IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING FLAX, Tow, AND HEMP
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Whitehead, of the firm of Taylor, Words-
worth, and Company, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine and
Tool Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING FLAX,
Tow, AND HEMP."
Sealed the 29th September 1857, and dated the 3rd April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Whitehead at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd April 1857.
I, THOMAS WHITEHEAD, of the firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, and Company
of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine and Tool Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING FLAX,
Tow, AND HEMP," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the spinning of flax, tow, and hemp where the
ordinary hot-water frame is used. It consists simply in repeating the process
of spinning the material operated upon either twice or several times, instead

page_text: of only spinning it once, as now done; and that in the second, or third, or any
further process of spinning, the flax or other material operated upon should
pass again through hot water, or through cold water only, or otherwise, as may
be found most suitable. By these means I produce a much finer yarn from
the same material than heretofore.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Whitehead in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd October 1857.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WHITEHEAD, of the firm of Taylor, Wordsworth, and Company, of Leeds, in
the County of York, Machine and Tool Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Whitehead, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Whitehead,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Whitehead, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING FLAX,
Tow, AND HEMP," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Whitehead, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the 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 Thomas Whitehead, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "Improvements in Spinning Flax, Tow, and Hemp,"

page_text: relates to that process. of spinning the above-mentioned vegetable fibres in
which the ordinary hot-water frame is used. The present Invention consists.
simply in repeating the process of spinning the material operated upon either
twice or several times, instead of only submitting the fibres to the spinning
operation once, as is now the case. In the second, or third, or any further
process of spinning, the flax or other material operated upon should be made
to pass again through hot water, or through cold water only, or otherwise, as
may be found most desirable. By these means a much finer yarn may be
produced from the same material than heretofore.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn two modes. of arranging a
spinning frame and applying the same to the purposes of my Invention.
Fig. 1 is a sectional diagram of an arrangement for spinning a thicker
roving than usual, and for preparing a yarn to be subsequently spun in the
finer spinning machine, shewn in Fig. 2. In both these Figures a is the
spindle, on which is mounted a bobbin b, as usual; c is the flyer; d, the
drawing rollers; and e, the water box or trough through which the yarn is
made to pass from the spools f. f, above to the drawing rollers d, and from
thence to the flyer c.
In carrying out my Invention, I operate upon a thicker roving than is
generally done, and of course employ spinning apparatus applicable to such
thicker roving, and in any subsequent process of spinning it will also be
understood that a correspondingly finer apparatus must be employed to suit
the flax or other vegetable fibrous material. In some cases I also find it
advantageous for the purposes of this Invention to adapt a spindle and flyer
with a suitable bobbin to gill-drawing frames, or a rotating can, in order to
give the sliver of flax, tow, or hemp a slight twist before undergoing any
subsequent operation; such twisted sliver is afterwards run through gills and
then submitted to the spinning processes above mentioned.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Spinning Flax,
Tow, and Hemp," and having explained the means of carrying the same into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I lay no claim to the mechanical
arrangements herein shewn and described for effecting the objects of my
Invention, nor do I intend to confine myself thereto, as they may, doubtless,
be varied without departing from the nature and object of my improvements;
but that which I consider to be new in the above-described improvements,
and therefore desire to claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent, as aforesaid, is, submitting flax, tow, and hemp, to two or more

page_text: HICA CIAL 237
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Whitehead, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
THOMAS WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed by the said Thomas
Whitehead, in the presence of
J. B. WILKINSON,
11, Albion Street, Leeds.