(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.