IM- PROVEMENTS IN SPINNING TOGETHER FIBROUS MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT KINDS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Kerr, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
"
Sealed the 8th January 1856, and dated the 1st November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Kerr, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st November 1855.
"
I, ROBERT KERR, of Glasgow, in the County, of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SPINNING TOGETHER FIBROUS MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT KINDS" to
be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to an improved system or mode of combining or
spinning together fibrous materials of different kinds, such as wool and silk,
for example, whereby the process is simplified, and the combined yarn or
thread produced is of a superior quality and appearance; whereas according to
the ordinary system of combining silk and woollen yarns, the yarns being
prepared by throwing and spinning respectively, and wound upon separate
bobbins, are first passed through a machine, by which they are doubled,
that is to say, a silk and a woollen yarn are taken from the separate bobbins,
and are wound together upon a single bobbin; this last bobbin is then put

page_text: upon a spinning frame, and the two yarns are twisted together as a single
thread. Now, according to my improved system the doubling process is
dispensed with, and the silk and woollen yarns are directly combined together
from their separate bobbins in the spinning or "throstle" frame. The
machine used for effecting this operation is similar to that employed for
spinning worsted yarns, except as far as regards the additions necessary for
combining the silk yarn along with the woollen yarn. The woollen yarn,
which is as yet in an unspun state, is passed between the drawing rolls in the
usual way, but the silk yarn is conducted by suitable guides, so as only to
combine with the woollen yarn after the latter has passed through the
drawing rolls.
By adopting this system of manufacture the thread produced is much
superior to that made according to the ordinary mode, being smooth and fine
in appearance, whilst the ordinary thread is rough. It will be obvious to the
practical spinner that various other kinds of fibrous materials besides those
herein-before mentioned may be combined together in the same way, and the
spinning and combining apparatus may be modified to suit each particular
kind of yarn. Thus in come cases both yarns may be passed through the
same drawing rolls, or each yarn may be passed' 'through a separate set of
drawing rolls so as to be drawn in unequal proportions; or, again, only
one of the yarns may be subjected -to- the drawing-process, as herein-before
described with reference to the spinning together of woollen and silk yarns.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Kerr in the Great Seal Patent Office 'on the
30th April 1856.
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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
KERR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
Is..
:
33.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing, date the First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Kerr, Her special license that I, the said Robert
Kerr, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,, the
said Robert Kerr, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should, at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: 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
THE SPINNING TOGETHER, FIBROUS MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT KINDS," upon the
condition: (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Kerr, by an instrument in
writing under my hand, and, seal, 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 Robert Kerr,, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in, what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained, in, and by the following state-
ment in writing, reference being, had to the accompanying. Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention, relates to, an improved system or mode of combining or
spinning together fibrous materials of different kinds, such as, wool and silk,
for example, whereby, the process. is simplified, and the combined yarn or thread
produced, is of a superior, quality, and and appearance; whereas according
to the ordinary system of combining silk and woollen yarns,
the yarns pre-
pared by throwing and spinning. respectively, and being wound upon separate
bobbins, are first passed through a machine,by which they are doubled, that
is to say, a silk and a woollen yarn are taken from the separate bobbins, and
are. wound, together upon a single bobbin; this last bobbin is then put upon
a spinning frame, and the two yarns are twisted together as a single thread.
Now, according to my improved system, the doubling process, is. dispensed
with, and the silk, and woollen yarns are directly.combined together from their
separate.bobbins in the spinning" or, "throstle" frame. The machine used for
effecting this operation is, similar, to that, employed for spinning worsted yarns.
except, in as far as regards the additions necessary, for combining the silk yarn
along with, the woollen yarn. The woollen yarn, which is as, yet in an unspun
state,, is passed between the drawing rolls in the usual way, but the silk yarn
is conducted by suitable, guides so as only to combine, with, the, woollen yarn
after, the latter has passed through the drawing rolls.
By adopting this system of manufacture the thread. produced is much
superior to that made according to the ordinary mode, being fine and smooth
in appearance, whilst the ordinary thread is rough. It will be obvious to the
practical spinner that various other kinds of fibrous materials besides those
herein-before mentioned may be combined together, in the same way, and the

page_text: spinning and combining apparatus may be modified to suit each particular
kind of yarn. Thus in some cases both yarns may be passed through the
same drawing rolls, or each yarn may be passed through a separate set of
drawing rolls so as to be drawn in unequal proportions; or, again, only
one of the yarns may be subjected to the drawing process, as herein-before
described with reference to the spinning together of woollen and silk yarns.
The essential peculiarity of the Invention is the causing of one yarn of
silk, for example, which has been prepared by throwing, spinning, or other-
wise, to be combined with another yarn, a woollen yarn, for example, as the
latter is being spun, in order to avoid the subsequent doubling and twisting
together of the two yarns in a separate machine, as has been hitherto practised
in combining or spinning together fibrous materials of different kinds. And
in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I have here-
unto appended and shall now proceed to describe a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings, the Figure on which Sheet of Drawings is an end elevation,
partially in transverse vertical section, of a spinning frame, and shows a mode
of working out my Invention in practice.
In carrying out this Invention, either suitable spinning machinery may be
specially constructed for the purpose, or the machines hitherto in use for
spinning the woollen yarn previously to its combination with, the silk yarn,
(where the fibrous materials to be combined or spun together are woollen and
silk) may be easily modified so as to admit of the silk yarn being introduced
and combined with the woollen yarn during the spinning operation. The
machine represented on the Sheet of Drawings is in fact an ordinary spinning
frame fitted with the simple additions necessary for carrying out my Invention,
and the construction of this class of spinning frame being well understood, it
will be unnecessary for me to particularize the various details, except in as
far as may be requisite for rendering my present Invention intelligible.
The woollen yarn A is taken off a bobbin at B, and is passed through the
usual drawing rolls at C, being conducted thence to the spindle and flyer at
D: The silk yarn E is taken off a bobbin at F, and is passed over a guide
bar at G, being thereby kept clear above the rolls C. From the bar G the
silk yarn is conducted by a twisted wire guide finger in along with the woollen
yarn A between the rollers H in front of the drawing rolls C. The two yarns
in this manner become combined, and pass down together as a single thread
to the spindle and flyer at D, the usual spinning action taking effect in the
transit. By these means a beautiful smooth thread of superior appearance is
produced with a less number of processes or operations than are employed
according to the ordinary system.

page_text: In describing the Drawing hereunto attached, I have mentioned silk and
woollen yarns as those being combined together; but it will be obvious to the
practical spinner that the same system of combining yarns may be applied in
spinning various other fibrous materials, the details of the process and the
apparatus employed being modified to suit each particular kind of yarn or
raw material to be used, or each particular kind of finished thread to be
produced:
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but 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 general system or mode of spinning together, or of combining
together in a single thread, fibrous materials of different kinds, as herein-
before described.
Second, the system or mode of spinning together fibrous materials of
different kinds, wherein a yarn of one kind, prepared or spun in any con-
venient manner, is caused to combine with a yarn of another kind as the
latter is being spun, in order to avoid the subsequent doubling and twisting
together of the two yarns in a separate machine, as has been hitherto
practised in combining or spinning together fibrous materials of different
kinds.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Kerr, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, One thousand eight
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