CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESSES Of Preparing, Spinning, and WEAVING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Harry Rippin and Ernest
Charles Rippin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents with
their Petition, on the 19th September 1872.
We, GEORGE HARRY RIPPIN and ERNEST CHARLES RIPPIN, both of
Stoke Newington, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM
OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESSES Of Preparing, Spinning, and
WEAVING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The Inventions hereinafter described relate more particularly to
various machines employed in the processes of preparing and spinning
cotton fibres, and in the manufacturing of cotton fabrics also, although
the same may be employed with advantage in the processes of
manufacturing other fibrous substances, such as wool, silk, hemp, and
flax. The Inventions are described in the order in which their various
services are required, and are designed and wrought for the purpose
of producing machines that will combine simplicity of construction
with durability of parts, and which in their operation will expedite and
improve the processes of spinning and the manufacture of the fabrics
they are designed to produce.

page_text: "
The improvements relate first, to that machine known as the carding
engine, and consist first, in reducing the space between the " doffing
cylinder and the callendering rollers, the object being to deliver the
collected fleeco in a continuous sliver into the "can" at an adjustable
distance of about three to four inches from the "doffing" cylinder.
The object attained by this arrangement is the prevention of loose fly
accumulating in the trough, and also economizing space.
A second improvement consists in applying a stop motion to the
"coiler" in connection with the carding engine, the adaptation of which,
will stop the "carding." when any desired weight of cotton has entered
the "can." For this purpose the cover or cap of the "coiler" against
which the accumulating coil of cotton is caused to press when the can
is filling is constructed so as to resist a given strain or pressure, which
when attained yields about a quarter or half an inch of movement, the
action of which releases a spring or weighted lever, that immediately
upon such release transfers through the medium of the strap fork the
driving strap from the fast to the loose pulley, and so stops the
machine.
Secondly. The improvements relate to the drawing frame and consist,
first, in giving a to-and-fro movement to the top rollers in the
direction of their horizontal axis, so as to extend the length of their
wearing surfaces, producing thereby an extended durability and effective-
ness of their action; and secondly, to a novel construction of "stop"
motion" that is arranged to stop the whole frame of rollers, or to stop
one individual set of rollers only, in the event of any one or more of
the slivers passing through said rollers becoming disconnected, broken,
or finished. According to the former of these improvements, the to-
and-fro motion of the top leather covered drawing rollers, is obtained by
the means of slowly revolving cams, cranks, or other equivalents actuated
through the medium of intermediate gearing connecting such cams
or other equivalents with the driving shaft. For example, in the event
of cams being employed, their construction will be such that in their
revolutions they will by their connection with the axis of the top rollers
gradually and slowly move such rollers whilst revolving in a direction
longitudinally over a short distance of the under fluted drawing rollers;
the to-and-fro movement thus given effect the purposes for which such
motion is designed, and as herein-before explained. The latter of these
improvements relate to the "stop motion," the adaptation and con-

page_text: struction of which to drawing frames may be thus described :-A screw
supported in suitable bearings and independently driven is situated
parallel with and underneath the driving rollers, and is supplied with
an easily fitting screwed boss, the periphery of which is longitudinally
grooved. Immediately above this grooved loose boss the hooked or
bent ends of a number of balance levers similar to those now employed
are supported by their fulcra in the frame, the opposite ends of which
form guides through or over which the slivers of cotton in their
progress to the rollers pass, and so long as they are continuous depress
so as to keep their opposite or bent ends elevated and clear of the
revolving loose grooved boss on the longitudinal screw. Thus when
one or more of the slivers are run out or become otherwise disconnected,
their opposite bent ends at once fall on to and in one of the grooves
of
the revolving boss upon the screw; immediately the contact between the
two takes place the bent ends of the fallen lever forms an abutment
that prevents the boss revolving with the screw, transforming thereby
its revolving into a rectilinear motion; the latter motion thus obtained
is readily applied to the stopping of the machine by means of a spring
handle in connection with the strap fork or other well known.
equivalents; or in lieu of the whole frame being stopped, each set of
rollers being independently driven by an arrangement of friction or
clutch gearing may be also seperately supplied with a length of loose
boss on the one revolving screw, and so arranged that immediately any;
one of the bosses is prevented revolving with the screw by reason of
the fall of one of the bent ends of the balance levers, its rectilincar
motion at once puts in motion a lever in connection with a clutch or:
friction wheel, which simultaneously with the fall of the lever puts
such clutch out of gear, and stops those set of rollers alone through
which the sliver is no longer passing.
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Thirdly. The Invention relates to those machines known in the
spinning of cotton as "throstles," and also to all those spinning frames
in which a 'drag" is required to retard the too free revolution of
the bobbins or spindles upon which the spun yarn is accumulating.
This part of the Invention consists in supplying each spindle or bobbin .
with two or more winged projections having a spiral, taper, or other.
suitable form, and around which a tube or revolving frame supplied
with similar wings is supported and independently driven in a direction
and at a speed that will cause an atmospheric counter current to the

