AN IMPROVED DRAG OR BRAKE FOR THE BOBBINS ON SPINNING FRAMES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Gilmore, of Tandragee, in the County
of Armagh, Ireland, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED DRAG OR
BRAKE FOR THE BOBBINS ON SPINNING FRAMES."
Sealed the 28th April 1876, and dated the 25th November 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Gilmore at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th November 1875.
I, ALFRED GILMORE, of Tandragee, in the County of Armagh,
Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED DRAG OR BRAKE FOR THE BOBBINS ON SPINNING FRAMES," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a new or improved drag or brake for the
purpose of regulating the tension of the thread as it is being wound on
to the bobbins carried on the spindles of spinning frames.
The new or improved drag consists of one, two, or more pieces of
leather or other material swung on one or more vertical pins at or near.

page_text: the side or edge of the bobbin holder or carrier, and on the "builder "
there is attached a stationary ring or plate, against the inside of which
the piece or pieces of leather or other material press, with a degree
proportioned to the speed and diameter of the bobbin, thus maintaining
a regular tension throughout.
The bobbin carrier may he made either of steal iron brass lanthan
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Gilmore in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
GILMORE, of Tandragee, in the County of Armagh, Ireland, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Gilmore, Her special license,
that I, the said Alfred Gilmore, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Gilmore, 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 Invention for "AN IMPROVED
DRAG OR BRAKE FOR THE BOBBINS ON SPINNING FRAMES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Gilmore, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Gilmore, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: 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 relates to new or improved drags or brakes for the
purpose of regulating the tension of the thread as it is being wound on
to the bobbins carried on the spindles of spinning frames.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
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 :—
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is a plan of
one arrangement of the new or improved drag or brake as constructed
in accordance with my said Invention. Figure 2 is a vertical section
thereof on the line a, b, Figure 1. Parts of the usual apparatus by
which the winding of the thread or yarn on to the bobbins of spinning
frames is effected are also illustrated by these Figures.
The new or improved drag or brake, as constructed under this arrange-
ment, consists of two pieces a of leather or other material which are
centred or swung on vertical pius fixed near the side or edge of the
holder c, whereon the bobbin d rests, the said bobbin being secured to
the holder or carrier by pins e, which enter grooves made in the lower
flanch of the bobbin, as shewn. The holder or carrier c is supported on
the thread or yarn builder ƒ which, whilst the winding operation is
being effected, rises and falls in the ordinary manner. A ring or plate g
also rests on or is so attached to the builder fas to partake of its
vertical motion. When the spindle h on which the bobbin is placed
rotates so as to effect (through the flyer not shown on the Drawings) the
winding of the thread or yarn on to the bobbin d the said bobbin is
pulled round by the thread or yarn passed through the eye of the flyer,
as is well understood, thereby also rotating the carrier or holder c
through the intervention of the pins e, which has the effect of causing
the ends g of the pieces a farthest away from the pins b to be thrown
outwards by centrifugal action and to press them upon the inside of the
ring or plate g, with a degree of pressure proportionate to the speed and
diameter of the bobbin being filled, that is to say, when the bobbin is
empty, or when the winding has been newly commenced the rotation of

page_text: the bobbin being then slower, the brakes or drags a act with a less
amount of pressure on the ring or plate g, and consequently diminish
the drag on the thread or yarn at the time when least drag is required.
As the bobbin fills and its speed of revolution is accelerated the brakes
a steadily increase the drag in proportion to the increasing diameter and 5
the accelerated speed of the bobbin. A regular tension on the thread or
yarn is thus maintained throughout the entire winding operation.
Instead of employing two pieces a of leather or other material to
constitute the brake as herein-before described and shewn on the
Drawings, one or any other suitable number of such pieces may be used, 1
and the length of the parts between the pins b and the outer ends g¹
thereof may be increased or diminished, according as it is desired to
produce a drag or brake of greater or lesser power.
The bobbin carrier or holder c, in conjunction with which the brake is
employed, may be made of steel, iron, brass, leather, wood, or other 1
suitable material, according to the pitch of the spindle, the lighter
substances being preferably employed for the finer pitch.
Under another arrangement of the drag or brake constructed in
accordance with my said Invention, and illustrated in plan at Figure 3
and in vertical section on the line c, d, Figure 3, at Figure 4 of the 2
appended Drawings quadrantal levers a are employed in lieu of the pieces
of leather or other material. These levers are centred on pins or studs
fixed in the bobbin carrier or holder c, and they are each formed with a
vertical arm d, which enters a notch e made in the lower flanch of the
bobbin f, as shewn on the Drawings. A heel g, made of wood or other 2
material, is attached to one end of each lever a so as to bear against the
inner side of the ring or plate h, or such heels may be formed on the
levers. As the spindle j carrying the flyer k rotates the thread or yarn
passed through the eye of the flyer pulls the bobbin f round, and the
notches e in the bobbin catching the vertical arms d of the levers a, the 3
said levers, together with the bobbin carrier or holder c, are also rotated:
At the same time the notches in the bobbin acting on the arms & force
the heels g against the side of the ring or plate h, thereby producing a
dragging or braking action on the bobbin and regulating the tension of
the thread or yarn being wound thereon, which action is further 3
increased by the centrifugal force of the bearing ends of each lever a.
The centrifugal action of the levers a may of itself be increased or

