CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING, ROVING, DOUBLING, AND TWISTING, COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JOHN
HOWARTH, of Aldermanbury, in the City of London, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present möst Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, in the second year of Her reign
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Howarth, Her special licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said John Howarth, my exors, admors, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said John Howarth, my exors, admors, and assigns,
should agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise; and vend, within England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, ny Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SPINNING, ROVING, DOUBLING, AND TWISTING, COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said John Howarth, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
Said Invention, and in what manner the same to be performed, to be enrolled
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Howarth, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention of Certain
Improvements in Machinery for Spinning, Roving, Doubling, and Twisting,
Cotton and other Fibrous Materials, to consist in a new arrangement in the
spindle and tube or flyer used in spinning, roving, doubling, and twisting
machinery, together with certain modifications in the drag or resistance
applied to the spindles or bobbins, by which I am enabled to perform the
process of spinning, roving, doubling, and twisting, with more efficiency and
despatch than heretofore; and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed and carried into effect is set forth and described in the annexed
Drawing, and the following description thereof. In this Drawing the scale
is marked thereon, and the various letters and figures of reference indicate
the same parts throughout; but before I proceed to describe my improvements
in reference to the annexed Drawing, I would remark that the whole of the
Figures herein-after referred to relate to the cotton-spinning machine called
the throstle, and that I have not shewn my Invention as applied to roving
machines, considering such sufficiently obvious after the following description
of their application to the throstle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 exhibits a front elevation of part of a throstle to which the
modification of my improvements, marked Fig. 3, is applied, and Fig. 2 is a
side or end view of the same, having the geering for driving the drawing
rollers removed for the purpose of rendering the direction of the thread more
distinct. In these Figures A, A, represents the framing; B, the driving shaft,
on which is fixed the long tin drum C, that imparts motion to the tubes D,
and ultimately to the spindles e; marked E are the copping rails, upon which
the spindles are mounted, by the alternate or copping motion of which the
peculiar construction and form of the cop is effected. This motion may be
varied by any of the several well-known movements that are used for that
purpose. The rovings are delivered from the bobbins or spools F, upon
which they were previously wound, and pass in the direction indicated by
the red lines between the drawing rollers marked G, thence enter a small
hole at the upper extremity of the tube D, and pass in a diagonal direction
to the outside, immediately under the rail or support H; the thread is then
coiled once or twice round the cylindrical part of the tube, and re-enters the
interior of the tube near the point marked h, a little above the rail I, and
passes along the inside of the conical part J, through the eye s, and finally
to the spindle,the particular construction of which will be more fully described

page_text: hereafter. For the purpose of doffing or removing the bobbins or cops from
the spindles I cause the rails upon which the spindles are supported to be
lowered so that the tops of the spindles may clear the trumpet or bell mouth
J, and then moved out in a diagonal direction, as seen in dotted lines at
Fig. 2.
In case a thread is broken the tube is stopped by means of the
small set screw g, having a piece of leather at its extremity to prevent the
tube from being injured. I wish it to be known, however, that several
contrivances may be successfully used for this purpose. The spindle is then
pressed down as afterwards described, and the wire N is put through the hole
h, as best seen in Fig. 3, with its hook downwards; the thread is then passed
through the eyes, and finally drawn up by the wire N; it is then coiled once
or twice round the cylindrical part of the tube D, and put through the hole n,
at the top, and finally united to the sliver from the drawing rollers. I would
observe, that the holes in the tubes should be placed exactly opposite to each
other, and the eyes s should be in a line with them as shewn.
Fig. 3 represents an elevation and section of a tube, drawn full size for
the purpose of rendering my Inventions more clearly understood. The lower
end of this tube is expanded in the form of a trumpet mouth, and is provided
with suitable bearings, as shewn. There is also the warve or whirl, that
has motion communicated to it from the drum on the driving shaft by means
of the band or list, best seen at Fig. 2. The spindle marked e is supported
on a step or bearing f, of the form shewn in the Drawing, which is accurately
fitted to the rails marked E. This step is kept in its position by means of the
spiral spring, which allows the spindle to be lowered in case a thread
should break, thus providing room for the operative to find the broken end.
Instead of the trumpet mouth J of the tube 1, two flyer legs may be secured
into the lower part of the warve, over which the thread may pass to the
spindle. In this case the ordinary step in one copping rail may be used. The
upper extremity of the spindle e is sustained in a small roller, the diameter of
which corresponds with the bore of the tube D; the roller rests upon a shoulder
formed near the top of the spindle e, on which it turns freely, while the
roller is so nicely fitted to the spindle and tube between which it acts as to
admit of no lateral vibration of the spindle. I must, however, observe that
the spindle may be supported in a small ring that is accurately fitted to the
lower end of the tube D, and being of uniform diameter, would rise and fall
in the inside of the tube, the peculiarity of this part of the Invention being
the means of sustaining the spindle so as to allow it to vibrate with the
copping rail in the interior of the tube D. The contrivance by which I cause
a superior drag on the yarn or thread to any hitherto used, is accomplished by

