IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRAWING AND SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, AND. OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR DRAWING AND SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, AND. OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
-A communication from abroad by John Good, of Williamsburgh,
Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 23rd July 1875, and dated the 9th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 9th March 1875.
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 DRAWING AND SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:
-
This Invention relates to machinery for drawing and spinning various
fibrous substances, but is more especially designed to be applied to what
is known

page_text: The Invention consists in a combination with the throat or passage
through which the slivers during or after condensation pass to the flyer,
and which may be the throat of the condenser of a controlling plug
fitted within said throat, and constructed so that on turning it the
capacity of the throat is increased or diminished to vary the size or
thickness of the yarn being produced.
It also consists in a combination with said throat and its controlling
plug of one or more springs or their equivalents, for automatically con-
trolling the opening in the throat to regulate the thickness of the yarn,
and to admit of the passage of bunches or knots in the slivers without
stopping the machine or breaking the yarn. This plug, whether auto-
matically operating or otherwise, likewise serves to burnish or gloss the
slivers, and it is preferred to combine it with a swinging or yielding
condenser, whereby on increased resistance being applied to the condenser
the plug moves away in common with the latter.
The Invention likewise consists in a combination with a swinging or
yielding condenser of mechanism for automatically stopping or varying
the velocity of the endless chain of gill pins which conduct the slivers
to the condenser, and so that the supply is regulated to produce an
even or regular sized yarn. For this purpose it is preferred to use a slip
clutch and fast and loose pulleys, together with a band shifter controlled
by the yielding condenser, and differential gear for giving a varying
velocity to the shaft which drives the endless feeding chain of gill
pins.
The Invention furthermore consists in a combination with the flyer 1
of a bobbin bearing fitted to slide on the arms of the flyer, and to move
in common with the bobbin as regards its traversing motion, whereby
a flyer closed or connected at both of its ends may be used, and a steady
action is given both to the flyer and its bobbin.
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.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her
special licence 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRAWING AND SPINNING
HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," being a communication to
me from abroad by John Good, of Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, in the
State of New York, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, 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 relates to a novel arrangement of machinery for
spinning flax, hemp, and other fibrous materials, the object being to
draw the sliver as it passes from an endless chain of gills or equivalent
preparing mechanism through suitably arranged apparatus that con-
denses or consolidates it and enables it to be spun and converted into
an even yarn without the use of drawing rollers. For this purpose
there is placed in advance of the chain of gills a condenser for receiving
the sliver and passing it to a horizontal flyer, within the arms of which
a pair of delivery rollers is mounted. The throat of this condenser is

page_text: Newton's Improvements in Machinery for Spinning.
Fig. 7 is a partial sectional elevation of the condenser and its rocking
frame, shewing also the connection of the latter with the belt shifter
which shifts the belt from one to other of the band pulleys shewn
in section at Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a back view of the parts shewn at
Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken through the axis of the condenser,
and drawn on a scale twice the size of Fig. 7.
Figures 10 and 11 are back and side elevations, the latter being partly
in section, of the condenser and its fittings, and Figures 12, 12ª, 12³, 12ª,
12ª, 12°, and 12', are diagrams shewing the internal construction of the
condenser.
Fig 13 is a longitudinal vertical section of the flyer with drawing and
take-up devices, also with attached driving gear.
Fig. 14 is a transverse section of the flyer taken at the line <,<, and
shewing in side view the sliver drawing and take-up devices; Fig. 15
is a section on the line, ¹, looking in an opposite direction to
Fig. 14
Referring now to Figures 1, 2, and 3, I may remark that the endless
chain of gill pins B may receive the hemp or other fibre (after it has
been heckled and spread) from overhead rollers at the end of the
frame, and it may be of any suitable construction, and in addition
to its carrying functions it may exert a slight drawing action on the
sliver.
The pulley by which motion is directly communicated to the chain B
is shewn at D. This pulley D derives its motion by a belt 6 from a
pulley E on a shaft c³, which is part of a mechanism for varying the
speed of the endless chain of gill pins, or for stopping it to counteract
any irregularity in the supply of the sliver to or through the condenser,
and to ensure the twisting of an even yarn.
The driving mechanism of the endless chain of gill pins is actuated
by one or other of two pulleys F, G, Figures 4 and 5, through a band d
to vary the driving velocity, or the band is thrown on to a loose pulley H
when it is required to arrest the chain of gill pins. This band d (sec
Fig. 1) is actuated by a pulley I on a shafte which also carries a pulley J
that is driven through a band by a pulley K* on the main driving
shaft g. The central pulley F of the series of pulleys F, G, I, is the

