IMPROVEMENTS IN BALLING HEADS OF GILL BOXES EMPLOYED IN THE DRAWING AND CARDING OF WOOL, TOW, FLAX,
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Prince Smith, junior, Machine Maker, Smith Ambler;
Draughtsman and Joseph Lund, Mechanic, Burlington Shed, Keighley, in the
county of York for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALLING HEADS OF
GILL BOXES EMPLOYED IN THE DRAWING AND CARDING OF WOOL, TOW, FLAX,
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Prince Smith, junior, Smith
Ambler, and Joseph Lund at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 22nd May 1883.
PRINCE SMITH junior, machine maker, SMITH AMBLER draughtsman and JOSEPH
LUND mechanic; Burlington Shed Keighley in the County of York "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BALLING HEADS, OF GILL BOXES, EMPLOYED IN THE DRAWING AND
CARDING OF WOOL, Tow, FLAX, COTTON, SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
37
Our improvements consist in making the Balling Heads of Gill Boxes employed
in the Carding, Combing and drawing of wool, Tow, Flax, cotton, silk and other
fibrous substances with improved mode of pressing and holding down the balls
during the operation of building or forming the balls.
Hitherto the balling Heads of Gill boxes have been made with two stands
working on horizontal bars and having a pair of rollers between the stands; on
the rollers the ball is formed and to keep the ball sufficiently firm or hard in balling
two weights are employed which slide up and down between the stands and which
rest on the spindle or barrel; the weights gradually rise as the ball increases in
diameter and have to be removed by the attendant when the ball is built and
replaced when a ball is to be formed; besides which, to remove a ball when formed,
the attendant has to lift out of a groove or slot the spindle carrying the ball; this
lifting up of the ball which is heavy and the removal of the weights and the
[replacing of the same are drawbacks in the working of the machines. By our
improved plan, the weights are arranged to be moved up and down on standards

page_text: and when lifted up to be retained whilst changing and also removing the formed
ball without having to lift the ball but simply bringing the ball forward
For this purpose we secure in the balling part of the machine two standards or
uprights having in the back parts recesses in which are fitted and work tongues
which are so arranged that they fall a certain way out of the standards or uprights
by their weight and are so free in action that when the attendant lifts up the
weights, they force in the tongues and when the weights are lifted past the tongues
the tongues fall out and the weights rest upon them and are then retained until
the built ball is removed and a balling barrel and spindle placed in position to
form another ball; the attendant then simply presses in the tongues and the
weights come down into position; it is obvious that springs may be employed
instead of tongues.
The weights are by preference of a parallelogram shape with ornamental pro-
jecting frames on the sides which afford a hold for the fingers of the attendant
when lifting or lowering the weights, and the weights are made with lugs pre-
jecting downwards which rest on the collars of the spindle or on the spindle of
the balling barrel; the weights are made with openings to fit and easily work on
the standards or uprights. To form a ball, the attendant lifts up the weights and
places them on the tops of the tongues and keeps them there until a balling barrel
and spindle are placed in position to form a ball, the tongues are then pressed in
the recesses of the standards or uprights and the weights lowered bringing the
lugs on the top of the spindle giving pressure and holding down the ball during
the operation of building up the ball;. the weights rise gradually with the ball
'being formed or built and directly the ball is formed, the weights are lifted over
the tongues and brought on the tops of the tongues and there retained until the
ball is removed by simply bringing it forward without having to lift it up.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Prince Smith, junior, Smith Ambler, and Joseph Lund in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd November 1883.
PRINCE SMITH junior, Machine Maker, SMITH AMBLER, Draughtsman and
JOSEPH LUND, Mechanic, Burlington, Shed, Keighley in the county of York
** IMPROVEMENTS IN BALLING HEADS OF GILL BOXES EMPLOYED IN THE DRAWING
AND CARDING OF WOOL, TOW, FLAX, COTTON, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES
"
.
Our invention consists in improvements in the balling heads of gill boxes
employed in the carding, combing and drawing of wool, tow, flax, cotton, silk and
other fibrous substances with improved mode of pressing and holding down the
balls, during the operation of building or forming the balls.
