IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WINDING, DOUBLING, AND TWISTING YARN OR THREAD
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Boyd and Thomas Alexander Boyd, of Shettleston,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WINDING, DOUBLING, AND TWISTING
YARN OR THREAD."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Boyd and Thomas
Alexander Boyd at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
24th June 1881.
JOHN BOYD and THOMAS ALEXANDER BOYD, of Shettleston, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
WINDING, DOUBLING, AND TWISTING YARN OR THREAD."
This Invention comprises further improvements in the details of machinery for
winding, doubling, and twisting yarn or thread of some of the kinds described or
referred to in the Specifications of Patents granted to the present applicants, and
of the following official numbers, namely, Nos. 323 and 3386 of 1880.
Some of the present improvements are applicable to combined doubling and
twisting mechanism, and in one modification comprising these improvements the
yarns pass downwards from bobbins to wire guides forming parts of detector levers,
and thence between two lower continuously rotating feed rollers and an upper feed
roller, which last when working rests upon the lower rollers. From the feed rollers
the yarns pass downwards through a guide which is in or on a lever, and thence to
the traveller of a ring held by the traversing rail; or instead of this "ring and
traveller the "flyer" or other twisting arrangement may be adopted. The
bobbin on which the combined yarns are wound whilst being twisted is on a
spindle, which runs in a long tubular bearing fixed in upper and lower rails or
flanges of a deep rail or rail frame. The stoppage of the feeding action and of the
twisting and winding actions when a yarn or thread breaks or fails is effected by
means of a vertical rod which passes up inside of the top front rail of the machine
and through a slot in the top of that rail, and bas fixed at its upper end a cradle,
31
TD 07

page_text: which when the parts are in the working position does not touch the top feed
roller nor interfere with the yarns passing round under it. When however the
vertical rod rises, its cradle lifts up the top feed roller a little and out of contact
from the lower rollers, and stops the feeding motion. Each of the cradles of a
series is made with an end projecting upwards, and the several ends separate the
top rollers from each other, whilst the top rollers are made with bevilled ends, but
without journals, so that one or more yarns can easily be entered under either end
of any of them.
The vertical rod is pressed upwards by a counterweighted lever supporting or
connected to its lower end, but it is kept down in the working position by a
vertical detachable catch plate fixed on its inner side, and which engages with a
similar but horizontal catch fixed on the top rail. On an arm formed on the
vertical rod and extending inwards there is fixed a small bracket or frame carrying
the detector levers, and the inner ends of these levers are near a continuously
rotating wiper shaft. As long as the operation proceeds properly the yarns hold
the detector levers with their inner ends clear of the wiper shaft; but on a yarn
breaking or failing, the inner end of the corresponding detector lever descends into
a position to be acted on by the wiper shaft, which then pushes the lever and
through it the vertical rod sufficiently forward for the catch plates to become
disengaged, whereupon the rod is raised by the action of its counterweighted lever.
When the vertical rod rises in this way it lifts the detector levers, so that their
inner ends, eveu when not held up by the yarns, are quite clear from the wiper
shaft. The counterweighted lever has its heavy part by preference shaped to serve
as a cradle for a pulley, which when the parts are in the working position is made
by the lever to bear against and tighten the driving cord; but when the vertical
rod rises and the weighted end of the lever descends, the cord becomes slack.
the same time a finger or projection on the rod nips and holds the driving cord
against a stationary finger or projection, and thereby stops the driving action on
the spindle. The fingers on the rod and on the frame are adjustably fixed and can
be placed for holding either part of the driving cord.
At
For the purpose of setting the parts in the working positions, the vertical rod is
formed with a front arm to which the hand lever is jointed, the inner end of this
lever catching upon the top front rail, or upon a projection thereon. This hand
lever is the lever herein before described as having the guide eye for the yarns, and
various advantages arise from its connection with the stopping details. When the
hand lever is raised by the vertical rod or otherwise, it affords a convenient space
for doffing or removing the bobbin.
In the modification herein before described the yarns pass through the guides or eyes
of the detector levers, before reaching the feed rollers; it is however sometimes
considered desirable to apply detector mechanism to be acted on by the yarns after
they have passed the feed rollers, either instead of or in addition to the other
detector mechanism. For the purpose thus indicated there may be a single
detector lever for the set of yarns which are being combined, or there may be a
separate detector lever for each yarn. Such detector lever is placed below the front
feed roller, and so that the strain of the yarn or yarns passing round a pin or
through an eye or curl on it keeps its upper end in a forward position, and it is
connected by a wire or flat link to a lever at the back, arranged to act like one of
the detector levers hereinbefore described as carried by an arm at the back of the
vertical rod.