page_text: actuating one of the endless chain of gill pins when an even or regular
thickness of slivers is passing over or by the gill pins to the condenser.
This pulley F is fast to a shaft which carries a pinion h¹ that gears with
a spur wheel L on a counter shaft i on which is a pinion M that gears
with a loose spur wheel N on the shaft c³ of the pulley E from .which
motion is communicated as described to the endless chain of gill
actuating one of the endless chain of gill pins when an even or regular
thickness of slivers is passing over or by the gill pins to the condenser.
This pulley F is fast to a shaft which carries a pinion ' that gears with
a spur wheel L on a counter shaft i on which is a pinion M that gears
with a loose spur wheel N on the shaft c of the pulley E from .which
motion is communicated as described to the endless chain of ¡gill
pins.
The gear of the wheel N with the shaft c³ is effected by means of a
slip clutch composed of two dises or heads O, P, the one O of which is
fast on the hub of the loose spur wheel N, and is furnished with a ring
of ratchet teeth. The other disc P is keyed on the shaft c³, and is fitted
with a spring catch for gearing into the teeth of the disc O and locking
the two discs together. Thus the rotation of the wheel N is com-
municated through the disc P and shaft c to the pulley E. When
however the shaft is driven by the band & being thrown from the
pulley F on to the pulley G the spring catch will slip over the ring of
teeth, and the clutch will cease to drive. The pulley G is loose on the
shaft and carries a pinion Q which drives by speeding up gear
wheels R, S, T, the shaft c of the pulley E thereby accelerating the
motion of the endless chain of gill pins to increase the feed or supply of
sliver to the condenser when it thins off, and so to keep up uniformity in
the thickness of the yarn. On the other hand when too free a supply of
sliver is passing to or through the condenser the band d is thrown on to
the loose pulley H. Such shifting of the band d to the right or to the
left, that is, from the pulley F to one or other of the pulleys G, H,
accordingly as the amount of sliver passing into the condenser is unduly.
augmented or diminished, is automatically effected by the corresponding
change in the resistance which takes place against or within the con-
denser as the condensed slivers are drawn or pulled by the flyer with its
attachments through the condenser. To this end the condenser C is
carried by a lever U having its fulcrum below. This lever rocks
between stops and may be constructed in sections to facilitate the
adjustment of the condenser up or down. Said lever U with its
attached condenser C is borne or pressed towards the chain of gill pins B
by a spring m, against which the draught upon the sliver as the same
is drawn through the condenser operates to pull the lever in the opposite
direction, and when the resistance encountered by the condenser is
regular and bears a fixed limit, said lever and condenser are held slightly
•

page_text: forwards, but when the resistance" is diminished by a short supply of
sliver then the spring m pulls the lever U towards the gill pins, and by
means of a belt shifter W attached by a rod n to the lever U throws the
band & from off the pulley F on to the pulley G which accelerates the
chain B and increases the supply of sliver to the condenser. When
however the resistance is increased by a too free supply of sliver passing
to or through the condenser, the lever U is drawn forwards beyond its
normal position, and the belt shifter W is caused to throw the band d
from off the pulley F on to the loose pulley H which arrests the chain
B and stops the sliver till it is sufficiently diminished to make an uniform
yarn, when the resistance against the condenser diminishing again, the
the lever U is pulled backward, that is, towards the gill pins, by the
spring m to put the band d by the belt shifter W on to the pulley F
which actuates the chain B at the required velocity, when a regular or
proper quantity of sliver is being conducted by it to the condenser. The
regulating action thus traced out will be better understood when I have
explained the construction and action of the condenser.
Referring to the section, Fig. 9, it will be seen that the condenser O is
formed with a trumpet mouth to facilitate the gathering in of the sliver
as it leaves the chain gills B. In the throat of the condenser C is fitted
a cylindrical plug c which is free to turn in its seat. Through this plug
is passed an axle which is secured thereto, and is fitted at one end with
a bandle c¹ for rocking the plug when desired. Fitted to the axle at
either side of the plug is a lever c₁ through which the plug is
automatically rocked. The plug is channeled on its periphery, as shewn
at Fig. 12, the channel gradually deepening from its commencement
until its termination, and at the end of the channel a steel block c* is
fitted to the plug. In this block is formed a continuation of the
channel, which rises however so abruptly as to constitute a rounded
shoulder, the object of which will be presently explained.
:
Immediately above the plug and forming a portion of the throat of the
condenser is a steel plate c**, and it is between this plate and the
block c* that the condensing of the sliver takes place, and it is by
the adjustment of the plug in relation to this part of the throat that the
variations in the nip above referred to are effected. The nip on the
sliver is maintained by means of balanced springs c³, c', connected to
the levers c; the coiled spring c³ is enclosed in a tube forming an
upward continuation of the lever U, and it is connected to an adjusting

