Yarns or Threads.
Year: 1885

page_text: Yarns or Threads.
I ROUGHSEDGE WALLWORK of the firm of Henry Wallwork and Company of
Union Bridge Iron Works, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and
Iron Founders, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MECHANISM AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR TESTING YARNS OR THREADS,
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to mechanism and arrangements for testing and facilitating
the testing of yarns or threads (1) by arranging the threads so that its quality as
to uniformity and absence of defects is made easily visible to the sight-(2) so that
at the same time, a given length can be measured and wound, and then its
"counts"
can be readily found by weighing-(3) so that the number of twists in a
given length can be ascertained and (4) so that its breaking strength can be tested,
and my invention consists in a combination of mechanism and in arrangements for
the above mentioned purposes.
There is a horizontal shaft in suitable bearings and at one end a handle for
rotating the shaft which has a cross arm at the other over hanging end to which
spring clips are attached in which thin cards can be inserted and held so as to be
rotated with the arm-These cards are cut to an exact and definite length and
width; by preference three eighths of a yard long, so that when one hundred and
sixty laps have been wound upon the card the length thereon will equal one "ley"
or rap or the seventh part of a hank.
*C
"
The cards are formed black on one side and white on the other, with by
preference columns and printed matter for recording the tests thereon on the white
side or tickets may be posted on that side if preferred.
The threads are wound wide apart for all or any desired portion of the width of
the card and thus with the white yarn on the black face of the card, any defects or
want of uniformity are made visible to the eye as the threads forming each lap are
side by side for comparison.
The said shaft has a worm upon it which is made to gear with a worm wheel
on a vertical axis on the framing which wheel has by preference 160 teeth, and
this wheel has numbers upon its face to show the number of teeth from a zero
marked upon it.

page_text: On the stud for the worm wheel there is an index finger or pointer which can
be readily adjusted round and brought opposite to the zero on the worm wheel.
Parallel to the said shaft there is another in suitable bearings which is driven
from the said first named shaft by pulleys and a band, there being three grooves in
the pulleys for the band to give three different speeds.
The second shaft has a screw formed upon it for a weight to be suspended upon
it, which in a hole near its upper end, has half a screw nut so that when the screw
shaft is rotated the weight is traversed along it and this weight can be readily
lifted, and brought to one end of the screw. At the upper end of the weight there
is a wire curl through which the thread passes and by which it is guided when
being wound upon the card..
The cops or bobbins of yarn to be tested are placed on skewers or pegs in a
block that can be swivelled on the framing on a vertical axis to bring the cop in
a line with the guide eye through which its thread passes before going to the guide
wire in the weight on the screw shaft.
For testing the twist one end of a given length of yarn or thread is extended
from a hook or notch or other attachment in the end of the screw, or the handle
shaft, and the other end is inserted in a holder, when by turning the shaft having
the handle to untwist the thread the index will count the turns required to take
out the twist, in such given length.
The breaking strength of the yarn is tested by a spring and index arrangement
one end of which is suspended on a hook on a bar placed in vertical guides in the
machine framing-the thread is hooked one the hook end of the spring slide bar
which is pulled outwards by the thread until it breaks, at which point a catch
holds the extended spring until its tension in ounces is read off and recorded.
I prefer to take 10 such tests, and then take the average as a test of the strength
and by multiplying the average breaking strength of the single thread, by the
number when tested in the "ley" or "rap" the combined strength of the threads in
a "ley" or "rap" is ascertained.
Instead of a spring, a lever and adjustable weight is or may be used for testing
the breaking strength.

page_text: Improvements in Mechanism and Arrangements for Testing
Yarns or Threads.
I ROUGHSEDGE WALLWORK, of the firm of Henry Wallwork and Company of
Union Bridge Iron Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and
Iron Founders do hereby declare the nature of said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My invention relates to mechanism and arrangements for testing and facilitating
the testing of yarns or threads (1) by arranging the threads so that their quality
as to uniformity and absence of defects is made easily visible to the sight-(2) so
that at the same time, a given length can be measured and wound, and then its
"counts" can be readily found by weighing-(3) so that the number of twists in
a given length can be ascertained, and (4) so that its breaking strength and
elasticity can be tested, and my invention consists in a combination of mechanism
and in arrangements for the above mentioned purposes.
