IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING, SPIN- AND DONDLIKA COMMON WOOL AND ATHED TIDDATE STEMAWARE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robertson, of Rochdale, in the
County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING, SPIN-
AND DONDLIKA COMMON WOOL AND ATHED TIDDATE STEMAWARE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robertson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th July 1858.
I, WILLIAM ROBERTSON, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRE-
PARING, SPINNING, AND DOUBLING. COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:--
My Invention refers, firstly, to slubbing and roving frames, and con-
sists in the adaptation of a presser or pressers placed vertically, and
constructed and arranged so as to be capable of driving the bobbins by
surface motion. Another feature of this part of my iniprovements
consists in causing the spindles to vibrate so as to provide for the taking

page_text: up of different quantities of material upon a conical bobbin, whereby I
am enabled to drive the bobbins at an uniform rate.
Secondly, my Invention refers to the mule, and consists in mounting
the spindle frame upon pivots so as to provide for a vibratory motion,
by which arrangement I accomplish the following objects:-Firstly, I
regulate the angle of the spindles during the outward stretch, in order
to avoid a snarling of the yarn, and also to accomodate the relative gain
of the carriage over the rollers in drawing out. Secondly, I cause the
spindles to fall back from the roller bean during the backing off, in
order that the yarn backed off may be taken up. Thirdly, by their
vibrating motion I effect the distribution of the yarn upon the spindles
in winding on, instead of employing fallers for that purpose, as now
practised. Fourthly, I cause the tension of the yarn produced by the
motion of the spindles when the carriage reaches the roller beam to
restore the spindles to the proper angle for twisting.
. Another feature of novelty relating to the mule consists in a method
of performing the winding-on motion; this I effect by the employment
of a double arrangement of vibrating arms or guadrants in conjunction
with a pair of conical pullies and a travelling strap.
Another improvement in the mule consists in so forming that portion
of the "stand" on which condenser bobbins bear that it shall rise per-
pendicularly, or nearly so, behind the unlapping drums, or assume a
slight inclination in the opposite direction to that commonly adopted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robertson in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office, on the 7th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM ROBERTSON, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Ma-
chine Maker, send greeting.
.I
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July in the year of

page_text: .
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robertson, Hes especial license
that I, the said William Robertson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robertson; 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 OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING, SPINNING, AND DOUBLING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition' (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robertson, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robertson, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to
say):
My Invention refers, firstly, to slubbing and roving frames, one por-
tion of this part of my improvements consisting in the application of a
pressers or pressers placed vertically, and constructed and arranged
so as to be capable of driving the bobbins by surface motion. The
presser I employ are rollers mounted upon axes, which are carried
by the flyer, and in such manner as to cause the bobbins to revolve.
Another improvement in slubbing and roving frames consists. in causing
the spindle to vibrate so as to provide for the winding of different
quantities of material on to a conical surface, whereby I am enabled to
drive the bobbins at an uniform velocity, and so dispense with the
differential motion now employed.
The second part of my Invention refers to the mule, and cousists in

page_text: mounting the spindle frame upon pivots so as to provide for a vibra-
ting motion, by which arrangement I accomplish the following objects :-
Firstly, I regulate the angle of the spindles during stretch, in order to
avoid a snarling of the yarn, and to regulate the relative gain of the
carriage over the rollers in drawing out. Secondly, I cause the spindles
to fall back from the roller beam during the backing off, in order that
the yarn backed off may be fully taken up. Thirdly, by their vibrating
motion I effect the distribution of the yarn upon the spindles in wind-
ing on, instead of employing fallers for that purpose, as now practised.
I find it advantageous, however, to use an instrument similar in
arrangement to a counter faller, but operating in a different manner;
the upper faller I entirely dispense with. Fourthly, I cause the tension
of the yarn produced by the motion of the spindles when the carriage
reaches the roller beam to restore the spindles to the proper angle for
twisting; and in order that my Invention may be fully understood I
have appended to this my Specification certain illustrative Drawings,
which I will now proceed to describe. Figs. 1, and 2, represent my
first improvement in slubbing and roving frames in two views, the
former being a side elevation of a spindle and its immediate append-
ages, and the latter a top view, with the part above the line A, B,
removed. The flyer is shown at a, a, revolving within collars b, b,
attached to the stationary framework; the upper end of the flyer is
bored for the passage of the slubbing or roving, and leg a*, is made
hollow for the purpose of allowing the material to pass to the bobbin c.
The spindle d, passes through the bottom of the flyer, and supports the
bobbin upon its upper end, which is thereby caused to rise and fall, in
order to distribute the material by any usual machinery. At the bottoni
and top of the flyer are two rings e, e, capable of moving thereon; around
the spindle to these rings are connected arms f, by means of centre pins,
their other extremities being jointed to the axis of vertical rollers g, g*,
which are intended to act as pressers against the surface of the bobbin,
to which they are drawn by springs or centrifugal apparatus; the axes
of these rollers are also provided with other arms 1, the outward ends
of which are jointed to fixed studs upon the bottom and top plates of
the flyer; by this arrangement the pressers 9, *, are at liberty to

