IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TESTING AND ASCERTAINING THE STRENGTH OF YARN, THREAD, WIRE, STRINGS, OR FABRICS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Guillaume Perreaux, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TESTING AND ASCERTAINING THE
STRENGTH OF YARN, THREAD, WIRE, STRINGS, OR FABRICS."
Sealed the 5th July 1858, and dated the 31st January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Guillaume
Perreaux at the Office of the Cominissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on. the 31st January 1853.
I, LOUIS GUILLAUME PERREAUX, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
TESTING AND ASCERTAINING THE STRENGTH OF YARN, THREAD, WIRE,
STRINGS, OR FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The machine or apparatus which forms the subject of the pre-
sent Invention consists of a rectangular frame, the inner sides of
which form guides, whereon are placed two moveable crossheads or

page_text: traverses, which carry the pins, hooks, clamps, or other con-
trivances to which the thread, yarn, wire, string, or fabric to be
tested are attached. One of these traverses or crossheads is fur-
nished with a screw which passes through a box, and having a
winch handle at one end, the screw may be turned, and the cross-
head drawn back so as to stretch the material to be tested. The
other crosshead is also moveable on the guides, but is held back by
a strong double elliptical spring connected at one end to the cross-
head, and at the opposite end to the fixed part of the framing.
From this explanation it will be evident that upon drawing back
the first crosshead the material or fabric to be tested will be sub-
mitted to very great tension, but that the elliptical springs at the
back of the second crosshead will yield to a given extent to the
strain. It will therefore only be necessary to connect these springs
to an index and dial and by indicating on the dial the action of
the springs the strength of the fabric or material that has been
operated upon will at once be ascertained. On one side of the
rectangular frame, and parallel with the line of draught, is a gra-
duated scale, from which the extent to which the material has been
stretched may also be ascertained. In order to prevent too great
a shock when the material or fabric to be operated upon breaks, the
back clamp is connected by suitable gearing to a fly wheel, which;
when the clamp returns, is set in motion, and thus deadeus the
shock to which the apparatus would be otherwise exposed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Louis Guillaume Perreaux in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
LOUIS GUILLAUME PERREAUX, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January,

page_text: in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three,
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Louis Guillaume
Perreaux, Her special licence that I, the said Louis Guillaume
Perreaux, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Louis Guillaume Perreaux, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TESTING AND ASCERTAINING THE
STRENGTH OF YARN, THREAD, WIRE, STRINGS, OR FABRICS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Louis Guillaume
Perreaux, 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 Louis Guillaume Perreaux,
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, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
The machine or apparatus which forms the subject of the present
Invention has for its object to test and ascertain the strength of
yarn, thread, wire, strings, or fabrics, by submitting them to a
regular strain or tension until they break or give way; one end of
the yarn, thread, wire, string, or fabric being secured to a noveable
pin or clamp, which is capable of being drawn back gradually by
some convenient contrivance; the other end of the yarn or thread
being attached to a similar pin or clamp, which is connected with
an indicating apparatus.

page_text: The machine consists of a rectangular frame, the inner sides of
which form guides, whereon are placed two moveable crossheads or
traverses, which carry the pins, hooks, or clamps above mentioned,
or other contrivances to which the thread, yarn, wire, string, or
fabric to be tested are attached. One of these traverses or cross-
heads is actuated by a screw shaft which passes through a screw
box or female screw on the under side of the crosshead, and having
a winch handle at one end, whereby the screw shaft may be turned,
and the crosshead drawn back so as to stretch the material to be
tested. The other crosshead is also moveable on the guides, but is
held back by a strong double elliptical spring connected at one end
to the crosshead, and at the opposite end to the fixed part of the
framing. From this explanation it will be evident that upon
drawing back the first or moveable crosshead the material or
fabric to be tested will be submitted to very great tension, but that
the elliptical springs at the back of the second crosshead will yield
to a given extent to the strain. It will therefore only be neces-
sary to connect these springs to an index and dial, and by
indicating on the dial the action of the springs the strength
of the fabric or material that has been tested or operated upon
will at once be ascertained. On one side of the rectangular
frame, and parallel with the line of draught, is a graduated scale,
which marks the degree of elasticity of the material, so important
for all fabrics, and especially for woollen cloth. In order to pre-
vent too great a shock when the material or fabric to be ope-
rated upon breaks, the back clamp is connected by suitable gear-
ing to a fly wheel, which, when the clamp returns, is set in
motion, and thus deadens the shock to which the apparatus would
be otherwise exposed.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1, is a plan view of the
machine as seen from above, but with the index and dial plate
removed in order that the parts beneath inay be more clearly scen.
Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3, is an end
clevation, some of the parts being shewn in section a, a, are upright
standards, which support a rectangular frame b, b, in which are