page_text: wings upon the spindle or bobbin, transmitting thereby to the revolution
of such spindle or bobbin a "drag" of greater or less intensity, according
to the relative speeds at which the spindle and its counter current
"drag" may be revolving, and which can be regulated according to the
number or quality of yarn under process of manufacture.
Fourthly. The Invention relates to the mechanical "doffing" of
finished cops from mule or other spindles, in order to again prepare the
mule to recommence its work in the shortest space of time possible,
and also when " doffing" to prevent the "stuffing" or uneven lift
which is a fruitful source of waste when " doffing" by hand. This
part of the improvements may be accomplished by various mechanical
arrangements in which a revolving or sliding wedge is the prime mover.
In an arrangement in which the sliding wedge is the lifting agent
the apparatus consists in providing each spindle with a shallow cup
and washer placed on the spindle and immediately under the cop,
the said cup rests upon a lever provided with a slot that embraces
the spindle, one end of which rests in a nick or is otherwise con-
nected to the bolster of the mule carriage behind the spindles; the
opposite end of these levers are caused slightly to protrude from the
bolster in front of the spindles. Immediately under the protruding
ends of these levers a trail or track is formed on the carriage, which
supports a sliding inclined block, the inclined or undulating surface of
which when drawn along its supporting rail at the time when the cops
require doffing, comes successively into contact with the protruding
ends of the levers, and in its passage raises such levers, the action of
which through the medium of the cups before mentioned, transmits a
direct and rapid lift to the cops which releases them uniformly from
the spindles from end to end of the mule carriage, or the same may
be accomplished by means of a revolving wedge acting upon the cups
in the following manner: -A groove or slot is formed upon the bolster
parallel with the spindle into which a footstep for the lower axis of a
disc is caused to slide; this disc has a peculiar tapered construction
similar to a 'quoit," and is provided with recesses or indentations
around its edge which correspond in pitch to the distance between the
spindles of the mule, so that when it is forced along its guiding slot
the spindles will form teeth similar to those of a rack which will cause
the tapered disc to revolve; thus when the footstep of the disc is
inserted in the parallel groove at one end of the mule carriage when
66
..

page_text: the cops require "doffing" and is dragged or forced rapidly along, the
tapered portion of such disc will gradually and continually become
inserted underneath the lifting cups before mentioned successively, the
action of which will raise the cups and relieve the cops from the
spindles in the manner before mentioned.
"
The fifth part of our Invention relates to various improvements in the
loom. The first of which is designed for the purpose of simplifying and
making more durable the mechanism employed for "shedding," by the
substitution of a novel arrangement of apparatus and the adaptation of
the same to looms in lieu of the ordinary yarn or worsted healds, and the
'treading" motion now employed in connection therewith. This
portion of the fifth part of our Invention consists in supporting bars by
means of radial arms connected with and actuated by a rocking shaft
supported in bearings constructed in the framing of the loom. These
bars are supported in a position parallel with and behind the "reed,"
and are so placed that when in action they may pass cach other; each
bar is provided with a number of peculiarly bent wires partaking of the
form of an inverted cone, each wire being provided with an cyc
capable of supporting one or more of the warp threads. The position of
these wires is such that they will alternately take up or support the
ends of yarn forming the warp of the fabric under process of manufac-
ture. The radial arms supporting the parallel bars and "shedding"
wires are connected by means of rods with a disc supported by a bearing
in the side frame of the loom. This disc is provided with a slot of
peculiar construction somewhat in the form of a horse-shoe, in which a
stud connected by means of a link to the arm of an eccentric is caused
to move, the to-and-fro sliding action of which in the curved slot of the
disc causes the same to oscillate in a manner that transmits through the
medium of the connecting rods and radial arms before mentioned a rise
and fall to the parallel bars and wires supporting the warp threads, the
nature of which is such that when the eyes of the wires are changing
places, that is, when one is ascending and the other descending, so as to
form a "shed" for the pick of the shuttle, the passage or change of
position to the warp threads at this time is effected at an accelerated
speed, and then caused to dwell while the shuttle makes a clear passage
or pick from box to box, on the accomplishment of which the cross or
next shed is rapidly and easily effected without strain or jerk. The
rocking shafts giving motion to the radial arms for shedding as described