Hitherto the balling heads of gill boxes have been made with two stands
working on horizontal bars and having a pair of rollers between the stands; the
ball is formed on the rollers, and to keep the ball sufficiently firm or hard in
balling, two weights are employed which slide up and down between the stands
and rest on the spindle or barrel; the weights gradually rise as the ball increases
in diameter and the weights have to be removed by the attendant when the ball
is built and replaced when a ball is to be formed; besides which to remove a ball
when formed the attendant has to lift out of a groove or slot the spindle carrying.
the ball; this lifting up of the ball, which is heavy, and the removal of the weights
and the replacing the same are drawbacks in the working of the machines.
By our improved plan, the weights are arranged to be moved up and down on
standards and when lifted up to be retained there whilst changing and the formed
ball can be removed without having to lift up the ball it being simply necessary to
bring the ball forward.
•
For this purpose we secure in the balling part of the machine two standards or
uprights having recesses in the back parts in which are fitted and work tongues so
arranged that they fall a certain way out of the standards or uprights by their
weight and are so free in action that when the attendant lifts up the weights, they
force in the tongues, and when the weights are lifted past the tongues, the tongues
fall out and the weights rest upon them and are there retained until the built ball is
removed and a balling barrel and spindle placed in position to form another ball;
the attendant then simply presses in the tongues and the weights come down in
position; it is obvious that springs may be employed instead of tongues.
The weights are by preference of a parallelogram shape with ornamental
projecting frames on the sides which allow hold to the fingers of the attendant
when lifting or lowering the weights and the weights are made with lugs projecting
downward which rest on the collars of the spindle or on the spindle of the balling
barrel; the weights are made with openings to fit and work easily on the standards
or uprights.
To form a ball, the attendant lifts up the weights and places them on the tops of
the tongues and keeps them there until a balling barrel and spindle are placed in
position to form a ball, the tongues are then pressed into the recesses of the
standards or uprights and the weights lowered bringing the lugs on the top of the
spindle, giving pressure and holding down the ball during the operation of building
up the ball; the weights rise gradually with the forming or building of the ball
and directly the ball is formed, the weights are lifted over the tongues and brought
on the top thereof and there retained until the ball is removed by simply bringing
it forward without having to lift it up.'

page_text: In order to enable our improvements to be fully understood we will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1,
represents a front view of the balling head of a gill box with our improved mode
of pressing and holding down the balls, during the operation of building or forming
the balls; figure 2, is an end view and figure 3, a plan of the same; figure 4,
represents a section of the standard with recess and tongue also section of weight,
balling barrel and spindle and section of fluted rollers.
Similar letters of reference are used to represent similar parts.
A, are the standards or uprights having recesses B, in which are fitted and work
the tongues C, so arranged that they fall out of the recesses of the standards A, by
their weight (see figure 4) and the tongues are so free in action that when the
attendant lifts up the weights D, they force the tongues C, into the recesses B, and
when the weights D, are lifted past the tongues the said tongues fall out and the
weights rest on the tops E, and are there retained until the built ball F, is removed
and a balling barrel G, and spindle H, are placed in position to form another ball.
To lower the weights D, the attendant simply presses in the tongues C, and the
weights come in position, the lugs I, coming on the top of the spindle H, giving
pressure and holding down the ball during the operation of building or forming the
same. The weights D, are made with projecting frames J, which allow hold to the
fingers of the attendant when lifting or lowering the weights and the weights are
made with openings K, to fit and easily work on the standards or uprights A.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, what we claim as new and intend to be protected by the herein in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
The construction and employment of standards or uprights having. recesses and
tongues and with weights sliding up and down, the said weights being retained on
the tongues during the changing or removal of the built balls which removal is
effected by simply bringing the ball forward without having to lift up the same,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing on any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof we the said Prince Smith junior Smith Ambler and Joseph
Lund have hereto set our hands and seals this twentieth day of November in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three
DDINAL SMITET TR