Improvements in Machines for Preparing Silk Cocoons for Reeling.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Preparing Silk Cocoons for Reeling.
We, THE SERRELL AUTOMATIC SILK REELING COMPANY LIMITED, of 34 Nicholas
Lane, Lombard Street, E., and 56 Rue de la Victoire, Paris, France, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention has reference to improvements in machines for beating or preparing
silk cocoons and is particularly applicable to mechanical beaters of the kind described
in the specification of a former patent granted to E. W. Serrell and E. Fougeirol,
dated November 8th A.D. 1886 No. 14367.
The present invention has for objects to economise the labour, space, motive power,
and steam employed in reeling silk and relates to an improved arrangement of
apparatus whereby two or more beaters can be caused to work side by side in the
same basin the said beaters being both actuated by the same rotary shaft but in such
a manner as to allow them to work together or separately and so that the one can
work without interfering with or preventing the working of the other.
In the annexed drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of mechanism constituting one
half of a double beating machine for preparing silk cocoons.
A frame 1 mounted on a table or other support is furnished with bearings in which
rotates a horizontal shaft A shewn in end view in Fig. 1 and more clearly in plan
in Fig. 2 hereinafter referred to. At each end of this shaft is an eccentric 2 which
operates against a roller 3 mounted on a lever 4. This lever is pivoted to the
frame 1 by a shaft 5, and, whilst the roller 3 is held against the eccentric 2, oscillatory
motion is imparted to the lever by the rotation of the eccentric. A frame 6 is also
pivoted to the frame 1 by a pin 7, and is capable of oscillating on this pin, so as to
rise and fall as hereinafter described.
An arm 8 is attached to the frame 6 and passes through an opening formed in
the frame 1, and terminates in a hook to which is attached one end of a chain or
cord 9. This chain or cord passes over a pulley 10 supported by the frame 1. Το
the other end of this chain or cord is attached a heavy counterweight 17. The
arrangement is such that the counterweight has a constant tendency to raise the
frame 6 away from its point of rest 11, but a tappet 12 forming part of the arm 8
abuts against a tooth or shoulder 13, and keeps the frame 6 bearing upon the
support 11 as long as the other parts of the machine remain in the positions shewn
in the drawings.
A spring 14 is fixed at one end of the frame 6 by means of the adjusting screw 15,
and at the other end to the lever 4 by means of a hook or other suitable arrange-
ment. Towards its upper end, the lever 4 is formed with a number of holes in one
of which is placed a pin 16 carried by a connecting rod 17. This connecting rod
connects the lever 4 with the vertical arm of the bent lever 18; a number of holes
are also formed in this arm.
The several holes in the lever 4 and the bent lever 18 have for their object to allow
of adjusting the relative angular amplitude of the movements of the bent lever and

page_text: the lever 4. The bent lever 18 is arranged to oscillate about an axis 19 carried by a
support 20 which is in its turn fixed on the frame 6. Links 21 connect the end of
the horizontal árin of the bent lever 18 to a cross head 22 fixed on the vertical
shaft 23. This vertical shaft is capable of sliding in holes formed in a support 24,
fixed to the frame 6. At the lower end of the shaft 23 is a brush 25 which dips
into water contained in a basin 26 whilst the frame 6 retains the position shewn
in the drawing.
The arrangement of the parts is such that the spring 14 causes the roller 3 to bear
against the eccentric 2 through the medium of the lever 4, and when the eccentric 2
is rotated, oscillating motion imparted to the lever 4, and this motion is transmitted
to the vertical shaft 23 by means of the connecting rod 17, bent lever 18, and
links 21. Thus during the working of the machine the shaft 23 has a vertical to
and fro movement imparted to it and by means of the brush, currents of water are
produced in the basin so as to effect the beating of silk cocoons in the manner and for
the purpose described in the former specification hereinbefore referred to.
Bearing rods 27 are fixed to the ends of a shaft mounted on the support 20; by
means of a spring 28 (Fig. 2), these rods are constantly forced downwards, and bear
upon rollers 29 mounted on the shaft 23.
This arrangement has for object to obviate the noise which would otherwise be
produced at each change of direction of movement of the brush. These arrangements
are mentioned in order to give a clear idea of the machine, and, except as to some
improvements in details, are essentially the same as those shewn in the said former
specification.
Fig. 2 shews in plan the complete machine, some parts of which however are
shewn in section in order to show the details more clearly.
The frame 1 carries at each end a frame 6 with the devices and parts apper-
taining thereto, as bereinbefore described, and when the shaft A is rotated by the
pulley 35, each of the vertical shafts 23, carrying a brush is set in motion; but
the shaft A carries two separate endless screws 32, each of which actuates a worm
wheel 30. Each worm wheel is connected by a clutch with a grooved pulley 31
in such a manner that during the movement of the counting device thereby con-
stituted, the grooved pulley 31 winds up a cord 45 and raises a small counter-
weight 46 (Fig. 1). The cord 45 passes through a hole formed in the end of a
lever 33, and when the counterweight is brought to bear against this lever 33, it
forces the same to rotate about its axis 34, so that the tooth or shoulder 13 is
withdrawn from engagement with the tappet 12, leaving the large counterweight 47
free to raise the frame 6 by means of the arm 8, as herein before mentioned.
When this movement takes place, the brush is withdrawn from the water, and by
reason of the formation and arrangement of the parts, the lever 4 is free to fall
backwards, so that the roller 3 no longer bears upon the eccentric 2, and the to and
fro motion of the brush carried by the now raised frame 6 is arrested.
Upon the support 11 is a shaft 48 to which is pinned a lever 49 carrying at its
outer end an adjusting scrow which is so adjusted as to bear upon the lower surface
of the frame 6, when this frame is in the position shewn in the drawings. To the
shaft 48 is also fixed another lever or arm 50 that is caused to bear upon the end of
a shaft 51 when the parts are in the positions shown in the drawings, that is to say,
whilst the brush is in operation; but when the frame 16 is raised, a spring 52
surrounding the shaft 51 and acting against a collar thereon pushes the shaft end ways,
and causing the shaft 48 to rotate and at the same time, disengaging the grooved;
pulley 31 from the worm wheel 30, thereby leaving this pulley free and permitting
the counterweight 46 to descend.
In order to restart the machine, it is merely necessary to depress the frame 6 by
means of the handle 53. The shoulder 13 will then again engage with the tappet 12
and the brush will be again set in motion until the counterweight 46 is again brought
to bear against the underside of the lever 33.
By adjusting the length of the cord 45, the corresponding .brush can be caused to
make any desired nuuiber of beats between each automatic stoppage.

