Improvements in the Spinning and Treatment of Silk in the Manufacture of Various Classes of Silk Thread.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Spinning and Treatment of Silk in the
Manufacture of Various Classes of Silk Thread.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from Gabriel Bergier, of Villeurbanne, Rhône, in the
Republic of France, Silk Manufacturer,) 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 figures
and letters marked thereon :-
The process constituting the subject of this invention is applicable to the winding
of cocoons.
Hitherto this operation has furnished only filaments of raw silk, which are
incapable of being either dressed or dyed, and tram, weft, or other class of
thread, is obtained by the throwing or twisting together of several filaments of
raw silk.
On the contrary, according to the present invention, there are obtained directly,
by spinning without twist, raw silk weft, tram, or thread of all kinds capable of
being dressed, dyed, and made into hanks or skeins similar to the thrown and
twisted threads. It is therefore a new product which I claim as my invention.
This new thread without twist covers more in weaving and furnishes under the
same weight and description, a greater length, as it is not reduced in length by
twisting.
Figures and 2 of the accompanying drawings represent two views of the
essential portion of the apparatus employed in carrying the invention into
effect.
It consists of a rubber D of convex form, made of wood or other solid material,
turning rapidly around its axis, and on the surface of which the filaments or threads
to be united, and which are conveniently guided by guides e e', bear for a greater
or shorter length.
The rotation of the rubber has the effect of rolling the bundle of threads or
filaments in contact with its surface, and of forming them into a single thread
perfectly agglomerated and rounded but without twist.
The extent of contact and the pressure of the threads or filaments on the rubber
may be varied by extending more or less the guides e e', which for this purpose
slide in sockets; it will be understood that the rubbers may be of various forms
and can be arranged to turn on vertical, horizontal, or inclined axes, provided that
the guides eel be correspondingly arranged.
Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 show various arrangements of the same.
Figures 7 to 10 show the application of these rubbers above a winding basin
provided with practical arrangements which ensure their proper working.
The rubbers D are fixed to the end of a horizontal axis turning in a socket c,
see Figures 1 and 2, the front of which forms a cylindrical envelope to protect
the rubber whose working portion is alone exposed. A pulley E fixed to the end
of the axis, opposite to that carrying the rubber, serves to give motion to it; the
guides e el are mounted on the cylindrical envelope.
The rubbers thus arranged are fixed by the socket c, in one or two rows, in
curved slots B B' of an oscillating frame A suspended by trunnions a a above the
basin.
The rubbers, in one or two rows, are driven by an endless cord passing partly
around the pulley F and guide pulleys G G¹ adjustable in height.
To obtain raw silk threads there is only one row of rubbers, as shown at

page_text: Figures 7 and 8, which unite the cocoon filaments coming from the basin in various
number according to the description of thread desired. The crossing, which is
indispensable in ordinary spinning, is advantageously replaced by the action of the
rubber, and the raw silk threads, in leaving the upper guides e', pass directly to the
guides,, whence they are guided towards the reel winder arranged as usual at
the back of the basin.
To obtain raw silk threads there will be placed in the upper slot B¹ of the frame,
one or several rubbers D', as shown at Figures 9 and 10, whose function will be to
unite the raw silk filaments supplied by the lower row.
The oscillating frame A. serves also to obtain instantaneously the simultaneous
stoppage of the rubbers and of the reel winder; for this purpose it carries at its
upper part an arm K connected by the rod L to the stopping apparatus of the reel
winder arranged in the usual manner. The same arm K also acts upon a lever M
operating the stopping apparatus N applied to the pulley F. It is only therefore
necessary to push back the frame A to stop simultaneously the drawing of the
thread and the action of the rubbing apparatus thereon and to uncover at the same
time the basin, which gives the operator great facility in his work.
By replacing the frame in front the whole apparatus is again put in operation.
It will be understood that if rubbers on vertical or inclined axes are employed,
it will only be necessary to modify the form of the oscillating frame to receive
these rubbers in one or two horizontal rows.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The new silk product obtained directly by winding and replacing thrown and
twisted silk threads in all their applications, this product being obtained by the
union without twist of any given number of threads of raw silk by the apparatus
herein described or by any mere modification thereof.
2. The application to the spinning of silk, of a rotary rubber employed to unite
without twist either the cocoon filaments to provide threads of raw silk, or threads
of raw silk thus formed to form tram or other compound threads without twist,
substantially as herein shown and described.
This ath dow of A XUV
Ho to the nth
B. J. B. MILLS,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.