IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR SPINNING, Doubling, and Winding MACHINERY
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Dunlop, Mill Manager to Messieurs R. F. and J.
Alexander and Company, of Crofthead, Neilston, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVERSE MECHANISM
FOR SPINNING, Doubling, and Winding MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Dunlop at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th October 1877.
MATTHEW DUNLOP, Mill Manager to Messieurs R. F. and J. Alexander and
·Company, of Crofthead, Neilston, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR SPINNING, DOUBLING, AND WINDING
MACHINERY."
This Invention relates to the mechanism which in spinning, doubling, and winding
machinery imparts what is known as the traverse motion to the yarn or thread guides
or equivalent details, and its objects are to simplify the construction, to improve the
action, to render the parts more easily and conveniently adjustable to suit various
circumstances, and to avoid rapid wear or derangement.
In carrying out the Invention the traversing or lifting rails or equivalent parts
are moved by means of longitudinal shafts, of which there is one for each row of
bobbins, spools, pirns, or spindles on which the yarn or thread is being wound.
Near one end of each longitudinal shaft there is adjustably fixed on it a sector
pulley, to which there is attached by an adjustable screw one end of a chain, the
other end of which is attached to what may be termed the primary traverse piece.
Chains from the longitudinal shafts on opposite sides of the frame are attached to
opposite sides of the same primary traverse piece, and the shafts thus move in
opposite directions, and the traverse or lifting rails also, so that they counterbalance
each other.

page_text: The primary traverse piece has a part which encircles a transverse horizontal
shaft carried at the end of the frame, and driven by means of a worm and worm
wheel. The transverse shaft has formed on it two helical or screw grooves, which,
crossing each other at each half convolution, run into each other at each end, and in
the primary traverse piece there is fitted a swivelling piece, which is formed with
two prongs engaging with the helical groove on the shaft. It is through this
pronged swivelling piece that the screw grooves act on the primary traverse piece,
and as the piece reaches either end of the screw grooved part of the shaft the
swivelling piece passes and turns from one groove into the other so as to produce the
reversed motion whilst the shaft rotates continuously in one direction.
An important advantage of the arrangement consists in the change in the direc-
tion of the motion at each end of the traverse being made very quickly and yet
without jerk; also, although both sides of a frame are worked from a primary
traverse piece, the details on each side can be adjusted quite independently of each
other, either for different extents of lift or traverse, or for different positions of the
spindles.
The sector pulleys can also be shaped to suit different forms of bobbins, spools, or
pirns, or for winding on the cop form.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Matthew Dunlop in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th April
1878.
MATTHEW DUNLOP, Mill Manager to Messieurs R. F. and J. Alexander and
Company, of Crofthead, Neilston, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR SPINNING, DOUBLING, AND WINDING
MACHINERY."
My said Invention relates to the mechanism which in spinning, doubling, and
winding machinery imparts what is known as the traverse motion to the yarn or
thread guides or equivalent details, and its objects are to simplify the construction,
to improve the action, to render the parts more easily and conveniently adjustable
to suit various circumstances, and to avoid rapid wear or derangement.
In carrying out the Invention a primary traverse piece is employed, which is
moved by a revolving shaft having two screw grooves, one right-hand, and the
other left-hand, cut on the same portion of its length, whilst a swivelling bit in the
traverse piece is acted on by the screw grooves, and turns from one screw groove
into the other at each end of the traverse. The primary traverse piece is adjustably
connected to sector pulleys, which sector pulleys are adjustably fixed on longitudinal
horizontal shafts, which communicate the movements to the traverse rails.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings,
to be herein-after referred to, and representing a modification of my improved
traverse mechanism.

page_text: In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a sectional end elevation;
and Figure 2 is a side elevation, showing a few parts of a doubling or spinning
frame as fitted with my improved traverse mechanism.
In this example the traverse movement is vertical, and the traverse or lifting
rails (shown in dotted lines in Figure 1) are moved by means of longitudinal
shafts 2, of which there is one at each side of the machine. The traverse rails 1 are
carried by vertical bars 3, which move in guides in the fixed rails 4, 5, and have
attached to their lower ends chains 6, the other ends of these chains being fixed to
and acted on by pulleys 7 on the longitudinal shafts 2. Near one end of each longi-
tudinal shaft 2 there is adjustably fixed on it a sector pulley 8, to which there is
attached by an adjustable screw one end of a chain 9, the other end of which is
attached to what may be termed the primary traverse piece 10. The same traverse
piece 10 acts for both sides of the machine, a second chain 9 connecting it to a
sector pulley 8 on the longitudinal shaft 2 at the other side, and the two shafts 2
are thus made to move in opposite directions, and the traverse or lifting rails 1 also,
so that they counterbalance each other.
The primary traverse piece 10 is constructed to encircle a transverse horizontal
shaft 11, which is carried at the end of the framing, and has on it a worm wheel 12,
to be driven by a worm 13 on a shaft geared in any convenient manner to one of
the ordinary shafts of the machine. The transverse shaft 11 has formed on it two
helical or screw grooves 14, which being right-hand and left-hand respectively, and
crossing each other at each half convolution, run into each other at each end, and
in the primary traverse piece 10 there is fitted a swivelling piece 15, which is formed
with a pronged or horned part shaped to engage in one of the screw grooves 14, and
so as to be capable of swivelling and passing from one screw groove to the other at
each end of the traverse.
Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of the swivelling piece 15, and Figure 4 is a
corresponding inverted plan. The piece 15 is fitted loosely in a round hole formed
for it through the top of the primary traverse piece 10, and it is kept in its place by
a small cover 16 secured by screws. The primary traverse piece 10 is kept in its
proper position on the shaft 11 by an arm 17 extending downwards, and working
upon a fixed horizontal guide rod 18.
The shaft 11 rotates continuously in one direction, and the primary traverse pieco
10 is always being moved in one direction or the other along the shaft by the action
of one of the screw grooves 14 on the swivelling piece 15, and through it on the
primary traverse piece itself.
An important advantage of the arrangement consists in the fact that the change
in the direction of the motion of the primary traverse piece 10 at each end of the
traverse takes place very quickly, and yet without jerk; also, although both sides
of a frame are worked from one primary traverse piece, the details on either side can
be adjusted quite independently of those on the other side, either for different
extents of lift or traverse, or for different positions of the spindles.
The sector pulleys 8 can also be shaped to suit different forms of bobbins, spools,
or pirns, or for winding in the cop form or other configuration of build.
The sector pulleys 8 are made with arm parts 19 separate from short arms formed
on the bosses, which are fixed on the shafts 2, so that the acting parts of the sector
pulleys can be fixed at different distances from the shafts to suit different cases.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original, and
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
1. The combining of the connected right-hand and left-hand screw grooves on the
shaft carrying the primary traverse piece with the other parts, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described.

page_text: 2. The transmitting of the traverse motion to the longitudinal shafts by means of
the adjustable sector pulleys, substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness, I, the said Matthew Dunlop, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.'
MATTHEW DUNLOP. (L.S.)