IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR PRODUCING AN ADJUSTABLE PRESSURE ON CERTAIN PARTS OR MACHINE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Low and William Duff, of Dundee, in the
County of Forfar, North Britain, Brassfounders, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR PRODUCING AN ADJUSTABLE
PRESSURE ON CERTAIN PARTS OR MACHINE"
Sealed the 13th January 1863, and dated the 26th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Low and William
Duff at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 26th July 1862.
We, ROBERT Low and WILLIAM DUFF, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Brassfounders, do hereby declare the nature of the said 'Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR PRODUCING AN ADJUSTABLE
PRESSURE ON CERTAIN PARTS OF MACHINERY," to be as follows, that is to
say:
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of apparatus
for obtaining a variable and adjustable degree of pressure upon rollers and
other parts of machinery where pressure is required. This apparatus is for
example, particularly applicable to the pressing rollers of machinery for spinning
flax, jute, and other fibrous materials so as to obtain any required degree of

page_text: pressure thereon. As arranged for this purpose a knee piece is attached to
or cast in one with the "grate' or serrated bar which extends over the
wooden rollers in front of the drawing rollers. This knee piece is curved in.
a downward direction and terminates in an eye which is screwed internally.
To this eye is fitted a tube screwed externally to correspond to the eye and
terminating at one extremity in a band wheel or crosshead by means of which
the tube may be screwed more or less through the eye.. Inside the tube is
placed a series of discs or a piece of india-rubber, in front of which is
fitted a metal plug which slides to and fro in the tube. The end of this plug
extends out beyond the containing tube, its extremity being hollowed so as
to fit the arbor or spindle of the contiguous wood roller. By screwing the
tube into the eye the end of the sliding plug piece may be caused to bear with
any required degree of pressure on the wood roller, and as this roller drives
the drawing roller by frcitional contact therewith the pressure of the one is
imparted to the other. In this way any required degree of pressure may be
obtained with great ease and certainty, at the same time dispensing with the
use of levers, weights, and other complicated details. This spring pressure
apparatus may also, with trifling modifications, be arranged for obtaining
a regulated pressure on the rollers of calendering machines, mangles, and
other machines of a generally similar kind requiring a readily adjustable
pressure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Low and William Duff in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wo, ROBERT
Low and WILLIAM DUFF, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain,
Brassfounders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Robert Low and William Duff, Her special license that we, the said Robert
Low and William Duff, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Robert Low and William Duff, our executors, adminis-,
trators, or 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.

page_text: 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 APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR PRODUCING AN
ADJUSTABLE PRESSURE ON CERTAIN PARTS OF MACHINERY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Robert Low and William Duff, our exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 Robert Low and William Duff, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
Our said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of apparatus
for obtaining a variable and adjustable degree of pressure upon rollers and
other parts of machinery where pressure is required. This apparatus is, for
example, particularly applicable to the pressing rollers of machinery for spin-
ning flax, jute, and other fibrous materials so as to obtain any required degree
of pressure thereon. As arranged for this purpose a knee piece is attached to
or cast in one with the "grate," or serrated bar, which extends over the wooden
rollers in front of the drawing rollers. This knee piece is curved in a down-
ward direction and terminates in an eye which is screwed internally. To this
eye is fitted a tube screwed externally to correspond to the eye, and terminating
at one extremity in a hand wheel or crosshead, by means of which the tube
may be screwed more or less through the eye. Inside the tube is placed
a series of discs or a piece of india-rubber, in front of which is fitted a
metal plug which slides to and fro in the tube. The end of this plug
extends out beyond the containing tube, its extremity being hollowed so as
to fit the arbor or spindle of the contiguous wood roller. By screwing the
tube into the eye, the end of the sliding plug piece may be caused to bear with
any required degree of pressure on the wood roller, and as this roller drives
the drawing roller by frictional contact therewith the pressure of the one is
imparted to the other. In this way any required degree of pressure may be
obtained with great ease and certainty, at the same time dispensing with the
use of levers, weights, and other complicated details. This spring pressure
apparatus may also, with trifling modifications, be arranged. for obtaining a.

