A Machine for Preparing or Straightening Threads in Skeins or Hanks of Various Textile Materials before and after Dyeing.
Year: 1884

page_text: A Machine for Preparing or Straightening Threads in Skeins or
Hanks of Various Textile Materials before and after Dyeing.
[Communicated from abroad by Messieurs Pierre Durançon, of 41, Cours
d'Herblouville, Dyer, and Philippe Lapierre, of 2, Rue Puits Gaillot,
Gentleman, both of Lyons, in the Republic of France.]
I BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for A MACHINE FOR PREPARING OR
STRAIGHTENING THREADS IN SKEINS OR HANKS OF VARIOUS TEXTILE MATERIALS
BEFORE AND AFTER DYEING, a communication to me from abroad by Messieurs
Pierre Durançon of 41 Cours d'Herbouville, Dyer and Philippe Lapierre, of
2 Rue Puits Gaillot, Gentleman both of Lyons in the Republic of France:―
The machine constituting the subject of the present invention has for its object
to prepare or straighten and equalize the finest and most delicate textile threads in
skeins or hanks.
It operates in an analogous manner to hand work, without ever losing its hold
of the skein which remains extended and slowly turned round in the interval
between the blows.
I will first explain the principle of this machine.
The hank composed of a certain number of skeins, is suspended from a. fixed
roller or beam which can turn at the desired moment by the action of a driver and
ratchet wheel, a second roller or beam which can rise and fall vertically in slots or
ways holds the skein extended by its weight or by the action of springs, lastly a
small roller suspended by links can act upon the two sides of the hank to open it
out from its vertical position.
Supposing the bank to have just received a blow.
The lower roller or beam is raised whilst the small roller oscillating towards the
left elongates the hank on this side in proportion as the lower roller or beam rises,
so as to keep it always extended. During this time the driver has pushed the
ratchet wheel one tooth, in order to displace the action of the blow. At this
moment the parts which support the small roller and the lower roller or beam leave
them at the same time. The latter falls by its weight aided if required by the

page_text: action of springs. The bank follows the movement without ceasing to be extended
and receives the blow of the. moveable roller or beam without the strands being
able to become displaced, it is then returned to its original position, and the saine
movements re-commence.
In order to equalize the action of the blows, the machine is made double, the two
upper rollers or beams are mounted on the same shaft and turn together by the
action of a single driver the small rollers and the lower rollers or beams are also
fixed on a single shaft and work together by means of cams or by other suitable
operating means.
A certain number of these double elements are arranged in a parallel direction
upon the same framing, and the parts which operate them are arranged in such
manner that the blows may be given successively in order to regularize the work
of the engine, and so that each roller or beam may be capable of being separately
stopped for mounting and dismounting the skeins or banks.
The number of these elements is calculated so that one operative may be able to
mount and dismount successively all the rollers or beams whilst the first completes
its action, he can then return to the first, stop it, remove the finished hank, replace
it by another and set it again in motion, he will then pass to the next which will
be completed in its turn, in this manner the machine will never have but a single
roller or beam idle, and a single operative.will be sufficient for the service.
The movements above described may be given by any mechanical means capable
of producing them.
The rollers or beams may be made of any material, and they may be covered if
required with caoutchouc for preparing or straightening hanks the strands of which
would be very unequal in length.

