IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR PREPARING, ROVING, SPINNING, AND TWISTING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR PREPARING,
ROVING, SPINNING, AND TWISTING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."-A communication
from Emile Hubner, Engineer, of Mulhouse, in the Empire of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his. Petition, on
the 25th August 1857.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING,
ROVING, SPINNING, AND TWISTING FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved mechanism for preparing fibrous sub-
stances for spinning, by means of which the substance to be operated upon
may be drawn and any required twist imparted to it, so as to obtain either a
fine thread or a coarse roving, or sliver, roving, or ribbon of great regularity.
The material to be operated upon is brought forward by means of feed
rollers, holders, endess feed aprons, gills, or any other suitable means, either
in the rough state or in the form of a ribbon or sliver, according to the nature

page_text: of the fibre to be operated upon and the product desired to be obtained, and
.delivered on to a porcupine wheel, disc, or roller, which is so mounted as to
be capable of receiving a rapid axial motion, and also of moving with its axle
around the axis of the shaft by which it is supported.
As the fibrous material is delivered on to the pins, porcupine or card teeth,
which are brought intermittently in contact therewith, the fibres are drawn and
also receive a slight twist by reason of the axle of the roller or disc revolving
around its supporting shaft. The teeth charged with fibres arrive in succession
at a point where the doffing operation is performed; this point must be in a
line with the centre of rotation of the supporting shaft. The doffing appa-
ratus may consist of several rows of rollers, a reciprocating doffer, or a bobbin
or flyer. These may act either together or separately, for the purpose of
taking off the fibres from the card teeth and carrying them to the above-
mentioned point or centre of rotation, where the fibres, as they arrive, receive
the twist which converts them into a thread, sliver, or ribbon. This twist may
be regulated at pleasure, according to the difference of speed between the
twisting motion and the transmitting motion.
When this method is intended to be applied to preparing machinery, the
excess of twist may be taken out of the fibres, by imparting a reverse motion
to the rollers or other mechanical equivalent which receive the prepared
material. Instead of a porcupine wheel or roller, an endless chain or band
or cards, wound helically round a series of rollers, may be employed for
receiving and transmitting the fibres. The band leaving its helical arrange-
ment is conducted towards its centre of rotation by suitable guide rollers,
where a comb takes from it the fibrous substance in the form of a sliver,
which passes through the main shaft, it being drawn forward by delivery rollers,
which turn with the said shaft as well as with the comb. Concentric plates,
fixed on the main shaft, carry outside them guides, against which the band
advances by the axial motion of its guide rollers. These guides are arranged
helically, and cause the endless band to advance at the delivery side as it
comes charged with fibrous matter. A doctor. roller carries the imperfectly
opened fibres on to the feed cloth. Cleaning rollers may also be applied to
the endless band, and also a circular brush for consolidating the fibres. Two
or more feed motions might be applied if thought necessary. The fibrous
substance having past from between the delivery rollers may have the twist
taken out of it by a rotary can, a bobbin, or a spindle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING, ROVING, SPINNING, AND TWISTING
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," being a communication from Emile Hubner, Engineer,
of Mulhouse, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates to improved mechanism for preparing fibrous substances for spinning,
by means of which the substance to be operated upon may be drawn and any
required twist imparted to it, so as to obtain either a fine thread, or a coarse
roving, sliver, or ribbon of great regularity.
The material to be operated upon is brought forward by means of feed
rollers, holders, endless feed aprons, gills, or any other suitable means, either
in the rough state or in the form of a ribbon or sliver, according to the nature

page_text: of the fibre to be operated upon and the product desired to be obtained, and
delivered on to a porcupine wheel, disc, or roller, which is so mounted as to
be capable of receiving a rapid axial motion, and also of moving with its axle
around the axis of the shaft by which it is supported.
As the fibrous material is delivered on to the pins, porcupine or card. teeth,
which are brought intermittently in contact therewith, the fibres are drawn
and also receive a slight twist. The teeth charged with fibres arrive in suc-
cession at a point where the doffing operation is performed; this point must
be in a line with the centre of rotation of the supporting shaft. The doffing
apparatus may consist of several rows of rollers, a reciprocating doffer, or a
bobbin or flyer. These may act either together or separately, for the purpose
of taking off the fibres from the teeth at the point or centre of rotation,
where the fibres, as they arrive, receive the twist by which they are converted
into thread or sliver. Instead of a porcupine wheel or roller, an endless chain
or band of cards, wound helically round a series of rollers, may be employed
for receiving and transmitting the fibres. The band leaving its helical arrange-
.ment is conducted towards its centre of rotation by suitable guide rollers,
where a comb takes from it the fibrous substance in the form of a sliver,
which passes through the main shaft, it being drawn forward by delivery
rollers, which turn with the said shaft as well as with the comb. Concentric
plates, fixed on the main shaft, carry outside them guides, against which the
band advances by the axial motion of the guide rollers. These guides are
arranged helically, and cause the endless band to advance at the delivery side
as it becomes charged with fibrous matter. A doctor roller carries the imper-
fectly opened fibres on to the feed cloth. Cleaning rollers may also be
applied to the endless band, and also a circular brush for consolidating the
fibres.
In order, however, that the Invention may be better understood, I have in
the accompanying Drawings represented a machine constructed on the improved
principle, together with some modifications, by which the machinery is adapted
either for spinning or preparing and roving fibrous substances.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is an end elvation of a
spinning frame, showing the arrangement of gearing for driving the same;
Fig. 2 is a detached view of the differential gearing.
In Sheet II., Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the machine; Fig. 4
is a detached longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the machine, shewing
the principal working parts; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, shewing the
same parts.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 (Sheet III.), represent in front view

