Improvements in the Spinning of Flax and other Yarns upon Pirns or Cops.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 20th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Spinning of Flax and other Yarns upon Pirns
or Cops.
I, AROHIBALD WILSON of Doagh in the County of Antrim in Ireland Flax Spinner
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention applies to the manufacture of flax and other yarns in wet spinning
frames to be employed in the process of weaving. It relates to mechanism by means
of which the yarn can be wound directly upon a pirn or cop instead of upon a bobbin
thereby dispensing with the processes of reeling and winding as heretofore practised
and preparing it for immediate use in the loom.
For this purpose I employ a spinning frame of the ordinary construction but I limit
the traverse of the builder plate to a shorter range than the ordinary traverse and
substitute pirns or cops for the bobbins and by means of a ratchet and pawl or other
suitable mechanism attached to the builder chain nut I cause the builder plate
gradually to descend by its own weight so as to build the yarn by degrees over the
whole pirn or cop.
.
And in order to regulate the drag according to the circumference of the coil of yarn
being wound upon the pirn or cop I attach to the builder plate a spirally grooved
revolving rod or a flat travelling bar actuated by a wedge and furnished with pins or
other contrivances to catch the drag bands.
Dated this 17th day of February 1890.
HYNDMAN & DICKSON,
6, Waring Street, Belfast, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Spinning of Flax and other Yarns upon Pirns
or Cops.
I, ARCHIBALD WILSON of Doagh in the County of Antrim in Ireland Flax Spinner
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention applies to the manufacture of flax and other yarns in wet spinning
frames to be employed in the process of weaving. It relates to mechanism by means
of which the yarn can be wound directly upon a pirn or cop instead of upon a bobbin
thereby dispensing with the processes of reeling and winding as heretofore practised
and preparing it for immediate use in the loom.
For this purpose I employ a spinning frame of the ordinary construction but instead
of making the builder plate traverse up and down along the entire range of the
barrels of the bobbins so as to build the bobbins continuously throughout with yarn I
limit its traverse to a shorter range and substitute pirns or cops for the bobbins and
by means of a ratchet and pawl or other suitable mechanism attached to the builder
chain I cause the builder plate gradually to descend by its own weight so as to build
the yarn by degrees over the whole pirn or cop. And I regulate the drag according
to the size of the part of the pirn or cop on which the yarn is being built by increasing
or diminishing the extent of bearing of the drag band upon the base of the pirn or
cop as hereinafter more fully explained.
I attach the ratchet above mentioned to the builder chain nut and the pawl to a
bracket connected with the same nut and actuated by a crank lever and connecting
rod attached to the quadrant which at each swing drives the lever against the bracket

page_text: and pawl so as to move the ratchet a notch or tooth round and to turn the builder
chain nut whereby the chain is lengthened and the gradual descent of the builder
plate is effected while the pirn or cop is being filled.
When the quadrant swings back the pawl falls and enters another notch or tooth in
the ratchet.
This action is repeated until the builder plate has descended to the desired length
and the pirns or cops have been filled. The builder plate is then wound up to its
original position by means of a hand wheel attached to the builder chain nut.
The number of notches or teeth formed on the ratchet is determined by the diameter
of the filled pirn or cop and the lea of the yarn.
In order to regulate the drag as above stated I prefer to employ a spirally grooved
or threaded revolving rod extending along the front of the builder plate and substi-
tuted for the builder strip which I remove to make way for it and I provide this rod
at one end with a boss and actuate it alternately in opposite directions by means of a
chain passing over the boss and under a small drum carried by a shaft attached to the
builder rods so as to rise and fall with the builder plate. A reversing motion is given
to this drum by the aid of a crank fixed upon the shaft which carries the drum and of
a connecting rod actuated by the quadrant.
A slot in the crank provides for the adjustment of the connecting rod so as to give
the revolving rod any required number of revolutions.
The drag bands pass into the grooves of the revolving rod and by its movements
are carried to one side or the other and the bearings upon the bases of the pirns or
cops are thus increased or diminished in accordance with the circumference of the
part of the pirn or cop on which the yarn is being wound.
For bringing the variations of drag gradually into operation while the pirns or cops
are attaining their maximum diameter I employ a clutch coupling arranged on the
shaft of the drum above mentioned and thrown out of gear as soon as the empty pirns
or cops are placed on the frame. The sliding part of the coupling is keyed upon
the shaft so as to turn the latter with it and is thrown out of gear by a snug carried
by a bracket which is bolted to the gable of the frame.
It is furnished with a flange
bevelled off to its periphery and by which it engages the snug when the builder plate
is wound up to the starting point. As the builder plate descends it gradually
disengages the snug from the sliding part of the coupling which is restored to gear by
the pressure of a spring. The other part of the coupling is attached to the crank
before mentioned and is loose upon the shaft so that when engaged by the sliding
part it actuates the drum as already described.
And in order that my said invention may be more fully understood I shall now
proceed to refer to the drawings upon the sheets hereunto annexed, the same letters of
reference indicating the same or corresponding parts of my apparatus throughout all
the figures.
Fig. I. is an end elevation of part of a spinning frame, showing the quadrant and
the builder chain with the nut carrying the ratchet, crank lever attached to the
quadrant by a connecting rod and actuating the ratchet by means of a bracket and
pawl, and the hand wheel for winding up the builder plate; also the boss on revolving
rod and the drum with the chain, crank and connecting rod for actuating the
drum.
Fig. II. is a side elevation of part of such frame shewing the revolving rod
extending along the front of the builder plate, the chain passing round the boss and
drum, the shaft attached to the builder rods and carrying the drum and clutch
coupling; also the ratchet and bracket carrying the pawl, the crank levers, connecting
rod and quadrant and the snug which throws the clutch coupling out of gear.
Fig. III. is a plan of part of the builder plate with the revolving rod at the front
and the shaft of the drum and coupling, with its supporting brackets below.
a is the
quadrant on the gable of the frame; b is the builder chain attached in the ordinary
way to a slot in the quadrant and c is the builder chain nut carrying the ratchet d and
the hand wheel e: fis the crank lever and g, the rod connecting it with the
quadrant a h is the bracket attached to the builder chain nut, c, and carrying the

page_text: pawl, i, which at every alternate swing of the quadrant, a, moves the ratchet, d, and
turning the builder chain nut, c, upon the threaded parts of the builder chain, 6, by
which the chain is lengthened and the descent of the builder plate, j, is regulated.
k is the revolving rod with the boss, l, at one end actuated by the chain, m, passing
over it and under the drum, n: o is the shaft carrying the drum, n, the clutch
coupling, p, and the slotted crank, q, and r is the rod connecting the slotted crank, q,
with the quadrant, a. s is the snug attached to the gable of the frame by a bracket, t,
and which throws the clutch coupling out of gear while u is the spring which restores
its gear;
vare brackets attached to the builder rods, zx, and carrying the
shaft, o.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The use, in wet spinning frames, of mechanism such as is hereinbefore described
consisting of a builder chain nut arranged with a ratchet and pawl and of a crank
lever contiguous thereto or other equivalent agents constructed actuated and employed
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
2. The use in wet spinning frames, of a revolving rod arranged with a boss and of
a drum chain, clutch coupling and crank or other equivalent agents constructed
actuated and employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improved spinning
apparatus constructed actuated and employed substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before described and illustrated by the several drawings on the sheets
hereunto annexed.
Dated this 18th day of November 1890
HYNDMAN & DICKSON,
6, Waring Street, Belfast, Agents for Applicant.