Improvements in String Holders.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Dec., 1892-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in String Holders.
We RICHARD MATTOCK LEE Pawnbroker, 79 Mill Street Crewe, HENRY
AUTON, Tinman, 12 Mill Street Crewe, and GEORGE PEARSON, Mechanic
2 Longford Street Crewe, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
Our invention consists of a tin, iron, wooden, or other suitable box to contain
twine, string or cord for use in shops, warehouses, offices or any place required
which shall take in the string after the required quantity has been obtained.
The same is constructed with a reel or drum inside box, also rubber band to form
spring for rebounding action, and break constructed to prevent it overuning itself,
and spiral spring to keep ball firm.
Inside the box is a revolving drum to contain the string which passes through a
hole in the drum, also through a hole at the top, bottom, or any part of the outer
box to suit convenience.
The string is passed round the drum as many times as required to suit the
position of the box.
On pulling at the string it unrolls from the drum, and when spent comes from
the ball which is placed inside the drum.
On cutting or letting go the string the drum is revolved (by action of the rubber
spring) to its former position, taking up the surplus string out of the way, and still
within reach.
The reel is constructed so as to suit large consumers, as well as large string or
cord, which is constructed on the same principal as the box, only that it does not
contain the ball inside.
The ball may be placed at convenience and passed through the reel, which
answers the same purpose as the box.
Dated this 4th day of March 1892.
JOHN C. WILSON,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in String Holders.
We, RICHARD MATTOCK LEE, of 79 Mill Street, Pawnbroker, HENRY AUTON
of 12 Mill Street, Tinman, and GEORGE PEARSON of 2 Longford Street, Mechanic,
all of Crewe, in the County of Cheshire, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to an improved box or holder for string, cord, twine and
the like, and is intended for suspension in shops, warehouses offices or other places
where needed, and in any convenient position therein, which for preference, would
be over the head of the user, and at such a height that although entirely out of
the way of goods upon the counter or packing-board, the end of the string or
the like contained in said holder would be always within the reach of the user,
until
and which after use, would be thereby automatically placed out of the way,
again required, the object of our said invention being that by its adoption the
inconveniences hitherto experienced arising from the use of boxes or holders sus-
pended at a great height or placed upon the counter or packing board, are avoided,
and whereby the end of the cord or string left remaining hanging from such counter

page_text: boxes or suspended holders was found to be a source of great annnoyance by
becoming entangled either with the parcels and packages upon the counter or
packing-board, or articles in course of removal, or the face of the user, the
buttons of his clothes etc., and we attain this by constructing our said invention
in the manner hereinafter explained, reference being had to the accompanying sheet
of drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a complete apparatus, the door of which is shewn
open for the purpose of the better illustrating its construction.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same with the door closed, and of which one side
has been purposely removed, and part of the string retainer broken away, for the
same reason.
Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the sectional construction of the door of same.
Fig. 4 is a view of the under surface of the roof or top of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a back view of the mechanical movements, and the carrier frame of
same, that when in use is held by vertical slides upon the door of the apparatus as
at Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a diagram of the locking device to be hereinfter explained.
Fig. 7 is a view, (drawn to a smaller scale relatively to Fig. 1) of an alternative
method of constructing said holder when needed for use with large cord or rope.
Similar letters of reference are used when referring to the same or like parts.
In carrying our invention into effect we construct of any suitable material, a
box or holder A, which may be circular, rectangular or polygonal in horizontal
cross section, and of any size or dimensions desired according to the class of cord,
twine or the like it may be intended to carry. In the appended drawings we have
chosen to show the said box or holder of rectangular form, but whatever may be
the shape of A, we hinge or otherwise pivotally attach thereto, a suitable flat door B,
provided upon its inner surface with vertical guides a and band at the bottom with a
like recess c.
This will be the better understood by reference to Fig. 3.
Within the said guides and recess a. b. c, a skeleton frame C is slid until it occu-
pies the position therein shewn by Fig. 1. Upon the centre or thereabouts of C is
fixed, or formed integrally therewith, a projecting stud d, and upon this is mounted
a boss e, carrying a double flanged wheel or drum D, provided with a handle f by
which it may be rotated upon d. A similar stud g upon C, carries a triple flanged
smaller wheel or drum E, situated behind and above D, to which is connected
one end of a cord, wire or chain h, the opposite end being attached to the boss e,
so that when this, with D, is rotated, and the cord wound thereon, a like but
slower rotatory motion is imparted to E in the same direction. To the front
end of is attached a spiral spring or its equivalent F, carrying a rattle or ball
bell G.
The wheel E is provided with a coil or other spring, the tension of which would
operate thereon in the direction of the arrows Figs. I and 5, but in the accom-
panying drawings we have chosen to illustrate the employment of a rubber
spring H, one end of which is connected to the smaller flange of E, and is carried.
therefrom in a downward direction, passing around a fixed stud, and connected to
an adjustable screw pin or the like i, by which its tension may be regulated.
A circular hole or aperture t is provided in I), and upon the frame C is mounted
a pendant bolt device S, pivotted at v, and capable of engaging with t, and so arrest
the rotatory progress of D when desired.
Within the carrier A is placed a reel or drum upon which the twine or the like is
wound, but to avoid the trouble of such winding we may use a metal or other box I;
in which we place the ball of string or the like K. The bottom of I is provided
with a flange which engages with a ridge k upon the bottom of A which serves to
keep I in position. The inner end of K is carried upward through a guide or loop
attached to I, and descending therefrom is led through a hole m in I, and therefrom
through an aperture n in D, from which it is brought outwardly between the
flanges of D, and carried partly around D in a right handed direction, and
downward through a guide ring o, attached to the frame C, from which it is led