There is a horizontal shaft in suitable bearings and at one end a handle for
rotating the shaft which has a cross arm at the other over hanging end to which
spring clips are attached in which thin cards can be inserted and held so as to be
rotated with the arm-These cards are cut to an exact and definate length and
width; by preference three eighths of a yard long, so that when one hundred and
sixty laps bave been wound upon the card the length thereon will equal one “ley”*
or "rap
or the seventh part of a hank.
"3
The cards are formed black on one side and white on the other, with by
preference columns and printed matter for recording the tests thereon on the white
side, or tickets may be pasted on that side if preferred.
The threads are wound wide apart for all or any desired portion of the width
of the card and thus with the white yarn on the black face of the card, any defects
or want of uniformity are made visible to the eye as the threads forming each lap
are side by side for comparision. With colored yarn a white card may be used.
The said shaft has a worm upon it which is made to gear with a worm wheel on
a vertical axis on the framing which wheel has by preference 160 teeth, and this
wheel has numbers upon its face to show the number of teeth from a zero marked
upon it..
On the stud for the worm wheel there is an index finger or pointer which can
be readily adjusted round and brought opposite to the zero on the worm wheel.
Parallel to the said shaft there is another in suitable bearings which is driven
from the said first named shaft by pulleys and a band, there being three or more
grooves in the pulleys for the band to give three or more different speeds.
The second shaft has a screw formed upon it, for a weight to be suspended upon
it, which in a hole near its upper end, has half a screw nut so that when the screw
shaft is rotated the weight is traversed along it and this weight can be readily
lifted, and brought to one end of the screw-At the upper end of the weight there
is a wire curl through which the thread passes and by which it is guided when
being wound upon the card,

page_text: The cops or bobbins of yarn to be tested are placed on skewers or pegs in a
block that can be swivelled on the framing on a vertical axis to bring the cop in a
line with the guide eye through which its thread passes before going to the guide
wire in the weight on the screw shaft.
For testing the twist one end of a given length of yarn or thread is extended
from a hook or notch or other attachment in the end of the screw or the handle
shaft and the other end is inserted in a holder when by turning the shaft having
the handle to untwist the thread the index will count the turns required to take
out the twist, in such given length.
The breaking strength of the yarn is tested by a spring and index arrangement
one end of which is suspended on a hook on a bar placed in vertical guides in the
machine framing-the thread is hooked on the hook end of the spring slide bar
which is pulled outwards by the thread until it breaks at which point a catch holds
the extended spring until its tension in ounces is read off and recorded.
I prefer to take 10 such tests, and then take the average as a test of the strength
and by multiplying the average breaking strength of the single thread by the
number when tested in the "ley" or "rap" the combined strength of the threads
in a "ley or "
rap " is ascertained.
Instead of a spring, a lever and adjustable weight is or may be used for testing
the breaking strength.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation fig. 2 is a side elevation, and fig. 3 a plan view of
parts shown in figs. 1 and 2.
Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views of parts shown detached.
a is the board on which the mechanism forming the combined machine is
secured.
To the board a a bracket or stand a¹ is secured, this stand has bearings for a
shaft b having a handle b¹ at one end by which it is rotated.
The other end of the shaft b has a pulley 62 with several grooves in it of
different diameters and at the same end of the shaft ba cross arm b³ is secured
and to which one end of say four pairs of spring clips b* are attached.
The two sides of each pair of clips b spring towards and press against each
other, except when a card or thin plate c is placed between them, when they then
act to hold the card or plate c.
The cards (c) are cut to an exact length, so as to act as a measure when the
yarn or thread is wound upon them and have or may have slits or notches c¹ at
one edge of the card into which the end of the yarn or thread is inserted and held
at the beginning and ending of the winding.
The handle shaft b has a worm 65 upon it which gears with a worm wheel d
having 160 teeth by preference (for the reason hereinbefore mentioned) and the
face of this worm wheel d is indexed and numbered from say 0 or 160 to 160-
The wheel d rotates on a stud d' secured in the stand a¹ on the upper end of which
stud a pointer d² is arranged which before the commencement of a test is begun is
moved (being held on the stud by friction) to point to the zero of the index.
