IMPROVE- MENTS IN DRAWING AND SPINNING FLAX, HEMP, CHINA GRASS, AND OTHER FIBRE, AND IN THE APPARATUS THEREFOR.
Year: 1866

page_text: Connecticut, United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DRAWING AND SPINNING FLAX, HEMP, CHINA GRASS, AND OTHER
FIBRE, AND IN THE APPARATUS THEREFOR.".
Sealed the 11th September 1866, and dated the 6th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jim Billings Fuller
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th April 1866.
I, JIM BILLINGS FULLER, of Norwich, in the State of Connecticut, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAWING AND SPINNING FLAX, HEMP, CHINA GRASS, AND
OTHER FIBRE, AND IN THE APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to produce a more even yarn than heretofore
from flax, hemp, China grass, or other materials, the fibres of which are of an
equal or unequal length, by employing in the drawing or spinning one or
more rollers whose surfaces are composed of a series of points or of sharp
edges running continuously or interruptedly around the roller so as to leave
interstices between the said roller and its mate in the drawing apparatus,
through which interstices the fibres are drawn by the other rollers of the
drawing apparatus, and these interstices act to comb and equalize the fibres as
drawn through them, the said rollers travelling slower than the delivery rollers
of the drawing apparatus.
In the preparation of flax, hemp, or other fibre I cause the same to be
passed through carding machines, drawing frames, condensers, or speeders,
[Price 8d.]

page_text: according to the nature and condition of the fibre, the said machine being similar
in those employed in the manufacture of coiton roving, and then the roving
is passed through water, and drawn and spun wet, this last operation being
performed wet aids in producing a much more uniform yarn, and enables me
to employ machinery similar to the ordinary cotton machinery in the manu-
facture of linens, and the aforesaid peculiar drawing roller greatly facilitates
the operation. This improved roller is adapted to being used in any of the
pairs of rollers in the drawing or spinning machines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jim Billings Fuller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. JIM BILLINGS
FULLER. of Norwich, in the State of Connecticut. United States of America.
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors. give and grant unto me,
the said Jim Billings Fuller. Her special licence that 1. the said Jim
Billings Fuller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1, the said Jim Billings Fuller, 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
night 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 DRAWING AND SPINNING FLAX, HEMP, CHINA GRASS, AND
OTHER FIBRE, AND IN THE APPARATUS THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that 1, the said Jim Billings, Fuller, 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 per-
formed, 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 Jim Billings Fuller, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed and to the
letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say):-
Fig. 1 is a section of the drawing rollers; and
"
2 is a front elevation of the same. part of one of the rollers being
removed to show the rollers behind it.
The object of my Invention is to produce a more even yarn than heretofore
from flax, hemp, China grass, or other materials, the fibres of which are of
equal or unequal lengths, by employing in the drawing or spinning one or
more rollers whose surfaces are composed of a series of points or of sharp
edges running continuously or interruptedly around the roller so as to leave
interstices between the said roller and its maie in the drawing frame, through
which interstices the fibres are drawn by the other rollers of the drawing
apparatus, and these interstices act to comb and equalize the fibres as drawn
through them. said rollers travelling slower than the delivery rollers of the
drawing frame.
In the preparation of flax. hemp, or other fibre. I cause the same to be
passed through carding machines, drawing frames, condensers, or speeders.
according to the nature and condition of the fibre, said machines being similar
to those employed in the manufacture of cotton roving, and then the roving
is passed through water, and drawn and spun wet. This last operation being
performed wet aids in producing a much more uniform yarn, and enables me
to employ machinery similar to the ordinary cotton machinery in the
manufacture of linens. and the aforesaid peculiar drawing roller greatly
facilitates the operation.
In the Drawing I have represented the roving as passing through water in
the box and up between the pairs of rollers c. c', b, b', and a, a', and passing
thence to the flier and spool or bobbin. The rollers a, b, are held down
by the saddle and rod h with an india-rubber spring at its lower end and a
nat g at its upper end, or they may be held together in any of the ordinary
modes. The rollers a, a, are to be of the ordinary character, and the rollers
b and c are shown as made with a screw thread cut upon their surfaces,
and the roller with longitudinal fluting in addition so as to produce a large
number of points.
The operation of any Invention is as follows: The sliver prepared in any
usual manner is drawn slowly in between the rollers & c', and by them
carried forward to the rollers b, b', which run just enough faster than c. c', to
straighten the fibres; it then passes to the point or bite between the front
rollers a and a', where the fibres are caught at once and drawn out between
the grooves in the roller b¹ into a finer sliver. Should any fibres adhere

page_text: together the points on the rollers c' or 'will prevent their being drawn
through by any of the other fibres until the fibres themselves pass through
sufficiently to be drawn by the front roller. If the fibres operated on are not
of a greater length than the distance between the front and back pair of
rollers then my improved roller may be applied as the middle top roller at b.
the pairs of rollers (at a, & c. c.) being of any ordinary character. If the
staple is very long only two pairs of rollers are required. the back pair being
composed of my improved roller above a plain or longitudinally grooved roller
(as at c. c), or my improved roller may be introduced in both the middle and
back pairs (as at b, c). Any desired number of pairs of rollers may be
employed forming a series, and my improved roller may be introduced in all
or any of said pairs of rollers except the last or delivery roller.
This improvement is also applicable to the ordinary cotton railway-head
drawing frame, speeders, and spinning frames, rendering them suitable for
working flax, hemp, jute, China grass, and other fibrous and textile substances.
It is also applicable to the ordinary linen drawing frames, speeders, and
spinning frames, thus dispensing with the gill bars and gill rollers used in
such frames.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Paient is a roller con-
structed and operated substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.
I also claim the process herein described for preparing and spinning flax
and hemp, viz.. carding and drawing or condensing the roving (by carding
machines, drawing frames, and speeders, similar to those employed for cotton).
then subjecting the roving thus prepared to drawing and spinning operations
while wet, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Jim Billings Fuller, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September. in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JIM BILLINGS FULLER.
(L.S.)
Witnesses,
THEODORE F. MCCURDY, Norwich, Conn.
GARDINER GRUM
"