IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOBBINS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lockhart, junior, of Paisley, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, Wood Turner, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOBBINS."
Sealed the 19th December 1854, and dated the 17th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lockhart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
July 1854.
I, JOHN LоскпARт, junior, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Wood Turner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOBBINS" to be as follows,
namely:-
This Invention relates generally to certain improvements upon the machinery
described in my Provisional Specification deposited with an application for
Letters Patent, made by me on or about the Twenty-third day of January of
the present year. In the machinery described in the said Specification, a
tubular saw is arranged to cut out a cylinder of wood to form a bobbin blank,
the tubular saw acting vertically, and entering the wood from below, and at
the same time a vertical drill is made to descend into the wood from above, to
form the central hole in the bobbin blank, whilst the blank is being shaped
externally by the tubular saw. The present improvements consist in making

page_text: the tubular saw and drill in one piece, the latter passing through the centre of
the former, whilst a self-acting ejecting piece is provided for pushing the bobbin
blank out of the tubular saw as soon as it is cut. This ejecting piece consists
of a ring or tube, working within the tubular saw, and connected to the framing
through a slot or slots in the tubular saw, a spring being interposed between
the ejecting piece and the fixed connection to assist in forcing out the blank.
Or, instead of such-arrangement with slots, a rod may be passed through the
centre of the spindle to give the necessary movement. According to one
modification of these improvements, the compound cutting-out tool is arranged
to work vertically downward into the wood out of which the wood blanks are to
be formed, whilst, according to another modification, the cutting tool is made
to act horizontally. In either case the wood, which is previously rough sawn
into pieces of a thickness equal to the length of the bobbin blanks, is fed up
to the cutting-out tool by partially self-acting-mechanism. The wood is placed
upon or fixed to a table or plate, to which periodical movements are given, so
as to bring a fresh portion of wood to the tool after each blank is completed.
This movement is effected, according to one plan, by means of a revolving
wheel carrying a pin which at each revolution moves the table a certain
distance by means of a pin rack, into which the pin gears. When a line of
bobbins are cut out across the wood, a reverse acting pin is brought into
action by a hand lever, the table being at the same time shifted laterally, to
bring a fresh line of the wood under the tool, so that another line of bobbins
may be cut out in the opposite direction, and the wood is traversed back and
forward in this manner, until as many blanks have been cut out of it as its
size will permit. According to another modification, the shift of the table is
effected by a revolving inclined scroll piece or portion of a screw thread, which
acts on a rack fixed to the table, and moves it as required. A reverse scroll
piece is provided for producing the backward movement of the table, the scroll
pieces being put in and out of gear.by means of a hand lever, acting through
a rod in the hollow spindle of the disc or cam which carries the scroll piece.
Or, by means of additional mechanism, the details for feeding the wood to the
tool may be made altogether self-acting. The modification of apparatus
described as acting horizontally may be made double-acting by fixing a
cutting tool on opposite ends of the spindle, so as to cut blanks from two
pieces of wood at the same time. In this case the feeding apparatus and
other details are modified to suit this arrangement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lockhart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LOCKHART, junior, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Wood Turner, send greeting.
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the Eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Lockhart, junior, Her special license, that I, the said John
Lockhart, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Lockhart, junior, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOBBINS," upon the conditions (amongst
others) that I, the said John Lockhart, junior, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Lockhart, junior, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates generally to certain improvements upon the
machinery described in the Specification of British Letters Patent for
Improvements in the Manufacture of Bobbins," granted to me, and
bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four. In the machinery described in the said Specification, a
tubular or crown saw is arranged to cut out a cylinder of wood or other
material to form a bobbin blank or block, the tubular saw acting vertically,
and entering the wood from below, and at the same time a vertical drill
is made to descend into the wood from.above, to form the central hole in

