IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROVING AND SLUBBING COTTON AND WOOL
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
SIMPSON, of Southampton Row, Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of June, in the fourth year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard
Simpson, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Richard Simpson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Simpson, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROVING AND
SLUBBING COTTON AND WOOL;". communicated to me by a certain Foreigner
residing in France; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Richard Simpson, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Simpson, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed are fully described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say :-
These Improvements in Machinery for Roving and Slubbing Cotton and
Wool consist in certain novel contrivances to be adapted to machinery for
roving and slubbing cotton and wool, particularly to that construction of
machinery described in the Specification of a l'atent granted the Twenty-
sixth day of February, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, to
David Selden, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, for
an Invention of a "Certain Improvement or Certain Improvements in
Machinery used to give a Degree of Consistency to and to Wind on to to
Bobbins, Barrels, or Spools, Rovings of Cotton and the like Fibrous Sub-
stances," being a communication from a Foreigner residing abroad, the
Specification of which said Invention was duly inrolled in the Office of the
Rolls Chapel, in His Majesty's Iligh Court of Chancery, on or before the
Twenty-sixth day of August, in the same year. Now the Inventions which
form the subject of the present Patent were communicated to me by a
Foreigner then resident abroad, and consist,-
Firstly, in an improved arrangement of apparatus by which the slubbings or
rovings as they descend from the drawing rollers to be wound upon the spools,
bobbins, or barrels, are compressed by a temporary twisting, which is elfected
by passing the slubbings or rovings between the two opposing surfaces of a
travelling endless band.
Secondly, in a novel piece of mechanism, by means of which the bobbins,
spools, or barrels, are traversed to and fro endways, in order to enable the
rovings or slubbings as they wind thereon to be laid in uniform helical coils from
end to end or nearly so of the bobbins, barrels, or spools, (as is usually done by
what is called a copping motion,) with a self regulating apparatus, by means
of which the extent of the traverse is gradually shortened for the purpose of
laying the rovings or slubbings toward the ends of the cylindrical bobbins,
barrels, or spools, in the form of a frustrum of a cone. And,
Thirdly, in the peculiar modification of the rubbing surfaces, described
in the before-mentioned Patent of David Seldon, for the purpose of giving
compactness and tenacity to the rovings or slubbings of cotton or wool.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the completo
machine, in which the first and second features of the improvement are em-
bodied. Figure 2 is an end view of the same. A is the rigger by which the
machine is driven by a band from any first mover, as a steam-engine, water-
wheel, or other power. The rigger A is fixed upon the shaft of the lower

page_text: range or front row of drawing rollers, and at the reverse end of this shaft a
pinion B is attached, which takes into other toothed gear for the purpose of
giving the required rotary motion to the drawing rollers in the ordinary way.
The cotton or wool in the state in which it has been delivered from the pre-
paring machinery is conducted over the cylindrical guide roller C, C, C, and
through the system of drawing rollers D, D, D, in the usual manner, where,
having been elongated, it passes down to the bobbins E, E, E, and is wound
thereon by the means hereafter described. There is a bevel toothed wheel F
aflixed to the end of the axle of the rigger A, which takes into a corresponding
mitre wheel G at the upper part of the vertical shaft II. The lower part of this
shaft also carries a similar bevel toothed wheel I, gearing with a corresponding
mitre wheel K, fixed upon the end of the horizontal shaft L, on which shaft
there is a fluted roller or long pinion M; a toothed wheel N, taking into this long
pinion M, is attached to the axle of a drum or barrel O, mounted in the sliding
frame or carriage P, P, P, and at the reverse end of this frame or carriage a
similar drum or barrel is also mounted, which together conduct a travelling
endless band Q, Q, tightly distended over them for the purpose of effecting the
winding of the rovings or slubbings on to the barrels, bobbins, or spools. And
the carriage is made to slide to and fro to accomplish what is commonly called
copping. In the upper rails of the sliding frame or carriage, both at the back
and front, corresponding series of forks or staples R, R, R, are inserted, in
which the ends of the axles of the several bobbins E, E, E, are confined for
the purpose of preserving their positions, the periphery of each bobbin bearing
upon the surface of the travelling endless band Q, Q. It will now be per-
ceived that by the rotation of the rigger A the train of pinions and shafts
F, G, H, I, K, and L, are actuated, and that by the fluted roller or long
pinion M, fixed upon the shaft or axle L, the toothed wheel N and the drum
or barrel O are made to revolve and to conduct the endless band Q, Q, along
the machine, which band as it travels causes the several bobbins to revolve
upon their axes by the friction of the surface of the band against the bobbin in
passing, and consequently as the rovings or slubbings continue descending from
drawing rollers D, D, D, they are, by the rotation of the bobbins, barrels, or
spools E, E, E, wound respectively round their peripheries. In order to bring
the fibres of the rovings or slubbings of the cotton or wool into such a degree
of contact as will afford sufficient tenacity or strength to enable them to be
wound tightly upon the barrels, bobbins, or spools, the rovings or slubbings
as they descend from the rollers pass between two rubbing surfaces pro-
duced by a
travelling endless band S, S, by tho friction of which a temporary
twist is given to the rovings or slubbings, but that twist is discharged

