Improved Machine for Polishing or Finishing Thread.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machine for Polishing or Finishing Thread.
We, WILLIAM AYRTON, EDMUND NORBURY BAINES, and JAMES WILLIAM
SCHMIDT, all of the Firm of William Ayrton & Co., Engineers & Machinists,
Gorebrook Ironworks, Longsight, Manchester do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our said invention consists in the improved arrangement and combination of
the different organs composing a machine for polishing or finishing thread, of the
type known as a bobbin-to-bobbin thread polishing machine, with which the
threads are sized and polished during their passage from one set of bobbins to
another set of bobbins.
According to our said invention, all the working parts and appurtenances of
the machine are mounted upon one frame, having the entire complement of
spindles which hold the bobbins from which the threads are drawn off, hereinafter
called winding-off spindles, on one side of the frame, and all the spindles con-
trolling the bobbins upon which the polished threads are wound, hereinafter called
winding-on spindles, on the other side of the frame, with the starch-trough, squeez-
ing rollers, guide rollers, guide rails, brushing cylinders, taking-off rollers, steam-
heating piping, and other necessary parts fixed to the frame in such a manner
that the threads pass from the bobbins on the winding-off spindles in direct line.
without coiling or spiral movement, downwards and upwards until they are wound
upon the bobbins by the winding-on spindles.
Dated this 10th day of September 1897
WILLIAM AYRTON.
EDMUND NORBURY BAINES.
JAMES WILLIAM SCHMIDT.
Improved Machine for Polishing or Finishing Thread.
We, WILLIAM AYRTON, EDMUND NORBURY BAINES, and JAMES WILLIAM
SCHMIDT, all of the Firm of William Ayrton & Co., Gorebrook Ironworks, Long-
sight, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. Engineers and Machinists, 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 that type of machine for polishing or finishing thread
known as a bobbin-to-bobbin machine in which the threads are first sized and
then polished or finished by revolving brushes as they pass from one set of bobbins

page_text: to another set, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved arrange-
ment or combination of parts for efficiently carrying out the finishing process
referred to.
Hitherto in machinery of this type it has been the practice to arrange the
bobbins containing the thread to be polished on a frame or creel quite separate
from the polishing machine proper and to lead the thread therefrom to the polish-
ing machine and winding-on frame. This class of machine takes up a considerable
amount of floor space. "In other machines where the winding-off and winding-on
bobbins have been combined, or partially combined on one frame, the thread in
passing from one set of bobbins to the other set has been coiled or wound round
guides in hank form, thereby preventing the threads from being readily pieced-up
when broken, and causing loss of time in the starting of new threads.
Our invention is designed to obviate these defects and consists essentially in
the combination of all the elements or different organs necessary to effect the
⚫ efficient polishing or finishing of sewing thread or the like in one machine, the
arrangement of such parts or organs being entirely different to that existing in
the machines hereinbefore referred to, whilst it at the same time allows the thread
to be taken from the winding-off bobbins, over the brushing cylinders and direct
to the winding-on bobbins without resort to a coiling or spiral movement.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings indicate most clearly the manner
in which the improved machine is constructed. From these it will be seen that
the whole of the working parts are arranged, or supported, on a frame A, consist-
ing of end frames coupled together in a suitable manner, chiefly by the spindle
rails B and board or plate C for supporting the winding-off bobbins D). The
latter are mounted on spindles fixed to the board or plate C, and the threads are
led from them over a guide rail c, through guide eyes d, to a size immersion
roller E, journalled in the end frames A, and driven by the inclined shaft F and
spur and worm gear from the main driving shaft G of the machine. e is the size
trough and a weighting or pressure roller for keeping the thread in contact with
the roller E and for expressing surplus size. The thread is led from roller f
under a guide rod a which can be adjusted so as to keep the thread in contact
with a revolving brush 9 mounted on the driving shaft, this brush serving to
distribute the size on, and remove surplus size from, the thread as it passes upward.
On leaving the guide rod the thread is conducted to a central grooved guide
roller H mounted in adjustable bearings, and whose position is such that the thread
may be passed over it and taken in a downward direction to a guide roller J near
the foot of the framing A. This arrangement enables the thread to be brought
into contact with four, or more, brushing or polishing cylinders K journalled in
the framing A and driven by straps or other suitable means, from the shaft G.
The thread comes into contact with the top cylinder K twice as will be seen from
Fig. 2. Adjustable guide rollers k keep the thread in contact with the brushing
cylinders K. The guide roller H is given a longitudinal differential traverse by
suitable means that is to say it is traversed backward and forward longitudinally
so that it never remains in one position for any length of time-so that the thread
may be effectively polished or finished by being brought sideways into contact
with the bristles of the polishing or finishing cylinders K. Another object of
the motion is to traverse the threads in order to get the fullest drying power by
not running them in one place constantly.
The guide roller J and roller L form taking-off rollers for pulling the thread
forward, their action being similar to the rollers E and f. The former rollers are
geared to the latter by means of a chain h and spur wheels -one of the latter
being a change wheel so that they may be driven at a speed slightly in excess of
rollers and and so put the necessary tension on the thread. On leaving the
rollers J and L the thread is conducted to the lifting or guide rails M which are
provided with guide eyes for directing the thread to the winding-on bobbins N.
The rails M, are mounted on rods m actuated by cams n to give the requisite length
of traverse for winding the thread on the bobbins N. The latter are mounted

page_text: loosely upon their spindles which are driven in the usual way by bevel gearing.
P are the driving pulleys of the machine, p the strap fork and Q a steam heating
pipe. The latter is built into the frame A and forms a stretcher for the bottom
portion of the machine. The whole of the parts may be driven in any con-
venient manner.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the thread is led in a direct
manner from the winding-off bobbins to the brushing or polishing cylinders and
thence to the winding-on bobbins, without resorting to a coiling or spiral move-
ment of the thread. This allows the broken ends to be pieced up or new ends put
through more readily than in the combined, or partially combined, machines before
referred to and the general control of the machine to be more efficient on account
of its compactness than is possible with the separated machines herein before
referred to. In addition to these advantages the improved construction of machine,
spindle for spindle, occupies considerably less floor space than the machines
hitherto in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it to be clearly
understood that we lay no claim to any of the separate elements or organs referred
to but that on the other hand what we do claim is:-
1. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts forming our
improved thread polishing or finishing machine substantially as hereinbefore
described and with the object specified.
2. A machine for polishing or finishing thread constructed and arranged sub-
stantially in the manner described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of June 1898.
WILLIAM AYRTON.
EDMUND NORBURY BAINES.
JAS. W. SCHMIDT.