CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FELTON KIRKMAN, of Argyle Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting..
"WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date,
at Westminster, the Eighteenth day of October, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Felton Kirkınan, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Charles Felton Kirkman, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Charles Felton Kirkman, my exors,
adniors, or asssigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to-time and at all times during the terin of years therein mentioned, should aud
lawfully-night make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING
COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent
is. contained a proviso obliging me, the said, Charles Felton Kirkman, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High

page_text: 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, re-
ference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Felton Kirkman, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Certain Improvements in Machinery for Spinning or
Twisting Cotton, Wool, or other Fibrous Substances," relates,-
First, to an improved construction or arrangement of parts whereby a per-
manent twist may be put in rovings or yarns, and the same wound on to
bobbins, with the twist in the said rovings or yarns.
Second, to an improved arrangement of parts for effecting the traverse
motion, whereby the roving or yarn is laid evenly on to the bobbin from end
to end thereof.
Third, an improved and simplified construction of presser or presser guide,
which may be used either in conjunction with my other improvements or may
be adapted to ordinary flyers.
My fourth improvement relates to a novel construction of spring top bearing,
for the purpose of steadying the motion of the flyer, and which bearing is so
constructed as to admit of its being lifted up when it may be found necessary
to remove the spindle or flyer.
My fifth improvement relates to the construction of the spindles of roving
and other frames for spinning or twisting cotton, wool, and other fibrous
materials.
The sixth part of the Invention consists of an improved mode of weighting
or pressing down the drawing or delivering rollers. The object of this improve-
ment is to dispense with the heavy and cumbrous weights which have been
hitherto used for this purpose, and to employ in place thereof strong springs
arranged in such a manner that their tension or pressure on the rollers may
be regulated with facility.
My last improvement relates to an improved arrangement of parts for
doubling, drawing, and twisting by a continuous process with three, four, or
more sets of drawing rollers, whereby some of the ordinary processes of wind-
ing and unwinding the rovings are dispensed with. This part of my Invention
also includes a novel mode of working additional sets of drawing or delivering
rollers of roving or spinning frames, aud consists in imparting to one of the

page_text: top rollers of such additional sets a slow longitudinal or endway motion, as
well as a rotary motion, for the purpose of solidifying or condensing the
roving as it passes between the rollers, the loose fibres being gathered or rolled
up by the endway motion of the top drawing roller.
Although I intend to use all these improvements in conjunction, yet most of
them may be used separately if desired, and may be adapted to the frames now
in use with very little trouble or inconvenience.
Having briefly explained the object of my several improvements, I will now
proceed to describe more in detail the nature and construction of the parts
constituting my several improvements.
Fig. 1, in the accompanying Drawings, is a front elevation of the improved
flyer for spinning, twisting, and winding cotton, wool, or other fibrous mate-
rials, which constitutes the first part of my improvements; and Figures 2 and 3
are side elevations of the right and left hand ends of the same. The flyer
frame is seen at a, a, a, a, and on either side thereof is made a slot 1, 1, to
allow the checks which carry the bobbin and traverse motion to move up and
down when required; as, for instance, when the cotton or other fibrous sub-
stance is being regularly deposited upon the bobbin. The tube b incloses and
rotates rapidly upon a fixed spindle c, c, hereafter more particularly described.
The sliver, slubbing, or roving passes through the trumpet-mouth tube a* above
into the flyer frame from the drawing or delivering rollers, and on to the
bobbin upon which it is wound, after receiving in its way down from the
drawing frame or delivering rollers a permanent twist by the rapid motion of
the flyer frame. A cylinder or drum A, made of iron, copper, brass, wood,
paper,tin, or of any other suitable material, is mounted in the flyer frame, and
the bobbin B is, by means of the india-rubber springs u, u, kept in contact
with the surface of this roller, which by its friction causes an equal and regular
surface motion or speed to be given to the bobbin, so that it shall wind upon
it the rovings of yarn after receiving the proper quantity of twist. Through
the centre of the bobbin is a hole large enough to admit a pin or spindle, at
one end of which is a toothed wheel d, shewn by dots in Fig. 2, and which
gears into another toothed wheel e, attached to the cheek which slides in the
slot 1, 1, of the frame a, a. Upon the same shaft as this wheel e is a small
wheel or pinion f, shewn by dots in Fig. 2, and which works in another wheel
g, on the end of the traverse screw C; upon this screw works a stud h (see
Fig. 11, carrying with it a presser guide i, for the purpose of depositing the
rovings or yarn upon the bobbin B, after the said roving has passed through
the trumpet-mouth tube at top of the frame and received the proper quantity
of twist. The flyer frame a, a, is actuated by any ordinary prime mover, and
any number of these flyer frames may be worked together, either vertically

