A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY OF REELS USED IN. REELING YARNS
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NAIRNE, Flax Spinner, Millhaugh, near Methven, in the County of Perth,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His late most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth, by
His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of England, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighth day of May, in the seventh year of His reign, and
in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and thirty-seven, did, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Nairne, full
power, solé privilege and authority, that I, the said William Nairne, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Nairne,
my executors, administrators, or assigns should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
the Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY OF
REELS USED IN. REELING YARNS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said William Nairne, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery in
England within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said

page_text: William Nairne, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say:-.
My Invention of a certain Improvement or certain Improvements in the
Machinery of Reels used in Reeling Yarns has for its object a better and more
accurate mode of reeling, whereby the fall of yarns is rendered more nearly
perfect, and the quantity reeled by one person-greater-than any-mode which
has heretofore been practised; and this I do by the application of a principle
which has not heretofore been applied to such a purpose. For finding the
friction produced by the motion of-the-bobbin or pern, or by the thread rubbing
on a soft or flexible substance sufficient to draw a well-adjusted pendulum,
lever, or swinging body out of its natural position, I place the bobbin or pern
on a pendulum, lever, or swinging body, or I cause the thread to rub on a
pendulum, lever, or swinging body, so as to keep such body clear of a ratchet
or catch wheel, and when the thread breaks, or a bobbin is exhausted, the
pendulum, lever, or swinging body returns to its natural position, and, by
catching the ratchet or catch wheel" stops the motion thereof, and thus stops
the motion of the reel,
But in order that my Invention may be more easily and better understood,
I have hereto annexed a Drawing containing a diagram representing a front
elevation of a reel, with my Invention applied thereto (sec. Figure 1); a
diagram representing an end elevation of the same (Figure 2); diagrams of
several parts detached (Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7); a diagrami representing
an end elevation of another mode of applying my Invention (Figure 8); and a
diagram of a part detached, illustrative of the second mode of application
(Figure 9). The same letters refer to the same parts, or to parts answer-
ing the same purposes throughout all the Figures contained in the Drawing..
a, a, Figures 1 and 2, is the reel; b, b, b, b, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, are small frames
or pendulums, each having a pin c, c, c, c, fixed on the under part, and a pin
d, d, 'd, d, on the upper part, with a balance weight e, e, e, e, on the upper end
of each pin; ff. f, f, are small pins fixed in the under side of the frames or
pendulums; and g, g, Figures 2 and 3, are holes pierced through both sides of
the pendulums; h, h, is a shaft passing from side to side of the reel frame,
and having fixed on it a ratchet or catch wheel i, i, i, i, for each pendulum, and
one for catching telling gear, to be afterwards described; i, j, are pulleys fixed
on the end of the shaft h, h; the dotted lines k, k, is a rod passing from side
to side of the reeling frame; 1, 1, is a shaft having a pin for each pendulum

page_text: fixed in it, and an arm m for moving it by. This shaft with its pins and arm
is represented by Figure 5. n is a pin fixed in the same shaft with a weight
on the end of it, as shewn at Figures 2 and 3; 0, 0, Figures 4 and 6, is a
wire or small rod which passes through the holes g, Figures 2 and 3, for the
purpose of suspending the pendulums in the slits p, P, P, P, P, P, P, P.
Figure 6; 7, Figure 7, is a cross section of Figure 6, which is the top rail.
2,2, Figures 1, 2, and 3; an inspection of the top rail shewn cut across in
Figures 2 and 3, will shew that the wire or rod o, o, rests on the upper side of
the under part of the top rail r, r, and is kept in its place by slipping into the
notches s, s, Figures 2 and 6. The pendulums are made to move freely on.
the wire o, o, and also in the slits p. p. p, p, p, p, p, p, which slits keep them.
from shaking or slipping along the wire o, o. The knob t, Figure 2, is fixed.
on the end of the wire u, which is attached by a nioveable joint to the arm m
on the shaft I, 1. The wire 'passes easily through an eye at w.
The pinion:
x, Figures 1 and 2, is fixed on the axis of the reel, and the wheel y is fixed
on the end of the small shaft z. A is an endless screw fixed on the end of
the shaft ; B is a wheel fixed on the shaft C, on which shaft the wheel D is
also fixed; E is a pulley fixed on the end of the axis of the reel; F is a catch
hung on the pin or stud G and guided the guides H, H; so as to
move freely; I is a lifter which the end of the shaft 1, 7, serves for a stud, on
which it is made to move freely. The dotted lines J, J, Figure 1, shew the
outline of an eye board through which the thread or yarn passes. The
teeth K, in the eye board J, J, are cut to work in the endless screw L, which
revolves on a stud and is driven by the band M off the groove on the wheel B
which wheel B is driven by the endless screw A, which screw A is driven by
the pinion on the axis of the reel working in the wheel y, fixed on the end
of the small shaft z. The ratchet shaft h, h, is driven by a list, belt, strap, or
band working on the pulley j, and the reel a, a, is driven by a list, belt, strap, or
band from the pulley j, working on the pulley E, fixed on the reel axel; then
when the reel is in motion the friction produced by the motion of the bobbin
on the pins c, fixed on the under side of the pendulums b, b, b, b, or the friction
produced by the thread passing through the flexible substance fixed on the
pendulums, Figures 8 and 9, draws the pendulums out of their natural position
till they occupy the position of the dotted lines N, N, Figures 2 and 3; and
this friction would, in many cases, draw them further, but the pins ffixed on
the under ends of the pendulums come against the rod k, k, which prevents the
pendulums from moving farther than is necessary to keep them clear of the
ratchet or catch wheels fixed on the shaft h, h. The mode of applying a
pendulum lever or swinging body to stoop the reel when a thread breaks or.