page_text: saw.
the bobbin blank, whilst the blank is being shaped externally by the tubular
Now, my present inprovements consist in making the tubular saw
or cutter-out and drill in one piece, the latter passing through the centre
of the former, whilst a self-acting ejecting piece is provided for pushing
the bobbin blank out of the tubular saw as soon as it is cut. This
ejecting piece consists of a ring or tube, working within the tubular saw
or the spindle thereof, and connected to the framing through a slot or
slots in the tubular saw or in its spindle, a spring being interposed between
the ejecting piece and the fixed connection, to assist in forcing out the
blank. Or, instead of such arrangement with slots, a rod may be passed
through the centre of the spindle to give the necessary movement. According
to one modification of these improvements, the compound cutting-out tool is
arranged to work vertically downwards into the wood out of which the wood
blanks are to be formed, whilst, according to another modification, the cutting
tool is made to act horizontally. In either case the wood, which is previously
rough sawn into pieces of a thickness equal to the length of the bobbin blanks,
is fed up to the cutting-out tool by partially self-acting mechanism. The
wood is placed upon or fixed to a table or plate, to which periodical move-
ments are given, so as to bring a fresh portion of wood to the tool after each
blank is completed. This movement is effected, according to one plan, by
means of a revolving wheel carrying a pin, which at each revolution moves the
table a certain distance by means of a pin rack, into which the pin gears.
When a line of bobbins are cut out across the wood, a reverse acting pin is
brought into operation by a hand lever, the table being at the same time
shifted laterally, to bring a fresh line of the wood under the tool, so that
another line of bobbins may be cut out in the opposite direction, and the wood
is traversed back and forward in this manner until as many blanks have been
cut out of it as its size will permit. According to another modification, the
shift of the table is effected by a revolving inclined scroll piece, or portion of
a screw thread, which acts on a rack fixed to the table, and moves it as
required. A reverse scroll piece is provided for producing the backward
movement of the table, the scroll pieces being put in and out of gear by means
of a hand lever, acting through a rod in the hollow spindle of the disc or cam
which carries the scroll piece. Or, by means of additional mechanism, the
details for feeding the wood to the tool may be made altogether self-acting.
The modification of apparatus described as acting horizontally may be made
double-acting, by fixing a cutting tool on opposite ends of the spindle, so as to
cut blanks from two pieces of wood at the same time. In this case the feeding
apparatus and other details are modified to suit this arrangement.

page_text: And in order, that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several explanatory Figures on the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto attached.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a side, and Figure 2 is a front
elevation, partly in section, of my improved machinery for cutting out bobbin
blanks, shewing one modification of the arrangement wherein a vertical
cutting-out tool is employed; Figure 3 is a side elevation, and Figure 4 is a
plan, partly in section, of one modification of machinery for cutting out bobbin
blanks, wherein a horizontal cutting tool is used; and Figure 5 is a side eleva-
tion of a simplified form of horizontally acting machine for cutting out
bobbin blanks, wherein the wood out of which the blanks are cut is to be fed
or shifted by hand. The framing of the machine, represented in Figure 1
and 2 on the Sheet of Drawings, consists of a cast-iron pillar standard A,
with a face plate B cast upon it, for the attachment of the brackets which
support the spindle of the cutting tool, with the gearing and other details. The
machine is partly driven by means of the pulleys C, carried by a short horizontal
shaft D, supported in bearings at the upper part of the pillar standard A. On
the front end of the shaft D is keyed a pinion E, in gear with a spur wheel F,
fast upon a parallel horizontal shaft G. This shaft G lies in a vertical plane
passing through the axis of the pillar A, and is carried in inner bearings in
the face plate B, and in outer bearings in the overhanging bracket H, and it
carries the scroll, or cam disc, or wheel I, by means of which the tool is raised
and lowered. The spindle J of the vertical cutting tool is carried in upper
and lower bracket bearings K, cast in one piece, and bolted to the face plate B
of the pillar standard A; and an clongated pulley L, of small diameter, is fixed
upon the spindle, and receives the belt from a driving pulley, not shewn in the
Drawings. A swivelling piece M is fitted into the top of the spindle J, and
a pin N from this piece enters the scroll groove of the wheel I, whilst the
piece M is prevented from turning by two arms O, formed with eyes, to
reciprocate vertically upon a pair of pendant guide pins P, fixed to the over-
hanging bracket H. The acting portions of the tool at the lower end of the
spindle J consist of an external tubular saw Q, fixed upon the spindle, and
a central drill, also fixed to the spindle, whilst inside the saw Q, and
between it and the drill, is an annular ejecting piece R. This ejecting piece is
connected by pins, passing through slots S in the spindle J, at a little distanco
from its lower end, to a collared ring T, capable of sliding upon the spindle.
The wood out of which the bobbin blanks are to be cut is held stationary
during the cutting process by a holding plate U, fixed to the bottom of a
vertical rod V, passing through eyes in the brackets K. On this rod is fixed a

