1842.

GIBSON

V.

BRAND.

the letters patent to the plaintiffs, their executors, &c. with the provisoes for inrolling a specification, and then proceeded thus: Now know ye, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said J. Gibson, on behalf of myself, and also of the said J. G. Campbell, do hereby declare that the nature of our said invention consists; first, in a part of our process by which we discharge the gum from that peculiar kind of silk denominated silk-waste, when the same is in the state of sliver or rove; secondly, in a part of our process by which we dye silk-waste, when in the state of sliver or rove; thirdly, in a part of our process by which we spin yarn from dressed or heckled silk-waste of long fibres, either in the gum or discharged; fourthly, in a part of our process by which yarn from silk-waste with long fibres may be spun in combination with flax of a similar length of fibre; fifthly, in a part of our process by which yarn from silk-waste with long fibre is spun in combination with wool; sixthly, in the application of our improved process to the throstle-machine on the principle of the long ratch for the new and useful purpose of spinning silkwaste; seventhly, in certain improvements effected by us in the throstle-machine by which its utility in spinning silk-waste is greatly augmented; eighthly, in the application of water to silk-waste with long fibres in the process of spinning with the long ratch.

66

Having thus explained the nature or leading characteristics of our invention, it is desirable before we enter into the practical details of them to give a brief outline of the methods, heretofore adopted, for spinning yarn from silk-waste.

"Silk-wastes differ considerably with respect to quality and cleanliness, and they are generally in a ravelled state. To free them from naps and other refuse matters, and to clear the ravellings, they are first submitted to the action of a machine called a breaker, for the purpose

of breaking or clearing out the more stubborn or knotty ravellings. The waste is next put under the operation of the dressing machines to be farther unravelled and cleared from naps and other impurities, which process also straightens the filaments and causes them to lie evenly together, resembling in this respect heckled flax, although the fibres of the latter usually possess more uniformity as to length. This process of dressing is applicable to silk-waste, either in the gum or discharged. The former, however, is more easily dressed, contains less refuse, and is generally of a better quality. The third process upon the ordinary plan is, to take the dressed silk to the cutting-machine, where it is cut into lengths of about two inches, a little more or less, according to circumstances. If the silk-waste that has been thus cut be in the gum, it is next discharged and afterwards dried. The silk having become matted in the discharging process, the fibres of it are next opened up by scutching-machine, or other similar apparatus before it undergoes the process of carding. When carded, the roving is prepared by a similar engine to that used for cotton, and it is spun on the mule-jenny, which is on a similar principle to that of the cotton-jenny. Having thus explained the old ordinary process of converting silk-waste into yarn, I will proceed to describe our novel process, by which we produce our new or improved manufacture of yarn or thread.

"The silk-waste having been dressed in the usual way, or in any other manner that may be found more advantageous (such as heckling or otherwise), either discharged or in the gum, we submit it to the drawing, roving, and spinning machinery, thereby entirely obviating the supposed necessity of cutting or shortening the filaments of silk-waste, a destructive process, which has heretofore been considered as an indispensable sacrifice in order to convert it into yarn or thread. The kind of

1842.

GIBSON

v.

BRAND.

1842.

GIBSON

บ.

BRAND.

machinery we have found to answer best for the drawings and rovings of dressed heckled or carded silk-waste of long fibres, is the same as that used by flax-spinners; and we adopt the same methods as are practised by them with long or cut-line flax. The silk is first submitted to the spreading or first drawing-machine, the slivers obtained from which are doubled and applied to the second drawing, and in like manner to the third drawing-machine, and finally to the roving-machine. The number of doublings and drawings requisite will depend upon the kind of silk used, which every competent manufacturer will know how to determine and arrange.