page_text: WATUATION
I BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for A MACHINE FOR PREPARING OR
STRAIGHTENING THREADS IN SKEINS OR HANKS OF VARIOUS TEXTILE MATERIALS
BEFORE AND AFTER DYEING, & communication to me from abroad by Messieurs
Pierre Durançon of 41 Cours d' Herbouville, Dyer, and Philippe Lapierre of 2 Rue
Puits Gaillot, Gentleman, both of Lyons in the Republic of France, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
Before or after the various manipulations to which hanks or skeins of textile
materials are submitted in dyeing, it is necessary to straighten and equalize the
threads which are mixed and crossed during the preceding operation, this work is
now done by hand the hank or skein being suspended from a peg, the workman
passes his two hands to the interior and whilst the one strikes the lower part with
a succession of smart blows, the other holds the hank or skein stretched and causes
it to turn around the peg in order to vary the part receiving the shock.
The machine constituting the object of this invention operates in an analogous
manner by means of two parts which replace the hands, the hank or skein being
always suspended from a peg. Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing show
the principle of it.
The bank M, composed of a certain number of skeins is suspended from a fixed
roller or beam G, which can receive at the desired time a movement of rotation
upon its axis by the action of a driver C. The beater or instrument communicating
the blows is a cylinder parallel to the beam G and mounted at the end of a cranked
lever A, D the short arm of which furnished with a truck or pulley D is operated
by a cam E, which at each revolution raises the beater to a certain height, and
allows it to fall freely with all its weight augmented if required by an additional
charge.
The tension instrument or extender T is a simple roller suspended by links I, in
the interior of the bank. Its movement is connected with that of the beater by
a link or connecting rod H, articulated at one end to the link or connecting rod I
and at the other to a crank K operated by the lever A, D, through the intervention of
a spring L. The link or connecting rod I also carries the driver C, which acts upon
a ratchet wheel N fixed to the roller or beam G and the return of which is
prevented by the retaining click P.
Figure 1 represents the commencement of the movement, the bank having just
received a blow. The rotation of the shaft O which carries the cams E, raises the
beater B, at the same time the connecting rod H, pushes back the extender T and
causes it to act upon the side of the hank to retain it stretched; the course of this
extender being a little longer than is necessary to exactly follow the hank, the
spring L becomes compressed and ensures a regular tension.
During this time the driver C, having shifted the roller or beam G, the hank is
also shifted in such manner as to receive a blow upon another part of its length,

page_text: It thus arrives at the position shown at Figure 2 where the cam abandoning the
lever A, D, the beater falls, carrying with it the extender and strikes sharply, the
bottom part of the hank without having nevertheless ceased to be in contact
with it.
The parts are then returned to the position Figure 1 and the motions recommence
in the same order for successive blows.
It will be observed that the hank is never left to itself and that it is shifted at
each blow in order to be beaten upon all its parts which is the essential condition
realized in hand work.
To remove and replace a hank, the beater is stopped at its highest position
Figure 3 and the extender is brought back towards the centre by forcing the
spring L, which gives a sufficient slackness to render the manipulation easy. This
result can be obtained by a single act by adjusting during the rise of the beater
a double click, one part S of which retains the lever K and stops the motion of the
extender at the desired point and the other part T retains the beater at its highest
point, the cam then turns without producing any effect until after the replacing of
a bank is effected the click is removed and the parts again set in motion. Figure 4
represents an end view of the machine to equalize the action of the blows, the
rollers or beams G are mounted in pairs upon a single transverse shaft as are also
the beaters B, and the extenders T.
The movements are comprised between two parallel frames R, R and the working
parts are out of the perpendicular on each side of these frames which facilitates the
placing and the removal of the hanks.
The rollers or beams may be in any desired number, a single shaft O carries all
the cams, and these latter are keyed at different angles in such manner as to
produce successive blows and thus to regularize the motive work which can be
obtained by a strap or band from a running shaft or be furnished by a special
engine placed at the head of the machine.
The rollers or beams, beaters and extenders will be of metal or other inaterial
according to the nature of the threads to be treated, if desired they can be covered
with caoutchouc.
The right is reserved to employ for operating the beater and the extender any
other mechanical combination than that described provided that it produces the
same movements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In the straightening and equalizing of the threads composing skeins and
hanks of any textile material before, during and after dyeing, the combined mode
of action of a beater and of an extender having for their object to produce
successive blows upon every point in the length of the hanks or skeins without the
latter being ever abandoned which reproduces the effects of hand work.
2. The throwing out of gear and stopping of these instruments in a convenient
position for mounting and dismounting the hanks or skeins by means of a double
click without stopping the action of the machine.
B. J. B. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.