IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING, SPINNING, AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Curtis, of the Firm of Messieurs Curtis,
Parr, and Madeley, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, and William Greasley, of the same Place, Fore-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING,
SPINNING, AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 18th July 1871, and dated the 4th February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Curtis and
William Greasley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 4th February 1871.
We, RICHARD CURTIS, of the Firm of Messieurs Curtis, Parr, and
Madeley, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker,
and WILLIAM GREASLEY, of the same Place, Foreman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR PREPARING, SPINNING, AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,"
to be as follows:
_
Our Invention relates to improvements in condenser carding engines,
and consists in an improved method of constructing the nipping rollers

page_text: marked A and B, Sheet 2, Fig. 3, in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to A. V. Newton on the 1st February 1869, No. 308, being a
communication from Celestin Martin, of Verviers, in the Kingdom of
Belgium. Instead of making these grooved rollers in a solid piece
as therein described, we propose to mount on a hollow cast-iron shaft
a series of loose pulleys, each alternate one being of a somewhat larger
diameter than the others, so as to form a grooved roller when put
together, by which means the loose parts can be acted upon freely
and independently. This object may also be accomplished by mounting
on a hollow cylinder a series of loose rings, each alternate ring being
of larger diameter than the others so as to form a grooved cylinder
when put together; also in applying a self-acting scraper connected
to endless bands or other equivalents for the purpose of collecting the
dust and fly from under carding engines, and scraping it to one end
of the machines, by which means it will be no longer necessary to
brush underneath. Also in an improvement in self-acting mules for
spinning and doubling whereby after the cop bottom is formed and
during the formation of the cop a portion of the backing off chain is
(during each outward run of the carriage) wound on the backing off
snail. At the commencement the quantity so wound on is nil or
nearly so, but as the formation of the cop proceeds it gradually in-
creases. To accomplish this object, to the framing of the headstock
or other convenient fixing we mount a screw on which is fixed a ratchet
wheel, which at each stretch is moved one or two teeth to give motion
to the screw. On the screw is a nut which rises or falls in accordance
with the direction in which the screw is turned. A bar or rail is at
one end supported by and moves on a stud fixed in a bracket fastened
to the floor, and the other end is supported by a link or slide connected
with the nut on the screw. A lever is mounted on a stud attached to
the carriage square; at one end of this lever is a bowl, at the other
is a chain which is coiled on and attached to the boss of the backing
off snail. At the commencement of forming a set of cops the screw
is wound back to let the nut and that end of the rail which is con-
nected with it down low enough to allow the bowl at the end of
the lever to pass over without touching it. As the formation of the cop
proceeds the screw is at each stretch partially turned by the ratchet
wheel which raises the nut and with it the end of the rail, which is
thereby caused to rise and form an inclined plane, and when raised
high enough the bowl during each outward run of the carriage comes

page_text: in contact with the rail, and as it passes along and up the rail the end of
the lever to which the bowl is attached is raised, this causes the other
end to be depressed and to act on and take with it the chain which as
it is drawn off the boss of the backing off snail turns it and causes
the snail to wind on a portion of the backing off chain, the amount
wound on depending on the amount the rail is raised by the screw, and
which amount can be varied either by varying the pitch of the screw
or the amount of motion given to it by the ratchet wheel. During
the inward run of the carriage the bowl passes down the incline of
the rail, and before the inward run is completed the bowl ceases to be
acted upon by the rail.
Another of our improvements relates to mules for spinning wool, in
which, as usually constructed, the slubbing or sliver is delivered during
the first part of the outward run of the carriage. Instead of delivering
the slubbing during the outward run of the carriage we deliver it
during the inward run. By this arrangement the slubbing is ready
to be stretched and spun during the entire outward run and the distance
the carriage has to travel out and in each stretch is diminished by the
length of the slubbing which is delivered. To effect this, on a series
of fixings or supports we place either a table or a series of rails for a
slide to move on. This slide extends the whole length of the mule
and on it are mounted locking or nipping bars. The slubbing passes
between the slide and the bars, and when the bars are lowered they
hold the slubbing firm between them and the slide. When the carriage
is out to its full extent the slide has been drawn back to its nearest
approach to the condenser bobbins, and the locking or nipping bars are
lowered to hold the slubbing. When the carriage commences its inward
run the slide is caused to move forward to meet the ingoing carriage.
The locking bars being at this time lowered to hold the slubbing.
When the carriage commences its inward run the slide is caused to
move forward to meet the ingoing carriage. The locking bars being at
this time lowered to hold the slubbing, the slide as it moves forward
takes with it the slubbing delivered from the condenser, and the bars
being down the twist previously put in is prevented from passing behind
the bars into the slubbing so being delivered. The slide as it moves
forward in addition to taking the slubbing carries the yarn which had
been previously spun towards the spindles; this movement of the yarn
requires the winding on movement to be accelerated, which is effected by

