CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR PREPARING FLAX, TOW, AND OTHER FIBEROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Nairne, of Aberdalgie, near Perth, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR PREPARING
FLAX, TOW, AND OTHER FIBEROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 24th December 1856, and dated the 9th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Nairne at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
October 1856.
I, WILLIAM NAIRNE, of Aberdalgie, near Perth, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR
PREPARING FLAX, TOW, AND OTHER FIBEROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in doing away with the use of all star wheels, pitched
chains, and spirals or screws which have been and are still used in giving
motion to gill bars or fallers in the preparation of materials requiring the use
of gills; and in addition to this, whether gills are used or not, when the
machine is for roving, I do away with the greater part of the machinery
now used to equalize or regulate the motion of the spindles, and to a great
extent I do away with the use of spindles, unless the apparatus I use for
putting twist on the rove may be called spindles.
The first thing I accomplish by giving motion to the fallers by means of
wipers, either operating directly on the fallers, or operating through the inter-
vention of rocking shafts and levers, which latter mode I find to be better
than the former; thus, in what may be called the bends, as they fill the place
of that portion of the framing of a preparing machine at present called bends,
I make an opening of such a shape as the course in which I intend the fallers

page_text: to move; this is generally a parallelogram, although it may vary from this
shape. The side of this 'opening is the length of what is called the reach, or
such as to hold one faller more than the number in contact with the stuff at
one time; the length of the end of the opening is the thickness or depth of a
faller more than the distance they fall, or rather are let down through. The
forward motion is given to the fallers by a wiper, which is the involute of a
circle, and at each revolution diverges as far from the circle as by the
intervention of the levers and rocking shaft may in the case be required to
forward the fallers as far as the breadth of one of them. The fallers are close
to each other, and slip over a plate which reaches their whole length, sup-
porting them at every point, and thereby allowing them to be much lighter
and more simple than in the machines now in uso; in short, the fallers in this
Invention are nothing more than square bars of such, a strength as the case:
requires. On the rocking shaft, which is used in the forward motion, there is
one arm on which the wiper acts, and two arms, the points of which act upon
the fallers, the wiper makes these last-mentioned arms move through a space
equal to the breadth of a faller, which presses forward all the fallers in contact
with the stuff at one time.. At the fore end of the reach, and immediately
behind the drawing roller, are the letting-down wipers, which are circular
dises, with as much cut off them as when the sinking half of the cut part
comes round to the under side of the fallers, lets them down through the space
required; and to give them time to be pushed back on the under side of their
course, the above-mentioned disc is cut so as to have an abtuse angle at the
middle or right above the centre of the shaft on which it is fixed, and before
this part of the cut rises so as to lift the faller again; two arms from a rocking
shaft push all the fallers below back through as much space as, by the con-
struction of the machine, may be 'required to place the backmost one right
over the lifting wipers. The. lifting wipers are on the same shafts with the
létting-down ones, and are nothing more than arms projecting from the shafts
as far as give the lift required.
When the fallers' are lifted, they are instantly, put in motion forward, and
so on continuously, giving them a constant and uniform motion on the upper
side, but below by an impulse given at the time-required. The shafts on
which the, letting-down and lifting wipers are fixed are at right angles to the
fallers, and it adds to the safe working of the machine to, have wipers imme-
diately above the letting-down.lones to ensure the fallers being down in time
for the action of the arms which push them back;, these wipers need only be
straight arms of a proper length fixed on the naves of stud pinions, driven by
pinions on the wiper shafts below.
:

