IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF SPINDLES AND FLYERS APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR AND DOUBLING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Champion, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENTS OF SPINDLES AND FLYERS APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR
AND DOUBLING FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 27th November 1857, and dated the 19th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Champion at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th June 1857.
I, JAMES CHAMPION, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF SPINDLES AND FLYERS APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR PREPARING, SPINNING, AND DOUBLING FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be
as follows:-
I fix the drag at the top of the bobbin (instead of at the bottom, as now.
generally practised) by placing on the top of the spindle above the bobbin
a small collar or washer, the under side of which I line with cloth or other
suitable material, by which I avoid greasing or dirtying the yarn, now so
generally complained of. I also cause the bobbin to revolve on a tube, so

page_text: that if the flyer be inverted, a tube which is attached to the centre of the
flyer passes through the bobbin and revolves on a stud for the purpose.
I also have an adjusting collar for adjusting the bobbin stud on the copping
rail, which bobbin stud carries the bobbin on the stud revolving on the tube,
as already stated. By this arrangement I gain a constant and uniform
regularity of drag on the bobbins, by which I am enabled to spin finer
numbers of yarn and at a greater speed than has been hitherto accomplished.
Or, as a modification of my said improvements, I place a double collar on
the under side of the flyer attached to a short spindle, and between this double
collar or these two collars, one of which-is attached-to-the-spindle under the
flyer, and the other. to the fast stud, between which I place a piece of cloth
or other suitable material; thus regulating the drag at the top or above the
bobbin instead of below it. In this case I fix a fast stud on the rail, on
which revolves a loose tube carrying the bobbin.
Or, as another modification of my said improvements, I fix a stud on the
rail with a tube, on which the bobbin revolves, with a stud passing through
the tube to support the flyer, having a double collar and cloth washer above
the flyer instead of below it, as in the last example.
These my improvements are applicable to roving 'frames or similar machines
for preparing fibrous materials to be spun, to throstles, and other spinning
machinery, and also to doubling frames, in fact to all kinds of machinery in
which spindles and flyers are used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Champion in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHAMPION, of the City. of. Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by 'Her' Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and, grant unto me, the said
James Champion, Her special licence that I, the said James Champion, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said 'James
Champion, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: with, and no others; from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF
SPINDLES AND FLYERS APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING,
SPINNING, AND DOUBLING FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that.I, the. said James. Champion, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe, and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner, the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in' the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately 'after; the, date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Champion, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):
My Invention consists in various improved arrangements of spindles, flyers,
and bobbins, in which 'the drag is placed in better positions than heretofore
adopted.
In one arrangement I place the drag at the top of the bobbin instead of at
the bottom, as is now generally practiced. The flyer turns upon a stationary
tubular stud fixed to the fast or bearing rail, through which a rod or spindle,
passes, having its lower end fixed to the copping rail, so that it may move
the bobbin up and down, the latter being supported upon the upper part
of the said rod or spindle, which also supports at the top a washer or weight..
between which and the top of the bobbin is placed the cloth or other material
for forming the drag.
In other arrangements I give the drag to the flyer or to the spindle with
which it is connected. In these cases the bobbin revolves at an uniform speed
upon a stationary tubular stud, the flyer being retarded by the drag according
to the winding on, the said drag being placed either above or below the arms.
of the flyer, and held by a collar or washer attached to a rod or spindle' which
does not revolve, but rises up and down with the copping rail. Or the
washer or collar which holds the drag may be connected with the copping
rail, the drag acting against another collar connected with the revolving
spindle to which the flyer is attached.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and letters of reference thereon.
Fig. 1 represents an arrangement of flyer and bobbin, in which the drag is

