IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WARPING, SIZING OR DRESSING, AND WINDING ON YARNS OR THREADS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Walmsley and Thomas Howard, both of
Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WARPING, SIZING OR DRESSING, AND
WINDING ON YARNS OR THREADS."
Sealed the 5th March 1858, and dated the 15th September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Walmsley and
Thomas Howard at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 15th September 1857.
We, JOHN WALMSLEY and THOMAS HOWARD, both of Accrington, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WARPING, SIZING OR DRESSING,
AND WINDING ON YARNS OR THREADS," to be as follows:-
Instead of a circular spiral spring we elongate the form, departing from the
circle, so as to form dents or coiled teeth of sufficient length to conduct the
unsized threads or yarn upon the warpers' beams, which helical springs are
capable of expanding and contracting to any desired length, and to any given
number of ends or threads that are to be put on the beam. The said dents or
teeth so formed by the spring are mounted on a frame, thus forming what
are technically called front warping combs.

page_text: We also apply the said improved spring dents or teeth so mounted, to
the sizing or dressing machine, to conduct the sized yarn or threads upon the
weavers' beams, previous to being woven into cloth. In this machine the
apparatus contracts and expands to any desired width of the weavers' beam,
which apparatus is also applicable to the winding-on process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Walmsley and Thomas Howard in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 13th March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
WALMSLEY and THOMAS HOWARD, both of Accrington, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Walmsley and Thomas Howard, Her special licence that
we, the said John Walmsley and Thomas Howard, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Walmsley and
Thomas Howard, our 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WARPING, SIZING OR DRESSING, AND WINDING
ON YARNS OR THREADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Walmsley and Thomas Howard, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 Walmsley, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Thomas Howard, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say) :--
We employ an improved spring comb to guide the yarn or warp threads to

page_text: the warp beam, and also to the winding-on process, which we make of an elon-
gated form, instead of the ordinary circular spiral spring, departing from the
circle, so as to form dents or coiled teeth of sufficient length to conduct the
threads upon the beam. We mount the said elongated spring comb on a frame,
made to expand or contract as desired by means of the combined action of a
right and left handed screw, or a single screw connected to a band passing over
a pulley. We make the said comb by lapping wire on a bar or maundril of a
flat, oval, or wedge shape or form, thus obtaining the proper form or shape of
dent for guiding the threads.
We also mount on suitable framework one or more, spiral springs, so as to
admit of dents being placed vertically in every first, second, third, or other
division of the spring, as circumstances may require; the dents being capable
of expansion or contraction by the well-known elastic property of the spring:
The dents of the comb may also be set in ribs of gutta percha or other tough
material, so as to be able to bend or unbend the comb to any width of the
beam flanges.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and the letters of reference thereon, in which
Fig. 1 is an elongated spiral spring with the connections and screws for
acting upon it; Fig. 2, an end view, shewing the frame and the shape of the
spring; Fig. 3, a section of the same; and Figs. 4 and 5, other shapes of the
spring and framing.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, a represents the elongated spring attached to the two
nuts b, having the right and left handed screws passing through them, the
said screws forming part of the shaft or spindle c, which is supported in the
bearings d of the frame e. At one end of the shaft is the wheel or handle f,
for the purpose of giving leverage, so that when it is turned either way, the
screws extend or contract the space between the nuts, and consequently expand
or contract the spring, thereby adapting it to various widths between the
flanges of the warp beams.
In Figs. 4 and 5 we shew other forms of spring, which it is evident can be
varied to an indefinite extent.
In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 we represent the application of dents between circular
springs, the said dents g being placed in any division of the springs h, according
to the operations required.
In Fig. 6 we shew a band, one end passing over a pulley and the other
connected to a screw for the purpose of expanding and contracting the springs
and dents.
In Fig. 9 we shew the dents k placed in the frame 1 of gutta percha or

page_text: other tough substance, which can be bent and unbent by means of the right
and left handed screws m.
Having thus fully described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we desire it to be distinctly understood,
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein set forth, as such
may be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof; but
we claim as our Invention, and which to the best of our knowledge and
belief has not been hitherto used within the realm,-
First, the elongated spiral spring made by lapping wire on a flat, oval, or
wedge-shaped bar, for the purpose of forming a proper shaped dent to guide
the warp threads to the warp beam.
Secondly, the application and arrangement of one or more spiral springs
in a framework to admit of dents or wraith teeth in the springs.
And, thirdly, setting the dents in ribs made of gutta percha or other tough
substance, as such improvements are herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Walmsley, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Thomas Howard, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named John Walmsley, in the presence of
JOHN WALMSLEY. (L.B.)
G. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.