IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TOPPING UP,' 'FORMING,' OR 'LAYING TWINE,' LINES, CABLES, AND OTHER CORDAGE
Year: 1860

page_text: Sealed the 10th August 1860, and dated the 15th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Ronald at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th February 1860.
I, JAMES RONALD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR TOPPING UP,' 'FORMING,' OR 'LAYING TWINE,' LINES, CABLES,
AND OTHER CORDAGE," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
To construct a machine according to this Invention suitable for (say) the
production of small lines, on a suitable frame mount an horizontal revolving
shaft of (say) four or five feet long, having staked near one end thereof any
required number of radial arms of (say) one foot long (or other mechanical
equivalent), and near the other end of the shaft mount a small fast disc or
collar of (say) four inches in diameter, between the radial arms and the
circular collar mount the required number of spindles which are formed with

page_text: bobbin frames which carry any required number of bobbins, on which the
yarns or strands to be manufactured are wound. A rotating motion is given
to the bobbin frames in an opposite direction to that of the centre shaft by
means of toothed or friction wheels working within a fixed, plain, or toothed
circle, or on the outside of a fixed, plain, or toothed circle, and using an
intermediate wheel to give the required motion. On the end of the centre
shaft in front of the small disc which revolves in suitable bearings on the
frame of the machine, a "top" or fast conical nose piece of wood or other
suitable material is fixed, in. front of which the drawing rolls are placed, and
immediately in front of which a revolving bobbin frame carrying the bobbin
takes up the cord as it is finished. Immediately below and parallel with the
axis of the carrying shaft.of the bobbin frame spindles and the axis of the
taking up bobbin frame, is placed the driving shaft, which carries a grooved
driving pulley on one end, which gives motion to the take up bobbin frame,
bobbin, and so forth, by means of an endless band working over a grooved
pulley on the outer axle or centre thereof, and the other end of the driving
shaft, carries a driving, pulley which gives; motion. to the bobbin frame shaft
and so forth, by means of a. crossed strap working over a pulley on the end of
the driving, shaft, of the bobbin frame spindles. A second grooved driving
pulley is staked on to the driving shaft, which gives motion to, the drawing
rolls through a band working over a grooved pulley, on the worm shaft of the
drawing rolls, and a fast and loose pulley is staked upon any convenient part
of the driving shaft. The yarns or strands to be formed into cordage are
wound on to bobbins, which are then placed in the spindle frames with their
axis at, right angles to. the spindles, the yarns or strands are. then carried
through suitable holes in the bobbin frames and spindles and out through
holes in the ends of the spindles where they are laid into grooves formed in
the side of the "top" or conical nose piece attached to the front of the centre
supporting revolving shaft of the spindle frames, where the cord is formed and
drawn off by the drawing rolls, after which it is taken up by the take up
bobbin in the revolving frame.*
SPÉCIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Ronald in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
RONALD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, -send-greeting..>

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Ronald, Her special licence that I, the said
James Ronald, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Ronald, 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 makė, 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 FOR TOPPING UP,' FORMING, OR
LAYING TWINE, LINES, CABLES, AND OTHER CORDAGE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Ronald, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
bands and seals; 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 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 James Ronald, 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
statement (that is to say):-
+
the
:
following
To construct a machine according to this my said Invention suitable for
(say) the production of small. lines. On a suitable frame I mount an
horizontal revolving shaft, of (say) 4 or 5 feet long, having staked near one"
end thereof any required number of radial arms (of, say one-foot long) (or
other mechanical equivalent), and near the other end of the shaft I mount a
small fast disc or collar of (say) 4 inches in diameter. Between the radial arms
(or their equivalent) and the circular collar I mount the requisite number of
spindles, which spindles I form with bobbin frames, each of which frames I
construct to carry one or more bobbins, as the case may require. I give
a rotary motion to the bobbin frame spindles in an opposite direction to that
of the centre shaft, around whose axis they travel by means of toothed or
friction wheels staked on the ends of the spindles, and which work within a
fixed, plain, or toothed circle, or on the outside of a fixed, plain, or toothed
circle, in which latter case I use an intermediate wheel to give the required -