page_text: given to the top of the bobbin; Fig. 2, another arrangement, in which the
drag is given to the flyer, but placed on the underside of the arms of the
flyer; Fig. 3 is a modification of the same; Fig. 4 represents the drag above
the flyer, there being a collar or weight to cause additional friction; Fig. 5,
a modification of the same arrangement, in which the drag is placed below
the arms of the flyer; and Fig. 6 represents the drag placed upon the copping
rail, acting against a collar or washer on the spindle of the flyer. In all the
Figures there are many similar parts to which similar letters of reference are
given, a is the fast or bearing rail; b, the copping rail; c, the flyer; d, the
bobbin; e, the tubular stud, upon which the flyer or bobbin turns; f, the
driving wharve or pulley; g, a loose pulley; and h, the drag.
In Fig. 1, representing an arrangement for placing the drag at the top of
the bobbin, the flyer c, which revolves at an uniform speed, is attached to
a long tubular boss i, upon which the bobbin d moves up and down, the said
boss turning upon a stationary tubular stud e fixed to the fast or bearing
rail a by means of the collar k, screw l, and nut m. To the copping rail b
I fix a solid rod or spindle n, which passes through the tubular stud e, and
also through the bobbin, supporting the latter at the top. There is a groove
or slot o at the top of the spindle n, holding by means of a pin a washer or
weight p, between which and the top of the bobbin the drag h is placed,
causing the bobbin to be retarded as required; the wharve or pulley f is fast
to the flyer, and the loose' pulley, which is shewn in all the Figures, is for the
purpose of holding the driving band when the bobbin and flyer require to be
stopped. In Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 the drag is given to the flyer, and in Fig. 6
to the spindle to which the flyer is attached, the bobbin in each case being
placed and held upon a tube to which the driving pulley or wharve f is
attached; the said tube turning upon the stationary tubular stud e, fixed to
the fast or bearing rail a by means of the collar k, screw l, and nut m.
In the arrangement shewn in Fig. 2, I fix to the copping rail b a solid rod
or spindle n, having at the top a hole or bore, in which works the spindle 1*,
made fast to the flyer, and rests on its seating n¹ in the rod n when a light
drag is required. At the top of the rod or spindle n is a groove, so as to
hold, by means of a pin s, the washer t, upon which is placed the cloth or
drag h, upon which is another washer u, driven with the flyer by the pin u¹.
The spindle r in this case is raised from its seating, so that the weight of the
washer, flyer, and spindle may be exerted upon the cloth when a heavier drag
is required.
In Fig. 3 the bobbin, turns at an uniform speed, and pulls the flyer the

page_text: same as in Fig. 2; but instead of fixing a solid rod or spindle to the copping
rail, I attach a tube n by the collar k, screw l, and nut m, there being bushes
in the said tube to keep the flyer steady. The washer t has a pin or projection
fitting grooves in the top of the tube n for the purpose of holding the washer
and drag.
Figs. 4 and 5 are arrangements similar in many respects to Fig. 2, but
instead of boring out the solid rod or spindle n, I turn it down, as at v, and
give to the flyer a long boss, which may be placed on the spindle n, either
above or below the arms of the flyer. If the boss be below, as in Fig. 4, the
drag is above, the fast washer t being held to the spindle n by a groove and
pin, and the washer u being driven by the flyer. If the boss be above the
arms of the flyer, as shewn in Fig. 5, the position of the drag is reversed, the
fast washer t being held within the flyer below the arms, and the washer u
above it, cloth or friction material being placed between them.
In Fig. 6, representing the drag attached to the copping rail, I cause the
bobbin to revolve upon a tubular stud and pull the flyer, as before described;
but instead of connecting the flyer to a short spindle, or allowing it to revolve
upon a rod or spindle, I fix it to a long spindle w, which passes through the
tubular stud e to the copping rail b, and rests upon a seating x held firmly by
the screw y; the cloth or drag is shewn at h, and retards the flyer by acting
against a washer, held to the spindle w by pin and slot. It is evident that
the positions of the rails may be reversed, that is, the fast rails may be
changed into the copping rails, and the latter become the fast rails; and also
that larger or smaller washers with corresponding sizes of cloth or friction
material may be employed for greater or less degrees of drag.
By the employment of these improved arrangements I avoid greasing or
dirtying the yarn, now so generally complained of, and also gain a more
constant and uniform regularity of drag, by which I am enabled to spin finer
numbers of yarn, and at a greater speed than has been hitherto accomplished.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein set forth,
as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof; but I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge
and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm,-
Firstly, the employment of a drag at the top of the bobbin.
Secondly, the arrangement for giving a drag to the flyer or to the spindle
which revolves with it

page_text: And, thirdly, the various arrangements and construction of the spindles,
flyers, and bobbins as all such improvements are herein described, and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Champion, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
JAMES CHAMPION. (L.s.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-named
James Champion, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.