In the stand a¹ there are bearings for another shaft e which has a pulley el
secured upon it having grooves corresponding to those in the pulley 62 but one
pulley on one shaft is reversed to that on the other shaft and one pulley b* by an
endless band e² drives the other pulley e¹.
The projecting end of the shaft e opposite the card c has a screw thread ex
formed on it to fit one half of an internal screw thread formed in the upper end of
a rod f.
The hole for the internal screw below that part for the screw thread is
enlarged so that when lifted the internal thread in it will be clear of the screw
thread and it can then be moved along the screw until it comes against a
shoulder e³ on the end of the screw for the commencement of a test.
The lower end of the rod f has upon it a weight f1 and the upper surface of the
weight is prepared to receive another additional weight or weights as required

page_text: "
(when used for testing elasticity) one of which is shown in side elevation and end
view by figs. 6 and 7 respectively.
The upper end of the rod f has a wire curl f³ or thread guide secured in it
through which the thread passes from the cop to the card (c) upon which it is to
be wound.
On the side of the rod f there is a clamping screw f' see fig. 4, by which the
end of a thread is secured when required.
There is a block g mounted on a stud g¹ in the board a, which block g can be
secured by a winged screw nut 9' on the stud in any required position.
This block has a vertical peg g³ in it for bobbins which have to rotate while the
thread is being unwound, and a cone peg or skewer g' in an oblique position for
cops or bobbins when the thread is drawn off the ends thereof.
By swivelling the block g the axis of the horizontal skewer or peg g' can be
brought into a line with the wire curl or thread guide g³ secured in the board a so
that the thread will pass from the cop directly to the guide eye g³ and then to the
curl or guide f³ and then on to the card or plate c.
When the mechanism above described by letters of reference is used for winding
the yarn or thread on the card or plate c to show its quality and character, the
thread is wound upon the card with a sufficient space between each "lap" of
thread, by giving a quick speed to the screw shafte which is effected by changing
the band e to. the desired groove on each pulley b³ and e¹.
When the object is simply to obtain a given length, a thin steel plate (c) of a
standard length is or may be used and a given number of laps is wound and
counted by the machine, which thread is then accurately weighed, when the
counts" or number of hanks to the pound weight can be readily calculated-
The card is or may be weighed when empty and when full of thread or the thread
is or may be removed from the card or plate and weighed separately.
The manner in which my invention is to be performed for ascertaining the
amount of twist, and testing the breaking strength and elasticity of yarns or
threads is illustrated by the drawings, parts of the same mechanism being used
for ascertaining the twist, elasticity and breaking strain.
The bar h is say of steel about 24 inches long and is indexed on three edges or
sides one side being marked E to show that it is to be used for testing elasticity and
the other side marked T to show that it is to be used for ascertaining the amount
of twist in a given length of yarn or thread and another side for ascertaining both
strength and elasticity.
There is a bracket h¹ which is adjustable and can be secured by a screw to the
bar h, at either end as shown in fig. 3.
The bracket h¹ has a projecting arm h³ having a boss h³ for two screws h* and h³
one on each side of the boss h³ which screws act to pinch the thread when placed
between the shoulder on the screws, and the boss h against which they are or may
be screwed.
The bracket has also another arm h having a hole which forms a guide for
the stem h of a small hook h³ the stem and hook forming a weight.
The steel bar h is or can be placed in an horizontal position (as shown in figs. 2
and 3) in a part a² from the stand al and when adjusted can then be secured in
the part a' by a screw a³-The said steel bar h can also be placed in a vertical
position (as shown partly in fig. 1) and then be adjusted, and secured in a holder a*
in the stand a¹ by a screw a³.
For ascertaining the number of turns of twist in a given length of yarn or
thread one end of the thread is placed within the elastic jaws e formed upon the
end of the screw shaft e which jaws are made to close upon and hold the end of
the thread by screws e passing through a hole in one jaw and screwing into the
other jaw.
