IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED FOR PREPARING, SPINNING, DOUBLING, TWINING, AND WINDING COTTON, WOOL, FLAX, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS OR SUBSTANCES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Sumner at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 19th May 1880.
"
WILLIAM SUMNER, of Tulketh Brow, Preston, in the County of Lancaster,
Spindle and Fly Maker. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED FOR PREPARING,
SPINNING, DOUBLING, TWINING, AND WINDING COTTON, WOOL, FLAX, SILK, AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS OR SUBSTANCES."
My Invention relates particularly to the spindles, flys, pressers, and collars, being
parts of the machines hereinafter referred to.
Firstly. In making a dragged or driven travelling presser or pressers for a yarn
drag or yarn carrier, adaptable to what are known as ring frames, to be used for
preparing, spining, doubling, and winding purposes, which I construct so as to have
its or their bearings travelling around or within a ring or rings made to, attached,
connected, or fixed to or within the ring rail, or a substitute for the ring rail. The
single presser (properly balanced) or double pressers. I make to work on what is
known in the trade as the centrifugal principle, but it or they can be worked by
springs or other elastic means. I make the forms of the pressers, especially for
preparing (unfinished spinning) frames, so that that part which rests on the bobbin
strengthens and holds together the staples of the slivers and makes it more easy
for the power of the yarn to drag the traveller presser. I form the pressers with an
eye or eyelets, channel, recess or réceses as yarn guides or yarn supports, at one or
both of the centrifugal and centripetal parts of the presser. The supports to the
pressers I make to revolve (with or without a friction washer made of flannel or
any other soft substance) round the race in or on the ring, which ring is made to,
fixed, attached, or connected within or to the ring rail, or any other substitute for
the ring rail. The use of this travelling presser enables me to spin preparing
slivers (or unfinished yarn) on what is known as the ring and traveller principle;
also in spinning, doubling, and winding on ring frames it removes the variable
strain to which the yarn is subjected in passing from the front rollers to the bobbins
by the plans hitherto adopted. This strain is very great when the yarn is wound
directly upon the empty spindle, spool, or bobbin, and decreases as the bobbin
becomes filled, whereas by the formation of my (dragged) travelling presser I am
enabled to strengthen the power of the sliver or yarn so as to more easily drag the
traveller; also I am enabled to procure an uniform yarn load or traveller drag,
and thus produce slivers and yarns more perfectly even as to size, twist, and
strength, also to wind the yarn more tightly upon the spindle, tube, spool, or bobbin;
and I am enabled to spin, double, or wind on the bare spindle, which is a great
advantage when spinning weft cops; or the presser can be driven from the frame
by being formed adaptable to be driven by gearing, band, tape, or by friction.
Secondly. In a mode of arrangements for making a supported dragged.presser by

page_text: forming an apparatus having its bearings around the spindle below the cop, spool,
or bobbin part of the spindle, with arms projecting upwards (after the manner of
the inverted fly) with a presser attached or supported by the arm or arms of the
fly. I form that part of the presser which rests upon the bobbin so that it binds the
staple and strengthens the power of the yarn to drag the presser for the purpose of
carrying and delivering the sliver and yarn on to the bobbin; or the dragged presser
may be attached to a carrier suspended from or near the top of the spindle, with
arms carried downwards to support the dragged presser and convey the yarn from
the front roller to the presser, thence to the bobbin.
Thirdly. In a mode of arrangements for making a revolving yarn guide (by
preference) for use in ring (preparing) frames, which I form so that at every revolution
of the guide a false twist is imparted to the sliver between the frame front roller
and the revolving yarn guide, which I place above the top of the spindle or bobbin,
attached to a hinged rail after the manner of the ordinary yarn'guides on throstle
or ring frames. The yarn guide is driven by the yarn above the prosser, or it may
be driven from a motion fixed to frame, and the twist is caused by the yarn being
raised at a part of the revolution of the yarn guide, and allowed to fall or turn over
at another portion of the revolution of the yarn guide. The advantage of the use of
the revolving yarn guide so formed and used is that the sliver (especially preparing
slivers or unfinished yarns) will always be twisted to the frame front roller, thus
overcoming a difficulty in ring frames.
