CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING, OPINING, SCRIBBLING, CARDING, COMBING, SLUBBING, AND SPINNING WOOL, AND FOR CARDING, ROVING OR SLIVVERING AND SPINNING COTTON, SHORT-STAPLED FLAX, HEMP, AND SILK, EITHER SEPARATELY OR COMBINED, AND FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING LONG-STAPLED FLAX, HEMP, SILK, MOHAIR, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND EITHER SEPARATELY OR COMBINED
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FORD, of Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey, Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirteenth day of May, in the ninth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Ford, His especial licence that I, the said John Ford, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Ford, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING, OPINING, SCRIBBLING, CARDING,
COMBING, SLUBBING, AND SPINNING WOOL, AND FOR CARDING, ROVING OR SLIVVERING
AND SPINNING COTTON, SHORT-STAPLED FLAX, HEMP, AND SILK, EITHER SEPARATELY
OR COMBINED, AND FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING LONG-STAPLED FLAX, HEMP, SILK,
MOHAIR, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND EITHER SEPARATELY OR COMBINED;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the
said John Ford, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Lettes
Гр

page_text: Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Ford, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the Drawings annexed to this Specification, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):-
In Drawing No. 1, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine for cleaning
and opening wool and cotton, and Figure 2 a plan of the right-hand side of
that machine; in both of which said Figures, as well as in the others relating
to this machine, the same letters of reference indicate the similar parts.
A, A, &c., the wooden frame or support of the machine; B, a centrifugal fan,
the axis C of which is made to revolve by means of a band or strap passing
from the band wheel or rigger D, and acting upon the lesser band wheel E,
which is mounted upon the axis C. This axis C has affixed upon it two
double arms, one of which is shewn at F in Figure 1, and edgeways at F
in Figure 3; and these arms carry two iron rods G, G, and two of a smaller
size H, H, and between them are stretched the two pieces of leather or cloth
I, I, which are secured to the rods by stitching and lacing, in the manner
shewin in Figure 3, which exhibits these parts on a larger scale than in
Figure 1, as does Figure 4 also, which is an end view thereof. When this
fan is put in motion, the air entering at the central apertures made on
each side of the case B, enclosing it, and one of which is shewn at J, in
Figure 1, is, by the centifrugal force, expelled at the passage K, and enters
within the cleaning and opening machine L. It then partly escapes through
the openings left between the bars M, M, and partly at the end orifice N,
carrying with it the dust and other impurities contained in the wool or cotton,
and which had been separated from it by the action of the revolving bars or
beaters O, O, &c. upon it, and as shewn in Figure 1. These revolving beaters
are mounted upon the external ends of two sets of arms P, P, &c., which are
carried round by means of straps or bands acting upon the band wheels Q, Q,
shewn in Figure 2, and one of them in Figure 5, and which are affixed upon
the axes R, R, shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and one of them in Figures 5 and
6, their course being indicated by the darts or arrows in Figure 1. The
beaters O, O, &c. consist of square metal bars, let into grooves or slits made
in the external parts of the cylindrical bars to receive them, and they are
secured therein by screws, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6. The forms of the
bars M, M, of Figure 1, are shewn upon a larger scale in Figure 7, where
they are placed with their heads and stems alternately, and leaving gaps or

page_text: spaces between them, as before mentioned, for the escape of the dust and other
impurities contained in the wool or cotton. These parts are either actuated
by a band S, proceeding from a drum or band wheel, actuated by the first
mover of the machinery, and passing around the band wheel T, shewn in
Figure 2, or they may be turned by hand. The wool is supplied to this
machine by means of a revolving feeding cloth U, which delivers it to the
rollers V, W, from whence it is taken into the machine by the action of the
first pair of beaters upon it, as shewn in Figure 1, and after being subjected
to the cleaning and opening process, it finally leaves the machine at N ready
for the succeeding operation. The improvements which I have made in the
feeding apparatus for this and other machines will be described hereafter.
Cotton, flax, hemp, silk, mohair, or other fibrous substances may also be
cleaned and opened by this machine.
In Drawing No. 2, Figure 8 is a side elevation of the feeding apparatus,
and Figure 9 a top view or plan of one side of it. X, in both these Figures,
represents part of a toothed spur wheel, actuated by means of a toothed wheel
or pinion working in it, which is driven by the opening, scribbling, carding,
or other machine to which it is to be applied. This spur wheel X is mounted
upon one end of a grooved iron cylinder or roller Y, turning upon necks or
pivots in bearings formed to receive them in the sides of the moveable or
adjusting carriage Z, Z, which is affixed upon the machine frame A, A. Upon
the other end of the roller Ya toothed pinion a, Figure 10, is mounted, which
drives a similar one b, affixed upon another grooved iron cylinder or roller W,
placed above the roller Y. The pinion a also works into an intermediate
pinion c, which turns upon a stud d, affixed in the moveable carriage Z; and
this pinion drives another e, which is affixed upon a wooden cylinder or roller
f, around which the feeding cloth U passes, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9.
Figure 11 is a top view or plan of the lower iron roller Y, with the
pinion a upon it, the intermediate pinion c on its stud d, and the wooden
cylinder with its pinion upon it. Z is part of the adjusting carriage. The
feeding cloth U, U, also passes around another wooden cylinder g, shewn in
Figures 8 and 9, the necks or pivots of which turn in bearings affixed to the
slidesh,h,which canbe moved backwards and forwards to regulate the tightness
of the feeding cloth, and secured at the required places by means of adjusting
screws, one of which is shewn in Figure 8. at i, and in Figure 9 also. The
form of these bearings is shewn at h, in Figure 12. The feeding cloth U, U, is
stitched on each side to a leather strap j, a part of which is shewn separately
in Figure 13, and edgeways in Figure 14, the cloth partly surrounding the
straps, for the more effectually securing it thereto. These straps are lodged in

page_text: grooves made to receive them in the wooden cylinders f and 7; and the
bottom of this groove, in the front or leading roller or cylinder f, is furrowed
across in the manner of a ratchet wheel, as shewn at h, in Figure 11, so as to
carry the straps and the feeding cloth attached to them continually forwards
without slipping, and to aid which effect upon the feeding cloth the wooden
roller f is also grooved along it in a similar manner. By this means the
feeding cloth will be carried uniformly along, not having any tendency to move
faster on one side of it than on the other, and the feeding will be regulated
accordingly, and not in the unequal manner hitherto done. In order to move
the adjusting carriage Z, Z, upon the frame A, A, of the machine equally, so
as to bring the supply of the fibrous materials to be operated upon within the
due distances to feed the various machines, I have added an axis 2, Figure 8,
which has necks to it turning in bearings affixed to the machine frame A, A,
and carrying upon such external end of it a toothed wheel or pinion, which
act in two toothed racks, one of which is shewn at m, in Figure 8; and, by
turning the said axis, the toothed wheels act uniformly in the racks, and cause
the adjusting carriage Z, Z, to advance or recede accordingly; and, in order to
steady its motion sideways, two flat pieces of wood or metal n, n, shewn by
dotted lines, are affixed inside, and below the adjusting carriage Z, Z, one on
each side, and which act as guides against the insides of the machine frame
A, A. The place of of one of these guides is also shewn by the dotted
lines n, n, in the plan, Figure 9. The upper loose plain roller V, shewn in
Figures 1, 2, 8, and 9, is to be either formed of wood, with steel necks or
pivots to it, or of metal, and which, for the sake of lightness, may be made
hollow or tubular. The use of this roller V is to keep the fibrous materials
from rising up in their passage to the front roller's W, Y, and its necks or
pivots turn in gaps o, o, shewn in Figures 8 and 9, formed in a separate
carriage p, p, turning upon joints or hinges 2, 7, affixed to the adjusting
carriage Z, Z. This separate carriage p, p, has also holes made in its front to
receive into them the necks or pivots of the upper grooved metal roller W,
and two adjusting screws r, r, which fit into screwed holes made made in the
adjusting carriage Z, Z, at s, to receive them; besides which these screws
have likewise screwed nuts upon them, one of which is shewn at t,in Figure 8,
in order to regulate the rise and fall of the carriage p, p, and thus to adjust
the distance of the pinion v, Figure 11, from the other a in which it works, as
well as to vary the distance between the roller W and Y, according to the
quantity of the fibrous materials to be passed between them.
These two
rollers W and Y are grooved along them also in the manner of ratchet teeth,
and as shewn in the section of part of one of them, drawn on a larger scale

page_text: at Y, in Figure 15, they being placed in opposite directions upon the two
rollers, and act so as to continually draw the fibrous materials through them
and deliver them to the various machines they are intended to feed. Two
binding screws, one of which is shewn at u, in Figures 8 and 9, are affixed
into the machine frame A, A, at their lower ends, their upper parts passing
through mortices formed within the sides of the adjusting frame Z, Z; and
they have screwed binding nuts v, v, fitted to them, by means of which the
adjusting carriage can be firmly secured upon the carriage A, A, at the
required place or places. This my said improved feeding apparatus is appli-
cable to the machines for scribbling, carding, and slubbing wool, and also to
the carding machines for cotton, short-stapled flax, hemp, and silk, either
separately or combined, and is calculated to supply or feed them with the
fibrous materials to be operated upon by those machines in a more equable
and uniform manner than hitherto; and the effect of which superior mode of
feeding them must be to produce much evener slivers, rovings, and threads
than were the machines are irregularly supplied in the usual methods, as
after the fibrous materials are once spread or diffused as equally as may be
upon the revolving endless feeding cloth, they are regularly supplied to the
various machines in the superior mauner herein described, and, as above
mentioned, without those irregularities happening which continually take place
in the ordinary method of feeding those machines.
Another of my said improvements consists, in a method of covering the top
rollers employed in these various machines, in such a manner as to render
them less liable to catch or entangle the different fibrous materials they are
employed in working, and to wind them round the said top rollers in the
manner constantly experienced in the use of the top rollers as at present
constructed, and whereby the said fibrous materials require to be continually
removed or stripped off from the surfaces of such top rollers, in a considerably
deterioated state, so as frequently to break or shorten their fibres, and generally
to require their being again subjected to some of the preceding processes to
which they had been subjected, to fit them for their required purposes. Now,
bymysuperior method of covering these top rollers, that evil is greatly obviated,
as, in consequence of the hard and smooth surfaces produced by my improve-
ment upon the leather covering of these top rollers, their tendency to catch
or to take up the fibres of the various materials is greatly lessened. In
Drawing No. 1; Figure 16, w is a top roller, covered with cloth in the
usual manner; a, a piece of leather cut into the form shewn, in order that
when glued or otherwise affixed around the roller, its edges, instead of meeting
in a line directly along the roller as usual, may unite in the oblique or spiral,