Then the bar h is adjusted in the holder a' for its horizontal position, until the
required length is obtained between the end of the elastic jaws e and the clamping

page_text: screw in the bracket the thread in the latter after being slightly stretched
being then clamped.
The pointer d² on the counting worm wheel stud is brought to zero on the index
and the handle b₁ is rotated in the direction to untwist the thread, and when all
the twist is taken out-the counter (d) shows the number of turns or twists there
was in the length of thread operated upon.
To avoid any error in counting by reason of the slipping of the driving band e²
the screw shafte is provided with a worm e same as that b5 on the handle shaft b,
and the table part of the stand a¹ has a second hole a* for the stud of the worm
wheel, which stud is or may be placed and secured in this second hole a* in gear
with the worm e on the screw shaft e-The stud for the worm wheel dis made to
fit the holes for it in the stand a¹ accurately and is prevented from turning round
by a key in it which fits a key groove in the holes in the stand a¹.
It will thus be seen that when the index worm wheel d is used in gear with the
shafte its revolutions will be accurately counted.
When the bar and bracket h¹ is to be used for testing elasticity the bracket ¹
is placed at the opposite end of the bar h to that used for testing twist.
The end of the thread to be tested is hooked or secured to the small hook h³ on
the stem and is then passed over the screw 5 and between its shoulder and the
boss in which the screw works, and then to a screw f* in the upper end of the
weighted rod f, by which screw it is clamped, but before being clamped the rod f
is brought against the shoulder e³ at the outer end of the screw e and the bar h is
secured to give the required length of thread between the clamp screw f* in the
rod fand the clamp screw h³ on the bracket h.
The small stem weight which acts upon the thread before it is clamped by the
screw in the bracket insures the same uniform tension and stretch upon the
thread before each test begins.
The screw e by preference is made of a pitch equal to sixteen turns to the inch
of its length, and thus every turn shown upon the dial on the wheel & means that
the thread has stretched 14th of an inch and the index thus shows how many
sixteenths of an inch the thread has stretched before it breaks, as the screw is
turned until, and is stopped when the thread breaks.
is
For testing the strength of yarns or threads the bar and its bracket
secured in the holder at of the stand a¹ in a vertical position, and upon the stem h²,
a ring is placed which is connected with one end of a cylindrical case or tube /¹
within which there is a spring the upper end of which is attached to the upper
end of a stem while the lower end of the spring abuts against the lower end of
the cylindrical case -The lower end of the stem has a hook k formed upon it
and its sides are indexed to show the weight required to compress the spring by
drawing out the stem k³-The stem has also fine ratchet teeth formed upon it to
engage with a pawl jointed upon the case at which pawl is acted upon by a
spring to keep it close to the ratchet teeth, and hold the stem ³ at the farthest
point to which it is drawn out so that the index may be read after a breakage.
"
By pressing upon the handle from the pawl, the latter is released from the
ratchet teeth in the stem k² so as to allow the latter to go back to its zero position
at the commencement of each test.
The arrangement above described by letters % to 7 is not claimed as new in and
by itself as it is already in use, and is upon the principle of what is known as
Salters spring balance."
In fig. 1 the spring balance is shown suspended much lower, than it is when in
use to save space on the drawing.
One end of the thread to be tested is hooked or secured to the hook upon the
end of the stem k of the balance, it is or may be then taken down under a pin in
the stand or under a small pulley on the pin carried on the stand or framing (not
shown) and the other end of the thread is then clamped in the elastic jaws of at
the end of the screw shaft e the rotation of which will gradually wind a portion of
the thread upon the end of the shaft e and thus draw down the stem of the spring

page_text: balance until the thread breaks at which point the pawl will hold the stem k
and the greatest tension which has been put upon the spring balance during the
test can be read from the index.
2
A number of such tests say ten are or may be taken, and added together and
divided by ten to get the average breaking strain of ten tests.
When several combined threads are to be tested the desired number of "laps" is
wound upon the card or plate c and they are then removed in the bank form and
one end of the loop of the bank or partial hanks is placed upon a stud or pin / in
one arm of the lever shown in figs. 1, 2 and 3 and by a detached end view in
fig. 5 and the loop at the other end is placed upon the projection 12 on a bracket 1³
which is formed under cut to grasp (but not tightly) and slide upon a slideway l
secured to the table a.