page_text: downwards through an aperture p, in the bottom or other part of A. This will be
clearly understood by reference to Fig. 1.
The distance of the rotary travel of E is regulated and broken by a studs fixed
upon the face thereof, coming in contact with the flange of D, in either direction.
The said stud s may be elastically connected to E, or s may be of rubber and
firmly connected thereto, the object of such elasticity being to prevent rupture
when braking E, or when coming in contact with the bell G, which is deflected
thereby as it passes over with E, and as this resumes its normal position when
suddenly released by the passing of s, which it does by reason of the tension of F,
a sonorous signal is given off therefrom to attract the attention of the customer.
The entire apparatns is suspended in the desired position by the means of a
swivelled hook N which is so constructed as to maintain a rigid connection with
the ring or the like upon which it is placed, the object of this being that A may
revolve upon N without N revolving also. The manner of the operation of the
apparatus is as follows.
The string or the like K being passed from I and through as described, the
apparatus may be suspended in the position desired, but before closing the door B,
the wheel or drum D would be rotated from left to right by means of the handle f
as many times as would be necessary to enable D to take up and wind thereon by
its rebounding action so much of the string now depending from p, as would leave
sufficient to be in reach, and when sufficient turns have been thus given to D, it
may be locked in that position by pulling forward the lower end of S, until the.
bolt thereof engages with the hole t. The door B may then be closed and the
apparatus is ready for use. A sufficient length of string being now depending
from p, by passing a finger through p the bolt may be withdrawn from t, when D
would return by the tension of H in the direction of the arrow, and take up upon
its periphery so much of the string as will leave sufficient depending from p to be
pulled down and used as required.
In order that the string or cord may be thus wound upon D fairly and evenly,
we provide a roller L, which rotates upon the lower end of a depending arm M,
pivotted at upon the frame C, and is kept in elastic contact with the string
wound upon
by the tension of a spring r.
When a parcel is to be wrapped or a supply of string otherwise needed, the
operator would reach up and take hold of the depending end, pull this down, and
commence using therefrom, which action would rotate D and unwind the cord
therefrom, when the slot n would be over the guide ring o, and the quantity of
string required would be drawn from the ball K, through m n o and p, and when
sufficient of this had been obtained, and was cut and released, D and E would again
rebound by the tension of H, until arrested by the stop or brake s, and this motion
of D would again take up the same amount of string as before, still leaving a
depending end below p, and the rapid rebound of E, would agitate G by the
contact of s as before described.
In order that an advertisement or advertisements may be advantageously
displayed upon the outer faces of A, we arrange the swivel hook N, to extend
within A and carry and be firmly attached to a star shaped, and preferably,
metallic piece P, shewn more particularly at Fig. 4. Upon the back of E we
provide a cam piece R, which, when pressure is applied thereto, is capable of
deflection in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow, but cannot
extend beyond the vertical in the opposite direction, and this being carried round
with E when the string is pulled down as stated, impinges upon one of the points
of P, and as the hook N cannot revolve, as previously stated, it follows that the
box or holder A must do so, and a part rotary motion is imparted thereto equal to
the distance between the points of P, and if the four or more sides of A are each
covered with a different advertisement a fresh advertisement would be presented to
the observer each time the apparatus was used, and attention called thereto by the
signal G.
When large string or rope is to be used it may not be convenient to entail the

page_text: weight of an apparatus suitable therefor, constructed as at Fig. 1, in which case
the supply ball or reel may be placed upon an adjacent shelf or other suitable
position, and a box or holder A constructed as at Fig. 7, provided with guides a b
into which C and its accessories may be slid. The rope or the like would be led
from its ball or reel through a hole m in A, into n in D, and ultimately through an
aperture p in the bottom or other part of A as in the previous method. In this
modification the frame C and its accessories would be made of such size as would be
consistent with the larger size cord or rope, and the holder A suitable therefor,
which in lieu of a swivelled hook N may be suspended by a handle T similar to
that shewn at Fig. 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. In an improved string box or holder, the construction and use of the
apparatus herein described, and the arrangement of the several parts constituting
the same, the whole connected, combined and operating substantially as and for the
purposes herein stated and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In an improved holder for string, cord, twine or the like, the construction
and use of a circular, polygonal or rectangular case A, with door B provided with
guides a b c for receiving and holding a frame C, carrying a flanged wheel E
provided with elastic brake stud s, and controlled in one direction by a spring H,
and in the opposite direction by that of a cord wire or chain / connected thereto
and the boss e, of a drum or flanged wheel D, also mounted upon C, the container I
for carrying the ball K, or a reel or drum in lieu of I upon which K may be
wound, placed in A, and from which the inner end of K. is led to and through
suitable guides, aperture n, around D, through ringo and aperture p in the bottom
or other part of A, and kept upon D by means of a roller L, and spring r, the
whole connected, combined and suspended by a hook N and operating substantially
as and for the purposes herein described and shewn by the appended drawings.
3rd. For the purposes of advertising, the combination with the apparatus set
forth in the preceding claim, of a star shaped plate P, connected to the swivel
hook N within A, the cam piece R upon E for operating P and sonorous signal (†,
for notifying such operation, substantially as herein described.
4th. In an improved holder for stout cord or rope, the construction and use of a
case A as at Fig. 7, in combination with a device as at Fig. 5, connected to, and
operating therewith, substantially as described.
Datod this let dor of Donombor 1905
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.