IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CLEARING AND SMOOTHING SPUN THREAD OR YARNS AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Browne, of No. 52, King William Street, in
the City of London, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CLEARING AND SMOOTHING SPUN THREAD OR
YARNS AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALS."-A communication from
abroad by Eugéne Ab-der-Halden and Charles Seiler, both of Lacroix
aux Mines, Vosges, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 11th January 1862, and dated the 15th July 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Browne at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th July 1861.
I, BENJAMIN BROWNE, of No. 52, King William Street, in the City of
London, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CLEARING AND SMOOTHING
SPUN THREAD OR YARNS AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALS," (communicated
to me from abroad by Eugéne Ab-der-Halden and Charles Seiler, both of
Lacroix aux Mines, Vosges, in the Empire of France,) to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed to effect by mechanical means what has hereto-
fore been accomplished by fire, commonly known as "gassing," an operation
employed to remove the loose divergent fibres from fine yarns, by singeing
over a jet of gas. The means by which it is proposed to effect this object

page_text: according to this Invention are as follows:-In a suitable framing a quantity
of bobbins or creels containing thread or other spun material are placed
loosely on pins or studs; the thread is passed thence over and against suitable
guide rollers, and twisted once round each of a series of small loose spindles or
rollers mounted one over the other in a sliding frame or box; thence the
thread passes around, between, and over other rollers to another roller, on to
which it is wound in a finished state. The aforesaid sliding box or frame of
small rollers has vertical reciprocating motion imparted thereto from a lever
and friction wheel adjusted to the lower part of the framing of the machine.
The axis of rotary motion of this said friction wheel is a pin passed through
the upper end of a bell crank lever, the axis of vibration of said lever is a pin
or stud fixed to the framing of the machine, and to the lowermost arm of said
lever a spring is affixed, the elastic force of which causes forced contact of the
periphery of the friction wheel aforesaid, which is covered with leather, against
the periphery of another wheel or long drum which is mounted and revolves
in suitable bearings, and is driven by a steam engine or other motive power.
A similar arrangement of parts in connection with a friction wheel operated
upon by the aforesaid drum is employed at the opposite side of the machine, so
that the operator by simply pressing his foot on the lower arm of the bent
erank lever aforesaid, draws one or other of the friction wheels out of contact
with the driving drum, and thus stops the action of the clearing or smoothing
mechanism which is in connection with such friction wheel. It is proposed to
employ a separate set of clearing and smoothing rollers to each bobbin at each
side of the machine.
The foregoing arrangement is susceptible of various modifications, for
example, instead of imparting reciprocating motion to the sliding frame or box
containing the series of small rollers before mentioned, the said rollers may be
attached to the upper part of a vibrating arm for clearing and smoothing the
yarn; said arm being furnished with a series of the loose small rollers before
mentioned over and around which the yarn passes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Browne in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
BROWNE, of No. 52, King William Street, in the City of London, Civil 3
Engineer and Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Benjamin Browne, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin
Browne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Benjamin Browne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR CLEARING AND SMOOTHING SPUN THREAD OR YARNS AND OTHER SIMILAR
FIBROUS MATERIALS," (communicated to me from abroad by Eugéne Ab-der-
Halden and Charles Seiler, both of Lacroix aux Mines, Vosges, in the Empire
of France,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin
Browne, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause. the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Browne, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
This Invention is designed to effect by mechanical means what has hereto-
fore been accomplished by fire, commonly known as "gassing," an operation
employed to remove the loose divergent fibres from fine yarns by singeing over
a jet of gas. The means by which it is proposed to effect this object according
to this Invention are as follows:-In a suitable framing a quantity of bobbins
or creels containing thread or other spun material are placed loosely on pins
or studs, the thread is passed thence over and against suitable guide rollers, and
twisted once round each of a series of small loose spindles or rollers mounted
one over the other in a sliding frame or box, thence the thread passes around,
between, and over other rollers to another roller, on to which it is wound in a
finished state. The aforesaid sliding box or frame of small rollers has vertical
reciprocating motion imparted thereto from a lever and friction wheel adjusted
to the lower part of the framing of the machine. The axis of rotary motion of
this said friction wheel is a pin passed through the upper end of a bell crank

