Improvements in Apparatus for Maintaining a Uniform Tension upon the Endless Driving Tapes of Spinning, Twisting, and other Machinery.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1887
Complete Left, 2nd Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Maintaining a Uniform Tension
upon the Endless Driving Tapes of Spinning, Twisting, and
other Machinery.
We, ARTHUR TREDGOLD LAWSON, Engineer and SOMERVILLE DEAR, Manager,
both of the Hope Foundry, Leeds, in the County of York do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to so called tension or tape pulleys used more especially in
spinning or twisting machines for maintaining an equal tension on the endless driving
tapes or bands employed for driving the spindles from a main driving cylinder so as
to effect a steady and equal driving of the spindles each tape is led around its own
tension pulley tho tension pulley runs loose on a stud or on its own axis in double
bearings at one end of an oscillating frame which is free to rock on an axis at an
intermediate point of its length. Normally the frame is maintained in a vertical
position with the tension pulley at the top. The lower extremity of the frame is made
heavier to act as a counterbalance. The frame is also formed with a lever arm standing
out at right angles from it radially to the centre, on which the frame is pivotted, this
lever carries a weight which is adjustable to regulate the amount of tension put on
the tape or band. On the vertical upper arm of the frame a segment is formed and
on to this a brake lever is made to bear to maintain the whole apparatus in working
with perfect steadiness, the brake lever is also serviceable for holding the frame back
while fixing or sewing the tape or band, and after this has been accomplished, by
raising the lever the tension pulley falls into its proper position for working or driving
and the brake is again in operation.
The bracket on which the frame oscillates is fixed on to a rail running longitudinally
with the line of spindles in the frame and can be adjusted to the required angle for
the tapes or bands to run from the cylinder to the spindles.

page_text: The oscillation of the frame in one direction is limited by its weighted end coming
against this rail and in the opposite direction by a heel or arm projecting from it
striking against the rail.
In the event of the tape or band breaking and the frame swinging suddenly forward
the pulley is prevented from being thrown out from the slots in which its axes turn
by these slots being made hook shaped.
A modification of this invention can be made by inverting the oscillating frame the
tension pulley will thereby he mounted on the lower part and the top part made to
act as a counterbalance with all the other parts made to correspond.
Dated this 25th day of May 1887.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Maintaining a Uniform Tension
upon the Endless Driving Tapes of Spinning, Twisting, and
other Machinery.
We, ARTHUR TREDGOLD LAWSON, Engineer, and SOMERVILLE DEAR, Manager,
both of the Hope Foundry, Leeds, in the County of York, .do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to so called tension or tape pulleys used more especially in
spinning or twisting machines for maintaining an equal tension on the endless driving
tapes or bands employed for driving the spindles from a main driving cylinder so as
to effect a steady and equal driving of the spindles. Each tape is led around its
own tension pulley; the tension pulley runs loose on a stud or on its own axis in
double bearings at one end of an oscillating frame which is free to rock on an axis at
an intermediate point of its length. Normally the frame is maintained in a vertical
position with the tension pulley at the top. The lower extremity of the frame is made
heavier to act as a counterbalance. The frame is also formed with a lever arm standing
out horizontally at right angles from it radially to the centre, on which the frame is
pivotted, this lever carries a weight which is adjustable to regulate the amount of
tension put on the tape or band. On the vertical upper arm of the frame a segment
is formed and on to this a brake lever is made to bear to maintain the whole apparatus
in working with perfect steadiness, the brake lever is also serviceable as a catch for
holding the frame back while fixing or sewing the tape or band, and after this has
been accomplished, by raising the lever the tension pulley falls into its proper position
for working or driving and the brake is again in operation.
The bracket on which the frame oscillates is fixed on to a rail running longitudinally
with the line of spindles in the frame and can be adjusted to the required angle for
the tapes or bands to run from the cylinder to the spindles.
The oscillation of the frame in one direction is limited by its weighted end coming
against this rail and in the opposite direction by a heel or arm projecting from it
striking against the rail.
In the event of the tape or band breaking and the frame swinging suddenly forward
the pulley is prevented from being thrown out from the slots in which its axes turn by
these slots being made hook shaped.
A modification of this invention can be made by inverting the oscillating frame the
tension pulley will thereby be mounted on the lower part and the top part made to act
as a counterbalance with all the other parts made to correspond.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a plan of
apparatus constructed as above described-these figures also show so much of a
spinning or twisting frame as is necessary to show the position of the apparatus when
applied to such machines,

page_text: Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation of the tension pulley and the oscillating frame
which carries it.
Figures 4 and 5 are separate elevations of the oscillating frame.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of the bracket in which the frame oscillates.
Figures 7 and 8 are enlarged elevations of the oscillating frame inverted-this
construction is a modification of the construction shown in the other figures.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A is the main cylinder of a spinning or twisting frame from which all the spindles
in the machine are driven. Bis one of the tapes or bands used for driving the spindles-
each band is made to drive four spindles as shewn by the drawings Figures 1 and 2 as is
usual C is the tension pulley running loose on its axis C in double bearings El on
the top of the oscillating frame E. This frame is hung on pivots F and its weight
and the weight of the pulley Care balanced by the weighted arm E-G is another
lever arm extending horizontally from the frame radially to the pivots F-H is an
adjustable weight which can be fixed upon the arm either further from or nearer. to
the pivot for regulating the tension put upon the tape or band B. I is a segment
fixed to one side of the frame E. J is a weighted lever arm resting on this segment
and acting as a brake to prevent the frame from oscillating too rapidly. This lover
arm J also acts as a catch to hold the frame back when it has been moved to the
furthest extent of the travel allowed to it in a direction towards the driving drum A—
and is in this way serviceable for holding the frame when fixing or sewing on a new
tape or band K is a heel or projection from the frame E-Lis a forked bracket
carrying the pivots of the frame E this bracket is fixed to the rail M which extends
from one end to the other of the frame of the machine. The extent to which the
frame E turns in either direction is limited in one direction by the heel K coming
against the rail M and in the other direction by the weighted arm E¹ coming against
this rail.
The way in which the tape or band is led around the driving cylinder A tension
pulley C and spindles D is as usual and is clearly shown by the drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The balanced frame or bracket carrying a tension pulley and having a horizontal
weighted arm extending radially from its pivot and also having a segment fixed to it
on which a weighted arm rests to retard its movements.
2. The way in which such arm is made to act as a catch to hold the bracket back
whilst a band is being put into place around the pulley.
3. Apparatus constructed substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
the drawing annexed for maintaining a uniform tension upon the endless driving tapes
of spinning, twisting and other machinery.
Dated thin 17th day of January 1888
S. DEAR.