Improvements in the Wet Spinning of Flax and similar Yarns, and in the Apparatus connected therewith.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th J n., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Wet Spinning of Flax and similar Yarns, and
in the Apparatus connected therewith.
We, ROBERT HENRY READE, Managing Director of York Street Flax
Spinning Company Limited, Belfast, County of Antrim, JAMES GLASGOW
CRAWFORD, Mill Manager, and HUGH MCKIBBIN, Foreman Mechanic, both to
the said Company, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
These improvements in the wet spinning of flax and similar yarns relate to the
manner or form in which during the process of spinning the yarn is wound or built
up upon the bobbin pirn or tube; and in the apparatus for actuating or controlling
the building motion.
It has hitherto been customary during the process of spinning to wind or build
up the yarns into the forms known as bobbins or pirns.
In the former case a bobbin is employed as a receiver or vehicle for the yarn,
comprising a barrel with flanges at both ends, and the yarn is wound upon the
barrel in a series of cylindrical layers, each layer composed of a number of spiral
coils laid closely side by side. The bobbin forms a carrier for it during the
subsequent processes until reeled or unwound from it. In the latter or pirn form
a pirn or tube of wood or paper in which one or both flanges are dispensed with
forms the receiver or vehicle for the yarn, and the yarn is wound or built up
thereon in a series of conical layers, the separate coils as before being placed
closely side by side. In both these forms into which the yarn is built it is necessary
to retain in the centre of the yarn the receiver or vehicle upon which it is spun, or
if removed to substitute another therefor to prevent the yarn falling from the shape
into which it has been built.
The object of this invention is to produce or build up during the process of
spinning a mass of yarn so wound together that it will, like a ball of thread or
twine, be self sustaining and have sufficient cohesion to hold together in the
shape it has been built, without any internal support such as a bobbin tube or
pirn, or, after such support has been removed, during handling, transport and
subsequent operations such as in the case of weft yarn of weaving and in the
case of warp yarn of warping or reeling.
The invention consists essentially in winding or building up the yarn in the
process of spinning upon a tube or headless bobbin into a mass of cylindrical or
other shape, with the coils of which the successive layers are composed crossing
and recrossing one another so as to give the required cohesion to the mass to enable
it to retain its shape, then drying the yarn in a drying room until the core and
mass of yarn separate, and subsequently separating the two and employing the yarn
without any internal vehicle.
In carrying out the invention we wind or build up the yarn in the spinning frame
upon the tube or bobbin by means of a traverse motion so quick and of such a
character that a cross wound and so self supporting cylinder, roll, or mass of yarn
is obtained which when dried will be readily detached from the core upon which it
was wound.
For warp yarn it is intended to allow the lift or traverse of the builder rail

page_text: to remain constant during the whole operation but for weft yarn the traverse
will be shortened after each layer is wound at the top and bottom of each lift
and so produce a mass of yarn approximately cylindrical in shape but tapering to
both ends. This will allow of the unwinding of the yarn over the end without
entanglement, also if it is found desirable the yarn may be wound or built up on a
tapering tube to give a slight degree of taper to the mass to assist the unwinding.
To effect the increased speed of traverse of the builder rail a can of suitable
shape is employed to actuate the pokers or other lifting mechanism, and it is driven
at the required speed, and to effect the shortening of the traverse or lift the lever
bracket or rod with which the cam mechanism communicates is provided with a
sliding bracket, lug or the like, operated by a screw, which at each lift is caused to
turn a part of a revolution, and so diminish the length of leverage, and thus
shorten the lift or traverse, or other similar or suitable mechanism may be applied
to the traverse or lifting motion for the same purpose.
2004
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
Improvements in the Wet Spinning of Flax and similar Yarns, and
in the Apparatus connected therewith.
We, ROBERT HENRY READE, Managing Director of York Street Flax
Spinning Company Limited, Belfast, County of Antrim, JAMES GLASGOW
CRAWFORD, Mill Manager, and HUGH M'KIBBIN, Foreman Mechanic, both to
the said Company, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
These improvements in the wet spinning of flax and similar yarns relate to the
manner or form in which during the process of spinning the yarn is wound or built
up upon the bobbin, pirn or tube; and in the apparatus for actuating or controlling
the building motion.
It has hitherto been customary during the process of spinning to wind or build
up the yarns into the forms known as bobbins or pirns.
In the former case a bobbin is employed as a receiver or vehicle for the yarn,
comprising a barrel with flanges at both ends, and the yarn is wound upon the
barrel in a series of cylindrical layers, each layer composed of a number of spiral
coils laid closely side by side. The bobbin forms a carrier for it during the
subsequent processes until reeled or unwound from it. In the latter or pirn form
a pirn or tube of wood or paper in which one or both flanges are dispensed with
forms the receiver or vehicle for the yarn, and the yarn is wound or built up
thereon in a series of conical layers, the separate coils as before being placed
closely side by side. In both these two forms into which the yarn is built it is
necessary to retain in the centre of the yarn the receiver or vehicle upon which it
is spun, or if removed to substitute another therefor to prevent the yarn falling
from the shape into which it has been built.
The object of this invention is to produce or build up during the process of
spinning a mass of yarn so wound together that it will, after being dried, like a
ball of thread or twine, be self-sustaining and have sufficient cohesion to hold
together in the shape it has been built in, without any internal supp.rt such as a
bobbin, tube or pirn, or, after such support has been removed, during handling,

page_text: The invention consists essentially in winding or building up the yarn in the
process of spinning upon a tube or headless bobbin into a mass of cylindrical or
other shape, with the coils of which the successive layers are composed crossing and
re-crossing one another so as to give the required cohesion to the mass to enable it
to retain its shape, then drying the yarn in a drying room until the core and mass
of yarn separate, and subsequently separating the two and employing the yarn
without any internal vehicle; and further in the improved form of traverse
mechanism for shortening the lift of the builder rail.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which sufficient of a spinning frame is shown to illustrate it.
Fig. 1, represents a weft cop or roll.
Fig. 2, represents a warp cop or roll.
Fig. 3, sectional elevation of parts of spinning frame.
Fig. 4, enlarged detail of traverse shortening motion.
In the spinning frame during the process of spinning as the yarn leaves the eye
of the flyer we wind or build it up upon the tube or bobbin by means of a traverse.
motion so quick and of such a character that a cross wound and so self-supporting
cylinder, roll, or mass of yarn is obtained which when dry will be readily detached
from the core upon which it was wound.
For warp yarn the lift or traverse of the builder rail may remain constant during
the whole operation and so produce a cylindrical cop or roll of yarn, see Fig. 2, but
for weft yarn the traverse may be shortened after each layer is wound, at the top
and bottom of each lift and so produce a mass of yarn approximately cylindrical in
shape but tapering to both ends as represented in Fig. 1. This will allow of the
unwinding of the yarn over the end without entanglement, also if it is found
desirable the yaru may be wound or built up on a tapering tube to give a slight.
degree of taper to the mass to assist the unwinding.
The
To effect the shortening of the traverse or lift of the builder rail after each
layer of yarn is wound the bracket B with which the cam lever C and cou-
necting rod D communicate is provided with a sliding bracket or lug E the
position of which is changed after each rise and fall of the builder rail.
bracket E is operated by a screw F which on its lower end is provided with a
toothed wheel gearing into a second wheel g connected to and operated by a
ratchet wheel G which at each movement or swing of the bracket B comes into
contact with a stationary pawl or catch and is thereby caused to turn part of
a revolution, and so as the distance of the bracket E from the centre about which
the bracket B rotates is increased, the movement of the shaft b is reduced at each
stroke of the connecting rod D. The screw F is allowed a little lateral play in
the journals in which it is supported to allow the screw to move longitudinally
therein so that at the beginning of each cop the first few layers may be wound on
before any movement of the bracket E takes place and the shortening of the lift.
begins in order to strengthen the nose of the cop.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In the wet spinning of flax and similar yarns winding the yarn in the spinning
frame during the process of spinning upon a tube or headless bobbin into a
cylindrical or other shaped cop with the coils composing the successive layers
crossing and re-crossing one another so as to give the required cohesion to the
mass to enable it to retain its shape then drying the yarn in the drying room until
the yarn becomes loose upon the tube or headless bobbin and subsequently
separating the two and handling, transporting or treating the yarn during
subsequent operations without any internal core or vehicle substantially as described.
2. The traverse mechanism herein described for shortening the lift of the

page_text: builder rail after each layer of yarn is wound substantially as described and
shown.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.