page_text: from the rovings or slubbings in the act of winding on to the spools, barrels,
or bobbins. The endless band S, S, is distended over two pullies T, T,
and its doubled part is drawn against the face of a guide. rail U, U, by two
other adjustable pullies pressing behind; all of which pullies turn upon
studs affixed to the board V, V, and the guide rail N is also made fast
thereto. This board V is mounted upon two perpendicular sliding rods W, W,
passed through staples or eyes attached to the end frames or standards of
the machine. The board and its appendages is supported by the lower ends
of the perpendicular sliding rods W, W, bearing upon the levers X, X, affixed
to the horizontal longitudinal shaft Y, Y, and the whole is nearly counterpoised
by the lever and pendent weight Z. The travelling of the rubbing band $ is
effected by means of a fluted roller or long pinion a upon the vertical shaft II,
which takes into the teeth of a horizontal wheel b, fixed upon the axle c, of
one of the pullies T; hence it will be perceived, that as the vertical shaft II is
driven by means of the train before described, that the wheel b, axle c, and
pulley T will revolve also, and that the doubled band S will be consequently
made to travel along the front of the guide rail U, and the fibres of the
rovings or slubbings, in their descent as they pass between the rubbing
surfaces of the band, will be twisted above the points of contact, thereby
giving tenacity or consistency to the rovings or slubbings; but that twist will
become dissipated by a counter twist below the points of contact, and the
slubbings will be laid upon the bobbins with straight fibres. The same train
will simultaneously give such movement to the other endless band Q as will
cause the bobbins, spools, or barrels to revolve and wind the rovings or
slubbings thereon. In order to keep; the two surfaces of the rubbing band S
close together, the doubled parts of the band are made to slide in a series
of small guide loops d, d. d, affixed to the face of the board U, U,, seen also
in tho detached sectional Figure 3, and in the partial front view Figure -4,
where the band S is removed in order to shew the mode of attaching
the guide loop and the straight spring piece e, which is intended to press
behind the strap for the purpose of keeping the two surfaces together. It
has been before said that the sliding board V and its appendages are, nearly
counterpoised by the lever and weight-Z; it is therefore necessary to say,.in
reference to this part of the machine, that a slight preponderance in the
weight of the sliding board V and its appendages over that of the weighted
lever is necessary for the purpose of keeping the twisting strap or, band S suf-
ficiently near to the bobbins, to conduct the rovings, thereon with regularity.
I now proceed to describe the construction of the piece of, mechanism con-
stituting the second head of the Invention, which is for the purpose of travers-
=

page_text: ing the bobbins, barrels, or spools, endways instead of what is commonly called
the copping motion, causing the rovings or slubbings to be wound thereon in
uniform helical coils, and also for forming them with conical ends. This piece
of mechanism is but imperfectly seen in the front and end views of the
machine Figures 1 and 2; it is therefore represented as it would appear in
different positions in the several detached Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Figure 5 shews this apparatus in elevations, as seen in a back view of the
machine, part being attached to the hinder rail of the standard of the machine
and part to the sliding frame or carriage P. This carriage, in which the
drums or barrels O of the endless band Q are mounted, moves to and fro from
back to front of the machine, and vice versa, on wheels f. f, running upon the
transverse. rails 9, 9, and the reciprocating movements of the carriage are
effected by the mechanism about to be described.
Figure 6: represents the mechanism as it would appear when viewed at
right angles to Fig. 5, the sliding carriage P and back rail of the machine
being shewn in section. A plan or horizontal view of the same is exhibited
at Figure 7. The hinder extremity of the axle of one of the bobbins E,
videlicet E Figure 1, has an endless screw or worm h, shewn at Figures 5
and 6, which worm takes into a long pinion i, fixed on the upper part of the
vertical shaft j, and the bobbin E is kept down in contact with the band Q,
by means of hooks and weighted levers J, J, connected to the ends of its
axles. The vertical shaft turus in a loop attached to the top rail of the
carriage P, and is supported at bottom in a bracket extending from the under
rail of the carriage, see Figure 6. At the lower part of the shaft j there is
a pinion k, see Figure 5, the teeth of which take into the threads of one of
the screwed or grooved shafts or m, mounted in a frame n, n, n; and as the
bobbin E is made to revolve upon its axis by means of the travelling band Q,
as before described, the worm h causes rotary motion to be communicated
to the pinions and vertical shaft i, j, and k, the latter of which, as it revolves,
meeting with resistance in the thread of the screw shaft I, as shewn at
Figures 3, 5, and 7, impels the sliding frame or carriage P, with its drums 0, 0,
endless band Q, and bobbins E, slowly toward the hinder part of the machine,
so as to cause the rovings or slubbings to be wound in helical coils. A double
inclined plane o, is attached by an arm to the back rail of the carriage P,
and when the carriage, by its wheels f,f, rolling upon the rails has reached
its destination, the inclined plane, coming in contact with the under part of a
weighted leverp, raises that lever for the purpose of throwing the other screw
shaft m into gear with the pinion k, in order to reverse the movement of the
carriage. The means whereby this is effected will be best understood by reference
9,