page_text: exhibited at y in the fellow top roller, shewn in Figure 16. One of the
meeting edges of the leather covering is left square from the cutting knife,
but as it assumes a sloping form in winding around the roller, and as shewn
in the end view of a roller, Figure 17, at z, so the other edge 1 is sloped
away to a thin edge to fit and cover it exactly. The shape of both edges
before winding around the roller is shewn in Figure 18, 1 being the sloped
edge. In order to harden or to condense and smoothen the cylindrical surfaces
of those improved top rollers, I have invented a machine, a front view of
which is shewn in Figure 19, of Drawing No. 1, a side view of it in
Figure 20, and a plan or top view of it in Figure 21; the similar parts in
all which said Figures being indicated by the same Figures of reference.
2, 2, is the metal frame of the machine, the cheeks or side plates of which
are secured at a proper distance apart by the cross pieces 3, 3, 3, with
shoulders and binding screws, and nuts to them, the frame itself being also
firmly secured to the workbench in the usual manner. Holes are made
through the lower parts of these side plates for the, necks or pivots of
a cylindrical metal roller 4 to act in, and upon one end of one of the
necks a handle or winch 5 is affixed to turn the cylinder round by. Two
gaps or slits 6, 6, are made through the upper parts of the cheeks or side
plates 2, 2, of the machine to receive into them the necks or pivots of the top
rollers to be put into the machine, one of which is shewn at 7, in Figure 19
as well as those of a cylindrical metal pressing roller 8, also shewn in that
Figure. And in order to increase the pressure, a lever 9 is mounted upon
an axis 10, the necks or pivots of which move in holes formed in the
ears 11, 11, which are attached to the frame of the machine. Upon placing
a top roller 7 in this machine, with the pressing roller 8 above it, and the
lever 9 being made to bear upon a middle neck, formed upon the pressing
roller 8 to receive it, on turning the winch or handle 5 with one hand a few
times, and at the same time pressing upon the lever 9 with the other hand,
the leather surface of the top roller 7 will be thus made hard and smooth, as
required; and should the top rollers from use at any time become roughened,
or be marked by the passing of therovings, threads, or other matters through
them, they may be smoothened in a similar manner.
In order to farther promote the removal of any loose fibres which mayadhere
to the top rollers, both in spinning as well as in roving machines, I have in-
vented an improved brush, in which the bristles are constantly kept in a parallel
situation in regard to each other, instead of expanding, as they usually do, in
thegeneral modeofconstructing them,and which gives those brushes a tendency
to entangle and harden such fibres as may adhere to them, and render them

page_text: waste or unfit for use. I likewise give to the faces of my improved
brushes a much more correct shape than has hitherto been done, in respect
to their uniform flatness and evenness, and thus I am enabled to apply them
to the spinning machines, which has not hitherto been done by any other
person. In the constructing of my said improved brushes, I first form the
bristles into small bundles, which I tie around with threads at intevals
according to the intended length of the bristles which are required to form
the brushes: such a bundle is shewn in Figure 22, of Drawing No. 3, at 12.
The tyeing threads being shown at 13, 13, &c. The bundle is placed ready
to be cut into the requisite lengths of bristles, in an improved cutting machine
of my Invention, consisting of a metal carriage formed of a standard 14,
secured to the workbench by a screw 15, and carrying a stud 16, hav-
ing shoulders and screwed nuts to it at each end, one of which passes
through cylindrical holes made in the standard 14, to receive it. Across the
upper end of this standard a groove is formed, to receive the handle or
lever 17 of a knife 18, whose edge is sloped towards the flat face of an
arm 19, connected with the standard 14, and upon which-said flat face the
A
flat side of the knife 18 is lodged and placed in close contact with it.
cap 20 is formed at the upper end of the arm 19, as shewn in Figure 23,
and in the separate view of this part Figure 24, in which the bundle of
bristles is to be lodged in order to be cut, as shewn in Figures 22 and 23,
and which is held or kept down therein by means of the pressing lever 21,
which turns upon a pin 22, passed through holes made in the lever, and in
the cheeks between which it is lodged, at the end of the longer arm 25 con-
nected with the standard 14, and by raising the lever 17 to the situation
shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 23, the knife will have passed across and
through the bundle of bristles 12, and seperated them of a proper length,
and as shewn in Figure 25. Figure 26 is an end view of the bundle of
bristles, shown separately, and Figure 27 a side view of the end of the
pressing lever 21. In order to regulate the lengths of the cut bristles, to form
the brushes, I have contrived the following adjustment:-Upon the outer
end of the stud 16 a short arm 24 is affixed, and secured by a screw and
nut; the other end of this arm 24 has a cylindrical hole through it, fitted
with a binding screw, as shewn in Figure 22; within this hole the cylindrical
stem 25 is lodged, having at one end of it a flat circular plate 26, and which
plate can thus be set at the required distances to regulate the lengths of the
cut bundles of bristles, and be secured by the binding screw above mentioned.
Figure 28 represents the arm 24, with its holes and binding screws, and the
flat circular plate 26, shewn separately. The bristles being thus cut into

page_text: proper lengths, I proceed to form thin layers or short bands of them, in the
following manner:-Figure 29, of Drawing No. 3, represents upon an en-
larged scale some of these cut bristles 27, as spread over a ledge 30, raised
above the surface of a table or workbench, part of which is shewn in section
in Figure 30 at 31, and which said ledge 30 is a little narrower than the
lengths of the cut bristles. Another ledge 32, is affixed at right angles to
and in front of the ledge 30, against which the bristles are to be pressed
endways by means of a slender bar of wood or metal 33, shewn by dotted lines
in Figure 29, being held against them in the manner shewn. This bar 33
is shewn edgeways in Figure 31, and flatways in Figure 32; this same
bar 33 also serves to spread the bristles in an uniform and equal thickness
or layer of about one bristle only in thickness, when placed upright upon
them, as shewn in Figure 30, and carried backwards and forwards upon them
a few times. I next proceed to bind or unite these single layers of bristles
together into bands in the following mauner:-I cut or shape pasteboard
or cards into regular parallelograms, as shewn in Figure 33 at 34, and coat
one side or face thereof with glue, or other fit and proper cement, which
whilst moist I apply upon the spread bristles, as shewn in the said Figure.
I then place or layupon the card or pasteboard a flat iron plate with a handle
affixed to it, similar to that shewn in its place in Figure 34, and separately
in Figures 35 and 36, and strongly press thereon. By this means the bristles
become adherent to the slip of card or pasteboard, and may be removed
therewith from the ledge 30, ready for the succeeding operation, they pre-
senting, when so combined, the appearance shewn in front at Figure 37, and
edgeways at Figure 38. 1 next proceed to glue or cement several of these
bands or bristles together, as shewn in Figure 39; but as in order to do this
it is requisite to employ an apparatus to press them together, so I have con-
trived that represented in Figures 40, 41, and 42, of Drawing No. 8,
Figure 40 being a side view thereof on a reduced scale, shewing several
bands of bristles 27, held between its jaws 37 and 38 by the pressure of the
screw 89 upon the jaw 37 when turned by means of the winch or handle 40
affixed upon the end of it. Previous to placing the bands of bristles between
the jaws, I apply the glue or other cement upon the surface of the card or
pasteboard, first cementing two bands together and placing them between
the jaws, then.three, and so proceeding to unite them, pressing them between
each band so cemented, until the proper number to form the intended brush
is so united. This pressing apparatus is composed of metal, the fixed jaw 38
having connected with it two angular bars 41, 41, at right angles to it, upon
which the moveable jaw 37 slides, it having two angular gaps 42, 42, shewn

page_text: in Figure 41, fitted thereto, formed underneath its front end. In order to
retain the moveable jaw 37 in its proper horizontal position during its action,
and to prevent it from rising up from off the angular bars 41, 41, I have
added a screw clamp 43 to it; this consists of a bar united to the moveable
jaw 37, at its front, and having two screwed holes made near its ends, into
which two screws 43, 43, enter, which pass through holes made in a sliding
bar 44, placed across underneath the two angular bars 41, 41, and which
said screws have heads to them, acting when the screws are bound, so as to
confine the bars 43 and 44 in their proper situation. The horizontal screw 39
works into & screwed nut 45, shewn in Figure 42, and has a pivot 46 at
one end of it, acting in a hole made in the fixed jaw 38, and a neck 47, at
the other end of it working in a collar plate affixed to the front ends of the
angular bars 41, 41, upon a cross bar 48, by means of screws. This apparatus
is to be firmly secured to the workbench, either by means of screws or in any
other manner.
When a sufficient number of these bands of bristles are thus
glued or cemented together to form the intended brushes, before finally removing
them from within the jaws of the above-described apparatus, their tops or ends
must be roughly levelled or made even, by singeing them in the following man-
ner:-In Figure 43,38, is part of the fixed jaw of the above-mentioned appa-
ratus, and 37 part of the moveable one; 27, the collected bands of bristles
between the jaws. Upon the tops of the jaws I place a metal frame 49, shewn
in a side view at Figure 44, and in plan at Figure 45, having an aperture or
opening made in it with parallel sides above the size or width of the intended
breadth of the brushes, and sloped away or widened within, and as shewn by
the dotted lines in Figures 43 and 44, the thickness of it being rather less
than the intended length to be given to the bristles. Everything being thus
disposed, I then pass lightly and quickly over the tops or ends of the bristles,
a flat metal heater 50, made of a proper degree of heat, so as to slightly
singe off the projecting and uneven ends, and until the heater just touches the
surface of the flat top of the frame 49. The form of this heater 50 is a
parellelogram, the width and thickness of which is shown in Figure 43, and
it's length is sufficient to enable it to cover over the whole length of the
intended brushes, and rather more. This heater is passed slowly along over
the surface of the intended brush; and if of a proper degree of heat, once pass-
ing it along may be sufficient; but if not, the same process must be repeated.
The heater has a metal stem 51 affixed to the upper part of it in its centre,
the whole length of which is shewn in Figure 46, and it is furnished, besides,
with a loose wooden shaft or handle 52, which can be slipped on and off, as
necessary,in use,as, whilst the heater is placed in a charcoal fire, the wooden haft

