IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TWISTING, DOUBLING, OR LIKE MANIPULATION OF COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Yates, of Imperial Chambers, Derby, in the
County of Derby, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TWISTING,
DOUBLING, OR LIKE MANIPULATION OF COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL,
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Yates at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th September 1881.
ALFRED YATES, of Imperial Chambers, Derby, in the County of Derby.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TWISTING, DOUBLING, OR LIKE MANIPULATION OF
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL, AND
OR
MEANS OR
COTTON
EMPLOYED THEREIN."
IN
APPARATUS
This Invention relates more particularly to what is known as "doubling," and in
which the thread or yarn is drawn from bobbins or skewers supported in a creel
by drawing rollers through guide eyes, and thence conducted to the spindle and
flyer.
Now my Invention is designed to dispense with the aforesaid drawing rollers,
and consists in a method of regulating the thread or yarn in the creel itself,
whereby all "roller laps" and like waste are avoided, and a better and more even
drag" or tension maintained during the twisting of the thread or yarn.
In carrying out my Invention I fit drums on a light shaft in the creel, on which
drums the creel bobbins rest, and which bobbins are driven at any required speed
by the revolution of such shaft.
The threads or yarns pass directly from said bobbins to the water trough arrange-
ment (hereafter described), thence over the thread board faced with glass, cane, and
hooks, down to the spindle and bobbin, as usual.
If a thread should break the end is at once drawn back on the bobbin, thus pre-
venting the possibility of waste or double yarn being made. The only waste by

page_text: "
my arrangement that can be made is that known as finger waste," caused by the
doubler piecing broken ends or broken knots.
For placing the threads in the water or other liquid so that the latter may not
be disturbed, I cause them to pass over small pulleys or rollers fitted on the ends
of pivoted bent levers, which levers are kept in place by metal eyes driven into a
wooden rail just behind the trough, which is held by the brackets which support
the creel, or in other convenient manner. These levers are self acting.
When
a thread is at work it is held down by the levers in the water, and as soon as the
thread breaks the levers raise themselves out of the water, so that in tying the
thread again the doubler need not disturb the water at all, the levers righting
themselves and bringing the thread into the water as soon as pieced, thus preventing
soiled yarn, and ensuring clean knots being made.
The creel arrangement I find most advantageous to use consists of metal rails
running along the length of the frame in front of the pulleys, and placed at a con-
venient distance therefrom. There are lengths of rails on each side of the pulleys
corresponding to the number of tiers of bobbins to be driven. The rails are
supported by metal brackets at intervals, which brackets also support (by a cross
rail) the bearings for the shaft in the creel. The said brackets also support a shelf
for the bobbins not in use. On the rails are fixed or carried small metal slides
projecting from the rail to the edge of the pulleys on each side, and on which slides
the skewers holding the bobbins rest. These slides may be grooved and the ends
of the skewers shaped to fit loosely in the groove, or the slides, &c., may be made
plain, as may be found most convenient.
Another arrangement consists of a pair of semi-circular iron castings bolted on
each side of the frame between each of the aforesaid drums, and having slots
formed in the peripheries, into which the bobbin skewers are placed. They also
form supports for the wooden shelf or creel on which to place or support bobbins
not in use, and at intervals also support the creel shaft. The slots for the skewers
are formed by beadings in said castings, and bolt holes are made in them to carry
small brackets for the creel wires.
The mechanical details of my Invention are capable of modification without
departing from the principles involved.
By the adoption of my Invention I find less waste and less power required to
drive the frames, as compared with the machinery I have hitherto used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Yates in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th March
1882.
ALFRED YATES, of Imperial Chambers, Derby, in the County of Derby:
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TWISTING, DOUBLING, AND LIKE MANIPULATION OF
COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates more particularly to what is known as "doubling," and in
which process the threads or yarn are usually drawn from bobbins in the creel by
means of drawing rollers, the thread passing through a trough containing water or
other liquid, and then conducted by means of thread boards, guide eyes, and flyers
or ring travellers to the twisting spindle.
These rollers are expensive and heavy to drive. The yarn is often spoiled by the
oil and dirt from the roller necks.
In the ordinary way also the water in the troughs is soiled by the dipping in of
the doubler's fingers in drawing the thread through.
Also, a serious fault in the yarn is caused by the loose end of one thread when
broken catching on to the next thread, being twisted into it, and causing thick
yarn. My Invention forms an advantageous method of regulating the delivery of
the yarn in the creel itself without the use of drawing rollers and without the
necessity of using weighted levers in connection with the friction pulleys and
creel bobbins, and is a means of making a more perfect yarn with less loss in waste
and at a less expenditure of power. The tension of the yarn is more even, and can.
be regulated by the methods now in use at will.
My Invention consists in a creel arrangement so constructed that any required
number of bobbins can be driven by one row of pulleys fitted on a light shaft in
the creel, but the mere driving of bobbins by friction pulleys, either to wind or
unwind, is not claimed as any part of my Invention.
My Invention consists, further, of an arrangement in connection with the troughs
by which the need of dipping in the water of the operative's fingers is obviated,
and the threads prevented almost entirely from catching together and making
thick yarn.
In carrying out my Invention the creel arrangement I find it most
advantageous to use consists of metal rails running along the length of the frame
in front of the pulleys, and placed at a convenient distance therefrom.
There are lengths of rails on each side of the pulleys corresponding to the number
of tiers of bobbins to be driven; these rails are supported by metal brackets at
intervals, which brackets also support by a cross rail the bearings of the shaft in
the creel; the said brackets also support a shelf for the bobbins not in use.
On the rails are fixed or carried small metal slides projecting from the rails to
the edge of the pulleys on each side, and on which slides the skewers holding the
bobbins rest; these slides may be grooved and the ends of the skewers made to
fit loosely in the groove, or the slides may be made plain, as found most
convenient.
Another arrangement may consist of a pair of semi-circular iron castings bolted
on each side of the frame between each of the aforesaid drums, and having slots
formed in the peripheries into which the bobbin skewers are placed, these taking
the place of the slides.
They also form supports for the wooden shelf or creel on which to place the
bobbins, &c, not in use, and at intervals support the creel shaft. The slots
for the skewers are formed by bendings in the said castings, and bolt holes are
made, in them to carry small brackets for the creel wires.