page_text: small forked arm W, which embraces the collar piece T, and by means of it
causes the ejecting piece R to move in concert with the holding-down plate U.
The weight of this plate and of the rod V is generally sufficient to keep the
wood stationary, but a spring may be added, if necessary, to insure the requisite
pressure on the wood.
To the upper end of the rod V is fixed a short rod X,
which passes through an eye in the pin N, and has a nut passed upon its
extremity beyond the pin N; this nut being capable of adjustment, and being
set so that when the scroll wheel I lifts the spindle J, by means of the pin N,
to the top of its stroke, the pin N will lift the rod V slightly, to allow of the
shift of the wood, preparatory to a fresh descent of the cutting-out tool. The
wood is fed up or shifted between each cutting-out movement of the tool by
self-acting mechanism, carried by a table or frame Y, bolted to the bracket Z
cast upon the lower part of the pillar standard A. Motion is communicated
to this part of the mechanism by a bevil wheel a, upon the shaft D, above this
bevil wheel, being in gear with a corresponding bevil wheel on the upper end
of a vertical shaft b, carried in upper and lower bracket bearings bolted to the
pillar standard. This shaft b carries at its lower end a second bevil wheel, in
gear with a bevil wheel c, on a horizontal shaft d, which shaft has fast upon it
a pinion in gear with a spur wheel. e, on a parallel shaft f, lying immediately
under the spindle J. The shaft carries two reversed or opposed bevil wheels
g, h, motion being communicated from one bevil wheel to the other by means
of an intermediate bevil wheel i on the lower side, so that the bevil wheel h
revolves in the opposite direction to the wheel g. These two wheels g, h, are
carried on a moveable boss j, the wheel g being fixed to the boss, but the
wheel h loose upon it, whilst the boss is fitted on the shaft f with a feather,
and is capable of being shifted by means of a hand lever k, set on an end stud
centre, and acting on the spindle of the wheel i, this spindle being in one piece
with the boss. Each of the wheels g, h, is fitted with a pin l on its inner face,
and these pins act on pin racks upon a plate m, projecting down between the
two wheels. This plate m has a short traverse in grooves in the under side of
of a table n, which traverses upon V slides upon the frame Y, and it has fast to
it a forked piece o, projecting up through an opening in the table n. The
points of the forked piece o are arranged to take alternately into opposite
sides of a double rack p, fixed to the under side of a table 9, which traverses
upon V slides r, in a direction at right angles to the traverse of the table n,
being drawn in that direction by means of a cord s, which passes over pulleys
to a weight, not represented in the Drawings. The action of this shifting
mechanism is as follows:-The pin at each turn pushes over one tooth of
the rack m, shifting the table sideways to the extent necessary to bring a

