Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Treating Yarn or Thread in the Hank for the Purpose of Softening, Strengthening, or otherwise Improving the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Treating Yarn or
Thread in the Hank for the Purpose of Softening, Strengthening,
or otherwise Improving the same.
I. ROBERT MUNRO MACINTOSH of 298 Devonshire Street Boston in the State of
Massachusetts one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention has for its object to provide a machine for twisting fibre in the hank
to soften the same and render it smoother and more elastic, and at the same time,
increase its tensile strength, my improved machine being especially adapted for
treating linen fibre for sewing machines, more particularly of that class in which the
thread is waxed to strengthen it.
Prior to my invention linen thread in hanks has been treated by hand to soften it,
the said banks being twisted so as to contract the threads.
By many repeated experiments, I have ascertained that linen thread can be twisted
a given or predetermined number of times and have its strength increased, but if
twisted more than the said predetermined number, the thread deteriorates in
strength.
When treated by hand, a uniformity of work by different operators and even by
the same operator cannot be obtained, and therefore it is substantially impossible to
obtain linen threads having a uniformn strength and finish.
It is the object of this invention to provide a machine by which the same or
predetermined number of twists may be given to each hank of thread, whereby the
increase in strength of the threads is uniform, and a smoother, more elastic, and
stronger thread is obtained.
My invention therefore consists essentially in a machine for twisting fibre in banks,
of two heads and bobbins carried by them and about which the hank is placed, one
of the said heads being movable with relation to the other combined with a main
shaft, gears to operate said bobbins, and a clutch mechanism to produce opposite
rotations of the said shaft, and with a controlling mechanism substantially as will be
described connected to and operating the clutch mechanism, to control or govern the
direction and duration of rotation of the said main shaft, and means to produce
longitudinal movement of the bank, substantially as will be described.
Other features of my invention will be pointed out in the claim at the end of this
specification.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a side elevation partially broken out, of a machine embodying my
invention.
Figure 2, an end elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1 looking toward
the right.
Figure 3, a rear side view of the stationary part of head of the machine, to more
clearly show the controlling mechanism.
Figure 4 e sectional detail to be referred to on line x¹, Fig. 2.

page_text: Figure 7, a sectional detail of the clutch pulley.
Figure 8, a section on line x-x, Fig. 7.
Figure 9, a sectional detail of the device for producing longitudinal movement of
the hank.
Figure 10, an end view of Fig. 9.
Figures 11 and 12, details to be referred to.
Figure 13, a rear side view showing a modified form of controlling device.
Figure 14, a front side view of the controlling device shown in Fig. 13.
Figure 15, a transverse section through the clutch shown in Fig. 13, and
Figure 16, an end view of a modification for producing longitudinal movement of
the bank.
The frame A of the machine, herein shown as solid at its front end. and which in
practice is supported upon suitable legs not shown, sustains at its rear end a bracket
or upright A¹ supporting one end of rods a, one at each side of the machine, having
their other ends connected to a stationary head herein shown as a shell or box a
secured in any suitable manner to the frame of the machine near its centre.
The rods a support a movable head b, herein shown as a plate or frame, the
movable head b sliding upon the said rods and having attached to it, as herein shown,
a weight by cord passed over a sheave 63, the said weight acting to restore the
movable head b to its normal or outer position.
The movable head & supports a shaft having mounted upon it a bevel gear 66 in
mesh with bevel gears c', 68, mounted on shafts or arbors 6º, 610, having bearings in
arms 612 secured to the head b, see Fig. 4".
.
The shafts 60, 610, have. mounted on them gears c, c¹, in mesh with gears c³, e³,
shafts c, c, supported by arms 612 secured to the head b.
on
The shafts referred to have fast on them hobbins c, each having its periphery
curved or rounding, as shown in Fig. 4ª for a purpose to be hereinafter doscribed.
The stationary head a' forms within it journal bearings for the shaft 6° which
constitutes the main shaft of the machine, it being provided, as herein shown, with
suitable loose pulleys c¹³, 13, which are revolved in opposite directions in usual
manner by belts, not shown.
Each loose pulley has located within it a disc 6,20 fast on the shaft 6, and each disc
has pivoted to it as at ", see Fig. 7, a ring 622 split or divided at its upper end, as
clearly shown in Fig. 8, to leave a space into which the square or other than round
shaped end 628 of a shaft 624 is inserted.
The shaft 624 secured to the disc 620 co-operating with the loose pulley c¹², has
attached to it a bolt or rod c20, and the shaft 6" secured to the disc 620 co-operating
with the loose pulley c¹³, has secured to it a rod or bolt c²¹.
The main shaft within the head a¹ has mounted on it a gear, not herein shown,
in mesh with gears c7, there being as many gears c' as there are bobbins carried by
the movable head, which number as herein shown is four.
The main shaft 65 of the machine is rotated as herein shown, by a clutch
mechanism d, which is automatically thrown in engagement with one or the other
of the rods c20, 21, according to the direction with which it is desired to rotate the
said shaft.
In practice a hank d of fibre, preferably linen thread, has one end passed over one
of the bobbins 10 loosely mounted on an arm 8 secured to or forming part of
the shafts of the gears c', and having its other end passed over one of the bobbins co,
preferably in line with the bobbin c; and the threads comprising the hank are
laid over the curved periphery of the said bobbins, so that a substantially uniform
number of individual threads will be superimposed upon each other, whereby when
the lank is twisted, undue strain will not fall upon some of the threads and not on
others, but instead thereof, all the threads of the hank will be subjected to substantially
the same strain.
Let it be supposed that the clutch d' is in engagement with the rod c². In this
case, the shaft 6" will be partially rotated as the rounded conical end 25 of the

page_text: clutch d is forced under the rod c", thereby spreading apart the free ends of the
ring 6 and bringing the outer periphery of the said ring into engagement with
the inner periphery of the loose pulley c¹³, thus making the said pulley fast on the
shaft 6 and rotating the said shaft in a direction to twist the hanks.
As the hanks are twisted, the head is moved along the rods a and approaches
the stationary head a', until the hanks have been subjected to a given number of
twists to acquire the desired tension or friction on the threads.
To prevent the hanks being twisted more than the predetermined number of times,
I have provided a controlling device which may consist, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4,
of a thread shaft or rod e² supported in uprights es on the frame of the machine.
The threaded rode has fast on it collars e, e, provided with lugs which are
adapted to engage lugs e on a pinion or collar é having its inner periphery threaded
to engage the threads of the rod e², so that as the said rod is rotated, the pinion e is
caused to travel back and forth between the collars e, e and move the clutch d' on
the shaft in opposite directions, as will be described.
The pinion e, as shown in Fig. 3, engages one or more teeth 30 on the periphery
of a hub e fast on a shaft e" mounted in uprights e³, e18.
The hub eo has extended from it an arm e20, see Figs. 2 and 4, to which is jointed
one end of a link e having its other end connected to a block e, provided with a
rod extended through a guide e secured to the frame of the machine.
The block e has pivoted to it one end of a link 25 jointed at its other end to one
arm of a bell crank lever fast on a shaft e27, the other arın 28 of the said lever
being forked and provided with studs to enter a groove e in the clutch d¹.
The threaded rod e² has mounted on it a pinion e30 which meshes with and is driven
by a gear on the main shaft. 6º.
The shaft e bas mounted on it a lever 10 provided with a counter-balancing
weight e¹¹.
As the shaft revolves in the direction to twist the hank of thread, the pinion e
is moved along one of the teeth of the hub eo, by the rotation of the threaded rod e²,
until a lug e engages a lug e on the collar e, see Fig. 3.
When the lug e on the collar e' strikes the lug e on the pinion, the said pinion
is given a limited rotation sufficient to turn or rock the hub eo the distance of
one tooth.
As the hub eo is moved, the arm e20 secured to it is moved down, as herein shown,
and the clutch lever and its shaft e27 through the links e21, e2s are turned or rocked
to disengage the clutch d' from the rod c20, and engage it with the rod c21, whereby a
reverse rotation of the main shaft is effected.
As the main shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, the gears c² are rotated to
untwist the hanks to the same extent that they have been twisted, the weight
moving the head b and its attached bobbins back into the normal position with the
heads widely separated, and the hanks stretched to their full length.
As the shaft is rotated in the reverse direction to unwind the hanks, the pinion e
is moved from engagement with the collar es, into engagement with the collar e*, a
Inge engaging a lug e on the said collar e¹.
When the lug e engages the lug e on the collar e, which, by adjustment of the
said collar on the shaft e², is so timed as to take place when the number of twists
given to the bank have been taken out of the bank, the toothed hub el⁰ is restored
to its norinal position to engage the clutch d' with the rod 0, thereby causing the
main shaft to be again rotated in the proper direction to twist the hanks, the proper
adjustment of the collar e' on the threaded rod e, preventing the hanks being twisted
in the wrong or opposite direction.
In order that the hank may not be subjected to strain at the same point when it
is twisted, the bobbins may be rotated for substantially an instant to produce a
longitudinal movement of the hank, by the device shown in Fig. 1 consisting of a
tooth fon a threaded rod f₁ extended through guide blocks f³, f³ forming part of a
collar, adjustably secured on the shaft b³.

page_text: The threaded rod is engaged by thumb nuis ƒ of ordinary construction by which
the threaded rod may be adjusted longitudinally.
The threaded rod f' is kept in its forward or adjusted position by means of a
spring encircling the said rod between the blocks 2, 3, one end of the said
spring pressing against the block 3 and the other end against a shoulder on the
rod f¹.
The gear 66, as herein shown, see Fig. 9, is fast on a sleeve 10 on which is mounted
on the rear side of the movable frame or head, a ratchet ring f having teeth to be
engaged by the tooth f.
pro-
The ratchet ring is encircled by a band 13 secured to the movable head and
vided with a slot f, into which the tooth f must enter before engaging a tooth of
the ratchet ring, and the said ring is prevented from being revolved more than one
tooth at a time by a friction device herein shown in Fig. 9 as a headed pin or rod f
extended into a socket in the frame, and normally pressed out into engagement with
the said ring by a spring 18 in said socket.
16
in the rotation of
the ratchet ring and
long as the tooth f
2 which is but a
tooth is forced back
The collar is so adjusted on the shaft 6 that when the movable head or frame
has been brought back into its normal position, the tooth
the shaft & slips into the slot and engages a tooth of
rotates the said lug, the sleeve 10, and the bevel gear 6, as
remains in engagement with the tooth of the ratchet ring
substantially short time, as in the rotation of the shaft 6, the
out of engagement with the ratchet tooth by the inclined side of the slot 14 in the
band f13.
The rotation of the gear 66 through the bevel gears 67, 68 produces rotation of
the bobbins e, thereby producing longitudinal movement of the hanks.
I do not desire to limit my invention to the particular form of controlling
mechanism described, as it may be variously modified and other equivalent forms
used, such for instance as shown in Fig. 15, wherein the clutch dis engaged by
forked arms c28 shown as forming part of a hub g fast on the shaft e, on which
are also fastened, as herein shown, hubs g', g², having arms ³, , connected by a
rod y herein shown as extended through a slot in an arm on a collar o' provided
with lugs e to engage lugs e on a collar e and a gear 8 fast on the threaded
rod e².
The shaft e27, as shown in Fig. 15, has mounted on it a bell crank lover having
one arm g connected by link go to a crank g¹³, see Fig. 13, on a shaft g" to
which is secured the counter balance weight gl.
The other arm g16 of the bell crank lever is connected by a lever g", and as
herein shown by a band g18, see Fig. 16, to a crank 20, on one end of a shaft g
supported in bearings 922 secured to the underside of the frame, the said crank
being secured to the end of the shaft near one end of the machine.
:
The bevel gear g8 meshes with and is driven by a bevel gear 930, see Figs. 13
and 14, on a shaft g driven from the main shaft 5 by suitable gears not shown.
The shaft g near the opposite end of the machine has secured to it a crank h
to which is secured a rod h¹, see Fig. 16, extended through suitable guides h² and
provided with a pawl ³ to engage a ratchet wheel * connected to the gear 66, so
that when the lug e on the collar g' strikes a lug e and noves the clutch in
one direction, the shaft g" is rocked through the arm 71 of the bell crank lever
and the link g, and the rod is moved down and the ratchet wheel and the
bevel gear 1 rotated, thereby moving the hanks longitudinally; and when the clutch
is moved in the opposite direction, the crank 920 is depressed and the crank h
elevated, thus lifting the rod ' into position to engage another tooth, when the
clutch is moved in the opposite direction.
It will be noticed that the rotation of the main shaft is controlled by the pinion
or collar on the threaded rod e², and that the same number of twists given to the
hank by the rotation of the shaft in one direction, is taken out by the rotation of
the shaft in the opposite direction, so that the bobbins c are rotated to move the
hank longitudinally, when the said bank is slack or free from twist.

page_text: In order that the hanks may not be twisted more than a predetermined number
of times, I have provided an automatic stop motion by which the clutch is disengaged
from the rods c20, 21, and made to occupy an intermediate or central position.
The automatic stop motion consists, as herein shown, of a rod p, see Figs. 5 and 6,
extended through a hollow sleeve p¹, indicated by dotted lines Fig. 6, preferably
extended through a plate or bar p² and firmly secured thereto in any suitable manner.
The sleeve is provided with a substantially narrow longitudinal slot on its
upper side through which projects a stud p on the rod p, and the said sleeve has
fastened to its end a collar på against which the end or head pt of the rod p strikes.
The sleeve p' has loosely mounted on it between the plate p² and the collar p³, a
sleeve po provided with a slot having one of its side walls or edges made inclined
and provided with a number of notches p constituting steps, which are engaged by
the stud or projection p².
The sleeve p has secured to or forming part of it a collar p provided with
ratchet teeth p, which are engaged by a pawl p10 on a lever p¹² pivoted to the
plate p², and having an arm p adapted to be struck by a stud or cam p!* on a
ratchet wheel pl, normally. rotated in the direction of arrow 20, Fig. 5, by a push
pawl pe pivoted on the counter-balanced lever et on the shaft e, the said ratchet
wheel being frictionally mounted on the shaft e", and prevented from being rotated
in a direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 20 by a retaining pawl p2.
The rod p is encircled by a spring p", one end of which abuts against the collar p³
and the other against the stud p².
The operation of the automatic stop motion is as follows, viz.-the rod p is drawn
out and the sleeve p³ turned until the outermost or top notch p is engaged by
the stud p², the cam or projection on the ratchet wheel p being below the arm p¹³.
When the clutch d' is thrown forward into engagement with the rod c, the
lever is tipped down in the direction of arrow 22, and the pawl 1 is engaged
with a lower or new tooth, so that when the clutch d' is thrown into engagement
with rod 0, the ratchet wheel will be moved in the direction of arrow 20 the distance
of one tooth.
The ratchet wheel p¹ is thus moved one tooth for each twist of the hank, and at
the end of each complete revolution of the ratchet wheel, the cam p" strikes the
arm p and through the lever pla and its pawl p10, the ratchet collar p³ is rotated
one tooth, and the sleeve po turned to bring the second notch p into engagement with
the stud p', the rod p being moved forward by the spring p".
It will thus be seen that the machine will continue to run until the last notch p
in the sleeve på has been disengaged from the stud p7, and the rod p is moved forward
by the spring beyond the end of the sleeve pl and into position to be struck by the
lever e, thereby stopping the clutch d'in its central position out of engagement
with the rods c20, 21, thus stopping the twisting of the hanks.
The number of twists given to the bank may be varied either by substituting a
different size ratchet wheel p1, or by increasing the number of notches p in the
sleeve p³.
I pefer to employ the form of stop motion described, but I do not desire to limit
myself to this particular form as other forms may be used.
I prefer to employ loose pulleys on the main shaft, but it is evident that the said
shaft may be rotated in opposite directions by suitable gearing.
The movable head or frame is restored to its normal position, as herein shown,
by a weight, and while I prefer to employ a weight, I do not desire to limit myself
to this construction, as a spring may be employed for the same purpose.
To enable the movable head or frame to be inoved by hand, as for instance, when
the hank is to be put on or taken off, I have provided a lever r, see Fig. 1, pivoted
as at r to a bracket 2 secured to the frame of the machine.
The pivot is beyond the transverse centre of the machine, and when the hanks
are off the machine, the movable head is drawn by the weight back until a rib or
projection on the movable head strikes the lever r between its pivot and end, so

page_text: r
that when the lever is pulled forward by hand the movable frame is forced toward
the stationary head, and is maintained in proper position, while the hunks are put on
or taken off, by a pawl pivoted to a part of the frame of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine or apparatus for twisting fibre thread or yarn in hanks, the com-
bination with a stationary head, and a bobbin carried thereby, and about which one
end of a hank is placed, of a horizontally movable head and a bobbin carried by it
and about which the other end of the hank is placed, gears to produce rotation of
said hobbins, a main shaft, a clutch mechanism to operate it, a pulley adapted to be
engaged by said clutch mechanism to produce rotation of the main shaft in one
direction to twist the hank, a second pulley on the main shaft to be engaged by the
clutch mechanism to rotate the main shaft in the opposite direction to untwist the
hank, and means substantially as described to withdraw the movable head from the
stationary head as, the hank is being untwisted, substantially as set forth.
2. In a machine or apparatus for twisting fibre thread or yarn in hanks, a
stationary head, and a bobbin carried thereby and about which one end of a hank
is placed, combined with a movable head, and a bobbin carried by it and about which
the other end of the hank is placed, a main shaft provided with pulleys, gears to
produce rotation of the said bobbins, a clutch mechanism to engage said pulleys, and
a reversing mechanism connected to said clutch mechanism and consisting of a
threaded rod e², collars fixed thereon and provided with lugs e; and a pinion or
collar traveling on said rod and provided with lugs to engage the lugs on the said
collars to automatically engage said clutch with one pulley to twist the hank a
predetermined number of times and with the other pulley to untwist the hank, and
with means substantially as described to withdraw the movable head from the
stationary head as the hank is being untwisted, substantially as described.
3. In a machine or apparatus for twisting fibre thread or yarn in hanks, the com-
bination with a stationary head, and a bobbin carried thereby and about which one
end of a bank is placed, of a movable head, and a bobbin carried by it and about
which the other end of the hank is placed, and gears to produce rotation of the said
bobbins, a main shaft provided with pulleys, a clutch mechanism to engage said
pulleys, and a reversing mechanism connected to said clutch mechanism and adapted
to engage said clutch with one pulley to twist the hank, and with the other pulley to
untwist the hank, and with means substantially as described to withdraw the movable
head from the stationary head as the hank is being untwisted, and a stopping device
actuated by the reversing mechanism to center the said clutch mechanism and thereby
automatically stop the machine or apparatus when the hank has been twisted a
predetermined number of times, substantially as described.
4. In a machine or apparatus for twisting fibre thread or yarn in hanks, a
stationary head, a main shaft provided with a gear, a bobbin about which one end of
the hank is placed, a gear to rotate said bobbin, combined with a movable head
through which the main shaft is extended, a gear mounted on the main shaft and
carried by the movable head, and a bobbin carried by the movable head, and provided
with a gear in mesh with the gear on the main shaft, pulleys on the main shaft, and
a clutch mechanism to engage said pulleys to produce opposite rotation of the main
shaft, means substantially as described to produce rotation of the gears carried by the
movable head to move the hank longitudinally, substantially as described.
5. In a machine or apparatus for twisting fibre thread or yarn in hanks, two
heads, and bobbins carried by them and about which the bank is placed, one of the
said heads being movable with relation to the other, and gears to produce rotation of
the bobbins as described, combined with a main shaft, and a clutch mechanism to
produce opposite rotations of the said shaft, and with a controlling mechanism sub-
stantially as described driven by the main shaft and connected to and operating the

page_text: clutch mechanism to control or govern the direction and duration of rotation of the
said main shaft, and means substantially as described to produce longitudinal move-
ment of the bank when slack or untwisted, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Dated the 94th dort of Irn 1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.