page_text: diminished according to the number or fineness of thread or yarn being
wound by forming a series of holes in each lever and inserting a screw
or weight into one of them, the position of the screw or weight being
shifted according as it is desired to produce a greater or lesser dragging
action, and, as herein-before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2
of the Drawings; such action is further regulated automatically by the
speed and diameter of the bobbin as the process of winding goes on.
Another arrangement of drag or brake for the bobbins of spinning
frames, and which is also embraced by this Invention, is illustrated in
front elevation at Figure 5, in end elevation at Figure 6, and in plan at
Figure 7 of the accompanying Drawings. With this arrangement a
weight a is employed to drag or retard the revolution of each bobbin b
and to regulate the tension of the thread or yarn being wound or built
thereon. The weight is attached to one end of a string or cord c which
passes over a screw d, and is secured at its other end to the builder e, as
shewn on the Drawing. Between the back of the builder and the screw
the cord or string bears against the side of the bobbin b.
The screw d is supported in brackets on the front of the builder e, and
on one end thereof a ratchet wheel g is fixed, a lever or cam h being
also placed loosely on the same end. On the lever or cam a pawl j
gearing with the ratchet wheel g is centred on the pin or stud k. Tō
the front of the rail m wherein the spindles n are supported, and through
which they pass, a bar o is fixed opposite the cam h, and on the upper
end of the said bar a heel or projection p is made as shewn. Below the
level of the lever or cam h another and movable heel or projection > is
secured by means of the pin or stud s. With the arrangement of drag
or brake herein-last described, when the builder e supporting the bobbin
is at or near the end of its downward motion after having built a layer
of thread or yarn towards the upper ends of the bobbins b, the heel or
tappet p on the bar o strikes the point of the lever or cam h and
depresses it, thereby causing the point of the pawl j so to act in the
teeth of the ratchet wheel g as to turn the screw d inwards towards the
builder e, whereby the cords or strings c and weights a are moved
towards the left, thus increasing the dragging or braking action of the
said cords or strings on the bobbins b. The screw is retained at the
position to which it is adjusted by the point of the pawl j, and at or
near the completion of each upward motion of the builder e, that is,
when a layer of thread has been built towards the bottom of each

page_text: bobbin b, the heel or tappet striking against the under side of the lever
or cam / moves the pawl j backwards in the teeth of the ratchet,
thereby preparing it to again partially rotate the screw d when the
builder e descends as herein-before described. By this means the braking
action on the bobbins, and consequently the drag or tension on the
thread or yarn is increased at every two layers of thread or yarn built
upon the bobbins and the motion of the cords c towards the left being
regular or constant, and in proportion to the speed and diameter of the
bobbins, the requisite amount of drag or tension to effect a proper
winding of the thread or yarn is obtained.
The screw d may, if desired, be made to extend the entire length of
the builder e, but it is preferred to employ a number of such screws and
apparatus in connexion therewith, four screws, each extending the
length of one-fourth part of the builder being a suitable number
to use.
Tho strings or cords c may be moved at pleasure from one thread of
the screw d to another, and by this means the winding of thread or
yarn may be carried on at the same time on bobbins which are at
different stages of completion.
By means of the adjustable heel or tappet the apparatus herein-
before described may be regulated to suit different lengths of bobbins.
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 carried out in practice, I would observe in
conclusion that I am aware that the tension of thread or yarn, whilst
being wound on to the bobbins carried on the spindles of spinning
frames, has heretofore been regulated by a weighted cord or string
which, when it is desired to increase or diminish the drag, is shifted by
the attendant to the right or left in the teeth of a rack fixed to the front
of the builder. I therefore do not claim the employment of a weighted
cord or string for that purpose otherwise than as herein-before described,
but what I do consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as
the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
First. The new or improved self-acting drag or brake for the bobbins
on spinning frames constructed as herein-before described, and shewn at
Figures 1 and 2 of the appended Drawings, or any mere modification

page_text: thereof wherein one or more pieces of leather or other material is or are
employed, substantially in the manner set forth.
Second. The self-acting drag or brake for the bobbins on spinning
frames, constructed as herein-before described and shewn at Figures 3
and 4 of the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof
wherein quadrantal levers are used, substantially as set forth.
Third. The drag or brake for the bobbins on spinning frames wherein
the tension is increased proportionately with the speed and diameter of
the bobbin by a screw operated by a pawl and ratchet wheel, and by the
other mechanism herein-before described and shewn at Figures 5, 6, and
and 7 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, or any mere modification of
such drag or brake.
such drag or brake.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Gilmore, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.