IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TWISTING AND LAYING STRANDS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THREAD, TWINE, CORD, OR ROPE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Newton Jennings, of Leeds, in the County of York,
for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TWISTING AND LAYING
STRANDS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THREAD, TWINE,
CORD, OR ROPE." A communication from abroad by Richard Robinson, of
Zittau, in the Kingdom of Saxony.
Sealed the 27th December 1879, and dated the 28th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Newton Jennings at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th June 1879.
JOHN NEWTON JENNINGS, of Leeds, in the County of York. " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR TWISTING AND LAYING STRANDS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF THREAD, TWINE, CORD, OR ROPE." [A communication from
abroad by Richard Robinson, of Zittau, in the Kingdom of Saxony.]
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction of apparatus for
laying manufacturing thread, twine, cord, and rope.
To this end the fibrous material having been drawn and spun into strands in the
usual way is made up into cops instead of being wound on bobbins as heretofore.
The cops are enclosed in cases which are mounted vertically in sets of any desired
number, say three, concentrically round their respective spindles. The cop cases
will be caused to rotate on their own axes while revolving with the spindle by a
train of gear wheels set in motion in any convenient manner, and they are provided
with means for causing a certain amount of drag on the strands as they issue from
the cop cases. The cop cases are geared together to ensure a uniform speed of
rotation, and the strands are drawn from each cop case by a pair of rollers in con-
nection with the gearing.
The spindles are mounted in bearings in the main frame in the ordinary way,
and are provided at their upper ends with the usual cone guides for collecting the
twisted strands of their respective groups and laying them together.
Immediately above each cone is placed a guide pulley, over which the laid cord
or twine passes to a drawing off pulley in rear of it. This drawing off pulley
receives motion from the main shaft of the machine in any convenient manner, and
a second and smaller V pulley intended to keep the laid cord or twine tight on the
larger one, for which purpose it is caused to rotate at a slightly increased speed, is
Dries 031

page_text: provided. The laid cord passes from this second pulley round a guide pulley,
which serves to keep a drag on the smaller pulley and also to conduct the laid cord
to a cam, whence it is taken to a finishing machine to be finished in the ordinary
way.
The apparatus as above described is found most suitable for the stouter kinds of
cord or for rope, and forms a compact and simple apparatus which is capable of
being driven at a much higher speed than when bobbins are used; but for the
lighter kinds of cord, or for thread or twine, it is found more convenient to mount
the cop cases, to which rotary motion will be given as before explained, in a
stationary frame, and to conduct the twisted strands to an ordinary spindle and
flyer, where the laid thread or twine can be wound onto bobbins.
In order to stop the machine upon the breaking or running out of a strand a
motion is provided. This consists of a wire frame which rests against each strand
in rotation. In the case of a strand running out this wire frame springs forward and
rocks a lever which vibrates a pawl. This pawl drops into a ratchet wheel fast
upon and rotating with a shaft connected by a clutch with a pulley driven in any
convenient manner from the main shaft and stops the ratchet wheel shaft, which
throws the clutch out of gear, one of which is and works in a groove in the clutch.
These levers are connected with the belt fork rod, which is thus caused to throw
the driving belt on to a loose pulley on the main shaft to stop the machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Newton Jennings in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
December 1879.
JOHN NEWTON JENNINGS, of Leeds, in the County of York. " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR TWISTING AND LAYING STRANDS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF THREAD, TWINE, CORD, OR ROPE." A communication
from abroad by Richard Robinson, of Zittau, in the Kingdom of Saxony.
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction of apparatus used in
the manufacture of thread, twine, cord, and rope.
To this end the fibrous material having been drawn and spun into strands in the
usual way is made up into cops instead of being wound on bobbins as heretofore.
These cops are enclosed in cases which are mounted vertically in sets of any desired
number (say three) concentrically around their respective spindles. The cop cases
are caused to rotate on their own axes while revolving with the spindle by a train
of gear wheels set in motion in any convenient manner and they are provided with
means for causing a certain amount of drag on the strands as they issue from the
cop cases.
In the accompanying Drawings at Sheets I. and II. the improved apparatus as
used for making stout cord or rope is shewn, Fig. being a front elevation of a
laying machine; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation,
partly in section, on an enlarged scale of a spindle shewing the arrangement of the
cop cases and the stop motion in connection therewith; Fig. 4 is a front view of
the stop motion; Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the varying positions of the wire
frame of the stop motion; Fig. 6 is a cross section of a cop case taken on the line
x, x, Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line y, y, of Fig. 3, showing the mode
of driving two sets of cop cases.
A, A, are vertical standards connected together by tie rods and bars, and consti-
tuting the main frame of the laying machine; B is the main shaft provided with fast
and loose pulleys to receive a belt from any prime mover; C, C, are the spindles
suitably mounted vertically in bearings in the main frame A, each spindle carrying
a set of, say, three rotating cop cases D arranged concentrically around it. To each
spindle C is keyed a bevil wheel E in gear with and driven by a bevil wheel F keyed
on the shaft G and to which motion is communicated through a train of gear wheels
from the main shaft B.
The cop cases forming a set are mounted vertically in plates a, a', keyed to their
respective spindles, the cases being provided with trunnions for that purpose.
Keyed to the lower trunnion is a piniou a which gears into teeth formed on the
inner periphery of the box wheel H, mounted loosely on the spindle, and by which
the cop cases are driven.
This box wheel H carries teeth on the outer periphery which gear into an inter-
mediate wheel carried on a stud axle. Cast with this wheel I is a bevil wheel
which gears into another bevil wheel I' keyed upon a horizontal shaft J extending
from end to end of the machine and driven by spur gearing from the main
shaft B.
Mounted on each cop case is a pair of grooved tension pulleys b, b', round which.
the strands pass on their way from the cop cases to the top of the spindle. These
pulleys b, b', have their bearings on the hollow trunnions and are geared together
so that they turn simultaneously.
In order that all the pulleys in each group of cop cases may deliver off the strands
at one uniform speed the following contrivance is adopted. Mounted loosely on the
spindle C is a spur wheel 62 which gears. into spur pinions 63 mounted loosely on

page_text: the hollow trunnions of each case.
These pinions are cast with bevil teeth which
gear respectively into bevil wheels 6 keyed to the axles of the pulleys b.
Each cop case is provided with a pair of small drag levers c, c, to cause a drag on
the strands as they pass between them on their way to the pulleys b, b'. These
levers are held down by springs c¹.
The three strands as they issue from their respective cop cases D are led up to
and through a guide C' secured to the top of the spindle and thence to a guide
pulley d. A suitable draught having been put upon the strands by a driven pulley
as usual, the strands will by reason of the rotation of the cop cases receive a twist,
and in passing from the guide C¹ to the pulley d will be evenly laid together into a
cord or rope through the rotation of the spindle C which carries around with it the
cop cases D.
The laid cord or rope as it passes from the guide pulley d is delivered by the
driven pulley L to a second driven pulley M rotating at a slightly increased surface
speed so as to keep the cord or rope tight on the pulley I. From this pulley M the
cord or rope passes over a guide roller Ñ which delivers it, a can O, or other suitable
receptacle. A pressing roller e covered with india rubber to prevent it flattening
the cord may be provided to work on the guide roller N. The can O is caused to
rotate slowly by gear wheels driven by a belt from the main shaft B.
For driving the spindles the usual train of gearing may be employed. The
Drawing shews each spindle with a bevil wheel E in gear with a bevil wheel F
mounted on the shaft G which extends from end to end of the machine. This shaft
is driven from the main driving shaft B by the spur gearing G¹ on the shaft G, G²,
on the stud axle G3, G4, on the stud axle G and Ge on the main shaft.
The driven pulley L also receives in the usual manner its motion from a train of
gearing actuated from the main driving shaft B and a like remark applies to the
pulley M, provision being made for changing certain wheels if desired.
The cop cases being mounted on the spindles and carried round therewith inside
the box wheel are caused to rotate on their own axes by the gearing of the pinions
a, a, into the teeth on the inner periphery of the box wheel. This wheel receives
more or less motion through the wheels I, I¹, and the intermediate wheel I² from
the pinion Is on the main shaft B and the speed at which the cop cases rotate, and
consequently the amount of twist given to the strands will be regulated by the
speed at which the box wheel is driven, thus the faster the speed of the box wheel
the slower will be the speed of the cop cases and consequently the amount of twist
given to the strands will be less, and vice versa.
By increasing the diameter of the pinion 13 and reducing the diameter of the
wheel I' the speed of the box wheel will be proportionately increased, the speed of
rotation of the spindle C being always the same.
In order to stop the machine should any of the strands break or run out a stop
notion is provided; this stop motion consists of a rectangular wire frame f mounted
on stud axles f₁, f', connected to the brackets f³, f, pendant from the horizontal
bar f, which also carries the upper bearings for the spindles C. The bottom bar
of this wire frame f is pressed continually against the strands by the spring f³.
