IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's.
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR."-A communication from
abroad by Ernest Bazin, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Engineer.
Sealed the 24th August 1869, and dated the 3rd May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd May 1869.
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING HEMP. FLAX. AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR," (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Ernest Baziu, of Paris, in the Empire
of France, Engineer,) to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a new system of machine
for spinning slivers of hemp, flax, or other fibrous materials, such as
[Price 8d.]

page_text: cotton, wool, or other fibres capable of being spun. This spinning
machine is intended to spin directly on to the barrel and thus dispense
with the bobbin generally employed in spinning. In spinning as
ordinarily practised the flyer gives the twist, and the bobbin placed
between the arms of the latter takes up and winds on the thread in
proportion as it is produced, but the bobbin and flyer, that is to say,
the twisting and the winding on should turn in the same direction and
at almost equal speeds. If, on the contrary, the thread passing from
the flyer which gives the twist does not turn in the same direction
The
as the latter it will have the effect of untwisting the thread.
principle on which this system is based is altogether the opposite to
that hitherto employed wherein the material to be spun does not turn
but the flyer and bobbin both turn.
According to this Invention the material turns as well as the flyer,
but the barrel on which it is wound does not turn, that is to say, that
the sliver turns in the same direction and at the same speed as the
flyer, and the thread passing from the latter is wound on a barrel
turning on its own axis so as merely to take up the thread as it is
spun, but completely independent of the rotary movement of the flyer
which effects the twisting. It is upon this principle that the system
is based, and the Inventor desires to secure to himself the various
applications and modifications of which the system is capable.
The arrangement of apparatus however which he proposes to employ
is constructed as follows:-Each spindle is composed of a flyer of
sufficient dimensions that a sliver can may be placed between the arins
thereof. The can is fixed at its lower part by means of two pins on
a plate situated at the base of the flyer and is supported at its upper
end by two pressure screws passing through the arms of the flyer and
entering two lugs formed on the rim of the can. The flyer is supported
vertically in the frame by means of a brass at the top and a footstep
below, so that it can be caused to revolve by means of an endless band
and pulley. Between the arms of the flyer and above the sliver can
are fixed the following:-Firstly, a piece of steel pierced with a conical
hole intended to round the sliver and take out any "kinks"; secondly,
a grooved pulley running loosely, and in the groove of which the sliver
passes; thirdly, a special piece called the "smoother" the details of
which will be herein-after explained. The thread from the flyer passes

page_text: through the axis (which is made hollow for that purpose) and over a
pulley to its destination on the barrel.
The "smoother" is composed of an iron frame having a slot in which
a movable brass slides against another brass, which latter is fixed. The
movable brass is provided with a rod, part of which is screwed, and a
coiled spring acts against a nut on this screwed part, and thus presses
the faces of the two brasses together. The material to be twisted
passes between two hollows or cavities made in the faces of the brasses,
and by the aid of the nut more or less tension is given to the spring
and consequently a greater or less pressure to the material. The faces
of the brasses may be covered with cloth or other suitable smoothing or
polishing material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bristow Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BRISTOW
HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Ian, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Bristow Hunt, Her special licence
that I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators,
and assigus, 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 SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR," (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Ernest Bazin, of Paris, in the Empire
of France, Engineer,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Bristow Hunt, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: 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 Bristow Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
to the
following statement in writing, and on reference being had
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a new system of machine
for spinning slivers of hemp, flax, or other fibrous materials, such as
cotton, wool, or other fibres capable of being spun. This spinning
machine is intended to spin directly on to the barrel and thus dispense
with the bobbin generally employed in spinning. In spinning as
ordinarily practised the flyer gives the twist, and the bobbin placed
between the arms of the latter takes up and winds on the thread in pro-
portion as it is produced, but the bobbin and flyer, that is to say, the
twisting and the winding on should turn in the same direction and at
almost equal speeds. If, on the contrary, the thread passing from the
flyer which gives the twist does not turn in the same direction as the
latter it will have the effect of untwisting the thread. The principle on
which this system is based is altogether the opposite to that hitherto
employed wherein the material to be spun does not turn but the flyer
and the bobbin both turn.
According to this Invention the material turns as well as the flyer,
but the barrel on which it is wound does not turn, that is to say, that
the sliver turns in the same direction and at the same speed as the
flyer, and the thread passing from the latter is wound on a barrel
turning on its own axis so as merely to take up the thread as it is spun,
but completely independent of the rotary movement of the flyer which
effects the twisting. It is upon this principle that the system is based,
and the Inventor desires to secure to himself the various applications and
modifications of which the system is capable.
Iuvention for "Improve.
Fibrous Substances and
now proceed to describe
Such being the nature and object of the said
ments in Spinning Hemp, Flax, and other
in Apparatus to be employed therefor," I will
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be

