IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DRAWING- OFF APPARATUS OF GILL BOXES AND CARDING AND BALLING MACHINERY USED IN THE DRAWING AND CARDING OF WOOL, FLAX, Tow, SILK, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1874

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Henry Walton Whitehead, of Holbeck, in the
Parish of Leeds, in the County of York, a Partner in the Firm of
Taylor, Wordsworth, and Company, of the same Place, Machine.
and Tool Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DRAWING-
OFF APPARATUS OF GILL BOXES AND CARDING AND BALLING MACHINERY USED
IN THE DRAWING AND CARDING OF WOOL, FLAX, Tow, SILK, COTTON, AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."-A communication from abroad by
Messieurs Skene and Devallée, of Roubaix, in the Republic of
France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Walton White-
head at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 13th August 1874.
I, HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds,
in the County of York, a Partner in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth,
and Company, of the same Place, Machine and Tool Makers, do hereby

page_text: declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
DRAWING-OFF APPARATUS OF GILL BOXES AND CARDING AND BALLING MACHINERY
USED IN THE DRAWING AND CARDING OF WOOL, FLAX, Tow, SILK, COTTON, AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:
-
This Invention relates to the construction of an apparatus for folding
over the edges of slivers made of wool, silk, or other fibrous substances,
such slivers being made by the machines known as gill boxes or drawing
frames. The Invention is also applicable to other machines for working
these fibrous substances.
The Invention consists in the use of a kind of curved tongue made of
brass or other metal placed within a ring or circle of metal arranged at
a convenient distance from a triangular funnel, towards which the point
of the tongue is directed.
The folding apparatus is placed close to the rollers, where the bobbin
is made by rolling up the sliver, and the latter passes direct from a pair
of compressing rollers to the folding apparatus. The sliver is drawn
forward by the draught of the compressing rollers and passes in the first
place on to the curved tongue, which, acting in combination with the
ring, imparts to the sliver a semi-circular form. It then travels forward
on the curved metal tongue, which is made of diminishing breadth. It
then enters the triangular funnel or trumpet, which is likewise made of
diminishing breadth, and the effect is that the sliver is folded with the
edges inside and underneath, in which form it passes over a pair of
rollers and is wound upon the bobbin or passed through another pair of
compressing rollers, and thence into a sliver can.
Another improvement consists in an adaptation to the balling
apparatus of gill boxes, cards, or other drawing machinery of an
improved mode of adapting the weights which press on and hold down
the balls. Hitherto these weights have slidden betwixt brackets and
have had to be taken off and placed upon the shafts that drive the ball
rollers, by which means the weights become soiled or greased, and
convey the soil or grease to the sliver. By the improved plan the
weight is arranged to be moved vertically in guides adapted to the back
upright of the balling part of the machine so that the attendant is
enabled to raise the weight to the top of the back upright, and by simply
allowing it to fall backwards or into an inclined position the weight will

page_text: be held stationary so as to allow the attendant to take out the ball and
place another creel pin in its place, and then drop the weight down to
its former position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Walton Whitehead in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WALTON WHITEHEAD, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the
County of York, a Partnor in the Firm of Taylor, Wordsworth,
and Company, of the same place, Machine and Tool Makers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Walton Whitehead, Her
special licence that I, the said Henry Walton Whitehead, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Walton Whitchicad, 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 Ohannel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for 66 IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DRAWING-OFF APPARATUS OF GILL BOXES
AND CARDING AND BALLING MACHINERY USED IN THE DRAWING AND CARDING OF
WOOL, FLAX, Tow, SILK, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," being a
communication to me from abroad by Messieurs Skene and Devallée,
of Roubaix, in the Republic of France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Walton Whitehead, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Walton Whitehead, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
66
This Invention relates to the construction of an apparatus for folding
over the edges of slivers made of wool, silk, or other fibrous substances,
such slivers being made by the machines known as
gill boxes or
drawing frames.” The Invention is also applicable to other machines
for working these fibrous substances.
The Invention consists, firstly, in the use of a kind of curved tongue
made of brass or other metal placed within a ring or circle of metal
arranged at a convenient distance from a triangular funnel, towards
which the point of the tongue is directed.
The folding apparatus is placed close to the rollers where the sliver is
made, and this latter passes direct from a pair of compressing rollers to
the folding apparatus. The sliver is drawn forward by the draught of
a pair of compressing rollers, and passes in the first place on to the
curved tongue, which, acting in combination with the ring, imparts to
the sliver a semi-circular form. It then travels forward on the curved
metal tongue, which is made of diminishing breadth, and enters the
triangular funnel or trumpet, which is likewise made of diminishing
breadth, and the effect is that the sliver is folded with the edges inside
and underneath, in which form it passes over a pair of rollers and is
wound upon the bobbin (or passed through another pair of compressing
rollers and thence into a sliver can).
Another improvement consists in an improved mode of adapting to
the balling apparatus of gill boxes, cards, or other drawing machinery
the weights which press on and hold down the balls on the actuating
rollers. Hitherto these weights have simply been slidden down betwixt
brackets, and have had to be taken off and placed upon the shafts that
drive the ball rollers, by which means the weights have become soiled or
greased, and are thereby liable to transmit the oil or grease to the sliver.
By the improved plan the weight is capable of being moved vertically
in guides adapted to the back upright of the balling part of the machine,
and the parts are so arranged that the attendant is enabled to raise the

page_text: lines (in Figures 1 and 6), and is then enabled to lift out the ball of
sliver.
After replacing the filled ball with an empty bobbin or spool the
'attendant drops the weight e down again, and the bobbin being thus
pressed against the rotating face of the actuating rollers is ready to be
refilled.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, f is the curved metal tongue over which
the sliver, after leaving the front or drawing rollers (not shewn in the
Drawing) is passed. This metal tongue f is inclosed in the ring g, to
which it is secured at one end in any convenient manner.
The ring g
carrying the curved tongue f, is secured by studs i, i, to a plate h, which
carries the triangular funnel h¹, Figures 1, 4, and 5. The sliver after
passing through the ring 9 and over the curved tongue f, is drawn
through the triangular funnel or trumpet h¹, and is passed over the
revolving rollers c, c', and is wound on the bobbin or spool d, which is
rotated by friction of contact with the rollers c, c', as before mentioned.
By this means the sliver is folded with the edges inside and underneath,
as shewn in the diagrams, Figures 7, in either of which forms the sliver
is balled, either as shewn in the Drawing, or is passed between another
pair of compressing rollers, and from thence is delivered into a sliver
can.
Although I prefer for the purposes of my Invention to use the curved
tongue, hollow ring, and triangular funnel or trumpet in combination, I
do not confine myself rigidly thereto, as two only of these parts may be
used with advantage, but not so beneficially (in my opinion) as when all
three are combined and used as herein set forth.
Having now described my Invention of " Improvements in the
Drawing-off Apparatus of Gill Boxes and Carding and Balling Machinery
used in the Drawing and Carding of Wool, Flax, Tow, Silk, Cotton, and
other Fibrous Substances," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid,-.
First. Folding over the edges of the sliver by means of a curved
tongue or other equivalent device in combination with a hollow ring and
trumpet or one of them, as herein set forth.
Secondly. I claim the mode or modes herein set forth or any mere
modification thereof of adapting the pressing weights e to balling

page_text: machines, so that the weights may be held up while the balls of sliver
are being removed and empty bobbins or spools put in their place.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Walton Whitehead, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said
Henry Walton Whitehead, in the
HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said
Henry Walton Whitehead, in the
presence of
EDWARD WHITELEY,
Clerk to Mr. Tho'. Turner,
Solr.,
Leeds.