Iм- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SIZING RAW SILK OR OTHER THREADS, AND FOR CLEANING THE SAME PREPARATORY TO THE SIZING OPERATION
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SIZING RAW SILK OR OTHER THREADS, AND
FOR CLEANING THE SAME PREPARATORY TO THE SIZING OPERATION."-A com-
munication from abroad by Messrs. John Edwin Atwood, of Mansfield,
Center Tolland County, Machinist, and Lewis Leigh, of Seymour, New-
haven County. Manufacturer. both in the State of Connecticut, U.S.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
March 1860.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SIZING RAW SILK OR OTHER THREADS,
AND FOR CLEANING THE SAME PREPARATORY TO THE SIZING OPERATION," to be as
follows:-
In the various branches of the silk manufacture, more especially in the
manufacture of sewing silk, it has long been an object with the manufacturer
to find some means of obtaining threads of nearly uniform thickness, but
owing to the extreme irregularity in the thickness of the raw silk, even in the

page_text: same hank, and the great difficulty of sorting it according to its thickness, or,
as it is technically called, "sizing it," this result has never been satisfactorily
accomplished.
The principal objects of this Invention, are to provide for the measuring of
every portion of a single thread of any length, and so facilitate the separation
of the coarser from the finer portions within such limits as may be desirable,
and to this end the Invention consists in a guaging apparatus composed of a
series of rollers or their equivalents, so arranged and applied as to constitute a
number of single guages through which the thread to be "sized" is conveyed
by suitable means, and by which its thickness is measured at several contiguous
points at the same time, and a multiplied measurement is obtained, which
provides for the infallible and easy detection of very slight differences in thick-
ness which it would almost be impossible to detect by a single measurement
by the most delicate apparatus.
The Invention also consists in a stop motion employed in combination with
a bobbin, on which the thread is taken up from the guaging apparatus for the
purpose of stoping the drawing of the thread through the said apparatus on
the occurrence of a variation in size beyond certain limits, so that by the
use of two or more bobbins each to take up all the thread of a thickness
between certain limits, and the changing of one for another, whenever the
stop motion acts the sorting into as many different thicknesses between certain
limits as may desired may be obtained.
It is necessary to the successful sizing of the raw silk that it be first cleaned
of any loose dirt that may have adhered to it, and that it have all knots
taken out; and this Invention consists in a novel construction of the "knives"
as they are termed by which the cleaning is effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM S
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer &
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of March; in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her 3
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns; should at any
time agree 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SIZING RAW SILK OR OTHER THREADS, AND FOR CLEANING THE
SAME PREPARATORY TO THE SIZING OPERATION," & communication from abroad
by Messrs. John Edwin Atwood, of Mansfield, Center Tolland County,
Machinist, & Lewis Leigh, of Seymour, Newhaven County, Manufacturer,
both in the State of Connecticut, U. S. A., upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 William Clark, 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, reference being bad to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
In the various branches of the silk manufacture, more especially in the
manufacture of sewing silk, it has long been an object with the manufacturer
to find some means of obtaining threads of nearly uniform thickness, but
owing to the extreme irregularity in the thickness of the raw silk, even in the
same hank, and the great difficulty of sorting it according to its thickness, or,
as it technically called, sizing it, this result has never been satisfactorily
accomplished.
The principal objects of this Invention are to provide for the measuring of
every portion of a single thread of any length, and to facilitate the separation
of the coarser from the finer portions within such limits as may be desirable,
and to this end the Invention consists of a guaging apparatus composed of a
series of rollers or their equivalents, so arranged and applied as to cortstitute
a number of single guages through which the thread to be sized is conveyed
by suitable means, and by which its thickness is measured at several contiguous
points at the same time, and a multiplied measurement is obtained; which
provides for the infallible and easy detection of very slight differences in thick-

