IM- PROVEMENTS IN SPINNING MACHINERY
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elisha Harris, of the City and County of Providence,
State of Rhode Island, United States of America, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SPINNING MACHINERY."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Elisha Harris at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1877.
ELISHA HARRIS, of the City and County of Providence, State of Rhode Island,
United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING MACHINERY."
This Invention relates to improvements in spinning machinery, and has reference
to the kind of spinning machinery known in the art as "ring spinning frames."
In the Drawing Figure 1 is a side view of a spindle provided with a bobbin and
the usual reciprocating ring rail, and also with one of my improved twisting devices
placed on the upper end of the spindle.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of a spinning spindle provided with one of my
improved twisters.
Figure 3 shows one of my twisting devices in a top view and also in section.
Figure 4 shows the application of my Invention to the ordinary ring spinning
frame by adding a stationary twisting ring at or near the top of the bobbin.
Figure 5 is a top and side view partly in section of another modification of the
twisting device.
Figure 6 is also a top and side view of a modification of one of my twisting
devices.
Figures 7 and 8 are also modifications of devices for twisting the yarn, all con-
structed and arranged to accomplish the same or nearly the same result.
The object of this Invention is to put the required amount of twist into the yarn
spun on a ring spinning frame as near the delivery rolls as possible, and to maintain
the length of yarn between the roll and the twisting device uniform, so that all the
yarn spun shall have an even and uniform twist, and shall be twisted within
a short length, so that short and inferior fibre may be spun into fine and even
yarn.
The Invention consists in the application of a twisting device to the ordinary
[Price 6d.1

page_text: ring spinning frame, in which a stationary revolving bobbin and a reciprocating
ring and traveller are used, above the traverse of the reciprocating ring, so that the
yarn shall be twisted as near to the rolls as possible, and the twisted yarn be wound
on the bobbin by the reciprocating ring and traveller.
Different devices may be used to carry this Invention into practice, and to adapt
the same to the different kinds of spindles or bobbins now in use, according to
the fineness of the yarn, the points of contact between which and the bite of the
delivery rolls the yarn is twisted may be closer to or further from the rolls, pro-
vided first, that its vertical position or the distance from the rolls be fixed; and
second, that it be at or above the vertical traverse of the reciprocating ring.
Several devices to accomplish the above are shown in the Drawing; others may
be easily arranged to suit peculiar constructions of the spindles or bobbins.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawing A is a rotating but non-reciprocating
bobbin B is the reciprocating ring and ring rail, on which a traveller is shown,
which as usual revolves on the ring being driven by the strain on the yarn caused
by the effort of the revolving bobbin to wind the yarn; C is the stationary bolster
rail, to which in this instance the bolster is secured in which the spindle revolves;
in other spindles a step rail is used, in which the lower end of the spindle rests,
and the whirl is placed below the bolster rail; E is the guide eye, through which
the yarn passes from the delivery rolls to the bobbin; F, F, are the drawing rolls;
and F, the delivery roll.
So far as described the arrangement is the usual arrangement of a ring spinning
frame, in which the traveller passing around the reciprocating ring twists the yarn,
and in which the length of yarn between the delivery rolls and the traveller con-
stantly changes, being longer or shorter, according to the temporary position of the
reciprocating ring. In a frame using a five-inch bobbin the length of yarn between
the bite of the delivery roll and the traveller is five inches more at the lowest than
at the highest traverse. As the drag on the yarn is the same on the longer and
less twisted portion, and as this longer yarn at the lower traverse is subjected to an
increased air drag the amount of twist in the yarn must be sufficient to stand this
drag, and must necessarily be much over twisted at all points above the lowest
traverse of the spinning ring. This excessive twist producing a hard yarn has
been the vital objection to ring spinning, and to overcome which I place at or near
the upper end of the bobbin the twisting device shown, in which a is a loosely-
fitting tube, which surrounds the spindle and rests on its top; b is a disc secured
to the tube a; c is a slit, eye, or carrier, in which the yarn rests; d is the
thread or yarn passing from the delivery roll through the eye E and slit c to
the traveller. When now the spinning machine provided with this twisting device
is set in motion the thread delivered from the slit or eye on the disc b, and also
through the traveller on the reciprocating ring, may be twisted either by the drag
of the yarn carrying the traveller around on the ring, and thus by the yarn
carrying the twisting device around with it, or the twisting device a, b, c, may
have sufficient adhesion on the spindle to be carried around with the same, and a
light traveller be used to be carried around by the twisting device, and the finest
yarn may thus be wound on a thin bare spindle or cop tube, the limited delivery of
the yarn by the delivery rolls producing the required drag on the yarn, and thus
winding the same, but all the yarn in either case will be twisted by the twisting
device, which being non-reciprocating and above the highest traverse of the reci-
procating ring will always twist the same length of yarn, and a much shorter length
than the ring and traveller will at their highest traverse.
It will be observed, first, that in a spinning frame provided with my twisting
device the yarn is twisted at a fixed point and near the delivery roll; second, that
the length of yarn twisted is always the same, and that the twist is uniform
throughout; third, that short fibre can be uniformly twisted, and so will give the
yarn the requisite strength and cohesion; and, finally, that the ring and traveller
simply winds the thread on the spindle, cop, tube, or bobbin, and for that purpose
has the necessary vertical reciprocating motion.