In some modifications drop wires are substituted for the detector levers; and
when such wires are used there is a lever for the set of wires for each set of yarns,
this lever being formed with a palm or plate on which any wire drops when its
yarn breaks or fails and ceases to hold it up. The lever is carried by an arm or
bracket formed or fixed on the vertical rod, and formed with stops for limiting the
movements of the lever, and the lever operates in connection with a wiper shaft
like the detector levers in the modification first hereinbefore described. Each drop
wire is by preference made with a shoulder which prevents its yarn from lifting it

page_text: too high; and the wires pass up through notches in the edge of a horizontal plate,
against which edge a second plate is set, but so that when required it can be moved
sufficiently away to allow the shoulders of the wires to pass. These plates and the
guides for the drop wires are by preference placed in a bar or rail to which a
traverse motion it imparted to cause the yarns to continually change their positions
on the feed rollers, in order to equalise the wear on these rollers.
In combination with the drop wire detectors, clearer detectors may be employed,
such as are described in the earlier Specification hereinbefore referred to, and
numbered 3386 of 1880. The clearer detector levers are arranged to be acted on
by the yarns on their way downwards to the drop wires, and each clearer lever is
provided with a rod reaching down to the lever acted on by the drop.wires, so as
to act on that lever, and through it on the stopping mechanism when drawn down
by a lump, knot, or snarl on the yarn. Each clearer lever is made in a forked
form with each plate of the slit on the ends of the prongs, and in the same plane as
the prongs, and the split is varied by a screw moving the prongs nearer together or
further apart whilst a guide hook is fixed on one of the plates, to confine the yarn
to a particular part of the slit. This improved construction of the clearer may be
adopted in most cases in which clearers are used.
In some cases when drum winding machines, such as are described or referred to
in the applicants' carlier Specifications, are employed for winding silk or other fine
threads or yarns, it is desirable for the winding action to be stopped when there is
an increased strain from the thread or yarn being entangled or other cause. For
this purpose the slip lever of the drum winding mechanism is made with an upward
extension, having a guide eye or wire at its upper end, and the thread or yarn is
led from a guide above and in front of the bobbin backwards to the guide of the
slip lever, from which it has to proceed in a forward direction again to the bobbin,
so that the strain tends to pull the lever forwards. This tendency is resisted by a
suitable adjustable .counterweight adapted to the lever, but when the strain
becomes excessive the counterweight is overcome, and the lever is drawn forward,
so that it enters its slip between the bobbin and the drum, and thus stops the
winding action.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Boyd and Thomas Alexander Boyd in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd December 1881.
JOHN BOYD and THOMAS ALEXANDER BOYD, of Shettleston, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
WINDING, DOUBLING, AND TWISTING YARN OR THREAD."
FOR
Our said Invention comprises further improvements in the details of machinery
for winding, doubling, and twisting yarn or thread, of some of the kinds described
or referred to in the Specifications of Patents granted to us and of the following
official numbers, namely, Nos. 323 and 3386 of 1880.
Some of our present improvements are applicable to combined doubling and
twisting mechanism, and comprise a modification of the spindle bearings, a form of
cradle for the uppermost of three feeding rollers, and various improvements in the
detector and stopping details. Our Invention also comprises improved arrange-
ments of detector levers in front of the feed rollers; also improved arrangements of
and connected with drop wire detectors; also improved arrangements of clearer
detectors; and also improvements in drum winding machinery. Some of our
improved details are applicable in winding machinery of other kinds besides those
in connection with which they are herein described.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, we hereunto append three Sheets of explanatory
Drawings to be hereinafter referred to and representing examples of our improved
mechanism.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a transverse vertical
section of a combined doubling and twisting machine, and Figure 2 is a separate
view of one of the upper feed rollers and its cradle. Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2
are a plan and a vertical section of an arrangement with detector levers in front of
the feed rollers. Figure 5 is a vertical section showing stopping mechanism with
drop-wire and clearer detectors, and Figures 6 to 10 are separate views of parts
shown in Figure 5. Figure 11 on Sheet 3 is a transverse vertical section of a
drum winding machine as fitted with some of our improved details. In these
Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
In the machine shown in Figure 1 there are as usual transverse frame standards 12
at the ends and intermediately, and to these are fixed at each side of the machine a
longitudinal top rail 13 and a rail frame 14 formed with intermediate and bottom
flanges or rails 15, 16. The yarns to be doubled are drawn off bobbins 17 set on
spindles fixed in longitudinal boards 18 carried above the middle of the machine on
standards 19 fixed to the transverse frames 12. From the bobbins 17 the yarns
pass downwards to wire guides 20 forming parts of detector levers 21, and thence
between two lower continuously rotating feed rollers 22 and an upper feed roller 23,
which last when working rests upon the lower feed rollers 22. From the feed
rollers 22, 23, the yarns pass downwards through a guide which is on a lever 24,
and thence to the traveller of a ring 25 held by the traversing rail 20, or instead
of this "ring and traveller" the "Byer" or. other twisting arrangement may be
adopted. The bobbin 27 on which the combined yarns are wound whilst being
twisted is on a spindle which runs in a long tubular bearing 28 held in the
intermediate and bottom rails 15, 16, a pinching screw 29 being employed to fix
the bearing 28 when placed and adjusted in the holes or sockets formed for it in
the rails.