Against the top bar of the frame f bears a lever g, which is pivotted to the bar f³. The
upper end of this lever supports a pawl h and holds it out of the teeth of a ratchet
wheel mounted on the shaft j. This shaft j is in two parts, connected by the
coupling k, and is driven in any convenient manner from the main shaft B.
part of the coupling k is connected by the lever to the lever m, which by the
pin m' supports the belt fork rod n.
The
The action of the stop motion is as follows:-Should a strand break or run out
the frame is pressed by the spring f into the dotted position against the spindle;
this serves to rock the lever g and release the pawl, which drops into the ratchet
wheel i and stops the rotation of one part of the shaft j, while the other portion k¹
continues to rotate, the effect of this being to throw the two parts of the coupling
out of contact and rock the levers and m. This will raise the belt fork rod n off

page_text: the catch n and allow the spring n² to draw the rod n over and shift the belt
fork n³, and thus throw the driving belt on to the loose pulley.
The cop cases consist of a rectangular box provided with trunnions, and one side
of the box is hinged to form a door, by which the cops are introduced into the cases,
a spring catch being provided to hold the door closed. A piece of india rubber is
placed at the back of the case to keep the cop tight therein, and the sides of the
case are ruffled or grooved as in the shuttle for weaving.
The cops must be made to fit the cases, so that they will not slip up or down.
The drawing-off V pulleys L and M should be roughed by milling or in any
other convenient manner to give a better hold for the laid cord or rope passing
round them.
The apparatus as above described is found most suitable for the stouter kinds of
cords or for rope, and forms a compact and simple apparatus, which is capable of
being at a much higher speed than when bobbins are used; but for the lighter
kinds of cord, or for thread or twine, it is found more convenient to mount the cop
cases, to which rotary motion is given as before explained, in a stationary frame,
and to conduct the twisted strands to an ordinary spindle and flyer by which the
laid thread or twine can be wound onto bobbins.
This arrangement is shewn in Sheet III. of the Drawings, where Fig. 1 is an end
elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation of the same; and Fig. 3
is a partial plan, shewing a group of three cop cases for supplying three strands to
one flyer.
In this arrangement the cop cases, which are constructed in a precisely similar
manner to those shewn in Sheets I. and II., are mounted horizontally on the fixed
framing A, and in two rows of different elevation for the purposes to be presently
explained. These cases are fitted with bevil wheels a*, which gear respectively
into bevil wheels a* on the longitudinal shafts K, the rotation of which through
gearing from the main driving shaft B imparts a rotary motion in one and the
same direction to all the cop cases in the machine. The strands pass out from their
respective cop cases through the hollow trunnions and are led in groups through &
fixed guide L to a guide pulley M, which delivers them to the hollow neck of the
spindle C, which is fitted with a flyer C'. From this hollow neck the strands
emerge and are led to the twizzle of one of the flyers, which lays them in the form
of a cord onto the bobbin C, which is traversed on its spindle by a copping rail
in the usual manner. For ensuring an uniform delivery of the strands from all the
cop cases of the series the pinions 68, which are mounted loosely on the hollow
trunnions of the cop cases, have in this instance skew teeth, which gear into skew
toothed pinions p keyed onto a longitudinal shaft P which runs between the two
lines of cop cases to permit of its pinions gearing either at top or bottom into
pinions 63 of the two lines of cop cases. This shaft P is connected by a train of
gearing with the main driving shaft B, as is clearly shewn in the Drawing, the
object being to give it such a speed of rotation as will ensure a proper rate of
delivery of the strands from the cop cases to their respective flyers. At the same
time the connection of all the cop cases with the shaft P by gearing will ensure a
uniform delivery of strands from all the cop cases.
The rotation of the spindles and flyers is shewn as obtained in the usual manner
from the main driving shaft.
Having now set forth the nature of the said Invention of "Improved Apparatus
for Twisting and Laying Strands of Fibrous Material for the Manufacture of
Thread, Twine, Cord, or Rope," as communicated to me from abroad by my
foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim,
First. The arrangement and construction of apparatus for the manufacture of
cord or rope, as shewn and described with reference to Sheets I. and II. of the
Drawings.

page_text: Second. The arrangement and construction of apparatus as shown and described
with reference to Sheet III. of the Drawings, for the manufacture of light cord,
thread, or twine.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Newton Jennings, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight bundred and seventy nine.
JOHN NEWTON JENNINGS. (L.S.)
JOHN NEWTON JENNINGS. (L.s.)