IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND WEAVING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fletcher, of Facit, near Rochdale, in the
County of Lancaster, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND WEAVING COTTON, WOOL, AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 9th October 1855, and dated the 11th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fletcher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
April 1855.
I, JAMES FLETCHER, of Facit, near Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND WEAVING COTTON, WOOL
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention refers to machines for spinning of the
character of that known as the "mule," and relates, firstly, to mechanism for
collecting, cleaning, or clearing from the top of the carriage, and the face
of the roller beam, "fly" or short fibres thrown off from the threads in
the process of spinning; and it consists in a combination and arrangement
of two clearers or rollers, one of which collects fibres from the roller

page_text: of
beam and the other from the carriage, the two being connected together
by links, both being carried on balanced levers, or other equivalent arrange-
ments, so that they may be allowed periodically to lower and rise, clearing or
cleaning the carriage and roller beam by such movement, the upper clearer or
roller revolving at other times at the upper part of the roller beam. This part
my Invention relates, secondly, to a means of preventing threads that break
in spinning from becoming entangled with the adjoining threads, frequently
causing them also to break or damaging portions of them. It consists in sub-
stituting a comb or an equivalent arrangement in place of the wire of the
counter faller, to form a division between the threads which will pass between
the teeth of the comb, so that when a thread breaks it will be prevented from
lashing upon the other threads as it is drawn on to the spindle.
The second part of my Invention refers principally to power looms for
weaving, and relates to a new application of material and arrangement of
mechanism for the purpose of reducing the wear and tear of pickers, and
mechanism in connection with picking; and consists, first, in a more con-
venient arrangement of the strap employed to break the force of the picker at
each end of its spindle than has hitherto been made, by which arrangement
its advantages are combined with that of a shuttle guard, obtained by forming
the shuttle guard so that that portion of the strap passing between one end
of the picker spindle and the other may pass through a cavity formed in the
shuttle guard, and if required be acted upon by the force of a spring arranged
in the cavity of the shuttle guard, to give the friction which acts as a retarding
force upon the strap. It consists, secondly, in the application of india-rubber,
or a compound of india-rubber and cloth, leather, or other fabric, to accomplish
the purpose of the strap before referred to. In that case the retarding force is
friction upon the strap; in this case it is the elastic force of the india-rubber
which may be considered to be substituted for the middle part of the strap,
each end of the strip of india-rubber being attached to pieces of strap that
pass on to the spindle, the strip of india-rubber being secured to the shuttle
guard or box.
This part of my Invention consists, thirdly, in the application of tubes,
hollow spheres, or other suitable forms of india-rubber, or a compound of india-
rubber with leather, cloth, or other substances placed upon the picker spindle
to act as buffers to break the force of the pickers at each end of the spindle. -

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JAMES
FLETCHER, of Facit, near Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand cight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Fletcher, Her especial license that I, the said James Fletcher,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Fletcher, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND WEAVING COTTON, WOOL,
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Fletcher, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of tho said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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 James Fletcher, 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 and accompanying Drawing (that is to say):-
My Invention refers, firstly, to machines for spinning of the character of
that known as the "mule," and relates to arrangements which will in a great
measure prevent the threads that break during the process of spinning from
getting entangled with the adjoining threads, frequently causing them also to
break, or damaging portions of them. It consists in substituting a comb or
equivalent arrangement in place of the wire of the counter faller, so as to form
a division between the threads which pass into the spaces or between the
teeth of the comb, so that when a thread breaks, it will be prevented from
lashing upon the other threads as it is drawn on to the spindle.

page_text: This explanation is illustrated by the Sheet of Drawing annexed hereunto
in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
Fig. 1 is a sectional view, shewing relative positions of the rollers (a),
carriage (6), spindles (c), and fallers (e), of a mule spinning machine. Fig. 2,
side view of counter faller (e'), having comb (e²) substituted for wire, longi-
tudinal view of a portion of which is shewn by Fig. 3. The best position for
the counter faller when spinning is that in which the threads will pass through
the centre of the hole in the comb forming the bottom of the spaces, in the
manner represented by Fig. 1. In applying the comb fallers, which may be
made in convenient lengths and secured together, the holes in the "sickles" (e¹)
will only require to be made into slots, as shewn (see Fig. 2) for the comb
fallers to pass through; they may have screw threads formed at their ends, and
be tightened up in the same manner as the ordinary wire fallers.
My Invention refers, secondly, to power looms for weaving in which the
pickers work on spindle guides, and relates to an arrangement of mechanism
for the purpose of reducing the wear and tear of "pickers" and niechanisın
connected therewith. It consists in a more convenient arrangement of the
strap employed to break the force of the picker at each end of its spindle than
has hitherto been used, by which arrangement its advantages are combined with
that of a shuttle guard, obtained by forming the shuttle guard so that that
portion of the strap passing between one end of the picker spindle and the
other may pass through a cavity formed in the shuttle guard, and if required
be acted upon by a spring arranged in the cavity of the shuttle guard, to give
the friction which acts upon the strap as a retarding force.
This arrangement is shewn as applied to a shuttle box in Figs. 4 and 5, the
first being a plan (shuttlo guard in section), and the latter a front view; Figs.
5 and 6 being respectively detached sectional and front views of the shuttle
guard, full size. f, backboard of the shuttle box; g, front guard; h, picker
spindle; k, picker; and k', band connected with the picking arm and picker; m
is the strap employed to break the force of the picker, having each end on the
picker spindle. It passes along the front of the backboard f, and, as before
stated, through a cavity in the part n, secured to the backboard f, forming
the shuttle guard. This will be clearly understood by reference to Figs. 4
and 5. The spring (see Fig. 6), employed to put on the strap (h) the
required friction to retard its movements by pressing it against the back-
board f, is secured at the middle by a rivet to the shuttle guard n. Staples
may be used in place of the part forming the shuttle guard, so as to keep
the strap m against the front of the backboard f, and a spring or other

page_text: means may be arranged to act upon the strap to give the required friction
to retard its movements.
The principal novelty of the arrangement above described consists in
passing the strap along the front of the backboard, as it has been the general
practice hitherto to pass them through holes made through the backboard
and along its back side, being there acted upon by some retarding arrange-
ment, when the simple friction of the strap on the backboard was not found
sufficient.
Since the filing of my Provisional Specification I have discovered that
certain parts described therein will not be useful; I therefore make no
claim in respect to the parts referred to, namely, the parts described in
my Provisional Specification as the first division under the first part of my
Invention; the parts described as the second and third divisions under the
second part of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention, and as secured to
me by the in part recited Letters Patent, -
Firstly, the method and arrangements described herein as the first part of
my Invention, for in great measure preventing the threads which break while
spinning in machines of the character of mules from getting entangled with or
breaking down the adjoining threads.
Secondly, the arrangements described herein as the second part of my
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fletcher, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JAMES FLETCHER. (L.S.)