IMPROVEMENTS IN THROSTLE AND DOUBLING FRAMES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Butterworth Collingwood, Manager, and
Abraham Butterworth, Overlooker, both of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THROSTLE AND DOUBLING
FRAMES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Sealed the 21st March 1862, and dated the 11th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Butterworth
Collingwood and Abraham Butterworth at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th October 1861.
We, THOMAS BUTTERWORTH COLLINGWOOD, Manager,and ABRAHAM BUTTER-
WORTH, Overlooker, both of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THROSTLE AND
DOUBLING FRAMES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as
follows:-
The object of our Invention is to save time and labour in the "doffing"
operation, that is, in the removal of the bobbins filled with material and the
replacing of them with empty bobbins, so that the spinning or doubling
operation may be continued. We accomplish this object by the following
combinations and arrangements of mechanism, in which our Invention con-
sists, namely, the flyer is secured upon the top of each spindle so that it can
be easily detached therefrom. We prefer to secure it by means of a coarse-
pitched many-threaded screw, such as will unscrew by a force acting in the
direction of the length of the spindle, or we employ the common threaded
screw with arrangements to prevent it from wedging when screwed down.
The flyer is made with an extended boss, so that if it should become unscrewed

page_text: by its own momentum when the spindle is suddenly stopped,it will not fly or
fall off the spindle. The upper part of the boss of the flyer is also provided
with two "shoulders," so that it cannot fall from an holder used to remove it
from the end of the spindle, which will be further referred to herein.after.
The hinged boards carrying the wire "curls" or thread guides are so arranged
as to be lifted vertically from the position in which they occupy when spinning
to one above that position, and a "rail" is arranged underneath the hinged
boards so as to move or slide horizontally to and from the spindles; this rail
is carried by the same brackets or fixings which carry the hinged boards, and
will consequently partake of their vertical movements. This moving rail has
an holder(before referred to)secured to it for each flyer, fixed in such position
that when the rail is moved towards the spindles, each holder will pass on to
the boss of the flyer between the shoulders or collars before referred. to. We
prefer to make these holders of elastic metal, with one side opened and
bevelled, so that when the bevelled part is pressed against the boss by the
forward movement of the "rail," it will open and admit the boss of the flyer.
In front of and in a convenient place out of the way of the spindles, a shelf
or other receptacle is fixed, upon which the full bobbins as they are removed.
from the spindles are placed, being left in such manner that a certain portion
of the thread can be drawn from each full bobbin on to the empty bobbin,
when placed upon the spindle. Arrangements are also placed in front of the
spindles, and above the shelf or receptacle for the full bobbins,similar to those
employed in the improved twiners or twisters for holding the threads, and in
this case they are used for holding the threads passing between the full
bobbins and the empty bobbins upon the spindles; when the threads are to be
broken away, these thread holders are arranged so as to move up and down
to break the threads when required. A faller wire" is also arranged in front
of the spindles, which has movements in a vertical direction, so as to distribute
the thread passing from the full bobbins on to the empty ones, and so as to be
capable of lowering to a position out of the way when spinning.
The whole of the mechanism referred to may be actuated by suitable cams
or other arrangements, and the manner of using it is as follows:-When the
machine is stopped a handle is turned which gives motion to the cams, and
the first operation is the movement of the sliding rail carrying the holders
which take hold of the flyers. The next movement is the vertical lift of the
hinged boards by which the flyers are withdrawn from the top of the spindles,
by the holders in which they rotate or partly rotate,by the upward movement,
till freed from the screw thread upon the spindles; the hinged boards are
lifted high enough to give room to remove the full bobbins, the thread from