page_text: ness, which it would almost be impossible to detect by a single measurement
by the most delicate apparatus.
The Invention also consists in a stop motion employed in combination with
a bobbin, on which the thread is taken up from the guaging apparatus for the
purpose of stopping the drawing of the thread through the said apparatus on
the occurrence of a variation in size beyond certain limits, so that by the use
of tivo or more bobbins each to take up all the threads of a thickness between
certain limits, and the changing of one for another, whenever the stop motion
acts, the sorting into as many different thicknesses between certain limits as
may be desired may be obtained.
It is necessary to the successful sizing of the raw silk that it be first cleaned
of any loose dirt that may have adhered to it, and that it have all knots taken
out, and this Invention consists in a novel construction of the "knives" as
they are termed by which the cleaning is effected.
In the accompanying Drawing, which forms part of this Specification,
Fig. 1 is a side view of a machine for "sizing" silk, and for cleaning the
same preparatory to the sizing operation; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the
same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lowest roller of the guage with its
appendages; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the upper roller and its appendages, &
part of the stop motion; Fig. 5 is a front view of the principal parts of the
stop motion; and Fig. 6 is a plan of the cleaning knives. Similar letters
and numbers of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A is the main framing of the machine of any suitable form; B is a frame
attached to the main framing to. carry the whole of the guaging apparatus;
C, C, C, C', are the rollers which constitute the guages, arranged one above
another, with their axes parallel with each other. These rollers, of which
there may be any number, have true and smooth cylindrical peripheries; all
but the top one C' are attached each to a separate one of a series of similar
vertically working levers D, D; D, which are arranged on fixed fulcrum
pins b, b, b, secured one above another in the frame B. The central pins or
axles c, c, c, on which the said rollers are fitted to rotate, project horizontally
from the sides of the levers, each near one of their extremities, and the levers
are so constructed or loaded that the rollers are as nearly counterbalanced by
the weight of the opposite arms' to those to which they are attached as may be
desirable. The top roller C is fitted to rotate on a pin or axle c' secured on a
lever D', which is fitted to work vertically on a fixed fulcrum pin 6' secured in
the standard. This lever D' is much longer than those D, D, D, and extended
from the fulcrum far beyond the roller C, to make it constitute an index;
but like D, D, D, is so constructed or loaded, that the weight of the longer

page_text: arm to which the roller C' is attached is in a great measure counterbalanced
by the weight of the other arm.
Under that arm of the lowest lever D
to which the bottom roller C is attached, there is arranged an upright
screw d, which screws through a projection on one side of the frame B,
and serves as a rest for the said lever to support as much of the super-
incumbent weight of the whole series of rollers' as is not counterbalanced
by the opposite arms of the levers. This screw enables the whole series
of rollers to be elevated or depressed for the purpose to be herein-after
explained. is a guide attached to the frame B for conducting the thread
to be sized between the bottom roller C and the one noxt above it. Fis
a bobbin upon which the silk or other thread to be sized is previously wound
evenly by suitable means, and from which it passes to the guage rollers
C, C, C, C. This bobbin is arranged in a vertical position below the guage
rollers, so that the silk or thread may draw off endwise, and thus with the
least possible draft or strain upon it. G, G¹, G, are three bobbins on to which
the thread, which may be supposed to be silk, and which is represented in red
color throughout the Drawing, is sorted; that which is of medium thickness
between certain limits being received on G, that which is thicker on G¹, and.
that which is thinner on G. These bobbins are each fitted with a central
spindle, so that either one may be arranged to turn in fixed bearings or
brackets e, c, attached to the main framing, and situated above the guage
rollers, and each has at one end a small drum f, which when it is in those
bearings rests upon the periphery of a disc H, which is fast upon a shaft I,.
which is fitted to rotate in fixed bearings in brackets J, J, attached to tho
main framing below e, c. The said shaft being connected by a band 9, and.
pullies K, L, with the main shaft M of the machine, and deriving motion from
the latter through the said band, and communicating rotary motion to the
bobbin G, G¹, or G2, which may at any time happen to be in the bearings c, c,
by the friction between the said disc H and drum f, for the purpose of making
the said spool draw off and take up the silk from the bobbin F. The main shaft
of the machine carries, beside the pulley L, a cam S for operating the traverse
bar T, for guiding the thread to the bobbins G, G, or G, and causing it to be
wound evenly thereon. This traverse bar is fitted to slide in guides provided
for it in the brackets J, J, and the cam operates on the said bar through the
agency of a lever T working on a fulcrum S, and a spring U, which keeps the
lower end of the said lever in contact with the said cam. The upper end of
the said lever enters into a socket t; which is secured to the traverse bar. The
thread guide consists simply of a narrow notch u cut in the traverse bar.
This kind of guide possesses a very great advantage over thread guides of the

