IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR TWISTING AND UNTWISTING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS. SUBSTANCES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Tomlinson, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY POR TWISTING AND UNTWISTING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS.
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 23rd June 1868, and dated the 8th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Tomlinson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th January 1868.
I, JAMES TOMLINSON, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TWISTING AND UNTWISTING FLAX, HEMP
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
My improvement in machinery for twisting or spinning flax and other
fibres is applicable to those machines in which the yarn passes through
a tube of the flyer, and then is guided on to the bobbin, and it consists in
causing the yarn to pass between two feed rollers driven by gearing
from the boss of the flyer plate, so that as the yarn passes through the
rollers it receives a positive twist. The same arrangement with the
addition of feeding or holding rollers is applicable for untwisting yarns.
[Price 8d.]

page_text: My improvements in machinery for untwisting yarns relate to the
mode of supporting the bobbins on which the yarn to be untwisted is
wound. The bobbins and flyers are arranged in rows, and are placed
upright on the bosses of bevel pinions driven by other pinions ou
horizontal shafts; this arrangement economises space, and affords facility
in removing the empty and replacing full bobbins.
Another part of my Invention consists in chilling by the ordinary
well-known method the boss of the flyers where they fit on the bevel
pinions above referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Tomlinson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TOMLINSON, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Tomlinsou, Her special license that I,
the said James Tomlinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others us I, the said James Tomlinson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TWISTING
AND UNTWISTING FLAX. HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that 1, the said James Tomlinson, 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 the 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Tomlinson, 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 (that is to say):-
My improvement in machinery for twisting or spinning flax and other
fibres is applicable to those machines in which the yarn passes through
a tube of the flyer, and then is guided on to the bobbin, and it consists
in an improved mode of driving the feed rollers connected to the boss
of the flyer plate, so that as the yarn passes between the rollers it
receives a positive twist. The same arrangement with the addition of
feeding or holding rollers is applicable for untwisting yarns.
Another part of my improvements in machinery for untwisting yarns
relates to the mode of supporting the bobbins on which the yarn to be
untwisted is wound. The bobbins and flyers are arranged in rows, and
are placed upright on the bosses of bevel pinions driven by other pinions
on horizontal shafts, this arrangement economizes space, and affords
facility in removing the empty and replacing full bobbins.
Another part of my Invention consists in chilling by the ordinary
well-known method the bosses of the flyers where they fit in the bevel
pinions above referred to.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood I will
proceed to describe the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings.
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is an end view, and Figure 2 a side view of my
improved machinery for twisting or spinning hemp and other yarn.
This machine is very similar to that for which Letters Patents were
granted to James Ronald, on the Twenty-third of October One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three, Number 2617, and it consists of the
framing a, the driving shaft b, furnished with fast and loose pulleys c
and c, also with the pulley d for giving motion to the flyer frame e
by means of a strap passing over the pulley g keyed on the hollow
axle of the flyer frame e. To the shaft bis also keyed the pulley h,
which by means of a strap drives the pulley fixed on the hollow
axle, on the end of which is a friction disc m for giving motion
to the taking-up bobbin n. The hollow axle and the bobbin n are
moved endwise to and fro by the clutch p and the double screw q, which
is driven from the shaft as shewn in Figure 2. The flyer frame con-
sists of two end plates connected by longitudinal bars; to one of these
end plates is cast the pulley gabove referred to, and in the boss of the