page_text: to Figure 8, which shows the apparatus in the same position as Figure 5;
but the end of the frame is in this Figure removed to exhibit the interior.
The two screw shafts and mare mounted horizontally in the frame n, upon
excentric pivots, and a strap piece g screwed to their ends connects them. By
these means the shafts I and m are enabled to rock to and fro upon their
pivots, but not to revolve; and it is by giving to these shafts, at certain periods,
vibratory lateral movements that the pinion is enabled to act first in the
screw of one shaft to send the carriage back, and then in the screw of the
other shaft to bring it forward. A small double armed lever is fixed to the
end of the shaft 1, one arm of which lever is drawn by the helical spring 8,
and the other arm of the lever is acted upon by a sail or escapement
wheel t, fixed upon the end of the lower horizontal shaft v, v, mounted in the
frame n.
Round the middle part of this shaft v (as may be seen in Figure 6)
a weighted cord u is wound for the purpose of drawing the shaft round in one
direction, like the going barrel of a clock. This shaft v, v, for some distance
at each end, is formed with a screw thread; the periphery of the screw. how-
ever, is not cylindrical, but notched or grooved into ratchet teeth, which may
be perceived in Figure 8, and the end of the shorter arm of each of the
levers p, p, near their fulcrums, are formed with a tooth or pall intended to drop
into the ratchets upon the screwed parts of the shaft u, in order to prevent
the shaft turning. It will now be perceived that whenever the inclined
plane o, by the movements of the carriage P, P, is brought (as before
described) under either of the weighted levers p, that the longer arm of that
lever will be raised, and consequently the pall at its reverse end, will be
withdrawn from the ratchet of the shaft v; the weighted cord u will then
draw the shaft v and the snail or escapement wheel t round, and one of the
points of the escapement wheel then acting against the longer arm of the
double lever that lever will be forced back, and the screw shaft be brought
into gear with the pinion k, as in Figure 8. The carriage P will now be made
to move towards the back of the machine until the inclined plane o is brought
under the other lever p, when that lever will be raised as the former, and its
pall, by releasing the ratchet, will allow the shaft and the escapement
wheel t to be drawn further round by the weighted cord u.
The click or
pall of the first-mentioned weighted lever p will now fall into the ratchet
of the barrel v, and stop its rotation halfway between two teeth of the.
escapement, which will allow the spring s to draw down the shorter arm of
the lever r, and thereby withdraw the screw shaft from the pinion k, and
bring the other screw shaft m into gear with that pinion; by which means the
carriage will then be made to move toward the front of the machine by the

page_text: rotation of the pinion, as described before. If the carriage P, in advancing
and receding, travelled along its railways g through the same extent of space
every time during the process of filling the bobbin, then the rovings or
slubbings would be wound on to the bobbins, barrels, or spools in the forms of.
cylinders with flat ends; but as it is desirable, for the convenience of the after
process of spinning, that the rovings or slubbings should be laid round the
bobbins in the form of cylinders with conical ends, it is necessary gradually
to diminsh the extent of the traverse of the carriage, which will prevent the
successive layers of the material from being wound to the same extent along
the bobbin as the previous layer, and consequently produce the figure of a
cylinder with conical ends. To effect this object, the weighted levers p, p,
must, as the process of winding on proceeds, be brought gradually nearer
together, in order that one of the inclined planes o may act against them, and
change the traverse motion of the carriage more frequently. This is done by
the following means:-Each of the weighted levers p, p, is attached by a
fulcrum pin to a sliding block or nut w, w, which blocks are intended to be
conducted along the shaft by a tooth taking into the thread of the screw upon
the shaft, and they are retained in their positions as they slide by a foot bearing
upon a guide rod r. The threads of the screws formed towards the ends
of the shaft v are cut in opposite directions, the one being what is com-
mouly called a right-handed screw, and the other a left-handed screw. Λ
pin y is passed through each of the blocks w, the point of which, as a tooth,
takes into the worm of the screw; and hence, as the shaft vis turned round
by the means of the weighted cord v and escapement t, as before described,
the teeth y, y, being acted upon by the right and left handed screws as they
revolve, cause the blocks with the levers to be slidden gradually nearer
together, which will necessarily restrict the traverse of the carriage in the way
described, and produce bobbins full of rovings or slubbings of cylindrical forms
with conical ends.
The third head of this Invention, the peculiar modification of the rubbing
surfaces for giving compactness or tenacity to the rovings or slubbings of
cotton or wool, are represented in the acompanying Drawing at Figures 9,
10, and 11. Figure 9 is a front elevation of a machine, the parts of which
are arranged and constructed to suit the improved modification of the rubbing
surfaces. Figure 10 is a horizontal view of the same, shewing all the upper
parts; and Figure 11 is a transverse section taken through the middle of the
same machine.
It will not be necessary to explain in detail all the parts of this machine, as
they are the same in principle as the parts of the machine already particularly
described; but some of them are differently arranged, which arrangement will