page_text: as
a bobbin is exhausted, as represented by Figures 8 and 9, may be adapted to
almost any sort of yarn in the following manner :-The end of the pendulum b
is turned up, as shewn at Figure 9, and into the hook or notch is stretched a
piece of cloth, leather, or other flexible substance; and the same thing is done
with the notch Q, and in the act of reeling the yarn passes through the
notch Q, and the hook or notch in the end of the pendulum; and in this case
I place the ratchets or catch wheels so as to act on the top of the pendulums,
because by so doing they are better out of the way. But I would remark,
that unless it be where the yarn is spun in cups or brotches, which are
generally reeled off the cone end, as seen in Figure 8, and consequently the
yarn has no perceptible friction in coming off, the cup or brotch, this mode
need not be resorted to. By the inspection of Figure 1 it will be seen that
one pin is bare, that another has a tube on it, that another has an empty
bobbin on, and another a full one; and it will be farther seen that each
pin has a washer at the under end on which the bobbin rests. The tube
is made to move very easily on the pin, and the bobbin to move
easily on the tube; and altho' such tubes are not indispensible, yet they
are a very simple and effective mode of equalizing the temper so as to
prevent the bobbin from overrunning when full, or the thread being
too much strained when the bobbin is nearly exhausted. It will now be seen.
that when a thread breaks, or a bobbin is exhausted, the pendulum on which.
it is placed, or on which the thread rubs, will return to its natural position,.
and be caught by one of the ratchet wheels, which will stop the motion of the.
shaft h, h, and, consequently, the reel, while the list, belt, strap; or band working
on the pulley will slip over the smooth surface of the pulley or drum on
which it works. When the thread has been, knitted on, or an empty bobbin
has been replaced by a full one, the reeler pulls the knob t, which moves the
shaft 1, 1, and the pins fixed in. that shaft pulls the pendulum clear of the
ratchet when the reel commences to move. As soon as the motion of the
reel has tightened the thread, the reeler lets go the knob t, when the shaft
1, 1, by the weight n, returns to its former position, the pins resting upon the
ratchet shaft h, h, see Figures 2 and 3. By the inspection of the parts
x, y, z, A, B, L, M, K, and a reference to their operation, as described above,
it will be seen that the eye board J, J, will be pushed slowly across the reel
till all the teeth K have passed over the endless screw L; when the reel will
be ready to strip, and the reeler slips back the eye board to the position neces-
sary when the operation of reeling commences. The wheel D has a slit cut in
it at O, and when that slit comes opposite the catch F, the catch being kept in
its position clear of the ratchet wheel by rubbing against the face of the

