plates of sheet-iron are situated between these strips, e, e, and the beaters, f, f, which also consist of strips of wrought-iron, and are placed projecting along the drum and immediately above the junctions of the plates, the several parts, viz., the beaters, f, the iron plates which form the outside of the drum, the strips of iron, e, and the projecting pieces or ears, d, d, all are firmly bolted together, as seen in the drawings. The drum is mounted and driven, and the machine fed in the ordinary manner. In reference to this part of my invention I claim, constructing the drum or beating cylinder of thrashing machines of iron, as above described.

The third part of my invention consists in an improved arrangement of parts constituting a chaff-cutting engine. The several and separate parts of which the machine is composed are not in themselves new, but they are combined and arranged in such a manner as to constitute a more convenient and economical engine than those now in use.

My new chaff-cutting engine is shown in sheet 3, in which fig. 11 represents a side view.

Fig. 12, a front view; and

Fig. 13, a plan view. a, a, is the frame-work of the engine, and b, b, the fly-wheel mounted in front of the mouth of the furnace, and is furnished with two cuttingknives, c, c, which are firmly bolted thereto. The material to be cut into chaff is fed forward by the fluted rollers, d, d, which have an intermittent motion communicated to them by means of the clicks or catches, e, e, which take into and drive the teeth of the ratchet-wheels, ƒ, ƒ, which are mounted on the axles of the fluted rollers, d. The catches, e, are worked up and down by the rods, g, g, the lower ends of which are connected to a lever, h, which is worked by the crank, i, and crank roll, j. The crank, i, is on the driving shaft of the engine, and rotary motion is communicated thereto from a winch handle, k, in connexion with the fly-wheel, and at the opposite end of the driving-shaft a pinion, , is mounted, and gears into a corresponding pinion, m, so that by placing another winch on the axle of the latter, additional power may be employed to drive the machine. The fluted rollers, d, d, turn in slotted bearings, as seen in the sectional view, fig. 14. They are kept in contact with each other by means of the weighted lever, u, so that they may yield to an acci

dentally increased thickness of feed, and not choke or work hard, as will sometimes be the case with the ordinary chaff engines. The length of the chaff is regulated by altering the position of the connecting-joint of the rod, j, along the lever, h.

In conclusion, I wish it to be understood, that I am aware that various parts of which my improved chaff engine is composed have been heretofore employed for similar purposes, I do not therefore claim any of the said parts separately. But I claim the peculiar arrangement and combination herein described and shown in the drawings hereunto annexed.-In witness, &c.

Enrolled May 25, 1844.

RICHARD GARRETT.

Specification of the Patent granted to JAMES CHAMPION, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, and THOMAS MARSDEN, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Makers, for Improvements in Drawing, Winding, and Spinning Cotton, and other Fibrous Substances.-Sealed December 28, 1843.

WITH AN ENGRAVING.

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c., &c.Our improvements in machinery for preparing and spinning cotton, and other fibrous substances, are,

First, by a novel application of material and mechanical arrangement, to produce a pressing roller for the drawing of the various fibrous substances, that will be less liable to get out of repair than those now in use, and at the same time sufficiently elastic as to give such a surface of adhesion on the roller on which it presses, as is sufficient to produce the desired effect; and,

Secondly, by a new arrangement and combination of mechanism applied to the throstle principle of spinning (that is, the principle where the yarn is wound on the bobbin as it is twisted), to produce a more steady and regular tension or drag to the thread as it proceeds from the roller to the bobbin, and also to gain increased velocity in the spindle without vibration.

It is well known to all practical spinners, that as the fibres leave the drawing rollers, there ought to be a certain tension or strain put on them during the process of twisting, and also that the more equal this tension is, the more equally will the yarn be twisted, and consequently be better and stronger. The ordinary throstle is very defective in this respect-a variation in the speed of the spindle and flyer and the bobbin, for the purpose of winding the yarn on the bobbin, is required; but on this principle the spindle has a tendency to take the bobbin with it as quickly as it goes itself. Various means have therefore to be adopted to hold back the bobbin to produce the requisite variation; but although the spindle may carry the bobbin at its own speed, yet at certain moments it may not operate at all (as it is only by its adhesion to the socket or hole in the bobbin that it does operate on it); if this occur, the yarn must either take the bobbin round, or break; most probably it may in elastic fibres, such as cotton, draw the yarn finer, and thus make it unequal in thickness; all the variation, therefore, in the force applied by the spindle for carrying round the bobbin is thrown upon the yarn, consequently the tension or strain upon it is continually varying, and the twist is irregularly put in; there may be the same number of twists in the entire length of the yarn, but it will be unequally distributed over the surface of it. To remedy these defects is our object; we propose to the bobbin a certain number of revolutions according to the fineness of the yarn, leaving the yarn as many revolutions to move the bobbin round as may be required to put in the twist at a proper tension. The speed of the bobbin of course increases as its diameter increases, and it therefore would be supposed a greater strain would be put on the yarn; this, in practice, is found not to be the case-the variation in the speed between the bobbin when empty and full is very trifling; in a middle number of yarns not more than one in ninety; the yarn, also, has greater power over the bobbins as the bobbin increases in diameter, its force being applied at a greater distance from the centre of the bobbin; the centrifugal force also increases as the bobbin increases in diameter and weight. With these observations we now proceed to describe the nature of our inventions.