page_text: upon the ordinary spindles of a bobbin and fly frame (as seen in Fig. 4), or
horizontally in front of an ordinary tube frame, in the place or position of the
the drum, the bobbin and tube (as seen in Figs. 5 and 6). These simple
machines may be so regulated as to give the necessary amount of twist to any
hank number of rovings or yarn, and can be propelled at any required speed
without risk of breaking the slivers or riband of cotton or fibrous substance,
and therefore the object of one of the proposed improvements is to economize
the expense of labor, time, and space by doubling any requisite or proper
number of slivers or slubbings of cotton or other fibrous substance, so as to
give the necessary evenness to the rovings or yarn; and, instead of winding
them in every stage upon bobbins to be unwound again, they are taken in
succession through two, three, four, or more sets of drawing rollers (as seen in
Figures 7, 8, and 9), so as to reduce the slivers or slubbings to any required
fineness, and then wind them upon bobbins in these frames for use. Care
must be taken to gather the filaments of cotton or other fibrous substance
together between each set of drawing rollers, in order that the roving may
receive the necessary pressure for rendering it even, and preparing it to receive
the proper amount of twisting or spinning into yarn previous to being wound
upon the bobbin.
It is not necessary to go more particularly into a description of the various
frames for twisting and spinning cotton and other fibrous substances, as they
are well understood and their construction is known to all spinners and
machine makers. Suffice it to say, that these improved fly frames are
applicable to every frame now in use, all the internal complication of machi-
which at present gives the rising and falling or traverse motion being
dispensed with.
nery
It is now proper to give a more detailed account of the several parts
of the new flyer frame and their applicability to the purposes of twisting
and spinning cotton and other fibrous substances. The traverse motion
is effected by means of a screw, with right and left handed threads crossing
each other. This screw is made of the requisite length, that is of the
same length as the bobbin, and each end of the thread is so cut as to
cause the stud which travels in it from end to end to move to and fro, or
traverse without extraneous aid; (that is to say) when the stud reaches the
end of one thread it will pass into the other thread and return to the opposite
end of the screw, and continue so doing as long as the screw rotates. This
screw may be made of brass, iron, or hard wood, and of any convenient size,
as the laying on of the cotton or other fibrous substance evenly upon the
bobbins is regulated by the number of teeth in the wheels in the cheek at the
side of, the flyer frame. The proportions of these wheels must, of course,

page_text: vary according to the number of threads of yarn which occupy any given
space.
Fig. 10 represents the screw C detached, but with the toothed wheel e
mounted at one end thereof.
In Fig. 11 is seen the stud h, which traverses the screw C. This screw
occupies but little space, and being self-regulating or adjusting is applicable
to any kind of twisting or spinning machine where a traverse motion is
required. In Fig. 11 is also seen the carrier j, in which the stud h is
supported in its position, and which carries with it the spring or presser guide
i. This spring or presser guide is made of finely-tempered steel, and has a
small hole pierced at the end, and furnished with an eyelet through which the
rovings or yarn passes to be wound upon the bobbin, after receiving a suffi-
cient quantity of twist. This presser guide i is applicable to all fly frames and
is more simple,equally effective, and much less expensive than those now in
use. A curved bar v, made of steel or iron, is attached to the sides of the
flyer frame for the purpose of giving the requisite degree of tension to the
yarn as it passes from the trumpet mouth a, to the bobbin B.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, I have shewn a novel construction of top bearing to
steady the flyer frame in its rapid motion. These top bearings are furnished
with springs, which being always in action are applicable to all bobbin and fly
frames now in use; they may be made of iron, brass, or any other suitable
material. K is a strong joint or hinge. is a tube of iron or brass, in which
is secured a piece of vulcanized india-rubber, or any other suitable elastic
material of a proper size and strength. This elastic material is made secure
at one end to the stationary part of the hinge as at 2, and at the other end
to the inside of the extremity of the tube as at 3; at the outer end of the tube
is an eye m, which fits on to the top of the mouth a* of the flyer (as shewn
best in Figures 2 and 3), and not only keeps it steady in its vertical position,
but, owing to the elasticity given to it by this spring joint, the bearing is
made to yield readily to any accidental irregularity of motion. These bearings
will be found to be of great utility, especially in conjunction with the spindle,
which I shall next proceed to describe.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, a spindle, of an improved construction, is shewn in
connection with the new flyer frame just described.
Fig. 12 represents a spindle of the improved construction adapted to an
ordinary flyer. The spindle consists of a steel or iron rod c, c, finely tempered
and pointed at the top, and firmly secured by nuts and screws to the base or
bottom bar of the frame. Upon this rod at the bottom end is a conical nut n
to regulate the height and steady the motion of the tube b, which rotates round