page_text: should be slipped off to prevent injuring it by burning, and be again replaced to
hold the heater when in use, or when bringing it to and removing it from the fire.
In order to remove the singed parts from the ends of the bristles I employ
a compound rasp of my Invention, and which I form by combining a
sufficient number of frame saw blades side by side in the following man-
ner Figure 47 represents a frame saw blade, and Figure 48 a sufficient
number of them laid side by side. Holes are drilled through the ends of
them, as shewn in the latter Figure, through which I pass wires or pins to be
afterwards rivitted. This set of saws I next fit into a wooden or metal back
made rather longer than the saws, and having a groove along its middle to
receive them in, and as shewn endways in Figure 49. I next fill up the outer
ends of the groove with wood or metal blocks, and pass screws through the
whole to secure the parts firmly together, and as shewn in Figure 49 by
dotted lines. In rasping the brushes. I surround them with another flat metal
frame, whilst they are still held between the jaws of the apparatus before
described, and which is lodged upon the tops of the jaws in the manner shewn
in Figure 43. This metal frame, however, differs from that shewn in that
Figure, in having a broad flat top around the aperture in it, and in being of
a rather less thickness, so as to allow the ends of the bristles to reach above
it a sufficient height to allow the rasp to act in removing the singed ends
thereof, when applied to them, in the usual manner of rasping. These com-
bined masses of bristles I next mount into wooden or metal blocks, for use in
drawing, roving, and spinning machines, in the following manner :-In
Drawing No. 2, Figure 50 is an under view or plan of a wooden or metal
block having two grooves 53, 53, made along it to receive two lines of brushes
within them, for employing them in drawing or roving machines, as in
spinning machines one row of brushes only is employed in each block.
Figure 51 is another under view of the same blocks, with four combined
masses of bristles 27, 27, 27, 27, cemented in the grooves by means of glue
or other proper cement, and the spaces between the masses filled up with
blocks 54, 54, similar to that shewn separately in Figure 52, the ends of the
grooves being likewise filled up with other blocks 55, 55, &c. similar to those
shewn in Figures 53 and 54, glued or cemented into them. When the com-
bined masses of bristles are thus cemented in the blocks, I put the last finish
to their faces as follows:-Figure 46, in Drawing No. 3, represents the end
of a single block, the bristles in it being shewn by the dotted lines. Upon
this block another metal frame 56 is laid, the form of which is seen in
Figure 55, which is a plan or top view of it, and in Figure 56, which is a
side view thereof. This frame is still thinner than those before mentioned,
.:

page_text: and allows the ends of the bristles to rise a very little above it's flat surface,
so as to be reached by the heater, and receives its smoothening and evening
effect when lightly passed over them. Any slight singeing which they may
receive in this last operation is afterwards removed by means of a wire card
or a hard brush applied to them. In applying these blocks of double-rowed
brushes to the drawing or roving machines I elongate the middle standard at
each end of the heads, which carry the rollers above the rollers, as shewn at
57, in Figure 57 of Drawing No. 2, sufficiently to form stays which fit into
caps 58, 58, shewn in Figures 50 and 51, and thus retain the blocks of
brushes in their places above and upon the top rollers, as shewn in Figures 57
and 58. The blocks containing only single rows of brushes are applied in
spinning machines by means of a stem affixed to the centre of each block, as
shewn in Figure 59 of Drawing No. 4, at 59, and in Figure 60 of the same
Drawing, the other end of the stem 59 having a cylindrical hole through i
for a pin to pass through, by which it is jointed to the carriage of the rollers
as shewn at 60 in Figures 60 and 61.
In place of employing weights, or helical or spiral wire springs and levers,
to press down the top rollers upon the lower rollers as usual, I employ the
following contrivance :-In Drawing No. 4, Figure 62, 61, 61, 61, represent,
the three metal grooved bottom rollers of a spinning machine, and 62, 62, 62
the three top rollers, a plan of parts of which is shewn in Figure 63. In
these Figures 63 is part of a compound lever, to which is jointed or hinged
the secondary part 64. The front end of the part of the compound lever 63
is made flat underneath it, and rests upon a cylindrical neck formed in the
middle of the axis of the front top rollers 62, the secondary part of it, 64,
having likewise a flattened part formed underneath it, which rests upon a neck
inade in the middle of the axis of the middle top rollers, its opposite or back
end having a gap or notch formed underneath it, which receives into it a
middle neck formed upon the axis of the back top rollers. This compound
lever is connected by means of a screw and nut 65 with a flat metal spring 66,
a plan of which is shewn in 64. This spring has a kind of hook formed upon
it's front end which lodges or rests underneath a cylindrical part made in the
axis of the front lower rollers, and it's back or springing end is made thin and
flat, and rests beneath a cylindrical neck, formed in the axis of the back lower
lever, it not touching the middle lower rollers at all. The thicker part of
the spring 66 has a groove or slit made along it, in which the lower part of
the stem of the screw 65 is lodged, one end of the slit being widened to let
the cylindrical stem of the screw into it, but which screw is flattened on each
side, near it's head, to fit the groove, and so prevent it from turning round

page_text: therein when the binding nut of the screw is turned. Owing to the play of
the secondary part 64 of the compound lever 63 upon it's joint, when the
binding nut of the screw 65 is turned, and this is aided by the elastic action
of the spring 66, all the three top rollers 62, 62, 62, are pressed into contact
with the three bottom rollers 61, 61, 61, with a degree of force which can be
regulated or adjusted to the greatest nicety by turning the binding nut either
way as required. I thus accomplish the desirable end of bringing the top.
rollers into contact with the lower rollers, without loading, the factory or
machine frames with the enormous weights usually employed for that purpose
Another of my said improvements consists in a superior method of regu-
lating the distances of the front top and bottom rollers of spinning machines
from the two middle and hinder top and bottom rollers, so as to adjust them
to the length of staple of the fibrous, material or materials operated upon.
The distance between the middle and back or hinder rollers not requiring to
be altered. I effect this improvement in the following manner:-In Draw-
ing No. 4, Figure 60 represents an end view of part of one of my improved
adjusting carriages for the rollers of spinning machines, the improvements
consisting in the addition of the regulating screws. 67 and 68; the former, 67,
being merely screws passing through screwed holes made in the ends of the
slide of the top.roller bridge, and acting against the ends of the bridge itself,
and the latter, 68, screws which act in screwed holes made in the roller stand
or basis of the roller carriage, and have necks and shoulders formed upon
their front ends, as shewn in the figure of one of them shewn separately in
Figure 65, which receive between the shoulders the descending parts 69
formed at the back ends of the sliding carriage of the two bottom rollers, and
which said descending parts have gaps formed within them, as shewn in the
end view of one of them at figure 66, to admit the. necks of the adjusting
screws 68. Besides these said adjusting screws I have likewise added scales
of divisions, with corresponding numbers at each end of the roller carriage, as
shewn at 70 and 71 in Figure 60; so that when the sliding carriage of the
two bottom rollers is removed, by the action of the screws, from or towards
the bottom front rollers, the end of the slide of the top roller bridge can be
made to correspond therewith, so as to bring both front rollers exactly over
each other, by turning the screws 67 backwards or forwards, as may be
required, or until the two scales of divisions exactly agree. Figure 67 is a
back view of one end of the roller carriage with the screw 68, and descending
part 69, fitted to it.
Figure 68, of Drawing No. 4, represents an improved spindle, and it's
appendages, of my invention, adapted to spinning machines in general.

page_text: The main body of the spindle 72 may be formed of steel or other fit and
proper material or materials, it's lowest pivot is made conical, being formed
at an angle of about sixty degrees, and it rests in a step made either of cast
iron, chill cast, or case hardened, or of bell metal, or other fit and proper
material. The spindle rests within the step, partly upon it's conical end, that
being nicely fitted to a hollow cone made in the step, and partly upon it's
blunted or flattened end, fitting upon a similar corresponding part formed at
the bottom of the conical hole in the step, the cylindrical part of the end of
the spindle adjoining to the cone not coming at all into contact with the hole
in the step, but being made smaller to allow the oil contained in the widened
upper part of the step to flow down, and to lubricate the conical parts
or bearings; and in order to keep the oil clean I have fitted a conical metal
cover 74 to the top of the step, as shewn in the sections thereof in Figure 68
and in Figure 69, Figure 70 being an external view of the step. The
spindle 72 is fitted with a whorl or pulley 75, as usual, and likewise with a
cylindrical neck 76, but it has a groove or channel 77, 77, formed along it's
upper cylindrical stem, and reaching from the neck 76 to the upper end of it
to receive the end of a pin or screw 7S within it, the use of which will be
described hereafter. 79 is the bobbin rail, usually employed in roving
or spinning machines to raise and lower the bobbins upon the spindles in
order to distribute the rovings or threads uniformly upon the bobbins. But
instead of the bobbins resting upon that rail, as usual, with circular pieces of
woollen cloth placed thereon,and between it and the bobbins, to act as a drag
upon the bobbins,and to cause them to take up the rovings or threads, I have
substituted the following contrivance:-80 is what I term a drag box, it is
made of metal and fitted upon the cylindrical stem of the spindle, having the
screw 78 passed through its neck, and it's point entering within the slit or
groove 77, 77, made along the spindle to prevent the drag boxfrom remaining
still or at rest when the spindle is turned by the machinery. This drag box
has a circular groove or recess 81 formed in its upper face, as shewn in
Figure 69, and in section in Figure 70, containing a double metal spring 82
within it, shewn separately in Figure 71, which is lodged upon a pin, screw,
or stud 83, shewn in Figure 69, and can be tightened or relaxed in it's action
by means of a screw 84, shewn in Figures 69 and 70, which is passed through
the side of the drag box, and acts upon the longer end of the spring, as shewn
in Figure 69. 85, in Figure 68, is what I term the bobbin plate, as the
bobbin 86 rests upon it; this is shewn separately in Figure 72; it has a pin or
stud 87 fitted into and projecting above it's upper surface, which fits into a
corresponding hole 88 made in the lower rim of the bobbin to receive it, as

