IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK INTO THREADS REQUIRED FOR WOVEN FABRICS, FOR SEWING, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN MACHINERY TO BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bird, junior, of the City of Manchester, in the
⚫ County of Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK INTO THREADS REQUIRED FOR WOVEN FABRICS, FOR
SEWING, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN MACHINERY TO BE USED FOR THESE
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 29th August 1854, and dated the 20th March 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bird at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th March
1854.
I, JOHN BIRD, junior, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK INTO THREADS REQUIRED FOR WOVEN FABRICS,
FOR SEWING, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN MACHINERY TO BE USED FOR THESE
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
1. This Invention relates only to the manufacture of threads from the
natural thread or filament of the silk worm, formed by combining and twisting
the natural thread; and its intention is to accomplish this object in a
more direct manner and by fewer operations than are at present practised.

page_text: 2. There are several classes of threads required for woven fabrics, which
are distinguished by the names of ". singles," "tram," and "organzine."
3. In the first place, I will describe those processes which I believe, with
my present knowledge and experience, will be the best for producing the
above-mentioned classes of threads, and afterwards other alternative methods.
4. First operation:-I propose to wind the cocoons of the silk worm (and
at the same time to bring as many natural threads together as are required for
one thread) on to spools, bobbins, or cops.
5. The machinery to be used in this process is similar to the present wind-
ing machines used for silk, or to machines used in the preparation of cotton
yarns or threads for manufacture, provided with a trough or troughs, having
suitable compartments for the cocoons to be placed in while unwound, and
as a receptacle for the liquid used to facilitate the unwinding of the cocoons,
and also provided with an arrangement whereby the cocoons threads in passing
to the spools, bobbins, or cops may be dried or partly dried, such as boxes
heated by steam.
6. Or otherwise, if I have not the cocoons, I propose to take the silk in the
hank, subject it to the process of preparation, and wind it (as is now the
practice) on spools, bobbins, or cops.
7. During the process of winding, and in the passage of the filaments
from the cocoon or reel to the spool, bobbin, or cop, I also propose to
clean the filaments from lumps and other matters as much as possible, by
passing against or over a cloth covered clearer. brush, metallic edges, and glass
rods.
8. Second operation:-To produce singles in the hank, I take the spools,
bobbins, or cops, formed by operations described in paragraphs 4 or 6, and
place them on spindles, which are arranged in a frame, and I revolve the
spindles so as to put the necessary amount of twist in, and during the time
of twisting draw off the silk from the spool, bobbin, or cop by a reel at an
uniform speed, and in its passage from the spool, bobbin, or cop subject it to a
further cleaning by a similar arrangement to that alluded to in paragraph
marked 7.
9. The second operation when "tram" is required:-As many of the spools,
bobbins, or cops formed by the operation (paragraphs marked 4 or 6) as are
necessary to form the thread are placed on pegs or pins on a table, which is
supported on an axis, or they are placed on arms from the top of a spindle, by
revolving which the thread or filaments from each spool, bobbin, or cop is
intertwined or twisted with the others; the thread or filaments being unwound
from each spool, bobbin, or cop by a reel, as referred to in paragraph

page_text: marked 8, on to which the threads or filaments as combined are uniformly
wound.
10. The second operation when organzine is required:-As this thread
is constituted by threads similar to tram, made as described in the last
paragraph, this operation consists in combining the making of threads as
described in the last paragraph, and the intertwining together of as many
as are necessary for the thread required, at the same time and at one
operation.
11. This is accomplished by taking (I will suppose) as many of the spindles
or axles carrying the spools, bobbins, or cops for making tram, and placing
them in a frame mounted on an axis, so that each spindle or axle carry-
ing the spools, bobbins, or cops will revolve on its own axis as well as
round the axis of the frame; the revolving of the spindles will put the
twist in the individual strands of the threads, and the revolving of the frame
on its axis the combining twist. The spindles may be driven by toothed geer
or by bands, and the frame revolved in the opposite direction to the spindles
for twisting the individual strands.
12. It will be seen by what has been already explained that by two
operations either singles, tram, or organzine may be produced in the 'hank,
in which condition it is prepared for the subsequent operations of steaming,
soaping, boiling, dyeing, &c.
13. The alternative modes of producing organzine in the hank are the
result of three operations, but can be accomplished by less complicated
mechanism than that already described; it is as follows:-
"
14. The spools, bobbins, or cops are taken as produced by the first opera-
tion (see paragraph 4 or 6), and are treated as for the production of "tram
(see paragraph 9), except that the thread is wound on spools, bobbins, or cops,
instead of being wound on a reel.
15. Or the second operation is as described in the last paragraph, with this
difference, that as many threads of " tram as are required to form the thread
of "organzine" are brought together and wound from the spools, bobbins, or
cops, while twisted uniformly on one spool, bobbin, or cop, instead of each end
of "tram" being wound on a separate spool, bobbin, or cop.
16. In the third operation by this method so many of the spools, bobbins,
or cops (produced by the method described in paragraph marked 14) as are
required to form the combined thread are taken and placed on pegs or pins
on a table in a similar machine to that for making "tram" (paragraph
marked 9), and they are combined together into a thread by revolving the
table or frame in the reverse direction to that for making tram, which is

page_text: the only difference between the arrangement of the machine for "tram" and
for organzine.
17. Or if the second process is performed as explained in paragraph
marked 15, then the spool, bobbin, or cop thus: prepared may be treated in
the same manner and by a similar machine in which the second operation
for making singles is performed, with the exception of the reverse of the
.. twist.
18. Or otherwise the second process may be that described in paragraph
marked 15, so far as bringing the "tram" threads together which are required
to form the combined thread of organzine; but instead of winding it on a
bobbin direct, it must be passed between or around rollers uniformly revolved
(that they may draw off the thread from the spools, bobbins, or cops as it is
twisted), and then passed to a spindle and flyer acting upon the principle used
for twisting and winding in the throstle or roving frame, or to a spindle acting
for twisting and winding on the principle of the mule-spinning machine used
in the manufacture of cotton, which will give the reverse combining, twist
to the thread.
19. The organzine produced by the .last-described method would require
reeling to get it into hank, making three operations from the cocoon or
hank to hank.
20. In the manufacture of sewing threads and cords.
As a general.explanation, sewing threads will be manufactured from organ-
zine. or cords from sewing threads in the same manner and. order, and in
similar machines, in which tram or organzine is made from the single untwisted
filaments of the first-process.