IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TWISTING AND DOUBLING COTTON, HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Rhodes, of Farnworth, Bolton, in the
County of Lancaster, Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR TWISTING AND DOUBLING COTTON, HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER
LIKE FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 18th November 1863, and dated the 19th May 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Rhodes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
May 1863.
I, STEPHEN RHODES, of Farnworth, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR TWISTING AND DOUBLING COTTON, HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER LIKE
FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate chiefly to the manufacture of twine or strong
cord, and consist in imparting a more regular twist to the strands or yarns
composing the same than heretofore, and at the same time the twine can be
bobbined or balled direct without any intermediate apparatus. The yarn is
carried upon bobbins, by preference two, which are mounted loosely, and
free to revolve upon a hollow spindle. The yarn is taken off these bobbins
and led through a tube, and thence through an aperture into the interior of
the hollow spindle upon which the bobbins are mounted. There is a spreader
or divider at the end of the hollow spindle with boles in it, through which the
yarns pass; these holes aro made diametrically opposite each other. The

page_text: yarn is twisted and doubled between the holes and an aperture in a plate in
the front thereof through which the yarn passes finished, being drawn through
by rollers. The bobbins may be supported in a frame, and the frame made
to revolve, the twist being given as before. In covering twine, the twine to
be covered passes through an aperture in the centre of the divider, and the
covering yarns are distributed as before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stephen Rhodes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
RHODES, of Farnworth, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Builder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of IIer
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Stephen Rhodes, Her special licence that I, the said Stephen
Rhodes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Stephen Rhodes, 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TWISTING AND DOUBLING COTTON, HEMP, FLAX,
AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Stephen Rhodes, my executors or administrators 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 Stephen Rhodes, do hereby declare
the nature of any 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-

page_text: This Invention relates chiefly to the manufacture of twine and strong cord,
and consists in giving a more regular twist to the strands or yarns composing
the cord, and preventing what is termed in the trade riding of strands, by
making the twisting distance as short as possible, that, is the distance
between the flyer or spreader and the point of junction of the strands.
In order that the Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and forming part of this
Specification, in which Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, and
Fig. 3 a cross section of part of a machine constructed according to my Inven-
tion. In each of the above Figures the same letters of reference indicate liko
parts.
The bobbins B from which the yarns are taken to form the cord are carried
in a fly frame A, and are so arranged that each bobbin can be taken out sepa-
rately without interfering with the other; for this purpose I have cross bars D
which support the ends of the spindle carrying the bobbins, and place a catch
above one end as at C, that can easily be removed, and permit the end C to
be lifted, when the other extremity can be drawn out of its bearing and the
bobbin removed. I do not wish to confine or restrict myself, however, to this
node of construction, as it is a matter of detail that can be obviously much
varied. The fly frame A is fixed at each end to the journals F, F¹, upon
which it revolves; G is a cord pulley fixed on the fly frame, and is driven by a
drum from any suitable part of the machine. The yarn from the bobbins B, B,
is taken off at the side, and passes through the eyes E, E, thence under a spring
presser H, which gives an equal tension to each strand from the presser; the
strands are conducted to the inside of the hollow journal F, and are spread
out and divided by passing them through the eyes J, J, between which and
the plate L they are doubled and twisted by the rotation of the fly frame;
thus formed and twisted into one cord they pass through the hole K in the
plate L, and are carried forward round a roller M, which has a regular
rotatory motion, the roller N resting upon it above to give a certain amount
of friction. The rotation of the roller M draws the cord or strand uniformly
and continuously forward. From the rollers the cord is conducted through a
guide fixed on a traversing bar P, and is wound on the bobbin R, which is
driven by a friction pulley S.
The bobbin may be arranged in a manner like or similar to that shewn in
Fig. 4, in which a, a, a, are the bobbin; 6 the fly frame. Also, any number
of bobbins may be used.
When is required to cover a cord with yarn of a different kind or quality, as
for window-blind cords, I use the spreader shewn in section in Fig. 5 and in

page_text: plan Fig. 6. In this case the cord to be covered passes through a centro hole,
and the covering yarns e, e, through holes in the circumference, which spread
them out that they may be twisted over the cords between the spreader and
the plate g. This spreader is constructed so that it can be inserted in tho
hollow journal where it is beld, but can be easily removed.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described, as they
may be varied without departing materially from my Invention.
In witness whercof, I, the said Stephen Rhodes, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
(L.s.) STEPHEN RHODES.
Witness,
JOSEPH WILLCOCK,
Firm of Willcock & Brewer,
Patent Agents, &c.
Manchester & London.