page_text: performed or carried into practical effect; and in order that the same
may be distinctly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say :-
In the annexed Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine
arranged vertically, and Figure 2 a front view or section taken through
about the line 1-2, in Figure 1. Each spindle is composed of a flyer A
of sufficient dimensions that a sliver can P may be placed between the
arms thereof. The can shown in blue lines in the Drawing is fixed' at
its lower part by means of two pins on a plate situated at the base of the
flyer and is supported at its upper end by two pressure screws v, vl,
passing through the arms of the flyer and entering two lugs formed on
the rim of the can. The flyer is supported vertically in the frame by
means of a brass at the top and a footstep below so that it can be caused
to revolve by means of an endless band and pulley. Between the arms
of the flyer A and above the sliver can are fixed the following: - Firstly,
a piece of steel a pierced with a conical hole intended to round the sliver
and take out any "kinks; " secondly, a grooved pulley b running loosely,
and in the groove of which the sliver x passes; thirdly, a special piece c
called the "smoother," the details of which are shown full size at
Figure 4. The thread from the flyer passes through the axis (which
is made hollow for that purpose) and over a pulley d to its destination
on the barrel.
Figure 3 represents the arrangement of the machine horizontally.
The sliver can P is placed between the arms of a flyer A intended to
twist the material to be spun but the torsion is effected by the aid of
the flyer B provided internally with a smoother c turning at the same
speed as the flyer which carries the can. Two funnels d, d¹, of zinc
placed at each extremity of the two hollow shafts facilitate the passage
of the sliver. This horizontal spinning machine is represented as
spinning directly ou to the reel, that is to say, that the thread after being
twisted passes through a supplementary fixed "smoother" and is then
wound on to the reel D thus forming the thread into hanks during the
process of spinning.
"
Figure 4 represents "smoother c which is composed of an iron frame
having a slot in which a movable brass e slides against another brass e¹,
which latter is fixed. The movable brass e is provided with a rod f, part

page_text: of which is screwed, and a coiled spring acts against a nut E on the
screwed part, and thus presses the faces of the brasses together. The
material to be twisted passes between two hollows or cavities made in the
faces of the brasses 6 and e¹, and by the aid of the nut E more or less
tension is given to the spring, and consequently a greater or less pressure
to the material. The faces of the brasses may be covered with cloth or
other suitable smoothing or polishing material.
Figure 5 represents a pulley G intended to draw the thread x as
fast as it is twisted and transmit it to the various preparations to which
it may be submitted directly and immediately by this new mode of
spinning. The groove of this drawing pulley is covered with a band
of india-rubber in order to prevent the slipping of the thread during
its traction, and in front of this pulley are fixed two stationary
"smoothers" C, C¹.
Figures 6 and 7 represent two different forms of coiling drums;
Figure 7 shows a very narrow drum T to which rotary motion is im-
parted by a friction cone H with a differential movement. It will be
readily understood that when the tension of the thread becomes too great
it will cause the cone to slip which will then not drive the drum, the
contrary effect then takes place, the drum turns again, and winds on the
thread. Figure 6 represents a drum T¹ of large dimensions which should
also be driven by a friction cone, but on account of its width the thread
should be conducted by a transversing guide (or other similar means) in
order to ensure regular winding on. This principle on which this
system is based being to cause the material to be spun to turn in the
same direction as the flyer (which is the organ of torsion) and at an
equal velocity, different mechanical means may be employed to arrive at
this result, two only of these are shown on the Drawings. The sliver
can of Figure 1 is placed in the twisting flyer itself, whilst in Figure 3
the can is placed in a special flyer provided for transmitting the rotary
motion to the material to be spun, and the flyer which is the organ of
torsion is (as will be seen in the Drawing) completely separated from
the can containing the sliver.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The machine being in
motion and the flyer A and the sliver a driven with the requisite amount
of rotation, there will be a torsion or twisting of the material between the
"smoother" of the twisting flyer and the fixed "smoothers" placed
either in front of the drawing pulley or of a reel or winding on drum.

page_text: The twisting of the thread takes place by reason of the rotary movement
of the flyer and the traction of the thread caused by the drawing pulley
or winding-on drum, and there can be no untwisting between the sliver
can and the twisting "smoother," because the material to be twisted
turns in the same direction and at the same speed as the twisting flyer.
This torsion would cause no inconvenience on passing beyond the fixed
"smoothers," but if it should pass beyond the twisting "smoother "
placed in the flyer the sliver would evidently become entangled, a certain
pressure therefore of the bearing surfaces against the material becomes
necessary in order to prevent the twist from descending the sliver, and a
well regulated traction of the thread is necessary, so that the winding on
may keep equal pace with the twisting. This system, by dispensing with
the employment of the bobbin which confines the thread during the
whole operation of spinning, allows of spinning directly on to winding-on
drums of considerable diameter and renders the workman complete
master of the thread during the action of spinning. In rope making
the operator has facilities for smoothing spinning directly on to the
reels passing through tar and winding into shanks or on to drums. This
system dispenses with rewinding or drawing back which always takes
out the twist from the yarn, whilst in spinning it prevents the loss of
time occasioned by the frequent changing of the bobbins.
This system
is then new, economical, and practical, and the [uventor desires to secure
to himself exclusively the principle above described, two applications of
which are shown on the Drawings.
I claim therefore as the Invention (communicated to me by the said
Ernest Bazin) causing the material to be spun (that is to say the sliver)
to turn in the same direction and at an equal speed with the twisting
flyer or other organ performing the same office, which constitutes the
principal feature of this Invention, and permits (by the aid of a traction
on the thread) of spinning directly on to a drum, independent of the
rotary movement of the twisting flyer.
I claim also the application of this system to the twining or retwisting
of the yarn, and in this case it is proposed to replace the sliver can by a
simple plate carrying the bobbins of yarn to be wound off, but in all
cases the operation would be the same for two, three, or four yarns as
for the original sliver. This system may be applied to the existing
machines.

page_text: I also claim the forms and arrangements of the apparatus shown on
the Drawing intended especially for the manufacture of yarns of flax and
hemp.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
BRISTOW HUNT. (L.S.)