IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS SUB- STANCES.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Cotton, of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS SUB-
STANCES.'
"
Sealed the 31st August 1875, and dated the 6th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Cotton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th March 1875.
I, STEPHEN COTTON, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland,
Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
" IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
"
"
These improvements relate to the machine called the "roving frame,"
and have for their object to join or twist together two or more slivers
at the front of the said roving frame, which object is attained either by
means of a doubling plate (such as is used in the " drawing frames,"

page_text: or on entering the mouth of the "roving flyer," the ends of such slivers
being then all twisted together into "rove."
The usual custom, where more than one rove is used, is to join such
roves at the spinning frame, but by my present improvement I join the
roves at the front of the roving frame, and thus not only dispense with a
large number of roving spindles and flyers, and of rove bobbins at the
spinning frame, but produce a stronger rove to pass through the warm
water troughs, with less liability to break down during its passage from
the rove bobbin to the drawing rollers of the spinning frame.
In the present roving frames there is a spindle and flyer to every
sliver. By my present improvement two or more slivers are required to
cach spindle and flyer; it therefore becomes necessary to economise the
space occupied by such slivers, and which I accomplish by a new method
of weighting or levering the front pressing rollers of the roving frame,
whereby less space is occupied. In the present method of weighting
the front pressing rollers the axle thereof is mounted or supported at its
extremities in bearings or slots, which bearings are carried by arms
projecting from what is generally known as the V bar, the pressure on
the middle of the said axle being applied by a pendent or hanger and
lever in the ordinary way.
In my improved method I dispense entirely with the V bearings or
slots for supporting the axles of the pressing rollers, and substituto
therefor a lever, which is arranged to act on the middle of the said axle,
ono end of such lever being secured by a rod passing through the same,
and to the other end of the said lever a tension rod and lover are attached
for putting the required pressure upon the said axle.
The aforesaid lever acting on the middle of the axle not only gives the
necessary pressure to the rollers, but by being accurately fitted into the
neck or middle of the axle keeps the said axlo in its proper position
during the process of drawing the sliver through the gills.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Stephen Cotton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
COTTON, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Ironfounder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty- year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, tho said Stephen Cotton, Her
special licence that I, the said Stephen Cotton, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Stephen Cotton, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agreo 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 Channol Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stephen
Cotton, my executors or administrators, 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 tho 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 Stephen Cotton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
These improvements relate to the machine called the "roving frame,"
and have for their object to join or twist together two or more "slivers"
of flax, hemp, jute, cotton, and the like fibrous substances at the front
of such roving frame, either by means of a doubling plate, as used in

page_text: Cotton & improvements in machinery for Preparing LiAX, GC,
drawing frames, or by simply joining or uniting the slivers before entering
the mouth of the roving flyer, when the said slivers are twisted together
into one rove.
In order that my said Invention may be more fully and more clearly
understood, and be more readily performed, I now proceed to explain
the same with the aid of the accompanying Drawing, which forms part
of this Specification, reference being made thereto by the numerals and
letters marked thereon, and which reference applies to each Figure of
the said Drawing where the same index numerals and letters appear.
Figure 1 shows the front part of an ordinary flax roving frame with
my improvements.
Figure 2 is a plan of the front part of the roving frame, and shews the
uniting of the two slivers at the mouth of the flyer.
Figure 3 shews the old method by which the top drawing rollers are
held in position during the process of working.
a, a', are the top and bottom rollers, which draw the sliver through
the gills b; c, c, are two rows of spindles and flyers which receive the
slivers & from the drawing rollers a, a', and having given the said slivers
a slight twist wind them on to the bobbins d as one rove or loosely
twisted sliver.
8
In the present roving frames there is a spindlo and flyer to every
sliver. By my present improvements for every spindle and flyer two or
more slivers issue from the drawing rollers for the purpose of being
twisted together and wound on the same bobbin. The advantages
arising from this improvement are that where the double rove system is
employed I only require one-half the number of roving spindles and
flyers, and one-half the roving bobbins at the back of the spinning frame,
and thus economise space.
The usual custom, where more than one rove is used, is to join such
roves at the spinning frame, but by my present improvements I join the
roves at the front of the roving frame, and thus not only dispense with a
large number of roving spindles and flyers, and also of rove bobbins at
the spinning frame, but on twisting two or more roves together I produce
a stronger rove, which holds better together in passing through the warm
water preparatory to being drawn out and spun into yarn.

page_text: Having shewn that by my improved roving frame I effect a con-
siderable saving of spindles, flyers, and bobbins, and consequently the
space occupied by them, I now proceed to explain how I economise the
space required for the drawing of the slivers through the gills b.
By the old method the U or slot f is attached to the ordinary U
bar e, which slot receives and supports the extremities of the axle g of
the top drawing roller a. The pressure on the said axle g is applied in
the middle thereof by a pendent or hanger and lever in the usual way.
:
In my improved method of supporting and pressing the top drawing
rollers a I dispense with the 's or slots and also with the extremities
of the axle which are supported thereby, and in lieu thereof employ a
lever 7, having a neck or journal ½ accurately fitted to the middle of the
said axle g. One end of this lever is held in position by the rod i, and
to the other end thereof a tension rod j is attached, which is again acted
on by the lever and weight k³ giving any required pressure betwixt
the drawing rollers a, a². The rod i is so placed that, in the event of
the top roller being reduced in diameter, the centre of the axle g falls
towards the centre of the bottom drawing roller a¹ in a direction suffi-
ciently near to a straight line for all practical purposes, the neck or
joint h of the lever being fitted accurately in the middle of the axle g
not only round the said axlo but laterally, so that when the pressure from
the tension rod jis applied the lever keeps the said axle in its proper
position whilst the sliver is being drawn through the gills b.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the method of performing the same, I wish it to be
understood that I do not claim as new the joining or twisting of two or
more slivers together, and winding the same on one bobbin, but I claim
as my Invention and desire to secure by the before mentioned in part
recited Letters Patent,―
The arrangement of spindles and flyers and other parts of roving frames
so that two or more slivers go to each spindle and flyer for the purpose
of being twisted together and wound on to one and the same bobbin.
Also, the novel arrangement and method whereby the U's or slots
for supporting the ends of the axle of the top drawing roller are dispensed

page_text: with, and great economy of space thereby secured; all substantially as
herein described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Cotton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.