CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING, SPINNING, AND WEAV- ING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
SPENCER, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Nineteenth day of August, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
two, and in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Spencer, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Henry Spencer,
my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Henry Spencer,
my exors, adiiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING, SPINNING, AND WEAV-
ING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that I, the said Henry Spencer, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in

page_text: part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Spencer, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:
My Invention relates, firstly, to a peculiar construction of tube for preparing
fibrous substances for spinning upon the principle of that machine commonly
known as Dyer's frame, and also for twisting or consolidating slivers of wool or
cotton as they proceed from the carding engine, and consists in forming a
bridge at each end of the said tube, over both of which the cotton or other
material passes.
Secondly, to an improved construction of throstle bobbin, the novelty con-
sisting in weighting the same by means of an interior tube.
Thirdly, to a method of forming the sheds in weaving by means of endless
tappets in conjunction with other parts connected to the warp threads.
Fourthly, in protecting the joints of the bands or straps used in preparing,
spinning, and weaving machines by the application of a cement or varnish. And
in order that these several improvements may be fully understood, I will
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 is a top view of the tube I employ for twisting or consolidating the
material. The tube a, a, is formed hollow as usual in "Dyer's frames," and is
provided with the pulley b, over which the driving strap passes as commonly
practised. Instead of the one bridge commonly employed, I adapt two, shewn
at c, c, over which the material passes, as represented, and from thence to the
bobbin; the tube so constructed may be applied in any ordinary manner to a
"Dyer's frame," or may be adapted to the delivering end of a carding engine,
the material being conducted over the bridges, as already mentioned, and
motion communicated to the tube by a strap or other convenient mechanism.
My second improvement is shewn at Fig. 2, which is a throstle bobbin in
section. The one end dis bored out to fit the spindle as usual; it extends,
however, only a short distance within the bobbin, and above it there is formed
a cavity of larger diameter, within which is placed a metal tube e, e; this tube
is kept in its place by the insertion of a wooden ring f, of corresponding interior
diameter to the orifice d, and constituting therefore a second bearing to run
upon the spindle. By the application of the tubular weight e, the bobbin will
be caused to follow more perfectly the topping rail on its descent, and snarling
will thereby in great measure be prevented; the same amount of "drag" will

page_text: also be obtained by using bobbins of less diameter on their flanges than are
now employed.
My third improvement is shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, the former being a
partial front view of a loom with the novel arrangement of machinery
adapted, and Fig. 4 an end view of the same. The endless chain of tappets,
similar to that commonly employed in fancy machines, is shewn at g, g, passing
over a roller / into notches, formed in which the ribs of wood which carry the
tappets pass, and from them over other rollers i, j. Upon the axle of the
roller there is a "star wheel" k, actuated by a suitably formed pinion ?,
mounted upon an axis m, which is provided with a bevil pinion n, taking into
the teeth of another o, affixed to the crank shaft of the loom; as, therefore, the
said shaft is caused to revolve by the ordinary working of the loom, it com-
municates rotatory motion to the star pinion 1, which operating upon the star
wheel, as is well understood, effects an intermittent motion of the roller h,
and consequently corresponding action of the chain of tappets. To the end
framing of the loom is attached a framework P, within which are placed a
series of bars q, corresponding in number to the projecting tappets attached;
along the width of the chain, which bars are kept apart from each other in the
framework P by means of cross plates which are situate between them; about
the centre part of the bars are formed nothes ', seen best in the detached
view of one of those instruments at Fig. 5. The upper and lower ends of the
bars are connected respectively by means of rods S to leather links t, which
embrace and are attached to the jacks, connected to the shafts v in any
ordinary manner. To the framework p are jointed a series of levers w, cor-
responding to the number of bars q, and on the opposite sides of the said bars
are placed springs a, which force them towards the levers and consequently
endless chain of tappets. To the bevil wheel o is jointed an arm y, connected
at its lower end to the lever, turning upon a centre at 1; to this arm are
connected rods 2, the upper parts of which are jointed to levers 3, mounted so.
as to turn upon a centre at 4 by the revolution of the wheel o; therefore the
lever will be caused to vibrate upon its centre, and thereby, through the inter-
vention of the rods 2, cause the levers 3 also to vibrate, the one ascending as
the other is descending; and supposing this action to take place while the bars
9, 9, occupy a central position between the said levers, no motion will be com-
municated thereto, but if the bars q be caused to move laterally, so as to bring
their notches on to the vibrating levers (as seen in Fig. 3). then they will be
separated into two sets, the one being carried upward and the other downward
by which action the jacks u will be caused to turn upon their centres, and the
shed will be opened. To one of the levers 3 is connected a rod 4, jointed at

page_text: its lower end to the lever 5, vibrating upon a centre and projecting, so as to
occupy a position above the lower series of jacks u, u; these two levers therefore
accompany each other in the vibrating motion, the latter serving to keep the
jacks level, so as to cause a corresponding position of the notches formed within
the bars q. To the other lever 3 are attached rods 6, one of which moves
through a guide 8, and they are connected to a bar 7, situate beneath the top
row of jacks u, by which arrangement their level position is accomplished, as
already described in reference to the bottom series. The operation is as follows:-
Upon the revolution of the crank shaft the star tappet will cause the star
wheel to turn a portion of a revolution, thereby bringing a row of tappets to
act upon the levers w; according to the arrangement, therefore, of these tappets,
a certain number will be thrust forward, and with them their corresponding
bars 7, those for which there are no corresponding projecting tappets being
forced backward by their several springs a, by which means a division of the
bars into two series will be effected. This will have taken place when the
levers 3, 3, are arrived in an horizontal position and opposite to the notches 1, 2,
which notches will therefore be placed upon the said levers, the further motion
whereof will effect a separation upward and downward of the bars, and conse-
quently of the warp threads, so as to effect the opening of the shed; should the
bars be operated upon by the tappets so as to be selected before the levers 3
have arrived exactly opposite the notches 7, they will merely be bent slightly
from the perpendicular line, and will spring on to their respective levers upon
the proper coincident positions thereof having taken place.
I
In order to effect my fourth improvement, I join the straps of preparing,
spinning, and weaving machinery by cement or in any other ordinary manner, and
then I apply at and about such junction an exterior coat of marine glue, shellac,
varnish, or other such substance, by which the said joint is materially protected.
Ilaving thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood, that I claim
as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the application of a bridge over which the material passes at or
towards each end of tubes employed for twisting or consolidating fibrous
materials in that description of preparing machinery known as Dyer's frames,
and also for effecting the like operation upon such materials proceeding from
the carding engine.
Secondly, the application of a tubular weight within the bobbins of throstle
spinning machinery.
Thirdly, the arrangement of apparatus described for shedding the warp in
weaving.

page_text: Fourthly, the application of an outward coat of cement, varnish, or other
such substance at and about the joints of straps used in preparing, spinning,
and weaving machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Spencer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Eighteenth day of February, One thousand eight hundred
Enrolled the Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.