IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ellis Butterworth, of Calder Cottage, Spotland, near
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 25th October 1860, and dated the 9th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ellis Butterworth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
May 1860.
I, ELLIS BUTTERWORTH, of Calder Cottage, Spotland, near Rochdale,in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Luvention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist, first, in apparatus for regulating the thickness of
slivers passing between drawing rollers. In performing this part of my Inven-
tion I make the taking in or delivering rollers of a set of drawing rollers with
the bosses of unequal diameters or conical, so that if the sliver that is being
drawn goes in or out on one part of the boss, it will be drawn more or less than
it would be if it went in or out on another part of the same boss.
Secondly, in guiding the sliver (when the rollers as before mentioned are
used) on that part of the rollers, that will cause the draft to be less when the
silver is too small, or greater when the sliver is too thick. One mode of

page_text: effecting this is by means of rollers, between which the sliver or slivers pass;
these rollers rise or fall as the slivers are thicker or smaller, and act on levers
which guide the sliver or slivers to the rollers; or, instead of the levers being
acted on by the rollers rising or falling, they may be acted on by a straight-
edge, bar, or dish, between which and another straightedge, bar, dish, or roller,
thesliver passes. The arrangement of machinery for effecting this object may
be considerably varied.
Thirdly, indoffing the doffers of carding engines, ordoffing the stripper that
doffs the doffer by means of a roller covered with card or other material, the
surface of which roller at its point of contact with the card of the doffer or
stripper runs in the same direction as the doffer or stripper card, but at a
slower speed; this roller may be doffed by one or more rollers, if required.
Fourthly, in coiling slivers into cans by means of a roller and dish, or a
combination of rollers fixed on the coiler wheel, which will take in the sliver
in the centre of the coiler wheel and deliver it at some point not in the centre,
so as to dispense with the inclined tube which is now used.
Fifthly, in having the front top roller of a set of drawing rollers so large in
diameter as not to require additional weight hung on it when there is a bar,
dish, or plate, instead of a top roller on or under the next roller or rollers
to it.
Sixthly, in drawing woollen slivers or threads which have hitherto been
drawn as the twist was being put in by means of a combination of rollers and
dishes, straightedges, plates, or funnels.
Seventhly, hitherto the hollow leg of presser flyers has been made so as to
deliver the sliver to the loose presser as low or as nearly as low down as the
presser has laid it on the bobbiu; but my improvement consists in making
the hollow leg shorter and making the loose presser of such a shapeas to carry
the sliver down to the required point on the bobbin, or the loose presser may
be made so as entirely to dispense with the hollow leg, and by this means the
flyer may be made lighter.
And, lastly, dispensing with the loose pressers of flyers, and attaching to or
making the bottom of the flyer leg or presser which is caused to press against
the bobbin by the elasticity of the flyer leg, which flyer leg is made hollow for
the sliver to pass through it, with places left to make it elastic, if required,
or the leg may be made solid, so that the sliver can be wrapped round it the
same as round an ordinary presser, or flat when the sliver can be threaded
through holes or over pegs.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,filed
by the said Ellis Butterworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELLIS
BUTTERWORTH, of Calder Cottage, Spotland, near Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Ellis Butterworth, Her special licence that I, the said Ellis Butterworth,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ellis
Butterworth, 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 PREPARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I. the said Ellis Butterworth, my executors
or adininistrators, by ar. 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 Ellis Butterworth, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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) :-
The nature of my Invention consists, first, in making the drawing rollers of
machinery for preparingand spinuing cotton and other fibrous substances with
conical bosses for the purpose of regulating the thickness of the sliverpassing
between them.
Secondly, in the machinery for guiding the sliver on to different parts of the
rollers above referred to, forvarying the draft in proportion to the thickness of
the sliver.
Thirdly, in an improved mode of applying a roller covered with card teeth
for doffing the doffer, or for doffing the stripper by which the doffer is doffed.