carry

Description of the Drawing.

Figures 1, and 2, are a front view and section of our improved spinning spindles, &c. A, and в, are the ordinary spindle rails, such as are used in throstles. E, is the flyer, D, is the spindle, and F, the wharve round which a band passes for giving motion to the spindle and flyer; this motion is communicated by the band, G, from the tin cylinder, H (see fig. 12). The rail, A, not only supports the spindle, but also traverses vertically so as to move the entire length of the barrel of the bobbin, R; on this rail, and fixed firmly to it, is the tube, I, which is fastened by a nut, J, to the rail, and passes upwards as high as the top of the bobbin, R; this fixed tube not only supports the spindle, but also supports another tube, L; on the lower part of this tube is a wharve, on which the bobbin, R, is put; the bobbin is not fast to this tube, but merely rests on the wharve, and its hole or socket fits the stalk of the tube. The tube, L, by means of this wharve, receives motion from the tin cylinder, P, by means of the band, o. This upper cylinder is connected with the cylinder that drives the spindles by means of the wheels, 2; it will be seen that the spindles and flyers may be driven at one speed, and the bobbins at another; and such speed may be varied by changing one of the wheels on either of the cylinders, H, and P; this might also be effected by having pulleys on the end of each cylinder, and changing the diameters to vary the drag. The inner fixed tube in these figures, 1, and 2, passing so high up the spindle supports it more firmly, and consequently enables it to be driven at a much greater velocity without vibrating.

Figures 5, and 6, are similar to 1, and 2, only the fixed tube, 1, merely passes a short distance up the outer or revolving tube, the upper part of the revolving tube fitting the spindle.

Figures 7, and 8, are the same, only the revolving tube fits the spindle both top and bottom, and an ordinary bolster is fixed in the rail on which the revolving tube

rests.

Figures 10, and 11, show, that by an additional rail, c, the revolving tube is supported by the rails, A, and c, and this tube by this means not only carries the bobbin round,

but also supports the spindle. In all these figures the drag for the yarn is got by the bobbin varying its speed; but in figures 3, and 4, the bobbin is fast by means of a pin to the revolving tube, and the variation is thrown on the upper part of the spindle and flyer; this upper part of the spindle and the flyer are supported on a short spindle, which is supported by the rails, B, and c; this short spindle is driven at such a speed as is requisite for the yarn, and such extra speed as may be required for the yarn is gained by the upper part of the spindle and flyer being carried by the yarn quicker than they are carried by the lower part of the spindle.

Fig. 16, shows the revolving tube attached to the bobbin, and driven at a regular speed; the spindle is driven at such a speed as is requisite, and the extra speed for the drag is gained by the flyer being carried round at a quicker speed than the spindle; the flyer, as will be seen, is attached to the spindle by means of a stalk, which passes down a hole, bored vertically in the upper part of the spindle.

Fig. 17, is the same as 16, only the flyer has a socket attached to it, by means of which it fits and works round the upper part of the spindle.

Figures 18, and 19, show an inverted flyer attached to the revolving tube, L, which tube is fixed and revolves in an ordinary bolster, 1; the spindle is driven at a certain speed, such as may be requisite for the drag, and the variation is produced in the bobbin, which is carried by the yarn at a quicker speed than what the spindle carries it; the bobbin of course fits loose on the spindle, D. In these figures the upper rail is fixed, and the lower, together with the spindles and bobbins, traverses, and by a motion well known, that traverse is so regulated as to lay the yarn on the bobbin, so as to produce conical ends similar to a mule cop. All these plans are driven by two separate cylinders, as before described.

Figures 20, and 21, show our revolving tube, L, in every respect the same as figures 1, and 2, only the tube not being driven, a wharve is not required; the tube, L, rests loose on the fixed tube, 1, and would of course be merely moved by the friction of the bobbin running on it. For coarse spinning or doubling, where a heavy drag is requisite, this may be requisite; and in fact, in some instances, where a very heavy drag is required, the revolving tube