IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING LINEN YARN
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Colin Mather, of Salford Iron Works, Manchester,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING LINEN YARN."
Sealed the 8th May 1866, and dated the 15th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Colin Mather at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th February 1866.
I, COLIN MATHER, of Salford Iron Works, Manchester, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING
LINEN YARN," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in preparing linen yarn.
When linen yarn is spun wet and wound on bobbins in the throstle or
spinning frame it is desirable that it should be dried as quickly as possible.
after leaving the spinning frame, and it is usual to place the bobbins wound
with yarn in trays or frames, and to convey them into drying rooms, where
they remain till the lineu yarn is dry.
Now according to my Invention I employ metal bobbins, by preference
brass, of the form of the ordinary wooden ones commonly used in spinning
frames for spinning. Linen yarn and the bodies of these metal bobbins
are perforated with numerous. small holes. When the bobbins have been
wound with the spun yarn in the spinning frame they are removed and
placed on hollow spindles, tubes, or supports in order that superheated
steam may be caused to pass around the yarn wound upon them. These
spindles, tubes, or supports are connected with a pipe by which super-
heated steam is supplied from a suitable steam boiler and superheating..

page_text: apparatus such as are ordinarily used for producing superheated steam.
On opening a valve or cock on the steam pipe the superheated steam
issues and drives off much of the moisture from the yarn on the bobbins,
and heats and dries such yarns.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Colin Mather in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th August 1866,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, COLIN
MATHER, of Salford Iron Works, Manchester, send greeting.
"WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Colin Mather, Her special licence that I, the said
Colin Mather, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Colin Mather, my 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING LINEN YARN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Colin Mather, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 I, the said Colin Mather, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its object improvements in preparing linen yarn.
When linen yarn is spun wet and wound on bobbins in the throstle or
spinning frame it is desirable that it should be dried as quickly as possible
after leaving the spinning frame, and it is usual to place the bobbins wound.

page_text: with yarn in trays or frames, and to convey them into drying rooms, where
they remain till the linen yarn is dry.
Now according to my Invention I employ metal bobbins, by preference
of brass, of the form of the ordinary wooden ones commonly used in
spinning frames for spinning linen yarn, and the bodies of these metal
bobbins are perforated with numerous small holes. When the bobbins have
been wound with the spun yarn in the spinning frame they are removed
and placed on hollow spindles, tubes, or supports in order that superheated
steam may be caused to pass amongst
the yarn wound upon them. These
spindles, tubes, or supports are connected with a pipe by which super-
heated steam is supplied from a suitable steam boiler and superheating
apparatus, such as are ordinarily used for producing superheated steam.
On opening a valve or cock on the steam pipe the superheated steam
issues and drives off much of the moisture from the yarn on the bobbins,
and heats and dries such yarns.
The Drawing hereunto annexed shews the arrangement of apparatus
which I prefer to employ. a is a steam pipe, which for convenience is
made square in section; 6 is a short pipe screwed into the main steam
pipe, having a conical end on to which one end of the perforated bobbin
is placed; any number of these can be screwed on to the steam pipe a.
c is a brass bobbin, having the body part perforated, it is cast hollow as
shewn for the sake of lightness; in place of the hollow perforated bobbin
being of brass it may be of other material. d is a light arm screwed to
the under side of the main steam pipe; e is a spindle passing through a
hole in the arm d; the spindle is formed with a conical end to fit into the
end of the perforated bobbin, as shewn; f is a lever, and g a weight for
pressing forward the spindle e. By having the arın d made long enough,
and a number of spindles e of various different lengths, any length of
bobbin can be dried in the same apparatus, and the weight g can be made
sufficiently heavy to prevent the steam escaping without passing through
the yarn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Colin Mather, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our
12
1 sight hundand and sister in
COLIN MATHER. (L.S.)