page_text: which, when the bobbins are placed on the shelf or receptacle, will pass
between the thread holders which are then open. The empty bobbins are
now placed on the spindles, and the hinged boards are lowered till the flyers
are again placed on the ends of the spindles, when the rail is slided back to
release the flyers, and to be out of the way; then the machine is put into
motion, or the spindles are caused to turn so as to wind upon the empty
bobbins sufficient thread from the full bobbins (the faller wire during this
time being actuated.to distribute the thread upon the empty bobbins); when
enough is wound upon the empty bobbins, the thread-holders close, and secure
the threads passing from the full bobbins, and the faller wire and holders
descend and break the threads; then the faller wire ascends again for a
moment till the surplus end of the thread is wound upon the bobbiu, and then
finally lowers out of the way, which completes the "doffing" operation. In
place of the thread-holders, arrangements may be employed which will
prevent the full bobbins from revolving, and thus break the threads, the full
bobbins in this case being arranged so that they will rotate as the thread is
drawn from them. If the screw thread by which the flyer is fixed to the top
of the spindle is such as cannot be detached by a mere upward lift, but requires
to be unscrewed, then we arrange the rail carrying the holders to come
against the flyers so that they cannot turn, and unscrew the flyers by turning
the tin drun backward, and screw them on again, when the empty bobbins
are put on the spindles, by turning the tin drum forward, or we employ for
this purpose an horizontal shaft passing from end to end of the frame, having
worms upon it which are brought in and out of gear when required with a
worm wheel forined or fixed upon each spindle, or by other suitable gearing.
With this arrangement, the holders for the flyers need only be of the hook
form to take hold of the flyer at each side of the boss. But the flyers, before
the changing operation commences, must be brought so that the legs of each
flyer are in a line drawn lengthway of the spindle rail, and this can be quickly
done by hand in a well known manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Butterworth Collingwood and Abraham Butterworth
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
BUTTERWORTH COLLINGWOOD, Manager, and ABRAHAM BUTTERWORTH, Over-
looker, both of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting. .

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Thomas Butterworth Collingwood and Abraham Butterworth, Her special
licence that we, the said Thomas Butterworth Collingwood and Abraham
Butterworth, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Thomas Butterworth Collingwood and Abraham Butterworth,
our 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THROSTLE AND
DOUBLING FRAMES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Butterworth Colling-
wood and Abraham Butterworth, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Thomas Butterworth Collingwood
and Abraham Butterworth, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained inaud by the following statement and accompanying
Drawings (that is to say):-
The object of our Invention is to save time and labour in the doffing
operation, that is, in the removal of the bobbins filled with material and the
replacing of them with empty bobbins, so that the spinning or doubling
operation may be continued.
We shall first describe the combinations and arrangements of mechanisın
which we believe will accomplish the object of our Invention in the most
satisfactory manner, and then such modifications of it as may be substituted,
if preferred.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of such parts of one side of a throstle or
doubling frame, as modified according to our Invention, as will be necessary
for the explanation of the same, the parts being shewn in the position
they occupy when spiuning. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, except that
the parts for "doffiug" are shewn in the position they are in when discharging

page_text: the full bobbins from the spindles. The frame shewn is one in which both
bearings of the spindles are fixed, and in which there is a separate "copping
rail." A is the framing, A', the roller beam, and a, the front rollers; b, the
upper, b, the lower spindle rails; c, the spindles; c¹, flyer; d, the copping
rail, receiving vertical movements from the shaft d' through the straps d² and
vertical sliding rods 3; e, the hinged boards in which the wire "curls," or
guide wires e are fixed. The above are ordinary and well-known parts of
throstle" and doubling frames.
Our Invention, in the first place, consists in modifying the spindle (c) and
flyer (c). We prefer to make the latter with a long boss, as shewn; the lower
part of the boss is plain in its interior, and the upper part has a coarse pitched
many-threarled screw formed in it; the screwed part is from about one-
quarter to three-eighths of an inch in length, and the flyer unscrews in about
one-fourth of a revolution; the upper part of the spindle is made to fit the
boss of the flyer. The pitch of the screw-thread of the flyer and spindle is
such that it will unscrew by a force acting to lift it vertically from the spindle.
With this arrangement, should the spindle be suddenly stopped, the flyer,
though unscrewed by its momentum, will not fall from the top of the spindle,
as the plain part of the boss has sufficient hold below the point of the spindle.
The upper part of the boss of the flyer (c¹) has a flange formed upon it, the
object of which will be herein-after explained. At suitable distances apart a
number of vertical rods f are made so as to slide up and down in brackets
A² secured to the framing. These rods are actuated by means of a shaft fi
passing on each side and from end to end of the frame, and upon these shafts
pulleys f² are placed, oue opposite to each vertical rod f, and to each pulley
a strap or chain 3 is secured, the lower end of which is connected with an
adjusting screw which passes through a hole in an arm f4 secured to the
lower part of each vertical rod f. To the upper end of each vertical rod (f)
a bracket f5 is secured, the shape of which will be understood by reference.to
Fig. 1, in which it is shewn in section, and to Fig. 2 an outside view, and to
Fig. 3 a front view of it, with connected parts. This bracket is. constructed
to carry a slide g, which is formed into a toothed rack on its upper side, which
geers with a small toothed pinion g¹ on a shaft 2 having bearings in the
bracket f5. This shaft passes from end to end of the frame, and has bearings
in each bracket f5. The boards in which the wire curls e' are fixed are
hinged to a bar e2 or board which rests upon and is secured to projections
from the sides of the bracket f5, so that when the vertical rods (f) are simul-
taneously moved by means of the shaft (f), the hinged boards are also
elevated or depressed. Each pinion (g) is covered by a cap (8) secured to

