IMPROVEMENTS IN SILK-DRESSING " MACHINERY
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Greenwood, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SILK-DRESSING
"
MACHINERY"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Greenwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th November 1880.
ARTHUR GREENWOOD, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SILK-DRESSING MACHINERY."
This Invention relates to improvements on a Patent granted to Mr. Thomas
Greenwood for "Improvements in Machinery for Dressing Silk," bearing date
23rd of May, 1860, No. 1452.
This Patent describes a means of gripping "books" of silk inserted upon the
periphery of a rotating cylinder previous to the silk being submitted to a dressing
action, and of releasing them after such action has taken place. The wedged bars
employed to effect this purpose were driven end wise from one side of the machine
by a weighted lever. These bars had a number of wedges or inclines acting against
a corresponding number of wedges or inclines placed behind the rearmost "book
in each press.
When the strick of silk was unevenly "filled" into the "book," i.e.,
thicker on one end of the "book" than the other, the gripping was imperfect,
allowing the silk to be "robbed " from the book" by the comb in those parts
where the silk was thinnest.
"
"
It is to avoid this defect that the present improvements are designed. The
"books" containing the silk to be dressed are filled in as before to presses formed
around a skeleton cylindrical frame, which is free to rotate on a fixed axle.. There
are, say, 8 presses in this cylinder, each of which will contain a group of "books,"
Some twenty or more in number. Within each press and bearing against the back
of the last "book" is a double wedge shaped plate, which is intended to receive the
pressure of two wedges which move inwards from opposite sides of the cylinder.
These wedges are forced inwards during the rotation of the cylinder by a bowle
with which their outer ends are furnished, coming in contact with cam pieces
hinged to the side frames of the machine, and held in position by weighted levers
which will determine the amount of pressure to be put upon the wedges. As these

page_text: wedges are driven in they will press the "books" firmly together, and thus ensure
a firm grip of the silk throughout the whole breadth of the "book" The silk as
it is carried round by the cylinder is brought under the action of rotating combs
of different degrees of fineness, and after passing these combs the pressure of the
wedges is withdrawn to permit of the removal of the "books" of dressed silk by
the attendant. To provide for this loosening of the wedges a pair of cam pieces
standing up from the fixed axle of the cylinder is employed. These wedges are so
situated within the cylinder that they will come into action on the wedges so soon
as the press to which the wedges belong has passed the last of the combs.
The wedges are formed with lugs, which as the cylinder rotates will strike
against the cam pieces, and thus the wedges will be forced back leaving the
"books" free to be removed by the attendant.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur Greenwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th May
1881.
ARTHUR GREENWOOD, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SILK DRESSING MACHINERY."
This Invention relates to improvements on a Patent granted to Mr. Thomas
Greenwood for "Improvements in Machinery for Dressing Silk," bearing date
Twenty third of May, One thousand eight hundred and sixty six, No. 1452. This
Patent describes a means of gripping "books" of silk inserted upon the periphery
of a rotating cylinder previous to the silk being submitted to a dressing action, and
of releasing them after such action has taken place. The wedged bars employed
to effect this purpose were driven endwise from one side of the machine by a
weighted lever. These bars had a number of wedges or inclines acting against a
corresponding number of wedges or inclines placed behind the rearmost "book"
in each press.
When the strick of silk was unevenly "filled" into the "book,"
that is to say, thicker on one end of the "book" than the other, the gripping was
imperfect, allowing the silk to be "robbed" from the "book" by the comb in those
parts where the silk was thinnest.
It is to avoid this defect that the present improvements are designed. The
"books" containing the silk to be dressed are filled in as before to presses formed
around a skeleton cylindrical frame, which is free to rotate on a fixed axle. Thero
are, say, eight presses in this cylinder, each of which will contain a group of
books," some twenty or more in number.
Within each press and bearing against the back of the last "book" is a double
wedge shaped plate, which is intended to receive the pressure of two wedges which
move inwards from opposite sides of the cylinder. These wedges are forced inwards
during the rotation of the cylinder by a bowle with which their outer ends are
furnished coming in contact with cam pieces hinged to the side frames of the
machine, and held in position by weighted levers which will determine the amount
of pressure to be put upon the wedges. As these wedges are driven in they will
press the books" firmly together, and thus ensure a firm grip of the silk
throughout the whole breadth of the "book." The silk as it is carried round by
the cylinder is brought under the action of rotating combs of different degrees of
fineness, and after passing these combs the pressure of the wedges is withdrawn
to permit of the removal of the books of dressed silk by the attendant.
provide for this loosening of the wedges they are brought by the rotation of the
cylinder into contact with a pair of cain pieces standing up from the fixed axle of
the cylinder, which forces them outwards and thus permits of the release of the
books" of combed or carded silk.
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In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the silk dressing
machine; Fig. 1 shews in plan view the means employed for giving the inward
end thrust to the wedges, and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the presses detached and on an enlarged scale, and
Fig. is a cross section of the same; Fig. 5 shews in plan view and Fig. 6 in side
elevation the cam pieces for releasing the wedges.
A (Figures 1 and 2) is the skeleton cylinder, the periphery of which is divided
up by transverse division plates A' (shewn best at Figures 3 and 4) into presses for
the reception of the books of silk u. The cylinder, which in this case is formed
of eight presses, is mounted on a fixed axle B, which is carried by the framing C, C
Fitted to one side of the cylinder A is a ring of spur teeth A2, which receives
rotary motion through suitable gearing from the axle of one of the combing rollers

page_text: or by any other convenient means; b, b¹, are pairs of wedges for imparting pressure
to the books of silk. These wedges act upon inclines formed on plates c which are
inserted in the soveral presses, and are intended when the presses are filled with
books of silk to press the same tightly together. The outer ends of these pairs of
wedges are fitted with antifriction bowles 62 to receive the pressure of hinged cam
pieces 63, attached to bracket pieces b*, made fast to the side frames of the inachine
(see the detached view, Fig. 1a). Mounted on stud pins projecting from these
bracket pieces are the bell crank levers 6%, from one limb of which depends the
weight, the other limb being bent inwards to bear against the hinged cam
piece 6. As each press is similarly fitted with a pair of wedges b, b¹, to act upon
the inclines of the plates c, it will be understood that as a slow rotary motion is
communicated to the cylinder A the hinged cam pieces on the opposite sides of
the machine will forco the wedges inwards or towards the middle of the cylinder,
and thus tighten up the books by putting upon them an equal pressure throughout
their length. The inclines on the plates c it will be understood will be reversed,
so as to receive the pressure of the wedges from opposite directions and not in one
direction only as heretofore. Projecting inwards from the underside of the wedges
(see the detached views, Figures 5 and 6), are the lugs 6', which are intended after
the combing of the silk has been effected to come in contact with a pair of inclined
cam pieces 6 carried by arms 6º, standing up from the fixed axle B. The effect of
these lugs striking the cam picces 6s will be to drive back the wedges b, bl, and
thus release the books from pressure. This will occur immediately after the press
to which the wedges belong has passed the last of the combs and before the books
are brought into the position for the attendant to remove them from the press.
When therefore the books are presented to the attendant he will have simply to
lift them out of the press, and replace them by others charged with silk ready for
combing. These books it will be understood are retained in their proper position
in the press by segment guides in the usual manner.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in Silk
Dressing Machinery," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim,―
The means for tightening up the presses containing the "books" of silk from
opposite ends thereof, and releasing the presses by the action of the fixed cams, as
and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, tho said Arthur Greenwood, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
ADTTTTTD
ADEENWOOD