page_text: are placed behind the crank shaft at a point coincident with the
junction of the warps at the "leese" rod; by this arrangement their
angle of elevation or depression will correspond with the angle assumed
by the warp threads when shedding. The segmental motion thus given
to the eyes of the wires supporting the yarns will prevent the rub or
friction of the threads in the eyes when shedding. A further improve-
ment consists in the adaptation of a vibrating rest placed over the warp
beam that is actuated by an eccentric, and is provided for the purpose,
when on its front centre, of exerting a pressure upon the warp threads
at the time when the yarn is closing up, and when on its back centre
withdrawing such tension which releases the warp and enables thereby
the change of the "shed" to be effected with the minimum amount of
weight or tension.
Secondly. This portion of the Invention relates to a novel arrange-
ment of "letting off" motion that will compensate for the varying
diameter of the warp beam, and produce a pick even and uniform
throughout the entire piece of cloth. This portion of the Invention
consists in providing the warp beam with fixed ratchet wheels having
reversed teeth. These wheels are actuated and governed by a lever,
pawl, and retaining catches in the following manner :-The pawl giving
motion to the "letting off" ratchet is connected to a lever provided with
a slot in which a sliding stud is placed which forms a connection
through the medium of a rod with a slotted bracket secured to the
vibrating "slay swort." This sliding stud is also connected by means
of a bracket with a roller kept in contact with the yarn of the warp a
beam by means of a lever and weight. Thus when the warp beam is
full and at its greatest diameter the stud in the slotted lever is at its
lowest point in which position it gives as the "slay swort" vibrates its
maximum throw to the slotted lever and pawl, giving motion to the warp
beam. Now it will be readily understood that as the warp beam reduces
in proportion as the yarn is delivered therefrom, the roller in contact
therewith will gradually rise, and so drag the stud in the slotted lever,
giving motion to the pawl and ratchet wheel with it; this gradual riso
contracts the distance between the fulcrum and actuating stud of the
slotted lever, which necessarily reduces the throw of the pawl in
proportion with the reduction of the diameter of the warp beam. By
this arrangement the diameter of the warp beam alone is the medium
that governs the regularity of the "let off," producing thereby a

page_text: uniform and even pick throughout the entire length of cloth. A coarse
or fine pick is readily adjusted by raising or lowering the connecting end
of the sliding rod at its point of contact with the slotted bracket in the
"slay swort." A reverse action of the warp beam is prevented by
means of the second reverse set of teeth on the second ratchet wheel
and their retaining catches.
And, lastly. This portion of the Invention relates to the "reed," and is
designed for the purpose of giving to the same a gradual slow rise during
the time the warp is being delivered from the warp beam, enabling
thereby the "dents" of the "reed" to have an extended portion of
their surfaces presented to the frictional action of the yarn during the
time a length of warp is passing through them. This object is obtained
by connecting the lower frame of the "reed" by means of vertical rods
with the ends of two levers supported by their fulcra in brackets secured
to the "slay swort." The opposite or long arms of these levers project
beyond their fulcra to a point or points terminating underneath the
cloth beam. against which the smooth surface ends of such levers bear.
Thus as the cloth upon the cloth roller accumulates and increases in
diameter, a slow and gradual rise through the depression. of the lever is
given to the vertical rods and the "reed" which they support, the effect
of which gives a constantly varying surface to the frictional contact of
the passing yarns, and as a natural consequence an extended durability
to the "reed" itself.
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