Improvements in the Preparation or Treatment of Hanks or Skeins of all Kinds of Threads, for the Purpose of Maintain- ing the Separation from Adjacent Threads of each Thread Composing the same. PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING THE SEPARATION FROM ADJACENT THREADS OF EACH THREAD COMPOSING THE SAME
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in the Preparation or Treatment of Hanks or
Skeins of all Kinds of Threads, for the Purpose of Maintain-
ing the Separation from Adjacent Threads of each Thread
Composing the same.
I BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION
OR TREATMENT OF HANKS OR SKEINS OF ALL KINDS OF THREADS FOR THE
PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING THE SEPARATION FROM ADJACENT THREADS OF EACH
THREAD COMPOSING THE SAME, a communication to me from abroad by Jean
Marie Bonnière, of Charlieu, Loire in the Republic of France, Silk Manufacturer
to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to maintain all the threads which compose
a hank or skein in the same order which they have received in winding whatever
may be the manipulations to which they may be submitted.
This result is obtained by arranging along the length of the hank skein or coil
one or several ligatures separating each thread from adjacent threads. The two
threads composing each of these ligatures traverse for this purpose the bank or
skein by passing alternately below and above the threads which compose it, in
exactly the same manner as two consecutive shoots of weft through a warp which
would be represented by the hank or skein.
The two threads forming the ligature intercross thread by thread in the same
manner as the rods divide the warp in a weaving loom.
This intercrossing is obtained without changing anything in the apparatus at
present employed for winding the bank or skein, it suffices to give to the thread
which is wound upon the winder a to and fro motion which causes it to cross
alternately from right to left and from left to right, at one or several points in the
circumference of the winder, each crossing is ligatured separately thereby producing
the desired effect, other means may however be employed, for example by previously
placing the two threads of the ligature upon the winder and causing them to rise

page_text: alternately at the passage of each turn of thread in such manner as to produce a
veritable weaving of which the two threads of the ligature would be the warp and
the thread wound, the weft.
The advantage of this intercrossing is its application to all kinds of hanks or
skeins without changing anything in their constitution, which enables them to
undergo all the operations of dyeing, washing, beating, dressing, polishing and
others, with the customary apparatus and operation, the winding itself is effected
in the same manner and upon the same machines, but with infinitely more facility
and less waste the threads having preserved their relative position.
The intercrossing also enables the banks or skeins to be divided very easily
without fear of cutting a wrong thread it suffices in effect to stretch the cross
threads or ligature to divide the hank or skein with all possible precision, if a
thread is accidentally broken it is only necessary to follow the end to the first
intercrossing to enable the bank or skein to be separated at the precise point of
rupture.
This invention is applicable to all textile materials, threads for weaving or for
sewing, as also to threads of all kinds, metallic or other, hanked or wound.
B. J. B. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in the Preparation or Treatment of Hanks or
Skeins of all Kinds of Threads; for the Purpose of Maintain-
ing the Separation from Adjacent Threads of each Thread
Composing the same.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR
TREATMENT OF HANKS OR SKEINS OF ALL KINDS OF THREADS FOR THE PURPOSE
OF MAINTAINING THE SEPARATION FROM ADJACENT THREADS OF EACH THREAD
COMPOSING THE SAME, a communication to me from abroad by Jean Marie Bonnière
of Charlelieu, Loire, in the Republic of France Silk Manufacturer and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:—
The object of the present invention is to maintain all the threads which compose
a hank or skein in the same order which they have received in winding whatever
may be the manipulation to which they may be afterwards submitted thereby
facilitating the reeling or winding of textile materials in hanks or skeins and of
obviating the waste which frequently results from this operation.
This result is obtained by arranging along the length of the hank, skein or coil
during its manufacture one or several ligatures separating each thread from adjacent
threads as represented at Figure 1 of the drawings annexed. The two threads or
strands composing each of these ligatures traverse the bank or skein by passing
alternately below and above the threads which compose it that is to say by inter-
weaving thread by thread in exactly the same manner as the rods divide the warp
in a weaving loom.
The drawing annexed represents at Figure 1 three of these intercrossings or
weavings a, a, all arranged on a hank or skein reduced to a few threads, any
number of these can be placed upon hanks or skeins of any desired dimensions and
bulk. The bank or skein thus interwoven can be submitted like any ordinary
hank or skein to any process of dyeing, dressing washing, beating, stretching
lustring or other process without in any way changing the apparatus and manipu-
lation now in use, it is afterwards reeled or wound with the greatest facility on
ordinary reels or winders or upon reels or winders of any special construction
thanks to the arrangement of the threads being maintained by the interweaving
during the entire operation of reeling or winding either by the ligature itself or by
a special arrangement of the reel or winder as will be hereafter described.
The placing of the interweavings can be obtained by various means upon the
reel itself which is employed for winding the skeins or banks, Figure 2 represents
the most practical means.
The thread is conducted to the reel G by a reciprocating motion which causes it
to cross alternately from right to left and from left to right a certain odd number
of strands, three for example as represented in the drawing a second movement
much slower distributes the threads upon a small width so as to form a continuous
riband,

page_text: The skein or hank when completed has the interweavings a, a¹, a¹ inserted as
shown in the drawing. If desired only two or even only one interweaving may be
employed but even in this latter case it will be preferable to wind the hanks or
skeins with three crossings two of which will disappear but will have served to
secure the grouping of the threads; if desired 5, 7 or nine crossings may be
employed but in practice three are sufficient, a greater number of interweavings
than three being of no use except in special cases. The bank or skein thus
obtained can be wound upon any description of winding machine with one or two
reels or flys see Figures 3 and 4 without in any way requiring to modify their
construction, it is only necessary to cut on the same side all the interweavings from
which each turn of the thread will naturally escape as represented at m Figure 4,
the right end will always be found to the right or to the left of the interweaving
without requiring to search for it across the hank or skein.
Figure 5 represents another method of winding interwoven hanks or skeins, the
winder or reel consists of a six armed reel or fly, three of which are doubled and
carry india-rubber cords i, i, i, the three others placed between the first mentioned,
consist each of a single rod p traversed by a wire s, this reel or winder receives the
interwoven hank or skein, the ends of the shafts p passing in the place of each of
the strands of the ligature, which can afterwards be cut and completely removed
without the bank or skein losing its arrangement to the end of the winding.
The form of this apparatus may evidently be varied its essential principle is to
possess projecting arms or shafts in sufficient number to replace each of the strands
of the ligatures of the interwoven hank or skein.
The interweaving further enables the hank or skein to be very easily divided
into several parts without fear of cutting a wrong thread, it is only necessary to
stretch the interweaving as represented at Figure 1 to enable the division to be
effected with all the desired precision.
If a thread is broken, it is only necessary to follow the end to the first inter-
weaving to enable the hank or skein to be separated at the precise point of
breakage.
This application is more particularly useful for winding silks for weaving
because they produce more difficulties and waste in winding than all other textile
materials. I however reserve the right to employ it for all other materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The application to hanks or skeins of all kinds of threads of one or several
ligatures separating the entire width of the bank or skein, thread by thread, for
the purpose of retaining the threads separated during the operation of winding
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The method of retaining the separation of the threads during the operation of
winding by the employment of a winder provided with projecting arms or shafts
which replace the ligatures substantially as herein shown and described.