page_text: Fourthly, in certain improved arrangements of parts for cciling slivers into
cans, whereby the inclined tube now employed is dispensed with.
Fifthly, in making the front top roller of a set of drawing rollers sufficiently
large to dispense with the additional weight when the next roller to it is
furnished with a bar, dish, or plate, instead of a top roller.
Sixthly, in an improved combination of rollers and dishes, straightedges, or
plates for drawing woollen slivers or threads.
Seventhly in certain improved centrifugal flyers and pressers which super-
sede or greatly reduce the length of the hollow flyer leg.
And, lastly, in forging the presser with the flyer leg, or fixing the leg and
presser together, and in giving the requisite pressure to the presser by the
elasticity of the flyer leg.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the two accompanying Sheets of Draw-
ings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of part of a set of drawing rollers suitable for a
drawing frame; but this part of my Invention, when modified, is applicable to
all the machines used in preparing and spinning in which drawing rollers are
employed.
a is the fluted taking-in roller, the bosses of which are slightly conical;
this roller and the others, which are not shewn, as they are of the usual
description, are supported in the stands b. c is the top roller, which is also
conical and corresponding with the conical bossa; the pivots of the top rollerc
turn in cap bars d, and the hooks e suspended to the top roller are connected
below by the barf; this bar at the point f' acts upon the lever, the upper
end of which acts on the boss of the lever, mounted on a stud /*; this lever
has a slot at the lower end, and acts on the buss of the guide lever g, which
vibrates on the stud g'; the studs" and g¹ are fixed in the bracket g³, the
position of which can be varied by the regulating screw g³; the guide lever y
has a weight g4, which holds the parts in their relative positions and assists in
giving pressure to the top roller c. This guide lever g has three openings for
the slivers, but more or less may be applied.
The mode of operation is as follows:-When the slivers are of the usual or
requisite thickness, the parts remain in the position shewn; but when the
slivers exceed their proper thickness, the hooks e raise the barf, thereby acting
on the levers, and g, and thus guiding the slivers towards the smaller
end of the conical boss of the roller a, thereby reducing the speed at which the
slivers are taken in, in proportion to their increased bulk, while the delivery

page_text: remains the same. The contrary action takes place when the sliver or slivers
are too small.
Figure 2 is an elevation in section of part of a carding engine to which my
improvements are applied. Z is the doffer of the ordinary construction, and i
is the roller covered with card fillet, by which the fleece of fibrous materials is
doffed; the doffer h and the roller i revolve in contrary directions, but at their
point of contact they move in the same direction; the circumference of the
roller i moves, however, slower than the doffer, consequently as the doffer
revolves, the fleece is deposited on the surface of the roller i, from which
it is doffed by a pair of rollers j, or by a comb of the usual construction.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken through the line A, B, on Figure 4,
which is a plan of a coiler,constructed according to my improvements; k is the
coiler wheel which rotates in the groove of the plate 7, and is driven by the
pinion, as in coilers of the present construction; to the plate / is hinged
the top A, in the centre of which is a funnel mouth for guiding the sliver to
the centre of the coiler wheel; to the inside of the top is cast or fixed a
pinion, which gears into a smaller pinion 2, mounted on a stud fixed in the
wheel ; to the pinion is fixed the roller, between which and the roller/**
the sliver is carried forward and delivered to the can at some point not in the
centre thereof, thereby dispensing with the inclined tube which is now used;
the roller k' is mounted on a stud fixed in the elbow lever ³, one end of which
is acted upon by a spring, to keep the rollers in contact.
Figure 5 is an elevation, and Figure 6 a plan, of a modification of this part
of my Invention. In this instance, the parts marked k,,,1,1,1, and 1ª, are
similar to those above described; but the sliver is taken between the fluted
roller and the dish or concave part m of the lever m², which is acted upon
by a spring m. This dish answers the purpose of the second roller in
Figure 4.
Figure 7 is a section of a set of drawing rollers applicable to a a roving frame
to which my improvements are applied. n is the front bottom roller, and
n' the top roller for the same; o is the adjoining bottom drawing roller, which
is supplied with a dish o' instead of a top roller; the top rollern is capable
of being made of so great a diameter and consequent weight, that no addi-
tional weight is required for giving the requisite pressure; the dish o' is
weighted by means of the hook of and weight o³. I wish to observe here,
that a bar or plate may be used instead of the dish o'; this part of my
Invention is also applicable to various other machines used in preparing and
spinning.
Figure $ is a section of a set of drawing rollers for drawing woollen slivers

