IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING YARNS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton Mewburn, of 169, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING YARNS."-A
communication from abroad by Paul Sée, of Lille, France,
Engineer.
Sealed the 18th September 1874, and dated the 15th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton Mewburn
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th April 1874.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Strect, in the City of
London, Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING
YARNS," to be as follows:-
The machinery which forms the subject of the present Invention is
constructed as follows:-Upon a driving shaft I mount a wheel which
drives by friction a disc on a short axle. This axle also carries a grooved
pulley, from, which motion is transmitted by cords to vertical

page_text: spindles, on each of which a pulley for conducting the yarn is mounted.
From one of these spindles the motion is further transmitted by a cord
to the spindle which carries the yarn winder. Upon the disc above
mentioned is a crank pin (adjustable to vary the motion), from which a
connecting rod leads to a horizontal bar which carries the yarn cleaner,
composed of a series of horizontal bars through which the yarn passes.
The yarn to be cleaned is unwound from a bobbin, passes round one or
more spindles to get a suitable tension, then through a guide, and round
the first conducting pulley to the cleaner; from the cleaner it passés
round the second conducting pulley. and a guide to the winder; this
guide has a slow up-and-down motion to enable the yarn to be wound
in a regular manner. Between the second conducting pulley and a
horizontal bar, which maintains the yarn, is a hook which bears on the
yarn, and is carried on the upper end of a vertical rod. The lower end
of this rod is attached to a small weighted lever, which is pivoted on a
long lever. In case the yarn breaks the hook immediately falls, and a
cam on a horizontal shaft then comes against the short lever, and pushes
it; together with the long lever, backwards. Now the long lever takes
at its back end under the axle which carries the friction disc and grooved
pulley as before described, and from which all the parts of the apparatus
receive their movements. This axle is free to be moved vertically, its
bearing being carried by a spring, so that when the lever is pushed
back, as before mentioned, the friction disc is lifted clear of the driving
wheel, and the apparatus at once stops.
Under the bars of the cleaner a card or brush or other analogous
device is placed, by means of which the bars are always cleared of down
or waste, which is then blown away by a blast of air or steam from a jet
situated above.
The advantages derived from the construction of this machine are as
follows:
-
1st. The complete independence of each head of the machine (by a head
I mean all the parts necessary for one yarn). The driving shaft extends
the whole length of the machine, and carries a driving wheel for each.
head, from which wheel all the parts of this héad derive their motions,
as already explained.
2nd. The automatic action of the mechanism for stopping the motion
of the parts in the event of the yarn breaking. To set the parts in
motion again it is sufficient to draw forward the long lever,

page_text: 3rd. The smoothness or softness of the movements. In putting into
gear it is necessary not to start the parts too suddenly. The friction
between the driving wheel and the disc is an excellent arrangement, but
conical or flat frictional gearing or a strap may be substituted. The
transmission of the motion by cords has also the advantage of putting
the parts in motion without shock, but straps, chains, or toothed gearing
may be substituted.
4th. The clearing of the bars of the cleaner by the card or other
device. This constant clearing has the advantage of increasing the pro-
duction, and of making a more regular clearing, and a less breaking of
yarn. This card or other device may be fixed or movable, and flat,
cylindrical, prismatic, grooved in any direction, or provided with a move-
ment like an endless travelling apron.
5th. The disposition of the conducting pulleys, which are placed at
the ends of their spindles instead of being on a longitudinal shaft; the
spindles may be vertical or horizontal. The advantages resulting from
placing these pulleys at the ends of their spindles are, (1), the yarn can
be wound on or unwound from them with one hand; (2), if the yarn
becomes accidentally wound upon one of these pulleys it can be unwound
and then rewound on the bobbin from which it was unwound; much
waste is thus prevented; (3), saving of time and of hand labor, and
greater production.
Gth. The power of employing several cleaners for one yarn. When a
yarn is very coarse, and it is necessary to pass it twice or oftener through
a cleaner, I place two or more cleaners on the same head, and pass the
yarn through them successively. Each cleaner may be of larger
dimensions than that following, so that the yarn may be made more
and more fine. After leaving each cleaner the yarn passes round a
conducting pulley.
The grooved
7th. The power of varying the speed of each head.
pulley on the axle before described may be replaced by another of
different diameter, and slackness of the cord may be taken up or more
cord allowed by shifting a movable pulley round which the cord

