IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND SORTING SILK AND OTHER TEXTILE MATERIALS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
& Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING
AND SORTING SILK AND OTHER TEXTILE MATERIALS."-A communication
from Jules Veyrin, Silk Merchant, residing at Lyons, in the Empire of
.France.
Sealed the 15th July 1859, and dated the 19th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th January 1859.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes & Son, Patent.
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
MEASURING AND SORTING SILK AND OTHER TEXTILE MATERIALS," a communication
from Jules Veyrin, Silk Merchant, residing at Lyons, in the Empire of France,
to be as follows:-
I wind the silk or other material on bobbins or spools to a certain length,
measured with exactness by means of a meter or measuring machine, which
stops the movement of the bobbins at the time required.
The raw silk or other material to be measured in its passage to the bobbin
passes around and gives motion to a pulley of a determined circumference.
placed upon a shaft, which is thus a motor of any suitable series of toothed,
wheels or worms and toothed wheels, the last shaft carrying a plain wheel,
having one or more notches, into which a projection on a lever can fall either
by its own weight or by the action of a spring, the said lever being booked at

page_text: the top or other convenient part so as to catch a projection, and prevent the
turning of the bobbin when a certain length of material has been wound
upon it.
In order to determine the quality or thickness of the material, the external
diameters of each bobbin is measured or gauged and weighed, and those of
similar diameters and weight are placed together, forming one number or
quality, and so on for the various degrees and differences required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, W.C., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others:
as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING.
AND SORTING SILK AND OTHER TEXTILE MATERIALS," a communication from
Jules Veyrin, Silk Merchant, residing at Lyons, in the Empire of France,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the:
following statement, that is to say :-
The silk or other material is wound on bobbins or spools to a certain length
measured with exactness by means of a meter or measuring machine, which
stops the movement of the bobbins or spools at the time required, or when the
requisite length of material is wound on.
•
The silk or other material to be measured in its passage to the bobbin or
spool on which it is to be wound passes over a cleaner or supporter as desired,
and then encircles a drum, reel, or pulley on the driving shaft of the meter
or measuring apparatus. Each of the bobbins or spools on which the silk is
wound is placed on a body or frame, furnished with a notch or projection, so
that a hooked lever worked by the meter will fall into the notch or upon the
projection when the requisite length of material is wound on the bobbin or
spool, and stop its motion without stopping the other bobbins or spools. In
order to sort or assaye the size or thickness of the material, the external
diameter of each bobbin or spool is measured or gauged and weighted; those
of similar weights and diameters being placed together form one number or
size, and so on for the various degrees and differences required.
These improvements will be clearly understood, by referring to the figures.
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a
front, and Fig. 2 an end elevation of an ordinary silk winding machine,
shewing the application of the meter or measuring apparatus, which latter is.
represented in its full dimensions in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a represents the framing of the winding machine, on which
two spools or bobbins are shewn, but according to the length of the machine
the number will be extended; b is the bobbin on which the silk or material
has bee wound without any regard to measurement; it is placed in a vertical
position on the table of the framework; c is the silk or thread passing from
the said bobbin over the cleaner or supporter d, but a plain shaft, covered with
any suitable material, will answer the purpose. The silk or thread passes
around the skeleton wheel e on the driving shaft of the meter, and then
through the eye of a test guard or fly-wheel stop lever to the guide f, from
whence it proceeds to the spool or bobbin g, on which it is wound in a certain
measured length. The guide f moves horizontally, so as to place the silk or
material evenly across the spool or bobbin, the said horizontal motion being
communicated by wheels and pinions, or other mechanical contrivance, under
the table or framework.
The spool or bobbin g is fitted on a frame or body, having a hole in the
centre, so that it may be placed on a spindle revolving in bearings, one end of

page_text: the said body having one or more notches or projections upon it; h is a wince
handle attached to a cross shaft, on which is placed a friction wheel or bowl
under each spool or bobbin, so that by turning the wince handle, a revolving
motion will be given to each and every bobbin or spool separately. Motion
is also given by the said cross shaft to the wheel gearing for working the
guide horizontally; is the meter or measuring apparatus, to which is
attached the hooked lever k, which falls into the projection or notch of the
bobbin frame g, and stops the bobbin when the desired length of silk or
material is wound upon it.
.
In Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, representing the meter, is the case or frame,
having holes for the bearings of the spindles; m, the driving shaft, fixed to
which is the skeleton or open wheel e, of a certain defined diameter, the said
wheel receiving its motion by the silk or material which encircles it acting as
a strap or belt. The shaft m turns the worm n, which gives motion to the
wheel o, shaft p, and worm q, which gears into and turns the wheel, and
shaft s, upon which is fixed a lever or tumbler t, which acts upon a pin u in
the hooked lever k, for the purpose of regulating the descent of the hook upon
the projection or notch on the frame of the bobbin g. The hooked lever k
works upon a stud v by means of a slotted hole, so that when raised and
pushed back, the pin u can rest upon the side of the case, from whence it is
removed by degrees by the tumbler, until it falls in the recess w, and thereby
allows the hook of the lever k to grasp the notch or projection on the frame of
the bobbin or spool g, which is thus prevented from turning when the exact
quantity of material has been wound upon it according to the number of the
teeth in the wheels, the number of the series, and the circumference of the
driving wheel. Upon the shaft s there is a knob a outside the case of the
machine, so as to serve as an outward appliance for stopping or starting the
meter or counter when desired.
In order to ensure great accuracy, I employ a test guard or stop lever for
the open or skeleton wheel, which checks the momentum, and stops the
motion of the meter at the instant there is a breakage or absence of silk or
material. The said guard or lever works upon a stud y, and is furnished at 3
with an eyelet, which is pressed downwards when the silk or material passes
through it, and raises the catch a'; but when there is no silk or material, the
eyelet is raised and the catch depressed, so that it may come in contact with
one of the arms of the open or skeleton wheel e, or with any other projection
provided for the purpose. The wheel e may be solid, or made of any form or
diameter desired, and the wheels and worms are arranged-to any pitch and
number of teeth, and in any number of series that may be required.

page_text: In Figs. 7, 8, and 9, I represent the meter or measuring machine with an
arrangement for acting on the stop lever k, at the exterior of the case 1, as well
as in the interior. In addition to the lever or tumbler t on the shaft s, I fix
on the same shaft at the outside of the case a cam or tappet 6', which as it
revolves comes in contact with the projection c¹ on the stop lever k, which is
pushed forward until the notch or aperture d' arrives at the pin e', when the
stop lever falls upon the notch or projection of the spool or bobbin g, the
pin e supporting the stop lever in its elevated position until the revolution of
the wheel has been made. I may here remark that though the internal
tumbler and external cam are shewn as acting conjointly, either may be
employed separately, as desired.
In the aforesaid Figures I also shew the application of a balance weight or
counterpoise to the stop lever k, in order to cause less pressure upon the
cam or tappet b' after it has pushed down the stop lever k.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention, as communi-
cated to me by the said Jules Veyrin, I desire it to be distinctly understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth, as such may be
varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof; but I claim
the application to machinery for winding and assaying silk or other textile
materials on bobbins or spools, of one or more meters, counters, or measuring
machines, each of which stops the motion of a spool or bobbin when a certain
defined length of silk or other material has been wound upon it, so that by
measuring or gauging the diameters, and ascertaining the weight of the
different spools, the weights or sizes of the silk or materials may be determined
with speed and accuracy.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Edward Thomas Hughes, in the
presence of
JULES MULOT,
Clerk to Hughes & Son.