IMPROVE- MENTS IN SPINNING MACHINERY
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SPINNING MACHINERY."-A communication from abroad by James
Eaton, of Boston, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 17th January 1868, and dated the 24th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th October 1867.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING MACHINERY," a communication from abroad by
James Eaton, of Boston, in the United States of America, to be as
follows:-
This Invention has reference to improvements in the bearings of the spinilles
of mules and other spinning machinery, and also to an improved system or
mode of and means for lubricating the journals of such spindles.
The main features of this Invention consist, firstly, in the application of oil
or other lubricating liquid to the bolster and the step of spindles by means of

page_text: a saturated fibrous substance in such a manner as to prevent the waste of the
oil and confine its action to the bearings.
Second. In the form of the bolster, which is so made as to allow the spindles
to be removed with great facility.
Third. In the mode of affixing the bolster and adjusting it in the line of the
axis of the spindle.
Fourth. In the shape or contour of the bearings to conform to the direction
of the driving band.
Fifth. In the substitution of a long bearing for the bottom of the spindle in
place of the common shallow cup or step for the purpose of securing more
steady motion and reducing the wear of the spindles, especially of those that
are driven from the bottom of the upright drum in mules and have the driving
whirls near to the bottom of the spindle.
there is a band or cord of felt or
The ends of the tube may have an
which is absorbed by the fibrous
The step that supports the base of the spindle may be either tubular.or in
the form of chambers or boxes. In the first mode a brass tube rests in a long
groove made in a base block, and has at its upper edge a series of holes through
which the lower ends of the spindles are inserted; their ends resting on the
inside wall of the tube. Within the tube
other fibrous substance saturated with oil.
upright tube attached to receive the oil
stuffing of the tube, or a screw cap may be applied at the ends of the tube
and the oil introduced at the spindle apertures. By this simple arrangement
I secure a permanent bearing of suitable material protected from dust, having
the lubricant always in contact with the spindle, and preventing the evaporation
of the oil. When the fibre is well saturated with oil it will last several weeks
without renewal. The other form of the step consists of a long box or trough
made of suitable metal and provided with cavities nearly semicircular to
receive the base of the spindles, the space between two adjacent bearings
being occupied by intermediate chambers; on the inside of the box there is a
strip or ribbon of cloth or felt for the application of the oil, the cloth being in
contact with the spindles; oil is supplied to the intermediate chambers, and as
the cloth forms one side of the intermediate chambers it is constantly saturated
and distributes the oil uniformly to each of the spindles. This continuous
step or bearing, and also the tubular one before described, may be of the
length of one "door," say, from 20 to 40 spindles, or it may be in shorter
lengths if deemed desirable. The lubricating bolster forming the upper, bearing.
of the spindle is constructed as follows:-A horizontal back piece is fastened
to one end of the framework and supports a short bolster or bearing piece by

page_text: means of a screw, the head of the screw being in an open space between the
bearings; by adjustment of the screw the bearings may be made to occupy
their proper position with reference to the spindles and the step. On the top
of the bolster just above the screw there is a pin which serves for the attach-
ment of the moveable lubricator which is provided with a corresponding hole.
This lubricator is in the form of a box having the side next to the spindles'
open to allow of the contact of the felt or cloth contained in the inside of the
box. The lower edge of the box is wide enough to support the strip of cloth;
its edge rests against the frame. To remove the spindles it is only necessary
to lift the lubricating box, the box being made of any length most convenient
for this purpose. The bearings differ in shape so as to ensure the contact of
one-half of the spindle with a semicircular bearing which fits it with accuracy;
altho' the draft of the bands upon the whirl varies in direction, the angle from
each whirl to the periphery of the driving drum being different.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SPINNING MACHINERY," a communication to me from abroad by James
Eaton, of Boston, in the United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should

page_text: 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 John Henry Johnson, 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 accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention has reference to improvements in the bearings of the
spindles of mules and other spinning machinery, and also to an improved
system or mode of and means for lubricating the journals of such spindles.
The main feature of this Invention consists, firstly, in the application of oil
or other lubricating liquid to the bolster and the step of spindles by means of
a saturated fibrous substance in such a manner as to prevent the waste of the
oil and confine its action to the bearings.
Second. In the form of a bolster, which is so made as to allow the spindles
to be removed with great facility.
Third. In the mode of affixing the bolster and adjusting it in the line of
the axis of the spindle.
Fourth. In the shape or contour of the bearings to conform to the direction
of the driving band.
Fifth. In the substitution of a long bearing for the bottom of the spindle in
place of the common shallow cup or step for the purpose of securing a more
steady motion and reducing the wear of the spindles, especially of those that
are driven from the bottom of the upright drum in mules and have the driving
wheels near the bottom of the spindle.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a front elevation; Figure 2, a side elevation,
showing one spindle in position; Figure 3, a section of bolster and lubricator
on the line A, B, Figure 1; Figure 4, section of bolster and lubricator with one
spindle in place; Figure 5, perspective view of the step; Figure 6, top view
and horizontal section of the bolster and lubricator; Figure 7, tubular step.
In the Drawings a part of the frame of a mule carriage as shewn at c, c².