page_text: shewn in Figure 73. The bobbin plate 85 has a cylindrical rim formed
underneath it, shewn at 83 in Figure 72, which descends into the circular
groove S1 formed into the upper surface of the drag box, and acts or rubs
against the inner end of the spring 82, and which, as before said, can be
caused to press more or less upon it by means of the regulating or adjusting
screw 84, so as to cause the bobbin to take up the rovings or threads with the
necessary power. The upper end of the spindle 72 is reduced in size, as
shewn at 89 in Figure 74, in order to receive upon it the socket 90 of the
flyer 91, and which rests upon the shoulder formed upon the spindle,as shewn
in that Figure. This reduced part of the spindle has also a short longitudinal
groove formed in it, with a cross groove 92,shewn in Figure 74, and by dottted
lines in Figure 68, proceeding from it, into which a pin 93, driven into the
neck of the flyer, enters when turned sideways a little, and retains the flyer
in it's place upon the spindle. A front view of the flyer 91 is given in
Figure 68, a side view of it in Figure 75, and a plan or top view of it in
Figure 76. Upon the top of the neck or socket 90 I mount a vertical
loop 94, which carries a horizontal circular plate or disc 95 having a conic
hole in its centre, through which hole the rovings, yarn, or threads are first
passed, then into one of the two gaps or notches 96, 96, formed within the
angular corners of the flyer, thence through one of the gaps 97, formed at the
lower ends of the flyer, and finally they are wound upon the bobbin.
Another of my said improvements consists in a method of facilitating the
moulding and casting of the cast iron, bell metal, or other metal steps 73, or
bearings for the lower ends of the spindles for the before-mentioned machines
to run or turn in; one of these metal steps 73 is shewn in Figure 70 of
Drawing No. 4, and in section in Figure 68 of that Drawing. In Drawing
No. 1, Figure 77 represents a side view of one of these metal steps 73 of a
proper size for the spinning machines where smaller spindles are employed.
These are intended to be cast solid, and the holes or cavities to be formed in
them afterwards.
Figure 78 is a plan of part of a flask; 98, a metal frame to contain the
casting sand or loam 99, shewn in Figure 79, which is a section thereof taken
at the dotted line in Figure 78; 100, in the latter Figure, is part of the flat
wooden boards employed in moulding and casting metals, as usual; 101,101,
is a cast-iron plate having a number of cast-iron short tubes or sockets
102, 102, formed upon it, which serve as guides to pass down the tube or
socket 103, shewn in section in Figure 80, and separately in Figure 81, and
which forms the broad or expanded part of the step, when the lower end of
that socket is pressed down into the sand or loam, as shewn in Figure 80.

page_text: Whilst in this state the cylindrical part 104,shewn in this latter Figure, and
separately in Figure 82, is to be passed through the cylindrical hole, and be
.pressed in it's turn into the sand or loam, as is also shewn in Figure 80. And
when this operation has been thus performed in all the short tubes 102, 102,
in succession, the flat face of the sand or loam will have received as many
cavaties corresponding therewith, the flat tops of the steps being formed by
the flat surface of the opposite sand or loam moula when the flasks are closed
as usual, and that flat surface is brought into contact with the former one.
In order, however, to avoid the trouble of scooping or forming channels in the
flat face of the sand or loam, in order to convey the fluid, metal to each cavity,
I prefer to lay strips of metal, similar in form to that shewn in Figure 83, and
endways in Figure 84, upon the flat wooden boards, on which the flask or
frame is laid previously to filling the flask with sand or loam, and which strips
being afterwards removed thus form the necessary channels for guiding the
fluid metal to each cavity, to form the steps as indicated by the dotted circles
shewn in Figure 83. By the use of the cast-iron plate and guiding tubes
above described I avoid the danger of breaking up the sand or loam, in'
imprinting the patterns therein, to form the cavities for casting the steps, the
sand or loam being kept down by the pressure of the plate upon it. The
holes or cavities in the cast metal steps are to be formed either in the lathe,
by drilling and turning them, cr in any other manner as usual, and they
will then appear as shewn in the section of one of them in Figure 85, and in
the top view Figure 86, and by dotted lines in Figure 87, when they may
be hardened or case hardened for use as usual.
Another of my said improvements consists in the mounting of the spindle
carriages of mules, and other spinning frames, or machines which require the
spindles to be drawn away from the rollers to stretch or extend the threads,
and be then brought up again to them. These carriages are generally.
mounted upon five wheels, namely, two at each end thereof and one in the:
middle, running upon parallel guide rails affixed to the floor of the workroom;
but instead of mounting the said carriages upon five wheels, I mount them
upon seven, namely, three at each end of the carriage and one in the middle
thereof; the three wheels at each end being arranged in the manner shewn
in Figure 88, in Drawing No. 1, which is an under view of the carriage,
where 105, 105, shew the two back wheels, and 106, 106, the two pairs of front
wheels; 107 being the middle wheel, and all conducing to support the
carriage for the spindles 108 in a steady manner, as it is easy to bring
all three of the wheels at each end into a perfect bearing upon the rails, as
well also as the single wheel in the middle of the carriage. The places of

page_text: the seven rails are indicated by the dotted lines in this Figure. The manner
in which I mount the three wheels at each end of the carriage is shewn in
Figure 89, which is an under view of one end of the carriage. 106, 106, are
one pair of front wheels, both being mounted on one axis 109 near to each
end of it; and 105 is one of the two back wheels mounted in the middle
of the axis 110, which is equal in length to the axis 109, and both axis has
necks or pivots at it's external ends, turning in bearings 111, 111, affixed
underneath the carriage frame, as shewn in Figures 90 and 91. 112, 112, 112,
are parts of the guide rails.
Another of my said improvements consists in new substitutes for the
spindles and flyers for roving and spinning machines, and a new method
of carrying the bobbins, and which I construct as follows:-
In Drawing No. 4, Figure 92 is a plan; Figure 98, an elevation; Figure
94, a back view; and Figure 95, a front view projected from the plan Figure
92, of parts of a roving or spinning machine; in all of which Figures, 113 is
part of the machine frame; 114, the rovings; 115, the drawing rollers; 116,
the rail which carries the substitutes for the spindles; and 117, the flyers of
two kinds 118 and 119; 128, the rail which carries the supports of the bobbins
121. The substitutes for the spindles 117 turn upon fixed cylindrical tubes
122, shewn in section on a larger scale in Figure 96, which are secured to the
rail 116, by means of screws. The substitutes for the spindles 117 have each a
cylindrical hole in them which fits exactly upon the cylindrical tubes 122, one
of which is shewn separately in Figure 97, and they are retained in their places
upon the said tubes in the following manner:-123, in Figure 97, is a groove
formed around the inner end of the tube, into which either the metal hook 124,
shewn in Figure 98, which turns upon a screw affixed in the part 117, as
shewn in Figure 69, is placed, or else the metal slider 125,shewn separately in
Figure 99, which has a gap made in it to receive the same screw, and under-
neath the head of which it slides, can be placed and thus secure the part 117
in it's place upon the tube, and as shewn in the end view, Figure 100. Upon
the external end of this part the flyer 118 may be affixed, or that indicated by
119, which has the advantage over that shewn at 118 of being balanced
equally on each side; 126, 126, in Figure 96, are two pins affixed into the
flyer, to guide the roving or thread around, as shewn in that Figure in its
passage from the tube 122 to the central eye 127 of the flyer; 128 is a
groove formed upon the substitute for the flyer for the band to run in, by
which it is turned round. The bobbins 88, are carried around upon the
upper and lesser cylindrical part 129 of their supports 121, in the following
manner :-

page_text: In Figure 101, 130 is a tube or socket, fitted nicely to a cylindrical part
formed upon the support 121 below the part 129, and upon which it turns.
131 is a groove formed around the tube 130, for a band to run in, by which
it is turned round. Upon the upper end of this tube is a circular groove 81,
having a spring 83 within it, formed and regulated as already described in the
references to Figures 68, 69, 70, and 71; and into this circular groove 81 the
part 89 of the bobbin plate 85 enters, and is acted upon by the spring 82, in
the same manner as was already described in the references to the similar
parts, as when applied to the spindle shewn in Figure 68 of this Drawing;
and the pin 87, affixed upon the bobbin carrier likewise enters a hole 88,
formed in the bobbin to receive it in a similar manner. There is, however,
here no bobbin rail employed to raise and lower the bobbins, as instead thereof
I substitute a rising and falling guinder for the threads, and which lays them
ovenly upon the bobbins.
In the plan, Figure 92, 132, 132, are two metal wires united at their ends
by two cross pieces, whilst the middle parts of them are lodged in two grooves
formed across two circular blocks 133, shewn also in the front view, Figure 95,
and the side view, Figure 93, and on a larger scale in Figure 102, which are
bound together by a screw or screws; the lower one of these blocks is affixed
upon the upper end of a metal cylinder 134, which passes through a cylin-
drical tube 135, affixed upona bracket 136, which is mounted on the rail 120,
the tube 135 having slits made along it to permit a cross wire 137 to pass
through them as shewn in Figure 95, by which the metal cylinder 134, is
prevented from turning round in the cylindrical tube 135, whilst it can be
raised and lowered by its lower end resting upon a lever 138, turning upon
a pin or screw, 139, at one end of it, it's other end resting upon the periphery
of a heart wheel 140, as shewn in Figure 103, turning on a pin or stud 141
affixed in the rail 120, the heart wheel 140 having a pulley 142 united to it,
as shewn in Figure 92, by which it can be turned by a band 143, driven by
the machine. In this manner the lever 138, being raised and lowered by
the action of the heart wheel 140 upon which it is lodged, it also raises and
lowers the metal cylinder 134, together with the guiding wires 132, 132,
under the hinder one of which the rovings or threads are passed from the
rollers and over the front one, as shewn in Figure 93, and are thence guided
to the bobbins 88, and distributed upon the bobbins as required. In order
to vary the distance of the flyers 118 and 119 from the drawing rollers to
suit the lengths of the fibres or staple of the materials operated upon, I have
made the supports of the rail 116 moveable in two grooves or mortices

