IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, DOUBLING, AND THROWING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Dickins, of Middleton, near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, DOUBLING, AND
THROWING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Dickins at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th April 1870.
I, THOMAS DICKINS, of Middleton, near Manchester, in the County of
5 Lancaster, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, DOUBLING, AND
THROWING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The object of these improvements in spinning, throwing, and doubling
threads of silk or other fibrous material is to obtain superior regularity or
) evenness in the twist. This I effect by the use of a mechanical arrangement,
whereby any stipulated number of twists to the inch may be given with
certainty. The cops or bobbins filled with the threads of silk or other

page_text: fibrous substances to be twisted, doubled, or spun I mount either
vertically or horizontally upon a disc or flange carried by a short
vertical spindle supported in a step hearing on the frame of the machine.
To the upper end of this short spindle I fit a flyer with thread guides
corresponding in number to the threads to be operated upon, the dise
carrying the bobbins being geared by means of spur wheels (having a
suitable number of teeth) with a vertical spindle supported and driven
by friction surfaces or otherwise. This vertical spindle carries at its
upper end a worm, which gears into a worm wheel attached to the shaft
of the reel on which the spun or twisted threads of silk or other fibrous
material are to be wound. I so time the take-up motion with the
spiuning or twisting motion, by proportioning the spur and worm gearing
to each other, that any desired number of twists per inch may be put
into the threads during their passage from the bobbins to the reel or
bobbin. When a single or a doubled thread is to bo twisted the bobbin
containing it may be mounted on the flyer spindle, which for that
purpose may be made slightly conical to take a firm hold of the bobbin.
When the thrown, doubled, or spun threads of silk or other fibrous
material are desired to be wound upon bobbins in place of reels I
provide a horizontal cylinder for supporting and rotating the bobbin of
a diameter suitable to the size of the bobbins employed, and I gear it
with the worm upon the vertical driving spindle before mentioned. The
bobbin I mount in vertical guides, and its periphery resting upon the
driven cylinder it will be rotated by friction of contact at the same
surface speed as the silk is wound thereon. This arrangement of
spinning and doubling machinery is also applicable to the lapping of
silk around a central thread or core. If desired any ordinary simple
arrangement of mechanism may be employed, whereby on the breaking
of the thread the combined action of the twisting and winding may
be arrested.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Dickins, Her special licence that
I, the said Thomas Dickins, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Dickins, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 SPINNING, TWISTING, DOUBLING, AND THROWING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES;" upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Dickins, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 bo
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 Thomas Dickins, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, 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):-
The object of these improvements in machinery for spinning, twisting,
throwing, and doubling silk and other fibrous substances, is to obtain
superior regularity or evenness in the twist. This I effect by the use
of a mechanical arrangement whereby any stipulated number of twists
to the inch may be given with certainty. To this end the spindle
which carries the bobbins is made to actuate the axle of the taking-up
or winding motion so that whatever may be the speed of the spindle
the bobbin or reel for winding on the twisted threads shall have a
corresponding speed.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2.
aida alexation of on Sant of machanism for ring out 14

page_text: Invention. The cops or bobbins a, a, (filled with the threads of silk or
other fibrous substances to be twisted, doubled, or spun) are mounted
either vertically or horizontally upon a disc, flange, or plate & carried
by a vertical spindle c, supported in a suitable bearing on the frame of
the machine. On the lower end of this shaft is a conical friction wheel
or pulley which rests upon (and is therefore driven by) the largo
friction pulley h' on the main driving shaft h. On the disc or plate 6
at the upper end of the spindle c are arranged bearings for a horizontal
spindle, on which lever thread guides a', a', corresponding in number to
the threads to be operated upon, are mounted. On the spindle which
carries the bobbin disc is keyed a pinion c', which gears into and
drives a large toothed wheel e (having a suitable number of teeth) which
is mounted on the lower end of a vertical spindle f. This vertical
spindle carries at its upper end a worm f¹, which gears into a worm
wheel attached to the shaft of the recl g', on which the spun or
twisted threads of silk or other fibrous material are to be wound as they
come from the eye h. The take-up motion and g is timed with the
spinning or twisting motion by proportioning the pinion c and large
toothed wheel e and the worm gearing and g to each other, so that
any desired number of twists per inch may be put into the threads
during their passage from the bobbins a, a, to the reel or bobbin g'.
it
When a single or double thread is to be twisted the bobbin containing
may be mounted on the flyer spindle, which for that purpose may at
its upper end be made slightly conical to take a firm hold of the bobbin.
This arrangement of parts is shown at Tig. 3. When the thrown,
doubled, or spun threads of silk or other fibrous material are desired to
be wound upon bobbins, in place of reels I provide a horizontal cylinder
(for supporting and rotating the bobbin) of a diameter suitable to the
size of the bobbins employed, and I gear it with the worm upon the
vertical driving spindle before mentioned. The winding on bobbin
is mounted in vertical guides, and as its periphery will rest upon the
driven cylinder it will be rotated by friction of contact, at the same
surface speed as the silk is wound thereon.
The arrangement of spinning and doubling machinery shewn in the

page_text: It will be found convenient and useful that some simple arrangement
of mechanism should be employed whereby on the breaking of one of
the threads on the bobbins a, a, the combined action of the twisting and
winding may be arrested. To this end the threads from the bobbins a, a,
are made to pass through eyes at the upper end of the lever thread
guides a³, a', which are capable of rocking on their shafts as shewn in
plan view at Fig. 4. These lever guides are made in the form of an L,
and at their upper ends there is an eye, while their lower ends are bent
down and project through holes in the disc or plate b, but will be sup-
ported as shewn in the Drawing so long as both of the threads which
pass through the eyes at the opposite ends are intact, but immediately
cither of the threads break the eye at the upper end of the lever guide
will be no longer supported, it will consequently fall forward as indicated
by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The lower end of the lever will then drop
in the hole in the disc or plate b, and will come against a horizontal
arm i mounted loosely on the spindle c. This arm i carries at its inner end
two small rollers, 2, and when the arm is struck by the projecting picce
of the lever guide a', as already explained, the rollers i, i, will be carried
round, and will be made to run up the inclines of a circular cam j, and
will be therefore brought against the under side of the disc or plate & and
made to lift it up. Now as this plate 6 is keyed on to the upper end of
the sipndle c, it follows, that on lifting the spindle c the conical wheel
or friction pinion c³ will be raised from contact with the conical friction
wheel ¹ on the main driving shaft, and the spindle c and all the parts
connected therewith will be immediately stopped. Upon mending the
broken thread the lever guide a¹ will be brought back into its proper
position and the projecting end will be lifted out of the way of the arm i.
The spindle may then be lowered and the conical pinion c³ allowed to
come again in contact with and be driven by the large friction pulley
or wheel ' on the main driving shaft, and the spinning mechanism will
be set in motion again.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in machinery
for spinning, twisting, doubling and throwing silk, and other fibrous
substances, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent,
communicating motion from the spinning, twisting, or doubling spindle
to the axle or shaft which actuates the taking-up or winding-on motion

page_text: so that the speed of this taking-up or winding-on motion may be exactly
proportioned to the speed of the spinning, twisting, or doubling spindle
as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Dickins, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, the Twelfth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.