IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, MANILLA, WOOL, AND LIKE. FIBROUS MATERIAL, AND FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF 'TOPPED-UP,' 'FORMED,' OR 'L'AID
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Ronald, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, MANILLA, WOOL, AND LIKE. FIBROUS
MATERIAL, AND FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF 'TOPPED-UP,' 'FORMED,' OR 'L'AID'
T
Sealed the 20th May 1862, and dated the 25th November 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Ronald at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th November 1861.
I, JAMES RONALD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY USED FOR SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, MANILLA, WOOL, AND LIKE FIBROUS
MATERIAL, AND FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TOPPED UP,' 'FORMED' OR 'LAID'
THREAD, TWINE, CORD, LINE, CABLE, AND OTHER CORDAGE," to be as follows (that.
is to say):-
This Invention relates to improvements in the machinery used for spinning
yarn from hemp, flax, manilla, wool, or other like long fibrous material, and
for manufacturing the same into thread, twine, and cordage in general, and
which are applicable mainly to certain machinery invented by the applicant
for the objects specified, and for which Her most Gracious Majesty was pleased
to grant Letters Patent, numbered 2910, dated 20th December 1858,
No. 777, dated 26 March 1860, No. 2952, dated 1st December 1860,
No. 2933, dated 23rd December 1858, No. 412, dated 15th February 1860,
and also to an Invention for which Provisional Protection has been obtained,

page_text: bearing date 30th May 1861, and No. 1352, and consist, firstly, in improve-
ments in the flyers and spindles of take-up bobbins, that is to say, the bobbins
which receive as manufactured the yarn, strands, or finished cordage, as the
case may be, and consists in imparting to the flyer a reciprocating motion, on
its axis in place of the bobbin, as heretofore, for the purpose of causing the
yarn, strand, or finished cordage to be laid evenly along the bobbin, to accom-
plish which the bobbin and flyer spindles are formed in one piece, and suffi-
ciently long to allow the flyer (which is mounted on one end thereof) to slide
longitudinally on its axis the required distance, and to form the axle of the
take-up bobbin. The spindle at one end is formed square, and slips into a
square hole in the end of the axle of a driving pulley, from which it receives
rotary motion; the reverse or flyer end of the spindle is round, and revolves
in a metal cap, which is held in position by a suitable metallic strap or collar.
This metal bearing cap may be formed cylindrical or polygonal sided, and
held in position in its seat by a small transverse pin. The yarn, strand, or
partially formed cordage passes through a hole in the bearing cap on the flyer
end of the spindle, and through a hole in the head of the flyer spindle, and out
on one side thereof, a little below the bearing, and thence through a hole in a
collar on the shank of the flyer to the flyer arm, and on to the take-up bobbin.
The upper end of the spindle upon which the flyer slides is constructed with
a longitudinal feather or rige piece, which takes into a slut cut in the internal
face of the hollow shank of the flyer, to cause it to revolve with the spindle,
and the shank of the flyer is provided with a circular collar or wheel, the
edge of which is grooved to receive the ends of a forked arm, or a strap, or a
garter piece, or a suitably shaped lever, through which is imparted to the
flyer a reciprocating motion on its longitudinal axis from a revolving shaft,
baving a right hand screw and a left hand screw cut thereon, and to which it
is attached by a nut or traveller, as is well understood and set forth in the
Specification of Patent No. 2952, dated 1st December 1860, as applied to
impart a reciprocating motion to the take-up bobbin.
When a number of spinning or "topping-up" machines are worked in
conjunction, it is proposed to attach the inner ends of the forked-arms-or-
straps or garter pieces or bent lever used for communicating a reciprocating
motion to the flyer to one bar which has a reciprocating motion imparted to
it by means of a pair of double intersecting screw shafts, as described.