page_text: the ordinary change wheels. When the carriage has completed its inward
run the change is made to cause the carriage to make its outward
run and in addition one is made to cause the locking or nipping bars
to be lifted and the slide to be drawn back to its starting point, on
arriving at which the bars are at once lowered to hold the slubbing
during the time it is stretched and spun, and to prevent the twist which
is then being put in from passing on beyond the slide.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Curtis and William Greasley in the Great
Seal Patent Office the 4th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
CURTIS, of the Firm of Messieurs Curtis, Parr, and Madelcy, of Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and WILLIAM
GREASLEY, of the same Place, Foreman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Richard Curtis and William
Greasley, Her special licence that we, the said Richard Curtis and
William Greasley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Richard Curtis and William Greasley, our exe-
cutors, 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 MACHINERY FOR PREPARING, SPINNING, AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that wc, the
said Richard Curtis and William Greasley, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our
or 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Richard Curtis and William
Greasley, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say) : -
-
Our Invention relates, first, to improvements in condenser carding
engines, and it consists in an improved method of constructing the
nipping rollers marked A and B, in Fig. 3 of Sheet II. in the Specifi-
cation of Letters Patent granted to A. V. Newton on the First day of
February One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, Number 308,
being a communication from Celestin Martin, of Verviers, in the
Kingdom of Belgium.
Secondly. In applying a self-acting scraper connected to endless bands
or other equivalents for the purposes of collecting the dust and fly from
under carding engines and scraping it to one end of the machine,
by which means it will be no longer necessary to brush underneath.
Thirdly. In an improvement in self-acting mules for spinning and
doubling, whereby after the cop bottom is formed and during the
formation of the cop a portion of the backing off chain is (during each
outward run of the carriage) wound on the backing off snail. At the
commencement the quantity so wound on is nil, or nearly so, but as the
formation of the cop proceeds it gradually increases.
Our last improvement relates to mules for spinning wool, in which
as usually constructed the slubbing or sliver is delivered during the first
part of the outward run of the carriage, whereas according to our Inven-
tion we deliver it during the inward run. By this arrangement the
slubbing is ready to be stretched and spun during the entire outward
run, and the distance the carriage has to travel out and in cach stretch
is diminished by the length of slubbing which is delivered.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation we will proceed to describe the four accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
In the Patent granted to A. V. Newton above referred to the flecce
of fibres stripped from the doffer of the carding engine is divided into
any convenient number of ribbons by means of two pairs of endless
bands passing around suitable rollers. Two of these rollers are called
the nipping rollers, and their circumferences are made with alternate

page_text: elevations and recesses, the elevation on one roller being placed opposite
to the recesses in the other, consequently the bands acting on the
different diameters of the elevations and recesses are irregularly stretched
owing to the different speeds due to the difference in diameter between
the elevations and recesses. Now this variation in the speed produces a
constant strain and drag on the bands, and the object of our Invention
is to remove the above defects by making the two parts of the nipping
rollers independent of each other, so that they may rotate at different
speeds, whereby the action and strain on the bands is uniform.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 represents an elevation of part of a carding engine
drawn to a scale of about one-tenth, to which our improvements are
applied. a is the doffer cylinder from which the fleece is stripped
by the ordinary doffer comb b, and is delivered by the roller c to the
nipping rollers d and e, around which the endless bands fand ÿ are
taken; the bands are carried around the guide rollers f¹ and the bands g
are taken around the guide rollers 9¹. At the point of intersection
of the bands f and g the bands that had been working in the recesses
of the roller d are carried forward on the elevations of the roller e, and
in like manner the bands g pass from the smaller diameter of the
roller e to the larger diameter of the roller d, and the main object of
our Invention is to obviate the defects that arise when the rollers are
solid as heretofore.
The improvement in the construction of the rollers d and e is shewn
full size in Fig. 2, on referring to which it will be seen that the whole
surface of the rollers may first be turned cylindrical of the diameter
of the bottom of the recess, and the elevations are formed by detached
rings, one of which is shewn in Fig. 3, which are connected to the
rollers by set screws, the points of which enter into the groove turned
in the rollers d and e. Fig. 4 represents a section of part of the
rollers d and e with their rings and straps ƒ and g. By this means the
rings forming the elevations on the rollers can be moved by the friction
of the straps independently of the body of the rollers, thereby allowing
the rings to adapt themselves to the speed of the straps, and preventing
the strain on the straps and the irregularities in the speed of the rollers,
which are unavoidable in the former mode of construction. The ribbons
of fibres from the endless bands f are taken as usual between the
condensing straps h and formed into laps by the friction rollers i, and

