IMPROVEMENTS In Shaking Linen AND OTHER YARNS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS " PROVISIONAL SPFICATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ralph Walker Stewart, of Dunfermline, in the
County of Fife, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
In Shaking Linen AND OTHER YARNS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ralph Walker Stewart
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th October 1874.
I, RALPH WALKER STEWART, of Dunfermline, in the County of Fifc,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAKING LINEN AND OTHER YARNS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say:―
This Invention, which relates to an arrangement or construction of
mechanism for shaking linen and other yarns, consists of a framing in
the upper part of which are arms or rollers upon which the hanks .of
yarn to be shaken are carried. The beater or shaker by which the yarns

page_text: are acted upon is situate in or near to the lower part of the framing and
attached to upright shafts.
A revolving cam with a high step upon it is situated below the beater
or shaker, which in revolving lifts the beater or shaker, and when the
point of the step passes out of contact with the beater or shaker the
latter falls, the shaking action due to the fall being intensified by springs
which are put into tension by the cam when the beater or shaker is
lifted.
After every stroke, or beat, or shaking action of the mechanism the
arms or rollers which carry the yarn are rotated by the lifting action of 1
the cam and beater or shaker, so that the beater or shaker acts upon a
different portion of the yarn at each beat or stroke.
The mechanism is also provided with a lever for raising the beater or
shaker a little higher than that due to the stroke of the cam, so that
when the yarn is thoroughly shaken it may be taken off and fresh hanks 1
of yarn put on.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ralph Walker Stewart in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 22nd April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RALPH
WALKER STEWART, of Dunfermlinc, in the County of Fife, North
Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in
the 38th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Ralph Walker Stewart, Her
special license that I, the said Ralph Walker Stewart, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ralph
Walker Stewart, my executors, administrators, or 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.

page_text: Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAKING LINEN AND OTHER YARNS, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Ralph Walker Stewart, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and scal, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ralph Walker Stewart, 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 accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
My said Invention, which relates to an arrangement or construction
of mechanism for shaking linen and other yarns, consists of a framing
in the upper part of which are situated arms or rollers upon which the
hanks of yarn to be shaken are carried. The beaters or shakers by
which the yarns are acted upon are situated near to the lower part of
the framing and are attached to upright shafts or guide rods.
A revolving cam with a high step upon it is situated below and
arranged so as to lift the shakers or beaters. When the point of the
step of the cam passes out of contact with the beaters or shakers the
latter fall, the beating or shaking action due to the fall being intensified
by springs, compressed air, or other clastic mechanism put into tension
or compressed by the action of the cam in lifting the beaters or
shakers.
By means of a pawl and ratchet wheel or other equivalent mechanism
the arms or rollers which carry the yarn are rotated at intervals by the
lifting action of the cam and beaters or shakers, which are thus caused
to act upon a different portion of the yarn at each beat or stroke.
The mechanism is also provided with a lever for raising the beaters or
shakers, so that when the yarn is thoroughly beaten or shaken it may be
taken off and replaced by fresh hanks.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner

page_text: in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :--
Figure 1 on the annexed Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation and
Figure 2 a side elevation of the yarn beating or shaking machine con-
stituting my said Invention.
The two pillars A connected by a transverse member at their upper
and lower parts constitute a frame whereon the different parts of the
mechanism are carried. The yarn to be beatcu or shaken is suspended
on the rollers B, which are fixed upon a shaft C carried in bearings
formed on the framing A.. The beaters or shakers D are situated near
the lower part of the machine, and are supported on a forked bracket E,
between the jaws of which is placed an antifriction roller F resting upon
the cam G. The cam G is fixed upon a shaft H carried in bearings I, J,
and operated from a belt passing round the fast pulley K of the fast and
loosc pullies K, L, situated at the end thereof. The cam G in revolving
in the direction of the arrow (Figure 2) lifts the shakers or beaters D to
the position indicated in dotted lines at Figure 1 of the Drawings, there-
after on the step of the cam & passing out of contact with the antifriction
roller F the beaters or shakers D fall to the position indicated in full
lines at Figures 1 and 2. To assist their descent a spring is provided,
which may consist as shewn on the Drawings of an air cylinder M bolted
to the framing A and provided with a plunger N accurately fitting the
cylinder M. and attached to the shakers or beaters D, so that when the
shakers or beaters are lifted by the action of the cam G the plunger N
is also lifted and the air in the upper part of the cylinder M compressed,
and thus when the beaters or shakers are released through the stop of
the cam G the air expands and quickens their descent, but the same
effect may be obtained by the employment of a coiled spring in the
cylinder M, or by other clastic mechanism. The beaters or shakers D
are guided in their ascent and descent by guide rods O, which pass
through brackets P fixed to the top of the framing A. A ratchet pawl Q
is situated upon one of the guide rods O, and arranged so as to act upon
a ratchet pinion R fixed upon the shaft C, which carries the rollers B.
The ratchet pawl Q is kept in position by means of a counterweight S
fixed to a tail formed on the pawl Q. The guide rod O in rising brings
the paw Qinto contact with the ratchet wheel R, and rotates the shaft C

page_text: and rollers B so as to present fresh portions of the yarn to cach stroke
of the shakers or beaters D.
A handle or lever T is also provided in order to slightly raise the
shakers or beaters D when it is desired to remove the shaken or beaton
yarns and substitute fresh hanks. Fences or guards U aro also applied
to the beaters or shakers D and to the upper part of the framing A,
their object being to prevent the yarns from falling over the inner ends
of the rollers B while they are being operated upon as herein-before
described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hcrcin-before in
part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and construction of
machinery or apparatus illustrated upon the appended Sheet of Drawings,
or any mere modification of the same, and the employment thereof as
and for the shaking of yarns, as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ralph Walker Stewart, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twentieth day of April, Onc
thousand cight hundred and seventy-five.
RALPH WALKER STEWART. (L.S.)