CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF YARNS DURING THE OPERATION OF SPINNING, WHICH TREAT- MENT IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN ROVING,' 'SLUBBING,' OR 'DOUBLING' MACHINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Blair, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Cotton Dealer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF YARNS DURING THE OPERATION OF SPINNING, WHICH TREAT-
MENT IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN ROVING,' 'SLUBBING,' OR 'DOUBLING' MACHINES."
Sealed the 3rd February 1860, and dated the 21st September 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Blair at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
September 1859.
I, JOHN BLAIR, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Dealer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF YARNS DURING THE OPERATION OF SPINNING, WHICH TREAT-
MENT IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN ROVING,' 'SLUBBING,' OR 'DOUBLING' MACHINES,'
to be as follows:-
The Invention consists particularly in the novel application of sizeing
matter or materials to yarns at a certain period of their manufacture prior to
or during the operation of spinning, that is to say, the yarns are to be
saturated with sizeing material between the front drawing rollers and the
spindles by means of a trough and rollers conveniently situated for the purpose,
the sizeing roller being .iu contact with the yarns.
And a second part of the Invention consists in the application of dyeing
materials or other liquids to yarns at such said period the sizeing, dying, or

page_text: other liquids being applied to the yarns by means of a suitable arrangement
of rollers and troughs, or receptacles for the liquids, through which they are
passed and placed at any required position or place in contact with the
yarns between the drawing rollers and spindles, such apparatus and treatment
being equally and similarly applicable to "roving," "slubbing," and
"doubling" machines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Blair in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th March 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
Blair, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Dealer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Blair, Her special licence that I, the said John
Blair, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Blair, 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
" CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF YARNS DURING THE OPERATION OF
SPINNING, WHICH TREATMENT IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN ROVING,' 'SLUBBING,' OR
⚫ DOUBLING' MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Blair, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Blair, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
I apply sizing, bleaching, or coloring matter to cotton, silk, flax, or other

page_text: fibrous materials at certain periods of their manufacture in order to size,
bleach,or color the fibres before they are twisted into rovings, yarn, or thread.
When it is only requisite to lay the fibres of cotton or other yarus, I apply a
solution of gum, boiled buffalo hide, or other suitable size to the slivers or
rovings whilst they are passing between the front or last drawing rollers of the
spinning or other machine, and before the twist has been put in by the revo-
lutions of the spindles. For laying the fibres and dyeing them at the same
time, I add the necessary coloring matter to the sizing materials, orifdesirable
the coloring matter may be used alone. When it is desired to bleach or
partially bleach the fibrous materials during the said operations of slubbing,
roving, spinning, or doubling it will only be necessary to apply suitable
chemical bleaching liquid to the fibres while passing through the machine.
It is evident that the sizing, coloring, or bleaching liquid may be applied in
various ways to the front rollers of the spinning or other machine, either by
allowing the present rollers to revolve in a trough containing the liquid, or by
the use of additional rollers or brushes, or other apparatus applied in any suit-
able manner so as to supply the rollers with the liquid; or the liquid may be
applied to the top rollers either from a tube or trough in such a manner as to
keep both top and bottom rollers continually moistened. My object being
to perform the processes of sizing, bleaching, and dyeing during the operation
of slubbing, roving, spinning, or doubling, thereby not only saving the time
and labor of consequently sizing, bleaching, and dyeing the yarn or thread,
but producing a better result, as the sizing, bleaching, or dyeing liquids being
applied to the fibres before the twist is put in become more thoroughly incor-
porated with them.
The plan I prefer, and which in practice will be found most convenient and
effectual, is as follows:-The sizing, bleaching, or dyeing liquid is placed in
glass tubes of any convenient shape and dimensions, which are supported
above the top rollers of the front drawing rollers, and are furnished with necks
or openings corresponding to the bosses of the top rollers, or to the number
of slivers or rovings passing between the drawing rollers; these necks or
openings are partially closed with corks and with picces of sponge, or other
porous material, to convey the liquid from the tube to the surface of the top
roller, which in revolving supplies it to the sliver or roving; the aperture
through which the liquid escapes can be enlarged or reduced according to the
supply required.
I prefer to make the tubes containing the sizing, bleaching, or dyeing liquid
of glass because it is incorrodable, and being transparent the attendant can see
when a fresh supply is required. The tube may, however, be made of earthen-

page_text: ware, or other suitable material. These tubes, with necks or openings, can
also be applied to the doubling machines, called twining machines, to apply
moisture to the flannel pad over which the yarns are drawn in passing to the
spindles or cops. When the machine to which the tubes are applied is
stopped, they are turned partly round so as to bring the necks upwards to
prevent the escape of the liquid; or the under clearer, which is sometimes
applied to machinery for preparing and spinning, will answer the purpose of
supplying the front rollers with the liquid.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention and the manner
in which the same may be perforined, I wish to remark that I am aware that
yarns have been sized during the operation of spinning before the date of this
Patent, but the size was there applied after the twist had been put in. I am
also aware that attempts have been made to apply moisture to the front
drawing rollers of spinning machines. I, therefore, do not claim as new the
application of size or moisture in spinning machines, but what I do claim as
my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and belief has not been
hitherto used within the realm is,-
First, the use and application of any liquid for sizing, bleaching, and dyeing
fibrous materials during the operations of slubbing, roving, spinning, and
doubling, as herein described.
And seco dly, the use of glass or other tubes, with necks or apertures for
applying moisture, size, or bleaching or dyeing liquids to the fibrous materials
passing through machines for slubbing, roving, spinning, and doubling, as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Blair, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.