page_text: the top of the bracket f, as shown; this cap, besides acting as a cover,
keeping the shaft g' down in its bearings in the bracket. The front part of
each slide (g) is formed to receive rods or bars (93), the ends of which are
secured to it, these rods or bars extending from end to end of the frame, and
upon them hooks, holders, or springs are secured, one opposite each flyer, so
that when the rods or bars are moved forward by turning the shaft g², these
hooks, holders, or springs will become engaged with the flyers, so that by the
vertical movement of the rods f the flyers will be simultaneously lifted from
the spindles; the spindles unscrewing by the vertical movement of the flyers,
or being previously unscrewed by rotating the roller giving motion to the
spindles. In Figs. 1 and 2, the part g which takes hold of the flyer is
forked, so as to pass on each side of the boss of the flyer under the flange
formed upon the upper part of it. This flange gets behind a ledge or shoulder
formed on the upper side of the points of the holder g, so that the flyer has
to lift before it cau be withdrawn horizontally from the holder. So far as
lifting or taking hold of the flyer the flange on the top of the boss may be dis-
pensed with, and the flyer may be taken hold of by a double hook (95)
formed of thin metal, which will pass under-each-leg of the flyer, and a forked
part (g) taking on each side of the boss of the flyer, so as to keep it central
and from moving sideways when lifted, as shewn in Fig. 4 and 5, the former
a vertical section, and the latter a plan view. Upon each vertical sliding
rod a bracket f' is placed, through which the rod will slide freely. This
bracket passes between adjoining spindles, and under the copping rail d, which
works clear of the bracket when the-frame-is-spinning, and each bracket
carries the fulcrum of a lever f³, one end of which passes under the copping
rail, and the other projects backwards. An adjustable collar fo is secured
upon each vertical rod (f), which, after the rod has lifted a short space, will
come against the bracket f' and carry it upwards; these brackets will thus
lift the copping rail, and on arriving near the top of the spindles the pro-
jecting end of the levers fs will come against an adjustable stop secured to
a bracket from the framing, and will "tip" the copping rail (d) into an
inclined position, and thus discharge the bobbins () from the spindles. The
front part of each bracket fi is made to project upwards, and a corresponding
projection is made on the edge of the copping rail d, so that the holes in it are
kept equally on each side of the spindles. The full bobbins (a) when they
fall off the copping rail are received into a trough, which may be made of tin-
plate, wood, canvas, or other material. These troughs, when the frame is
spinning, may be placed out of the way below and under the bottom spindle
rail. They may be made in leugths, say, the length between the cross

