Modern Cotton Spinning Machinery, Its Principles and Construction

by Joseph Nasmith

Fig. 187.J.N.

(367) Referring now to Figs. [185], [186], and [187], the mechanism will be easily understood, and, as described, is common to most machines made at present, the illustrations being those of the machine as made by Mr. Samuel Brooks. Fig. [185] is a front, Fig. [186] an end view, and Fig. [187] a transverse section of the machine. A detached and enlarged view of one spindle and its necessary roller stand and lifting mechanism is given in Fig. [188]. The roving bobbins B are placed in a two-height creel, and are conducted to the three lines of rollers carried by the stand A. From the front roller the roving passes through the wire eye E, fixed in a wooden board known as the “thread board,” to the ring F, which is held by a suitable clip on a rail extending the length of the frame, and known as the “ring rail.” The thread boards are hinged, and can be simultaneously thrown up by the levers I and their connecting rods, which are worked from the end of the frame. The spindle C is, as shown, self-contained, and is fastened into the “spindle rail” G by a nut. The top rollers are weighted by a stirrup, lever H, and weight M, ordinarily but not invariably. The spindles are driven by bands from the tin rollers in the centre of the machine, and the cop or spool is built by the reciprocal traverse vertically of the ring rail. The ring is approximately of the section shown in Fig. [188], and has slipped on to it the traveller. Without stopping to inquire at present the precise action of the latter, it is sufficient to say that the yarn is passed through the traveller on its way to the bobbin, and it is evident that as the ring is raised or lowered the yarn will be wound on the corresponding portion of the spindle. Specially referring now to Fig. [186], the vertical reciprocal motion of the rail G is obtained from the cam E, which is keyed on the same shaft as the wheel D, driven by the worm A, which derives its motion from the main shaft. Each revolution of E depresses the lever in contact with it, the weight of the ring rails and their attachments keeping the cam and lever in contact. The chain attached to the axis of the wheel D is thus unwound from a pulley, which being fixed on a longitudinal shaft causes the latter to rotate. On the shaft small pulleys H are keyed, to which the ends of chains, the other ends of which are attached to the lower ends of vertical rods or “pokers” sustaining the ring rail, are fastened. It is a common practice, instead of using this chain arrangement, to key levers on the shaft, the free ends of which come under the feet of the pokers. An arrangement of this character is shown in Fig. [202]. The rotation of the shaft obtained in the manner described raises the ring rail, the descent being obtained by gravity, but is regulated as to speed by the shape of the cam E. As this reciprocal movement is only about 1³⁄₄ to 2 inches, while the length of the cop or spool spun is five or six inches, it will be seen that the ring rail must be slowly raised and a fresh starting point at each lift of the rail be obtained. This is effected by means of a ratchet motion automatically operated by the rise and fall of the lever. The rotation of the ratchet wheel is communicated through a train of gearing to the wheel I, and the chain connecting I and H is thus wound on to the former and from the latter. In this way a limited rotation of the shaft to which H is attached is effected, and the lift of the pokers commences gradually at a higher point. This elevation of the ring rail is of course a very slow one, but it is always taking place, and the result is that a thoroughly well built cop is obtained.

Fig. 185.J.N.

(368) The history of the ring frame is interesting, and keeping in mind the fact that a stationary annular ring is an essential feature of a machine of this description, no earlier date than 1828 can be assigned to it. In that year a patent was granted in the United States to one J. Thorp, who invented a ring somewhat resembling that in Fig. [201]. The ring was in two pieces, and a groove was thus formed in which a solid hoop was placed. The yarn was conducted between the two rings, and was drawn round the periphery of the hoop by the pull of the spindle. In the next year a patent was taken out in the United States by Messrs. Addison and Stevens, in which the first mention is made of a traveller. The first patent taken out in this country was by Messrs. Sharp and Roberts in 1834, the next by C. de Bergue in 1836, and after that by J. G. Bodmer in 1837. In 1847 Messrs. John Platt and Thomas Palmer took out letters patent for spinning cops on a spindle similar to a mule spindle by the aid of a ring and traveller, a task which is not even yet accomplished. After this date nothing was done in this direction for some time, and inventors in this country appear to have dropped the subject, while in America it received much greater attention, and was finally brought to a successful conclusion there.

