IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING AND ROVING MACHINERY
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ellison Smith of the firm of Smith and Sons
Royd Works, Keighley in the County of York-Machino Maker for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING AND ROVING MACHINERY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ellison Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th July 1883.
THOMAS ELLISON SMITH of the firm of Smith and Sons Royd Works, Keighley
in the County of York, Machine Maker. IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING AND ROVING
MACHINERY.
This Invention relates to an improvement in ring spinning and roving machinery,
and has for its object the manipulation of short stapled fibrous substances, in such
a manner, that the production of the yarn or roving is greatly increased, contains
much less "twist," and therefore softer than when operated upon in the ordinary
manner.
I accomplish my object by securing a guide over the centre of each spindle and
mounted travellers of less weight than can be used by ring spinning and roving
machines constructed in the ordinary manner.
In order to prevent the light travellers overrunning the bobbins and the fibre
"snarling" when the machine is started, I mount a bar to the ring rail extending
the full length of the same, and to this bar I fix a number of brushes or pads
composed of soft and flexible material; the number of brushes or pads corresponding
with the number of spindles.
On starting the machine, the attendant slides the before mentioned bar until the
brushes or pads press slightly against the travellers, thus retarding the same for a
few revolutions until the machine is at full speed, when the bar is liberated and
slides back into its normal position by means of a spring.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Ellison Smith in the Patent Office on the 28th January
1884.
THOMAS ELLISON SMITH of the firm of Smith and Sons, Royd Works, Keighley
in the County of York, Machine Maker IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING AND ROVING
MACHINERY
This invention relates to an improvement in ring spinning and roving machinery,
and has for its object the better inanipulation of short stapled fibrous substances in
such a manner, that the production of yarn or roving is greatly increased, contains
less "twist," and therefore softer than when operated upon in the ordinary manner;
and consists in mounting on the rings, travellers of less weight than are ordinarily
used, and in conjunction with the light travellers, I use a rod upon which is secured
a number of brushes for the necessary purpose of retarding the light travellers
which would otherwise over-run the bobbins, and cause the fibre to "snarl" when
the machine is started.
I will now proceed to more fully describe my invention by aid of the accom-
panying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents the front elevation of a portion of
a roving frame to which my improvement is added. Figure 2 is a transverso
section of one side of the same, and Figure 3 is a plan of a portion of the ring
rail, shewing the position of the rod and retarding brushes.
Above each spindle I fix a guide A, the rings B are secured to the ring-rail C.
which is connected to, and reciprocated by, a common lifter apparatus in the
ordinary manner. On each ring I place a light traveller D, through which the
fibre passes to the bobbin E, and in order to prevent the light traveller D over-
running the bobbin E when the machine is started, I mount on brackets attached
to the ring rail C, a rod F, extending near the entire length of the rail. To this
rcd I secure a number of brushes G, one for each ring, which are kept clear of the
travellers when not required, by means of a spring S acting upon a stud secured
to the rod F.
For a few revolutions when the machine is started, the bobbins have a tendency
to rotate the light travellers at a quicker speed, and thus over-run the same, thereby
causing the fibre to "snarl," producing waste, stoppage, and inferior work, and in
order to remedy this defect, the attendant on starting the machine moves the rod F
in a lateral direction until the brushes G press slightly against the travellers cach
revolution, theroby slightly retarding the same, until the machine is at full speed,
when the rod F is liberated, and is forced back to its normal position by the
spring S, the brushes are then clear of the travellers.
By using light travellers the drag or strain upon the fibre is not so great as when
the ordinary weight of traveller is used, consequently I am enabled to operate
upon short stapled fibre, and give to the same less " twist," therefore produce softer
roving or yarn than hitherto, the "ends" not "snarling" and breaking down on
starting the machine as is the case with light travellers when not retarded. By
this combination, the machine can be started with considerable less liability of the
fibre "snarling," consequently I am enabled to pass more weight of fibre through
the machine in a given time with fewer breakages and piecings.
It will be easily understood by persons conversant with spinning and roving
machinery that the brushes G may be applied and my object accomplished in other
ways besides that already described, for example, Fig 4 represents an end view
of the ring rail to which a modified arrangement of my improvement is attached;
in place of the flat rod F, I mount a circular rod or shaft S in journals attached to

page_text: the ring rail C, and on starting the machine the rod or shaft S is turned in the
journals bringing the brushes G from the position shown, into contact with the
revolving travellers thereby retarding them for the purpose as before described,.or
the traveller may be retarded by another method as shewn in small detail plan
Fig 5, but this method and the one with the circular rod or shaft S are in my
opinion not so simple in construction as that illustrated by the Figures 1. 2. and 3.
According to this modification I place each brush G in a slide secured to the ring
rail C, and mounted in front of the brushes is rod K, which is attached to cach
brush by a short link L, so that on starting the machine, the rod K is moved
laterally in one direction, causing the brushes G to move towards the rings so that
the revolving travellers D on coming in contact with the brushes aro retarded until
rod K is liberated.
The foregoing part of the specification described the means employed for roving,
and I wish it to be understood that when my invention is applied to spinning
frames the same arrangement as that before described is carried out.
Having thus described my said invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I have to state that I am aware means have been employed to stop the
travellers for a few revolutions on starting the machine for the purpose of winding
the yarn or thread from the doffer tubes upon the empty bobbins, but what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the invention secured to me by and
in terms of the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is :-
The use of brushes G for the purpose of retarding the travellers on starting the
machine.
In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Ellison Smith have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty sixth day of January in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and eighty-four