page_text: e,
is
placed the crossheads c, and c*. On one side of the frame b, is
placed an adjustable gauge to measure the length of the material
that is under operation, and the amount to which it has been
stretched. The crosshead c, is provided underneath with a female
screw d, through which works the long screw e, whereby the cross-
head is moved backwards and forwards on the guides at the inner
side of the rectangular frame b, b, when the screwed shaft
turned by the winch handle f. The crosshead c* is also mounted
in the guides of the rectangular frame b, b, and has a limited motion
therein. To the back part of this crosshead is connected the double
elliptical spring g, g, the opposite end of which is secured to the
horse-shoe shaped end of the fixed framing. The double elliptical
spring g, works in a bridle piece h, h; a pin i, which passes through
a socket made in some convenient part of the framing, bears with
one end against the side of the elliptical spring g, and is held in
contact therewith by the sliding bar j, which is kept against the
other end of the pin i, by the force of the helical spring k. It will
be seen on referring to Fig. 3, that the under side of the bar j, is
toothed in the form of a rack, and gears into and drives the teeth l,
nade on the upper end of a sector rack m, which gears into and
drives another pinion n, on the shaft o. On the boss of the pinion
n, is a ratchet wheel p, which is driven by a click or pall, attached
to one of the arms of the fly wheel q, which is mounted loosely on
the shaft or spindle o. The index plate or dial r, is fixed on the
top of the horse-shoe part of the frame, and is shewn detached upon
an enlarged scale at Fig. 4. To the back part of the crosshead c*
is attached a toothed rack s, (shown by dots in Fig. 4,) which gears
into and drives a pinion t, on the spindle of which is mounted the
index hand u. The thread, wire, or other material to be tested is
secured in any convenient manner to the pins or clamps u, v, of
the crossheads c, and c, as shewn in Fig. 2, and in the detached
views Figs. 5.
Having described the construction of the various parts of the
machine, I will now proceed to explain the operation thereof. Sup-
posing the material to be tested is a thread, cord, or wire, it is to be

page_text: secured at both ends to the pins or clamps v, v, then upon turning
the winch handle f, the crosshead c, will be drawn back, and submit
the thread, cord, or wire w, (Fig. 2,) to considerable strain and
tension. This strain will pull forward the crosshead c*,.and tend
to collapse or straighten the elliptical springs g, which are attached
to the back of the crosshead. The forward motion of the cross-
head will also, by means of the rack s, and pinion t, cause the index
hand to move round until the cord, thread, or wire gives way and
breaks. The figure on the dial plate at which the index hand
points at that moment will indicate the amount of strain to which
the material has, been subjected. In order to ascertain the degree
to which the material has been stretched, the zero mark on the rule
, at the side of the frame should be brought to the edge of the
crosshead c, and the exact length of the material when strained
tight but unstretched should be first ascertained, and then a second
observation should be made in a similar manner just before the
breakage takes place, and the difference between the two observa-
tions. will shew the amount to which the material has been stretched.
It will be seen that the rule x, is moveable longitudinally in order
to keep it always just opposite the centre of the crosshead.
I would here remark that when the thread, cord, wire, or other
material breaks, the elliptical spring g, is prevented from suddenly
returning to its normal condition by means of the gearing connected
with the fly wheel. The strain upon the spring tends to straighten
it, and allow the pin i, and rack bar j, to move forward; but
when the spring expands again it will force back the pin i, and the
rack bar j, and act on the toothed gear, and cause the fly wheel to
rotate. By this means anything like a shock is prevented from the
sudden collapse of the spring.
Having now described my Invention, and the best means with
which I am at present acquainted for carrying the same into opera-
tion, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not mean or intend to
confine myself rigidly to the precise arrangement or construction of
parts herein shewn and described, as they may perhaps be varied
without departing from the nature and object of my Invention; nor

page_text: do I intend to claim the exclusive right of testing the strength of
cords, wires, threads, or fabrics by means of springs; but that
which I consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement of machinery herein shewn and
described, or any modification thereof, in which the strength of
materials is ascertained by means of elliptical springs.
Second, I claim preventing the shock occasioned by the sudden
breaking of the material under operation from re-acting on and
deranging the mechanism by causing the spring to act upon an
arrangement of gearing, whereby a fly wheel or other counteracting
agent may be set in motion, in order to absorb or modify the
power exerted by the spring when suddenly relieved from a state of
tension.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Guillaume Perreaux, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.
0 Witness,
T. CARLHIAN.
L. G. PERREAUX. (L.S.)