page_text: advance towards or recede from the bobbins, the rings e, being free to
turn round so as to permit the centres to move, in order to compensate
for the motion of the arms h, f. The presser, is provided with a
pulley j, around which a band k, passes, and from thence to a pulley 1,
turning upon the centre of the arm h; the second pulley m, on the same
centre returns the band k, around the pulley n, attached to the collar b.
As the apparatus above described is caused to revolve by any usual
machinery, the pressure of the rollers g, will cause the bobbin to revolve,
the band k, at the same time communicating an independent rotatory
motion to the pulley g*, and thus afford the lead to the bobbin necessary
for winding on; and as such winding is produced by surface motion, it.
will continue the same throughout, and take up the constant quantity
passed onward by the delivering rollers, provided the periphery of the
presser and its speed be properly calculated for that purpose.
My second improvement iu slubbing and roving frames is shewn
at Figs. 3, and 4, 5, the two first mentioned being partial sectional
views of a frame constructed according to my Invention, and Fig. 5, a
detached sectional view upon an enlarged scale of the bobbin and its
immediate appurtenances. The driving shaft for the bobbins and
spindles is shewn at a, provided with a series of double bevil wheels b;
the inward circles of teeth drive pinious c, attached to the spindles d,
and the outward circles other pinions e, fast upon tubes f, which
surround the spindles, but are of a sufficient interior diameter to revolve
freely. The bobbins I employ consist of a conical surface h, which
forms the base, and a metal tube y. The tubes f, are provided with
feathers on their outward surfaces taking into grooves formed upon the
interior of the bobbin tubes g, by which arrangement the two are
caused to revolve together, the bobbins being free to move up and
down. The flyer I employ consists of a tube i, surrounding the bobbin,
and formed with a solid top for receiving the spindle d, at which part
it turns in a rail k. The top of the flyer is formed with an eye for the
passage of the material to its exterior, from whence it passes to a
presser . This presser is mounted vertically upon a centre pin, and is
continued at the other side thereof by a weighted lever m, which, as
the flyer revolves, effects the necessary action upon the centrifugal

page_text: AL
principle. The rails k, and o, within which the spindles run are con-
nected at two or more places by uprights p, and are suspended upon the
brackets of the shaft a; the spindles and bobbins are therefore capable
of turning so as to bring the point at which the roving enters the flyer.
nearer to or further from the front pair of rollers. Upon the shaft a,
is a pinion q, driving wheel r, affixed to a shaft s; this shaft turns in
á boss t, fornied upon a. bracket extending from the upright p, and
carries a worm 'u, taking into a worn wheel v, upon the axis of which
is a heart-shaped cam w....This cam in its rotation acts against
bowl, mounted upon the end of the copping frame y, which is there-
fore caused. to. rise and fall in guides upon the framing.p, but for the
purpose, hereafter to be described that motion is only to the extent of
the length of.. the conical base h, of the bobbin. In the copping
framing y,.is mounted a screw 2, so as to turn freely, but to be con-
fined therein; this screw works in the copping rail 1, and at stated
intervals a click is caused to arrive by the copping motion in contact
with any convenient stationary part so as to turn the screw 2, by which
means the copping rail will be lowered so as to bring the presser in
contact with a higher part of the bobbins. It will be understood from
this that there are two motions imparted to the copping rail, the one
(by means of the heart wheel) for distributing the material upon the
conical surface, and the other (by means of a screw) for causing a
fresh layer of rovings to be wound, the commencement whereof is at
a higher point than that previously coiled thereon, the effect of which
will be, that a bobbin will be built after the same principle as that
adopted in winding a cop on to a mule spindle. Upon the worm
wheel v, is jointed one end of a rod 4, the other end of which turns
upon a fixed pin at 5; as therefore the wheel v, revolves, the crank thus
formed will cause it- and the frame p, upon which it is mounted, to
vibrate upon its centre, carrying with then the spindles and bobbins so
as to cause the flyer to move between the lines A, B, represented by
red color, and as the caii w, and various actuating parts are mounted
together upon the framework p, the several parts will continue in their
proper relative positions. The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The speed of the bobbin is so arranged that when the material is

