IMPROVEMENTS IN FLAX SPINNING, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO SPINNING OF TOW AND HEMP
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Simon Boucher, Flax Spinner, of Warchin, near
Tournai, in the Kingdom of Belgium, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
IN FLAX SPINNING, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO SPINNING
OF TOW AND HEMP."
Sealed the 13th February 1868, and dated the 19th August 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Simon Boucher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th August 1862.
I, SIMON BOUCHER, Flax Spinner, of Warchin, near Tournai, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FLAX SPINNING, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO SPINNING
OF TOW AND HEMP," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in adapting to ordinary machinery employed for
spinning flax, tow, and hemp, a reservoir to contain water of any desired
temperature, and in immersing and leaving therein during the spinning
operation the bobbins containing the material to be spun.
The aforesaid reservoir is placed at the upper part of the spinning machine,
and the material is drawn from the bobbins (immersed therein) by the spinning

page_text: machinery. By these means the process is rendered considerably more
healthy to the workmen, and is less costly than the modes heretofore practised
of trenting flax, tow, and hemp during the spinning thereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Simon Boucher, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SIMON
BOUCHER, Flax Spinner, of Warchin, near Tournay, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Simon Boucher, Her special licence that I, the said Simon Boucher, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Simon
Boucher, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLAX SPINNING,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO SPINNING OF TOW AND HEMP," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Simon Boucher, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under , 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 Simon Boucher, 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 state-
ment, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in adapting to ordinary machinery employed for
spinning flax, tow, and hemp, a reservoir to contain water of any desired
temperature, and in immersing and leaving therein during the spinning
operation the bobbins containing the flax or other material to be spun.
The aforesaid reservoir is placed at the upper part of the spinning machine,

page_text: and the material is drawn from the bobbins immersed therein by the spinning
machinery. By these means the process. is rendered considerably more
healthy for the workman, and less costly than the modes heretofore practised
of treating flax, tow, and hemp during the spinning thereof.
And in order to explain the means by which these improvements may be
carried into practical effect, I have attached to these Presents a Sheet of
Drawings, and have marked the same with numeral figures and letters of
reference as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE SHEET OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a throstle frame; Figure 2, a
cross section thereof; and Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 2, similar
letters of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts wherever
similar parts appear or can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
A is the frame of the machine; B, spindles and flyers; C, twisting and
drawing rollers; D, a reservoir to contain water of any desired low tempera-
ture, according to the nature of the material to be spun; E, E, bobbins
containing the material to be spun; these bobbins are placed upon a false
bottom G, which may be lowered into the water in the vessel D by any suitable
mechanism. The material is drawn from the bobbins by the spinning
mechanism, and said bobbins, if necessary, may be raised either partially or
entirely out of the water in the reservoir D by causing the mechanism afore-
said to raise the false bottom G; this raising of the bobbins at the proper time
must be left to the judgment of the workman, or instead of placing the bobbins
on a false bottom, as lastly described, and in localities where water is abundant,
the bobbins may rest on the bottom of the reservoir D, and the water be
admitted thereinto at top, and discharged at bottom by any suitable contrivance.
And in cases where spinners may object to changing the vessels at present
used with machinery for spinning with hot water, they may place the full
bobbins in any separate vessel, and subject them to a pressure of water or
steam to the extent of several atmospheres; or this saturation may be effected
without pressure simply by soaking the full bobbins for a greater length of
time, after which they may be placed on the frame, and the hot water vessel be
charged with cold; in this manner no change of apparatus is required in
the mill.
.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention of
"Improvements in Flax Spinning, which Improvements are also applicable
to Spinning of Tow and Hemp," and the means by which the said improve-
ments may be effected, I hereby declare my Invention to consist in, and

page_text: I claim saturating the material to be spun by placing the bobbins containing
same in water of any desired temperature, said water being placed in a
reservoir attached to the framing of the spinning machine, as above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Simon Boucher, have hereunto set my
hand seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord!
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
SIMON BOUCHER. (L.S.)