Invention a separate funnel is fitted to each spindle in drawing,
finishing and roving boxes; these funnels receive rotary motion which can be
transmitted from the main driving shaft or any other intermediate shaft in the
machine revolving at the proper rate of speed. In the Drawings I have shewn a
pulley M mounted on the main driving shaft; around this pulley I place a belt N
which passes round the pulley O which is mounted on a stud screwed to adjustable
stud plate P. In order to regulate the speed of the funnels G to suit the different
lengths of staple of the material that is being operated upon, I secure to the pulley O
a toothed wheel R which gears into wheel S that is mounted on shaft T on which
are fitted a number of pullies U. Around each of these pullies I place a belt V
which passes round the funnels, and thus cause the same to rotate and twist the thin
edges of the drawing or finishing slubbing or loose fibres on the roving round the
body of the slubbing or roving as soon as the same passes from between the front
rollers, and thus the thin edges and loose fibres are prevented adhering to the front
rollers and forming what is generally known as brush waste.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner in which the same may
be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be modified in
detail without departing from the characteristic features of my Invention; 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 of revolving funnels placed between the front rollers and the top
of the spindles in drawing, finishing, and roving boxes, substantially for the purposes
and in the manner herein-before described, and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Holmes, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
duod and caveauber nine