Fourthly. Instead of using the ordinary collars for the spindle to revolve
within and to be solely steadied thereby, I construct the collar (or bolster) rails
with tubes or hollow stud bearings, the upper part of the outside, of which stud
I use for spindle collar bearings, to revolve upon and be solely steadied thereby,
but I prefer to attach to the bolster frame rails projecting upwards tubes or hollow
studs, the upper part of the outside of which tube or stud I use for bearings
for spindle collars to be steadied thereby. This tube or hollow stud I fasten to
the bolster frame rail, through either lugs, ears, socket, socket tube, or elongated
holes in flange, by means of holding down screws, side set screws, nut beneath
frame rail, or they may be screwed in frame rail. At or near the bottom of this
tube or hollow stud is a flange to be seated on the top side of the bolster frame
rail, within which flange at its top side I form a cavity or recess as a reservoir for
oil (or lubricating matter) and receptacle for sediment, over which may be placed a
loose cover to prevent any dirt or fibres passing into the reservoir, or the tube or
hollow stud may be made without this oil reservoir. Ascending upwards above the
flange, and having its bearing from the outside of the hollow stud, I place my
spindle collar (what I call a combined spindle collar, and bobbin carrier, and
balancer), so constructed that its bottom end runs in the oil reservoir, by which oil
is drawn to collar part, either by capilliary attraction or by a spiral groove, and near
its bottom end there is one or more flanges formed or fixed to prevent any oil from
being thrown outwards from the reservoir; above these flanges I place my
above the "warve
"the sleeve
to drive the shell, collar, spindle, and bobbin driver;
is made taper (smaller) upwards, which taper I use to support and drive the bobbin ;
or above the "warve I form or attach an arrangement for driving the bobbin, either
"braid" with lugs on. This combined
by a cup (by friction), or (positively) by a
collar and bobbin carrier at or near its top end is connected to the spindle, either by
being screwed together, or having a pin and slots, or he and she flats, or otherwise
connected or fastened.to the spindle, which supports the collar and bobbin carrier.
The spindle runs by preference free within the hollow stud, and has its foot resting
in a footstep formed or fixed within the tube, or in a footstep rail attached to or
"and the braid
fixed below the bolster rail. I use the surface between the "warve
to wind on and retain a portion of yarn during the process of changing cops, spools, or
bobbins, the upper flange of the braid being cut or serrated for the purpose of cutting
the yarn after a new bobbin is commenced being wound. 'The spindle may end at or
near the top of the collar bearing, or it may be continued upwards to near the top
of the bobbin From the footstep the oil ascends to over the top of the hollow stud
*
warve
"

page_text: and descends through the length of the bearing surface, where by a channel it runs
back to the footstep or to the reservoir (formed around the footstep), which are
connected together by an opening which allows the oil to pass to the spindle foot, but
prevents sediment from leaving the reservoir. If forming cops, I carry the spindle
up to a suitable height to build the cop on. Where flys are used instead of rings and
travellers or traveller pressers, I extend the flange of the tube (which sits on the
bolster rail) outwards beyond the oil reservoir, so as to form a conical, spherical, or
cup like prominence, upon which prominence may be placed a soft substance, such
as flannel, for the bobbin to rest on and receive the necessary friction for drag.
Where the spindle rests in a footstep fixed within or to a footstep rail, the "warve
instead of being on the sleeve may be fixed on the spindle between the footstep and
bolster rails. The advantages of this are, I can get the spindle perfectly straight,
the bobbin carrier cannot be thrown out of its position of truthfullness; the load of
the bobbin is steadied by the bobbin carrier; the collar bearings being a little taper
allows readjustment of. fit should the collar wear too slack; the collars and tube
bearings may be both made from polished cast iron, which gives a good collar
bearing for wear, or they may be bushed with brass or other composition or metals.
Or I make the (sleeve) collar and bobbin bearing from wrought steel or iron tubing,
bushed with brass or other bearing metal at the collar part, with a cast iron ". warve,
fastened by screwing, or otherwise fastened to the bottom of the collar bearing; the
weight of the bobbin and spindle is supported only by the spindle centre at foot,
thus reducing the friction of the weight of the bobbin and spindle to the smallest
amount procurable; the spindle (or tube) is adjustable to accomodate itself to any
kind of rings (at its centre), with an arrangement for preventing sediment from
following the circulation of oil to the spindle, and an uniform yarn drag when
using my traveller presser.
Fifthly. My improvements relate to what are known as "Rabbeth and self contained
spindles," and consist of arrangements for forming the bottom of the foot and collar
tube as a flange, with oil reservoir and sediment receptacle, same as fully described
with reference to the fourth arrangement of these improvements, with its advantages
of adjustment on the frame rail to the centre of fixed rings. I construct the warve
shell so that the middle or half length of the bobbin is in a line with the middle of the
spindle collar bearings. Hitherto the plan adopted in making Rabbeth spindles is (and
has been) to place the centre of the collar bearing part of the spindle in a line opposite
about one fifth of the length of the bobbin, measuring from the bottom of the bobbin,
thus placing the bobbin one fifth of its length below the centre of spindle collar, thus
leaving four fifths of the length of the bobbin above the centre of spindle collar, which
I find soon causes the bobbin to oscillate and throw the spindle out of order. The
advantage of my improvement is that any irregularity of the bobbin's position at one
end will be counterpoised or counterbalanced at the other end of the bobbin, thus
helping to steady the spindle and the frame. My Invention also refers to a mode of
and arrangement or method of attaching together the sleeves of Rabbeth spindles and
(brass or other metal) braid cups, by forming a thread within the neck of the cup
and a thread outside the sleeve (at that part of the sleeve where the cup fits on),
for the purpose of screwing or attaching them firmly together. I also make Rabbeth
spindle and self containing spindle foot and bolster tubes of wrought iron, steel, or.
