A METHOD OF MAKING A SWIFT, AND OTHER APPARATUS.THERETO BELONGING, FOR THE PURPOSE OF WINDING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1824

page_text: JEFFERIS & DRAKEFORD'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
JEFFERIS, of Havannah Mills, near Congleton, Silk Thrower, and EDWARD
DRAKEFORD, of Congleton, Watch Maker, both in the County of Chester, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, did
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and twenty-four, in the fifth year of His reign, give and grant unto us,
the said Charles Jefferis and Edward Drakeford, our exors, admors,
and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority,
that we, the said Charles Jefferis and Edward Drakeford, our exors, admors,
and assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "A METHOD OF
MAKING A SWIFT, AND OTHER APPARATUS.THERETO BELONGING, FOR THE PURPOSE
OF WINDING SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS;" in which said Letters Patent.
thero is contained a proviso that if we, the said Charles Jefferis and Edward.
Drakeford, or one of us, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the.
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand.
and seal of one of us, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately.

page_text: after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent
and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly
cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the same, relation being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I the said
Charles Jefferis, do hereby declare that the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, (reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed (that is to say):—
Fig. I. is a representation of the swift, with the tubes of the arms and the
cylindrical box laid open to shew their interior; and Fig. 2 is an external
front view thereof, the same letters of reference indicating the similar parts in
both the Figures. A, A, &c. are the six tubes or sheaths of the arms of the
swift, made of tinned iron plate, or any other fit and proper material. These
are united by soldering, or by any other proper means, with the central box or
cylinder B, into which they enter a certain space. Within the sheaths, A, A, &c.
the six arms with toothed racks C, C, &c. slide, and are guided externally by
means of the contracted outer. ends of the sheaths, A, A, &c. being made to
fit the arms accurately, and the armis. are bent as shewn in Fig. I., so as to
receive the toothed pinion D between the racks in the centre of the swift,
and by turning which pinion either way, more or less, the arms are uniformly
extended or contracted as required to suit the different hanks of silk, &c.
to be wound upon the machine. Across the exterior end of each arm C, C,
&c., the curved pieces of metal E, E, &c. are firmly secured, and upon
these the hank of silk is placed,: having previously contracted the arms to.
receive it, and then extended them to a proper degree by turning the pinion
D in the manner to be hereafter described. F is the axis of the swift with.
the pinion D. firmly affixed upon it. In order to give a clear idea of the
construction of the central box B, and of the mannor of fitting the axis.F,
and the pinion D within it, Fig. 3 is added, which is a longitudinal section
of the box, with parts of one rack C, and two of the sheaths A, A, the axis
F and the pinion D in their places. G is the fixed end plate soldered or
otherwise secured to the cylindrical rim of the box B, and made concave, as
shewn in the section. It has a hole II in its centre, which accurately fits upon
the cylindrical axis F. I is another circular plate, also soldered or otherwise
affixed within the box. B to strengthen and support it, and having a circular
hole J also in its centre, large enough to permit the pinion D to pass freely
through it. Upon the open end of the box B, the metal plate K is fitted
either by means of a circular groove L, L, turned in the inner face of the

page_text: plate which receives the border or rim of the box B-within it, or it may
be made to shut over it; and a socket-M is also formed with it, having a
hole in its centre; which fits upon the axis F, and is united therewith 'by
means of the pin N. being driven through holes made in the socket and-axis
to receive-it. The rim or border of this plate K is milled, corded, or
otherwise made rough all around it. Another pin O; likewise driven into a hole
made in the axis F, retains the axis in its place within the box: B..on turing
the plate K more or less, by means of its corded, milled, or otherwise rough-
ened border or rim, and at the same time holding the sheaths still. The arms
C, C, &c. are uniformly extended or contracted by the action of the pinion
D upon the toothed racks of the arms. The three, pairs of sheaths, enclosing
the six arms within them, lie as. close to each other, as they conveniently can
do, and as shewn in Fig. 2; and the whole of the parts must be accurately
made and poized, so as to turn with steadiness when in use. In Fig. 2,
P, P, are two of the standards of the machine frame; Q, Q are the metal
bearings of the axis of the swift, shewn sideways in Figs. 4 and 5, with a
contrivance for producing friction on the ends of the axes in order to retard
the motion of the swift when required; but as this contrivance is not claimed
herein as our Invention, so any other mode may be adopted for obtaining the
same result.
Fig. 6 is a front view of a reel for winding or reeling silk or other
fibrous materials. It consists of a cylindrical metal tube R, R, with an axis
S, S, affixed in its center, in a similar manner as in the swift already described.
It has, however, two, three, or more sets of sheaths, arms, racks, and pinions,
according to the length of the reel, of the same kinds as those belonging
to the swift already described. It has likewise rails at the outer ends of the
arms. Upon one end of the axis S, S, a wheel or a circular plate T, with
caps around its periphery, is affixed; and to the end plate U a click or catch
V, and its spring W, are affixed, as shewn in Fig. 7, to secure the rails at
any required distance from the axis; or the same end may be accomplished
by means of a hole being made in the plate U, and a circle of holes to
correspond therewith in the wheel T, through any of which said holes a pin
being put will retain the rails firmly. The rails may either be made of wood
or any other proper materials, or of metal tube, as shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Jefferis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.
CHARLES (Ls.) JEFFERIS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-ninth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1824, the aforesaid Charles Jefferis came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that
purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.