And, secondly, applying to machines for spinning, from the band or from a
sliver or roving, such as are described in the Specifications of Patents, Number
777, and dated 26th March 1860, and Number 2952, dated 1st December
1860, of a rectangular or other suitably shaped frame, revolving on hollow

page_text: axles similar to those described in the Specification of the last named Patent,
but in place of using V-grooved drawing rolls, a fluited roller, and a roller faced
with leather, india-rubber, or other, elastic or semi-elastic material or combina-:
tion of material, revolving in contact, or nearly in contact with each other, are,
substituted for the purpose of insuring a uniform draw. These pair of drawing
rollers are mounted one above the other on paralell transverse shafts, having
their bearings on the sides of the revolving frame,-and-are-caused-to-revolve
on their own axis by a mitre wheel staked on one of their transverse shafts,.
which gears into a fixed toothed collar staked on to the inner end of the outer:
fixed-hollow trunnion, upon which the frame rotates. When this last-men--
tioned arrangement is used for the purposes of smoothing and rounding the
yarn, it is preferred, to carry it through a spring forming or drawing tube,
before the after turn is put in by the flyer of the take-up bobbin:
And, lastly, I would remark that recently, by way of further practically testing.
the utility of the frame revolving on hollow trunnions, and carrying the transverse
shafts, upon which are fixed the V-grooved, drawing rolls,, and so forth, as,
herein-before referred to, that by way of experiment was applied in an hori-
zontal position to a machine constructed according to the description given in
the Specification of Patent No. 2933, dated 23rd December, 1858, between
the vertical yarn or strand, supply bobbin frames, spindles, and the flyer. of
the take-up bobbin for the purpose of laying the strands or yarns together,.
and putting in the first portion of the twist or "half hard" previous to the
after turn or "hard" being put in by the flyer of the take-up bobbin; the-
result of which experiment was, that a much better result was obtained than
had been prior to the introduction of the revolving frame and its adjuncts,
the quality being superior, and quantity greater than had been previously:
obtained
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James. Ronald in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th May, 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES,
RONALD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send,
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
5 Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our.
Eord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Ronald, Her special licence that I, the said James Ronald,.
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said:
James Ronald, 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 MACHINERY USED FOR SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, MANILLA, WOOL, AND
LIKE FIBROUS MATERIAL, AND FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TOPPED UP,' FORMED,' OR
LAID' THREAD, TWINE, CORD, LINE, CABLE, AND OTHER CORDAGE," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said James Ronald, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 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 Ronald, 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 (that is to say):-
This my said Invention relates to improvements in the machinery used for
spinning yarn from hemp, flax, manilla, wool, or other like long fibrous
material, and for manufacturing the same into thread, twine, and cordage in
general, and which improvements are applicable mainly to certain machinery
invented by me for the objects specified, and for which Her most Gracious
Majesty was pleased to grant Letters Patent numbered 2910, dated 20th,
December 1858, numbered 777, dated 26th March 1860, numbered 2952,
dated 1st December 1860, numbered 2933, dated 23rd December 1858,
numbered 412, dated 15th February 1860, and numbered 1352, bearing
-date-30th May 1861, and consist, firstly, in improvements in the flyers and
spindles of take-up bobbins, that is to say, the bobbins which receive the
yarn (as manufactured) strands, or finished cordage, as the case may be, and
consists in imparting to the flyer a reciprocating motion on its axis, in place
of to the bobbin, as beretofore, for the purpose of causing the yarn, strand,
or finished cordage to be laid evenly along the bobbin, to accomplish which
I construct the bobbin and flyer spindles in one piece, and sufficiently long to
allow the Byer (which is mounted on one end thereof) to slide longitudinally on
its axis.the required distance, and form the axle of the take-up bobbin. The

page_text: spindles at one end I prefer to form square, and slip into a square hole in the
end of the axle of a driving pulley, from which it receives rotatory motion, the,
reverse or flyer ends of the spindle is round, and revolves in a metal cup, which
is held in position by a suitable metallic strap or collar. This metal bearing;
cup may be formed cylindrical, or polygonal sided, and held in position in its
seat by a small transverse pin. The yarn, strand, or partially formed cordage
passes through a hole in the bearing cup, on the flyer end of the spindle, and
through a hole in the head of the flyer spindle, and out at one side thereof a little
below the bearing, and thence-through a hole in the collar on-the-shank of
the flyer to the flyer arm and on to the take-up bobbin. The upper end of the;
spindle upon which the flyer slides, I construct with a longitudinal feather;
or ridge piece, which takes into a slot cut in the internal face of the hollow.