The stoppage of the feeding action and of the twisting and winding actions

page_text: when a yarn breaks or fails is effected by means of a vertical rod 30 which passes
up inside of the top rail 13 and through a slot in the top flange of that rail, and
has fixed at its upper end a cradle 31, which when the parts are in the working
position, as shown at the left-hand side of Figure 1, does not touch the top feed
roller 23 nor interfere with the yarns passing round under it.
When however the
vertical rod 30 rises its cradle 31 lifts the top feed roller 23 a little and out of
contact from the lower rollers 22 (as shown at the right-hand side of Figure 1)
and stops the feeding motion. Each of the cradles 31 of a series is made with an
end 32 projecting upwards, and the several ends 32 separate the top rollers 23 from
each other, whilst the top rollers 23 are made with bevilled or spherical ends but
without journals, so that one or more yarns can easily be entered under either end
of any of them.
The vertical rod 30 is pressed upwards by a counterweighted lever 33, supporting
or connected to its lower end, this lever 33 being centered on a bracket 34 fixed to
the intermediate rail 15; but the vertical rod 30 is kept down in the working
position by a vertical detachable catch plate 35 fixed on its inner side, and which
engages with a similar but horizontal catch plate 36 fixed on the top rail 13.
On an
arm 37 formed on the vertical rod 30 and extending inwards, there is fixed a small
bracket or frame 38, carrying the detector levers 21, and the inner ends of these
levers 21 are near a continuously rotating wiper shaft 39. As long as the operation
proceeds properly the yarns hold the detector levers 21 with their inner ends clear
of the wiper shaft 39, as shown at the left-hand side of Figure 1; but on a yarn
breaking or failing the inner end of the corresponding detector lever 21 descends
into a position to be acted on by the wiper shaft 39, which then pushes the lever 21
and through it the vertical rod 30 sufficiently forward for the catch plates 35, 36, to
become disengaged, whereupon the rod 30 is raised by the action of its counter-
weighted lever 33. When the vertical rod 30 rises in this way it lifts the detector
levers 21, so that their inner ends, even when not held up by the yarns, are quite
clear from the wiper shaft 39. The counterweighted lever 33 has its heavy part,
by preference, shaped to serve as a cradle for a pulley 40, which when the parts
are in the working position is made by the lever 33 to bear against and tighten
the driving cord 41; but when the vertical rod 30 rises, and the weighted end of
the lever 33 descends, the cord 41 becomes slack. At the same time a finger or
projection 42 on the rod 30 nips and holds the driving cord 41 against a stationary
finger or projection 43, and thereby stops the driving action on the spindle.
The fingers 42, 43, one on the rod 30 and the other on an arm 44 of the bracket 3+,
are adjustably fixed, and can be placed for holding either part of the driving cord.
Or instead of having the finger 43 on the fixed arm 44 adjustable, that arm inay
be formed with two fingers between which the rod 30 may pass, the one at the side
where the cord passes serving for the nipping action. The driving pulleys 45 and
the central longitudinal shaft carrying them are by preference placed, as shown in
Figure 1, with the tops of the pulleys at about the same level as the pulleys 40 on
the spindles, so that the upper parts of the driving cords 41 run horizontally or
nearly so, the other parts to which the tightening pulleys 40 are applied running
in inclined directions, with which arrangement the tightening action is more
conveniently obtained.
For the purpose of setting the parts in the working positions, the vertical rod 30
is formed with a front arm 47, to which a hand lever 24 is jointed, the inner end
of this lever 24 catching upon the top front rail 13, or upon a projection thereon.
This hand lever 24 is the lever hereinbefore described as having the guide eye for
the yarns, and various advantages arise from its connection with the stopping
details. When the hand lever 24 is raised by the vertical rod 30, or otherwise, it
affords a convenient space for doffing or removing the bobbin.
