IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WINDING VARN AND THREAD
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wren and John Hopkinson, both of the
City of Manchester, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR WINDING VARN AND THREAD"
Sealed the 15th February 1867, and dated the 24th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wren and John
Hopkinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 24th August 1866.
We, HENRY WREN and JOHN HOPKINSON, both of the City of Manchester,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-,
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WINDING YARN AND THREAD," to be as follows:-
Our Invention is applicable to the winding machines in which yarn or
thread is wound on to conical bobbins or spools, commonly called "pirns."
The yarn or thread is supplied to the machine either wound on bobbins or in
hanks on swifts, and the pirns are placed on spindles with the larger diameter
of the cone downwards; the spindles are weighted so as to hold the conical
part of the pirn in contact with the cup which is open at one side, and the
lever of the cup is mounted on a fulcrum stud as usual. The cup is provided
with a spring or weighted presser acting in conjunction with the cup on the
yarn or thread, and causing it to be wound tighter and more regularly than

page_text: 'heretofore, thereby winding a greater length of yarn or thread on each pirn.
The presser levers are hinged to studs which are fixed in the copping rail, and
each presser lever is connected by a hook to the corresponding cup lever, so
that as the cup is moved to one side the presser is moved in the contrary
direction to allow the full pirn to be removed or for piecing up a broken end.
As the yarn or thread accumulates on the pirn the spindle is gradually
depressed, until when the pirn' is full the driving band which passes around a
small drum on the spindle comes on to a loose pulley, thereby stopping the
spindle. Each spindle is acted upon by a weight and treadle, and the
attendant by placing his foot on the treadle can depress the spindle, and has
both hands at liberty for piecing up, or for removing the full pirn and placing
another empty one on the spindle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Wren and John Hopkinson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
WREN and JOHN HOPKINSON, both of the City of Manchester, Engineers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Henry Wren and John Hopkiuson, Her special license that we, the said
Henry Wren and John Hopkinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Henry Wren and John Hopkinson, our
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 WINDING YARN AND THREAD," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Henry Wren and John Hopkinson, our executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or
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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Henry Wren and John Hopkinson,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say):-
Our Invention is applicable to the winding machines in which yarn or
thread is wound on to conical bobbins or spools, commonly called "pirns," and
the object of our Invention is a more equal distribution of the yarn or thread
on the bobbin or spool than has been hitherto attained. The yarn or thread is
applied to the machine either wound on bobbins or in hanks as usual, and the
pirns are placed on spindles with the larger diameter of the cone downwards;
the spindles are weighted so as to hold the conical part of the pirn in contact
with the cup which is open at one side, and the lever of the cup is mounted
on a fulcrum stud as usual. In ordinary winding frames the thread is allowed
to pass from the guide rail to the pirn through the opening in the conical
cup without any other guidance than that of the guide rail, but in our
improved machine the cup is provided with a presser guide, with a spring or
weight acting in conjunction with the cup on the yarn or thread, and causing
it to be wound tighter, and to be more regularly distributed than heretofore,
thereby winding a greater length of yarn or thread on each pirn and ensuring
an increased facility for its coming off in the process of weaving, as the coils
are wound at even distances and do not overlap each other. The levers of
the presser guides are hinged to studs which are fixed on the copping rail, and
each presser guide is connected by a hook to the corresponding cup lever, so
that as the cup is moved to one side the presser is moved in the contrary
direction to allow the full pirn to be removed, or for piecing up a broken end.
As the yarn or thread accumulates on the pirn the spindle is gradually
depressed until when the pirn is full the driving band which passes around a
wharve or small drum on the spindle comes on to a loose pulley, thereby
stopping the spindle. Each spindle is acted upon by a weight that has
attached to it a treadle, and the attendant by placing his foot on the aforesaid
treadle can depress the spindle, and has both hands at liberty for piecing
up or for removing the full pirn and placing another empty one on the
spindle.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood, we will proceed
to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the
figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 represents a transverse section of one side of the frame shewing

