IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Spence, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS." A communication from Justin Louis Auguste Aubenas, of
Valréas, in the Department of Vaucluse, in the Empire of France, Silk
Throwster.
Sealed the 17th April 1857, and dated the 7th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
November 1856.
I, WILLIAM SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS," (being a communication from Justin Louis Auguste
Aubenas, of Valréas, in the Department of Vaucluse, in the Empire of
France, Silk Throwster,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the adaptation and arrangement of the mechanism
herein-after referred to, by means of which the silk is drawn and twisted as it
proceeds from the cocoon in such a manner as to combine the operations of
opening and spinning ordinarily employed in this manufacture; also in the
twisting of other kinds of threads, yarns, or fibres by means of the same
apparatus.
The apparatus consists of a bobbin mounted on a vertical spindle driven at

page_text: a suitable speed, such spindle or axis passing freely through a kind of plat-
form driven at a different speed, and carrying one or two flyers for twisting
and laying the silk over the whole length of the bobbin. This is effected by
means of an eye or guide mounted on the periphery of a wheel, so as to be
capable of turning on its own axis, and at the same time going round with
the wheel and thereby describing a circle, the diameter of which is equal or
about equal to the length of the bobbin. This wheel receives its motion
regulated by suitable gearing driven by a pinion on the spindle or axis of the
bobbin. The silk to be twisted as it proceeds from the cocoons is passed
through guides in the flyers, and thence through the eye or guide above
described. The degree of the twisting is regulated by the differing speeds of
the bobbin and the platform carrying the flyers.
The mode of laying the silk over the whole length of the bobbin may
be varied from that described above, also the arrangement of gearing for
obtaining the relative speeds of the bobbin and flyers.
A series of the above-described apparatus are mounted on a suitable frame-
work, and actuated by suitable mechanism, the basins, containing. the cocoons
being arranged so as to be convenient for the delivery of the silk therefrom to
the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County, of Middlesex, Patont Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by-Her-Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred, and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Spence, Her special license that I, the, said William Spence,, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time, agree.
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during tho
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, APPARATUS

page_text: USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," being
a communication from Justin Louis Auguste Aubenas, of Valréas, in the
Department of Vaucluse, in the Empire of France, Silk Throwster, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Spence, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Spence, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
Letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus used in the Manufacture
of Silk and other Fibrous Materials," consists in the adaptation and arrange-
ment of the mechanism herein-after described, by means of which the silk is
drawn and twisted as it proceeds from the cocoon in such a manner as to
combine the operations of opening or preparing and spinning ordinarily
employed in this manufacture, also in the twisting of other kinds of threads,
yarns, or fibres, by means of the same apparatus.
The apparatus consists of a bobbin mounted on a vertical spindle driven at
a suitable speed, such spindle or axis passing through a kind of platform
driven at a different speed, and carrying one or two flyers for twisting and
laying the silk over the whole length of the bobbin. This is effected by
means of an eye or guide mounted on the periphery of a wheel so as to be
capable of turning on its own axis, and at the same time going round with
the wheel, and thereby describing a circle, the diameter of which is equal or
about equal to the length of the bobbin. This wheel receives its motion
regulated by suitable gearing driven by a pinion on the spindle or axis of the
bobbin. The silk to be twisted as it proceeds from the cocoons is passed
through guides in the flyers, and thence through the eye or guide above
described. The degree of the twisting is regulated by the differing speeds of
the bobbin and the platform carrying the flyers.
The mode of laying the silk over the whole length of the bobbin may be
varied from that described above, also the arrangement of gearing for obtaining
the relative speeds of the bobbin and flyers.
A series of the above-described apparatus are mounted on a suitable
framework, and actuated by suitable mechanism, the basins containing the

page_text: proceed to describe it more particularly by the aid of the accompanying
Drawings, of which Sheet I. represents the drawing and twisting apparatus
above referred to on a scale of half size, and Sheet II. represents the series of
such apparatus (on a sinaller scale, combined so as to form a machine, also
the basins containing the cocoons.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 is a side view, of one arrangement of the
apparatus. It consists of a bobbin B mounted on a vertical spindle or axis A,
driven at a given speed by means of the bevil wheel C, either toothed, or, if
preferred, by the friction of surfaces in contact or by other convenient mode.
This spindle or axis A passes freely through a kind of platform D, which is
made to revolve at a different speed from that of the axis. This difference
of speed is obtained by mounting another spindle E parallel with the
spindle A, which is actuated by the latter through the toothed wheels a and b.
The spindle E carries another toothed wheel c of a diameter different from
that of the wheel b, which wheel c gives motion to the platform D through
the wheel d fixed to it. By this means the platform D is made to revolve
at a speed different from that of the bobbin B, the relation of the two speeds
being regulated as required by the gearing employed. The platform D
carries one or two arms or flyers F, intended to distribute the silk while
twisting it over the whole length of the bobbin B. For this purpose the
platform D carries a horizontal wheel f, driven by a pinion e on the spindlo
or axis A, which wheel ƒ gives motion to the wheel g, the axis of which is
mounted in the arm or flyer F. On the axis of this wheel 9 is fixed a
pinion taking into the wheel k, the diameter of which is equal or about
equal to the length of the bobbin B. There is an eye or guide i adapted and
applied to this wheel, so as to be capable of turning on its own axis, and at
the same time of revolving with the wheel, so as to traverse or be carried
from end to end of the bobbin.
The silk intended to be twisted passes into the flyer Fat n, thence through
the guido m and the eye or guide i to the bobbin B. The rotation of the
platform D and tho arms or flyer F then twists the silk, the rotation at a
greater or less speed of the bobbin B takes it up, and the slow rotation of
the wheel, with its eye or guide i, distributes it over the length of the
bobbin.