page_text: framing, or of any other convenient length, so as to be readily lifted and' süs-
pended in front of the spindles by hooks provided so as to take hold of the
supper spindle rail, or other parts of the fframing
..
ad
In Fig. 2, a canvas, trough is supposed to be employed, which if required
may be made to pass from end to end of the frame, and can be carried
from one frame to another. This canvas trough is formed by a number of
brackets placed at suitable distances apart along a piece of canvas; these
brackets are hooked upon the upper spindle rail, so as to pass between the
spindles and be clear of the copping rail; the inner edge of the trough forms
a guide for the thread from the full bobbin to the empty bobbin, both shownin
dotted line. Upon the shafts 2 one or more pulleys are placed in any con-
venient position, to which chains or straps are secured, having weights at their
lower ends sufficient to balance the weights upon the vertical rods f. The
two shafts 2 in each frame are geered together at the end of the frame by a
cross shaft and bevel wheels, and this cross shaft has a worn wheel upon it,
which geers with a worm upon a vertical shaft, upon the upper end of which
a handle is secured, by which motion is given for elevating or depressing the
parts upon the vertical rods f: The manner of using the mechanism described
is as follows: When the frame is ready for doffing, the troughs are fixed
in front as herein-before described, the frame is stopped when the copping
rail has arrived at about one-fourth of its traverse from the top, and the
attendant then passes the hand along the flyers in a well known manner so as
to place the legs of all the flyers in a line passing through the spindles length-
way of the frame; then, by means of a suitable handle, the shaft g3 is turned
till the holders (94) are engaged with each flyer; then a slight back movement
is given to the roller driving the spindles which unscrews each flyer from its
spindle, the flyers being prevented from turning either by the hooks or by the
bar (g3), which comes against the top part of the legs of the flyer; the handle
is next turned, which lifts the rod, so that both the flyers and copping
rail is carried up till it arrives in the position shewn in Fig. 2, in which the
copping rail d is "tipped" into an inclined position and the full bobbinsslide
off and drop into the trough in front. The handle is now turned back till the
copping rail assumes the horizontal position, then the empty bobbins are
placed upon the spindles by hand, when the handle is turned till the vertical
rods get to the position shewn in Fig. 1. the brackets (f) then resting upon
the upper spindle rail, and the copping rail is left upon the ends of the vertical
rods d³ which give motion to it; then the roller driving the spindles is turned
forward, which screws the flyers upon the spindles; the holders are now with-

page_text: drawn by turning back the shaft g the roller for driving the spindles is
again turned till sufficient thread is wound from the full bottoms to the
empty ones; then the threads are all broken away, the full bobbins and troughs
removed, and the frame started again. (The flyers may be lifted without
turning the roller to unscrew them from the spindles, as the thread is so coarse
in pitch that the spindles will unscrew by the vertical movement of the flyer.)
The flannel which is generallyplaced between the copping rail and the bobbins,
is secured to the copping rail d so as not to be displaced when the bobbins
are discharged. In thro stle or doubling frames where the upper spindle rail
is moveable and acts as the copping rail, we place a thin rail so as to rest
upon and move up and down with the spindle rail, and this rail is lifted to
discharge the bobbins by means of the brackets f', which in this case will
move up and down upon the vertical rod when the frame is spinning.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section, and Fig. 7 a plan view, showing another method
of taking hold of the flyers; f is a bracket secured upon the top of the vertical
rodf, this bracket carries a shaft (2) upon which a double hook g³ is fixed,
one for each flyer by turning the shaft these hooks are brought into the
position shewn in full-line in Fig. 6. When the flyers are to be lifted, this
shaft is secured in this position by a pin (h), which prevents the arm or
handle, from the end of the shaft g², from turning back. When the shaft is
turned back, the hooks are brought into the position shewn in dotted line.
The hooks go take hold of the top of the fyer on each side of the boss, and the
two projecting parts (9) pass on the inside of and against the legs of the flyer,
so as to keep it central when lifted, so that the point of the spindle-will be
sure to enter when the flyer is lowered again. The shaft g² may be made to
retire back from the spindles, by forming a horizontal slot in each bracket f5
of sufficient length, and placing small toothed pinions upon the shaft, each
pinion being made to geer with a toothed rack secured to each bracket f5
above the toothed pinion, so that by turning the shaft one way it will be
traversed forwards, and by turning in the opposite direction it will be traversed
backwards. Instead of the long boss in the flyers, and the coarse-pitched
many-threaded screw, we employ either short or long bossed flyers, and make
a series of grooves or flutes in the interior of the boss, and corresponding
grooves or flutes upon the end of the spindle, similar to those of the many-
threaded screws, except that the grooves or flutes are not inclined or spiral
as a screw, but parallel to the axis of the spindle, and extending wholly or
partly through the entire length of the boss of the flyer, which can thus be
lifted directly from the spindle, (see Fig. 8). When the ordinary flyer is

page_text: used, we unscrew them from the spindles, by an arrangement described as
follows, (see Fig. 9)-We fix or form upon the lower part of the spindle (c)
a V-toothed worm wheel, and arrange a shaft y in suitable bearings from end
to end of the frame, having a worm or V-threaded screw upon it for each
spindle corresponding to the V-threaded worm wheel upon the spindles.
This shaft can slide endways, and when the frame is spinning the worms upon
it occupy a position half way between the spindles, and are thus out of geer
with the worm wheels upon the spindles; but when the flyers are to be
unscrewed the shaft is drawn endways, each worm will come opposite and
geer with its worm wheel. The shaft may be drawn endways by a screw
lever or other mechanism at one end of the frame, and when the worms and
worm wheels are in gear the handle on the end of the shaft is turned, which thus
rotates the spindles simultaneously, the flyers being prevented from turning by
the hooks or holders being first brought against them. The screw shaftinay be
arranged in bearings so as to be slided to and from the spindles, and it may
be brought in and out of geer by inclines or wedges or inclined slots at each
bearing upon or in a rod passing from end to end of the frame, the end move-
ment of the rod giving the simultaneous to-and-fro movements required by
the shaft.. The space between the collar fe and bracket f is intended for
play to allow of the adjustment of the "curls" or "guide wires" (el) to the
best position above the top of the spindles, so that by this means the drag
can be regulated as required. Our combination and arrangement of mecha-
nism may be advantageously used even when the full bobbins are removed by
hand and placed upon pins fixed in a rail. In this case the rail may be hooked
upon the spindle rails, same as the canvas trough, the upper edge of the
rail occupying the position of the inner edge of the canvas trough, so as to act
as a guide for the thread from the full bobbins to the empty bobbins on the
spindles. The rail has as many pegs as there are spindles, each peg equal
to the length of the bobbin and fixed in the rail opposite each spindle so as
to be in a horizontal position perpendicular to the spindle rail; each full
bobbin as it is removed is thus placed on its peg, upon which it can rotate
when the thread is to be wound on to the empty bobbin; when sufficient is
wound the threads are broken by running the hand along the full bobbins
so as to turn the full bobbins back and break the threads.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention, and the
mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim as our Invention,--
Firstly, the long bossed flyer and corresponding spindle having a coarse-
pitched many-threaded screw, as herein-before described and shewn in the
Drawings.

page_text: Secondly, the construction of a spindle and flyer with corresponding
grooves and flutes in the boss of the flyer and upon the end of the spindle
parallel to the axis of the spindle, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the arrangements and mechanism for taking hold of or engaging.
with and lifting the flyers, when used for the purpose and in the manner
herein-before described.
Fourthly, the lifting of the hinged boards or wire curls or guides vertically,
and also of the flyers, as herein-before described.
Fifthly, the system or method of discharging the full bobbins from the
spindles, as herein-before described.
Sixthly, the mode of constructing and suspending the canvas troughs to
receive the full bobbins, and the use of rails with pegs when the full spools
are removed by hand, as herein-before described.
Seventhly, the combination and arrangement of the parts shown in Fig.
1, 2, and 3, in the manuer and for the purpose herein-before described.
Eighthly, the mechanism for unscrewing ordinary flyers from the spindles,
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Butterworth Collingwood, on.
my own behalf, and on behalf of the said Abraham Butterworth,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
T. B. COLLINGWOOD. (L.S.)