page_text: or threads, constructed according to my improvements. p, p, are the front
drawing rollers, and 9 is the adjoining bottom roller provided with a weighted
dish q'; by means of this improved arrangement, woollen slivers or threads
may be drawn or elongated without putting twist in as is now customary.
On Sheet 2, Figure 9 is a front view, and Figure 10 is an edge view, of one
of my improved flyers and pressers; the flyer consists of the boss r, which fits
as usual on the spindle, the solid leg r, and the hollow leg 1, both of which
are very much shorter than usual; s is the presser, which is longer than usual,
in order that the sliver may be delivered on to a bobbin or spool of the ordi-
nary dimensions; the presser is jointed at s' to the hollow leg and it is held
in contact with the bobbin or spool by the centrifugal action of the weight s²;
by means of this improvement in flyers and pressers they can be reduced in
weight and cost.
Figure 11 is an elevation of a flyer and presser in which the hollow leg of
the flyer can be entirely dispensed with; in this case the end of the short flyer
legis recessed, to guide the sliver or roving to the upper part of the presser
leg 8, around which it is coiled, as shewn in the Drawing; s is the weight, by
the centrifugal action of which the presser is held in contact with the bobbin
or spool.
Figure 12 is an elevation of a compound flyer and pressers, in which the
pressure on the bobbin or spool is obtained by elasticity; tis the boss and
the flyer legs, which terminate in the pressers t², forged or otherwise fixed to
the flyer legs t', both of which are shewn hollow; the requisite elasticity is
given at the upper end of each leg.
Figure 13 is a modification of Figure 12, but in this case both the legs t
are solid, and the sliver or roving is guided through an eye at 3 in one of the
legs, and then twisted round the leg to the presser f.
Figure 14 is another modification of Figure 12; in this case the upper
portions of the flyer legs are hollow, to guide the sliver or roving, and the
lower portion is solid; the elasticity is given between the pressers t² and the
hollow part of the legs.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to
limit myself to the details given, as in some cases these may be considerably
varied or modified without departing from the peculiar character thereof; but
what I do claim is,―
First, making the drawing rollers of machinery for preparing and spinning
with conical bosses, for the purpose described.
Secondly, the combination of machinery shewn and described in reference to

page_text: Figure 1, or any modification of such machinery, for guiding the sliver or
slivers to different portions of the conical drawing roller.
Thirdly, the application of a stripping roller to the doffer of a carding
engine, the circumference of which stripping roller runs in the same direction
at the point of contact, but at a slower rate than that of the doffer, as shewn
and described in reference to Figure 2.
Fourthly, the improved arrangements of parts for coiling slivers into cans,.
as shewn and described in reference to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Fifthly, making the front top roller of a set of drawing rollers sufficiently
large to dispense with the usual additional weight when the next roller to it is
furnished with a bar, dish, or plate, instead of a top roller, as shewn and
described in reference to Figure 7.
Sixthly, the improved combination of drawing rollers for woollen slivers or
threads, shewn and described in reference to Figure 8.
Seventhly, the improved constructiod of flyers and pressers, shewn and
described in reference to Figures 9, 10, and 11, whereby the flyer legs are
greatly reduced in length, or the hollow leg dispensed with.
And, lastly, forging the flyer legs and pressers in one piece, or fixing them
together, and giving the requisite pressure to the pressers of flyers by the
elasticity of the flyer legs, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 12,
13, and 14.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ellis Butterworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
ELLIS BUTTERWORTH. (L.S.)