Improvements in Apparatus for Separating the Threads in Spinning Mules for Preventing Doubles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 18th June, 1898
DIBITICALIUN,
Improvements in Apparatus for Separating the Threads in Spinning
Mules for Preventing Doubles.
I, PAUL VICTOR STERBECQ, of Avesne sur Helpe (Nord), in the Republic of
France, Spinning Mill Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In the spinning industry a double means the uniting of two or more threads;
this is a serious defect which produces bars or stripes in the fabric. Owing to
the occurrence of such doubles double-breakers have been devised the object of
which is to break the threads which have become united. As regards fine threads
this apparatus answers its purpose as the occurrence of doubles is not very
frequent, but with common wools, and especially with intervals of 43, 45 48
and 50 millimetres between the spindles, it is impossible to make use of this
apparatus, the number of doubles occurring in certain wools being such that the
working of the machine becomes an impossibility.
The joining of the threads almost always takes place when the carriage begins
to leave the cylinders; at this moment the threads are almost left free, there
being no tension owing to the fact that the thread must be allowed to form a
twist immediately upon the re-entry of the carriage. It is this twist which, at
the moment when the spindle commences to turn, becomes united with the
adjacent twist.
This has led me to devise an apparatus based upon the employment of separ-
ating blades which prevent the production of doubles.
My invention may be carried out in two different ways; the blades may either
be fixed to the carriage or upon the fixed portion of the spinning frame and follow
the carriage as it passes out for a certain distance.
According to one form of my invention the blades are fixed to the carriage
between the spindles and the cylinder at a distance of about 65 millimetres from
the spindles, in such a manner that when the carriage has reached the end of its
travel these blades are adjacent to the cylinder, the point at the same height as
the threads, the blades being as close to the cylinder as possible.
These blades are fixed but they may also be pivotally mounted. In this latter
case they are higher, and when the carriage passes out a spring causes them to
descend so that the point is at the same height as the thread and separated by
a greater distance from the spindle.
In another form of the invention the blades or separators, instead of being
fixed to the carriage, are mounted upon the fixed portion of the frame and
bear against the cylinder when the carriage has passed in; the blades following
the carriage for a certain distance on its passing out by reason of which these
blades or separators are constantly acting throughout the entire travel of the
draw or stretch.
The blades or separators may be formed from wires bent and pressed at their
lower portion against an angle-piece. These blades are arranged at a con-

page_text: siderable distance apart in which the threads pass, but the upper portions are
nearer together for a purpose hereinafter explained.
The angle-piece carrying the blades or separators is fixed to a rod which is
connected with a pivoted lever to the upper part of a support.
The blades or separators may be drawn in in any appropriate manner, for
example by means of a lever actuated by a rod provided with a rack and capable
of being raised by the rotation of a pinion mounted loose upon the spindle. The
rotation of the pinion is effected by means of a pawl fixed to a chain wheel which
is actuated by another wheel fixed upon the Mendoza pulley shaft.
With this improved arrangement the blades or separators if a double should
still occur whilst the carriage is passing out, the upward movement of the threads
is arrested by means of the contracted upper portions above mentioned. The
torsion imparted to the threads thus ceases at the separators, and the double
preventer becomes a double breaker. In fact, as the thread passing from the
cylinder no longer experiences any torsion between the said cylinder and the
separator, and as it is also exposed to the tension of the carriage, it breaks
instantly thus causing a rupture of the thread.
In order that the result above described may be brought about, it is necessary
to bring the blades or separators to rest at a predetermined distance from the
cylinder such distance being calculated having regard to the nature of the wool,
because, as a matter of fact, if there existed a considerable and fixed space between
the cylinder and the separators, the length of thread retained in this space,
storing up a torsion which is distributed at the moment when the double occurs
upon the wool coming from the cylinder, would prevent the threads from
breaking.
Dated this 19th day of June 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Separating the Threads in Spinning
Mules for Preventing Doubles.