page_text: fresh portion of wood beneath the cutting-out tool Q. This continues until
a row of bobbin blanks are cut out across the wood, which is placed upon
the table q, each turn of the wheel g corresponding to a descent and cutting-
out movement of the tool.
Then a row of bobbin blanks being cut out, the
attendant, by means of the handle k, shifts the wheels g, h, so as to cause
the wheel h to act on the rack m, instead of the wheel g, and this makes
the piece m move in the opposite direction. Before, however, this action lias
any effect on the table n, the piece m slides in its grooves in the table to
such an extent as to cause the fork o to gear on the opposide side of the
rack p of the table q above; and during this change, the weight acts on the
table q, so as to shift it a short distance. The action then goes on as before,
a second row of bobbin blanks being cut out of the wood, the shift of the
table q causing the row to be cut cut a sufficient distance to one side of
the preceding row to obtain a line of fresh wood; and in this manner the
operation proceeds, the bobbin blanks being cut out in rows, until the piece
of wood is exhausted. In the horizontally-acting machine, represented in
Figures 3 and 4, the framing consists of a long cast-iron bed frame A, and
towards one end of this frame is bolted down a casting or headstock, formed
with two pedestal bearings B, for the horizontal revolving spindle C, which
carries the cutting-out tool. The spindle C has fast upon it an elongated
pulley D, of small diameter, by means of which it is driven, a belt being
passed from it to a driving pulley, not represented in the Drawings. The
portion of the tool which operates consists, as in the modification which I have
already described, of an external tubular saw E fixed upon the spindle, and
a central drill also fixed upon the spindle, whilst inside the saw E, and
between it and the drill, is an annular ejecting piece F, for thrusting the
bobbin blank out of the tubular saw when cut. The wood is held against
a resisting and shifting plate G in front of the cutting-out tool, by means
of a disc or holding plate H, fixed on the end of a spindle I, passing
through a tubular bearing J in the pedestal B, and acted upon by a hand
lever K, to which it is connected by a swivel joint. The spindle I may be
placed either above, below, or on one side of the tool E, as is most con-
venient. It is connected to the ejecting piece F by means of a forked
arm L, embracing a collar M, loose upon the spindle C, but connected to
the ejecting piece by pins passing through slots in the spindle. By these
means the ejecting piece and holding plate are always kept in the same
relative positions, and they can both be pressed upon or taken off the wood
by means of the hand lever K. A spring N is passed round the arm L,
and fixed to the pedestal B, to keep the plate H up against the wood, thereby

page_text: obviating the necessity of holding it constantly by hand. The tool is alternately
driven up into the wood and returned for a fresh stroke by means of a scroll
or cam wheel O, carried by a transverse horizontal shaft P, at the other end
of the machine. The groove of this cam wheel acts upon a pin at the upper
end of a lever Q, contrived to oscillate on a fixed stud in the frame, the lower
end of which lever is connected by the rod R to the lower end of a lever S,
at the other end of the machine. This lever S, also oscillating on a fixed
stud in the frame, is connected at its upper end to the spindle C, by means of
a compound swivel joint T, of such a construction as to enable the lever S to
act on the spindle longitudinally during its rotatory motion. The cam wheel O
is formed or cast in one piece, with a species of box U, containing two sliding
pieces V, each formed with flanges W, which flanges are alternately made to
project beyond the periphery of the box U. These flanges W are inclined,
being portions of helical or screw threads, one being inclined in one direction,
and the other in the opposite direction, and the flange which projects acts like
the worm of a worm wheel upon a rack X, arranged horizontally at the back
of a tablet Y, capable of sliding on V grooves Z, carried by the framing. Thus,
at each turn of the wheel O, the flange W passes a tooth of the rack X, shifting
the tablet Y to one side, to a sufficient distance to bring a fresh part of the
wood opposite the cutting-out tool E. The tablet G, against which the wood
is held, slides vertically on V grooves a, fast upon the face of the tablet Y.
When a row of bobbin blanks are cut out across the wood, the screw flanges
W are changed; that is to say, one is drawn in out of action, and the other
is pushed out, so as to drive the rack X in the opposite direction. The
rack piece X has a short longitudinal play in the grooves on the back of
the tablet Y, in which it is fitted, and it has fixed to it a forked piece b,
passing through an aperture in the tablet Y, and arranged to gear with a
double rack c, on the back of the tablet G. Then, when the rack piece X
begins to change the direction of its motion, before it shifts the tablet Y
it moves in its grooves as far as the play will allow, thereby moving the
forked piece b from one side of the rack C to the other. This change allows
the tablet G to fall a short distance (or it may be made to rise by means
of a cord passing over pulleys to a weight if convenient), and this vertical
change in the position of the wood brings a fresh line of the latter on a
level with the cutting-out tool E, in order that the succeeding row of bobbin
blanks may be cut out. The shifting mechanism is reversed as each row of
bobbin blanks is cut out across the wood until the piece of wood is exhausted.
The reversing action is effected by means of the hand lever d, which acts on a
Inside the box U there is
rode, passing through the centre of. the shaft P.