page_text: When the machine is for roving, I accomplish the improvement in front by
placing a short upright shaft or spindle opposite each sliver delivered by the
drawing roller; these spindles are placed near the lower portion of the frame-
work having their footsteps within a little of the floor on which the machine
stands. They are driven by pinions on the driving shafts working into
pinions on the spindles. On the upper end of these spindles cans are set,
either on discs or holes in the bottoms of the cans to keep the spindles in the
centres of the cans, while a square on the spindle or a pin takes round the
can with it; these cans are fixed at the top to other short spindles, bored at
the upper ends similar to a roving spindle. In cross aruis on the lower ends
of these spindles small rollers are placed, which press against each other, and
between which, after coming through the holes in the top of the spindles,
the roves pass. These rollers are driven by small face wheels, which while.
being carried round by the motion of the cans, work into face pinions fixed and
stationary on the neck brasses in which the spindles work. This mechanism,
and the diameter of the above-mentioned small rollers, are so adjusted as to
cause the surface of these rollers to move at the same speed as the surface of
the drawing roller, thereby keeping the roves from being either too tight.or
too slack. As the roves are produced they drop into the cans, and the motion
of the cans is such as put on the twist required, thus if a can makes one turn
while the drawing roller delivers an inch of rove, there will be one twist on
each inch of rove delivered.
Το
prepare the roves for the spinning frame they require to be wound, and
lest a common winding frame put too great a strain on them, I. place the
bobbins in a horizontal position,. and drive them by a belt or strap; which
strap. at the commencement of the operation works on the barrel of the empty
bobbin, and as 'the bobbin fills it works on the rove; or, if the rove is required
to come off the bobbin as it, does off a cope filled on a 'wool-slobbing billy, I
place the bobbins on upright spindles, and regulate the filling of them by.a
guide in front. These spindles are made to move slow while the rove is being
wound round the large diameter of the cone or. cope, and quicker while it is
being, wound round the smaller; this variable motion is. given by discs .on a
horizontal shaft working on discs under werves or pullies, which werves drive
four spindles each: The horizontal shaft plays backward and forward endways,
causing the discs on it to operate at the outer edge of the discs under the
werves and nearer their centre alternately; by this arrangement tlie winding
of the roves puts no strain on them, save what is put on them by their own
weight rising out of the 'cans. The footsteps of the upright spindles, are
placed upon floats in water, or any other suitable fluid, the buoyancy of these

page_text: floats being such as to bear up the spindles and give a gentle pressure to the
rove while being wound, should any such pressure be wanted. This arrange-
ment allows the spindle to sink or travel downwards as the cope or cone is
filled, and permits the attendants to push down the spindle without any
hindrance while taking the cope of rove off it..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by John Nairne, Son of William Nairne, of Aberdalgie, near Perth, an
Executor appointed by the last Will and Testament of the said William
Nairne, who died 20th January last past, and which said Will was
proved on the 23rd March last, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the.
6th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
Nairne, Son of William Nairne, of Aberdalgie, near Perth, an Executor.
appointed by the last Will and Testament of the said William Nairne, who
died Twentieth of January last past, and which. said. Will was proved on the
Twenty-third March last, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign;
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto the said William
Nairne, Her special licence that he, the said William Nairne, his executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as the said William Nairne, his
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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR
PREPARING FLAX, Tow, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that the said William. Nairne, his executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under his, 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 John Nairne, as such Executor as
aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention consists in doing away with all star wheels, pitched chains,
and spirals or screws which have been and still are used in giving motion to
gill bars or fallers in the preparation of materials requiring the use of gills;
and in addition to this, whether gills are used or not, when the machine is used
for roving, I do away with the greater part of the machinery now used to
equalize or regulate the motion of the spindles, unless the apparatus I use for
putting twist on the rove may be called spindles. The first thing I accomplish
by giving motion to the fallers by means of wipers, either operating directly on
the fallers, or operating through the intervention of rocking shafts and levers;
which latter mode I find to be better than the former; thus, in what may be
called the bends, as they fill the place of that portion of the framing of a
preparing machine at present called bends, I make an opening of such a shape
as the course in which I intend the fullers to move; this is generally a
parallelogram, although it may vary from this shape. The side of this opening
is the length of what is called the reach, or such as to hold one faller more
than the number in contact with the stuff at one time; the length of the end
of the opening is the thickness or depth of a faller more than the distance
they fall, or rather are let down through. The forward motion is given to the
fallers by a wiper A, which is the involute of a circle, and at each revolution
diverges as far from the circle as by the intervention of the levers B and F
and rocking shaft C'as may in the case be required to forward the fallers as
far as the breadth of one of them. The fallers D are close to each other, and
slip over a plate E which reaches their whole length, supporting them at every
point, and thereby allowing them to be much lighter and more simple than in
the machines now in use; in short, the fallers on this machine are nothing
more than square bars of such a strength as the case requires. On the rock-
ing shaft C, which is used in the forward motion, there is one arm B on which
the wiper A acts, and two arms F, the points of which act upon the fallers D:
The wiper A makes these last-mentioned arms move. through a space equal to
the breadth of a faller, which presses forward all the fallers in contact with the
stuff at the same time. At the fore end of the reach, and immediately behind
the drawing roller G, are the letting-down wipers I, which are circular discs,
with as much cut off them as, when the sinking half. of the cut part comes
round to the under side of the fallers, lets them down through the space
required; and to give them time to be pushed back on the under side of their
course; the above-mentioned disc is cut so as to have an obtuse angle at the
middle or right above the centre of the shaft M on which it is fixed, and before