page_text: There are two extreme points to which this Invention may be carried, and these
.will illustrate the working of the same.
When a very fine number of yarn is to be spun and wound on a fine spindle or
on a quill or cop tube I provide the twister with a hook, as shown in Figure 5, and
place the same as close as possible to the eye E, so as to twist the yarn almost
within the guide or eye E. I use a light traveller and arrange the tube a so
that the spindle will twist and wind the yarn, and the ring and traveller will lay
it in close spirals on the spindle tube or quill, the disc b carrying the yarn and
traveller around the spindle.
The opposite extreme is when a bobbin is used, or when the cop or tube is nearly
full; the increased diameter will now drag the traveller and thus the twisting
device, but as all the thread between the bobbin and the twisting point is twisted,
and therefore strong, the finest quality of yarn may be wound on the bobbin, as the
same is able to resist all the required drag.
As the twisting is all done near to the delivery rolls, and as the length of the
sliver to be twisted is short and always uniform, yarn may be but slightly twisted,
and a soft even thread laid by the ring and traveller on the bobbin or cop, a
superior yarn may therefore be spun, having all the advantages of mule yarn, and
being produced by the continuous process of ring spinning.
For twisting low numbers of yarn an upper ring and traveller may be used,
which being stationary will uniformly twist the yarn; and the usual reciprocating
ring may be used to lay the same on the bobbin, as shown in Figure 4, in which
D is the stationary ring and c¹ the twisting traveller.
Figures 5 and 6 are twisting devices arranged to twist by bringing the point of
frictional contact to the centre of the spindle.
Figure 7 is provided with a knob, which when the yarn breaks has a tendency
to wind the end on the knob, so that the end can always be readily found. The
edge of the dise in Figure 7 may be smooth, and the device arranged to fit tightly
on the spindle, or at least tight enough to turn with the same, and the thread may
slip on the edge of the disc; or the device may be fitted loosely on the spindle and
the eye or carrier c¹ made in the edge of the disc; there may be one, two, or more
eyes c¹ in either of the devices.
Figure 8 represents a concaved disc b, which may be smooth and carry the
thread by frictional contact, or it may be provided with slits or eyes. This device
may be therefore arranged to turn with the same, the same as the one shown in
Figure 7. Either of the twisting devices may be supported on the portion of the
spindle projecting above the bobbin, or the same may be arranged as shown in
Figure 8 so as to partly enter the bobbin, and either turn with or on the spindle.
Bobbins in which the spindle does not extend to or near the top may be provided
with a cap or other device, on which the twister is secured so as to produce results
the same as shown and described herein.
Having thus described my Invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by
Letters Patent,―
First. In a spinning frame the combination with the revolving but non-recipro-
cating bobbin or spindle and the vertically reciprocating ring of means, substantially
as described, by which the yarn is twisted before it reaches the traveller on the
traversing ring, as and for the purpose described.
Second. The combination with the bobbin A and reciprocating ring B of the
twisting device a, b, c, arranged to twist the yarn before the same is wound on the
bobbin, as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The combination with a non-reciprocating bobbin or spindle of a non-
reciprocating twisting device arranged at or near the upper end of the bobbin, or
above the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The combination with the twisting device a, b, c, of the hook or eye a¹
providing a frictional contact arranged to twist the yarn above the bobbin, as and
for the purpose described.
Fifth. A twisting device driven by the spindle or bobbin, and provided with a

page_text: dished or concave smooth carrier located at or above the upper end of the bobbin,
and arranged to twist the yarn before the same is delivered to the winding device,
as described.
Sixth. A continuous thread spinning machine in which the thread is twisted as
near as possible to the delivery rolls and above the bobbin, by means substantially
as described and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elisha Harris, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
In the presence of
JOSEPH A. MILLER.
ELISHA HARRIS. (L.S.)