The bracket at that end nearest the weight lever has a pawl tooth that can
enter the ratchet teeth in the upper face of the slideway and there is play at that
end of the bracket 3 to allow it to lift high enough to take the pawl tooth clear of
the ratchet teeth on the upper face of the slide *.
That part of the slide of the bracket 3 which has parts undercut to grasp the
ledges upon each edge of the slideway is cut away or is formed with a space wide
enough to allow that end of the bracket nearest to the lever to rise and fall to
cause the pawl tooth to clear the ratchet teeth when required, but the undercut
part of the other end of the bracket ³ does not allow the bracket to lift or move
at that end only to the amount required to allow the other end of the bracket to
lift as and for the purpose described.
In consequence of this arrangement, it will be seen that the tension upon the
threads being tested, will act to force the pawl tooth down upon the ratchet
surface of and that the gripping parts at the other end of the bracket (³ will
prevent it from lifting and will form the fulcrum from and by which the pawl tooth
or teeth is or are forced against the ratchet teeth on the slideway
The fulcrum part of the lever is mounted on cone centre screws as shown
best in fig. 5 and the fulcrum part has a socket to receive the arm h of the lever
secured by a screw (* which arm is or may be the bar indexed as herein before
described on one edge for this purpose.
The weight 16 is made to slide on the arın h of the lever and it is moved away
from the fulcrum screws 15 until the loop of threads being tested breaks, when the
index on the bar h shows the position in which the weight 16 is upon the arm h and
this index is. or may be if desired made to represent pounds weight.
When the weight is at its nearest position to the fulcrum (1) it is by preference
made to act upon the loop of threads with tension of a given weight say ten pounds
or exert such a force as will be some round sum less than the lowest breaking strain
to be tested.
If desired an arm 17 (as illustrated by fig. 8 a detached side elevation) is or may
be extended from the fulcrum of the lever in the opposite direction to the arm h
and have a weight 18 upon it to counter balance the arm h and the sliding weight l
when the latter is at zero on the index upon h.
When the loop x is placed as described, for testing, a bracket or slide 7³ is moved
outwards, as the threads of the loop a stretch, to keep the arın h of the lever as
near horizontal as possible during the test.
The slide 3 is moved by a screw m in bearings in the slideway or stand which
screw m screws through a projection from the slide 13-The screw is rotated by the
head m Fig. 9 shows an end elevation of the slide 3 slideway screw m and
other parts.
If the loop of threads x to be tested is placed on the studs or projections and 1,
when the weight 1 is at some given point nearest to the fulcrum screws and the
bracket or slide 13 is moved until the arm h assumes the horizontal position (which
is shown by a pointer m² and a mark on the arm 17) then it will be known that the
threads in each test are alike subjected to a small given initial strain and if now a
sliding index plate m' (showing inches and parts) is placed parallel to the slideway l'

page_text: and adjusted and secured to the slideway by a screw m³ or other means, to bring
the zero of the index plate opposite a mark on the edge of the bracket or slide 13,
then this index will show in inches and parts what amount of stretch, elasticity or
extension, the loop of threads have been subjected to before they break, as the
bracket or slide ³ is moved along past the adjusted and fixed index plate m' until
the threads break while the weight is slided along the arm h to keep it horizontal
or as nearly so as possible during the test.
The bracket m³ secured to the board a serves as a pointer (m³) and to limit the
movements of the arm 17.
I wish it to be understood that the mechanism herein before described may be
modified without departing from my invention, for instance, gearing may be used
in place of the band e' for driving one shaft e from the other shaft b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed:-I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination and arrangement of mechanism, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. The combination of a shaft (b) having arrangements at one end for holding and
rotating a card or thin plate (c) substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of mechanism for winding yarn or thread
on cards or thin plates (c) distributing the thread when winding and counting the
revolutions substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings.
4. The combination of a bar h with the other mechanism to be used for
ascertaining the amount of twist in thread, and also for testing its strength and
elasticity substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
5. The winding of yarns or threads upon cards (c) substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
Dated this seventeenth day of April 1886.