page_text: The drum D is driven by a band passing round the pulley E in the usual
manner, and carries the bands or cords G, G¹, which drive the whirls' H
attached to the spindles I, and impart rotatory motion to the spindle.
The step that supports the base of the spindle may be either tabular as
represented in Figure 7, or in the form of chambers or boxes, as in Figure 5. .In
the first mode the brass tube L rests in a long groove made in the base block K,
Figure 2, and has at its upper edge a series of holes N, N, Figure 7, through
which the lower ends of the spindle I, I', are inserted, their ends resting on
the inside wall of the tube. Within the tube L there is a band or cord O of
felt or other fibrous substance saturated with oil. The ends of the tube may
have an upright tube attached to receive the oil which is absorbed by the
fibrous stuffing of the tube, or a screw cap may be applied at the ends of the
tube, and the oil introduced at the spindle apertures N. By this simple
arrangement I secure a permanent bearing of suitable material protected from
dust, having the lubricant always in contact with the spindle, and preventing
the evaporation of the oil. When the fibre O is well saturated with oil it will
last several weeks without renewal. The other form of the step is shown in
Figure 5, it consists of a long box or trough P, P', made of suitable metal
and provided with suitable cavities Q nearly semicircular to receive the baso
of the spindles I, the space between the adjacent, bearings being occupied by
the chambers R, R'. On the inside of the box parallel with the side P there
is a strip or ribbon of cloth or felt S for the application of the oil, the clothi
being in contact with the spindles. Oil is supplied to the chambers R, R',
and as the cloth forms one side of each of the chambers it is constantly
saturated, and distributes the oil uniformly to each of the spindles. This
continuous step or bearing, and also the tubular one before described may be
of the height of one "door," say, from twenty to forty spindles, or it may be in
shorter lengths if deemed desirable. The lubricating bolster forming the
upper bearing of the spindle is constructed as follows:-The horizontal back
piece Z, Figure 3, is fastened to the end c¹ of the framework, and supports
the short bolster or bearing piece T by means of the screw X, the head of the
screw being in the open space Y between the bearings. The length of these
piéces is seen in Figure I' between 8 and 9, embracing two of the spindles 1:
By adjustment, of the screw X the bearings may be made to occupy their
proper position with reference to the spindles and the step. On the top of
the bolster just above the screw there is a pin U, which serves for the attach-
ent of the moveable lubricator V, V, which is provided with a corresponding
hole. This lubricator is in the form of a box baving the side next to the

page_text: •
spindles open to allow of the contact of the felt or cloth W contained in the
inside of the box. The lower edge V₁ of the box is wide enough to support the
strip of cloth W, its edge rests against the frame, its sole support being the
pin U. The variable position of the whirls H to correspond with the bands G
is shown in Figure 1. It will be observed that the spindles Nos. 1 and 5 have
the whirl H very near the bottom, the abrasion of both the spindle and step is
therefore much greater than in spindle No. 1; by the use of the improved
step this wear is prevented and less power is required to drive the machine.
To remove the spindles it is only necessary to lift the lubricating box V from
the pin U, the box 'being made of any length most convenient for this
purpose.
In the horizontal section, Figure 6, it will be noticed that the bearings
differ in shape; this form is such as to ensure the contact of one-half of
the spindle with a semicircular bearing which fits it with accuracy, although
the draft of the bands G upon the whirl H varys in direction, the angle from
each whirl to the periphery of the driving drum D being different, see
Figure 1.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The adjustable bolster and its connection to a part of the frame of a
mule or other spinning machine.
Second. The form of the bearings as shown in Figure 6 to adapt them to
the varying angle of the driving bands.
Third. The adaptation of the bolster and bearings to the lubricating box in
front of the spindles, meaning by this the relative connection and position of
the bolsters and the lubricators.
Fourth. The portable or moveable lubricating box containing felt or cloth
saturated with oil and applied to the front of the spindles.
Filth. The step bearing for the bottom of the spindles consisting of a
horizontal tube (as in Figure 7) provided with suitable apertures to receive
the spindles and filled with fibrous substance saturated with oil.
Sixth. A trough provided with alternate chambers for the oil and cavities
for the base of the spindle, and having a band or strip of cloth saturated with
oil in contact with the spindle near its base (as in Figure 5).
Seventh. The connection of one spindle with another for the purpose of

page_text: ensuring a uniform distribution of the lubricant to each spindle of the series,
whether the same be effected by means of the felt or by a continuous channel
or trough.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)