page_text: motion. On the end of the centre shaft, in front of the small disc described,
I fix a "top" or fast conical nose piece of wood or other suitable material,
and in front of the "top" I place the drawing rolls, then immediately in
front of which I use a revolving bobbin frame carrying a bobbin for taking
up the cord as it is formed. Immediately below and parallel with the axis of
the carrying shaft of the bobbin frame spindles, and the axis of the taking up
bobbin frame, I place the main shaft which carries a grooved driving pulley
on one end for giving motion to the take-up bobbin frame, bobbin, and so
forth, by means of an endless band working over a grooved pulley fixed on
the outer axle or centre thereof, and the other end of the main shaft carries
a driving pulley which gives motion to the bobbin frame. shaft and so forth,
by means of a strap working over a pulley on the end of the driving shaft of
the bobbin frame spindles. I use a second grooved pulley staked on to the
driving shaft for giving motion to the drawing rolls, through a band working
over a grooved pulley on a worm shaft, which actuates a train of toothed
wheels in connexion with the drawing rollers. A fast and loose pulley is
mounted upon any convenient part of the main shaft for receiving the driving
strap which communicates motion to the machine from a steam engine or
other prime mover. The yarns or strands to be formed into cordage I wind
on to bobbins, which I then place in the spindle frames with their axis at
right angles to the spindles. The yarns or strands being carried through
suitable holes in the bobbin frames and spindles, and out through holes in
the ends of the spindles, are laid into grooves formed in the side of the "top"
or conical nose piece attached to the front of the centre supporting revolving
shaft of the spindle frames, where the cord is formed and drawn off by the
drawing rolls, after which it is taken up by the take-up bobbin in the
revolving frame.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
I have hereunto annexed Drawings in illustration of one modification of my
improved machine; like letters and figures marked thereon being used to
denote similar parts.
Figure 1-is a plan or top view of a "topping machine," suitable for manu-
facturing small cords, drawn on a scale of one inch to a foot; Figure 2 a side
elevation; and Figure 3 an end elevation of the same.
A, the framework; B, the main shaft, having mounted thereon b and b,
fast and loose pulleys, over which works C, the main driving belt; D, a driving
pulley on the end of the main shaft, over which works E, a driving strap, which
passes over F, a driving pulley on the end of G, the centre shaft, which

page_text: supports (H) the bobbin-frame spindles; g, radial arms, which sustain H, the
bobbin frame spindles, which revolve on their own axis in an opposite direction
to the centre shaft G; I, yarn or strand bobbins; J; friction wheels on the ends
of the bobbin frame spindles, which impinge against the inner surface of K,
a circular course formed in the fixed framework of the machine; L, a disc
upon the centre shaft G, in which are formed the bearings for the inner ends
of the spindle shafts; M, pedestal, in which the disc L revolves; N, a "top,”
or conical nose piece on the end of the horizontal shaft G; O, a grooved
driving pulley on main shaft, which through P, a driving band, passing
over Q, a driving pulley on R, a worm shaft, gives motion to S, a worm
wheel, which actuates T, a train of wheels which communicates motion
to V, a set of drawing rolls; W, a hollow fixed axle, upon which the
taking-up bobbin frame revolves, and through which the "half bard," or
partially laid cord passes on leaving the drawing rolls, the "hard" being
put into it by X, the rotating frame, which carries Y, the bobbin, on which
the finished cord is 'taken up; Z, revolving axle of the take-up bobbin frame,
which carries on its outer end a, a grooved driving pulley, which receives
motion from b, a grooved pulley on the end of the main shaft, which is com-
municated through c a driving band. A, a fixed mitre wheel on the end of
the hollow stationary axle W, round which travels B, a bevel toothed wheel,
on the axle of which is fixed C, a small driving pulley which carries D, a.
driving band working over E, a driving pulley on the axis of the take-up
bobbin, and causes the bobbin to rotate on its own axis; F, a pinion on the
end of the axle of the bevel wheel B, which works into G, a toothed wheel on
the end of H, a worm shaft, the worm of which works into I, an obliquely
toothed wheel on K, a small shaft, on one end of which is attached a heart-
shaped cam, which works within a double heart-shaped recess in La sliding
piece, which gives a reciprocating motion to M, a lever, having its fulcrum
at m, and the short end of which works through a slot in the sliding piece I,
and the longer end carries N, a guide eye, through which the formed cord
passes, by means of which it is evenly taken up on the bobbin.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said In-
vention, and how I believe the same may be best carried into practical effect,
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details,
dimensions, or relative proportions herein-before described and set forth, as it
will be readily seen that the same may be considerably varied without departing
from the Invention; but what I claim is,-
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of the various

page_text: parts of the apparatus herein-before described and set forth, or any mere
modification of the same.
.:
Secondly, the use of the improved system of machinery herein-before
described, or any mere modification of the same, for the purposes of "topping-
up," forming," or "laying" twine, lines, cables, and other cordage.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Ronald, have hereunto set my
hand and affixed my seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
.of.44; Castle Street,.
1.
Liverpool.
JAMES (L.S.) RONALD.