page_text: be perfectly understood by reference to the three last-mentioned Figures of the
Drawings representing the machine in different positions. A, A, A, are the
drawing rollers, through which the rovings pass to be elongated, and from
whence they proceed to the rubbing surfaces. 13, B, are two long cylindrical
rollers, distending an endless band of leather C, C. D is a larger cylindrical
roller, of equal length to the former, the surface of which is covered with
leather, and it bears upon the upper surface of the endless band C. The
rovings or slubbings are conducted from the drawing rollers between the
surfaces of the band C, C, and roller D, and proceed thence through guide
oyes to the bobbins, spools, or barrels E, E. Rotary motion is given to one
of the rollers B by toothed gear F, from the axle G, on which the rigger is
placed that actuates the drawing rollers, and drives the other parts of the
machine. The roller B being thus made to revolve, the endless band C will
travel round the two rollers, and by the friction of the surfaces, and the roller D
bearing upon it, will be made to revolve also, and carry the rovings through
from the drawing rollers toward the bobbins. In order, however, to give
compactness or tenacity to the rovings or slubbings as they pass, both the
endless band C and also the cylindrical roller D are made to slide to and
fro laterally in opposite directions. This is effected by means of a bridle II,
attached to the axle of the roller D and a rod I attached to the carriage of
the rollers B. B, both of which are connected to excentrics J and K on the
transverse shaft L, L. By these means, when the machine is put in action,
by communicating rotary power to the rigger G, the endless band C, C, and
roller D will be made to slide to and fro laterally, and at the same time. by
rolling together the fibres of the cotton or wool as they pass, will give that
compactness or tenacity to the rovings or slubbings which will allow them to
be wound upon the spools, bobbins, or barrels E, E, E, below.
In order to wind the rovings or slubbings on to the bobbins in regular helical
coils, an apparatus exactly like that described under the second head of the
improvement is appended to a sliding carriage M, M, having endless bands,
giving rotation to the bobbins, spools, or barrels, and which carriage is moved
to and fro on wheels upon railways, by the means and exactly in the same
manner as already explained.
A variation in the arrangement of the machinery, but embodying some of
the same principles, is shewn in the Figures 12, 13, and 14, which is a machine
designed to deliver the rovings or slubbings into cans. Figure 12 is a front
elevation of the machine; Figure 13, a horizontal view, showing the upper parts;
and Figure 14, a transverse section. A are the drawing rollers, from whence the
rovings or slubbings are passed between the rubbing surfaces C, D, and are
thence conducted between the back rollers Z, Z, down to the cans Y. below.

page_text: Most parts of this machine will be understood from the description of the former.
The rigger and shaft G, G, actuates the drawing rollers A, and also by means
of similar gear and other appendages produces the rotary and lateral movements
of the rubbing surfaces, as described in reference to Figures 9, 10, and 11.
A pulley N upon the end of one of the shafts of the drawing rollers carries a
band which is also passed over a rigger O fixed upon the end of the axle of
one of the guide rollers Z, and by means of which pulley and band this guide
roller is driven, and the two rollers Z, Z, being connected by a pair of toothed
wheels, turn simultaneously in opposite directions and conduct the rovings or
slubbings into the cans below. In order to enable the rovings or slubbings
to be distributed uniformly in the cans as they descend, the platform P, upon
which the cans are placed, receives a traverse motion to and fro by means of
pinions Q, which take into racks on the upper edge of the sliding arms R.
The front part of this platform is supported by wheels S, S, running upon
railways T, T, extending from the standards of the machine; and the back
part slides upon antifriction rollers. The pinions Q are fixed upon the axle
of a reciprocating mangle wheel V, driven by a pinion U upon the end of
a rocking shaft W, which shaft receives its motion from a cord or band
connected with a pulley on the rigger shaft; and hence, as the mangle wheel
revolves with a reciprocating motion, the racks with the platform and cans
are moved to and fro.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Simpson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.