page_text: formed in two of the bars of the machine frame, one of which is shewn in the
plan, Figure 92, at 144, and by the dotted lines in Figure 93; and in which
said mortises the standards 145, which support the rail 116, can be secured.
at the required distances by means of nuts and screws, one of each of which
are shewn in Figure 93 at 146. The bobbins 88 are likewise and for the
same reason made moveable on their carriage in mortises, one of which is:
shewn at 147 in Figure 92, and can be also secured therein by nuts and
screws, or otherwise.
I do not mean or intend hereby to claim as my Invention any of the
various parts of which the different machines described may be composed,
which are already known or in use, but only their new applications or new
constructions as follows:-
In the machine for cleaning and opening wool and cotton, I claim the
Invention for carrying forward the feeding cloth, and the material or materials.
spread over and upon it uniformly to feed that machine. I likewise claim the
application of the centrifugal fan thereto, which blows up the fibres of the
material or materials operated upon into a proper position for the revolving
beaters to strike thereon. Likewise the construction of those revolving
beaters, and their application to this particular object.
Also the manner of constructing the grating of bars with cross-heads and
stems, laid alternately, in the manner herein described.
I likewise hereby claim the application of my said Invention for carrying
forwards the feeding cloths, and the material or materials spread over and
upon the same, to the feeding or supplying of the various fibrous materials
into the different scribbling, carding, and slubbing machines.
. I also hereby claim the improved manner of covering the top rollers of the
various machines in which the same are employed with leather, as well as
the method of hardening or condensing and smoothening the said leather
coverings by means of a machine fitted with rollers or cylinders in the manner
herein described.
I likewise hereby claim as my Invention the improved manner of con-
structing the brushes for cleaning the top rollers of such machines, and
whereby I constantly preserve the hairs or bristles of such brushes in a
parallel situation in regard to each other, instead of their expanding or
separating themselves as usual As also the knife or cutting machine em-
ployed therein, as well as the screw press or clamp, used to combine the rows
of hairs or bristles together.
Likewise, the application of the singeing and rasping apparatus to the

page_text: rendering the general surface of such brushes flat and even, and the manner
of mounting the hairs or bristles in grooves or mortises together with filling
blocks, as is described herein.
Likewise the methods of fitting the double rowed brushes to roving and
drawing machines, and the single rowed ones to spinning machines.
I also hereby claim my substitution and application of a flat spring and
binding screw to keep the top and bottom rollers of spinning machines in
contact, in place of the weights and levers or weights only and the helical
springs commonly used for that purpose.
I likewise claim the method of regulating the distances of the front top
and bottom rollers of spinning machines from the two middle and hinder top
and bottom rollers of such machines.
I also hereby claim my improved mode of running the spindles of all such
machines wherein they are employed upon conical ends.
I likewise hereby claim as my Invention the improved mode of regulating
the drag upon the bobbins used with such spindles; and also the improved
mode of fitting the flyers upon such spindles, as well as in the construction
of the flyers themselves, which have a central hole or loop above and through
which to pass the rovings, yarn, or threads, in their way from the rollers to
the bobbin.
I likewise claim the improved method of casting the metal steps for the
spindles to run in.
I also claim the mounting the spindle carriages of mules and other
spinning frames or machines which require the spindles to be drawn away
from the rollers upon seven wheels instead of five as usual.
I likewise hereby claim my substitutes for the spindles and flyers of
spinning machines; and my improved method of carrying the bobbins, as well
also as my method of guiding the threads upon the bobbins.
And lastly, the method of varying the distances of the flyers and the
bobbins from the drawing rollers.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ford, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.
JOHN
(L.S.) FORD,

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of November, in
the year of our Lord 1828, the aforesaid John Ford came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above.
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Thirteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FORD, of Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey, Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirteenth day of May, in the ninth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Ford, His especial licence that I, the said John Ford, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Ford, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING, OPENING, SCRIBBLING, CARDING,
COMBING, SLUBBING, AND SPINNING WOOL, AND FOR CARDING, ROVING OR SLIVVERING,
AND SPINNING COTTON, SHORT-STAPLED FLAX, HEMP, AND SILK, EITHER SEPARATELY
OR COMBINED, AND FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING LONG-STAPLED FLAX, HEMP, SILK,
MOHAIR, OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND EITHER SEPARATELY OR COMBINED;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the
said John Ford, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six. calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Lettes:

page_text: Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Ford, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the Drawings annexed to this Specification, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):
In Drawing No. 1, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine for cleaning
and opening wool and cotton, and Figure 2 a plan of the right-hand side of
that machine; in both of which said Figures, as well as in the others relating
to this machine, the same letters of reference indicate the similar parts.
A, A, &c., the wooden frame or support of the machine; B, a centrifugal fan,
the axis C of which is made to revolve by means of a band or strap passing
from the band wheel or rigger D, and acting upon the lesser band wheel E,
which is mounted upon the axis C. This axis C has affixed upon it two
double arms, one of which is shewn at F in Figure 1, and edgeways at F
in Figure 8; and, these arms carry two iron rods G, G, and two of a smaller
size H, H, and between them are stretched the two pieces of leather or cloth
I, I, which are secured to the rods by stitching and lacing, in the manner
shewin in Figure 3, which exhibits these parts on a larger scale than in
Figure 1, as does Figure 4 also, which is an end view thereof. When this
fan is put in motion, the air entering at the central apertures made on
each side of the case B, enclosing it, and one of which is shewn at J, in
Figure 1, is, by the centrifugal force, expelled at the passage K, and enters
within the cleaning and opening machine L. It then partly escapes through
the openings left between the bars M, M, and partly at the end orifice N,
carrying with it the dust and other impurities contained in the wool or cotton,
and which had been separated from it by the action of the revolving bars or
beaters O, O, &c. upon it, and as shewn in Figure 1. These revolving beaters
are mounted upon the external ends of two sets of arms P, P, &c., which are
carried round by means of straps or bands acting upon the band wheels Q, Q,
shewn in Figure 2, and one of them in Figure 5, and which are affixed upon
the axes R, R, shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and one of them in Figures 5 and
6,, their course being indicated by the darts or arrows in Figure 1. The
beaters 0, 0, &c. consist of square metal bars, let into grooves or slits made
fu the external parts of the cylindrical bars to receive them, and they are
secured therein by screws, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6. The forms of the
bars M, M, of Figure 1, are shewn upon a larger scale in Figure 7, where
they are placed with their heads and stems alternately, and leaving gaps or

page_text: spaces between them, as before mentioned, for the escape of the dust and other
impurities contained in the wool or cotton. These parts are either actuated
by a band S, proceeding from a drum or band wheel, actuated by the first-
mover of the machinery, and. passing around-the band wheel T, shewn, in
Figure 2, or they may be turned by hand. The wool is supplied to this
machine by means of a revolving feeding cloth U, which delivers it to the
rollers V, W, from whence it is taken into the machine by- the action of the
first pair of beaters upon it, as shewn in Figure 1, and after being subjected
to the cleaning and opening process, it finally leaves the machine at N ready..
for the succeeding operation. The improvements which I have made in the
feeding apparatus for this and other machines will be described hereafter..
Cotton, flax, hemp, silk, mohair, or other fibrous substances may also be
cleaned and opened by this machine.
In Drawing No. 2, Figure 8 is a side elevation of the feeding apparatus,
and Figure 9 a top view or plan of one side of it. X, in both these Figures,
represents part of a toothed spur wheel, actuated by means of a toothed wheel-
or pinion working in it, which is driven by the opening, scribbling, carding;
or other machine to which it is to be applied. This spur wheel X is mounted
upon one end of a grooved iron cylinder or roller Y, turning upon necks or
pivots in bearings formed to receive them in the 'sides of the moveable or
adjusting carriage Z, Z, which is affixed upon the machine frame A, A. Upon
the other end of the roller Y a toothed pinion a, Figure 10, is mounted, which
drives a similar one b, affixed upon another grooved iron cylinder or roller W,
placed above the roller Y. The pinion a' also works into an intermediate
pinion c, which turns upon a stud d, affixed in the moveable carriage Z; and
this pinion drives another e, which is affixed upon a wooden cylinder or roller
f, around which the feeding cloth U passes, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9:
Figure 11 is a top view or plan of the lower iron roller Y, with the
pinion a upon it, the intermediate pinion c on its stud d, and the wooden
cylinder with its pinion e upon it. Z is part of the adjusting carriage. The
feeding cloth U, U, also passes around another wooden cylinder g, shewn in '
Figures 8 and 9, the necks or pivots of which turn in bearings affixed to the
slides h, h, which can be moved backwards and forwards to regulate the tightness
of the feeding cloth, and secured at the required places by means of adjusting
screws, one of which is shewn in Figure 8, at i, and in Figure 9 also. The
form of these bearings is shewn at h, in Figure 12. The feeding cloth U, U, is
stitched on each side to a leather strap j, a part of which is shewn separately
in Figure 13, and edgeways in Figure 14, the cloth partly surrounding the
straps, for the more effectually securing it thereto. These straps are lodged in

page_text: grooves made to receive them in the wooden cylinders f and g; and the
bottom of this groove, in the front or leading roller or cylinder f, is furrowed
across in the manner of a ratchet wheel, as shewn at k, in Figure 11, so as to
carry the straps and the feeding cloth attached to them continually forwards
without slipping, and to aid which effect upon the feeding cloth the wooden
roller is also grooved along it in a similar manner. By this means the
feeding cloth will be carried uniformly along, not having any tendency to move
faster on one side of it than on the other, and the feeding will be regulated
accordingly, and not in the unequal manner hitherto done. In order to move
the adjusting carriage Z, Z, upon the frame A, A, of the machine equally, so
as to bring the supply of the fibrous materials to be operated upon within the
due distances to feed the various machines, I have added an axis 1, Figure 8,
which has necks to it turning in bearings affixed to the machine frame A, A,
and carrying upon such external end of it a toothed wheel or pinion, which
act in two toothed racks, one of which is shewn at m, in Figure 8; and, by
turning the said axis, the toothed wheels act uniformly in the racks, and cause
the adjusting carriage Z, Z, to advance or recede accordingly; and, in order to
steady its motion sideways, two flat pieces of wood or metal n, n, shewn by
dotted lines, are affixed inside, and below the adjusting carriage Z, Z, one on
each side, and which act as guides against the insides of the machine frame
A, A. The place of of one of these guides is also shewn by the dotted
lines n, n, in the plan, Figure 9. The upper loose plain roller V, shewn in
Figures 1, 2, 8, and 9, is to be either formed of wood, with steel necks or
pivots to it, or of metal, and which, for the sake of lightness, may be made
hollow or tubular. The use of this roller V is to keep the fibrous materials
from rising up in their passage to the front rollers W, Y, and its necks or
pivots turn in gaps o, o, shewn in Figures 8 and 9, formed in a separate
carriage p, p, turning upon joints or hinges 7, 9, affixed to the adjusting
carriage Z, Z. This separate carriage p, p, has also holes made in its front to
receive into them the necks or pivots of the upper grooved metal roller W,
and two adjusting screws r, r, which fit into screwed holes made made in the
adjusting carriage Z, Z, at s, to receive them; besides which these screws
have likewise screwed nuts upon them, one of which is shewn at t, in Figure 8,
in order to regulate the rise and fall of the carriage p, p, and thus to adjust
the distance of the pinion v, Figure 11, from the other a in which it works, as
well as to vary the distance between the roller W and Y, according to the
quantity of the fibrous materials to be passed between them. These two
rollers W and Y are grooved along them also in the manner of ratchet teeth,
and as shewn in the section of part of one of them, drawn on a larger scale