page_text: usual construction, that is to say, of a piece of wire with an eye in the end, as
it is not likely to be displaced, while the displacement caused by the accidental
bending of the wire stems of those of the old construction is a constant source
of trouble, more especially in machinery in which a number of guides are used
attached to the same traverse bar, and in which it is desirable to preserve
uniform distances between them. The measuring or guaging operation is
effected in the following manner :-Before starting the machine the end of the
thread from the spool F is passed through the guide h, and from thence between
the bottom roller C, and the one next above it, over the latter, and back between
it and the third one, and so on back and forth, first under and then over
all the several rollers, except the top one, which it only passes. under, and
thence through the guide u to the spool, which is arranged in the bearings e, e,
(represented as G in the Drawings,) and is made fast to the said spool. On
the spool G being set in motion by the action of the disc H upon its drum f; it
draws up the thread between the several rollers, as indicated by arrows in
Fig. 2. In this operation every two adjacent rollers constitute a guage.
The eleven rollers represented thus constitute ten guages, or any number of
rollers constitute a series of guages one less in number. The thread in
passing between the bottom roller, which is supported by the screw d and
the roller next above it raises the latter roller and all the rollers above it a
distance equal to the thickness of the portion of the thread under it, and in
passing between the latter and the roller next above it raises that roller and
all the rollers above it a corresponding distance, and so on to the top roller,
which is raised a distance equal to ten times the thickness of the thread,
thus multiplying the measurement ten times; and this measurement is
further multiplied in the movement of the pins i, i, at the extremity of
the long or index arm of the lever D, by the number of times the distance
between the fulcrum and the said pins i, i, can be divided by the
distance between the said fulcrum and the axis of the roller C¹ and
the degree of elevation of these pins indicate the average size of the portion of
thread passing the several guage rollers, and when a variation occurs in the
thickness of the thread, it is détected readily, as soon as the thinner or thicker
portion has entered between the several rollers by the rise and fall of the
lever D' with the said pins. The pins i, ; which are arranged opposite each
other within a fork at the end of the lever D', as shown in Fig. 4, constitute a
portion of the stop motion, by which, when the variation in the thickness of
the thread passing between the rollers exceeds certain limits, the taking up of
the threads on the bobbins G, G¹, or G2, in the bearings e, e, is stopped to enable
it to be changed for one of the other two, according as the thickness increases

page_text: or diminishes. The two rollers which are not in use are kept in a rack N, N,
at the top of the main framing, in which proper resting places j,j,j',j', and j,j³,
are provided for the three bobbins, so that each when removed from the
bearings e, e, may be put away till wanted again, and the one for which it is
to be exchanged can be at once found without the necessity of any examination.
of the size of the thread upon it. The other principal parts of the stop motion
consist of a notched lever P and a swinging frame Q. The lever P is attached.
by its lower end to a fixed pin or shaft k that is held in brackets 1, 1, secured
to the main framing A, and the said lever is arranged to move some distance
lengthwise of the said pin or shaft, as well as to swing upon it. The upper end
of the said lever is made thin and has two notches n' & n' in the one side, and
a third notch n on the opposite side, the latter notch being opposite the space
between the other two. The frame Q is attached to a small rock shaft m,-
which is fitted to bearings in two brackets p, p, attached to the main framing,
and one side of it extends upwards above the rock shaft, and has its upper part.
curved in such a manner, shown at 9 in Fig. 2, that by a forward movement
it is capable of acting like a cam on the under side of the drum f of the bobbin
that is in the bearings e, e, in such a manner as to lift the said drum out of
contact with the disc H. While the sizing operation is being proceeded with,.
and the thread is being taken up on the bobbins G, G', or G³, the lever P is
within the fork of the lever D', and its weight causes it to rest against one of
the pins i, ', of the lever D'. If the thread passing the guage rollers is of the
medium size or thickness, the said lever P is placed toward the right side of.
the fork of the lever D¹ out of. the way of the pin i, and with the portion
between its notches n' & n³ (see Figs. 4 & 5) resting against the pin i, and
while the thickness of the thread passing between the guage rollers continues
within the limits of the medium size, the said pin i does not rise above or fall
below that part of the lever; but if the size increases beyond such limits, the
pin i rises above the lower edge of the notch n' of the lever P, or if it diminishes
below those limits, the said pin falls below the upper edge of the notch n³ of
the said lever, in either of which cases the upper part of the said lever is left.
unsupported, and is permitted to fall back by its own weight against the lower
part of the said frame, as illustrated by dotted outline in Fig. 2, and. causes
the upper curved arm 9 of the said frame to be pressed forward against the
bottom of the drum f of the bobbin G, and thereby to raise the said drum out.
of contact with the disc H, when the further revolution of the bobbin G, and
drawing of the thread through the guage rollers will be suspended. The thread
is then broken by the attendant of the machine close to the bobbin G, and the
said bobbin removed from the bearings e, e, and placed in the rests j,j, of the