page_text: screw pendent from the closed end of the tube. This arrangement
provides for the adjustment of the tension of the spring c. The
spring c is connected at its lower end with an adjusting screw fitting
into a bracket on the lever U; the tension of these two springs is so
adjusted relatively the one to the other as to ensure the plug taking as
its normal position that shewn at Fig. 9, in which a vertical line drawn
through the axis of the plug cuts through the deepest part of the groove
provided for the passage of the sliver. When the plug is in this position
the nip will be in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 9, and equal to an average supply
of sliver. So long as this average supply of sliver is maintained, the
draught of the sliver will give the plug no axial motion, but immediately
the strain of the sliver exceeds that of the strain of the compensating
springs (which will take place immediately the supply increases), the
plug will be pulled over in the direction of the arrow, and the passage in
the throat will be thereby enlarged. This is clearly illustrated in the
diagram, Fig. 9, which shows the plug in three positions in the
condenser. The black lines indicate the normal position of the plug,
the red lines the extreme in one direction when the largest opening is
made for the passing sliver, and the blue lines the opening in the
opposite direction when the smallest opening is made for the sliver. This
facile self-adjustment of the plug entirely removes the tendency for
the condenser to choke or for the sliver to break. The facility with
which the sliver opens a passage for itself, is due to the position on the
plug of the rounded shoulder c¹*, which provides the sliver with a
leverage for pulling over the plug. The sliver however while thus
acting on the plug, moves the condenser bodily in the direction of the
red arrow, Fig. 7.
If there is an extreme supply of fibre, the lever U will rock on its
fulcrum so as to move the joint which connects it with the belt shifter
from the point 1 to the point 2, and by making this motion it will
throw the belt d from the driving pulley F to the loose pulley H,
thereby arresting the traverse of the chain of gills and stopping the
supply of sliver. The moment the plug is relieved of the undue strain
of the passing sliver, it will return to its normal position, and simul-
taneously the lever U will rock in the direction of the blue arrow and
return the driving band d to the pulley F. If however from any cause the
feed of sliver should be reduced, the lever U will fall back beyond its
normal position, and as its joint (which couples it with the belt shifter)

page_text: approaches the position 3 of Fig. 7, the belt shifter will be caused to
throw the belt d from the pulley F to the pulley G, and thereby quicken
the travelling speed of the gill pins and increase the rate of supply of
sliver to the condenser.
Having described the operation of the condenser upon the sliver and
the effect produced by the draught of the sliver upon the chain of gills,
I will now shew how the sliver is condensed into a cylindrical form so as
to produce a cylindrical yarn whatever the diameter of yarn required to be
produced; this is due to the form of passage through which the sliver is
drawn. The entrance to the throat is of an oval form, as shewn at
Fig. 12, and the groove in the plug is somewhat less in width than the
throat, and it contracts towards its rear end, as shewn at Fig. 12ª.
The throat of the condenser varies in its sectional form, thus in the
line 1, 2, of Fig. 9, which represents the position of the "nip," the
upper or acting part of the throat takes the form of a pointed arch, as
shewn at Fig. 12, which represents the throat in section, the plug
being removed.
When the plug is in position the bottom of its groove forms with this
arch a triangular figure approaching an equilateral triangle, as illustrated
at Fig. 12, and it is within this confined space that the condensation of
the sliver into a cord first commences, the pressure on the sliver being
concentrated and equalized over its surface as twist is imparted thereto
by the means to be presently explained. In the line 3, 4, of Fig. 9, the
upper part of the throat is somewhat rounded, as shewn at 12ª, and at
the line 5, 6, of Fig. 9, the top of the throat is semicircular, as shewn at
Fig. 12°. By the use of this device it will be understood that the fibres
of the sliver in their passage to the flyer are burnished, and a fine gloss
is imparted to them, thereby improving the quality of the yarn produced.
The plug c is held in place in the condenser by means of discs through
which the axle of the plug is passed. These discs grip the plug and are
held in contact with the condenser by means of a nut and washer, as
shewn at Fig. 12′.
In the combination of the condenser as represented in Figures 1 and 2,
with a flyer and an endless chain of gill pins, the ordinary callender rolls
are dispensed with; also by it there is no tendency as in other arrange-
ments of the stray fibres getting in to interfere with the working of the
condenser. The take up, drawing, and twisting mechanism which draws