brass tubing, firmly screwed or fastened at its bottom end into a flange containing
a footstep, oil reservoir, and receptacle for sediment; or the oil reservoir may be
dispensed with, and the footstep may be fastened within the bottom of pipe tubing.
At the bolster part of the tube I bore out or screw for the purpose of screwing in
or fitting in a collar made of brass or other bearing metal. I also make Rabbetli
and self containing spindle sleeves of wrought iron or steel pipe tubing, with a cast
iron "warve" firmly screwed or otherwise fastened to the outside of the bottom of
the sleeve tubing, with a hoop firmly fastened within the top of the sleeve to
connect the sleeve and spindle together. I gain by these arrangements of the
Rabbeth and self containing spindle the following advantages:-Firstly, a shorter.
spindle above spindle collar; secondly, a facility of adjustment to the centre of

page_text: fixed rings; thirdly, the bobbin, by having the middle of its length placed in a line
with the middle of the collar bearing, will help to steady the spindle and frame and
allow of an accelerated speed; fourthly, by screwing the cups on to the sleeves it
effectually prevents the cups from being afterwards disarranged from their position
on the sleeve, which from the plans hitherto adopted of pressing and driving
these cups on I find that by reason of the thinness and elasticity of the metal of the
sleeve the cups come loose or change their position of truthfulness, causing the
bobbin to vibrate and injuriously affect the spindle and collars; fifthly, footstep
and collar tubes made from wrought metal, also sleeve tubes made from wrought
metal, can be made lighter and stronger than when made from cast iron, and not be
so liable to get broken.
Sixthly. My improvements relate to what are known as dead spindles, and
consist in making the centre of the collar to the sleeve in a line with the
centre of the length of the bobbin. A foot fastened within the top of the sleeve
rests in a footstep formed at the top of the dead spindle; the dead spindle is
fastened to the frame rail. The sleeve is driven by a "warve" formed or fixed at
its bottom end. The bobbin is driven, and rests on the conical shape of the sleeve,
or a friction cup is attached to the sleeve; or a braid with lugs on drives the
bobbin. The bottom of the sleeve collar runs in a reservoir of oil, fixed on the dead
spindle. The advantages of this method are, the bobbin being balanced helps to
steady the spindle and frame.
Seventhly. To a mode of and arrangement for making ring and fly spinning and
double frame spindles, which have ordinary stationary collar rails, and consists in
constructing the spindle at and below the collar bearing portion of the spindle
without a shoulder, down to near the top sido of the warve. I place a moveable
apparatus, consisting of a portable or hinged board of wood, attached at its upper
end to the frame bolster rail, extending downwards to just above the top side of
the spindle warve, for the purpose of preventing the spindle rising from the
footstep when at work, or when changing bobbins, spools, or cops; this hinged
board being portable readily enables the footstep to be cleaned, also the bands to
be changed and crossed when changing from twist to weft, or from spinning to
doubling, an advantage by this method; the spindle collar not having to be turned
it can be forged very hard and stiff, and being much lighter I am enabled to
procure a spindle not so liable to get strained or to wear at the feet or collar, also
to increase the speed of the spindle without vibration, with a saving in material
and cost of production.
Eighthly. I make spindle collars or bolsters with a slot or slots or elongated
openings at one or more sides of the collar, extending downwards from near the
top of the collar and, by preference, to near the bottom of the collar; and within
these openings I place or insert a loose piece of brass or other metal or substances,
which piece I press forward to the spindle by means of a set screw or other
mechanical means, so as readily to adjust the fit of collar to the spindles as the
spindle and collar wears. I prefer the opening and adjustable piece at the front
side of the bolster, and where set screws are used in the front side of the frame rail
to fasten the collars to the rail I use a smaller, in diameter, set screw, which I
pass through the middle of the set screw which fastens the collar, for the purpose
of pressing forward the loose piece or section of collar. The advantages of this
collar are that all spindles driven by a band can be readily adjusted to fit the
spindle when having too much play at collar. I use this collar for preparing
frames which are driven by gearing.
It will be evident that the above described are equally applicable to existing as
well as new machinery for the purposes above mentioned.