Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Yarns and Twines from Sisal and like Fibres.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Yarns and Twines
from Sisal and like Fibres.
I, THOMAS FINIGAN, Machinist of No. 375 Straight Street, Paterson, in the
County of Passaic, in the State of New Jersey, in the United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of my 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 relates to certain new and useful improvements in machinery for
manufacturing yarns and twines from sisal and other like harsh and stiff fibres,
which yarus and twines are to be used in the arts for various purposes, such as for
weaving and mercantile twines and cords, as my improved machinery spins the
fibres to such a degree of fineness, combined with strength as to render them
adaptable for such purposes.
It has been customary to spin such fibres on a jenney by the use of gills, that
carry the fibres toward the flyer and are then drawn through them, but it has
been found impossible to spin sisal to the high degree of fineness, by the use of
such machinery, that I obtain by means of my improved devices.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which
like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures:
Figure 1 is an elevation of a part of my improved spinning machinery, two
spindles being shown and parts omitted.
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional, view through the gatherer,
drawing rolls and flyer.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the frame, showing the driving gear for the
flyer, rolls etc.
Figure 4 is a detail side view of the pressing rolls.
Figure 5 is a side view showing parts of the machine only.
In the drawing A represents the frame for the machine and which is suitably
braced and stiffened.
On the top of the frame A, a series of inclined standards A¹ are secured,
suitable distances from each other, a section of frame A and a standard A¹ being
preferably provided for every four spindles, more or less, for the sake of strength
and rigidity. The standards A¹ are connected by the creel frame A and by
rails A and A.
In the rear part of the frame A, a driving shaft B is mounted in suitable
bearings and carries the fixed and loose belt pulleys B'.
On it is fixed the pinion B which engages the cog wheel B³ mounted on a stud
projecting from the frame A and to which cog wheel B³ is secured a sprocket
wheel B over which an endless driving chain B5 passes, which also passes over
the larger sprocket wheel B mounted on a stud C on the frame A near the front
of the same and with which sprocket wheel is connected the pinion C engaging
the cog wheel C3 and Cs mounted respectively on the shaft C and the stud C on
the side of the frame A which shaft C extends along the front of the frame.
The cog wheel C has fixed to it a sprocket wheel Cover which an endless
driving chain C7 passes, which also passes over a sprocket wheel C8 ou the end of
a shaft C mounted in the upper ends of the standards A'.
On the shaft B a bevel cog wheel 6 is fixed for each spinning spindle in the
machine, and engages a bevel cog wheel of smaller size fixed on the lower end

page_text: of a vertical shaft & mounted in the rails and 4 of the machine frame which
shafts each carry the flanged horizontal belt pulleys and as shown in
Figure 5. A grooved belt pulley is fixed on the upper end of each shaft
above the top rail 4.
The shaft C as mentioned extends the entire length of the machine frame and
is parallel with and close to another shaft D. which is driven from the shaft C by
means of the cog wheels D', said shafts D and C carrying a set of drawing
rolls D and D for each spindle.
The bearings for the shaft D are provided with some suitable adjusting device
so as to permit of adjusting it so that the nipping or drawing rolls D and D are
pressed against each other with sufficient force. This adjusting device preferably
consists of a pivoted weighted lever, similar to the one shown in Figure 4 for
another shaft and to be described later on. The bearings c for the shaft C are
mounted in the slots of the standards A to permit of adjusting said bearings
vertically.
On said shaft Co a fluted roller E is fixed for each spinning spindle and at the
back of each roller E a like fluted roller E is mounted on shaft Ee mounted in
adjustable bearings suspended from and attached to the rail A connecting the
standards A¹.
A fork E extending from the rail A between each pair of rollers E' forms a
bearing for a bell crank lever Es which carries an adjustable weight Eat one end
and has its other end forked to bear against the pins on the nut el screwed on
the screw, the front forked end of which embraces the shaft E as shown in
Figure 4.