page_text: on the sliver as it takes it from the condenser and forms the sliver into a
yarn, winding it on the bobbin of the flyer, is constructed as follows:-
C, Fig. 13, is a draw tube which is driven by pulleys D', E', Fig. 1, and
the belt from a shaft that in its turn derives its motion by
pulleys F, G, and belt m¹, from a shaft n' which is actuated by bevil
gear o¹, ¹, from the main shaft g. H¹ is the flyer closed at both ends
and arranged to rotate in its near closed end or head in a bearing s¹ and
around the tube C', while its other closed end or head has an extended
sleeve arranged to rotate in a bearing and around the bobbin spindle I',
said sleeve carrying the pulley J₁ by which the flyer is driven through a
belt from a pulley on the shaft 1.
The forward end of the tube C₁ has a pinion ¹ which gears with spur
teeth on grooved rollers K', K', arranged to rotate on studs carried by
the head of the flyer. These rollers (see Fig. 14) form the take up, and
also serve to conduct the yarn to the flyer, the relative motions of the
latter, the take up rollers K', K, and the tube C¹ being suitably timed
to give the necessary draught and twist to the sliver.
The course of the yarn is indicated in Figures 1, 13, and 14, thus it
passes from the revolving tube C₁ (which it leaves at right angles to the
axis of that tube) over and under the rollers K', K', alternately, and
from thence to and over right or left-hand guide rollers on the flyer
arms to the bobbin L'.
By using a flyer closed or connected at both of its ends the tendency of
the flyer to spread by its centrifugal motion is counteracted, and it may
be made to run lightly and steadily. But such construction of the flyer
would interfere with a sliding bearing for the bobbin to follow up thic
traversing motion of the bobbin within the flyer, were it not that this
bearing is made independent of any outside support or guide, and so that
it slides on or is guided and supported by the arms of the flyer itself.
Thus M is such a bearing made in halves or of two bars bolted together,
and so that they form eyes at their ends to constitute guiding or sliding
surfaces on the arms of the flyer, and so that they clip in a similar free
manner the bobbin spindle, the bar being connected therewith and com-
pelled to follow the endway.motions of the spindle by being embraced
by a fixed collar and a hub, the latter of which is fitted with a catch for
retaining hold of the bobbin. This provides for the bearing M¹ moving.
in common with the bobbin backwards and forwards lengthwise of

page_text: the flyer without restricting the independent rotation of the bobbin
in common with its spindle I' to which it is attached. By thus giving
a close end support to the bobbin at all points of its traverse the bobbin
is made to run steadier, a more regular wrap of the yarn on it is
obtained and damage to the yarn is avoided.
The traverse motion to the bobbin is or may be effected by the
ordinary or any suitable means. Thus N is an ordinary traverse screw,
with which the bobbin spindle I' is in gear by a jaw or clip O¹, said
screw being operated by bevil gear a², b³, a worm wheel c³, and endless
screw d², driven by belt and pulleys e, f, from the shaft n', with provision
by throwing the bevil pinion out of gear for operating the traverse
screw by hand when required. The bobbin spindle is rotated by belts
and pulleys P¹, Q', from the shaft , by or through the intervention
of a friction clutch R' fast on the shaft l, and against which tho
pulley Q that is made capable of sliding on the shaft bears with
an increasing force as the wrap of the yarn increases on the bobbin to
adjust the tension to the wrap, such adjustment being automatic by means
of a suitably driven or revolving worm 9³, which gears with a worm
pinion on a screw to traverse a weight ³, all of which are con-
nected with a rock lever S¹, that by means of a rod and cranks or
armis m³, n³, transfers the effect of the weight which increases as it is
moved further out from the fulcrum of the lever S₁ to the end of the
pulley Q. The pulley P¹ is in feather gear with the bobbin spindle I' to
allow of the latter sliding through said pulley while being rotated by it.
Any suitable automatic stop device, as for instance a lever T¹ bearing
on the yarn between the condenser C and tube C¹, and connected with
a belt shifter, may be used to arrest the motion of the machine in case
of the breakage of the yarn. The lever T¹ has for its fulcrum a stud
axle on the main framing, and to it is connected a cord which is led
over guide rollers to a horizontal rock lever (1* adjacent to the main
driving shaft g. This rock lever t¹* is connected by a link to a vertical
rock levert, which forms the belt shifter. A coiled spring attached
to this lever gives the belt shifter a tendency to throw the belt onto the
loose pulley. The belt however is maintained against this drag of
the spring on the fast pulley so long as tension is maintained upon
the cord t. When however the sliver is broken the lever T¹ losing its
support will fall forward, slacken the cord t, and allow the spring ³ to
shift the driving belt.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in Machinery for Drawing and Spinning Hemp, Flax, and other
Fibrous Substances," as communicated to mo by my foreign corre-
spondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,―
First. The combination of parts constituting the spinning machinery
abova described, or any mere modification thereof, whereby opened for
prepared fibres in the form of a broad sliver may be condensed or con-
solidated and converted into an even round yarn at one operation and
without the use of drawing rollers.
Second. The self-adjusting condenser, constructed and operating as
above described, and in combination therewith the means employed for
enabling the draught of the sliver passing through the condenser to
regulate the feed.
Third. The combination with a flyer constructed with closed ends
of a bobbin bearing, fitted to slide on the arms of the flyer, so as to
rotate with the latter and to traverse the bobbin within the flyer.
Fourth. The arrangement above described for adjusting the drag of
the yarn on the bobbin relatively to its increasing diameter.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Thirteenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
fivc.