IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE MATERIALS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED THEREIN
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Henderson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd January
1863.
I, ALEXANDER HENDERSON, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North
Britain, Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE MATERIALS,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED THEREIN," to be as follows, that
is to say:
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery
or apparatus used in the treatment or manufacture of textile materials, or that
portion of the several processes in which is involved the winding of the yarn
into cops.
Under one modification or system of arrangement the improved winding
machine consists of a cast-iron framing, in front of which is arranged the
series of verticle spindles, which are driven by means of bands passing round
a longitudinal cylinder or drum in the usual way. The upper part of each
spindle is of a square, angular, or oval figure in its cross section, whilst the
lower portion is of the ordinary cylindrical form. A tubular metal pirn is
placed on the spindle; the upper part of this pirn is made in the form of an
inverted cone, and the aperture through this portion corresponds to the
squared, angular, or oval part of the spindle. In placing the empty pirn on
the spindle it passes down through an inverted conical cop former, which
serves to give the required figure to the cop, and the lower end of the tubular

page_text: part of the pirn rests on the collar of the spindle in the upper rail. From the
upper part of the end standards are two projecting bracket pieces, which carry
the rail, on which are arranged the bobbins for the supply of yarn to the cops.
The necessary amount of drag or tension on each bobbin is obtained by means
of a pendent weight, or in any other equivalent manner. The necessary reci-
procatory movement for building up the cop is obtained from a crank on the
main shaft or other suitable part of the machine. This crank gives motion to
a lever which extends upwards, and is connected to a lever which is adjustable
as regards its amount of motion, either by means of a series of holes or a slot
formed in it. A corresponding arrangement of a crank and levers is formed
at the other end of the main or driving shaft. The backward ends of the
adjustable levers rest upon a rod, and the front ends are recessed so as to
carry a square bar in the recessed parts. This square bar serves to support a
number of small levers which guide the yarn on to the pirns; these levers extend
downwards in an angular direction by the side of the inverted conical cop
formers, before referred to, which are supported on small brackets formed on
the upper longitudinal rail of the machine. The free extremities of the guide
levers are each fitted with a horizontal fork, which extends in front of a
vertical slot formed in the cop former. As the yarn is drawn off from the
bobbin in front of each spindle, and is wound on to each pirn, the recipro-
catory movement of the guide lever carries the yarn up and down the slot of
the cop former, which causes it to be wound thereon in a conical form, the
size of which is regulated by the figure of the cop former. As the yarn accu-
mulates on the pirn its pressure against the cop former causes the pirn to rise
until it has been filled to the desired extent, when the cone at the top of the
pirn rises above the squared, angular, or oval part of the spindle, so that the
latter revolves without affecting the pirn. The attendant now removes the full
pirn, places an empty one on the spindle, and the winding proceeds as before,
the pirn is withdrawn from the completed cop, which is then ready for the
weaver's use. Behind each spindle is fitted a lever, which is centred on a
stud projecting from the back part of the lower rail; the upper part of this
lever is formed so as to press against the contiguous wharve of the spindle
and stop its motion when required. The lower part of the lever is bent out-
wards in front of the machine, so as to be within convenient reach of the
attendant. When the yarn breaks the attendant depresses the lever with the
foot and the spindle is instantly stopped, the pirn is removed, the yarn is
pieced, the pirn replaced, and the operation goes on as before. These improve-
ments are also applicable to the winding of yarn from the hank as well as the
bobbin. In this modification suitable standards for holding the reels con-

page_text: taining the hanks of yarn are fitted upon the upper part of the machine, and
the cop formers are arranged with the vertical slot of each turned towards its
contiguous reel. The yarn is carried down from each reel, and is passed
through the forked guide on to the spindle, the formation of the cop being
effected with the same ease and certainty of action as when winding direct
from the bobbins. In this way the process of winding cops is effected with
great ease and rapidity, combined with extreme simplicity in the operating
mechanism.