page_text: means of the piece of tin or other suitable metal M, as seen at Fig. 3, fixed near
the lower end of the spindle e, the revolution of which causes sufficient
resistance, through the medium of the atmosphere, to maintain a steady and
uniform tension to the yarn while in the act of spinning. I would, however,
remark, that the superficial area of this piece of tin M must be determined by
the quality or strength of the cotton or other fibrous material of which the yarn
is to be composed, and also the degree of fineness into which it is subsequently
to be spun, together with the velocity of the spindle. This area may be made
greater or smaller by making the drag of two pieces of tin or other metal
so that they may slide together. This drag I denominate an atmospheric
drag. The thread passes in the direction already described through the small
hole at the top of the tubes, and thence in the direction shewn by the red
lines through the small eye s, at the bottom of the conical or trumpet mouth
J, to the spindle. Now it will be seen that when motion is imparted to the
tube, the tendency to revolve the spindle by the tenerior of the yarn is retarded
by the atmospheric drag already described, and thus the speed of the spindle,
or that part of the cop upon which the yarn is being wound, varies according
to its circumference, so as to take up the yarn at a uniform tension as
delivered from the drawing rollers.
Fig. 4 represents an elevation and section of another arrangement by which
I am enabled to wind upon a spool or bobbin, the necessary resistance or drag
upon the yarn being accomplished by means of the atmospheric drag, as before
described. By referring to the section of the same Figure the spindle will
be seen supported on a step, provided with a spiral spring, by means of which
the spindle is retained in its proper position, and also allows the spindle to be
displaced at pleasure. The bobbin Q is fitted so as to turn freely on the spindle
e, having the drag before mentioned inserted in a small slit in the lower
part of the bobbin Q, prepared for that purpose. This drag is fixed to a small
tube R that revolves with the bobbin.
Fig. 5 represents an elevation and section of another modification as the
preceding in Fig.4, accommodated to a flyer of the form shewn in the Drawing,
motion being communicated to the flyer through the warve K, the spindle e
being sustained on centres at each extremity, while the flyer revolves in
suitable bearings, as shewn, this spindle being also provided with the atmo-
spheric drag, as herein before mentioned.
Fig. 6 is a modification of Fig. 3, the only difference being the introduction
of a flyer, as shewn, instead of the conical part of the tube, which may be
varied to suit the form of the cop required. lu all these views the thread is
shewn in lines colored red.

page_text: Having now described my various Improvements in Machinery for Spinning,
Roving, Doubling, and Twisting, Cotton and other Fibrous Materials, as applied
to the throstle in Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, all which, with slight variations,
may be applied to the machinery for roving cotton and other fibrous
material, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim any of the well-
known parts of the ordinary machinery, as set forth in the Figs. 1 and 2, for
the purpose
of shewing my application of my improvements to the throstle.
But I do claim the supporting the spindles at each extremity in the com-
bination and application thereof, as set forth and described herein, and any
obvious modification of the arrangements, together with this application of
the atmospheric drag, and also the manner in which the thread enters and
passes round the tube to the spindle or bobbin, as before shewn; all which
Improvements in Machinery for Spinning, Roving, Twisting, and Doubling.
Cotton and other Fibrous Materials are, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, new and never before used in this Kingdom, I deliver this as a true
and faithful Specification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Howarth, have hereunto set my
haud and seal, this Eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred