CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF PREPARING AND MANUFACTURING SILK FOR WEAVING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1824

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Joun
HEATHCOAT, of Tiverton, in the County of Devon, Lace Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fifteenth day of June, in the fifth year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the shid John
Heathcoat, His especial licence that I, the said John Heathcoat, my exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Heathcoat, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also within all His Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS
OF PREPARING AND MANUFACTURING SILK FOR WEAVING AND OTHER PURPOSES;" in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
John Heathcoat, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to
be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of tho said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso. I, the said
John Heathcoat, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are described and
ascertained in the Plans annexed to these Presents and the following expla-
nation thereof (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in a machine or apparatus for combining into one
continued operation the processos of drawing off the silk from the cocoons and
twisting it into a thread without the intervening operations of hanking and
winding.
My first improvement is in the method of making that kind of silk thread
commonly called singles, and also of all other kinds of single-twisted threads of
silk, any number of which may be subsequently united and twisted to form
organzine or other varieties. A number of cocoons, varying according to tho
number of filaments of which the intended thread is to be composed, are to be
put, with a quantity of water at least sufficient to float them, into a basin
or boiler (a, Fig. 1 of the Drawings hereto annexed), underneath which
basin is a fireplace (6), by means of which the water is brought to a tempe-
rature sufficient to soften the gum, and thereby allow the thread to be wound
off the cocoons. The ends from the cocoons being brought together, the
thread (d) resulting from their union is to be passed upwards, first through
ono guido wire (c) and then through another (e) to a drawing-off cylinder or
barrel (f), round which it passes. The barrel is to be covered with cloth
or velvet, in order by its friction to insure the regular delivery of the thread
over a glass rod (9), and through a guide wire (h), to a spindle and flyer (i),
by which it is twisted and afterwards wound upon a bobbin (k). The
spindle (i) is put in motion by a band from a drum (2), upon the axis of
which is a pulley (m) which gives motion to the drawing-off cylinder (f) above
described by means of an endless strap (n). The rising and falling of the
bobbin () on which the silk is wound after being twisted is effected by the
action of a heart wheel (o) upon a lever (p), connecting rod (9), and copping
rail (r) in a manner common to spinning machinery. The heart wheel is
fixed on an axis which carries a toothed wheel (s), which is put in motion
by a train of wheels and pinions to be described hereafter. The lever (p)
abovo described has a friction roller (t), upon which the heart wheel acts,
and at the opposite end of the lever is hung a counterweight (u) to keep
the friction roller in contact with the heart wheel. Upon the same axis
with the drum (!) is a pinion (not seen in this Figure, but shewn at B, Fig. 2),
which acts in a toothed wheel (v), and on the axis of this toothed wheel is
another pinion (also not shewn in this Figure, but at C, Fig. 2) which acts

page_text: in a second toothed wheel (w) on the axis of which is a pinion (*), which
gives motion to the toothed wheel (s) on the same axis with the heart wheel,
as before described. Upon the axis of the drum (1) is a fast and loose
pulley (y,, shewn in Plan Fig. 2), by which the machine is put in motion
or stopped by means of a band communicating with the first mover of the
machine. Fig. 8 is a back view of some of the parts of the apparatus and
machinery, shewing the crossing of two threads at A, as usually practiced in
the preparation of raw silk. In all the Figures D, D, represent the frame
of the machine.
My second improvement is in the method of making that kind of silk
commonly called tram, which is usually prepared by twisting together two or
more threads of raw silk. My operation is accomplished by means of a ma-
chine and apparatus similar to that already described, excepting that whereas
in the former machine a spindle is provided to twist the thread from each set
of cocoons, in this machine one spindle only is provided for the twisting
together of two or more threads from two or more distinct sets of cocoons,
which spindle must be so placed that the two or more threads may converge
equally to the guide wire (h), through which they are conducted to the
spindle; see the front view, Fig. 4.
For the sake of perspicuity I have described my machines and apparatus
in their simplest form, as adapted only to one or two threads; but it is
obvious that by increasing the number of spindles, and repeating or extending
the drawing-off cylinders and other parts of the machines, they may be made
capable of drawing off and twisting any convenient number of threads.
To the Invention of the several parts of the machine or apparatus sepa-
parately considered, and which are referred to in the annexed Drawings, I
Jay no claim. These Drawings, with letters of reference attached to this
Specification, are for the purpose of shewing one of the forms of machine or
apparatus whereby my improved methods of preparing and manufacturing
silk may be practiced, and I give them by way of illustration, and to assist
those who may desire to use my Invention; but my claim is not restricted to
the particular forms and combinations here represented, but includes all other
forms and combinations of machinery or apparatus whereby silk can be drawn
off the cocoons and twisted into a thread by one continued operation without
the intervening operations of hanking and winding.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Heathcoat, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1824, the aforesaid John Heathcoat came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation 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 Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.