shank of the flyer to cause it to revolve with the spindle. The shank of the
flyer is provided with a circular, collar or wheel, the edge of which is grooved
to receive the ends of a forked arm or a strap or a garter piece or a suitably.
shaped lever through which I impart to the flyer a reciprocating motion on
its longitudinal axis, by a revolving shaft having a right-hand screw and.
a left-hand screw cut thereon, and to which it is attached by a nut or traveller,
as is well understood and set forth in the Specification of Patent No. 2952,
dated 1st December 1860, as applied to impart a reciprocating motion to the
take-up bobbin. .:
:
P
When a number of spinning. or topping-up machines are worked in con-.
junction, I propose to attach the inner ends of the forked arms, or straps, or
garter pieces, or bent lever used for communicating a reciprocating motion to
the flyer to one bar which has a reciprocating motion imparted to it by means;
of a pair of double intersecting screw shafts, as described.
.
And, secondly, applying to machines for spinning from the hand, or from a
sliver, or roving, such as I have described in the Specification of Patents
Number 777, dated 26th March 1860, and Number 2952, dated 1st December
: 1860; of a rectangular or other suitably shaped frame, revolving on hollow
axles similar to that described in the Specification of the last named Patent;
but in place of using V-grooved drawing rolls, I apply a pair of fluited rollers,
or rollers faced, with leather, india-rubber, or other elastic, semi-elastic,
material, or combination of materials, revolving in contact, or nearly in contact
with each other, as a substitute for the V-grooved rollers described, for the
purpose of insuring a uniform draw. These pair of drawing rollers I mount
one above the other on parallel transverse shafts, having their bearing on the,
sides of the revolving frame, and are caused to revolve on their own axis by a
mitre wheel staked on one of their transverse shafts, which gears into a fixed.

page_text: toothed collar staked on to the- inner end of the outer fixed hollow trunnion
upon which the frame rotates. When this last-named arrangement is used
for the purpose of smoothing and rounding the yarn, I prefer to carry it
through a spring förming or draw tube before the after turn is put in by the
flyer of the take-up 'bobbin.
And, lastly, I would remark, that recently, by way of further practically
testing the utility of the frame revolving on hollow trunnions, and carry-
ing the transverse shafts, upon which are fixed the V-grooved drawing
rolls, and so forth, herein-before referred to, that by way of experiment, I'
applied the arrangement in a horizontal position to a machine constructed.
according to the description given in the Specification of Patent No. 2933.
dated 23rd December 1858, between the vertical yarn or strand supply bobbin
frames, spindles, and the flyer of the take-up bobbin, for the purpose of laying
the strands or yarns together, and putting in the first portion of the twist, or
"half hard" previous to the after turn or "hard" being put in by the flyer of
the take-up bobbin. The result of which experiment was, that a much better
result was obtained than had been prior to the introduction of the revolving
frame and its adjuncts, the quality being superior, and the quantity greater:
than I could obtain previous to the alteration of the machine.
That these, my said improvements, may be the more readily seen and
understood, I have hereunto annexed Drawings in partial illustration of one'
of-niy improved spinning machines, and one of my improved topping' machines
for the manufacture of twine, to which are applied my Invention constituting.
the subject of this my present and latest improvements thereon. Like letters
and figures marked on the Drawing are used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of so much of one of my improved spinning
machines as is requisite to show the practical application thereto of these my
present and latest improvements; Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional
view of the drawing rolls and frame of the spinning machine; and Figure 3
is a side elevation of one of my improved topping machines, with vertical feed
bobbins and vertical flyer and take-up bobbin, in which I have substituted for
the drawing rollers (heretofore revolving on fixed bearings) V-grooved or other
suitably shaped-drawing-rollers on axles mounted across a revolving-frame,-by-
which I am enabled to draw off and put into the yarns or strands the "half
hard or first part of the "hard," the remainder of the lay to form the cord;
being put in by the flyer; which revolves at a greater speed than the revolving
drawing roll frame.