(369) In the year 1866 Messrs. J. and P. Coats and Messrs. Clark and Co., both of Paisley, and both having mills in America, introduced into this country short sample ring frames for the purpose of twisting sewing cottons, and in February 1867, Messrs. J. and P. Coats ordered from Messrs. P. and J. Mc.Gregor, of this city, eight sample frames of 238 spindles, each for doubling purposes. In May of the same year Messrs. Clark ordered from the same firm a sample frame, and during that and immediately succeeding years many repeat orders were executed by Messrs. Mc.Gregor. Messrs. Wm. Higgins and Sons, of Salford, also made machines on the American pattern for the same firms, and for the United States. In June, 1867, Messrs. Mc.Gregor made for Messrs. Knowles, of Burnley, a ring spinning frame, all those previously referred to being for doubling, and in October, 1869, they made for Messrs. John Dugdale and Bros., of Lowerhouse, near Burnley, fourteen frames of 364 spindles each. The author is not aware of any earlier actual use in this country on a large scale of ring frames either for spinning or doubling. At the latter end of 1872 Mr. James Blakey, a representative of Mr. Samuel Brooks, paid a visit to the United States, and there investigated closely the use which was being made of the machine. It is extremely probable that shortly before this time accuracy of workmanship was being better attained in the manufacture of these frames, and at any rate the renaissance of this as a spinning machine began about 1866. Mr. Blakey very fully studied the machine in its original home, and he became so imbued with a belief in its possibilities that he advocated its modern use with great earnestness to Mr. Brooks, who, being convinced of the future success of the machine, began its manufacture with considerable energy, and soon established a large business in it for doubling sewing threads. It was not however until the difficulties arising from the use of the ordinary spindle were overcome that the machine became unequivocally successful. This special point need not now be enlarged on, as it will subsequently be dealt with in detail. It is worth noting, however, that the first extensive use made of these frames was for doubling and not for spinning.

(370) The general description and history of the machine just given will convey a fairly accurate idea of its development, and the details of the machine can now be dealt with. The drawing rollers being common to all spinning machines no further description than that given need be furnished; but a reference to Fig. [188] will show that the roller stands, the thread board mechanism, and the relation of the spindle and ring are the chief points requiring explanation. It will be convenient, therefore, to consider these details in their order, and afterwards to deal with a few special points arising. As will be noticed, the roller brackets A are formed so that a line drawn through the axes of the rollers is at an angle with the horizontal. This has been found to be absolutely essential in order to obtain good work, and for this reason. It has been noted, and is well known, that the number of turns per inch put into the yarn depends on the relative speed of delivery of the rollers, and the revolution of the spindle. Now, in order to ensure that the twist shall be put in the entire length of yarn from the spindle to the rollers, it is essential that no portion of it shall be held in any way by any part of the mechanism, but should be quite free to receive the twist from the spindle to the nip of the front rollers. But if the rollers were in a horizontal plane, a certain portion of the yarn would be pressed against the bottom roller for about a fifth of its circumference. This is detrimental, because the twist cannot run up to the nip of the rollers, but is remedied by giving the roller stand the inclination referred to. In a lesser degree the same evil arises if the yarn passes through the wire eye E in the thread board at too acute an angle. To obviate this, it is now the practice to adjust the brackets A so that the nip of the front rollers is almost vertical to the spindle. The amount of the inclination of the roller stand varies according to the class of yarn to be spun, and whether the rollers are self-weighted or are pressed downwards by saddle and weights. If, for instance, weft is being spun, the number of turns per inch being less in this way than in warp or twist, and the yarn being correspondingly softer, the inclination is about 35°, while in the case of twist it will vary from 25° to 35°. Different makers alter this inclination to suit different requirements, and there are variations existing in it from 5° to 35°, but the angles given are usual ones. The thread boards are arranged, as described, to be lifted simultaneously by means of a lever, this being necessary when the frame is being doffed or stripped of its bobbins when the latter are full, the doffer being thus enabled to give a straight lift to the bobbin and avoid any straining of the spindles.