I, PAUL VICTOR STERBECQ, of Avesne sur Helpe (Nord), in the Republic of
France, Spinning Mill Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement: —
In the spinning industry a double means the uniting of two or more threads;
this is a serious defect which produces bars or stripes in the fabric. Owing to
the occurrence of such doubles, double-breakers have been devised, the object of
which is to break the threads which have become united. As regards fine
threads this apparatus answers its purpose, as the occurrence of doubles is not
very frequent; but with common wools, and especially with intervals of 43, 45,
48 and 50 millimetres between the spindles, it is impossible to make use of this
apparatus the number of doubles occurring in certain wools being such that the
working of the machine becomes an impossibility.
The joining together of the threads almost always takes place when the carriage
begins to leave the cylinders; at this moment the threads are left almost free,
there being no tension owing to the fact that the thread must be allowed to form a
twist immediately upon the return of the carriage. It is this twist which, at the

page_text: moment when the spindle commences to turn, becomes united with the adjacent
twist.
This has led me to devise an apparatus based upon the employment of separating
blades which prevent the production of doubles.
My invention may be carried out in two different ways; the blades may either
be fixed to the carriage or upon the fixed portion of the spinning frame and follow
the carriage as it passes out for a certain distance.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:.
:-
Figure 1 shews one arrangement for carrying my invention into effect in which
the blades are fixed to the carriage; these blades 7 of stamped metal are interposed
between the threads, and prevent the latter from uniting, thus avoiding all doubles.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of these blades.
Figure 3 shews another arrangement for carrying my invention into effect in
which the blades or separators, instead of being fixed to the carriage, are mounted
upon the fixed portion of the frame as hereinafter described.
Figure 4 is a detail view of the blades.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 the blades are fixed to the carriage C between
the spindles B and the cylinder A, at a distance of about 65 millimetres from the
spindles, in such a manner that when the carriage has reached the end of its travel
these blades are adjacent to the cylinder, the point at the same height as the
thread, the blades being as close to the cylinder as possible.
These blades are fixed but they may also be pivotally mounted. In this latter
case they are higher, and when the carriage passes out a spring causes them to
descend so that the point is at the same height as the thread and separated by a
greater distance from the spindle.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 the blades or separators are
mounted upon the fixed portion of the frame and bear against the cylinder when
the carriage has passed in; the blades following the carriage for a certain dis-
tance on its passing out, by reason of which said blades are constantly acting,
throughout the entire travel of the draw or stretch.
The blades or separators may be formed of wires a bent and pressed at their
lower portion against an angle-piece b. As shewn in Figure 4 these blades are
arranged at considerable intervals c through which the threads pass, but the upper
part of these intervals is restricted at d for a purpose hereinafter explained.
The angle piece 6 carrying the blades or separators is fixed to a rod e which is
connected with a lever f pivoted at g to the upper part of a support h.
The full lines in Figure 3 shew the blades or separators and their actuating lever
in the position occupied by these parts when the carriage has passed in.
The broken lines indicate, on the other hand, the position of the parts when the
carriage has passed out.
The blades or separators may be drawn in in any appropriate manner, for
example by means of a lever o actuated by a rod provided with a rack and capable
of being raised by the rotation of a pinion j, mounted loose upon the spindle k.
The rotation of the pinion j is effected by means of a pawl s fixed to a chain
wheel m which is actuated by another wheel m¹ fixed upon the pulley shaft n.
Figure 3. The shaft extends through the frame from end to end and is held
by supports h. Upon this shaft levers f are arranged at nearly equal distances
apart from one another; these levers being connected by pivots to the roller
guides or rods e, which carry the angular piece and the blades or separators.
The position of the shaft is such that the whole constituent mechanism of the
apparatus has a permanent tendency, by the displacement of its centre of gravity,
to again spontaneously occupy the outer position shown in dotted lines; under the
action of its own weight.