page_text: and transverse section, various forms and arrangements of porcupine or card
rollers, drawn upon a larger scale, applicable to spinning machinery constructed
upon this principle.
Figures 14, 14, 15, 15, 16 and 16ª (Sheet III.), represent in elevation and
plan view different arrangements of the principal working parts, either for
spinning or preparing fibrous substances for spinning.
Figures 17 and 18 (Sheet III.), represent two arrangements for drawing
the fibrous substance as it comes from the twisting machinery above described.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all these Figures.
M is the driving shaft, on which are mounted the driving pulleys N; a
toothed wheel P, also mounted on this shaft, drives on one side the wheel Q,
by means of the intermediate wheel P', and on the other side (by intermediate
gearing) the wheel R, mounted loosely upon the shaft O¹. The wheel R
drives on one side the shaft E, which, by means of the bevil gearing D and C,..
communicates a rapid rotary motion to the hollow shaft B. This shaft works
in a socket, and carries at its outer end the porcupine or card roller A, which
forms the principal part of the present Invention. On the boss of the wheel R
is mounted the bevil wheel S, Fig. 2, which drives the shaft L, through the
intervention of the wheels T and V, as will be hereafter explained. The
shaft L, by means of the bevil wheels K, I, communicates rotary motion to
the shaft H, which passes through the shaft B, and carries the bevil pinion G
at its outer end. This pinion gears into a bevil wheel F, on the boss of the
porcupine roller A. The wheel F and pinion G rotate at the same speed as
the porcupine roller A, round its principal centre of rotation, which is that of
the shaft B, and consequently no secondary movement of the roller A can
yet take place. This secondary movement, which is intended to regulate the
length of advance and twist of the thread, must, therefore, be proportionate
to that of the delivery rollers X, X. This motion is obtained in the following
manner: The spur pinion y, mounted on the main shaft (see Fig. 1) com-
municates motion to the spur wheel Z, which latter carries a pinion a, by
means of which the degree of twist given to the thread is regulated. The
pinion a communicates motion through a wheel a¹ to the wheel b, mounted on
the shaft of one of the delivery rollers X. This shaft also carries a pinion c
in gear with a wheel d, to the boss of which is attached a pinion e that
regulates the twist of the thread between the porcupine roller A and delivery
rollers X, X. This pinion e, by means of two intermediate wheels, drives the
wheel mounted upon the shaft O'. T, T, are bevil wheels, turning upon two
gudgeons mounted upon the shaft O', by which means they are driven. These
bevil wheels T gear into the bevil wheels S, V, U, which are secured to the

page_text: bosses of their respective spur wheels R and V, and form with those bevil
wheels a differential movement between the wheels R and V, both of which
are mounted loosely on the shaft O¹. The object of this differential movement
is to increase or diminish the difference of speed desired to be obtained between
the wheels R and V, and consequently to communicate it to the pinion G.
Suppose the pinion G to be rotating at a speed less than that of the shaft B,
carrying the porcupine roller A; this difference of speed causes the wheel F
to run round the pinion G, and thereby drive the wheel A round upon its
shaft g, which is the secondary motion above mentioned. Thus at each
revolution of the porcupine roller A upon its main supporting shaft it carries
off the fibres presented to it by the feed motion, and makes a portion of a
revolution upon its shaft g to feed these fibres to the point h, from whence
they are taken by the drawing rollers X, a twist having been given to them
by the card roller A, by which, as the fibres are drawn from the card teeth of
this latter, they are converted into a roving or spun thread. It will be under-
stood that each revolution of the porcupine roller A produces a single twist of
the fibres. A guide may be placed at h, to prevent vibration and steady the
motion of the fibres. By this means sufficient twist may be given to the fibres
to admit of their being wound upon bobbins or delivered into a roving can, &c.
As, however, the speed attained, however great, is always limited, and
especially when it is required to spin, it has been thought advisable to add to
this machine a second twisting apparatus, which allows of the speed of the
secondary motion being doubled, and consequently enables double the quantity
of thread to be produced. Thus, supposing the porcupine wheel or roller to
be making five thousand five hundred revolutions, and the twisting tube five
thousand five hundred, the thread will have eleven thousand turns given it
per minute. After passing through the drawing rollers X, X, any method
ordinarily. used may be employed for giving an additional twist to the thread
on the spinning frame.
In the machine represented in the accompanying Drawings, this second
twist is obtained by means of a twisting tube and a trumpet mouth, and cops
are obtained direct in this machine.
It will be understood that, for the purpose of spinning threads consisting
each of two or more strands, it is only necessary to place together behind the
drawing rollers X, X, the number required to be doubled, and they may be
twisted, as required, either in the direction of the first twist or in the contrary
direction.
The machine may be fed in any suitable manner. In the machine repre-
sented, this operation is effected by means of a fixed guide trough k, and a