page_text: rack N, and the bobbins G¹ or G³, according as the thread in the
guage rollers
is thicker or thinner is placed in the bearings e, c, the end of the thread is
secured to it, and the lever P brought forward into the fork of the lever D¹
and moved toward the left side of the said fork, where it will be supported by
the pin, the part above or the part below the notch n resting against the
said pin according as the thread is thicker or thinner. The frame Q is then,
returned to the position shown in bold' outline in Fig. 2 to remove the arm q
from the drum f of the bobbins G or G³, and the said drum then coming into
contact with the disc II, the said bobbin is caused to rotate and draw the
thread from the bobbin F through the guago rollers as before, and this opera-
tion continues till there occurs such a variation in the size of the thread
passing through the guage rollers as to bring the pin ¹, opposite the notch 2,
when the lover P drops back against the frame Q, and so causes the stoppage of
the rotation of the bobbin G or G, as before described: The thread is then
again broken by the attendant close to the bobbin, and the bobbin removed
from the bearings e, e, to its place in the rack N, and the bobbin G put in the
bearings e, e, and after the thread has been fastened to it the lever P and
frame Q are adjusted to permit the drum f of the said bobbin to come into
contact with the disc II, and to commence winding on the said bobbin again.
In this way the operation proceeds till all the thread is drawn from the
bobbin F, when it is replaced by a full one, the winding being stopped whenever
a variation beyond certain limits occurs in the size of the threads, when the
winding bobbins G, G', or G2, in the bearing e, c, is changed for that on which
the larger or smaller size is wound as may be necessary. By providing more
than three notches n, n', n², in the stop lever P, and more than three
spools G, G1, G2, it is obvious that the thread may be sorted into more than
three sizes; but it is found in the manufacture of silk, that by sorting into
three sizes a sufficient degree of uniformity may generally be obtained in the
spin or twisted article. In order that when a portion of the thread passing
through the guage rollers becomes very fine, it may not be broken by the
strain to which it is subjected by the pressure of the roller C' in addition to
that of the roller C, a stop pin r is screwed into the upper side of the opposite
arm of the lever D' to that which carries the pins i, 2, of the stop motion, and
so adjusted by screwing it in more or less, that when the thread becomes much
thinner than the largest limit of the smallest size, the top of the said pin will
come in contact with the top of the frame B, or with any fixed stop, and so pre-
vent the further descent of the heavier arm of said lever and relieve the thread
of the pressure of the roller C', in case of the still further diminution in its size.
It frequently occurs that besides the variation in the thickness of different parts