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Clayton Mewburn in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Clayton Mewburn, Her special licence that
I, the said John Clayton Mewburn, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Clayton Mewburn, 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
MACHINERY FOR CLEANING YARNS," (a communication from abroad by Paul
Sée, of Lille, France, Engineer,) upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Clayton Mewburn, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and scals, 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 Scal 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 Clayton Mewburn, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and a
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-

page_text: Upon a driving shaft A I mount a wheel B, which drives by friction a
disc C on a short axle. This axle also carries a grooved pulley D, from
which motion is transmitted by cords to two vertical spindles E and F,
on the end of each of which a pulley G, H, for conducting the yarn is
mounted. From one of these spindles F the motion is further trans-
mitted by a cord I to the spindle J, which carries the yarn winder.
Upon the disc C above mentioned is a crank pin K (adjustable to vary
the motion), from which a connecting rod L leads to a vertical limb of a
horizontal bar M, which carries the yarn cleaner N composed of a scries of
horizontal bars, through which the yarn passes. The yarn to be cleaned
is unwound from a bobbin O, passes round one or more guides P to get
a suitable tension, then through a guide P', and round the first con-
ducting pulley G to the cleaner N; from the cleaner it passes round the
second conducting pulley H and a guide Q to the winder; this guide Q
has a slow up-and-down motion to enable the yarn to be wound in a
regular manner. After the second conducting pulley H, and near a
horizontal bar R, which maintains the yarn, is a hook S, which bears on
the yarn, and is carried on the upper end of a vertical rod; the lower
end of this rod is attached to a small weighted lever T, which is pivoted
on a long lever U. In case the yarn breaks the hook immediately falls,
and a cam on a horizontal shaft V then comes against the short lever T,
and pushes it, together with the long lever U, backwards. Now the
long lever takes at its back end under the axle which carries the friction
disc C and grooved pulley D, as before described, and from which all the
parts of the apparatus receive their movements. This axle is free to be
moved vertically, its bearing being carried by a spring X, so that when
the lever U is pushed back, as before mentioned, the friction disc C is
lifted clear of the driving wheel B, and the apparatus at once.stops..
Under the bars of the cleaner N a card Y or brush or other analogous
device is placed, by means of which the bars are always cleared of down
or waste, which is then blown away by a blast of air or steam from a
jet Z situated above. The cleaner N may be placed horizontally, as
seen in Figures 1 and 2, or vertically, as represented in Figure 3.
The advantages derived from the construction of the machine according
to this Invention are as follows:
7111

page_text: the whole length of the machine, and carries a driving wheel for each
head, from which wheel all the parts of this head derive their motions as
already explained.
2nd. The automatic action of the mechanism for stopping the motion
of the parts in the event of the yarn breaking. To set the parts in 5
motion again it is sufficient to draw forward the long lever U.
3rd. The smoothness or softness of the movements. In putting into
The friction
gear it is necessary not to start the parts too suddenly.
between the driving wheel B and the disc C is an excellent arrange-
ment, but conical or flat frictional gearing or a strap may be substituted. 1
The transmission of the motion by cords has also the advantage of
putting the parts in motion without shock, but straps, chains, or toothed
gearing may be substituted.
4th. The clearing of the bars of the cleaner N by the card or other
device Y. This constant clearing has the advantage of increasing the 1
production, and of making a more regular clearing and a less breaking
of yarn. This card or other device may be fixed or movable, and flat,
cylindrical, prismatic, grooved in any direction, or provided with a move-
ment like an endless travelling apron.
5th. The disposition of the conducting pulleys G, H, which are placed 2
at the ends of their spindles E, F; instead of being on a longitudinal
shaft, the spindles E, F, may be vertical or horizontal. The advan-
tages resulting from placing these pulleys at the ends of their spindles
are, (1), the yarn can be wound on or unwound from them with one hand;
(2), if the yarn becomes accidentally wound upon one of these pulleys it
can be unwound and then rewound on the bobbin from which it was
unwound; much waste is thus prevented; (3), saving of time and of
hand labor, and greater production.
6th. The power of employing several cleaners for one yarn, as repre-
sented in plan in Figure 4. When a yarn is very coarse, and it is
necessary to pass it twice or oftener through a cleaner, I place two or
more cleaners on the same head, and pass the yarn through them suc-
cessively. Each cleaner may be of larger dimensions than that following,
so that the yarn may be made more and more fine. After leaving each
cleaner the yarn passes round a conducting pulley.
7th. The power of varying the speed of each head. The grooved
pulley D may be replaced by another of different diameter, and slackness

page_text: of the cord may be taken up or more cord allowed by shifting a movable
pulley D, round which the cord passes.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clayton Mewburn, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of October One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.