page_text: those from the bands g are in like manner taken by the straps j and
lapped up by the rollers k.
Our Invention may be modified by mounting loosely a series of rings
of different diameters on a plain cylinder, as shewn in section in Figs. 5,
or a series of pulleys of different diameters may be mounted on an axle
to produce the requisite elevations and recesses in the nipping rollers d
and e, these pulleys may either all be loose and free to rotate on the
axle, or every other one may be fast on and rotate with the axle, the
intermediate ones being left loose and at liberty to rotate independently
of the others.
Fig. 6 represents the principal parts of a carding engine to which the
second part of our Invention is applied, in this view 7 represents two or
more endless bands or chains passing around the drums m, one of which
is placed under the doffer and the other under the feeding apparatus.
To the bands or chains are fixed the scrapers P, these bands or chains
are put in motion from one of the feed rollers by the pulleys and toothed
wheels, as shewn in the Drawing, or in any other convenient manner,
and the scrapers are set at such a distance from the floor that in
moving along from one end of the machine to the other they collect
and scrape the dust and fly to one end, thereby dispensing with brushing
underneath the carding engines hitherto performed by hand.
On Sheet 2, Fig. 7 is an elevation, and Fig. 8 a plan of part of a self-
acting mule to which the third part of our Invention is applied; in
these views n is part of the carriage, n¹ the faller shaft, n² the counter-
faller shaft, n³ is the tin roller shaft, n the backing off snail, and n³
the backing off chain, these parts are made as usual.
Our improvements consist of the following parts :-To the framing of
the headstock is fixed a bearing in which the screw o revolves, on
which is keyed the ratchet wheel o¹, which at each stretch of the
carriage is moved one or two teeth to give motion to the screw by
means of the finger o² fixed to the carriage. On the screw o is the
nut o, which rises or falls in accordance with the direction in which
the screw is turned, to a plate projecting from the screw nut o³ is jointed
one end of the bar or rail p, the other end of which is jointed to a
stud fixed in the bracket p¹ fastened to the floor. The double lever q
is mounted on a stud q' attached to the carriage square, and at one end
of this lever is a bowl q², while at the other end is secured one end of
the chain 2 which is coiled on and attached to the boss of the backing

page_text: off snail n'. At the commencement of forming a set of cops the
screw o is wound back to lower the end of the rail p sufficient to allow
the bowl q' at the end of the lever q to pass over without touching it.
As the formation of the cop proceeds the screw o is at each stretch
partially turned by the ratchet wheel o' which raises the nut o³ and with
it the end of the rail p, which thereby forms an inclined plane, and
when raised high enough the bowl q² during each outward run of the
carriage comes in contact with the rail p, and as it passes along and up
the rail the end of the lever q to which the bowl is attached is raised,
this causes the other end to be depressed, and to act on and take with
the chain q³, which as it is drawn off the boss of the backing off
snail u* turns it and causes the snail to wind on a portion of the backing
off chain n³ which is connected to the fallers in the ordinary manner,
the amount wound on depending on the amount the rail p is raised
by the screw o, and which amount can be varied either by varying the
pitch of the screw o or the amount of motion given to it by the ratchet
wheel o¹. During the inward run of the carriage the bowl q³ passes
down the incline of the rail p, and before the inward run is completed
the bowl q ceases to be acted upon by the rail p.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that during the formation
of a set of cops the end of the rail p connected with the nut o' is gradually
raised from an horizontal position to that of an inclined plane, by which
means it is caused to act on the bowl q². This elevation is gradual,
giving little or no motion to the backing off chain at the commencement,
but it increases as the formation of the cop proceeds, during which the
slack of the backing off chain is gradually taken up, after which the
chain being further acted upon acts on the backing off lever and
depresses it and with it the faller, and by the time the cop is nearly
built the faller will be so much depressed as to be ready to come in
contact with the yarn almost immediately the backing off takes place,
and thus prevents the yarn from being unnecessarily unwound from the
nose of the cop.
The fourth and last of our improvements relates to mules for spinning
wool. In ordinary mules of this description the slubbing or sliver is
delivered as the carriage makes the outward run, but according to our.
improvements the slubbing is delivered as the carriage makes the inward
run. By this arrangement we are enabled to spin a greater quantity of
yarn than by the usual method.

page_text: On Slicet 3, Fig. 9 is an elevation, and on Sheet 4, Fig 10 is a plan
of such parts of a mule for spinning wool as is requisite to explain our
improvements. In Fig. 10, s is the cam shaft; s¹, the cam for actuating
the lever fixed on the shaft 3, to which is fixed the lever 8 for
moving the clutch box & into and out of gear with the clutches on the
wheel loose on the drawing out scroll shaft t on which is the drawing
out scroll t; w is the taking in scroll shaft; is the carriage shewn in
Fig. 9; the condenser drums, and x¹ the bobbins; these parts are
made in the ordinary manner, except that the shaft ³ is prolonged, and
to it are fixed the arms s' supporting the rail 88, the object of which is
hereafter explained. To one end of the shaft t is fixed the wheel t³,
which gives motion to the wheel and catch box u² by means of the
carrier pinions . The shaft u extends the whole length of the mule,
the wheel u is loose on it, but connected to it when required by the
sliding catch box u³, which is moved to and fro by the elbow lever u¹
and cam s on the cam shaft 8. The catch box u³ is held in gear with the
catches on the wheel u² by the retaining catch us, and when the catch u³
is released the spring us moves the catch box u³ out of gear with u² and
into gear with the catches on the mitre pinion u' which receives motion
from the taking in scroll shaft w, in the following manner :-'
-The ratchet
wheel o¹ is keyed on the shaft w and the disc w² and mitre wheel 10.3
which are connected together are loose on the shaft. In the disc 10% are
studs for the catches w' which take into the ratchet wheel w¹ when
required, the pinion to gears into the pinion w³ fixed on the shaft wº, and at
the other end of this shaft is fixed the pinion w' gearing into the pinion u*.
In Figs. 9 and 10, we have shewn near the theadstock of the mule a
framer and slide r¹, a number of which are required, the number being
governed by the length of the mule, the upper edges of the frames r
serve as rails for the bowls of the slides ¹ to run on, there being a
slide to each frame. To the slide is fixed the lower nipping bar ³,
above which is the upper nipping bar, which is connected by arms to
the fulcrum shaft r which extends the whole length of the mule.
To this shaft is also keyed the lever, at the end of which is a bowl
running on the rail 88 above referred to. To the shaft u is fixed the chain.
wheel which gives motion by the chain as to the chain wheel ³ which
is fixed to the boss of the ratchet wheel x, upon this boss is mounted
loose the spur wheel a in which are studs for the catches x of the
ratchet wheel x. The wheel a gives motion to the condenser drums x
by a carrier wheel as shewn in Fig. 9. To the shaft u are fixed as many

page_text: pinions as there are slides. These pinions gear into the racks
formed at the under sides of the slides r¹. The Drawing represents
the parts in the positions they occupy when the spindles in the carriage t
are close up to the nipping bars 72 and 73, as shewn in Fig. 9, at which
time the condenser drum x is stopped, and it remains stationary during
the outward run of the carriage or while the yarn is being stretched
and twisted. While the carriage is going out the slide ¹ is approaching
the condenser drum x until it arrives in the position shewn by dotted
lines. The carriage traverses to and fro about three feet or other
definite fixed distance. The distance the slide 1 has to traverse is
governed by the amount of slubbing which has to be delivered. It
can be varied by lifting the retaining catch u³ earlier or later, to
accomplish this we so attach an inclined plate on the slide that a
little before the slide 1 has arrived in the position shewn in dotted
lines it will come in contact with the retaining catch u. Motion is
communicated to the carriage t'from the shaft and scroll in the
usual way. And the slide is at the same time caused to approach
the condensor drum x through the shaft t and intermediate wheels t³, t³,
and u² to the shaft u and pinion u which gears with and gives motion
to the rack and slide 1, which continues until the inclined plate
before named and attached to one of the slides depresses one end of
the retaining catch us and causes the other end to liberate the elbow
lever u¹ and permits the spring to take the catch box u³ out of gear
with and into gear with u³, and thus stops the further rotation of
the shaft u. At the same time the bowl on the lever 75 drops into the
recess on the rail & and allows the bar to lock the slubbing between
it and the bar as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9, the recess on the
rail can be varied by the adjusting plate to suit the quantity of
slubbing which has to be delivered. The outward run of the carriage
is continued until the catch box s³ is taken out of gear with by the
cam shaft 8 when the usual changes are made. When the shaft 8³ is
partially turned to take the catch box 8³ out of gear the arms & which
support the rails are depressed and move the rail 88 sufficiently to
allow the bowl on to pass over it as the slide returns and while the
slubbing is locked. The carriage is now ready to make the inward
run and the slide 1 to move to meet it, which is accomplished in the
following way-Motion is communicatedto the carriage t' from the scroll
shaft w in the ordinary way, and at the same time motion is given from
the scroll shaft w through 101, 10, 10³, 10³, 10³, 10ª, 107, u', and ' to the

page_text: shaft u on which are the pinions u which gear into and give motion to
the racks and slides until they and the carriage have returned to
the position shewn in Fig. 9, and at the same time motion is com-
municated to the condenser bobbins ¹ from the shaft a through uº; x³;
x3, x*; x, xs, and and delivers the amount of slubbing required. When
the slide and carriage to arrive in the position shewn in Fig. 9 their
further motion is arrested by the cam shaft 8, which then makes the
usual changes for the next outward run.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Curtis and William
Greasley, have hereto set our hands and seals, this Second day
of August One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
RICH”. CURTIS.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM GREASLEY. (L.S.)