IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STRINGS AND CORDS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by François Joseph Tellier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st May 1870.
:
I, FRANÇOIS JOSEPH TELLIER, of Paris, Boulevard de Strasbourg,
No. 23, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STRINGS AND
CORDS," to be as follows:-
-
Hitherto plaiting frames used for the manufacture of both flat and
round end or twist have always been constructed under very unfavorable
conditions, as much with respect to their action as to the quality of their
produce. In these frames the spindles, which are always roughly made,
often move to no purpose in wooden reels manufactured still more im-
perfectly; the action of the shaft carrying these reels is also very
defective, and in fact they present an appearance rather resembling that
of a piece of furniture than of a machine really practical, homogeneous,
and durable.
With a view of overcoming these defects I have long occupied myself
in studies and experiments, and I have at length invented the machine

page_text: which i proceed to describe, and which will be found to de comparatively
perfect.
The various parts of my improved machine are mounted on a frame of
wood or some suitable metal, but preferably of wood. In this frame are
fixed four horizontal wooden tables, which, according to their function,
I respectively denominate as follows:-First, the table of the upper
reels; second, the table of the lower reels and "crows feet" (pattes d'oie);
third, the table for the collars to hold the reel spindles; and, fourth, the
table for the sockets of the reel spindles. At the centre of the apparatus
rises vertically a driving shaft which is held at the bottom in a socket,
and at the top in a pad or bearing upon a jointed cross piece conveniently
attached to a detent movement which will presently be described; this
shaft carries a pulley or driving gearing which is disposed as the first
conditions of placing may render most advisable. A small transmission
wheel wedged upon the said driving shaft puts the whole system into
action through the intermediation of wheels adjusted respectively upon
vertical shafts; these shafts are perfectly turned, so as to prevent
hitches in their movement; they are held at their bottoms in sockets of
cast iron or other material rigidly fixed to the lower table above men-
tioned; at the middle of their length they turn in collars in copper let
into the table for the collars, as above mentioned, and firmly screwed to
'it. These collars ought to be filed very smooth in order to perfectly
adjust upon the vertical shafts above mentioned. These shafts each
_carry three, distinct organs, a toothed wheel, and two reels of cast or
wrought iron, the one at its upper and the other at its lower part. The
,eight lower reels are wedged to the top of the table, and the upper reels
are at the upper ends of the vertical shafts in relation with the upper
table. Each of these reels have four semi-cylindrical grooves which
ought to be made with a diameter precisely equal to the extent of the
spindles. Each neck of the upper reels should be strictly in a line with
a neck of the lower reels in order to be able readily to receive and hold
'the spindles. Each spindle is carefully turned in order to fit well into
the necks of the reels and avoid hitches. The hole above the spindle
tube, the eyelet of a latch, and the eyelets of a guard piece, are all
provided with some very smooth substance, such as porcelain, glass, or
enamel, or with steel or other very polished metal, in order to diminish
as much as possible the friction of the thread in its passage, and to
obtain in the end a very regular and homogeneous result. Besides, in
place of a single eyelet above the guard piece I employ two eyelets
.

page_text: superposed, the effect of which is to perfectly guide the spindle in all
conditions and to avoid irregularities in the tension of the thread. The
drop paul (pompe) of the spindle has an oblong hole equally enamelled
in its forged head in order to allow the thread to pass easily and without
resistance. The rack at the upper part of the bobbin is of cast iron in
order to avoid the wear, and the lower part of the bobbin is grooved in
order to diminish its friction upon the base of the spindle.
These arrangements which prevent as will be understood anything
injurious to the quality of the cord will produce the latter perfectly
homogeneous, and will work with as much facility with very inferior
material as with the best.
At the centre of the three tables a vertical shaft of cast iron is rigidly
held which forms the axis of the plaiting frame. Upon this axis of cast
iron is freely adjusted the pattern wheel trimmed with copper working
into the crows feet, also provided with copper to prevent wear.
The action of my improved frame is the same as that of ordinary ones,
only it requires much less force, much less overlooking, and produces
the most advantageous results in all respects. The threads rolled upon
the bobbins pass through the eyelet and the drop pauls of the spindles
in order to twist themselves upon the central fork, which draws the cord
upon a pulley, and thence between leading cylinders commanded by an
endless screw arrangement calculated according to the nature of the cord
to be produced. I can replace these cylinders by turning rolls (pots)
which I arrange suitably with regard to the plating frame.
When I manufacture round cord, as is more generally the case, I
prefer to use an improved frame, as is hereafter described. At the back
of the frame are fixed two supports with slides; in these supports is
mounted a rotating shaft upon which are arranged a grooved pulley, a
wheel with inclined teeth gearing with the endless screw and a conical
barrel with many grooves. In the eyelets of the slides is mounted a
rotating shaft carrying a small grooved pulley and a circular brush
pressing against the barrel of the shaft. The two pulleys are.com-
manded by the same cord or shaft passing upon the pulley with two
grooves. The movement starts from the endless screw moved by a
convenient transmission of the frame; this endless screw commands the
wheel, and consequently the pullies. The conical barrel is covered with
emery powder, and the brush is moved so as to turn a little quicker than
this barrel in order to always give a certain amount of tension. The

page_text: quickness of leading of this cord will be determined by the position of
the barrel and the diameter of the brush, the hairs of which are of suit-
able stiffness. By this means I entirely do away with the cages ordinarily
· employed, and I can take the cord on proceeding from the frame to
supply the details or sell, as may be required. The detent mechanism
employed in my plaiting frame stops of itself immediately a thread
happens to break, and is very simple and easy to understand. The cross
piece which has been mentioned before is connected at one of its ends to a
chain passing round a pulley and partly rolls itself upon a cast-iron roller
held in position by a small rod hooking into a catch. This catch is
capable of displacement when oscillating in one direction or another
upon an axis under the action of one or two little tringles mounted upon
the groove of this catch. When a thread happens to break the paul
comes down into the tube of the spindle, passing the lower portion of
this tube, and causes the catch to oscillate, thus releasing the rod, and
consequently allowing the cross piece to turn away under the action of
a spring. The cross piece in turning away from its position destroys the
gearing communicating with the motor, and consequently the plaiting
frame is stopped. The construction of this system of detent, which is
entirely of metal, affords a great assistance to the continuous working of
the apparatus and avoids completely the failures and hitches so frequent
in the machines at present in use. I arrange the tables of my plaiting
frame so as to be able to modify their mounting at will in order to manu-
facture either round elastic cord or flat non-elastic cord. It is sufficient
to dismount four of the reel shafts and to replace them by two others with
larger reels, replacing also the copper furniture of the tables by others
larger in proportion.