page_text: being wound upon the centre part of the conical surface the whole.
amount delivered by the rollers is taken up; as it is laid on towards the
larger surface more is required, and on to the smaller less, in order to-
provide for which the revolution of the wheel v, will cause the lever 4,*
to communicate a vibratory motion to the spindle frame b, thereby
bringing the point of the spindle nearer to or further from the delivering:
rollers; in the position shewn in the Drawings I suppose the winding.
to be taking place on the bottom of the cone, and the spindles advancing
to the roller beam so as to allow for the extra material required for the
larger surface; having reached the middle it recedes towards the
line B, in order to take up the superabundant quantity delivered by the
rollers. When a layer of material has been thus distributed over.
the surface of the cone the screw receives a rotatory motion from the
click, so as to drop. the copping rail and commence the winding of a
new layer at a point higher up on the bobbin, and so on. The machine:
to which I have adapted the second part of my improvements is
of that construction for which Letters Patent were granted to me on,
the Eighteenth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two, and the Specification of which was duly enrolled; the Draw-
ings shew a considerable portion of the machinery, but it will not
be necessary for me to describe: the several parts, excepting in so far,
as they are connected with my present Invention. Fig. 6, is a partial.
side view of a mule, and Fig. 7, is a plan or horizontal view thereof,
certain of the parts being shewn by red lines in order to render them
more evident. The spindles are shewn at a, and the top and bottom
rails by which they are carried at b, b; these rails are united by
pieces c, which are provided with bosses adapted so as to turn
upon a shaft d, supported by bearings extending from the carriage
fraine, and at suitable distances by studs or pivots resting on similar
bearings; the spindles with their frame are therefore capable of vibra-
ting so as to bring the spinning points thereof at varying angles with
the roller beam. The spindle frame is so adjusted as to possess a
tendency by its weight, to turn over in the direction of the arrow, but
it is during certain operations kept forward against that weight by the
tension of the yarn; when this, however, becomes slackened the spindles

page_text: may fall back, as above mentioned, and take up the slackened portion
of material. Upon the shaft d, is mounted an arm e, the upper end of
which is jointed to a lever mounted upon a centre f, attached to a
bracket which extends from the spindle carriage; upon this centre are
other levers at intervals, one of which is shewn at g, carrying a wire h,
intended, as hereafter to be described, to act as a guide or regulator in
winding on. The arm e, is mounted upon the shaft d, by a slot, and
extends below the centre, and is at that part provided with a quadrant
resting upon a rod i, mounted in guides j, attached to the carriage.
The lower end of this rod carries a roller k, which as the carriages runs
in and out moves along an incline plane 7, which is the ordinary
shaper; as therefore the carriage runs out the rod i, will fall in its
guides, and allow the arm e, by following that motion to turn the
lever g, upon the centre, and thus depress the guide or regulator h;
upon the carriage running in this operation will be reversed, and the
regulator raised; upon the rod i, is a pin m, sce the detached Fig. 8,
against which a projecting part n, attached to the spindle rail b, having
an incline plane at its upper end, acts; upon the rising of the rod i,
this incline will, therefore, force the spindle carriage back from the
roller beam a short distance. The shaper 1, is capable of being
altered as regards its inclination by means of the projecting part o,
arriving in contact with the click of the usual ratchet wheel and
screw p,p; upon the axis of the double grooved pulley used in my patent
machine before mentioned is a bevil pinion q, takon into another ",
mounted upon an axle carried by the shaft d, before referred to.
Upon the axis of the last-mentioned bevil is a double grooved pulley 8,
over which bands pass to the drums for communicating motion to the
spindles, one of which. drums is shewn at t, the arrangement for the
other side of the carriage being the same. It will be understood that
as tlie bevil pinion r, is mounted upon the axle d, whatever may be the
position of the spindle carriage, the relative position of the double
grooved pulleys, to the tin drums will always be the same. The opera-
tion of the machine is as follows:-In the position shewn in the
Drawings the carriage is just about to run out, but I will assume that
the inward run is just completed, and that the spindles occupy the

