CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO SPINNING, DOUBLING, AND WINDING OF COTTON, WOOL, FLAX, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATE- RIALS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fletcher, of Facit, near Rochdale, in
the County of Lancaster, Manager, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO SPINNING, DOUBLING, AND
WINDING OF COTTON, WOOL, FLAX, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATE-
RIALS."
Sealed the 5th July 1853, and dated the 12th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fletcher at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th January 1858.
I, JAMES FLETCHER, of Facit, near Rochdale, in the County of Lan-
caster, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO SPINNING, DOUBLING,
AND WINDING OF COTTON, WOOL, FLAX, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
to be as follows:-
Consists, firstly, in a new arrangement and combination of machinery
by which I am enabled to throw the twist in the thread from the spindle
close up to the nip of the roller, and this I accomplish by means of an

page_text: additional roller placed in front of and brought into contact with the
front bottom roller of the throstle or spinning frame.
Secondly, in arranging the spindles and drum or cylinder of a throstle
doubling or winding frame, so that I am enabled to drive two spindles
by one band from one drum or cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES FLETCHER, of Facit, near Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Manager, send greeting.
"WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Fletcher, Her especial
license that I, the said James Fletcher, my executors, administators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Fletcher, m; 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,
tlie Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN
MPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO SPINNING, DOUBLING, AND
WINDING OF COTTON, WOOL, FLAX, SILK, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Fletcher,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same

page_text: 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 I, the said James Fletcher, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had unto the Drawings
annexed hereto, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, the same
letters and figures being used to represent corresponding parts in each
figure (that is to say):
Fig. 1, of the Drawings shews part of the front elevation of a
"throstle frame;" Fig. 2, a cross or end sectional clevation; Figs. 3,
and 5, plain views, from a point just above the warves of the spindles ;
Fig. 4, an enlarged cross sectional view of the roller stands.
My Invention relates to that class of machinery known as throstle or
water frames and doubling frames, and to winding machines; and it
consists, first, in a mode by which the twist put into the threads by the
spindles is carried more effectually into the nip of the rollers, which I find
to reduce the liability of breakage of the threads during the operation of
spinning. In the common arrangement of throstle frame (to which
this improvement has especial reference) a portion of the thread bears
or rests upon the curved surface of the front roller; the friction upon
which impedes the passage of the twist put in by the spindles to the nip
of the rollers, and thus the portion left untwisted, or only partially
twisted, becomes the weakest and most liable to breakage during the
operation of spinning. The object of the first part of my Invention is
to lessen or remedy this defect, and I accomplish it by the addition to
the ordinary arrangement of the rollers of another covered roller (e,)
immediately in front of the front fluted roller (a.) as shewn in the
Drawings annexed hereto in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the particular manner of
applying which I will now proceed to describe. The front rollers (a,)
(it will be seen at Fig. 2,) is brought near or perpendicularly over the
spindles, and the cap bars d, (in which the axis of the top rollers
revolve) are made so as to project past the front rollers (a,) having an
incline shoulder (d) which supports the axis, and keeps the roller tight
against the front roller. The thread from the flyer may either pass

page_text: direct to the nip of the roller, or first through a guide wire, as shown in
dotted lines. It will be seen that the roller (e,) pinces or nips the
thread at the point where it forms a tangent with the front fluted roller,
and where the thread will be fully twisted, taking off all strain upon
that portion between the nip of the additional roller (e,) and that of the
top roller a, with the futed (a). When an end or thread breaks
the attendant lifts the roller (e) out of the incline of the cap bar, till the
thread is pieced, and then replaces it.
The second part of my Inven tion relates to the mode of imparting
motion to the spindles of throstle and doubling frames and winding
machines, the novelty of which consists principally in a re-arrangement
of existing parts of throstle and doubling frames, and in a peculiar mode
of "banding," so as to drive or impart motion to two spindles (one on
each side of the frame) by the same band. Figs. 2, and 3, shew how this
is accomplished. The top side of the drum or driving roller B, is brought
a little below the level of the warves (j) of the spindles, and the spindles
(as shewn at Fig. 3,) are placed so that a line drawn between those
spindles on each side of the frame, which correspond with each other, is
at an oblique angle to the axis of the drawing roller or drum B. This
horizontal angularity is for the purpose of giving clearance to the band,
after passing round the drum or roller B. The band passes from the
warve of the spindle on that side from which the drum or driving roller B,
turns, going upon the top side of it, and passing round at a right angle
to its axis; but before it comes in contact with the band passing on to
the driving roller or drum B, it is diverted from the line it has been
previously going in by the angle which it is constrained to make in
passing to the warve of the second spindle around which it passes, and
then direct and in a straight line to the warve of the first spindle, as
shewn. That the bands may work clear of the spring pieces or internal
framing I place them in an oblique position, that is, parallel to the line
of the bands, or in the line x, y, Fig. 3. This may also be accomplished
by cranking them, so that the sides will come between the spaces.
Fig. 5, shews the manner in which this part of my Invention may be
applied to throstle and doubling frames and winding machines already
made, which have their spindles on each side opposite or at right angles

page_text: to the axis of the driving roller, in which the driving roller is placed, as
already explained; and to get sufficient angularity to effect a clearance
of the passing on and off sides of the bands in ordinary frames, the first
and second spindle at opposite sides at each end of the frame may be
passed over, and the first spindle on one side is driven in connection
with the third on the other side, as shewn at Fig. 5. To make the
bands work clear of the spring pieces (A) a carrier pulley may be
placed (W.) as shown; and that the spindles at the ends may not be
useless, they may be driven in the manner shewn, that is, by a band
which passes round the roller, then over a carrier pulley (t,) then round
the upper of the warveu, (which is double), then partly round the warve
, and then round the of the warve u, and then to the driving
roller B. The warve V, should be placed on a level with the upper
<of the double warve u, or high enough to give clearance at the point
, where the band crosses under that part of the band marked *.
I have only shown the manner of carrying the second part of
my Invention into effect in throstle frames in the Drawings annexed
hereto, but as doubling frames or winding machines are of the same
character in that respect, the manner of applying it to those machines
will be readily understood. That the Drawings may be well under-
stood, I will proceed to name some of the parts shewn. A, A, is the
framing; A', spindle rail; B, the driving drum or roller; B', its
axis; F, F, roller stand; E, driving pullics. a, is the front, b, the middle,
and c, the back fluted bottom rollers. a', is the top front covered roller,
6, middle, and c', the back rollers; d, d, the cap bars, in which the axis
of the top rollers revolve; e, the covered roller which is added; g, an
hook, which has hold of the middle of each top covered roller, connected
with a lever h, which effects the necessary pressure between the rollers
a, and a¹; i, is a guide board and guide; j,j, are the spindles; j', the
warves; k, the flyers; and Z, the bands from the parts herein named.
The Drawings will be readily understood.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and a manner in
which it may be performed and carried into effect, I claim as my In-
vention, first, the improvement herein shewn and described in the first
part of my Invention as applied to throstle frames for spinning cotton;

page_text: and, secondly, I claim the method herein described in the second part
of my Invention, for imparting motion to two spindles by one band in
throstle and doubling frames, and also the mode of applying it to
throstle and doubling frames and winding machines which have their
spindles opposite or at right angles to the axis of the driving rollers or
drums B, as herein-before described, in machines used for cotton, wool,
flax, silk, or other fibrous material.
In witness whercof I, the said James Fletcher, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
(being first duly stamped) by
the within-named James
Fletcher, in the presence of
JAMES FLETCHER. (L.S.)
PETER J. LIVSEY,
of Manchester.