page_text: at Y, in Figure 15, they being placed in opposite directions upon the two
rollers, and act so as to continually draw the fibrous materials through them,
and deliver them to the various machines they are intended to feed. Two
binding screws, one of which is shewn at u, in Figures 8 and 9, are affixed
into the machine frame A, A, at their lower ends, their upper parts passing
through mortices formed within the sides of the adjusting frame Z, Z; and
they have screwed binding nuts v, v, fitted to them, by means of which the
adjusting carriage can be firmly secured upon the carriage A, A, at the
required place or places. This my said improved feeding apparatus is appli-
cable to the machines for scribbling, carding, and slubbing wool, and also to
the carding machines for cotton, short-stapled flax, hemp, and silk, either
separately or combined, and is calculated to supply or feed them with the
fibrous materials to be operated upon by those machines in a more equable
and uniform manner than hitherto; and the effect of which superior mode of
feeding them must be to produce much evener slivers, rovings, and threads
than where the machines are irregularly supplied in the usual methods, as
after the fibrous materials are once spread or diffused as equally as may be
upon the revolving endless feeding cloth, they are regularly supplied to the
various machines in the superior manner herein described, and, as above
mentioned, without those irregularities happening which continually take place
in the ordinary method of feeding those machines.
Another of my said improvements consists, in a method of covering the top
rollers employed in these various machines, in such a manner as to render
them less liable to catch or entangle the different fibrous materials they are
employed in working, and to wind them round the said top rollers in the
manner constantly experienced in the use of the top rollers as at present
constructed, and whereby the said fibrous materials require to be continually
removed or stripped off from the surfaces of such top rollers, in a considerably
deterioated state, so as frequently to break or shorten their fibres, and generally
to require their being again subjected to some of the preceding processes to
which they had been subjected, to fit them for their required purposes. Now,
by my superior method of covering these top rollers, that evil is greatly obviated,
as, in consequence of the hard and smooth surfaces produced by my improve-
ment upon the leather covering of these top rollers, their tendency to catch
or to take up the fibres of the various materials is greatly lessened. In
Drawing No. 1, Figure 16, w is a top roller, covered with cloth in the
usual manner; x, a piece of leather cut into the form shewn, in order that
when glued or otherwise affixed around the roller, its edges, instead of meeting
in a line directly along the roller as usual, may unite in the oblique or spiral,

page_text: exhibited at y in the fellow top roller, shewn in Figure 16. One of the
meeting edges of. the leather covering is left square from the cutting knife,
but as it assumes a sloping form in winding around the roller, and as shewn
in the end view of a roller, Figure 17, at z, so. the other edge 1 is sloped
away to a thin edge to fit and cover it exactly.. The shape of both edges
before winding around the roller is shewn in Figure 18, 1 being the sloped
edge. In order to harden or to condense and smoothen the cylindrical surfaces
of those improved top rollers, I have invented a machine, a front view of
which is shewn in Figure 19; of Drawing No. 1, a side view of it in
Figure 20, and a plan or top view of it in Figure 21; the similar parts in
all which said: Figures being indicated by the same Figures of reference.
2, 2, is the metal frame of the machine, the cheeks or side plates of which
are secured at a proper distance apart by the cross pieces 3, 3, 3, with
shoulders and binding, screws, and nuts to them, the frame itself being also
firmly secured to the workbench in the usual manner. Holes are made
through the lower parts of these side plates for the necks or pivots of
a cylindrical 'metal roller 4 to act in, and upon one end of one of the
necks a handle or winch 5 is affixed to turn the cylinder round by. Two
gaps or slits 6, 6, are made through the upper parts of the cheeks or side
plates 2, 2, of the machine to receive into them the necks or pivots of the top
rollers to be put into the machine, one of which is shewn at 7, in Figure 19,
as well as those of a cylindrical metal pressing roller 8, also shewn in that
Figure. And in order to increase the pressure, a lever 9 is mounted upon
an axis 10, the necks or pivots of which move in holes formed in the
ears 11, 11, which are attached to the frame of the machine. Upon placing
a top roller 7 in this machine, with the pressing roller 8 above it, and the
lever 9' being made to bear upon a middle neck, formed upon the pressing
roller 8 to receive it, on turning the winch or handle 5 with one hand a few
times, and at the same time pressing upon the lever 9 with the other hand,
the leather surface of the top roller 7 will be thus made hard and smooth, as
required; and should the top rollers from use at any time become roughened,
or be marked by the passing of the rovings, threads, or other matters through
them, they may be smoothened in a similar manner.
In order to farther promote the removal of any loose fibres which may adhere
to the top rollers, both in spinning as well as in roving machines, I have in-
vented an improved brush, in which the bristles are constantly kept in a parallel
situation in regard to each other, instead of expanding, as they usually do; in
the general mode of constructing them, and which gives those brushes a tendency
to entangle and harden such fibres as: may adhere. to them, and render them

page_text: waste or unfit for. use. I likewise give to the faces of my improved
brushes a much more correct shape than has hitherto been done, in-respect
to their uniform flatness and evenness, and thus I am enabled to apply them
to the spinning machines, which has not hitherto been done by any other
person. In the constructing of my said improved brushes, I first form the
bristles into small bundles, which I tie around with threads at intėvals
according to the intended length of the bristles which are required to form
the brushes: such a bundle is shewn in Figure 22, of Drawing No. 3, at 12.
The tyeing threads being shown at 13, 13, &c. The bundle is placed ready
to be cut into the requisite lengths of bristles, in an improved cutting machine
of my Invention, consisting of a metal carriage formed of a standard 14,
secured to the workbench by a screw 15, and carrying a stud 16; hav
ing shoulders and screwed nuts to it at each end, one of which passes
through cylindrical holes made in the standard 14, to receive it. Across the
upper end of this standard a groove is formed, to receive the handle or
lever 17 of a knife 18, whose edge is sloped towards the flat face of an
arm 19, connected with the standard 14, and upon which said flat face the
flat side of the knife 18 is lodged and placed in close contact with it. A
cap 20 is formed at the upper end of the arm 19, as shewn in Figure 23,
and in the separate view of this part Figure 24, in which the bundle of
bristles is to be lodged in order to be cut,, as shewn in Figures 22 and 23,
and which is held or kept down therein by means of the pressing 'lever 21,
which turns upon a pin 22, passed through holes made in the lever, and in
the cheeks between which it is lodged, at the end of the longer arm 23 con-
nected with the standard 14, and by raising the lever 17 to the situation
shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 23, the knife will have passed across and
through the bundle of bristles 12, and seperated them' of a proper length,
and as shewn in Figure 25. Figure 26 is an end view of the bundle of
bristles, shewn separately, and Figure 27 a side view of the end of the
pressing lever 21. In order to regulate the lengths of the cut bristles, to form
the brushes,. I have contrived the following adjustment: Upon the outer
end of the stud 16 a short arm 24 is affixed; and secured by a screw and
nut; the other end of this arm 24 has a cylindrical hole through it, fitted
with a binding screw, as shewn in Figure 22; within this hole the cylindrical
stem 25 is lodged, having at one end of it a flat circular plate 26, and which
plate can thus be set at the. required distances to regulate the lengths of the
cut bundles of bristles, and be secured by the binding screw above mentioned.
Figure 28 represents the arm 24, with its holes and binding screws, and the
flat circular plate 26, shewn separately. The bristles being thus cut into
:

page_text: proper lengths, I proceed to form thin layers or short bands of them, in the
following manner :-Figure 29, of Drawing No. 3, represents upon an en-
larged scale some of these cut bristles 27, as spread over a ledge 30, raised
above the surface of a table or workbench, part of which is shewn in section
in Figure 30 at 31, and which said ledge 30 is a little narrower than the
lengths of the cut bristles. Another ledge 32, is affixed at right angles to
and in front of the ledge 30, against which the bristles are to be pressed
endways by means of a slender bar of wood or metal 33, shewn by dotted lines
in Figure 29, being held against them in the manner shewn. This bar 33
is shewn edgeways in Figure 31, and flatways in Figure 32; this same
bar 33 also serves to spread the bristles in an uniform and equal thickness
or layer of about one bristle only in thickness, when placed upright upon
them, as shewn in Figure 30, and carried backwards and forwards
upon them
a few times. I next proceed to bind or unite these single layers of bristles
together into bands in the following manner:-I cut or shape pasteboard
or cards into regular parallelograms, as shewn in Figure 33 at 34, and coat
one side or face thereof with glue, or other fit and proper cement, which
whilst moist I apply upon the spread bristles, as shewn in the said Figure.
I then place or lay upon the card or pasteboard a flat iron plate with a handle
affixed to it, similar to that shewn in its place in Figure 34, and separately
in Figures 35 and 36, and strongly press thereon. By this means the bristles
become adherent to the slip of card or pasteboard, and may be removed
therewith from the ledge 30, ready for the succeeding operation, they pre-
senting, when so combined, the appearance shewn in front at Figure 37, and
edgeways at Figure 38. I next proceed to glue or cement several of these
bands or bristles together, as shewn in Figure 39; but as in order to do this
it is requisite to employ an apparatus to press them together, so I have con-
trived that represented in Figures 40, 41, and 42, of Drawing No. 3,
Figure 40 being a side view thereof on a reduced scale, shewing several
bands of bristles 27, held between its jaws 37 and 38 by the pressure of the
screw 39 upon the jaw 37 when turned by means of the winch or handle 40
affixed upon the end of it. Previous to placing the bands of bristles between
the jaws, I apply the glue or other cement upon the surface of the card or
pasteboard, first cementing two bands together and placing them between
the jaws, then three, and so proceeding to unite them, pressing them between
each band so cemented, until the proper number to form the intended brush
is so united. This pressing apparatus is composed of metal, the fixed jaw 38
having connected with it two angular bars 41, 41, at right angles to it, upon
which the moveable jaw 37 slides, it having two angular gaps 42, 42, shewn