page_text: ]
showing the improvements constituting my Invention, the spindle, bobbin, ring,
and foot rails gearing, &c., not being shown, as any of the large number of these
details in use may be adopted, as found most convenient.
Figure 2, a side view of same.
: Figure 3,-an-enlarged-view of the thread lever.
Figure 4, enlarged view of pulley therefor.
Figure 5, an enlarged side view; and
Figure 6, a front view of a slide.
A is one of the pulleys or drums keyed on a light shaft B running throughout
the frame, and supported by suitable brackets at intervals, the number of druins
varying with the length of the frame.
Suitable gearing driving off the mill shafting or otherwise actuates this shaft.
C are the creel bobbins supported or resting on the drums; D, the water troughs;
E, E, the thread boards, as usual; F are the small pulleys or beads of glass or other
non-corrosive material carried by the bent wires or levers G, pivoting on rod L,
passing through metal eyes H, driven into the wooden rail I carried by the framing
or in other convenient manner. Although the upwardly projecting part of
wire G is shown approximately vertical, I prefer to bend it slightly in practice.
J is a piece of metal soldered or otherwise secured to wires G, acting as a
counter-weight. The left hand side of Figure 2 shows the thread breaking and
the weighted lever rising out of the water. The right hand side shows the levers
in the water..
The thread, as shown, passes from the top of the bobbins on one side of the
'centre, and from the bottom of the bobbins on the other side of the metal rails.
M, M, show the rails supported at intervals by brackets K. Grooves M¹, M¹, are
'made in them, as shown, through which the thread passes.
These rails act instead of creel wires, and, besides, serve to carry the slides.

page_text: N is a shelf for bobbins not in use. O are the slides; they are advantageously
made, as shown, that is, with a diagonal surface furnished with a centre rib P. and
a semi-circular depression Q, in which the skewers P¹ of the bobbins fit when at
rest. The horizontal portion serves to bolt or otherwise secure them to the rails M,
usually formed of angle iron. The lower slides O' I usually support on an angle
iron R by the lower ends instead of by the upper, as in the other slides. The shape
and angle of the various slides is necessarily modified, as shown.
As before described, the slides may be cast on brackets, but I prefer the arrange-
ments shown. The thread, after passing through the hooks on the thread board,
goes to the flyer and bobbin or ring traveller and bobbin, as usual,
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manuer the
same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I make no general claim to the
driving of bobbins by their frictional contact with revolving pulleys or drums, as I
am well aware that this is already in use; but I claim in respect of machines for
the twisting, doubling, or like manipulation of cotton or other fibrous material,—
First. Mounting around a revolving drum a number of bobbins having their axes
capable of travelling or gravitating down rigid slides inclined so that the bobbins
pressing with part of their weight on the drum are driven by frictional contact
therewith, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
Second. Guiding the threads through the wetting trough under and over rollers
or their equivalents mounted on counterweighted dipping levers, substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Yates, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
ALFRED YATES. (L.S.)