"It may be proper to observe, that there are several kinds of flax-drawing and roving machines, and as they are in common use for flax and tow, no description of them is necessary, and it will therefore be sufficient to distinguish them by their names of circular, spiral and sheet or chain. Cut-line flax and tow, drawing and roving machines are made either on the circular or spiral plans. The sheet or chain is also made for cut-line flax, but not for tow. The drawing and roving machines that we have found to answer best, are those which are made on the spiral plan, as the gills or heckles of these come closer to the nip of the drawing-roller than in either of the other plans; and thereby enables the short filaments of the silk to be drawn and distributed more uniformly with the long fibres than if the said heckles or gills were more remote from the drawing-roller. For the longest fibres of dressed or heckled silk-waste, we employ what is designated by flax spinners long-line preparation. For the medium lengths of fibres of dressed, heckled or carded silk, cut-line; and for the shorter lengths towpreparations.

"We have already noticed, that the roving from silkwaste may be made, either when in the gum or dis

charged, and that the said rovings may be spun to suit
the particular kind of goods to which yarn or thread is
to be applied; but as there is a much greater demand
for silk yarn discharged than in the gum, we usually
discharge the gum from the sliver obtained by the first
drawing or spreading machine. For this purpose the
sliver is put into hanks of about half a pound each, then
each of these hanks is put into a little bag made of an
open fabric, such as thin canvas; a quantity of these are
collected (according to the dimensions of the boiler), put
into the vessel, and discharged or boiled off' in the
usual manner. After this, the hanks, still contained in
the bags, are to be well washed, to free them from the
deposition of the glutinous matter, or the presence of soap,
alkali, or other impurities. The silk is now to be taken

out of the bags with care,
dried, the hanks are to be put upon swifts, and after
finding the end of the sliver, it is to be coiled into cans,
or may be wound on bobbins, or otherwise disposed of,
as may be convenient. The next operation upon these
slivers consists in submitting them to the drawing-
machines, whereby the required number of drawings
and doublings are to be given, and finally the roving is
formed as already mentioned. The process of boiling or
discharging gum-silk, we sometimes apply after it has
been formed into roving. In this case the roving is to
be reeled from the bobbins into hanks of about half a
pound weight each; these are to be put into bags, and
the discharging conducted by the same process as that
described with respect to the sliver. The discharged
roving is next to be wound on bobbins preparatory to
spinning; but we give the preference to the roving made
from silk which has been discharged in the sliver.

and, after being thoroughly

"Another improvement in our process or manufacture consists in dyeing the silk before it is spun into yarn or thread; and we find that this operation is best

1842.

GIBSON

ย

BRAND.

1842.

GIBSON

v.

BRAND.

performed after it has been discharged and washed, and in the form of the sliver as already described. After dyeing, the silk undergoes repeated doublings and drawings, and is finally made into roving, in the same manner, and by the same mechanism as are employed with the undyed silk. The process of dyeing is also applied by us to silk which has been discharged, previously to its being dressed or heckled; and we usually dye it in the hanks obtained from the sliver of the first drawing. The process of dyeing may also be applied to the rove, which is to be reeled from the bobbins into hanks, of a size and weight the most convenient to the dyer. After dyeing, it is to be wound upon bobbins previously to being spun; but we prefer the roving which has been made from silk dyed in the sliver. Care must be taken that the silk, whether dyed or undyed, be properly dried prior to its being submitted to any of the processes of drawing, roving, and spinning. The advantages obtained in this part of our invention, of dyeing the silk previously to its being spun into yarn or thread, consist in the certainty that the colouring matter will reach every fibre, and consequently produce a more uniform and perfect dyeing. We also find that a superior lustre is obtained by our mode over that wherein the silk is dyed subsequently to being spun; which effect we consider to be caused by the violent action upon the silk by the dyer's process, by which many of the fibres are broken and started from their parallel positions with respect to each other, thereby destroying the wiry and lustrous appearance of the yarn or thread.

"For making rove from silk-waste of long fibres and flax combined, and from silk-waste of long fibres and wool combined, we employ the same machinery throughout as we do for making rove from silk-waste alone. The proportions of silk-waste to that of flax, and of silkwaste to that of wool, are varied according to the par