page_text: the rod or spindle c. The bottom of the flyer is solid, and made to fit close
within the tube by any ordinary simple joint, such as a bayonet joint, as seen
in Figures 1, 2, and 12. Upon referring to Fig. 12, it will be seen that
some distance up the solid end of the flyer a hole is made, sufficiently large to
admit the pointed end of the spindle rod, and in this hole a centre is made to
receive the point of the rod c, upon which it rotates; the tube b of the spindle
carries a pulley or bevil wheel whereby it is worked, but which is not shewn in
the Drawings, and it may be actuated by any of the ordinary modes usually
adopted for such purposes.
Upon referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the rod c passes up through
the bottom of the flyer, and that a bevil pinion p is secured thereon; this
pinion is of course stationary with the rod c, but it gears into another
pinion on the end of the shaft r, on the opposite end of which is a toothed
wheels, which gears into another toothed wheel t on the axle of the drum or
barrel A. It will now be understood that as the flyer frame a, a, rotates, it
will carry the pinion q round the fixed pinion p, and by means of the inter-
mediate wheels s and t will drive the barrel A, which is fluted or roughened
on the surface. Now, as the bobbin B is kept in contact with the surface of
the barrel or drum A by means of the india-rubber cords or springs u, u, it
will be evident that as the flyer frame rotates and imparts a twist to the roving
or yarn the drum A will cause the bobbin B slowly to rotate upon its axis and
take up the twisted yarn, which thereby becomes wound thereon.
The next improvement relates to an improved mode of giving the required
degree of pressure to the drawing or delivering rollers, and has for its object to
reduce the weight and bulk of the present unsightly and inconvenient mode of
pressure, and substitute a more easy and effective mode; the improved plan
having at the same time the advantage of being regulated to any convenient
or proper weight or pressure with facility.
In Figures 13 and 14 I have shewn my improved mode of effecting
this object. To the saddles w, w, upon the top rollers, is attached an iron
or steel suspender x, to which is secured a pair of shackles or couplings y, y,
with right and left handed screws; these shackles are made fast to the end of a
spring 2, somewhat resembling an ordinary spring balance, which is secured at
the bottom to a part of the framing as at D. The amount of pressure on the
rollers may be regulated or adjusted by simply turning the screw between the
shackles, and by this means the shackles y, y, are either brought closer together
or separated from each other, and the spring gives a pressure to the rollers as
may be required, a graduated scale being adapted to the spring, as shewn in
the Drawing, so as to determine with facility the amount of pressure.

