CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHAMPION, of Salford, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, Machine Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixth day of January, in the sixth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Champion, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Champion, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said James Champion, 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 SPINNING, TWISTING, AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent. is contained a proviso, that I, the
said James Champion, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in His 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 thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Champion, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following explanation
thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements in machinery for spinning, twisting, and doubling cotton
and other fibrous substances apply principally to that description of spinning
machinery, called throstles, and consist,―
Firstly, in a mode of preventing the inconvenience of unequal drag upon
the yarns in winding upon the bobbins, resulting from the usual inaccuracy
and want of uniformity in the shapes of the bearings and dimensions of the
bores of the several bobbins or spools successively mounted upon the spindles
of a spinning machine whilst working; which I effect by rendering the
friction and drag of the disislar bobbins, through the intervention of a
permanent carrier bobbin fitted loosely upon the spindle for the purpose of
receiving the winding bobbins. By means of this permanent carrier tho
friction of the bobbin upon the spindle will be at all times uniform, although
the several bobbins successively placed thereon may be some of them loose,
and some tight, and otherwise unequal in their figures.
Secondly, in the adaptation of a loose collar of considerable weight acting
as an extra bolster to support the spindle, and capable of revolving in its
socket in the copping rail, if pressed by any unequal friction of the spindle,
caused by a vibration or from any inaccuracy in its perpendicularity.
Thirdly, in the construction of a flyer with three, four, or more arms for
the purpose of varying and regulating the strain of the yarn between the flyer
and the front drawing rollers.
And, fourthly, in the employment of a small extra spindle carrying the
bobbin or spool, and turning partly within a hollow spindle, in order to relieve
the drag of the yarn when taking up or winding upon the spool or bobbin..
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a spindle
and flyer for a throstle frame on the plan of Messieurs Andrew Tarlton
and Shepley's Patent, with the first of my improvements applied thereto;
Figure 2 is an elevation of the same, some of the parts being shewn in
section for the purpose of exhibiting the internal constructions of the parts:
a, a, is the spindle, the lower end of which turns in a step upon the copping
rail 6, and is supported laterally and kept steady by the bolster and tube c, c,
mounted in the rail d, d. The flyer is formed by a disc and tube c, c, running
upon the outside of the bolster tube c, c; it has four erect arms f. f. f. f, for
conducting the thread or yarn and winding it upon the bobbin, and is driven
by a band passed round the warve g. The carrier or internal bobbin h, h, is
made of hard wood or other suitable material, and accurately but loosely fitted

page_text: to the upper part of the spindle a, bearing upon a flange i, fixed on the
spindle, with a cloth or other washer intervening. This carrier bobbin his
intended to remain permanently upon the spindle, and the external or winding
bobbin spool, or shell k, k, is to be placed upon it, and connected thereto by a
catch pin at bottom, which causes them to revolve together. Now, it will be
perceived that by thus mounting the winding bobbins upon a carrier fitted to
the spindle, however irregular the shapes of their bearings or dimensions
of their bores, the friction or drag will be uniform, because the surfaces which
rub against the spindle as the bobbin turns round are those of the carrier or
internal bobbin alone, which always remains the same, however the several
winding bobbins successively applied may vary; whereas, in the old mode of
mounting the winding bobbins upon the bare spindles, every time that a full
bobbin was doffed or removed from the spindle and replaced by an empty one,
a slight variation in the forms of the bearings or dimensions of the bores of
the different bobbins caused by wear or otherwise, produced a variation in the
friction or drag, and inequalities in the yarn consequently resulted; which is
now entirely obviated by the employment of the carrier bobbin described.
Figure 3 represents in elevation the spindle and flyer of an ordinary
throstle with my second improvement adapted thereto; Figure 4 is a similar
elevation, some of the parts being shewn in section. a, a, is the spindle,
driven by a band and warve n, and having the common flyer attached at top.
The lower end of the spindle is intended to run in a step rail, as usual, and
it is supported laterally by a bolster c, c, fixed in the rail d, d. A collar 1, 1,
of about six ounces weight, is placed upon the copping rail m, m, having
a washer under it; a part of the collar fitting loosely into an accurately
Jormed hole in the copping rail, in which it is allowed to turn freely. This
collar 1, 1, through which the spindle a passes, may be considered as an extra
bolster, fitting it accurately but not tightly. When the spindle revolves at a
very great speed, the collar will assist in preventing its vibration; and if any
unequal lateral pressure of the spindle from its vibration, or from any defects
in its form, or deviation from the true perpendicular should occur, the
pressure of the spindle against the internal part of the collar 1, will cause the
collar to turn in its socket upon the copping rail, and thereby relieve the
friction. Upon the upper surface of this collar the bobbin bears, or there
may be an intervening washer; in this case I propose to employ an internal
bobbin h, h, as before described, with the external or winding bobbin, spool, or
shell k, k, mounted upon it. I reduce the upper part of the spindle to afford
lightness and prevent vibration, and prefer having no head or flange to the
bobbin, as by that means the thread or yarn is not liable to be broken by