page_text: of the same bank of silk, there is considerable variation in the general or
average size or thickness of the hanks, and in order to adapt this machinery
to such variations it. is necessary to adjust the guaging apparatus to the stop
motion by means of a set screw d at the bottom. When it is ascertained,
as it easily will be by a practical eye and touch, that the general or average
size of the silk to be sorted is small, the screw d requires to be screwed
upward to raise the bottom roller C, which will raise all the others, and when
it is ascertained that the size is largo the screw will require to be screwed
down to lower the rollers. In this way the proper operation of the stop motion
is preserved, and the sorting into the given number of sizes is obtained,
whatever may be the average thickness.
The improvement in the cleaning knives, which constitutes part of this
Invention, is best illustrated in Fig. 6, but the said knives are also shown in
the views of the machine, Figs. 1 & 2. Instead of the knives being secured
both rigidly with their edges at a fixed distance apart, as is usual, only one V
is so applied, and the other V is fitted to swing from one end on a pivot v,
but is held in proper relation to the blade V, by means of a strong spring W,
which draws it into contact with a fixed stop w. The two knives V, V', are
attached to the same plate X, which is secured to the frame A of the machine;
V is secured to the said plate by a clamping piece. Y and two screws X, X,
and V is secured to the said plato by the pivot v. The said knives are both
bent outward from each other at their front ends, as shown at y, y, in Fig. 6,
to form a taper throat leading to the parallel space between their straight
operating edges,, such throat enabling the thread to find its way to the said
edges. The knife V has an arm 7, which serves for the attachment of the
spring W. The adjustment of the distance between the edges of the two
knives is effected by shifting the knife V. Above the said knives and opposite
the bearings e, e, for the spools G, G1, G2, there are bearings e¹, e¹, for the
central spindle of the bobbin F¹, on which the raw silk or other thread is
wound from a bobbin Z, that is arranged to rotate loosely on a fixed pin or
axle 8 situated below the knives. The spindle of the bobbin F' is furnished
with a drum f, like the drums f,f,f, of the bobbins G, G¹, G³, and this drum
when the said spindle is in the bearings e, e¹, rests upon a disc H³, on the
shaft I, which carries the disc H, before described, and so causes the said
bobbin to be driven by the friction between the drum f' and the disc H', and
a guide 10, just like u, before described, is provided in the same transverse
bar U, to conduct the thread on to the bobbin Fin such a manner as to
distribute it evenly thereon.
The operation of these knives is as follows:-The silk or other thread

page_text: (represented in blue colour in the Drawing), having been previously wound on
the bobbin F by any suitable means, and the bobbins F¹ and Z being put in
their respective places, as described and represented in Fig. 1, and the end of
the thread from the bobbin Z being made fast to the bobbin F¹ the revolution
of the disc H, causes the latter bobbin to rotate and draw off the thread from
the bobbin Z, and the thread on its passage being drawn against the throat y, y,
finds its way between the blunt edges z, z, of the knives, by. which it is cleared
of all adhering dirt or foreign matter, but in case of a knot occurring in it the
further winding is stopped by the knot failing to pass between the knives and
the bobbin F, stops, unless the thread is broken above the knives by the
draft. If the thread is not so broken by the draft, it is broken close above the
knives by the attendant, who presses aside the knife V¹ to remove the knot,
breaks off the knot, and joins the broken ends, when the operation proceeds as
before, till another knot occurs. When the bobbin F¹ is as full as is desired it
is taken away and another substituted for it, and on its being knocked off its
spindle is ready to be put in the position of the bobbin F¹ to have the thread
upon it sorted.
The above construction and mode of applying the cleaning knives V, V¹,
possesses the advantage over the usual construction and application in the
facility it affords for the removal of knots from between their edges. It should
be observed that the spring W must be strong enough to prevent its elastic
force being overcome by the entrance of the knots between the edges =,=, of
the knives.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention, to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, a guaging apparatus, consisting of a series of rollers or other equivalent
devices, so arranged and applied that their surfaces combine to constitute a
number of guages, through which the thread is conveyed by suitable means,
and by which its thickness is measured at two or more points at the same
time, and a multiplied measurement obtained, substantially as herein
described.
Secondly, the adjustable stop r, applied to one of the levers, which. carry
the guaging rollers, and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein
set forth.
Thirdly, the "stop motion," consisting of the pins i, t, in one of the levers
which carry the guaging rollers a notched lever P and a swinging frame Q,
the whole applied and operating substantially as described in combination with
the winding bobbin and its driving apparatus.

page_text: Fourthly, the traverse guides and 10, consisting of notches in the traverse
bar, substantially as herein specified.
Fifthly, the construction of the cleaning knives, as described, to form a throat
y, y, for the entrance of the thread between them; also the arrangement of
one of the said knives to work on a pivot v under the control of a spring W,
substantially as hercin described.
In witness whereof I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane.
W. CLARK.
(L.S.)