IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX,
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lawson and Edward Gerrard Fitton, both of
Leeds, in the County of York, Machinists, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX, Tow,
Sealed the 19th March 1867, and dated the 25th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lawson and Edward.
Gerrard Fitton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 25th September 1866.
We, JOHN LAWSON and EDWARD GERRARD FITTON, both of Leeds, in the
County of York, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX,
Tow, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for preparing
and spinning flax, tow, jute, and other fibrous materials, and relates especially
to the weighting or pressing together of the rollers between which the fibre
passes. For this purpose we employ as heretofore levers which at one end
have a fulcrum on the frame of the machine and at the other carry the
weights. Each lever at a short distance from the fulcrum is connected with
a rod which hangs from the upper roller or pressing; in place, however, of

page_text: making the connection between the hanger and weight lever as heretofore,
we so arrange it that when the weight lever is lifted the hanger is at once
set free to be removed if required, and again when the weight lever is lowered
it engages with the hanger, and without requiring any hand adjustment it
again communicates the pressure accurately to the top roller or pressing.
In the ordinary arrangements, on the other hand, in order to free the hanger
it is necessary to remove a nut which screws on to the hanger, and on
replacing the hanger this nut has to be screwed on again to its proper position
to bring the weight to bear on the top roller or pressing. We prefer to form
inclined teeth on the lower end of the hanger and to fix a stud or pin in the
weight lever. The incline of the teeth is such that they catch the stud or
pin as the weight lever moves downwards, and so retain the lever and com-
municate pressure to the top roller or pressing; when, however, the weight
levers are lifted, the inclined teeth on the hanger free themselves from the
said levers. The weight levers may be raised and lowered by means of
racks gearing with pinions which receive motion from an axis with a bandle
upon it, or other convenient arrangement of mechanism may be employed for
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard Fitton in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 25th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
LAWSON and EDWARD GERRARD FITTON, both of Leeds, in the County of York,
Machinists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard Fitton, Her special licence
that we, the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard Fitton, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Lawson and
Edward Gerrard Fitton, our 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,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FLAX, Tow, JUTE, AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said

page_text: John Lawson and Edward Gerrard Fitton, our executors or administrators;
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard
Fitton, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for preparing
and spinning flax, tow, jute, and other fibrous materials, and relates especially
to the weighting or pressing together of the rollers between which the fibre
passes. For this purpose we employ as heretofore levers which at one end
have a fulcrum on the frame of the machine and at the other carry the
weights. Each lever at a short distance from the fulcrum is connected with
a rod which hangs from the upper roller or pressing; in place, however, of
making the connection between the hanger and weight lever as heretofore we
so arrange it that when the weight lever is lifted the hanger is at once set
free to be removed if required, and again when the weight lever is lowered
it engages with the hanger, and without requiring any hand adjustment it
again communicates the pressure accurately to the top roller or pressing. In
the ordinary arrangements, on the other hand, in order to free the hanger
it is necessary to remove a nut which screws on to the hanger, and on
replacing the hanger this nut has to be screwed on again to its proper position
to bring the weight to bear on the top roller or pressing. We prefer to form
inclined teeth on the lower end of the hanger, and to fix a stud or pin in the
weight lever. The incline of the teeth is such that they catch the stud or pin
as the weight lever moves downwards, and so retain the lever and com-
municate pressure to the top roller or pressing; when, however, the weight
levers are lifted, the inclined teeth on the hangers free themselves from the
said levers. The weight levers may be raised and lowered by means of
racks gearing with pinious which receive motion from an axis with a handle
upon it, or other convenient arrangement of mechanism may be employed for
this purpose.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto

page_text: Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Figure 2 a back elevation of those parts
of the drawing mechanism of a preparing or spinning frame which require to
be shown to explain our improvements; Figure 3 shows in end elevation the
common mode of weighting.
A is the beam of the framing; B is the carriage plate; B' is the front or
delivering roller; C are the top pressing rollers; D are the hangers; E are
the pressing or weight levers; E', the weights; E, the fulcrum bar; e one of
the fulcrums. The levers E have slots or openings in them through which
the hangers D pass, and in these slots or openings in the levers E pins fare
fixed; the teeth of the hangers engage with these pins as is shown. F is a
cross shaft with a handle F' fixed on one end of it; G is a worm which is
fastened on the other end of the shaft F; H is a worm wheel fixed on one
end of the rack pinion shaft I; H' and H are rack pinions fastened on the
shaft I; J is the grate bar or lever guide having sockets J¹ cast or fastened
upon it; in the sockets J' are fitted the racks K; the pinions El' and II take
into the racks K, and a bar k is fastened to their lower ends. The Drawings
show the apparatus with the weight on and applied to one bead or carriage of
the frame. When the attendant desires to relieve the pressings from the
weight, and to remove the hangers from their places, the shaft F is turned by
the handle F, the worm and wheel G and H give motion to the shaft I and
pinions Hand Hs, and lift the racks K. When the racks K are raised the
bar k rising up under the pressing levers E lifts them to the top of the guide
slots in the grate bar or lever guide J. When the pressing levers are thus
raised the stud or pin f no longer presses on the hanger D, and on the
attendant pressing the hanger backwards the inclined teeth become dis-
engaged and the hanger can then be removed from its place. When it is
desired again to engage the hanger with the weighted pressing lever the
hanger is placed in again and the pressing levers are lowered; the weight
and incline of the hanger cause it to rest against the stud or pin f, and when
one of the inclined spaces between the teeth comes opposite the pin f the
hanger moves forward, and the pin f still descending with the pressing
lever takes hold of the hanger, and the weight is then again acting to produce
the necessary pressure between the delivering roller and the top pressing.
By this arrangement the adjustment of the weighting of the pressing levers is
made self-acting or self-adjusting, and not dependent on the care of the
attendant. Figure 3 representing the ordinary well-known arrangement
does not require any detailed description.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the exact details described; but what we claim is, the arranging
the apparatus for weighting or pressing together the top pressing rollers and
delivery roller of preparing and spinning frames in such manner that the
raising the weight levers sets free the hangers so that they can at once be
lifted out, and the lowering the weight levers causes them to re-engage with
the hangers.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard
Fitton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven.
EDWARD GERRARD FITTON. (L.S.)
Witness to the signatures of John
Lawson and Edward Gerrard
Fitton,
GEO. CLARK,
Cashier to Sam'. Lawson & Sons,
Leeds.