page_text: The stopping and restarting movements for the one brush are independent of those
for the other brush, and the stopping or the starting movement of the one may take
place simultaneously or alternately with that of the other. It is evident that, by
prolonging the shaft A, and providing it at suitable places with eccentrics, endless
screws, &c., constituting one or more additional sets of mechanism, any desired number
of brushes or heaters can he operated from the same driving shaft.
We do not therefore restrict ourselves to two sets only, and we have only shewn
two in the drawings in order not to complicate the drawings unnecessarily, and also
to shew the form of basin which we prefer to employ.
This basin is clearly shewn in plan in Fig. 2. Around each brush is a ring L M N O
forming a basin the edges of which are depressed at the parts marked L M
and NO in such a manner as to be about three centimetres below the level of the
water.
A steam pipe 54 arranged at the bottom of each basin, serves to heat the water
and a grating 55 prevents the cocoons from coming in contact with this pipe.
A space 56 is provided for depositing small utensils, and a pot 41 for cold water
is also provided which serves to cool the hands of the operator.
Between the two basins is situated a water gauge for regulating the height of the
water in the basin. The basin having been filled to the desired level, the cocoons
which float on the surface of the water can be caught or dragged from all parts of
the basin, by passing above the depressed borders of the basins at the parts O N.
A charge of cocoons which have been cooked but not beaten, is introduced into the
space 57 behind the partition 58. When the beaters are set in operation, a current
of water is produced around each brush as described in the said former specification,
but these currents are limited by the basins L M N O, and do not extend to the
spaces 57 and 59 shewn in the drawings. The space 59 serves for collecting the
cocoons which have been beaten in one or the other basin.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The basin having been filled to the desired level and this water having been heated
to a suitable temperature, the shaft A is set in motion, and the operator pours cooked
cocoons into one or the other basin or into the space 57. The operator then
lowers one or more of the frames and sets the corresponding brush or brushes in
motion.
When the cocoons are beaten, they are transferred to the space 59 by causing them
to float over the depressed border of one or other of the basins, and the operation is
repeated on fresh cocoons until the desired quantity thereof is obtained; they are
then removed with the aid of any suitable utensil.
The partitions forming the basins L M N O, and the general arrangements of the
basin shewn in the drawings have for their object to confine the action of the currents
within the limits of the basins and thus to prevent the reserve cocoons placed in the
space 57 and the beaten cocoons in the space 59, from being drawn along and mixed
at any time with those being beaten.
We do not therefore restrict ourselves to the precise arrangements shewn in the
drawings, but on the contrary, we claim the general arrangements illustrated and
indicated in the drawings, and particularly the following:
1. In a machine for beating silk cocoons, two or more sets of mechanism for
operating brushes, each set being constructed, arranged and operating substantially as
herein described for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination, with one driving part such as a shaft, of two or more sets of
mechanism constructed and operating substantially as described and shewn for
operating brushes each set being so arranged with reference to the driving shaft that
it cau be operated independently of the other set or sets, substantially as herein
described for the purpose specified.
3. In a machine for beating silk cocoons and constructed with two or more sets of
mechanism substantially as herein described and shewn for operating brushes a water
basin, arranged in such a manner as to restrict at the desired places, the water currents

page_text: produced by the brushes, whilst allowing of the cocoons being collected without taking
them out of the water.
4. In a machine for beating silk cocoons, the use of basins, rings, guides or
partitions, constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, so as to allow
of the water currents produced by the brushes being confined to the places desired
and thus prevent the cocoons that have already been beaten from being drawn along
and mixed with those undergoing the beating operation, as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of May 1890.
THE SERRELL AUTOMATIC SILK REELING COMPANY LIMITED.
By L. W. per F. B.