In the modification herein before described the yarns pass through the guides or
eyes 20 of the detector lever 21 before reaching the feed rollers 22, 23; it is
however sometimes considered desirable to apply detector mechanism to be acted
on by the yarns after they have passed the feed rollers, either instead of or in

page_text: addition to the other detector mechanism. For the purpose thus indicated there
may be a single detector lever for the set of yarns which are being combined, or
there may be a separate detector lever for each yarn. In the example shown in
Figures 3 and 4, there is a single detector lever 4S for the set of yarns, and this
lever 48 is placed in front, below the front feed roller 22, and so that the strain of
the yarns passing round a pin, or through an eye or curl on it, keeps its upper end
in a forward position, and it is connected by a wire 49 or by a flat link to a lover
50 at the back, arranged to act like one of the detector levers (21) herein before
described, as carried by an arm 37 at the back of the vertical rod 30. Detector
levers (21) to be acted on by the separate yarns before they reach the feed rollers
22, 23, may be combined with the front detector lever 48, and in Figure 3 the
small bracket or frame 38 carrying the lever 50 is represented as capable of also
carrying such detector levers (21) for the single yarns.
In the modification shown in Figure 5, in which drop wires 51 are substituted
for the detector levers (21), there is a lever 52, shown in plan in Figure 10, for
the set of wires for each set of yarns; this lever being formed with a palm or
plate 53 on which any wire 51 drops when its yarn breaks or fails and ceases to
hold it up. The lever 52 is carried or centered on an arm or bracket 37 formed
or fixed on the vertical rod 30, and formed with stops 54 (shown separately in
Figure 7) for limiting the movements of the lever 52; and the lever 52 operates
in connection with a wiper shaft 39 like the detector levers (21) in the modification
first herein before described. Each drop wire 51 is by preference made of thin
flat metal, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, with a porcelain lining in the guide
eye, and with small pins fixed across it to act as shoulders or stops, the upper one
preventing the drop wire from being raised too high by its yarn, and the other one
preventing it from descending unnecessarily far when dropped. The drop wires 51
pass up through notches in the edge of a horizontal plate 55 (two of which plates
are shown in plan in Figure 8), and against the edge of the plate or plates 55;
the edge of another plate 56 is set to keep the drop wires in the notches. The
last mentioned plate 56 is held by parallel links 57, and can be moved sufficiently
away from the notched plates 55 to allow of the drop wires 51 being got into or
out of their places. These plates 55, 56, and a bottom plate 58 are by preference
attached to a bar 59 to which a traverse motion is imparted (in any convenient
way), to cause the yarns to be continually changing their positions on the feed
rollers 22, 23, in order to equalise the wear on these rollers.
In combination with the drop-wire detectors clearer detectors may be employed,
such as are described in our earlier Specification hereinbefore referred to, and
numbered 3386 of 1880. A clearer detector lever 60 of this kind is shown in
Figures 5 and 9, being arranged to be acted on by the yarn on its way downwards
to the drop wire 51. The clearer levers are centered on a longitudinal rod 61, and
each is held up by a wire spring 62 coiled on the rod. The clearing slit is between
two plates which are on forked parts of one casting, and which are adjusted more
or less apart by means of a screw connecting them; and a wire 63 is jointed to
one of the plates and can be set in different positions across the slit, so as to make
the yarn pass at different parts at different times, and thereby distribute the
wearing action. Each clearer lever 60 has jointed to it a rod or wire 64 which
reaches down to the lever 52 acted on by the drop wires, so as to act on that
lever, and through it on the stopping mechanism when drawn by a lump, knot,
or snarl on the yarn. The wire 64 passes through a guide hole in a board or
rail 65, and is formed with shoulders to limit its movements. The improved
construction of clearer 60, shown in Figures 5 and 9, and hereinbefore described,
may be adopted in most cases in which clearers are used.
In some cases when drum winding machines, such as are described or referred to
in our earlier Specifications, are employed for winding silk or other fine threads or
yarns, it is desirable for the winding action to be stopped when there is an increased
strain from the thread or yarn being entangled or other cause.
