Improvements in Devices for Preventing the Entanglement and Breakage of Thread at the Bobbins or Spools of Sewing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1900-Accepted, 31st Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Preventing the Entanglement and
Breakage of Thread at the Bobbins or Spools of Sewing Machines.
We, JAMES BOWEY, Sewing Machine Agent, of 13, York Street, and GEORGE
ROCKLIFFE, Engineer of 9 Pembroke Street both in Sunderland, in the County of
Durham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to devices for preventing the entanglement and breakage
of thread at the bobbins or spools of sewing machines.
Under certain conditions, when the thread is unwinding the natural tendency
of the coils on the bobbin is to become slack, and according to the prevalent
practice of mounting the bobbin it frequently happens that these loose coils slip
over the end of the bobbin, whereupon they get entangled around the bobbin-
holder or supporting spindle fitted upon the machine arm and eventually the thread
is broken, great inconvenience thereby resulting
To obviate the aforementioned liability it has been proposed to fix the bobbin
to a disc fitted to revolve around the bobbin-holder or spindle and made of such
a diameter as to receive and retain any coils detached from the bobbin. However,
to procure effectiveness, this device necessitates the disc being made very con-
siderably larger in diameter than the bobbin, whereby clumsiness and 'incompact-
ness at once result and render its use impracticable.
It is with the object of avoiding the defect just referred to that we have devised
our invention which consists essentially in providing in combination with the
said device a stationary shield or guard which is disposed around the bobbin and
disc so that the maximum benefit is obtained, and the space occupied is reduced
to the minimum.
According to one way of constructing a device embodying the invention, we
fix the bobbin to its revoluble disc as usual-that is to say the disc is furnished
with a central spring grip in the form of a split tube or 'the like for slipping
easily over the bobbin-holder but fitting tightly in the bore or longitudinal hole
of the bobbin. Pins may be provided on the disc for penetrating the bobbin
end, and if desired they may be used alone or in conjunction with the spring
grip.
Between the bobbin and disc we recommend the interposition of a ring or
washer of soft material for preventing the thread getting underneath the bobbin
when the parts are closely assembled for use.
Around the bobbin and disc the shield or guard is located so that it cannot
rotate ordinarily, and to this end it is formed on or fixed to a disc, of larger dia-
meter than the bobbin disc, provided with a central split or spring tube or the like
for engaging the bobbin-holder or spindle in much the same manner as previously
described for connecting the bobbin and its disc together. The shield disc is
also recessed or otherwise fashioned to receive and permit the free revolution of
the bobbin disc. The shield or guard is made of such a size as to extend above,
or towards the top of the bobbin and enclose the portion of the bobbin remote

page_text: from the portion where the thread runs off; or the bobbin may be enclosed
wholly in which event a slot or opening will be made in the shield or guard to
permit the passage of the thread; consequently, any loose coils falling from the
bobbin, fall within the guard or shield and upon its disc, whereby they are
retained clear of the holder or spindle.
Of course other means may be adopted for supporting the shield or guard, but
we prefer the disc arrangement described as it is neat and inexpensive.
The discs may be made of suitable material, such as aluminium or brass, and
the ring or washer of felt, rubber or the like.
2011
7
1000
Improvements in Devices for Preventing the Entanglement and
Breakage of Thread at the Bobbins or Spools of Sewing Machines.
We, JAMES BOWEY, Sewing Machine Agent, of 13, York Street, and GEORGE
ROCKLIFFE, Engineer of 9 Pembroke Street both in Sunderland, in the County of
Durham, 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 devices for preventing the entanglement and breakage
of thread at the bobbins or spools of sewing machines.
Under certain conditions, when the thread is unwinding the natural tendency
of the coils on the bobbin is to become slack, and according to the prevalent
practice of mounting the bobbin it frequently happens that these loose coils slip
over the end of the bobbin, whereupon they get entangled around the bobbin-
holder or supporting spindle fitted upon the machine arm and eventually the thread
is broken, great inconvenience thereby resulting
To obviate the aforementioned liability it has been proposed to fix the bobbin
to a disc fitted to revolve around the bobbin-holder or spindle and made of such
a diameter as to receive and retain any coils detached from the bobbin. However,
'to procure effectiveness, this device necessitates the disc being made very con-
siderably larger in diameter than the bobbin whereby clumsiness and incompact-
ness at once result and render its use impracticable.
It is with the object of avoiding the defect just referred to that we have devised
our invention which consists essentially in providing in combination with the
said device a stationary shield or guard which is disposed around the bobbin and
disc so that the maximum benefit is obtained and the space occupied is reduced
to the minimum.
We will now fully describe our improvements in reference to the accompanying
drawings which show one way of constructing a device embodying the invention,
Fig. 1 being an elevation showing the device with the parts assembled ready for
use, Fig. 2 a central vertical section of the same with the bobbin displaced, and
Figs. 3 and 4 plans of details.
We fix the bobbin to its revoluble disc B as usual-that is to say the disc B
is furnished with a central spring grip in the form of a split tube C or the like
for slipping easily over the bobbin-holder D but fitting tightly in the bore or
longitudinal hole of the bobbin. Pins E may be provided on the disc B for

page_text: penetrating the bobbin end, and if desired they may be used alone or in con-
junction with the spring grip as in the arrangement illustrated. Fig. 3 shows
the disc B and its adjuncts separately
Between the bobbin A and disc B we recommend the interposition of a ring or
washer F of soft material as shown for preventing the thread getting underneath
the bobbin when the parts are closely assembled for use.
Around the bobbin A and disc B the shield or guard G is located so that it
cannot rotate ordinarily, and to this end it is formed on, or fixed to, a disc H,
of larger diameter than the bobbin disc B, provided with a central split or spring
tube I, or the like for engaging the bobbin-holder D in much the same manner
as previously described for connecting the bobbin A and its disc B together.
Fig. 4 shows the shield or guard G and the disc H.
The shield disc H is also recessed or otherwise fashioned to receive and permit
the free revolution of the bobbin disc B. The shield or guard G is made of such
a size as to extend above, or towards the top of the bobbin A and enclose the
portion of the bobbin remote from the portion where the thread runs off as shown
in Figs. 1 and 3; or the bobbin A may be enclosed wholly in which event a slot
or opening will be made in the shield or guard to permit the passage of the
thread; consequently, any loose coils falling from the bobbin B, fall within the
guard or shield G and upon its disc H, whereby they are retained clear of the
holder or spindle D.
Of course other means may be adopted for supporting the shield or guard G,
but we prefer the disc arrangement described as it is neat and inexpensive.
The discs B and H may be made of any suitable material, such as aluminium
or brass, and the ring or washer F of felt, rubber or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In devices for preventing the entanglement and breakage of thread at the
bobbins or spools of sewing machines having the bobbin or spool fixed to a disc
fitted to revolve around the bobbin-holder or spindle, the combination with the
aid disc of a stationary shield or guard arranged and operating substantially as
described in reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. A device for preventing the entanglement and breakage of thread at the
bobbins or spools of sewing machines, consisting of a revoluble disc to which the
bobbin or spool is attached, a disc fitted round the bobbin-holder and connected
thereto so that it is retained stationary said disc being recessed or otherwise
fashioned to receive and permit the free revolution of the revoluble disc, and a
shield or guard attached to the stationary disc and adapted to enclose the portion
of the bobbin or spool remote from the portion where the thread runs off, sub-
stantially as described
3. The improved device for preventing the entanglement and breakage of
thread at the bobbins or spools of sewing machines, substantially as described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th dor of June 1900
J. A. HARVEY,
Chartered Patent Agent, 3, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne.