IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX, WOOL, SILK WASTE, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS.
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Evan Leigh, of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX, WOOL, SILK
WASTE, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS.".
Sealed the 4th February 1859, and dated the 5th August 1858. .
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Evan Leigh at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th August
1858.
I, EVAN LEIGH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engincer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX, WOOL,
SILK WASTE, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the rollers employed in machinery for preparing
and spinning fibrous materials, but it is more particularly applicable to
machinery adapted for spinning flax, silk waste, and other similar materials
having long fibres. Hitherto only two of these rollers have been used as
front or drawing rollers, and so placed that a top or weighted roller bears
diametrically upon the bottom roller, the yarn passing between them. My
improvement consists in the novel employment and use of two bottom rollers
instead of one, and allowing the top roller to bear upon the two bottom rollers,
the pressure of the top one being exerted and regulated by a suitable arrange-
ment of weighting mechanism for the purpose. By thus dividing the friction
and weight of the top roller, I am enabled considerably to diminish the
wearing of the rollers, and to reduce the weight usually placed thereupon, and
consequently to economize the power required for driving. This improvement
is also of particular service in instances where fluted rollers are used, as the

page_text: two bottom rollers ensure their parallel position. And, lastly, a further
improvement may be obtained by covering or coating the rollers employed in
the above-named processes with an elastic or yielding material as a pre-
ventative against the wearing of the surfaces in cases where heretofore it has
been impracticable in consequence of the excessive weight required upon the
top roller.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Evan Leigh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
February 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EVAN
LEIGH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Evan Leigh, Her special license that I, the said Evan Leigh, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Evan
Leigh, my executors, administrators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX, WOOL, SILK
WASTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition, amongst others,
that I, the said Evan Leigh, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Evan Leigh, do hereby declare-the-
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:
This Invention relates to the rollers employed in machinery for preparing
and spinning fibrous materials, but it is more applicable to machinery adapted
for spinning flax, silk waste, and other similar materials having long fibres.

page_text: Hitherto only two of these rollers have been used as front or drawing rollers,
and so placed that a top or weighted roller bears diametrically down upon the
bottom roller, the yarn passing between them. My improvement consists in
the novel employment and use of two bottom rollers instead of one, and
allowing the top roller to bear upon the two bottom rollers, the pressure of
the top one being exerted and regulated by a suitable arrangement of
weighting mechanism for the purpose. By thus dividing the friction and
weight of the top roller, I am enabled considerably to diminish the wearing
of the rollers, and to reduce the weight usually placed thereupon, or entirely
to dispense with any weight but that of the roller itself, when material having
short staple is to be operated upon, and consequently to economize the power
required for driving. This improvement is also of particular service in
instances where fluted rollers are used, as the two bottom rollers ensure the
parallel position of the top roller thereupon. And, lastly, a further improve-
ment may be obtained by covering or coating the rollers employed in the
above-named processes with an elastic or yielding material as a preventative
against the wearing of the surfaces in cases where heretofore it has been
impracticable in consequence of the excessive weight required upon the top
roller.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made about full size,
and having similar letters of reference marked upon corresponding parts of
the apparatus in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a side view of that portion of a spinning machine such as a
"mule" or "throstle," to which my improvements are. attached, and show
the description of rollers preferred in spinning.cotton or other fibres having
short staples; Fig. 2 is a side view of the top and bottom, front and back
rollers, shewing the method of placing the front, top and bottom rollers, in
order to obtain twist more effectually up to the "nip" or point of contact of
the rollers in "throstle" spinning, when the rollers are thus placed and
weights are employed, such weights are to be so arranged as to pull or weight
the roller in the direction of the dotted line that is to bear downwards equally
between the two rollers. Fig. 3 represents a Diagram of a similar principle
as applied to drawing frames where from the length of fibre, such as flax, &c.,
it becomes necessary to use "gills," which should be caused to traverse in a
direction shewn in red, and at right angles to a line shewn in dotted line
extending from the centre of the top roller to the centre of the back bottom
roller. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the top roller, shewing the lengthened
form of drawing rollers extending from stand. to stand, at which points or at

page_text: their ends they may or may not be weighted, according to requirements.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view shewing the elastic coating of the rollers, consisting
of an inner covering of flannel. or other equivalent, and an outer covering of
leather or other substance. In Fig. 1, a, a, is the framing supporting the
front set of bottom rollers b, b, and also steadying the front top roller c,
which bears equally between the two bottom rollers, and thereby ensures its
parallelism; the back series of top roller and bottom rollers are similarly
situated, but are supported in a sliding or adjustable framing d to regulate
the distance between the front and back rollers according to the different
lengths of fibre to be operated upon, which arrangement may also be cm-
ployed in Fig. 2 and other required positions, by lengthening the rollers, as
shewn in Fig. 4; a more extended lateral traverse may be imparted to the
"ends" of material passing between them, and thus the covering or coating
of the rollers is greatly preserved by extending or equalizing the usually
concentrated friction. In Fig. 5, e, e, is the central spindle or shaft upon
which the rollers or loose bosses f, f, revolve; 9, 9, is the periphery of the
said bosses, upon or in which is formed a slight indentation or cavity for the
reception of the flannel, felt, worsted, &c. h, and is also so formed as to allow
the ends of the covering of leather, india-rubber, &c. i, i, to be turned down
over the flannel, and abut against a slight rib or ledge, such double com-
bination effectually preventing the covering slipping or being accidentally
removed when cleaning the rollers or bosses.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of performing the same, I wish it to be distinctly understood that
I claim the novel employment and use of two bottom rollers instead of only
one, and causing the top roller to bear diametrically down between the said
two rollers, so as to divide the friction and weight of the top roller between
the two bottom rollers; and, secondly, I claim the novel method of covering
the peripheries of bosses or rollers employed in spinning machinery, as clearly
shewn in Fig. 5, the whole of which improvements have been herein-before
described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Evan Leigh, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of February, in the year-of-our-Lord-One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
EVAN LEIGH. (L.S.)