page_text: other end plate is fixed the boss of the frame el supporting the feed
roller e, shewn best in Figure 3. One of these rollers is pressed against
the other by a spring, as shewn in Figure 1, to allow it to yield according
to the thickness of the threads or fibres. To the axle of one of the feed
rollers is fixed a skew bevel pinion e³, gearing into and driven by the
skew wheel e, which is cast with or fixed to the interior of the speed
pulleys e; these pulleys are driven by a band from the speed pulleys bi
on the shaft b. The front plate e (screwed to the frame e¹), which is
removed in Figure 1 is to close the end of the speed pulleys e5, and to
protect the bearings of the feed rollers from dust. The hemp or other
fibrous substances to be spun are drawn through the fixed tube a¹ in the
end frame a by the feed rollers e2, and the amount of twist that is given
can be varied by changing the band from one groove of the speed pulley
to the others, for instance when a considerable amount of twist is
required the band is put into the largest groove of the speed pulley e5,
and into the smallest groove of the pulley b¹, thus giving a slow motion
to the feed rollers. When less twist is required the band is put into one
of the smaller grooves of the speed pulley e, and into a corresponding
larger groove in the pulley b¹. As the speed of the flyer frame remains
uniform, and the speed of the pulleys e5 varies, it is evident that the
amount of twist in the yarn will depend upon the relative proportion
between the two. When the bobbin n is full the spindle o is drawn
partly out endwise to release the full bobbin, and to allow an empty one
to be put in its place.
66
Figures 4 and 5 represent a modification of my Invention, in which
the feed rollers e² are made with grooves; this modification is applicable
for uniting two or more yarns together, commonly called topping."
The yarns are brought from the creel hereafter described, or from any
other creel, and pass around or betwixt friction guides, and then through
grooves in the piece commonly called "the top," which grooves lay the
yarns before they enter between the grooved rollers e2, around which they
pass any number of times, and then are conveyed over the flyer frame e
to the bobbin n as above described.
On Sheet 2, Figure 6 is an end view, and Figure 7 a side elevation of
my improved machinery for untwisting the threads of ropes to prepare
the fibres for the oakum machine, or for other purposes. Figure 8 is a
detached view of part of the same. The thread to be untwisted is fed
into the funnel-shaped boss p, revolving in a bearing like that of the

page_text: flyer frame in the machine above described. The boss is cast or fixed
to the frame.c containing the untwisting rollers e, to one of which is
fixed the skew bevel pinion e³, driven by a skew wheel e cast or fixed to
the speed pulleys e, which are driven by the pulleys 61 on the driving
shaft ó. To the boss pis keyed the pulley p', which is driven by a band
from the pulley on the shaft b. After the thread has passed between
the rollers eit passes between the delivery rollers q, the lower one
revolving in a fixed bearing, and the upper one being pressed down by
springs to allow it to yield according to the thickness of the thread.
The lower roller is driven by a band from the speed pulleys r on the
cross driving shaft 1, which band passes over the speed pulley q' on the'
lower roller q. The speeds of the delivering rollers and untwisting
rollers can be varied according to the amount of twist in the thread to
be untwisted, and according to the quantity to be turned off.
On Sheet 3, Figure 9 is an elevation partly in section; Figure 10 is a
plan, and Figures 11 and 12 are sectional elevations of my improved
creel for supporting the bobbins on which the yarn to be untwisted is
wound. The creel consists of the sides and end frames A, the sides
being united by the cross rails A¹, and the ends by the longitudinal
rails A. Above the rails A2 are the shafts B, which revolve in bushes
cast to the end frames A, and in bearings A³ fixed to the rails A².
I prefer to place six of these shafts side by side in ope creel, but the
number may be varied. To each shaft B are fixed spur pinions B', see
Figure 11, and these pinions are united by the carrier wheels B², con-
sequently when one of the shafts B is driven by steam or other power
all the others are put in motion. To each shaft B are fixed any con-
venient number of mitre pinions B3, gearing into similar pinions C, which
revolve on studs projecting from the bearings A³, the number of pinions
B3 must depend upon the length of the reel required. The bosses of the
pinions C are tapered, and upon them fit the bosses of the flyers D con-
taining the bobbins of yarn to be untwisted, the axles of the bobbins
are held by the drop catches D'. The interior of the bosses of the flyer
are chilled by the ordinary and well-known method of casting upon an
iron core, whereby they are rendered hard and durable, and the boring
out is dispensed with. When a bobbin is empty the attendant without
stopping any part of the machinery lifts the flyer with the empty bobbin
off its pinion, and after removing the empty bobbin and substituting a
full one the flyer is dropped into its place, and the end pieced up.
By this improved arrangement of the creel great economy of space is

page_text: effected, the removing of empty bobbins and replacing full ones is
facilitated, and by chilling the boss of the flyer labor is reduced and
durability is increased.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I deciare that I claim,―
First. The improved mode of driving the feed rollers applied to the
flyers of machines for spinning or twisting, and for laying or topping
yarn, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Secondly. The improved machinery for untwisting yarns, as shewn
and described in reference to Figures 6, 7, and 8.
Thirdly. The improved arrangement of parts forming a creel for sup-
porting bobbins, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 9, 10, 11,
and 12.
And lastly. Chilling the bosses of flyers as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Tomlinson, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-eight.
JAMES TOMLINSON. (L.S.)