page_text: coming in contact with the edge; I also prefer winding the thread or yarn
upon the bobbin in a conical form at each end, in order that the successive
coils may be more accurately wound side by side.
The third feature of my improvement, videlicit, the flyer with several arms,
is shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and also in Figure 5. These arms I prefer to
form of straight perpendicular rods f, f, having an eye or hook at top, and
inserted into a disc or plate c at bottom, which plate is attached to a tube, as
shewn. The arms I prefer to make of dissimilar lengths, and I pass the thread
or yarn, descending from the drawing rollers, through the hooks or eyes of two
or more of the arms, for the purpose of bringing the principal tension of the
jarn between the flyer and the bobbin, and which it will be perceived by these
means may be regulated to any desired degree.
Figure 5 is an elevation of a spindle, with my fourth improvement applied,
which is particularly suited to the spinning of yarns of very fine numbers ;
Figure 6 is an elevation of the same, without the flyer, the spindle and
bobbin being shewn in section. a, a, is the spindle, driven by a warve n; it is
intended to bear upon a step in a rail below, and is kept in its perpendicular
position by the bolster c. The spindle a is short, and made hollow for the pur-
pose of receiving a small auxiliary spindle o, which turns freely within it. Upon
this auxiliary spindle o it is intended that the yarn or thread shall be spun, either
upon a bobbin, as in throstles, or upon the bare spindle, as in mules. The
auxiliary spindle is made very light and tapering at both endes; it has a
flange p fixed about its middle, which is intended to bear upon the head of the
hollow spindle a, and the lower end of this spindle o runs either in a guide,
bush, or collar q, or in a step fixed within the hollow spindle, in which latter
case the flange p should not bear upon the head of the hollow spindle. This
arrangement of the spindle is furnished with a four-armed flyer e, e, f,f,
similar to that before described, which is driven by a band and warve g. The
hollow spindle a is also driven by a band and warve n, independently of the
flyer, in order that they may be made to revolve with dissimilar speeds. It
will be perceived that the spindle and the flyer being thus driven by certain
independent speeds, the relief which the bobbin may require for winding
on as it increases in diameter will be afforded by the auxiliary spindle o
turning freely on the hollow spindle a. In adapting the first feature of
improvement, the carrier bobbin h, to this auxiliary spindle, I prefer that
the outer bobbin or spool k should be made of tin, or very thin metallic plate,
or other suitable material, for the purpose of lightness, and for obtaining a
smaller bobbin or spool than could be conveniently made of wood.
Having now described the features of my improvements as applied to

page_text: spinning, twisting, and doubling cotton, &c.; and I. lastly desire it to be
observed that I do not intend to confine myself to the precise forms and
dimensions shewn in the Drawings, but claim the employment,
Firstly, of a carrier bobbin fitted upon the spindle for the purpose of
receiving the external winding bobbins, in order to render the drag at all times
uniform.
Secondly, a loose collar or bolster to relieve any unequal pressure of the
spindle as it revolves.
Thirdly, extra arms to the flyer, for regulating the strain of the yarn; and,
Fourthly, an auxiliary spindle revolving within a hollow spindle, to temper
the drag.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Champion, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.