page_text: .
this part of, the cut rises so as to lift the faller again, two arms J, J, from a
rocking shaft K push all the fallers below back through as much space as, by
the construction of the machine, may be required to place the backmost one
right over, the lifting wipers L, L. The lifting, wipers are on the same shafts
M, M, with the letting-down ones I, and are nothing more than arms project-
ing as far from the shafts as give, the lift required. When the fallers are lifted,
they are instantly put in motion forward, and so on continuously, giving them
a constant and uniform motion on the upper side, but below by an impulse,
given at the time required. The shafts M, M, on which the letting down I
and lifting wipers L are fixed, are at right angles to the fallers, and it adds
to the safe working of the machine to have wipers immediately above the
letting down ones,, to insure the fallers being down in time for the action of
the arms J, J, which push them back; these wipers need only be straight
arms of a proper length fixed on the naves of stud pinions N driven by pinions
Oon the wiper shafts.below.
1
When the machine is for roving, I accomplish the improvement in front
by placing a short upright shaft or spindle P opposite each sliver delivered
by the drawing roller G. These spindles are placed near the lower portion
of the framework, having their footsteps within a little of the floor on
✓ the machine stands; they are driven by pinions, Q on the, driving
shafts working into pinions R on the spindles. On the upper ends of
these spindles cans S are, sct, either on discs or, holes in the bottoms, of
the cans to keep the spindles in the centres of the cans; while a square on
the spindle or a pin takes round the can with it. These cans are fixed at the
top to other short spindles T, bored at the upper ends' similar to a roving
spindle. In cross arms U, at the lower ends of these spindles, small rollers V.
are placed, which press against each other, and between which, after coming
through the holes in the top of the, spindles, the roves pass. The. rollers are
driven by small face wheels W,, which, while being carried, round by: the
motion of the cans S,, work into face pinions fixed and stationary on the neck
brasses in which the spindles work. This mechanism, and the diameter of
the above-mentioned small rollers, B, are so adjusted as to cause the surface of
these rollers to move at the same speed, as the surface of the drawing roller G,
thereby keeping the roves from being either too tight or too slack. As the
roves, are produced they drop into the cans S, and the motion of the cans is
as to put on the twist, required; thus, if a, can makes one turn while the
drawing roller delivers an inch of rove, there will be one twist on each inch
of rove delivered..
such
:
-41
To prepare the roves for the spinning frame they require to be wound,

page_text: and least a common winding frame put too great a strain on them, I
place the bobbins in a horizontal position, and drive them by a belt or strap,
which strap, at the commencement of the operation, works on the barrel of
the empty bobbin, and as the bobbin fills it works in the rove; or, if the
rove is required to come off the bobbin as it does off a cop filled on a wool-
slubbing billey, I place the bobbins on upright spindles, and regulate the
filling of them by a guile in front. These spindles are made to move slow
while the rove is being wound round the large diameter of the can or cop, and
quicker while it is being wound round the smaller; this variable motion is
given by discs on a horizontal shaft working on discs under warves or pullies,
which warves drive four spindles each. The horizontal shaft plays backward
and forward endways, causing the discs on to operate at the outer edge of the
discs under the warves, and nearer their centre alternately; by this arrange-
ment the winding of the roves put no strain on them, save what is put on
them by their own weight rising out of the cans. The footsteps of the upright
spindles are placed upon floats in water, or any other suitable fluid, the buoyancy
of these floats being such as to bear up the spindle and give a gentle pressure
to the rove while being wound, should any such pressure be wanted. This
arrangement allows the spindle to sink or travelled downwards as the cop or
cone is filled, and permits the attendant to push down the spindle without any
hindrance while taking the cop of rove off it.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, I would have it
understood that no claim is made to any of the mechanical parts separately;
but what I claim are the means herein described of combining the several
mechanical parts herein mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Nairne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. THOMSON, of Dundee,
in the County of Forfar, Scotland,
Writer.
JOHN NAIRNE. (L.S.)