page_text: wheel D, it slips into the slit O, and consequently the upper end of it stops
the ratchet shaft h, h. It will therefore be seen, that according to the motion
of the wheel D, and the number of slits cut in it, the reel may be made to
stop when any given quantity, such as a cut, a heer, a lea, or skein, &c. is
reeled. The lifter I is used to throw the catch F clear of the ratchet when
the operation of tying up has been finished, which it does by the pin P pressing
on the edge of the catch. The reeler holds the lifter I till the slit in the
wheel D has moved as far as the catch will not fall into it, when the lifter is
let go till again required. To avoid the slipping of the list over the pulley
or drum when a wheel stops, a small fly wheel may be placed on the ratchet
shaft, beside the pulley, so as to continue its motion for a quarter of a revolu-
tion or so after the shaft is suddenly stop't by any one of the ratchets catching,
which continued motion of said fly wheel may be made to draw out a catch
pin and allow the pulley to revolve on the shaft until the pin is again pushed
into gear by moving the fly wheel backwards, or by holding it, and moving
the reel forward with the hand, or the list, &c. may be made to pass on a slack
pulley by means of the jerk which the pendulums receive when caught by the
ratchets, being made to let go a spring or weight, as well as by several other
similar modes, many of which I have had in operation, but have discontinued
them, for the simple reason that the benefit, if any, gained by preventing the
list, &c. from slipping does not appear to make up for the additional complexity
and expense of the apparatus necessary for the purpose. I have, now only to
remark that although the reel which I have described is well adapted to be
driven by power, yet it may also be driven by the hand, in which case it will
only be necessary to connect the reel and the ratchet shaft with a list on the
pulleys E and j. I have shewn one reel to contain four bobbins, but they
may be made to contain any convenient number, although four appears to me
to be the best, as the reeler will perform more work, seeing that the breakage
of a thread or the exhausting of a bobbin only stops another three besides
itself, and as a reeler can attend to from sixteen to thirty-two bobbins, it will
seldom or ever happen that all will stand at one time. From this it might be
inferred that to have only one bobbin for each reel would be best; but as each
reel of one bobbin would require telling gear, as well as room to strip the
reel, the increased expense, as well as the additional room required, would in
my opinion be greater than any advantage which would be gained.
Having now described the nature of my improvement or improvements on
the machinery of reels used in reeling yarns, and the manner of carrying the
same into effect, although I have described the pendulums, levers, or swinging
bodies as frames so far balanced by a top weight in order to render the change

page_text: in their position by the friction produced by the motion of the bobbin or thread
more easily effected, yet it is evident that such peculiar construction of pen-
dulum, lever, or swinging body is not essential to the practical application of
my Invention, since their form and position may be almost indefinitely varied,
as, for example: instead of the pendulum being a frame, it may be only a
simple rod, with a hole or axis passing through it; and the bobbin, instead of
being placed at the lower end, and below the axis upon which the pendulum
is suspended, may be placed upon the upper end or above the axis; and instead
of the pendulum being nearly balanced by a top weight, it may, provided it
be made sufficiently light, be operated without a top weight, in which state I
have already had it working; and instead of the bobbin being placed nearly
perpendicular, it may be placed horizontal. And as to the second mode of
applying the Invention, represented by Figures 8 and 9, instead of the thread
being applied to the under end of the pendulum, it may be applied at the
upper end, or it may be applied to one end of a lever nearly balanced; and, in
short, there appears to be no end to the variations which may be made upon
the machinery used in the application of pendulums, levers, or swinging bodies
to the stopping of the reel when a thread is broken or a bobbin, &c. is ex-
hausted. And, therefore, I would have it understood, that I lay no claim to
any of the parts described in the annexed Drawing, except the application of
pendulums, levers, or swinging bodies to the stopping of the reel when a thread
is broken, or a bobbin, pern, cup, &c. is exhausted.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Nairne, have subscribed and
sealed these Presents, consisting of this and the six preceding pages,
written on stamped paper by John Kippen, Clerk to John Stewart
Newbigging, Writer to the Signet, at Perth, upon the Thirtieth day of
August, in the year Eighteen hundred and thirty-seven, before these
witnesses, William Rintoul, Writer, Number Twenty-three, Duke
Street, Edinburgh, and the said John Kippen.
-
WILLIAM NAIRNE. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said
William Nairne, in presence of the said
W RINTOUL,
Of 23, Duke Street, Edin", Writer,
Witness.

page_text: John Kippen, of Number Eighteen, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Clerk
to John Stewart Newbigging, Writer to the Signet, there, maketh oath and saith,
that this Deponent, together with William Rintoul, of Number Twenty-three,
Duke Street, Writer, did see William Nairne, Flaxspinner, Millhaugh, near
Methven, in the County of Perth, designed in the Specification of "A certain
Improvement or certain Improvements in the Machinery of Reels used in
Reeling Yarns," hereunto annexed, sign, seal, and, as his own act, deliver the
said Specification, to the end that the same may be enrolled in the High Court
of Chancery in England, as therein mentioned. And this Deponent further
saith, that the name "William Nairne," set and subscribed to the 'said
Specification, and on each page thereof, is of the proper handwriting of the
said William Nairne; and that the names "W Rintoul" and "John Kippen,"
subscribed as witnesses to the execution of the same, are of the proper hand-
writing of the said William Rintoul and of this Deponent and further this
deponent saith not.