IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TOP
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Haworth, of the firm of Firth and
Haworth, Cotton Spinners and Manufacturers, of that part of Tod-
morden which is in the County of York, and William Barker, of the
same Place, Overlooker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TOP
Sealed the 20th May 1859, and dated the 29th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Haworth and
William Barker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 29th December 1858.
We, WILLIAM HAWORTH, of the firm. of Firth and Haworth, Cotton
Spinners and Manufacturers, of that part of Todmorden which is in the
County of York, and WILLIAM BARKER, of the same Place, Overlooker,, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention. for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TOP. CLEARERS OF MACHINES FOR SPINNING," to be as follows:-
The top clearers hitherto employed are cylindrical pieces of wood covered.
with flannel, and lying between the top rollers of the spinning machines to
collect the flyings. Now, our Invention consists in making the top clearers
conical, so that when they are turned round by the friction of the top rollers
there will be a. rubbing action between the surfaces, which rubbing action

page_text: causes the flyings to accumulate evenly over the surface of the top clearers;
whereas, when the clearers are cylindrical, as now customary, the flyings
sometimes collect in lumps, which falling on the yarn cause it to break.
In performing our Invention, we prefer to apply pivots to the ends of the
clearers, which pivots slide in upright slots fixed to the stands, or otherwise;
we also prefer to make each top clearer with six boxes, but any other con-
venient number may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Haworth and William Barker in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HAWORTH, of the firm of Firth and Haworth, Cotton Spinners and Manu-
facturers, of that part of Todmorden which is in the County of York, and
WILLIAM BARKER, of the same Place, Overlooker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent; bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Haworth and William Barker, Her special licence that
we, the said William Haworth and William Barker, our executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Haworth and
William Barker, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE TOP CLEARERS OF MACHINES FOR SPINNING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we; the said William Haworth and William Barker,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their, or one of our or 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 we, the said William Haworth and William
Barker, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what.

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
:-
The top clearers hitherto employed are cylindrical pieces of wood covered
with flannel, and lying between the top rollers of the spinning machines to
collect the flyings. Now, our Invention consists in making the top clearers
conical, so that when they are turned round by the friction of the top rollers
there will be a rubbing action between the surfaces, which rubbing action
causes the flyings to accumulate evenly over the surface of the top clearers;
whereas, when the clearers are cylindrical, as now customary, the flyings
sometimes collect in lumps, which falling on the yarn causes it to break.
In performing our Invention, we prefer to apply pivots to the ends of the
clearers, which pivots slide in upright slots fixed to the stands, or otherwise;
we also prefer to make each top clearer with eight bosses, but any other con-
venient number may be used.
But in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a front view of the drawing rollers of a machine for spinning,
called a "throstle," to which our improvements in top clearers are applied;
Figure 2 is a transverse section of Figure 1. a, a, are the stands supporting
the drawing rollers b, c, and d; e is the cap bar in which the pivots of the
top rollers f, g, and h, revolve; these parts are all made as usual. Our
improved conical top clearers marked i are furnished with pivots at each end
fitting in the slot pieces k, which are screwed to the slides on the cap bars e,
or to the stands a; the clearers i are made by preference of wood covered
with flannel, but instead of lying between the top rollers f and g, as is
customary with clearers of the usual construction, they are supported by the front
top roller f, the friction of which causes them to revolve, and as the clearers
are conical, it is evident that there must be a rubbing action between the
surfaces of the top rollers and the clearers, owing to the conical form of the
latter; this rubbing action causes the flyings to accumulate evenly on the top
clearers, from whence they are stripped occasionally. In Figure 1 each top
clearer is shewn with eight bosses, but it is evident that a greater or less
number may be used according to the construction of the machine to which
they are applied.
We would also remark that our improved top clearers are also applicable to
self-acting and hand mules.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, we declare that we claim the improved conical top

page_text: clearers shewn and described, and the mode of supporting such top clearers
above the top rollers..
In witness whereof, we, the said William Haworth and William Barker,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
nine
WILLIAM HAWORTH. (L.S.)
WILLIAM BARKER.
(L.S.)