AN I- PROVED METHOD OF DOUBLING SILK THREADS, TOGETHER WITH MACHINERY FOR EFFECTING THE SAME
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN I-
PROVED METHOD OF DOUBLING SILK THREADS, TOGETHER WITH MACHINERY
FOR EFFECTING THE SAME."-A communication from abroad by Messieurs
Beaux, Mahistre, and Rousset, of Avignon, France.
Sealed the 3rd October 1861, and dated the 4th April 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Peti-
tion, on the 4th April 1861.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF DOUBLING SILK THREADS, TOGETHER WITH MACHINERY
FOR EFFECTING THE SAME," (communicated to me from abroad by Messieurs
Beaux, Mahistre, and Rousset, of Avignon, France), to be as follows:-
The method hitherto adopted for doubling silk threads, consists in uniting
three threads previously stretched and taken from three separate bobbins.. If
these three threads have not been equally spun, if they are not exactly equal,
and are not stretched to the same point, they do not mingle well, but form an
uneven or saw-like surface. This improved method consists in taking a single
thread, doubling it in three, and forming a continuous chain composed of sepa-
rate lengths of about four feet to six feet, more or less. It is easy to under-
stand that a single and the same thread doubled upon itself and in short
lengths, will be more equal in thickness and tension than threads proceeding
from three different bobbins doubled in long lengths. This new method of

page_text: doubling, besides producing a good result with inferior material, allows of
indeterminate lengths being obtained without other knots than those resulting
from an accidental breakage, or from the end of a bobbin, points of great
advantage in certain manufactures, but more particularly in the manufacture
of machine-made lace, and for use in sewing machines.
The improved doubling machinery is illustrated in the accompanying Draw-
ings, of which Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a section on the line a, b;
Figure 3 an elevation taken at the line c, d; and Figure 4 an elevation at
the line m, n.
A is the frame of the machine; B is a cross bar, carrying on its inner side
small brackets, in which the shaft C carrying the bobbins which are driven by
the pulleys K works; D is a cross-bar, carrying small catches for preventing
the bobbins from unrolling, and which act on small toothed wheels on the
bobbin spindle; E is a cross bar, carrying hooks serving to subdivide the
thread on the bobbins a. The cross-bar E has a to-and-fro motion im-
parted to it by the toothed wheels O, lever and cam, seen at Figure 3; F is a
cross bar sliding in grooves f, f, formed in the frame, it is furnished with
hooks i, and is intended during its to-and-fro motion to remove the ring of
the thread from the needles j; G is a cross-bar carrying levers 7, free to move
at one end about a hinge, and furnished with a glass hook at the other; H is
a cross-bar carrying needles j, and glass hooks m; I are bobbins charged with
the silk to be doubled; K are pulleys for driving the spindles; L are loose
pulleys, round which the cords or straps M pass, which are attached to the
carriage P, and communicate motion to the shaft C; N are toothed wheels
fixed upon the shaft C against the pulleys L. A small catch fixed on these
pulleys moves the shaft when the carriage moves to and fro in the direction
from say b to a, and leaves them loose when it moves from a to b, the result
of which is that the spindles can only move when the carriage carries them
the silk to be doubled; P is the travelling carriage; Q is a fixed cross bar on
the carriage carrying squares n, in which the pulleys o move, they also carry
an iron crank p, which communicates motion to the pulleys o; R is a cross-
bar having a pivot at each end, and carrying the needles q, which lead the
thread to the pulleys o; S, S", are handles or cranks for guiding the carriago
while moving on the rails U; U, U, are the rails on which the travelling
carriage runs; V, V, are loose pulleys carrying the cord or strap which is con-
nected to the carriage at the rear of the frame; X is a cord or strap, fixed at
one end to the cross-bar F, and carrying a counterweight at the other to
maintain its tension. This cord is furnished with a small movable collar b,
which regulates the course of the carriage, when the latter arrives at this point

page_text: it draws the cross-bar F with it, and removes the thread from the needle j,
after which the cross-bar is again brought forward by the weight x.
The operation is as follows:-On motion being communicated to the
machine, the series of bobbins are simultaneously caused to revolve, but for
the sake of brevity I will only describe the action of one bobbin, that of the
others being exactly similar. The thread a' is first led on to the guide, then
through a hole formed in the end of the rod or needle; to the bobbin a,
round which it is passed, then back to the rod or needle j, and by again re-
turning it to the bobbin a the three ends are formed, which are all connected
to the bobbin. The travelling carriage P is then brought forward, and by
moving one of the handles S" on it, the cross-bar R is caused to oscillate or
balance so that the teeth q which it carries come into a horizontal position.
The second handle S is then moved, which acting on the bars p gives a quarter
of a turn to the pulleys o, which causes the latter to take the thread as it
issues from the needle. The carriage is then brought back, and the thread
twice doubled is led to the end of its course, the carriage now comes against
the collar b on the cord X, and consequently draws the cross-bar F with it
round the hooks i of which the three ends of the silk pass. The cross-bar F
now raises the two ends of the silk which surround the needle, and the
doubled thread falls on the ends carried by the carriage. One of the handles S
on the carriage is now pushed back, whereby the pulley o is placed in a hori-
zontal position, the other handle S is then moved, the cross-bar R oscillates
the teeth 2, seize the thread which, surrounds the pulley o, causing the thread
to rest on the teeth q, leaving the pulley o free. The carriage is now pushed
forward, and the three doubled threads are rolled on to the bobbin a.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office.
on the 4th October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto. me, the said.
Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard

page_text: Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my 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
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF DOUBLING SILK THREADS, TOGETHER WITH MACHINERY
FOR EFFECTING THE SAME," (a communication from abroad by Messieurs Beaux,
Malistre, and Rousset, of Avignon, France,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 the same to be filed-in the Great Seal Patent Offico within six calendar
month next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The method hitherto adopted. for doubling silk threads consists in uniting
three threads previously stretched and taken from three separate bobbins. If
these three threads have not been equally spun, if they are not exactly equal,
and are not stretched to the same point, they do not mingle well, but form an
uneven or saw-like surface. This improved method consists in taking a single
thread, doubling it in three, and forming a continuous chain composed of
separate lengths of about four feet to six feet, more or less. It is easy to
understand that a single and the same thread doubled upon itself, and in short
lengths, will be more equal in thickness and tension than. threads proceeding
from 3 different bobbins doubled in long lengths. This new method of
doubling, beisdes producing a good result with inferior material, allows of
intermediate lengths being obtained without other knots than those resulting
from an accidental breakage or from the end of a bobbin, points of great
advantage in certain manufactures, but more particularly in the manufacture
of machine-made lace, and for use in sewing machines.
The improved doubling machinery is illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a plan, and. Figure 2 a section. on the line
a, b, of the same; Figure 3 is an elevation taken at the line c, d; aud
Figure 4 an elevation at the line m, n, both of Figure 1.

page_text: A is the frame of the machine; B is a cross-bar carrying on its inner sido
small brackets, in which the shaft C carrying the bobbins, which are driven
by the pulleys K, works; D is a cross-bar carrying small catches, by preference
bronzed, for preventing the bobbins from unrolling, and which act on small
toothed wheels on the bobbin spindle; E is a cross-bar carrying hooks serving
to subdivide the thread on the bobbins a. The cross-bar E has a to-and-fro
motion imparted to it by the toothed wheels O, lever and cam, seen at Figure 3.
F is a cross-bar sliding in grooves f,f, formed in the frame; it is furnished
with glass hooks i, and is intended, during its to-and-fro motion, to remove the
ring of the thread from the needles j; G is a cross-bar carrying levers 7, free
to move at one end about a hinge, and furnished with a glass hook at the
other; H is a cross-bar carrying needles j and glass hooks m; I are bobbins
charged with the silk to be doubled; K are pulleys for driving the spindles;
L are loose pulleys, round which the cords or straps M pass, which are
attached to the carriage P, and communicate motion to the shaft C; N are
bronzed toothed wheels fixed upon the shaft C against the pulleys L; a small
catch or dog fixed on these pulleys moves the shaft, when the carriage moves
to and fro in the direction from say b to a, and leaves them loose when it
moves from a to b, the result of which is, that the spindles can only move
when the carriage carries them the silk to be doubled; O are toothed wheels,
heart wheel and lever; P is the travelling carriage; Q is a fixed cross-bar on
the carriage carrying squares n, in which the pulleys O move; they also carry
an iron crank p which communicates motion to the pulleys O; R is a cross-
bar having a pivot at each end, and carrying the needles q which lead the
thread to the pulley o; S, S¹¹, are handles or cranks for guiding the carriage
while moving on the rails U, and for communicating motion to the cross-piece
R and the crank p; T, T, are wheels on which the travelling carriage is
mounted; and U, U, are the rails on which the travelling carriage runs;
V, V, are loose pulleys carrying the cord or strap which is connected to the
carriage at the rear of the frame; X is a cord or strap fixed at one end to the
cross-bar F, and carrying a counterweight at the other to maintain its
tension. This cord is furnished with a small movable collar 6 which regulates
the course of the carriage; when the latter arrives at this point it draws the
cross-bar F with it and removes the thread from the needle j, after which the
cross-bar is again brought forward by the weight x. The operation is as
follows: On motion being communicated to the machine the series of bobbins
are simultaneously caused to revolve, but for the sake of brevity I will only
describe the action of one bobbin, that of the others being exactly similar.
The thread a' issuing from the bobbin I is first led on to the guide, then down

page_text: to the cross-bar H, and from, thence through a hole formed in the end of the
rod or needle; to the bobbin a, round which it is passed, then back to the rod
or needle, and by again returning it to the bobbin a the three ends are
formed, which are all connected to the bobbin. The travelling carriage P is
then brought. forward, and by moving one of the handles S¹! on it the cross-bar
R is caused to oscillate or balance, so that the teeth q which it carries come
into a horizontal position. The second handle. S is then moved, which, acting
on the bars p, gives a quarter of a turn, to the pulleys.o, which causes the
latter to take the thread as it issues from the needle. The carriage is then
brought. back, and the thread twice doubled is led to the end of its course;
the carriage now comes against the collar b on the cord X; and consequently
draws the cross-bar F with it round the hooks i of which the threc. ends of
the silk pass. The cross-bar F now raises the two ends of the silk which
surround the needle, and the doubled thread falls on the ends carried by the
carriage. One of the handles S on the carriage is now pushed back, whereby
the pulley o is placed in a horizontal position, the other handle S" is then
moved, the cross-bar R oscillates, the teeth q seize the thread which surrounds
the pulley o, causing the thread to rest on the teeth 9, leaving, the pulley o
free. The carriage is now pushed forward, and the three doubled threads are
rolled on to the bobbin a. When the carriage comes against the machine the
needle is in the middle of the. teeth q, and seizes the doubled thread, as
shown in Figure 2. The teeth q' are then raised by the handle S", and the
handle S again takes up the thread, as before described.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declaro that I claim the method herein-
before described for doubling silk thread, together with the machinery con-
structed and acting substantially in manner herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, havo here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.