For this purpose
we make the slip lever of our drum winding mechanism with an upward extension

page_text: having a guide eye or wire at its upper end, and the thread or yarn is led from a
guide above and forward of the bobbin backwards to the guide of the slip lever,
from which it has to proceed in a forward direction again to the bobbin, so that
the strain tends to pull the lever forwards. This tendency is resisted by a suitable
adjustable counterweight adapted to the lever, but when the strain becomes
excessive the counterweight is overcome and the lever is drawn forwards, so that
it enters its slip between the bobbin and the drum, and thus stops the winding
action. This improved stopping mechanism acting by the tension or strain of the
yarn or thread will be easily understood from Figure 11, in which will be recognised
many details of drum winding mechanism, shown and described in our carlier
Specifications. Each slip lever 66 is centered at its lower end, and has jointed to
it the slip 07 in a position to be entered horizontally between the winding drum 68
and the bobbin 69, but the lever extends further up, and has at its upper end a
guide eye or wire 70, through or behind which the yarn or thread passes. The
hank of silk or other yarn is shown as distended upon a pair of small reels 71, and
the yarn passes from the uppermost reel down outside of a longitudinal guide
rail 72, whence it proceeds in wards and downwards to the slip-lever guide 70, and
thence still downwards, but outwards again to the bobbin 69. The outward pull
of the yarn on the slip lever 66 is resisted by an adjustable counterweight 73
fitted to the bottom of the slip lever, but on the tension or strain becoming
excessive from any cause the counterweight is overcome, the slip lever drawn
forward, and its slip entered between the drum 68 and bobbin 69.
A clearer may
be fixed on the guide rod 72, as shown at 74, for each thread or yarn to pass
through when it is desired to cause a stoppage whenever a lump, knot, or snarl
occurs on the yarn or thread. The clearer will cause the stoppage by increasing
the strain acting on the slip lever 66 in consequence of its retarding or stopping
the passage through it of the yarn or thread.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but that what we believe to be
novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The combination of a spindle for twisting and winding with a long tubular
bearing (28) and with a pair of rails (15, 16), substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The improved construction of cradles (31) with end projections (32) for
separating and retaining the top feed rollers (23), substantially as herein before
described.
3. The arrangement of the catch plates (35, 36) or equivalents on the vertical
lifting rod (30), and top rail (13) for holding the said rod in the working position,
as hereinbefore described.
4. The forming or fitting of the vertical lifting rod (30) with parts carrying the
detector levers (21) or equivalent parts, as and for the purposes herein before
described.
5. The arranging of the detector levers (21) or equivalent parts in relation to
the wiper shaft (39), so as to cause a movement of the vertical rod (30), which
disengages it and allows it to rise, substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein before described.
6. The arranging of the parts so that the vertical rod (30) on rising lifts the
parts acted on by the wiper shaft (39) clear of that shaft, as hereinbefore
described.
7. The making of the heavy part of the counterweighted lever (33) in the form
of a cradle for the tightening pulley (40), as hereinbefore described.
8. The combining of the vertical lifting rod (30) with the hand lever (24), so
that the latter, when it has been moved automatically by the former or by hand in
the direction for stopping, replaces the parts in their working positions on being
moved back by hand, as herein before described.

page_text: 9. The forming or fixing of the last stationary guide, through which the yarns
or threads pass in or on the starting hand lever (24), such lever turning up to
facilitate doffing when moved for stopping the action, as herein before described.
10. The connecting of the last stationary guide (24) for the yarns or threads
with automatic stopping mechanism, so as to be turned up when a stoppage occurs,
as hereinbefore described.
11. The arranging of detector levers (48) in front of the feed rollers, and in
connection with automatic stopping mechanism, substantially in the manner
herein before described.
12. The arranging of drop wire detectors in connection with a traversing
bar (59), substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
13. The mode of retaining and guiding the drop wires hereinbefore described,
with reference to Figures 5 and 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
14. The combining of the balanced lever (52) having a plate (53) on which the
detector drop wires (51) fall with the vertical lifting rod (30), substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herciabefore described.
15. The combining of detector clearers (60) with a balanced lever (52) carried
by a vertical lifting rod (30), and arranged to be acted on by a wiper shaft (39),
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
16. The improved construction of detector clearer levers (60) herein before
described, with reference to Figures 5 and 9 of the accompanying Drawings.
17. The combination with automatic stopping mechanism of a lever or piece
acting thereon, so as to bring about a stoppage when the strain or tension of the
yarn or thread passing through or round a guide on the lever or piece is from any
cause increased beyond that for which the lever or piece is counterbalanced by an
adjustable weight or spring, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference
to Figure 11 of the accompanying Drawings.
18. The combination of a slip (67) for stopping the winding action by entering
between the drum (68) and the bobbin (69) with a lever (66) fitted with an
adjustable counterweight (73) and with a guide (70), on which last the yarn or
thread acts in proportion to its tension or strain, causing a stoppage when the
tension or strain becomes from any cause greater than that for which the counter-
weight is adjusted, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Alexander Boyd, on behalf of the
said John Boyd and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty-second day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
T. A. BOYD. (L.S.)