page_text: the general arrangement; Figure 2 represents a longitudinal elevation of
the same; and Figure 3 represents a plan full size, shewing the cup and the
action of the presser guide upon the pirn.
a is the framing of the machine; b, the spindles; c, the pirns upon the
spindles ; d is the fast wharve or drum, and e is the loose pulley above the
fast one; f.f, are the bolster rails carrying the spindles; g is the copping or
lifting rail; h is a small frame in which the foot of the spindle revolves, and
to which the treadle i is attached; is the lifting shaft, by which motion is
given to the copping or lifting rail, and it is acted upon or worked by a mangle
wheel or other traverse motion in the usual manner; k is a small tin guide
roller, over which the band or driving tape from the central roller passes on to
and gives motion to the spindle; is the conical cup in which the pirn rotates';
this cup is cast with the lever 1, which is hinged to the fulcrum stud m; n is
the presser guide with its holder n²; p is a weight acting upon the presser
guide and keeping it in contact with the pirn, a spring may be used instead of
a weight; 1 is the hook cast on the lever 1, which connects the cup and
presser guide n; r is the conductor fixed to the presser guide, through which
the thread is passed before it comes to the groove in the presser guide; sis
the guide rod, over which the yarn passes; t is a break to prevent the drawing
off bobbin from over running; u is the weight acting upon the frame h,
which supports the spindle b, and is gradually raised as the spindle and pirn
are depressed by the accumulation of the thread upon the pirn; above the
weight u are the supplementary weights w, which can be increased or reduced
in number to meet the amount of pressure required. The other parts of
the machine which are not shewn in the Drawings are made in the usual
manner.
The mode of operation is as follows: The attendant opens the cup / and
presser guide 'n by pressing upon the front of the cup at y in the direction of
the arrow in Figure 3, and this pressure brings the hook 1 in contact with one
end of the presser guide holder n³, and moves it in the contrary direction to
the cup, as shewn by dotted lines in Figure 3. Having placed an empty.pirn
upon the spindle b, the treadle is released to allow the spindle to ascend to
the position shewn in the Drawing. The driving band or tape x now being
on the fast wharve or pulley d sets in motion the spindle b, and the yarn or
thread at once begins to be wound on the pirn. The thread in its passage
from the drawing off bobbin z passes over the rods and through the conductor ?,
from which it proceeds to the presser guide n, and as this guide has on its
inside a groove along which, the thread passes it will be seen that as the
traverse rail g ascends and descends, 'the presser guide n accommodates itself

page_text: to the varying diameter of the pirn, being kept in contact with it by the weight p,
and the yarn or thread passing along the groove on the inside of presser guide
is kept in its proper position and laid in regular coils at equal distances on
the pirn, which is not the case in winding frames of the present construction ;
this regularity of the distribution of the thread insures its unwinding freely in
the weaving process. As the yarn or thread accumulates on the pirn c, the
spindle b is gradually depressed until the pirn is full, when the driving band a
comes on to the loose pulley e, the motion of spindle 6 then ceases. The
attendant now acting on the treadle i brings down the spindle to such a
position that the full pirn can be removed and replaced by an empty one.
This completes the operation and puts the parts in position for starting
again.
Having thus stated the nature of our improvements, and the manner
of carrying the same into practical effect, we claim as new and of our
Invention,
First, the general combination and arrangement of the machine for winding
yarn and thread, as shewn and described.
Secondly, the application of a presser guide to the pirn, which presser guide
is acted upon by a weight or spring, and is connected to the cup lever, thereby
compressing the yarn or thread on the pirn and distributing it evenly on its
surface.
And, lastly, the application of a treadle for drawing down the spindle, and
so leaving both hands of the attendant at liberty for doffing and for other
purposes,
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Wren and John Hopkinson,
have hereto set our bands and seals, this Twenty-first day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.