IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND THROWING RAW SILK, AND TWISTING YARNS OR THREADS
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Turton at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 1st August 1877.
_JAMES TURTON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND THROWING RAW SILK, AND
TWISTING YARNS OR THREADS."
Raw silk is spun or thrown by winding it on to a bobbin which is placed on to a
spindle that is rotated, the twist being put into the silk by the rotation of the
spindle while it is drawn of the bobbin, a flyer or its equivalent being employed to
cause the silk thread to unwind freely from the bobbin without coming in contact
with the heads of the bobbin, and the ordinary speed at which this mode of
spinning or throwing is effected is at about 3000 to 4000 revolutions of the spindle
per minute.
By my Invention the spinning of raw silk, or yarns or threads, is effected without
a flyer or its equivalent, and at a speed of at least double that of the ordinary
process of spinning or throwing raw silk.
My Invention consists in arranging the bobbin having upon it the silk, or yarn,
or thread to be spun, thrown, or twisted upon a spindle so as to be rotated with the
spindle in the direction of rotation of the spindle, being that which the spindle
would have to turn if it were used as a winding spindle, to wind the thread on to
the bobbin upon the spindle. The spindle is made to extend some distance above
the top of the bobbin, and by preference is made taper, and pointed somewhat
like a mule spindle.
The silk or thread unwinds from the bobbin and passes several times round the
end of the spindle above the bobbin and then leaves the tip of the spindle. From
the tip of the spindle the line of the thread is taken at an angle approaching more
or less to a horizontal line (taking the axis of the spindle to be vertical) and it is
by varying the angle of this line of the thread from the tip of the spindle that the
number of turns upon the end of the spindle, and the amount of "drag" of the
silk or thread upon the spindle is regulated.
The silk or thread passes over or under a rod or guide, which may be made
adjustable to regulate the said angle of the thread from the top of the spindle as
required, and then passes to a bobbin "shaft," or "reel," upon which the spun or
Umies 031

page_text: thrown silk or twisted yarn, or thread is to be wound, first passing between or
through the ordinary guide for distributing it evenly upon the bobbin.
From the above explanation it will be seen that the twisting action, simply in
my Invention, is somewhat similar to that in the mule, but with this difference,
that in the mule the spindle twists simply, and when one stretch is twisted the
spun thread is wound upon the spindle at a separate operation, while by my
Invention the twisting is continuous, and while being twisted continuously the silk
or thread is simultaneously unwound or drawn off the bobbin upon the spindle.
The thread is thrown clear of the heads of the bobbins while being spun, and drawn
off the bobbin by the centrifugal action of the thread itself, this centrifugal action
being made sufficient in all cases by the extra speed given to the spindle, by which
also a greater production and superior quality of thread is obtained without
increase of breakage or waste.