A cogwheel on the shaft engages a cogwheel mounted on a stud
projecting from the inner side of the standard A and said cogwheel has fastened.
to it a sprocket wheel over which an endless link belt F passes also passing over
a sprocket wheel 3 on the shaft Fs mounted in the vertically adjustable bearings &
bf the slotted standards A' as shown in Figure 1. The roller shafts F F are
similarly arranged and mounted and have the end sprocket wheels respectively
which sprocket wheels engage the link belt F at opposite sides, so that the
shafts FF and F all feed in the same direction. From the creel frame A' a
pin W projects for each spinning spindle which pins serve to receive the spools or
bobbins Won which the rove of sisal to be spun is wound.
Below the shaft F a rail G is secured horizontally on the frame A and in the
same a gatherer G is mounted to rotate on its vertical axis, for each spindle.
the gatherer having a funnel shaped upper end and a tapering lower end and
each gatherer has formed on its rim a groove G for receiving an endless driving
cord which also passes around the pulley on the upper end of the corresponding
vertical shaft 68.
The lower tapering end of each gatherer G is close to the two corresponding
nipping or drawing rolls D and D on the shafts C and D respectively.
In suitable bearings of the horizontal rails and flyers J are mounted to
rotate on their vertical axis.
Each is provided with two pulleys J J over which helts pass which also pass
over the pulleys and on the corresponding vertical shafts .
The inner tube Ja is provided at its upper end with an arm J carrying at its
upper end a twister or collector J in close proximity to the drawing rolls Da
and D and its function is to confine in place and twist in any fibres that might
shoot out from the main body of the twisting cord, see Figure 2.1
The arms of the flyer are made substantially tubular with a longitudinal slit
on the outer side have each an eye at the lower end.
The cross piece from which the arms extend is located below the capstans Je
instead of above them as has been customary heretofore.
This construction facilitates passing the thread around the capstans through the
arms of the flyver.
The spindle K is mounted vertically in suitable holes in the rails K and K'

page_text: and passes through the builder K³ the upper end entering The capstan bar of
the flyer.
The lower end of each spindle is held by a latch K in the lower rail K in such
a manner that it cannot move vertically but can turn freely.
A sprocket wheel L is fixed on the shaft as shown in Figure 5 and an
endless link belt L passes around the same and around a sprocket wheel L, fixed
to the hub of the pinion L on a stud on an end frame A and said pinion L
engages the cog wheel L mounted similarly on a stud of the end frame and
carrying on its hub the pinion L engaging the cogwheel L secured to the heart
cam L with which it is mounted on a stud on the end frame.
Ou said heart cam a roller M' runs, which is mounted on a stud of a lever M
pivoted at to the frume A and provided at its free end with the longitudinal
slot M³ in which the stud M is held adjustable.
The rod N provided with a swivel or turn buckle N has one end connected with
the stud M and the other with a chain O which is passed around and secured to
the pulley O on the end of the builder shaft which extends the entire length
of the frame and carries at suitable intervals pulleys P to which chains Pare
secured, said chains passing partly around the pulleys and having their lower eads
secured by adjusting screws to the lower end of the builder rods Q which are
secured to and project downward from the builder K³.
The builder K³ on which the bobbins V rest is provided at its front with
notches R for adjusting the tension cords R' which are secured in the usual manner
on the back of the builder and pass around the tension grooves V in the lower
parts of the bobbiu for the purpose of obtaining the desired tension.
A riding roller S or loose pressing roller is supported by a curved guide S on
a rail S in such a manner as to rest against the shaft F1 said roller S and shaft F
being hereinafter referred to as "the clamping rolls."
The operation is as follows:-
The sliver or rove Y prepared with a slight twist of about four turns to the
foot, is wound on the bobbins W which are placed on the pins W and the rove is
passed down between the fluted feed rollers E E and hetween the shaft and
the loose pressing or riding roller S (.e. the clamping rolls) and then over and
under shafts FF on alternately opposite sides thereof, down to the gatherer G.