page_text: in Figure 41,. fitted thereto, formed underneath its front end. In order to
retain the moveable jaw 37 in its proper horizontal position during its action,
and to prevent it from rising up from off the angular bars 41, 41, I have
added a screw clamp 43 to it; this consists of a bar united to the moveable
jaw 37, at its front, and having two screwed holes made near its ends, into
which two screws 43, 43, enter, which pass through holes made in a sliding
bar 44, placed across underneath the two angular bars 41, 41, and which
said screws have heads to them, acting when the screws are bound, so as to
confine the bars 43 and 44 in their proper situation. The horizontal screw 39
works into a screwed nut 45, shewn in Figure 42, and has a pivot 46 at
one end of it, acting in a hole made in the fixed jaw 38, and a neck 47, at
the other end of it working in a collar plate affixed to the front ends of the
angular bars 41, 41, upon a cross bar 48, by means of screws. This apparatus
is to be firmly secured to the workbench, either by means of screws or in any
other manner. When a sufficient number of these bands of bristles are thus
glued or cemented together to form the intended brushes, before finally removing
them from within the jaws of the above-described apparatus, their tops or ends
must be roughly levelled or made even, by singeing them in the following man-
ner:-In Figure 43, 38 is part of the fixed jaw of the above-mentioned appa-
ratus, and 37 part of the moveable one; 27, the collected bands of bristles
between the jaws. Upon the tops of the jaws I place a metal frame 49, shewn
in a side view at Figure 44, and in plan at Figure 45, having an aperture or
opening made in it with parallel sides above the size or width of the intended
breadth of the brushes, and sloped away or widened within, and as shewn by
the dotted lines in Figures 43 and 44, the thickness of it being rather less
than the intended length to be given to the bristles. Everything being thus
disposed, I then pass lightly and quickly over the tops or ends of the bristles,
a flat metal heater 50, made of a proper degree of heat, so as to slightly
singe off the projecting and uneven ends, and until the heater just touches the
surface of the flat top of the frame 49. The form of this heater 50 is a
parellelogram, the width and thickness of which is shewn in Figure 43, and
it's length is sufficient to enable it to cover over the whole length of the
intended brushes, and rather more. This heater is passed slowly along over
the surface of the intended brush; and if of a proper degree of heat, once pass-
ing it along may be sufficient; but if not, the same process must be repeated.
The heater has a metal stem 51 affixed to the upper part of it in its centre,
the whole length of which is shewn in Figure 46, and it is furnished, besides,
with a loose wooden shaft or handle 52, which can be slipped on and off, as
necessary, in use, as, whilst the heater is placed in a charcoal fire, the wooden haft

page_text: should be slipped off to prevent injuring it by burning, and be again replaced to
hold the heater when in use, or when bringing it to and removing it from the fire.
In order to remove the singed parts from the ends of the bristles I employ
a compound rasp of my Invention, and which I form by combining a
sufficient number of frame saw blades side by side in the following man-
ner Figure 47 represents a frame saw blade, and Figure 48 a sufficient
number of them laid side by side. Holes are drilled through the ends of
them, as shewn in the latter Figure, through which I pass wires or pins to be
afterwards rivitted. This set of saws I next fit into a wooden or metal back
made rather longer than the saws, and having a groove along its middle to
receive them in, and as shewn endways in Figure 49. I next fill up the outer
ends of the groove with wood or metal blocks, and pass screws through the
whole to secure the parts firmly together, and as shewn in Figure 49 by
dotted lines. In rasping the brushes I surround them with another flat metal
frame, whilst they are still held between the jaws of the apparatus before
described, and which is lodged upon the tops of the jaws in the manner shewn
in Figure 43. This metal frame, however, differs from that shewn in that
Figure, in having a broad flat top around the aperture in it, and in being of
a rather less thickness, so as to allow the ends of the bristles to reach above
it a sufficient height to allow the rasp to act in removing the singed ends
thereof, when applied to them, in the usual manner of rasping. These com-
bined masses of bristles I next mount into wooden or metal blocks, for use in
drawing, roving, and spinning machines, in the following manner :-In
Drawing No. 2, Figure 50 is an under view or plan of a wooden or metal
block having two grooves 53, 53, made along it to receive two lines of brushes
within them, for employing them in drawing or roving machines, as in
spinning machines one row of brushes only is employed in each block.
Figure 51 is another under view of the same blocks, with four combined
masses of bristles 27, 27, 27, 27, cemented in the grooves by means of glue
or other proper cement, and the spaces between the masses filled up with
blocks 54, 54, similar to that shewn separately in Figure 52, the ends of the
grooves being likewise filled up with other blocks 55, 55, &c. similar to those
shewn in Figures 53 and 54, glued or cemented into them. When the com-
bined masses of bristles are thus cemented in the blocks, I put the last finish
to their faces as follows:-Figure 46, in Drawing No. 3, represents the end
of a single block, the bristles in it being shewn by the dotted lines. Upon
this block another metal frame 56 is laid, the form of which is seen in
Figure 55, which is a plan or top view of it, and in Figure 56, which is a
side view thereof. This frame is still thinner than those before mentioned,

page_text: and allows the ends of the bristles to rise a very little above it's flat surface,
so as to be reached by the heater, and receives its smoothening and evening
effect when lightly passed over them. Any slight singeing which they may
receive in this last operation is afterwards removed by means of a wire card
or a hard brush applied to them. In applying these blocks of double-rowed
brushes to the drawing or roving machines I elongate the middle standard at
each end of the heads, which carry the rollers above the rollers, as shewn at
57, in Figure 57 of Drawing No. 2, sufficiently to form stays which fit into
caps 58, 58, shewn in Figures 50 and 51, and thus retain the blocks of
brushes in their places above and upon the top rollers, as shewn in Figures 57
and 58. The blocks containing only single rows of brushes are applied in
spinning machines by means of a stem affixed to the centre of each block, as
shewn in Figure 59 of Drawing No. 4, at 59, and in Figure 60 of the same
Drawing, the other end of the stem 59 having a cylindrical hole through it
for a pin to pass through, by which it is jointed to the carriage of the rollers,
as shewn at 60 in Figures 60 and 61.
In place of employing weights, or helical or spiral wire springs and levers,
to press down the top rollers upon the lower rollers as usual, I employ the
following contrivance :-In Drawing No. 4, Figure 62, 61, 61, 61, represent
the three metal grooved bottom rollers of a spinning machine, and 62, 62, 62,
the three top rollers, a plan of parts of which is shewn in Figure 63. In
these Figures 63 is part of a compound lever, to which is jointed or hinged
the secondary part 64. The front end of the part of the compound lever 63
is made flat underneath it, and rests upon a cylindrical neck formed in the
middle of the axis of the front top rollers 62, the secondary part of it, 64,
having likewise a flattened part formed underneath it, which rests upon a neck
made in the middle of the axis of the middle top rollers, its opposite or back
end having a gap or notch formed underneath it, which receives into it a
middle neck formed upon the axis of the back top rollers. This compound
lever is connected by means of a screw and nut 65 with a flat metal spring 66,
a plan of which is shewn in 64. This spring has a kind of hook formed upon
it's front end which lodges or rests underneath a cylindrical part made in the
axis of the front lower rollers, and it's back or springing end is made thin and
flat, and rests beneath a cylindrical neck, formed in the axis of the back lower
lever, it not touching the middle lower rollers at all. The thicker part of
the spring 66 has a groove or slit made along it, in which the lower part of
the stem of the screw 65 is lodged, one end of the slit being widened to let
the cylindrical stem of the screw into it, but which screw is flattened on each
side, near it's head, to fit the groove, and so prevent it from turning round:

page_text: therein when the binding nut of the screw is turned. Owing to the play of
the secondary part 64 of the compound lever 63 upon it's joint, when the
binding nut of the screw 65 is turned,-and this is aided by the elastic action
of the spring 66,-all the three top rollers 62, 62, 62, are pressed into contact
with the three bottom rollers 61, 61, 61, with a degree of force which can be
regulated or adjusted to the greatest nicety by turning the binding nut either
way as required. I thus accomplish the desirable end of bringing the top
rollers into contact with the lower rollers, without loading the factory or
machine frames with the enormous weights usually employed for that purpose.
Another of my said improvements consists in a superior method of regu-
lating the distances of the front top and bottom rollers of spinning machines
from the two middle and hinder top and bottom rollers, so as to adjust them
to the length of staple of the fibrous material or materials operated upon.
The distance between the middle and back or hinder rollers not requiring to
be altered. I effect this improvement in the following manner :-In Draw-
ing No. 4, Figure 60 represents an end view of part of one of my improved
adjusting carriages for the rollers of spinning machines, the improvements
consisting in the addition of the regulating screws 67 and 68; the former, 67,
being merely screws passing through screwed holes made in the ends of the
slide of the top roller bridge, and acting against the ends of the bridge itself,
and the latter, 68, screws which act in screwed holes made in the roller stand
or basis of the roller carriage, and have necks and shoulders formed upon
their front ends, as shewn in the figure of one of them shewn separately in.
Figure 65, which receive between the shoulders the descending parts 69
formed at the back ends of the sliding carriage of the two bottom rollers, and
which said descending parts have gaps formed within them, as shewn in the
end view of one of them at figure 66, to admit the necks of the adjusting
screws 68. Besides these said adjusting screws I have likewise added scales
of divisions, with corresponding numbers at each end of the roller carriage, as
shewn at 70. and 71 in Figure 60; so that when the sliding carriage of the
two bottom rollers is removed, by the action of the screws, from or towards
the bottom front rollers, the end of the slide of the top roller bridge can be
made to correspond therewith, so as to bring both front rollers exactly over
each other, by turning the screws 67 backwards or forwards, as may be
required, or until the two scales of divisions exactly agree. Figure 67 is a
back view of one end of the roller carriage with the screw 68, and descending
part 69, fitted to it.
Figure 68, of Drawing No. 4, represents an improved spindle, and it's
appendages, of my invention, adapted to spinning machines in general.

