IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING HEMP, FLAY, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ARTHUR, of Glasgow, North Britain, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fourth day of November, in the first year of Her reign, did, for
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Arthur, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said William Arthur, my exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others
as I, tho said William Arthur, my exors, admors, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING HEMP, FLAY, AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said William Arthur, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Arthur, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
My Invention consists of a mode of combining certain mechanical instru-
ments into a machine for spinning hemp, flax, and other fibrous substances,
more particularly for the purpose of producing yarns for strands for the making
of cords, ropes, and cables. And in order that my Invention may be most
fully understood, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view, and Figure 2 is a transverse section of a machino
combined according to my Invention. In each of these Figures the same
letters indicate similar parts, and such is the case in respect to Figure 3
which shows a section, Figure 4 which is a plan of the fixed chaps l, and
Figure 5 which is a front view some of the working parts; shewn on an
enlarged scale, in order that their construction and mode of working may be
more readily traced. a, a, is the framing of the machine; b, the main or
driving shaft, on which are affixed the pulleys for giving motion to the cans
or apparatus containing the sliver of flax, hemp, or other fibrous substance
suitable for the purpose. The shaft b receives motion from a steam engine or
other first mover by means of a strap acting on the drum or pulley c, which
is affixed on the shaft b; and d is a loose drum or pulley on to which the
driving band or strap is to be moved when it is desired to stop the machine,
as is well understood by machinists. e is a drum affixed on the shaft b, and
by means of the endless strap f motion is communicated to the drum or
pulley g, which is affixed on the shaft h, the shafts 6 and h turning in suitablo
bearings at each end of the machine, as clearly shewn. On the shaft h aro
affixed a series of pulleys i, i, which, by means of gut or other suitable bands,
drive the hollow spindles j, j, they having suitable pulleys for that purpose, as
is clearly shewn in the Drawing. The hollow spindles j, j, each consists of the
tubej, which turns in the bearings k, the nature of which is shown in the
various Figures, and its shape will readily be ascertained by an examination
of the Drawing, particularly at the enlarged views of these parts. At tho
upper end are hinged two nippers or chaps j,, which are caused to press
together by means of two springs, and the two surfaces of the chaps or
nippers which come together have grooves which have not parallel sides, but
are trumpet-shaped or bell-mouthed in such manner that the sliver will be
held at the upper part. The object of these nippers or chaps to the hollow
spindle is, that the sliver shall be tightly held at that point, and sufficiently

page_text: it
so as to cause the spindle in its revolution to put on twist to the sliver as
passes or is drawn beyond the point of holding. is another pair of chaps
or holders of the yarn or thread as it is produced, and the necessary twist is
put on between the nippers or chaps 7,, and the chaps 1, as the thread
or yarn moves or is drawn between these two points, and the speed at which
the yarn or thread is drawn from the point to the point 2, and the number
of revolutions the hollow spindles make in that time, will determine the
degree of hardness of the spinning or the number of turns put on to a given
length of yarn or thread, which may be varied at pleasure; at the same time the
machine will at all times retain the property of making very solid and equal
yarns or threads, and much cheaper than can be performed by hand, and the
threads or strands produced will be much stronger, hence, the cords, rope, or
cable made of such yarns or strands will be more uniform. The nippers or
chaps consist of the moveable chap 2, which moves in a fulcrum A, and has a
lover weighted to cause it to press against the fixed nippers or chap 2, and on
the pressing surfaces of these nippers or chaps 1, 12, there are small parallel
grooves. It will be seen that the yarn or thread is drawn from the chaps / by
means of draw rollers or pulleys o, p, q, from whence it passes to be wound on
to a real or bobbin, or otherwise, according to the purpose to which it is to be
applied. The pulleys o, p, q, are affixed on shafts or axes o¹, p', q', and they
receive motion by a train of wheels r, and this train of wheels receives motion
from the shaft 6 by means of the straps driving the drum or pulleys, which
moves on the axis s², the drum or pulleys' having the pinion t (which may be
changed to produce varicd quantities of twist in a given length) affixed to it,
drives the wheel v affixed on the shaft s', all which is clearly shown in the
Drawing. On the shaft 6 are affixed the pulleys w, w, which, by means
of straps or bands, drive the pulleys on the frames which carry the cans a.
These cans are to be filled with sliver of considerable length by means of
any of the known machines for making slivers in continued lengths, which
forms no part of my Invention, and is well known; but the cans being filled
are placed in the frames y, each frame consisting of the circular disc y' and its
spindle or axes below, and the upper disc y³, which has a mouth-piece or
opening for the passage of the sliver, and the two discs y³, y, are combined
together by the three bars y, the bar y' being so arranged and constructed
that it may with facility be removed and admit of the empty can being
removed and a filled one replaced, as is clearly shown in the Drawings. Tho
frames y are caused to move in the same direction as the hollow spindles or
revolving tube with a view to keep the twist off that part of the sliver which
is below the holding point of the revolving nippers or chaps, and I prefer

page_text: that the cans should slightly overrun the spindles, though this is not absolutely
necessary. The Drawings show the relative sizes of the parts. It will be seen
that the hollow spindles j and the mouths of the frames y are at some distanco
apart; the object of this is that the attendant of the machine may see the
sliver as it comes up and prevent it going double should it so come up. This
arrangement is desirable where the sliver is found to catch, otherwise tho
frames y and spindles ; may be combined together.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
combining the various parts, I would remark, that I do not claim any of the
parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise arrangement or com-
bination shown, provided the general character and mode of working bo
retained; and it will only be desirable further to add, that what I claim is, tho
mode of combining the various parts of the machine shown and described,
whereby continuous slivers (from a can or such like holder) are spun by
means of revolving apparatus having sufficient holding of the fibres to put on
the twist, and whereby the twist is kept off from the loose sliver till the proper
time, and whereby the required quantity of twist is put on by regulating the
speed at which the yarn or thread is drawn off in respect to the number of
revolutions of the twisting apparatus, as above described.
In witness whereof I, the said William Arthur, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Fourth day of May, One thousand eight hundred