When the machine is started the feed rolls E E and the shafts F F and F are
driven by meaus of the mechanism shown so as to move the rove downward.
The nipping or drawing rolls D D are also rotated to draw the fibres through
the gatherer.
The gatherers, and flyers are rotated from the rear vertical shafts .
The heart cam L is rotated and works the lever M up and down whereby the
builder and the bobbins V resting theron are moved up and down by means of
the mechanism described.
If the shaft F and the riding rollers S (clamping rolls) were not provided the
rove or sliver of sisal would pass directly to the gatherer and thence to the
drawing or nipping rolls. As the drawing rolls travel about eight times faster
than the feed rollers the twist in the rove would be removed, the friction or
binding hetween the fibres would be lost, and as the distance between the feed
rollers and drawing rollers must be greater than the length of the fibres, namely
three feet or more, the rove would immediately part and break down.
This is avoided by using the shaft F and the riding roller S and arranging
them so that they can be adjusted in relation to the rove to be spun. The
clamping rolls (shaft F and riding roller S) prevent the rove from untwisting
beyond the point where the rove passes between them, that is, prevents the rove
from untwisting for a length greater than the length of the fibre, as said shaft F
and the riding roller S are so adjusted as to be away from the drawing rolls D* D³
a distance less than the length of the fibres.
The gatherer G which is rotated in a direction opposite to the twist of the rove
opens up the rove without breaking or parting the same and allows the fibres.

page_text: which are not caught by drawing rollers to be carried freely to the gather and
to be brought into a straight line which is very essential.
The fibres are thus opened up to such an extent that they are straightened out
by the drawing process and arranged side by side so as to adapt them to form a
thin but strong yarn or thread of practically uniform thickness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a machine for spinning sisal and other fibre the combination with a
support for bobbins, of a flyer for spinning the fibre drawn from the bobbins,
menus for rotating suid flyer, a rotating gatherer, supporting rolls between said
gatherer and bobbin support, drawing rolls between the gatherer and flyer and a
pair of clamping rolls between said supporting rolls and bobbin support and
within a distance of the drawing rolls less than the length of the fibre being spun,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a machine for spinning sisal and other fibre, the combination with a
support for bobbins, of a flyer for spinuing the fibre drawn from the bobbins,
means for rotating said flyer, a rotating gatherer, rotative supporting rolls
between said gatherer and bobbin support, means for rotating said rolls, a pair of
clamping rolls between said supporting rolls and bobbin support and within a
distance of the drawing rollers less than the length of the fibre being spun, means
for rotating said clamping rolls and rotative drawing rolls between the gatherer
and flyer, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose set
forth.
3. In a machine for spinning sisal and other fibre, the combination with a
support for bobbins, of a flyer for spinning the fibre drawn from the bobbins,
means for rotating said flyer, a pair of feeding rolls directly below the bobbins,
means for rotating the feeding rolls, a rotative gatherer, supporting rolls between
Baid gatherer and the feeding rolls, means for rotating said supporting rolls, a pair
of clamping rolls below the feeding rolls and within a distance of the drawing
rolls less than the length of the fibre being spun, means for rotating said clamping
rolls, drawing rolls between the gatherer and flyer and means for rotating said
drawing rolls, substantially as herein shown and described.
4. In a machine for spinning sisal and other fibre, the combination with a
support for bobbins, of a flyer for spinning the fibre drawn from the bobbins,
means for rotating the flyer, a rotating gatherer, supporting rolls between said
gatherer and the bobbin support, a pair of adjustable clamping rolls, between the
supporting rolls and bobbin support and within a distance of the drawing rolls less
than the length of the fibre being spun, an endless linked belt for rotating said
rolls and the clamping rolls, drawing rolls between the gatherer and flyer and
means for rotating said drawing rolls, substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a flyer the combination with capstans of a transverse bar below the
capstans and hollow longitudinally slitted flye arms projecting from the ends of
Baid transverse bar, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of July 1896.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.