page_text: regulated pressure on the rollers of calendering machines, mangles, and other
machines of a generally similar kind requiring a readily adjustable pressure.
And in order that our said Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus or
Means for Producing an Adjustable Pressure on certain Parts of Machinery"
may be properly understood, we shall now proceed to describe the several
Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which we have hereunto
.appended for the purpose of showing certain modifications under which our
said improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that is to say:-
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation drawn
in section, and showing one modification of our improved pressure regulating
apparatus as applied to a portion of a spinning frame for spinning flax, jute,
and other fibrous materials; Figure 2 is a corresponding front elevation of
the apparatus, partly in section; and Figure 3 is a plan of the lower portion
of the same.
Figure 4 is a partially sectional side elevation of another modification of
our improvements; Figure 5 is a front elevation; and Figure 6 a plan
corresponding to Figure 4.
Referring to the modification shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the serrated
bar or "grate" A, is of the usual kind, extending over the wooden rollers B,
which are arranged in front of the drawing rollers C, and are driven by frictional
contact with the rollers B. The spindles of the rollers B are arranged each
to carry a pair of rollers, as shown in the front view, Figure 2, the bearing
ends of each spindle being supported on the T-shaped prolongations of the
grate A, and between each pair of rollers is fitted the adjustable pressure
apparatus which forms a portion of our present Invention. Projecting
out from the grate A, between each pair of rollers B, is a stud D, to which
is jointed the pendent lover E. The upper part of this lever is bowed and an
eye is formed therein in which the nut F is arranged and supported by
two screws G, which pass through the sides of the lever E, and enter the nut.
The internal part of this nut is screwed to receive the tubular socket piece
H, the outer end of which is squared so that it may be turned in either
direction by means of a key or spanner. The socket piece H is screwed
externally so as to have a considerable traverse in the nut F, and by means
of which it may be tempered or adjusted with the greatest nicety. At the
inner end of the tubular part of the socket is fitted a piece of india-rubber I,
or other suitable elastic material, and at the outer end of the india-rubber
is a small metal disc J. This disc presses against the inner end of the metal
plug K, which slides to-and-fro in the socket H, and is retained therein by
he screw L, the point of which presses on the reduced portion of the plug

page_text: The outer extremity of this plug terminates in a brass bush or presser M,
which bears up against the spindle of the rollers B. With this arrangement
the pressure of the bush M may be regulated with great accuracy by an
intelligent overlooker; but means are also provided so that the pressure on the
spindles may be adjusted uniformly throughout the machine. This is done by
means of the prolongation of the lever E, which extends down to the rail N
beneath. To this rail are screwed the notched pieces of metal O which serve
as catches for regulating the pressure of the lever. The socket H is screwed up
by hand until the lever E catches in the outer notch P, the end of the lever
is then moved into the inner notch Q, the distance between the two notches
giving the required amount of pressure on the spindle. It follows therefore
that if the catches O are made uniform that the pressure throughout the series
of spindles will be alike and exactly in accordance with the amount required,
and that this pressure may be varied by altering the distance between the
notches to any extent that may be found necessary. At the same time all
loose weights or other similar adjuncts are dispensed with and a certainty of
action is secured which is unobtainable under the ordinary system.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, show our improvements applied to spinning frames of
the ordinary kinds and adapted with as little alteration as possible. The
stud D and the lever E are of the kind in ordinary use, and to the latter is
jointed a pin R which enters the socket II, and is secured thereto by a screw S,
which prevents it from being withdrawn. The socket piece H is made tubular
to receive the india-rubber I, its inner end is screwed and through this part
passes the plug K, which has at its outer end a recess for holding the bush M.
With this arrangement, by turning the socket H, the pressure on the spindle
may be regulated in the same manner as in the modification before described.
The lower part of the lever E extends down below the rail N and the catches O,
which are fastened to the rail and arranged as before described, so that by
shifting the lever from one notch to the other a uniform amount of pressure
is obtained throughout the series, and the ordinary weights which are hung
to the levers E are dispensed with, thus avoiding the accidents and incon-
venience which arise from the old system of obtaining the necessary degree of
pressure.
Another advantage attending the application of our improvements to
spinning machinery is in the increased economy which is obtained, for when
the pressure is regulated as herein-before described, the rollers last twice as
long as those fitted with weights in the ordinary way.
Another modification of our improvements consists in the application of
india-rubber in lieu of metallic springs for the purpose of obtaining an adjustable

page_text: pressure on the rollers of mangles, calenders, and other generally similar
machinery. Under one form of arrangement the india-rubber is applied in
.one or more pieces resting upon the blocks or bearings in which the spindles
of the rollers run. Above the india-rubber is arranged a screw which is
actuated by a band wheel, by turning this the india-rubber is more or less
compressed so as to force the rollers together with more or less force, at the
same time avoiding the uncertainty of action and liability to accident which
attend the use of metal springs.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the arrangement, construction, and combination of parts forming the
apparatus or means for regulating pressure or tension, and the application to
and use of the same in spinning machinery and for other equivalent purposes, as
herein-before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings or any
mere modification of the said arrangements.
Second, the application to and use of india-rubber springs in mangles,
calenders, and other generally similar machines for the purpose of obtaining
a readily adjustable pressure of the rollers as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Low and William Duff, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-second day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
ROBERT LOW.
L.S.)
WILLIAM DUFF. (L.S.)