IMPROVEMENTS IN TWISTING MACHINES, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF STRINGS, STRANDS, ROPES OR CABLES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jules Ouarnier Mathieu, of Paris, France, Gentle-
man, for tho Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TWISTING MACHINES,
PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF STRINGS, STRANDS, ROPES
OR CABLES."
Sealed the 21st December 1863, and dated the 25th June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jules Quarnier Mathieu
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th June 1863.
:
..I, JULES QUARNIER MATHIEU, of Paris, France, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TWISTING
MACHINES, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF STRINGS, STRANDS,
ROPES, OR CABLES," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to machines for twisting fibrous materials, but
which I intend applying more particularly to the manufacture of hempen or
other fibres into strings, strands, ropes, or cables.
The machine consists of a frame containing the bobbins carrying the yarn
to be laid into strands, which latter may afterwards be twisted into ropes, and
these into cables; a suitable number of these yarns are twisted into a strand
by passing through the.hollow end or trunnion of a large flyer. The strand is
conducted by suitable pulleys fixed. to the arms of the flyer, and pass in the
grooves of two grooved whims revolving on axis fitted in the interior of the
flyer, and which whims whilst partaking of the revolving motion of this latter

page_text: are caused to revolve round their axis, the object of the said whims being to
impart the required degree of twist to the strand and stretch the same, which
latter from the said whims is conducted by a guide pulley towards and wound
round a large bobbin, forming, when in position, the axis of this part of the
flyer, and revolving with this latter but with somewhat greater swiftness by
the effect of suitable gearing, in order to distribute the strand on the bobbin ;
this guide pulley travels forward and backward in a parallel direction to the
axis of the flyer along a screw revolving at both ends in the cross bars of this
latter by means of a pinion in gear with a loose pulley, forming part of a
trundle or wallower worked by a pinion in. gear therewith, which pinion by
suitable gearing receives its revolving motion from the spindle of the large
bobbin, this spindle passing through the perforated end or trunnion of the
flyer, and is caused to revolve a little quicker than this latter by the effect of
suitable connecting gearing. The axis of the flyer is provided with fast-and-
loose pulleys and a fly wheel, and receives motion from any suitable prime
mover; provision is made for allowing the large bobbin to be replaced by
another when required.
For laying the strands into ropes or these latter into cables another frame
is made use of provided with about the principal parts above described; for
this purpose a suitable revolving motion is transmitted by means of suitable
gearing to a series of flyers situated in this frame, the number of which flyers
corresponds with that of the strands to be laid into a rope; the flyers revolve all
of them with the same velocity, but in an opposite direction to that of the first
mentioned flyer for allowing the strands to be wound off whilst the rope is
forming; in this series of flyers the above-mentioned screw for distributing
the strands on the bobbin, and the grooved whims, and connecting gear for
these parts are dispensed with; the flyers are only provided with the strand
bobbins. The strands pass through the perforated end or trunnion of each of
these flyers, are carried over a top, and being now twisted together are con-
ducted towards the machine, where they are finally laid into a rope, which
machine, with the exception of being of a larger size, is similar to that above
described for forming the strands.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jules Quarnier Mathieu in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th December 1863. .

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said: Jules Ouarnier Mathieu, Her special licence that I, the said
Jules Quarnier Mathieu, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such.
others as I, the said Jules Ouarnier Mathieu, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TWISTING MACHINES, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE
MANUFACTURE OF STRINGS, STRANDS, ROPES, OR CABLES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Jules Ouarnier Mathieu, my.executors
or administrators, by an 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.
e 1:4
* * ..
-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jules Ouarnier Mathieu, 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 statement :-
+
. : :
These improvements relate, to machines for twisting fibrous materials or
filaments, but they are 'more particularly intended for the manufacture of
hempen or other fibres into yarns, strings, strands, ropes, or cables, and give
them any required tension or stretch, and twist or torsion. The apparatus
allows of being driven by a steam engine or by any other suitable 'prime
mover, the attendant having only to replace at the required moment the
bobbins carrying either the yarn or the strands, when empty, 'by other ones.
In the annexed Drawings, Fig. 1, the machine for forming the stands is
represented in horizontal plan view, some parts being shown in section in order
of making the mode of working the machine better understood; Fig. 2
represents a sectional view over the line a, b, of Fig. 1. In the various
Figures of the Drawings corresponding parts are as much as possible indicated
by the same letters of reference.
The machine consists of a flyer formed by two parallel rods c, c³, connected

page_text: by two cross bars d, d', the one & provided towards the centre with a hollow
trunnion e, by means of which the flyer revolves in a bearing f on a suitable
standard or frame. The centre of the trunnion e is provided over its entire
length with a perforation g, bell-mouthed at both ends, giving passage to the
strand, and guiding this latter from the bobbins to the flyer. To the centre of
the opposite cross bar d' is fixed in a similar manner the hollow trunnion h,
revolving in a bearing j, j', and carries the fast-and-loose pulleys i, i, receiving
motion from any suitable prime mover, and transmitting the same to the
machine. On this arbor or trunnion h is also fitted a spur wheel k driving a
similar wheel e fitted on the arbór l, the end of which latter is provided with
a spur wheel m of a larger diameter, and which drives the wheel m¹ fixed on
the arbor m, which latter is inserted in the perforation of the arbor h, and
revolves in bearings in the cross bars n and n³, in which revolve in a similar
manner two spindles o and o¹, each of them carrying a whim or grooved
pulley pin the space left open between the bars n and n', and a pinion q at
the outside of the bar n¹. The arbor ml carries a pinion s, driving the inter-
mediate wheel 2, cast with the pinion s¹, and revolving loose on a short spindle.
The pinion s' drives a wheel revolving loose on the spindle o; the fast-
and-loose pulleys i and i will consequently cause the rotation of the flyer and
of the arbor m, this latter turning somewhat faster than the flyer by the
effect of the difference in diameter of the wheels m and m', sets of these latter
of various diameters being provided in order to allow of regulating the speed
of the arbor m, according to the degree of torsion to be given to the stands.
The pinion drives the whims p, the latter serving for drawing in and
stretching the strand (indicated in the Drawing by red lines), and maintain
the torsion of the strand till wound upon the reel t, which latter fits with
suitable friction on its arbor t¹, driven by the arbor m¹, one end of the arbor t¹
fitting as a socket or bush on the corresponding square end of the arbor m",
whilst at the other end the said arbor t¹ revolves in a bracket u fixed to the
cross bar d, which bracket forms bearing, and is provided with a moveable cap
fixed by screw bolts 16 and 17, in order, when required, to allow of lifting the
arbor t¹ out of its bearings and replace the reelt by another one. When
ready for working, the reel or strand bobbin t is kept in position by being
pressed at each end by a spiral spring vand v₁ and friction discs w and w¹.
The reel t is dragged. in a manner similar to that of the bobbins in bobbin-and-
fly spinning frames, so as to answer the variations in diameter during the
winding on the réel. The pressure of the springs vand v¹ and discs w & w¹
may be regulated by means of the screw nut v fitted on the arbor t. The

page_text: will cause this
strand is wound on the reel by means of the following contrivance:- is a square-
threaded screw, the ends of which revolve in the cross bars d, d¹; this screw
imparts a forward and backward motion to a slide nut y, through which also
passes the rod c', so as to serve as a guide for the said slide nut. A revolving
motion is imparted to the screw a by means of a pinion z, driven by a wheel z¹,
turning loose on the arbor m". 21 is a trundle or calender wheel fixed to
and revolving loose with the wheel z¹, and shown in front view in Fig. 3.
The object of this calender wheel is to impart the required revolving motion of
the screw alternately in one and in the opposite direction. For winding the
strand on the reelt over the full length of this latter with regular convolutions
and in successive layers, the wheel ¹ is provided with a tenant 1, in which
the shaft 2 of the pinion 11 turns on a pin a¹ (Figs. 1 and 3); this pinion ¹¹¹
thus being in gear with the cogs at the inside of the wheel
latter to revolve, thereby driving the wheel z¹ fixed thereto. The calender
wheel z having performed one revolution and the pinion 2111 continuing its
revolution, the shaft 2 enters into a slot, and thereby carries the pinion ¹¹¹ to
the outside of the wheel z", the said pinion remaining in gear with the
outside cogs of this latter and in the manner as shown by the arrow in red
ink of Fig. 3; a circular to-and-fro motion for the regular laying of the
strand, on the reel is thus obtained without requiring any special attendance.
From what has been above described it will be understood, 1ly, that the
twist is given to the strand by the revolution of the flyer. The strand passes
over the guide pulleys 4, 5, & 6, and is laid several times over the whims p
& p', so as to cause these latter to draw in the strand and give the required
tension to this latter, after which the strand is guided by the pulleys 7 and 8
to the reel or strand bobbin t, and laid on this latter by the effect of the screw x.
2ly, that the whims p and p¹ revolving with different velocity increased' by
that of the flyer will draw in the strand; 3ly, that the screw a will cause the
strand to be wound in a regular manner on the reel; 4ly, that this reel or
strand bobbin being dragged by its shaft works in conformity to the variations
in diameter during the winding on of the strand, and that as soon as the
required quantity of strand is wound on the reel t, this latter may be removed
from its shaft and replaced by an empty one.
This machine, which is intended for winding or warping and for laying of
ropes, may serve also for spinning and twisting. The flyer is provided with a
fly wheel for steadying the motion. The yarn for forming the strands proceeds.
from the ordinary bobbins z of any suitable warping frame z¹.
I now will describe the arrangement for laying the strands into a cable or
rope; this machine is represented in longitudinal elevation view in Figs. 4 &

page_text: 5; with the exception, of being of a larger, size, the principal working parts
of the machine and the mode in which they are combined and act is similar to
what has been described in respect to Fig: 1. The trunnione is provided with a
fly wheel A and a spur wheel B, driving a wheel C, fitted at one end of a shaft D,
situated nearly level with the ground, which shaft at the opposite end carries a
wheel. E, driving another F.. The wheels B, C, E, F, are of the same diameter.
The shaft G of the wheel F is provided with a pinion H, driving simultaneously
the four wheels I, I, I, & I, situated at regular distances apart, as shown
in Fig. 6; and they are mounted on the hollow arbors or spindles e of the
flyers J, J, J, J¹, which latter receive the reels ", provided with the strands
wound upon them by the machine Fig. 1; the said strands (shown in the
Drawings by red lines) are wound off from the reels t" in the same measure as the
cable or rope formed by them is being laid on the reelt or cable bobbin Fig. 4;
for this purpose each of the hollow arbors h, Fig. 5, carries a pinion k,
driving another one ', on the arbor of which latter is fitted another pinion m
in gear with the pinion m³, situated on the arbor m", connected to the spindle
of the bobbin t¹¹. The whims p & p! are driven in the same manner as has
been explained above, with the difference only that they revolve with their
bobbins in the opposite direction, in order to obtain the winding off instead of
the winding upon them of the strands. L, L¹, are discs, the one L fixed to the
bobbin and the other to the arbor of this latter, with the object of keeping the
bobbin and its arbor firmly pressed together. The number of flyers J may
vary; each of them carries its strand, thus enabling to provide the cable or
rope with as many strands as should be wished. M is the laying top, situated
towards the middle of the distance between the two parts (Figs. 4 and Fig. 5) of
the machine, for guiding the strands from the strand bobbins towards the cable
bobbin. In these Figs. 4 and 5 part of the rope is represented as cut away, in
order to bring the Drawings within the required limits of size; as shown
in Fig. 4 the connecting gearing simultaneously drives the several flyers.
Figs. 7 & 8 represent a longitudinal elevation view of a modification in the com-
bination of parts of the above-described arrangements, which modified machine is
applied by preference; for the sake of clearness some of the working parts are
shown in sectional view. In Fig. 7 the flyer is shown formed of two rods c, c¹,
situated parallel to each other and connected together by two cross bars d, d¹,
the one d provided in the middle of its length with a perforated arbor or trunnion
e, protruding on both sides of the cross bar, and revolving in the bearing f.
The strands formed in a rope or cable after having quitted the laying top
M are guided through the perforation g of the trunnion e, and are wound on
the whims p & p². To the middle of the cross bar d is secured the hollow

page_text: arbor
revolving in a bearing j, and the said arbor carries the fast-and-loose
pulleys & for transmitting motion to the machine; on this arbor is fitted
a tooth wheel k, for driving the cable bobbin t in the manner as has been
described above, but this bobbin is situated near the cross bar d' instead' of
near the one'd; the arbor t¹ of this bobbin may be lifted out of its bearing so
as to allow of replacing the bobbin when full by an empty one, for which pur-
pose this arbor t¹ is provided at each end with a square head m, m³, the one m
fitting into a corresponding bush n, whilst the opposite one m¹ is connected to
the arbor m¹¹ by means of a coupling socket 7. The spindles of the whims p
& p¹ are situated perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the flyer instead
of being parallel to this latter, as in the arrangement of Figs. 4 & 5, the first
groove of these whims being situated just opposite the opening of the perforation
9, so as to receive the cable immediately on its entering the flyer, whilst from
the last or backmost groove of the whims the cable is laid on the bobbin t by
means of a guide pulley fitted on the sliding nut y. 0, 0¹, o¹¹, are cross bars
or stays fitted in the flyer, the spindles of the whims p, pl, revolving in those o¹
& o"; the said whims are driven by two pinions q and an intermediate q², the
motion being communicated to them by means of two bevel wheels r, r³, the
oner situated on the arbor m¹¹ fitting into the socket n, driven by the arbor m¹¹.
The mode of working of the screw a for distributing the cable on the bobbin.t
is similar to what has been described before in respect to the Figs..1,.4, and 5,
but with this difference only that the wheel z¹ and the calender wheel ¹¹ turn
loose on the trunnion e instead of on the arbor m¹¹. The arbor m¹¹ carries
a pinion s, driving an intermediate wheel & fixed to the pinion s", which latter
drives a wheels, transmitting motion to the pinion 2, and consequently to
the calender wheel 2, the wheel, and the pinion.z. fitted on the shaft of the
screw . It may be observed from this Fig. 7 that the whims are situated in
a position entirely different from what they are represented in in the Figs. 1, 4,
& 5; this improved arrangement has the advantage of doing away with nearly
all the guide pulleys and to cause the cable. (shown by red lines) to. travel
in the directest manner possible, besides which a more regular, steady, and
easier motion is obtained.
In Fig. 8 the flyers described in the first part of this description are repre-
sented, the only difference being the alteration in the position of the whims p, p¹,
and of the gearing or driving parts. For transmitting motion from the parts
Fig. 7 to those Fig. 8, I continue in this arrangement to make use of the wheels
B & C, of the arbor D, the wheel E for driving those E¹ & E" fitted on
the same arbor; the wheel Eu drives a pinion G, transmitting motion to the

page_text: wheels I, I, I, & I, in the direction required for unwinding the strands
from off the strand bobbins without causing them to become partly untwisted.
Fig. 9 shows a cross sectional view of the mode of working the pinion G,
and the wheels I, I, I, I, E", E¹, and E'.
Having thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of my In-
vention, and the manner in which the same operates, I wish to add here that
I do not intend to restrict or restrain myself to the precise details of the
arrangements above described and illustrated by the annexed Drawings, as
many variations may be made therefrom without departing from the principles
or main features of the Invention; but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the general arrangement and com-
bination of parts of the above-described machines for spinning and twisting
all descriptions of filaments, but more particularly applicable for manufacturing
yarns, strings, strands, ropes, cables, or other cordages of any size or length.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jules Ouarnier Mathieu, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
DREYFOUS,
Eng. Civil.
J. OUARNIER MATHIEU. (L.B.)