page_text: The main body of the spindle 72 may be formed of steel or other fit and
proper material or materials, it's lowest pivot is made conical, being formed
at an angle of about sixty degrees, and it rests in a step made either of cast
iron, chill cast, or case hardened, or of bell metal, or other fit and proper
material. The spindle rests within the step, partly upon it's conical end, that
being nicely fitted to a hollow cone made in the step, and partly upon it's
blunted or flattened end, fitting upon a similar corresponding part formed at
the bottom of the conical hole in the step, the cylindrical part of the end of
the spindle adjoining to the cone not coming at all into contact with the hole
in the step, but being made smaller to allow the oil contained in the widened
upper part of the step to flow down, and to lubricate the conical parts
or bearings; and in order to keep the oil clean I have fitted a conical metal
cover 74 to the top of the step, as shewn in the sections thereof in Figure 68
and in Figure 69, Figure 70 being an external view of the step. The
spindle 72 is fitted with a whorl or pulley 75, as usual, and likewise with a
cylindrical neck 76, but it has a groove or channel 77, 77, formed along it's
upper cylindrical stem, and reaching from the neck 76 to the upper end of it
to receive the end of a pin or screw 78 within it, the use of which will be
described hereafter. 79 is the bobbin rail, usually employed in roving
or spinning machines to raise and lower the bobbins upon the spindles in
order to distribute the rovings or threads uniformly upon the bobbins. But
instead of the bobbins resting upon that rail, as usual, with circular pieces of
woollen cloth placed thereon, and between it and the bobbins, to act as a drag
upon the bobbins, and to cause them to take up the rovings or threads, I have
substituted the following contrivance:-80 is what I term a drag box, it is
made of metal and fitted upon the cylindrical stem of the spindle, having the
screw 78 passed through its neck, and it's point entering within the slit or
groove 77, 77, made along the spindle to prevent the drag box from remaining
still or at rest when the spindle is turned by the machinery. This drag box
has a circular groove or recess 81 formed in its upper face, as shewn in
Figure 69, and in section in Figure 70, containing a double metal spring 82
within it, shewn separately in Figure 71, which is lodged upon a pin, screw,
or stud 83, shewn in Figure 69, and can be tightened or relaxed in it's action
by means of a screw 84, shewn in Figures 69 and 70, which is passed through
the side of the drag box, and acts upon the longer end of the spring, as shewn
in Figure 69. 85, in Figure 68, is what I term the bobbin plate, as the
bobbin 86 rests upon it; this is shewn separately in Figure 72; it has a pin or
stud 87 fitted into and projecting above it's upper surface, which fits into a
corresponding hole 88 made in the lower rim of the bobbin to receive it, as

page_text: shewn in Figure 73. The bobbin plate 85 has a cylindrical rim formed
underneath it, shewn at 89 in Figure 72, which descends into the circular
groove 81 formed into the upper surface of the drag box, and acts or rubs
against the inner end of the spring 82, and which, as before said, can be
caused to press more or less upon it by means of the regulating or adjusting
screw 84, so as to cause the bobbin to take up the rovings or threads with the
necessary power. The upper end of the spindle 72 is reduced in size, as
shewn at 89 in Figure 74, in order to receive upon it the socket 90 of the
flyer 91, and which rests upon the shoulder formed upon the spindle, as shewn
in that Figure. This reduced part of the spindle has also a short longitudinal
groove formed in it, with a cross groove 92, shewn in Figure 74, and by dotted
lines in Figure 68, proceeding from it, into which a pin 93, driven into the
neck of the flyer, enters when turned sideways a little, and retains the flyer
in it's place upon the spindle. A front view of the flyer 91 is given in
Figure 68, a sidé. view of it in Figure 75, and a plan or top view of it in
Figure 76. Upon the top of the neck or socket 90 I mount a vertical
loop 94, which carries a horizontal circular plate or disc 95 having a conical
hole in its centre, through which hole the rovings, yarn, or threads are first
passed, then into one of the two gaps or notches 96, 96, formed within the
angular corners of the flyer, thence through one of the gaps 97, formed at the
lower ends of the flyer, and finally they are wound upon the bobbin.
Another of my said improvements consists in a method of facilitating the
moulding and casting of the cast iron, bell metal, or other metal steps 73, or
bearings for the lower ends of the spindles for the before-mentioned machines
to run or turn in; one of these metal steps 73 is shewn in Figure 70 of
Drawing No. 4, and in section in Figure 68 of that Drawing. In Drawing
No. 1, Figure 77 represents a side view of one of these metal steps 73 of a
proper size for the spinning machines where smaller spindles are employed.
These are intended to be cast solid, and the holes or cavities to be formed in
them afterwards.
Figure 78 is a plan of part of a flask; 98, a metal frame to contain the
casting sand or loam 99, shewn in Figure 79, which is a section thereof taken
at the dotted line in Figure 78; 100, in the latter Figure, is part of the flat
wooden boards employed in moulding and casting metals, as usual; 101, 101,
is a cast-iron plate having a number of cast-iron short tubes or sockets
102, 102, formed upon it, which serve as guides to pass down the tube or
socket 103, shewn in section in Figure 80, and separately in Figure 81, and
which forms the broad or expanded part of the step, when the lower end of
that socket is pressed down into the sand or loam, as shewn in Figure 80.

page_text: Whilst in this state the cylindrical part 104, shewn in this latter Figure, and
separately in Figure 82, is to be passed through the cylindrical hole, and be
pressed in it's turn into the sand or loam, as is also shewn in Figure 80. And
when this operation has been thus performed in all the short tubes 102, 102,
in succession, the flat face of the. sand or loam will have received as many
cavaties corresponding therewith, the flat tops of the steps being formed by
the flat surface of the opposite sand or loam mould when the flasks are closed
as usual, and that flat surface is brought into contact with the former one.
In order, however, to avoid the trouble of scooping or forming channels in the
flat face of the sand or loam, in order to convey the fluid metal to each cavity,
I prefer to lay strips of metal, similar in form to that shewn in Figure 83, and
endways in Figure 84, upon the flat wooden boards, on which the flask or
frame is laid previously to filling the flask with sand or loam, and which strips
being afterwards removed thus form the necessary channels for guiding the
fluid metal to each cavity, to form the steps as indicated by the dotted circles.
shewn in Figure 83. By the use of the cast-iron plate and guiding tubes
above described I avoid the danger of breaking up the sand or loam, in
imprinting the patterns therein, to form the cavities for casting the steps, the
sand or loam being kept down by the pressure of the plate upon it. The
holes or cavities in the cast metal steps are to be formed either in the lathe,
by drilling and turning them, or in any other manner as usual, and they
will then appear as shewn in the section of one of them in Figure 85, and in
the top view Figure 86, and by dotted lines in Figure 87, when they may
be hardened or case hardened for use as usual.
;
Another of my said improvements consists in the mounting of the spindle
carriages of mules, and other spinning frames or machines which require the
spindles to be drawn away from the rollers to stretch or extend the threads,
and be then brought up again to them. These carriages are generally
mounted upon five wheels, namely, two at each end thereof and one in the
middle, running upon parallel guide rails affixed to the floor of the workroom
but instead of mounting the said carriages upon five wheels, I mount them
upon seven, namely, three at each end of the carriage and one in the middle
thereof; the three wheels at each end being arranged in the manner shewn
in Figure 88, in Drawing No. 1, which is an under view of the carriage,
where 105, 105, shew the two back wheels, and 106, 106, the two pairs of front
wheels; 107 being the middle wheel, and all conducing to support the
carriage for the spindles 108 in a steady manner, as it is easy to bring
all three of the wheels at each end into a perfect bearing upon the rails, as
well also as the single wheel in the middle of the carriage. The places of

page_text: the seven rails are indicated by the dotted lines in this Figure. The manner
in which I mount the three wheels at each end of the carriage is shewn in
Figure 89, which is an under view of one end of the carriage. 106, 106, are
one pair of front wheels, both being mounted on one axis 109 near to each
end of it; and 105 is one of the two back wheels mounted in the middle
of the axis 110, which is equal in length to the axis 109, and both axis has
necks or pivots at it's external ends, turning in bearings 111, 111, affixed
underneath the carriage frame, as shewn in Figures 90 and 91. 112, 112, 112,
are parts of the guide rails.
Another of my said improvements consists in new substitutes for the
spindles and flyers for roving and spinning machines, and a new method
of carrying the bobbins, and which I construct as follows:-
In Drawing No. 4, Figure 92 is a plan; Figure 93, an elevation; Figure
94, a back view; and Figure 95, a front view projected from the plan Figure
92, of parts of a roving or spinning machine; in all of which Figures, 113 is
part of the machine frame; 114, the rovings; 115, the drawing rollers;. 116,
the rail which carries the substitutes for the spindles; and 117, the flyers of
two kinds 118 and 119; 128, the rail which carries the supports of the bobbins
121. The substitutes for the spindles 117 turn upon fixed cylindrical tubes
122, shewn in section on a larger scale in Figure 96, which are secured to the
rail 116, by means of screws. The substitutes for the spindles 117 have each a
cylindrical hole in them which fits exactly upon the cylindrical tubes 122, one
of which is shewn separately in Figure 97, and they are retained in their places
upon the said tubes in the following manner-123, in Figure 97, is a groove
formed around the inner end of the tube, into which either the metal hook 124,
shewn in Figure 98, which turns upon a screw affixed in the part 117, as
shewn in Figure 69, is placed, or else the metal slider 125, shewn separately in
Figure 99, which has a gap made in it to receive the same screw, and under-
neath the head of which it slides, can be placed and thus secure the part 117
in it's place upon the tube, and as shewn in the end view, Figure 100. Upon
the external end of this part the flyer 118 may be affixed, or that indicated by
119, which has the advantage over that shewn at 118 of being balanced
equally on each side; 126, 126, in Figure 96, are two pins affixed into the
flyer, to guide the roving or thread around, as shewn in that Figure in its
passage from the tube 122 to the central eye 127 of the flyer; 128 is a
groove formed upon the substitute for the flyer for the band to run in, by
which it is turned round. The bobbins 88; are carried around upon the
upper and lesser cylindrical part 129 of their supports 121, in the following
manner:-