page_text: arranged a small three-armed lever f, an arm of which acts upon each of the
sliding pieces V, whilst the third arm, passing through a slot in the shaft P, is
acted upon by the rod e. These details are so arranged, that by moving the
rod e longitudinally, by means of the hand lever d, the three-armed lever f
will draw in one slide V, and push out the other. The lever Q, on which the
scroll wheel O acts, is provided with a moveable pin, which can be taken out
of the scroll groove by means of the hand lever g, carried by the lever Q, when
the attendant wishes to interrupt the action of the wheel O; or one side of
the groove may be left open, the pin of the lever being kept against the
working side of the groove by a weight applied to any convenient part of the
connections, so that by preventing the action of the weight by any means,
the action of the scroll wheel may be stopped when required. In the modifi-
cation of apparatus represented in Figure 5, the driving gear is dispensed
with, except for giving the necessary rotatory motion to the spindle A, carrying
the cutting-out tool or tubular saw B. The spindle A is carried in headstock
or pedestal bearings C, bolted down to a cast-iron bed frame D. The details
of the cutting-out tool B and holding plate E are similar to those in the
apparatus represented in Figures 3 and 4, which I have herein-before described.
The tool is pressed into the wood by means of the hand lever F, working in
connection with a short lever G, acting upon the spindle A, through the inter-
vention of a compound swivel joint H. The lever F is weighted at I, to draw
back the spindle after each cut. The wood out of which the bobbin blanks
are to be cut is held against a headstock or standard pedestal J, placed oppo-
site to the cutting tool, and bolted down to the bed frame D. Immediately
opposite the cutting tool B is a fixed adjustable resisting piece K, which has a
few sharp points turned up upon its face, to keep the piece of wood from
slipping. Above the fixed piece K are two moveable guide pieces L, equi-
distant from each other and from the fixed piece K, and one of these two
guide pieces L is pressed forward by a blade spring M. They are made to fit
the holes left in the wood on the bobbin blanks being cut out. In proceeding
to cut up a piece of wood into bobbin blanks, the attendant, having cut out.
one blank at one corner, places the wood with the aperture on one of the
guides L, and thus has the wood set at the proper, distance for cutting the
next blank; then, as each blank is cut he shifts the wood, so as to bring the
last hole cut upon the guide L, and proceeds in this way until a row of holes
is cut across the wood. He then turns the wood, and places the last made
hole on the other guide L, and thereby obtains the proper position for the first
hole in the second row, in such a manner that the holes of the second row will
lic opposite the interstices of the first row, which arrangement admits of the

page_text: rows of holes being cut more closely together, so as to economise the material.
The several arrangements of feed apparatus, herein-before described, are appli-
cable, with slight modifications, to either the vertically or horizontally acting
bobbin blank machines; that is to say, the feed mechanism described in
reference to Figures 1 and 2 on the Sheet of Drawings, is applicable to the
general arrangement of machine described in reference to Figures 3 and 4,
whilst the arrangements described in reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5 are also
applicable to the general arrangement of machine represented in Figures 1
and 2. In the modifications of apparatus represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4
on the Sheet of Drawings, the tables or face plates in Figure 1 and 2, and
G, in Figures 3 and 4, upon or against which the wood out of which the
bobbin blanks are to be cut is held, and which moves upon V slides, as herein-
before described, may be connected to a hand lever, so as to be workable by
hand, and a sliding face plate made workable by hand in this way may be
applied, independently of or without any self-acting shifting mechanism, as for
example, to the modification of apparatus represented in Figure 5 on the
Sheet of Drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery, apparatus, or
means for cutting out bobbin blanks, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of cutting out bobbin blanks from a block or
piece of wood or other material by means of a revolving tubular or crown saw
or cutter, fixed to and working in conjunction with a central drill, and com-
bined with a moveable internal ejecting piece for thrusting the cut blank out
of the tubular cutter, as herein-before described.
Third, the mechanism or details for feeding or shifting the wood up to the
cutting or shaping tools, applied either to a vertically or horizontally acting
bobbin blank machine, and more particularly described in reference to
Figures 3, 4, and 5 on the Sheet of Drawings liereunto attached.
Fourth, the system or mode of simultaneously cutting out and drilling
blanks by means of a rotatory tubular saw with a central drill or borer working
therein.

page_text: Fifth, the application and use in cutting out bobbin blanks of an internal
ejecting piece working in or through the tubular or crown saw for clearing out
the severed blank.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lockhart, junior, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN LOCKHART, JUN. (L.S.)