page_text: lever; the axis of vibration of said lever is a pin or stud fixed to the framing of
the machine, and to the lowermost arm of said lever a spring is affixed, the
elastic force of which causes forced contact of the periphery of the friction
wheel aforesaid, which is covered with leather, against the periphery of another
wheel or long drum, which is mounted and revolves in suitable bearings, and
is driven by a steam engine or other motive power. A similar arrangement of
parts in connection with a friction wheel operated upon by the aforesaid drum
is employed at the opposite side of the machine, so that the operator by simply
pressing his foot on the lower arm of the bent crank lever aforesaid draws one
or other of the friction wheels out of contact with the driving drum, and thus
stops the action of the clearing or smoothing mechanism which is in connection
with such friction wheel. It is proposed to employ a separate set of clearing
and smoothing rollers to each-bobbin at each side of the machine.
The foregoing arrangement is susceptible of various modifications, for
example, instead of imparting reciprocating motion to the sliding frame or box
containing the series of small rollers before mentioned, the said rollers may be
attached to the upper part of a vibrating arm for clearing and smoothing the
yarn, said arm being furnished with a series of the loose small rollers before
mentioned over and around which the yarn passes.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a front view of my improved machinery for clearing and
smoothing thread; Figures 2 to 13 inclusive are details herein-after described.
At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to
denote correspoding parts, in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at
each of said Figures respectively, as follows:-Z is the frame of the machine;
a is a drum, to which motion is given by any suitable means.
This drum,
which may be replaced by a fast and loose pulley, acts by friction on the
pulleys 6, 6, placed on each side of the frame Z. These pulleys are covered
on their circumference with leather, felt, or caoutchouc, and rotate on their
axes in the levers or supports 1, 1, working on pins m, m, fixed to the frame Z.
The springs k, k, cause said pulleys to be kept in contact with the drum a.
The levers 1,, may be pressed down with the foot or other means when
it is required to remove t
the pulleys b, b', from contact with the circumference

page_text: of the drum a, so as to suspend the action of one or more of the means
employed for clearing or smoothing the thread. hh', are bobbins on which
are wound the threads », r', to be cleared; the thread r being unwound from
the said bobbin h is guided by a rod j to the roller f, around which it is wound.
It then passes successively round several rollers g, g, which are fixed in a
moveable frame m, working in the vertical guides i, i, and shewn more clearly
in Figure 2. From these rollers the thread passes through a wire guide or
hook to the small cylinders or rollers n, n', fixed on an adjustable sliding
frame 2, and thence finally to wind round the bobbin' e resting on the
cylinder d. The direction of motion of the various cylinders is represented by
the arrows' flight. Each of the pulleys b, b; is fitted excentrically with a
connecting rod c attached to the lower part of the frame m for imparting
reciprocating movement thereto along the guide rods i, i. Both sides of the
machine are intended to be fitted with a corresponding series of. rollers and
movements. One of the moveable frames m is represented in front view,
Figure 2, drawn to an enlarged scale to shew more clearly the arrangement of
the rollers g, g, and guides i, i, and the manner in which the thread r passes
round each of said rollers. The vertical reciprocating movement of the frames
m, m, combined with the motion of the thread round the bobbins, effects by
the friction thus produced on the thread the desired clearing, purifying, and
smoothing of the same.
Figure 3 is a modification of the frictional frame as above described, and
differs therefrom by substituting bobbins or reels 92, 92, in place of the rollers
9, 9, before described. These bobbins, one of which is shewn separately at
Figure 5, rotates on pins x, x, screwed to the frame m, as at Figures 3 and 4.
Another modification of the frame m is shewn in front and edge views at
Figures 6 and 7. The necessary friction is obtained by the conical-pointed
spindles g³, g³, which are formed with two small collars g' and g³, Figure 8, to
keep them in their proper position in the frame, said frame being formed in
two pieces, screwed together by the nuts and screws v, v¹. The spindles g³, g³,
are lubricated in their bearings through the holes y. These two modified
frames differ from that firstly above described, by being fixed instead of
moveable.
Another modification is represented at Figure 9, in which arrangement
the frictional rollers g move in an arc of a circle. The thread r unwinds
from the bobbin h, passes to the rod j, thence round the cylinder f, then
circulates round each of the rollers g of the sector frame m.
last roller g it winds round the cylinders or rollers n, n', and finally on the
bobbin e, which rests on the drum d. The necessary movements are obtained
On leaving the

page_text: b
in the following manner :-The drum a being put in motion actuates the
pulley 6 by means of the strap s. The pulley b is formed with an excentric
groove c, in which enters the pin of the connecting rod c¹ attached at the
opposite end to the vibrating levert working on the fulcrum t¹. At the top
of this lever is the sector frame m, formed with a corresponding curved plate,
Figure 12; between these plates the rollers g are placed and rotate. The
'sector levert is shewn drawn on a larger scale in front and edge views at
Figures 10 and 11.
The horizontal oscillating movement thus produced gives the necessary
friction to the thread.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of this
Invention of "Improved Machinery for Clearing and Smoothing Spun Thread
or Yarns, and other similar Fibrous Materials," together with the best known
means for carrying the same into practical effect, I hereby declare this Inven-
tion to consist in, and I claim the modes set forth for clearing and smoothing
spun thread or yarns and other similar fibrous materials by friction, as
described, with reference to the several Figures of the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Browne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
BENJ. BROWNE. (L.S.)