(371) The chief feature is, however, the relation of the spindle and ring to each other, and their special construction. It is essential that the spindle should be so fixed in its sustaining rail as to be truly vertical, and when its construction is dealt with it will be seen how perfectly this is obtained. The ring must be attached to the ring rail so as to be absolutely concentric with the spindle, and on the actually efficient performance of this duty depends very largely the success of the machine. Bearing these two points in mind, it will be convenient to deal first of all with the special construction of the spindle. As would naturally be expected, the first form used for this purpose resembled a throstle spindle without the flyer, or a mule spindle, but eventually the shape adopted generally was that which is shown in Fig. [189], the bobbin being also very light. A good many modifications took place, but in every case the bobbin was pressed on to the spindle above the top bearing or bolster. In 1870, however, Mr. J. H. Sawyer, of Lowell, Mass., patented the spindle bearing his name, and which was introduced into this country under the name of the “Booth-Sawyer.” The main principle of this form was the provision of a means by which the top bearing was carried up inside the bobbin B, thus sustaining it at a higher point than had been before possible. Referring to Fig. [190] the bolster A is formed as a hollow tube extending upwards from the rail, and having at the upper end a phosphor bronze bush, which acts as the bearing. A spiral groove is formed in the bolster by means of which the oil, being fed at C and held in the chamber D, is carried upwards so as effectually to lubricate the spindle. Special provision is made for the footstep, and both bolster and footstep are supplied with covers. The Booth-Sawyer spindle is beyond doubt an efficient one, and constituted a very great advance on those previously used. The position of the top bearing was higher than in any previous form, and it does not require any long comment to demonstrate the value of this improvement. It must be noticed, however, that it is necessary to oil every day, and that there are two bearings which are fixed in rails quite independently of each other. In spite of these defects, however, the Booth-Sawyer spindle has done, and is doing, excellent service in this country and elsewhere, and so far as output is concerned, is quite equal to any other spindle in the market.

(372) As has been previously stated, the most essential point in the successful construction of a ring frame is the preservation of the exact concentricity of the spindle and ring. If this is destroyed a very detrimental effect is produced, and it does not need to be pointed out that where there are two bearings to a spindle each of which is attached to a different rail, the difficulty of preserving a correct vertical alignment is very great. For these reasons the introduction of the Rabbeth spindle into this country by Messrs. Howard and Bullough about the year 1874 led to its wide adoption, and the practical supercession of the Sawyer, and gave a great impetus to this system of spinning. The principle of the Rabbeth is that of the Sawyer so far as the position of the upper bearing is concerned, but it has the further merit of being entirely self-contained. The latter feature was not new in the annals of British invention, but it was never thoroughly worked out nor made a success in this country until the firm just named took up the Rabbeth spindle. Students who desire to take up the history of this subject, can refer to a patent granted to William Wright in 1836, and also to one obtained by David Cheetham in 1857. The Rabbeth is entirely self-contained, its construction being that illustrated in section in Fig. [191]. The spindle B revolves in a case or bolster C made of cast iron, which acts as a bearing for the spindle both at its upper and lower portions. The bolster is formed with a flange, as shown, and is accurately turned and bored all over. It has its shank screwed with a fine thread, so that when passed through the hole in the spindle rail, it can be firmly fixed in position by the nut shown. As the underside of the flange is quite square with the hole in the bolster, it follows that the spindle rail being planed on the top, the bolster case C will be in a perfectly vertical position. The spindle B is borne by a bronze bush at C, and by the footstep at F, the case being recessed so as to form a chamber containing such a quantity of oil that the necessity for lubrication more than once in six months is obviated. Fitting on the spindle is a sleeve with a warve or grooved pulley at its lower end as shown at E, the sleeve being bored with a conical hole and being tightly pressed on the spindle. The driving band passes round the warve and thus rotates the sleeve and consequently the spindle. A brass cup D is placed on the lower part of the sleeve, into which the foot of the bobbin is pushed, the upper part fitting the spindle as shown at A. In this way the bobbin is positively driven, and the pull of the band being low down, the spindle can be run at a high speed with great steadiness. The sleeve is prevented from lifting by the hook G, which is carried in a small specially balanced frame suitably pivoted so as to allow of the sleeve being removed easily when required. This device is a patented one of Messrs. Howard and Bullough’s, and is one of the best for the purpose. Various modifications of the Rabbeth spindle have been made, including the Dobson-Marsh, which provides for a readier means of oiling by taking off a cap at the lower end of the spindle and thus allowing the dirty oil to run away, this necessitating pumping out in the Rabbeth. In all essential features the Rabbeth may be taken as the best type of self-contained spindle, in which the spindle proper is sustained by rigid bearings, and one of its chief merits is that it can be readily adjusted so as to be quite true with the ring. As a matter of fact this was practically the only advance noticeable in the Rabbeth over its predecessors, and was not perceived even by its inventor until after spindles made under his first patent had been working some time.