page_text: position represented by the line A, B. The motion of the band used
for driving the spindles and taking in the carriage according to my
former Patent is now continued, but for the spindles only; the carriage
having reached the stops, by this time the winding on the yarn has
brought the spindles to such an angle that a further revolution will
commence a winding above the nose of the cop, and cause the spindles
to be drawn forward upon their centre d, into the position shewn by
the full lines which will be that suitable for spinning. Previously to
the operation just described the running in of the carriage will have
raised the rod i, so as to slide the pin m, along the incline n, which will
then act as a stop for determining the angle of the spindle, so as to
prevent the yarn from running off the points during the operation of
spinning, when the yarn is at the full set. The running out of the
carriage is now to be performed in the usual manner, which motion
will allow the rod i, to descend and move the pin m, from the
incline n, so as to allow the yarn to draw the spindles forward towards
the roller beam. As the carriage continues to run out the further
descent of the rod will permit a continuation of this operation, so as
to counteract the gain of the carriage, but this effect may be re-
versed by causing the spindles to move in the contrary direction, or
they may preserve an uniformi angle. The carriage having arrived
at the termination of the stretch, and the spindles being in the
position shewn by the line C, D, the backing off is performed in the
usual manner, which operation as it slackens the yarn will permit
the spindles to turn back upon their centre of motion until they have
assumed the position shewn by the line E, F, by which alteration of
angle the yarn will have been brought to the point of the cop. The
winding on motion is now brought into operation, and the the running
in of the carriage simultaneously performed, and as the angle of the
spindle is less than a right angle with the yarn the tendency of the
thread will be to run down the cop; as, however, the carriage advances,
and more material is wound than is equivalent to its motion, the
spindles will be drawn forward upon their centre until they arrive at
the position shewn by the line G, H, at which point the yarn will form
about a right angle with the spindle, and its tendency will therefore be

page_text: to run upward and distribute another layer upon the cop, until the
spindles again arrive at the position shewn by the line A, B. In this
manner a cop may be formed, but it may be liable to some irregulari-
ties, owing to the spindles stopping at different positions; I therefore
employ the regulator h, before réferred to, the operation of which is as
follows: Upon the commencement of winding on, the spindles being
as at E, F, the regulator will have been brought by the falling of the
rod i, into the position shewn at ; as, however, the carriage runs in,
the rod i, is caused to rise and carry the regulator upward until it
meets the yarn at the shoulder of the cop, as seen at the line G, H,
after which the winding on proceeds upward, as before described, and
the regulator ascends, following the yarn until it reaches the point, and
the winding on is completed.
In reference to this part of my Invention I would observe, that
although I have shewn my improvement as applied to a particular
<description of mule, I do not intend to confine myself to that combi-
nation, as mules of other arrangements may be adopted, if desired; nor
do I limit myself to the precise arrangements of machinery by which
the several points of my Invention are illustrated; that which I claim
as secured to me being,-Firstly, the application to slubbing and roving
frames of a presser or pressers for driving the bobbin by surface
motion. Secondly, causing the spindles of slubbing and roving frames
to vibrate for the purpose above set forth. Thirdly, as applied to mules
or other machines of that class, mounting the spindles so as to provide
for a vibratory motion for the purposes above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robertson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
WILLIAM ROBERTSON.. (LS.)