A, stationary framework of the machines; B (Figures 1 & 2) is a revolving
metal frame, which carries C, a small fluited roller mounted loosely between-

page_text: the jaws of,D, a fixed bracket springing from the inner side of the bell-shaped
frame (B); E, a second fluited, drawing roller mounted or formed on F,.a
transverse axle, upon which is staked G, a mitre wheel, which gears into H,
a fixed toothed collar, which surrounds I, a fixed hollow axle, upon which the
frame (B) revolves, and through which the fibre is fed by hand from the waist
of the operator, or from a roving or sliver; K, an horizontal, driving shaft,
which forms the inner axle of the revolving frame (B), and the flyer and take-
up bobbin spindle; L, driving pulley on the shaft (K); M, the flyer formed
with an enlarged, head, which has, a groove cut round it to receive the
gartering of N, an horizontal transverse clutch arm springing from O, an
horizontal sliding bar, to which a reciprocating motion is imparted through P,
a revolving shaft, which has a right and left-handed screw cut in it,.and into
which takes a swivelling stud, fitted with Q, a reciprocating travelling collar;
R; driving pulley on screw shaft, which receives motion from the main shaft
through an endless band; S, the fibre; which is fed through the hollow fixed
axle (1); T; the partially formed yarn, which is carried through a hole in the
inner axle of the revolving frame (B) and through a hole in the side of the
driving pulley (L), and through a hole in the side of the bearing of the shaft (K),
which is enlarged for that purpose, and through the flyer head and nose on to U,
the take-up bobbin, which receives the finished. yarn as spun; V,.a groove on
the lower flanch of the bobbin, to receive a friction strap; W (Figure 3), the
vertical yarn bobbins, mounted in X, flyer frames, which revolve in the opposite
direction to Y, the flyer of Z, the take-up bobbin, which receives the topped
cord as finished. a (Figure 3) is a rectangular frame revolving on its longitu-
dinal hollow axles; b, a fixed tube, passing through the inner hollow axle of
the revolving frame, and. which is surrounded by (C), -a fixed toothed collar,
into which gears (d) a mitre wheel on (e), à transverse shaft, upon which is
mounted (f) the first V-grooved drawing roller; and (9) is a second transverse
shaft, upon which is staked (h) the second V-grooved drawing roller, which is
free to revolve on its axis; 2, revolving bars, over which passes (j) the yarn,
which is carried forward through (6) the fixed tube, which passes through the
hollow axle of the revolving frame and over the V-grooved pullies (f and h),
and out through the reverse hollow axle of the revolving frame, and down over
(k) a guide, and thence through the flyer arm on to the take-up bobbin (Z);
1, mitre gear for driving rectangular frame carrying the V-drawing rollers.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said In-
vention, and how I believe the several improvements may be best carried out, I
wish it to be understood, that I do not confine myself to the precise details,
relative proportions, or dimensions of the several parts herein-before described

page_text: and set forth, as it will be readily seen that the same may be considerably
varied, without departing from the Invention; but what I claim is,-
First, the peculiar arrangement and use of a pair of drawing or nipping
rollers, mounted parallel and in close proximity to each other within a
revolving frame when applied to spinning machines, substantially and in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth, or any
mere modification thereof.
Secondly, giving a reciprocating motion to the flyer of the take-up yarn
bobbins of the spinning machines, as described, and the peculiar arrangement
of parts for accomplishing the same, substantially and in the manner and for
the purpose herein-before described and set forth, or any mere modification of
the same.
And, lastly, the use of the horizontal revolving drawing roller frame and its
adjuncts for putting in the first part of the lay when applied to topping
machines, having the yarn or strand bobbins and the take-up bobbin arranged
vertically, in the manner and for the object herein-before described and set
forth, or any mere modification of the same.
. In witness whereof, I, the said James Ronald, have hereunto set my hand
⚫ and affixed my seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
JAMES (L.S.) RONALD.