Upon the middle of its length the shaft has keyed a special sleeve y, upon
which the lever o is pivoted. This lever carries at its end a guide or groove, in

page_text: which is secured a shaft, i, which latter carries a double socket. In this socket,
Joosely fitting the shaft i, the rack bar e is tightly secured.
When the carriage returns, the shaft n which forms part of the mule, communi-
cates its rotary movement by the aid of the chain 2, wheel m and stop pawl s to
the pinion gearing with the rack-bar. This latter controlled by this mechanism
rises again and carries with it the parts o, g, f e, thus passing the blades or
separators slightly backwards, until the abutments 3, fixed to the carriage, knock
against the angular piece bat the precise moment, when the carriage arrives at
the end of its course. The object of this shock is to throw the stop-pawl out of
engagement, which latter then allows the rack bar to again descend, suitable
means being provided to prevent the said pawl from swinging too far outward
during the rotation of the wheel m. The pawl then again becomes independent,
and at the moment when the carriage again starts, the whole apparatus follows
the same under the action of its own weight and stops at the distance adjusted by
the rear-abutments H, which will hear against the supporting frame 5.
If the nature of the thread be such, as to require the apparatus to pass out more
or less, the position of the abutments H is varied and at the same time the shaft i
is displaced in the guide-groove of the lever o, in order to either increase or
diminish the lever arm, according as the outward movement of the apparatus has
been reduced or increased.
With this improved arrangement of blades or separators, if a double should still
occur whilst the carriage is passing out, the upward movement of the threads is
arrested by means of the contractions d. The torsion imparted to the threads thus
ceases at the separators, and the double preventer becomes a double breaker. In
fact, as the thread passing from the cylinder no longer experiences any torsion
between the said cylinder and the separator, and as it is also exposed to the tension
of the carriage, it breaks instantly, thus causing a rupture of the double.
In order that the result above described may be brought about, it is necessary
to bring the blades or separators to rest at a predetermined distance from the
cylinder such distance being calculated having regard to the nature of the wool,
because, as a matter of fact, if there existed a considerable and fixed space between
the cylinder and the separators, the length of thread retained in this space, storing
up a torsion which is distributed at the moment when the double occurs upon the
wool coming from the cylinder, would prevent the threads from breaking.
The distance which has appeared to us most favourable for stopping the blades
or separators during the time when the carriage passes out, is between 18 and 20
centimetres, that is to say the blades or separators pass out simultaneously with
the carriage. They are stopped at about 18 centimetres from the rolling cylinder
and remain at that point during the whole time, in which the carriage passes out.
This distance may according to the kinds of wool employed, be varied from 16
to 20 centimetres, but in general a distance of 18 centimetres may be adopted.
This distance should not, however, be less than 16 centimetres, for, it is
necessary, that the operator he not impeded in re-fastening the broken threads or
in cleaning the cylinders.
Obviously I may modify the shapes and dimensions of the parts constituting my
improved apparatus in various ways as occasion may require without departing
from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The apparatus substantially as described for separating the threads in
spinning machines, and preventing doubles from being produced.
2. In apparatus of the kind referred to in Claim 1, the arrangement of blades
or separators, either jointed or not, of stamped metal or of wire, substantially as
described.
3. In apparatus of the kind referred to in Claims 1 and 2 the arrangement of

page_text: the blades or separators upon the carriage between the spindles and the cylinder,
substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. In apparatus of the kind referred to in Claims 1 and 2 the arrangement of the
blades or separators upon the fixed portion of the spinning frame instead of upon
the carriage substantially as described with reference to Figure 3, of the accom-
panying drawings.
5. In apparatus of the kind referred to in Claims 1 and 2 the construction of the
blades or separators of bent wire, the interval separating the upper portions of
these blades being contracted in order to prevent the threads from passing out,
substantially as described.
6. The improved apparatus for separating the threads and preventing doubles
in spinning mules having its parts constructed, combined and arranged to operate
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or to
Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of March 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.