page_text: pressing roller 1, which is driven at a very low speed. This roller may be
fluted, and made of wood or iron, or covered with any elastic material, such
as cloth, leather, felt, caoutchouc, &c. It is driven (see Fig. 2) by the
pinions m, p, toothed wheels n, q, shaft r, and bevil wheels s, t.
The difference of circumferential speed between the rollers 1 and X, deter-
mines the amount of drawing to which the fibres are to be subjected.
According to this improved plan, the drawing action may be so extended as
to allow of very thick slivers being fed in, and even in a very rough state of
preparation, as the porcupine roller A with its comb teeth serves to straighten
out or prepare the fibres.
The copping motion of the bobbin carriage to form the cops is obtained by
the following means -A bar a¹ carries at its lower extremity at the side
nearest the shaft b¹ a rack gearing into a toothed sector mounted on the
extremity of the shaft b', and at its upper part is provided with a groove c¹;
this bar is guided in its descent by means of a friction roller behind the rack,
and in its ascent by the end of the shaft which enters the groove c¹. An
excentric v¹ is mounted upon the shaft r, and a piece f, which is capable of
sliding in the groove c¹, carries two friction rollers d¹ and e¹. The bar a' has
a socket at its upper extremity in which a shaft g¹ is capable of turning.
Upon one end of this shaft is mounted the cam or excentric z, and on the
other the ratchet wheel h'.
Two catches and j', alternately retain the ratchet wheel and prevent the
cam from turning by its inclined plane acting upon the bowle e¹. The two
catches are connected by means of a spring piece k². The weight of the car-
riage is so arranged that it shall always bear a little upon the bar a', and have
a tendency to cause it to descend. Thus on the excentric v¹ revolving, the
bowle d' with its accessories will descend, the spring k¹ will act against one of
the projections of a fixed piece and release the catch. The wheel h¹ will
turn and advance to the extent of half a tooth, and the carriage will be thereby
enabled to descend the length of the course of the excentric v¹, and also a
portion of the revolution of the excentric z, produced by the release of the
catch j. The same effect will be produced during the ascent of the carriage,
and for each revolution of the excentric v³, the ratchet wheel h¹ having moved
forward one tooth.
The excentric z having arrived at the end of its course, the cop will be
completed; it is then removed, and the attendant again sets up the exentric
2. The number of divisions of the wheel h¹ must vary according to the fine-
ness of the thread and the size of the bobbin; the nature of the cop wound
upon, which will depend upon the form of the excentrics.

page_text: The extent of twist imparted to the fibres of the thread to be spun will
depend upon the inclination of the disc or roller A to its centre of rotation.
Thus this inclination may vary between a position parallel to the line of the
centre of rotation and at right angles thereto. The position of the fibres will
also vary according to the form of the roller, and the manner of setting the
card teeth thereon. Various arrangements are represented in Figures 6 to 13,
Sheet III. of the Drawings.
Parallelism (i. e. less twist) of the fibres may also be obtained by causing
the porcupine roller to twist less, and by substituting for the single drawing
rollers X, several pairs of rollers, or two pairs with a card roller between
them.
The arrangement represented at Figures 17 or 18 may be employed when
the drawing rollers are required to be set close together.
Figures 14, 14, and 15, 15ª, represent detached views of two other arrange-
ments for working according to the principle of this Invention.
Figures 16 and 16ª, represent the application of this principle to a preparing
machine for working up the raw material into the form of a sliver or ribbon.
The rollers m¹ are mounted upon a common shaft which is driven at a high
speed, and an endless chain or band is wound helically round these rollers.
The rollers m have also a secondary motion communicated to them in a
direction contrary to that of the main shaft; they conduct the endless band
towards the centre of rotation, where a comb p¹ takes from it the fibres which
it carries, forming a roving, which passes through the hollow main shaft,
through which it is drawn by the rollers q', which as well as the doffer comb
turns with that shaft. The endless band of card teeth, as the fibres are
discharged from it, rises on the other side of the machine on to the rollers m¹,
in contact with the fibrous substance to be operated upon.
Concentric plates
fixed upon the main shaft carry outside guides, against which the endless
band driven by the rollers m¹ advances.
These guides are arranged helically, and cause the endless band to advance
on the doffer side as the material is doffed. The card roller s¹ serves to lay
the badly opened fibres back upon the feed apron. Card cylinders may also
be adapted to the endless band to open out the fibres, and a circular brush for
lapping them on to its card teeth. Several feed aprons may also be employed
instead of one, if thought necessary. The fibrous material having passed
between the rollers q' may be received into a roving can, or wound on to a
bobbin or spindle.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Machinery for Preparing, Roving, Spinning, and Twisting Fibrous Substances,"

page_text: as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be under-
stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim the applica-
tion to such machinery of a rotating comb, porcupine or card surface, operating
in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
0
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)