page_text: The last part of my improvements relates to a continuous process of
doubling, drawing, and twisting, with three, four, or more sets of drawing
rollers, without any intermediate winding and unwinding of rovings, and, in
place thereof, bringing the cotton or other fibrous substance by one process into
a proper state for the use of the weaver, knitter, or other workman requiring.
yarn. Between each set of rollers must be placed a small trumpet-mouthed
eye or tube, after the manner of the tubes now used in tube frames, or an
additional pair of rollers, covered, if required, with leather, vulcanized india-
rubber, or any other suitable material may be used in place of the trumpet-
mouthed eye. These rollers are worked at the same or slightly increased
surface speed to the preceding delivering rollers. The axles of both rollers are
furnished with pinions or wheels of an equal number of teeth, the top roller of
the two having in addition to its rotary motion upon its own axis, a sliding
or shifting motion longitudinally right and left, so as to collect the filamentsor
fibres of cotton or other fibrous material closely together, giving by its motion
a slight degree of twist and reverse, so as to condense or consolidate theroving
just previous to its passing into the next or succeeding set of rollers.
In Figures 7, 8, and 9, I have shewn a Drawing frame constructed
according to this part of my Invention, and with my other improvements
adapted thereto. Fig. 7 is a front elevation, Fig. 8 a plan view of the machine
as seen from above, and Fig. 9 is a side or end elevation of the same.
It will
be seen that three sets of drawing rollers E, F, G, are employed instead of only
two sets, as is usually the case, and between the first and second set an additional
pair of rollers H are mounted. The upper one of these additional rollers has,
as before mentioned, a longitudinal or endway motion, as well as the ordinary
rotary motion communicated to it, as will be best understood by referring to
Fig. 15, which represents in elevation this pair of rollers, detached from the
frame, drawn upon an enlarged scale. The upper roller is seen in Fig. 15,
at H, and the lower one at I; each of these rollers has a toothed pinion on
one of its ends, and the upper roller has a double-threaded screw Ccut thereon,
similar in form or contruction to the screw shewn detached in Fig. 10. In
the threads of this screw a stud / works, this stud is secured to a fixed sup-
portj, so thatas the roller is made to revolve, the stud, by acting in the screw,
will cause the roller to be moved endways in its bearings, and by that means roll
up the filaments of the roving that is being passed between the two rollers.
In order that the two rollers may always remain in gear, the pinion of the
upper one is made of an extra width sufficient for this object. It will now be
understood that as the roller H continues to rotate, the stud h, by working in
the screw, will cause the same to reciprocate backwards and forwards in the

page_text: direction of its axis, and thereby rub the filaments up so as to twist and untwist
the roving, and thereby condense or consolidate the same into an even roving.
I would here observe, that the pair of additional rollers just described, may be
adapted to the ordinary tube frame, and used in place of the tubes now
employed, the object and office of which they effect in a satisfactory manner
and occupy much less space.
Having now described my various improvements in spinning or twisting
cotton, wool, or other fibrous substances, and the best means with which I am at
present acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would observe, in
conclusion, that although, in order that my various improvements may be
properly understood, I have found it desirable to describe various well-known
parts which have been used for similar purposes, yet I do not mean or intend
to claim such parts as of my Invention, except when combined and arranged
according to my improvements; nor do I intend to confine myself rigidly to the
precise construction or arrangement of parts herein shewn and described, as
they may, perhaps, be varied in some particulars without departing from the
nature and object of my Invention. But that which I consider to be new in the
above described improvements, and therefore wish to claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the combination of parts shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and herein
described, or any mere modification thereof, whereby a permanent twist may be
put in rovings, and the same wound on to bobbins without the twist being
removed.
Second, I claim effecting the traverse motion (whereby the roving or yarn is
wound on to the bobbin in the required manner) by means of a double-threaded
screw, such as that shewn and described.
Third, I claim making presser guides of flat steel springs as shewn and
described.
Fourth, I claim the elastic bearings above shewn and described, or any
mere modification thereof, for holding or keeping steady the top part of
flyers or spindles. I claim the exclusive right to such top bearings whether
adapted to my improved flyer frames, or any others employed for spinning or
twisting.
Fifth, I claim the method herein shewn and described of constructing
spindles and their appendages.
Sixth, I claim the employment of springs as above shewn and described, or
any mere modification thereof, for the purpose of pressing down the drawing
and delivering rollers of roving and spinning frames or other machinery
where such an object is required, and whereby the ordinary cumbrous and

page_text: inconvenient method of obtaining the requisite pressure by means of heavy
weights is dispensed with.
Seventh, I claim the arrangement of parts for doubling, drawing, and
twisting shewn in Figures 7, 8, and 9, and herein described, or any mere
modification thereof. I claim particularly the employment of an additional
pair of rollers, such as those marked H, I, one of which rollers has a longitu
dinal or endway motion communicated to it, for the purpose of gathering up
and condensing the fibres of the roving or yarn. I claim these rollers, whether
adapted to the machine herein shewn and described, or any other to which they
may be applicable.
In witness whercof, I, the said Charles Felton Kirkman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty.