IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR FINISHING SEWING THREAD OR YARN
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Barbour, of Lisburn, in the County of
Antrim, and Kingdom of Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY POR FINISHING SEWING THREAD OR YARN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Barbour at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
March 1866.
I, SAMUEL BARBOUR, of Lisburn, in the County of Antrim, and Kingdom
of Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING SEWING THREAD OR YARN," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements on a machine termed an "iron
or "hooking machine" for finishing sewing thread or yarn. In this
machine, as hitherto constructed, there is a great deal of breakage of thread or
yarn, and at the same time it requires delicate manipulation. The object of
this Invention is to avoid these defects, and to make the machine as near as
possible self-acting.
These improvements consist, first, in an arrangement of the bottom hooks
on which, in conjunction with the top hooks, the thread is finished, whereby
the tension strain on each hank of thread or yarn is made more uniform than
heretofore. This is effected by allowing each bottom hook to approach the
corresponding top hook independently of the remaining bottom hooks for the

page_text: purpose of accommodating itself to the unavoidable variation in the lengths of
the different hanks without subjecting the bank on them to a much greater
tension strain. To this end a spring is attached to each bottom book, or the
same result may be attained by the application of springs to the top hooks;
or weights may be applied to either the top or bottom hooks to secure the
requisite uniform tension.
Second, in allowing the bottom hooks to revolve on their axes, instead of
being fixtures as at present, and connecting each adjoining pair by toothed
wheels, which equalize the torsion strain on the banks on these hooks, a
similar effect may be produced by using levers, friction straps, or springs
applied to the bottom hooks, and more than two may be connected, but the
Inventor prefers the arrangement described.
Third, in an arrangement by means of which a motion is given to each
bank of thread in the direction of its length during the finishing process
without stopping the machine, as has been necessary heretofore, for the
purpose of subjecting each portion to an equal amount of action or finish.
This is effected by placing a pulley free to revolve on each hook, over which
the thread passes, and by communicating a slight rotary movement to each
of the pulleys on the bottom hooks at each descent of the bottom bar to which
all the bottom hooks are attached.
Fourth, in an arrangement for regulating the tension strain on all the
hanks, so as to facilitate the formation of "curls" or "kinks" in the banks
during the twisting process. This is effected by counteracting the weight of
the bar to which the bottom hooks are attached by means of a weight or
weights and levers connected to this bar by chains, so that the entire weight
of the rising bar is sustained by the thread at the proper times only and
relieved from it when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Barbour in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
BARBOUR, of Lisburn, in the County of Antrim, and Kingdom of Ireland,
send greeting.
3
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our 3.
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year

page_text: of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Samuel Barbour, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel
Barbour, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as J, the
said Samuel Barbour, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING SEWING THREAD OR YARN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Barbour, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Barbour, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :—
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon a machine used for
finishing sewing thread, and termed an "iron man or hooking machine.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine
in its improved form; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional elevation; and Fig. 3 is an
enlarged view of some of the parts.
The first of these improvements consists in an arrangement of parts,
whereby the tension strain put on the hank of thread or yarn by means of
pairs of hooks is made more uniform than beretofore. This is effected by
allowing each bottom book to approach the corresponding top hook inde-
pendently of the remaining bottom hooks for the purpose of accommodating
itself to the unavoidable variations in the lengths of the different hanks
without subjecting the hank to undue tension strain.
For the purpose of explaining this part of the Invention, I would remark
that the hanks are shewn at a, as laid over tension pullies hereafter more par.
ticularly referred to, which pullies are carried by short cranked rods or hooks
b, c, the hooks b being mounted in a longitudinal bar d, and the hooks c in
bearings in a longitudinal fixed frame constituting a portion of the main
framing of the machine. The bar d is free to move up and down, as will be
hereafter described, to permit of the hanks being held at tension at their full

page_text: length, and to allow for the contraction of their length under the twisting
action. To the shank of each bottom hook 6 (see the enlarged view, Fig. 3,)
a helical spring b' is applied, it being confined in a chamber formed in the
bottom rail d, which is drawn partly in section to show the chamber and the
parts concealed therein. As the hook is lifted by the thread the collar 6 on
the shank of the hook 6 compresses the spring 6', until the weight of the
bottom rail d is sustained equally or nearly so by cach hank. The hooks b
are prevented from rising so far as to take the spur wheels b³, which they
carry out of gear with each other. This is effected by applying to the bottom
of the hooks b a plate 6, which will not pass through the hole in the cover d¹
of the spring chamber, while the collar 6 of the plate 6 is free to pass through
that hole. The tension strain of the banks may also be equalized by a similar
application to that described to the top hooks c, or by the use of separate
weights applied to either top or bottom hooks, or in any other convenient
manner, but I prefer the spring at each bottom hook for providing against the
inequalities of strain heretofore experienced.
The second improvement consists in allowing the bottom hooks 6 to revolve
on their axles, instead of being fixtures as at present, and connecting each
adjoining pair by toothed wheels 63, which equalize the torsion strain on the
banks a.
A similar effect may be produced by using levers, friction straps, or
springs applied to the bottom books, and more than two may be connected,
but prefer the arrangement described.
The third improvement consists in an arrangement by means of which a
motion is given to each hank of thread in the direction of its length during
the finishing process without stopping the machine (as has been necessary
heretofore) for the purpose of subjecting each portion to an equal amount of
action or finish. This is effected by mounting a pulley e (which is free to
revolve) on each of the hooks b and c to receive the thread, and by commu-
nicating a slight rotatory movement to the pullies on the bottom hooks or
studs at each descent of the bottom bar d, to which all the bottom hooks b
are attached. This rotary movement is effected by fixing on the end of each
of the pulleyse of the lower hooks ba ratchet wheel that is acted upon by
a pawl or catch carried by a plate e. The pulley is mounted loosely on a
spindle e', which has its bearing in the hook b. Keyed to the spindle at one
end is the plate e, and to the other end of
weighted lever, which is lifted by the chain
are at their lowest point, and thus the catch
caused to turn the pulley e partially round. As the bank is at this time
hanging without twist it is carried round a little by the motion of the pulley e
this spindle is fastened the
every time the bottom hooks b
is brought into action and

page_text: on the hook b, and thus each part of the hank is in turn exposed to an equal
amount of the action of twisting.
The last improvement consists in an arrangement for regulating the tension
strain on all the hanks in the machine at one time, so as to facilitate the
formation of "curls or kinks" in the hanks during the twisting process. This
is effected by counteracting the weight of the bar d, to which the bottom
hooks 6 are attached by means of a weight for weights f¹ and levers f, which
are connected to this bar d by chains. Thus the entire weight of the rising
bar d is sustained by the thread at the proper times only and relieved from it
when required. This will be understood on reference to the Drawing, Figs.
1 and 2, where the bottom bar d and its set of hooks b are shewn in the lowest
position. To each end of this bar d are attached two chains 9, 9', which are
joined together by their ends being attached to their respective pulleys f*.
These pulleys are keyed to short shafts f, which pass through the main
framing h at opposite ends of the machine. To these shafts are fixed the
two weighted levers f, which are so set that when the bottom bar d rises so
far by the twisting of the hanks a as to be ready for the formation of a "kink"
or second twist, the weights f¹ are almost a counterbalance, the levers f
being horizontal. As the bar d continues to rise when the "kink" is formed
the strain is increased again until the motion is reversed to untwist.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Machinery for Finishing Sewing Thread or Yarn," and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, 1 wish it to be understood that under the
above in part-recited Letters Patent, I claim the application to machinery of
the above-named class, of means for equalizing the tension strain upon the
hanks, and distributing the torsion strain; also of giving to the hanks a
positive and regular motion in the direction of their length, and regulating or
relieving the tension strain upon the hanks to facilitate the formation of
"kinks" or double twists as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Barbour, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
SAMUEL BARBOUR. (L.s.)