page_text: By altering the relative speeds of the bobbin and platform, the degree of
twisting imparted to the silk may be varied, that is to say, the number of
turns will be greater or less for a given length of silk taken up.
Fig. 3 shews a simplified arrangement of the apparatus, dispensing with
a great part of the gearing, and preserving only such as is required to produce
the differing speeds of the bobbin and platform. A is, as before, the spindle
or axis of the bobbin B with its toothed wheel a; d is the toothed wheel of
the platform D, which actuates the arms or flyer F. The spindle E, with its
wheels b and c, (Figures 1 and 2, are retained, but they are not shewn in the
Figure; all the other gearing is dispensed with. The arms j, fixed to the
platform D, are connected with the guides or staples in such a manner as to
admit of the arms F sliding up and down within the latter; one of the arms F
being furnished with the eyes or guides m and i. At the upper part of the
flyer F is a neck n, in which is a regulator, which in ascending and descending
will impart corresponding motions to the flyer F with its guides m and i, so
as to distribute the silk over the whole length of the bobbin.
In Fig. 4 the arrangement is still more simple. In this case the spindle
or axis A is tubular, so as to receive within it the moveable stem F¹, to which
is fixed the arm or flyer F, which also has a, neck n at its upper part for the
same purpose as in the case last described. The stem F¹ has on it a feather,
as shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 5,) which causes it to be drawn round
by the rotation of the spindle or axis A. The platform D in this case carries
the bobbin B, and is furnished with its wheel d, which is driven in a manner
similar to that described with reference to Fig. 1.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 (Sheet II.) represent in front view, plan, and end view
respectively a machine comprising a series of the apparatus above described,
and shewing the gearing by which they are driven. The machine is com-
posed of a long frame G, throughout the whole length of which extends a
shaft H, suitably mounted in bearings. This shaft carries as many bevil
friction wheels as may be required, so that one may drive each of the said
apparatus contained in the combined machine. The apparatus in these
Figures are indicated by the letter A. Each of the apparatus is fixed on
a standard J, oscillating by one of its ends round a vertical axis O, while the
other end is pressed against by springs P. The action of these springs causes
the bevil or conical pinion or pulley C (Fig. 1) to press firmly against the
corresponding wheel I, the revolution of which gives motion to the said
pinion, and through it to the apparatus connected therewith. In order to
stop the motion of the apparatus it is only necessary to push aside the

page_text: standard which carries it, thereby compressing the spring p belonging
thereto.
This driving gear may be varied. Thus, for instance, a friction strap or
band might be adapted and applied to all the pulleys C (which in that case
would not be conical, by giving to the whole machine an arched form, so as
to keep the band in contact with the pulleys.
The whole machine is mounted on a strong bed or foundation K, the
basin L (seen in end view in Fig. 9) is placed on the upper story, whence
the threads or fibres descend to the apparatus to be operated upon as required.
Several basins may be employed in case of need.
Figures 10 and 11 represent in transverse section two arrangements of
basin, one warmed by means of pipes q, the other by a double bottom r.
Having thus described the nature of the said. Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would remark that the apparatus and
mechanism above described may be varied so long as the peculiar feature of
the Invention is preserved, which is the substitution of apparatus, as above
described, capable of producing manufactured silk at once from the cocoons
for that which is ordinarily employed, first, to produce raw silk and then
manufactured, also the application of the same to the manufacture of other
fibrous substances; but I claim,-
First, the adaptation, arrangement, and construction of apparatus and
mechanism whereby the silk is at once operated upon as it passes from the
cocoons, and converted into manufactured silk as distinguished from raw silk,
in the manner described.
And, secondly, the adaptation and application of the same apparatus and
mechanism to the manufacture of other fibrous materials besides silk.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
G. B. COULCHER,
50, Chancery Lane,
Law Stationer.
WILLIAM SPENCE. (L.s.)