IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPOOLING YARNS OR THREADS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Smith, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SPOOLING YARNS OR THREADS."
Scaled the 7th May 1875, and dated the 21st December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st December 1874.
I, ROBERT SMITH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPOOLING YARNS OR THREADS," to be as
follows: :-
My Invention relates in the first place to the self-acting spooling
machines, having in each case a revolving frame containing two rows
of spindles so arranged that the attendant can doff one row of spools
and fasten the ends whilst the spools in the other row are being filled,
the filled spools being withdrawn and the empty spools made to take
the place of the filled spools by rotating the spindle frame to the extent
of half a revolution.

page_text: According to my present Invention I dispense with one of the said
two rows of spindles and reduce the distance between the full and
empty spools, whereby less waste of yarn is caused, the attendant being
still enabled to doff the full spools and to fasten the ends whilst the
other row of spools is being filled. To effect this I place the driving
shaft behind a fixed rail, which contains a row of spindles driven by
gearing in the usual or in a suitable manner. A sliding bar or frame
carries two sets of loose spindles corresponding in number to and
arranged in line with the said spool spindles. One of the said loose
spindles supports the outer end of one of the spools, the spindle being
permitted to revolve therewith, the other and opposite loose spindle
being in a position to receive an empty spool. When the row of spools
is filled the said bar is moved away from the spool spindle, and a fork or
other suitable contrivance situated behind the end of each spool forces
the spool off the spool spindle, and leaves it on the corresponding loose
spindle. The attendant then turns the said bar to the extent of half a
revolution, whereby the full spools are withdrawn and the empty spools
are caused to take their places.
My Invention relates in the second place to other descriptions of
spooling machines, as well as those herein-before referred to, and consists
in an improvement in the method of reversing the motion at the end of
cach traverse. On the screw that imparts the to-and-fro movement to
the carriage traversing frame or bar, upon which the guide holders are
mounted, I fix a pinion, which is connected by gearing with ȧ wheel,
which carries a stud or pin. As the said wheel rotates the said stud
raises a lever, to which is attached a ratchet, which engages with a
ratchet wheel on the reversing shaft. The said ratchet wheel is formed
with the same number of teeth as the star or escapement wheel on the
reversing shaft. Each time that the said lever is raised as aforesaid the
said ratchet is caused to enter the next space in the said ratchet whool,
and when the aforesaid carriage has traversed so far as to move the said
escapement wheel past the escapement stud the weight of the lever
acting on the said ratchet wheel causes it to make the movement
necessary to effect the change. The said lever may be acted upon by
means of a weight or spring, as may be preferred or considered to be
most suitable.
My Invention further relates to mechanism for ensuring that the
carriage or traversing frame shall always move equally or squarely, so

page_text: that one end or side can never be in advance of the other end or side,
and for this purpose I place near to or at each side of the framing of the
machine a rack, with which two rack pinions gear, the said rack
pinions being keyed fast to a shaft extending the whole width of the
carriage. The said shaft works in bearings attached to the said carriage
or traversing frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patont,
filed by the said Robert Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
SMITH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,. Machinist, sond
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Smith, Her special
license that I, the said Robert Smith, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Smith, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thercafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SPOOLING YARNS OR THREADS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Robert Smith, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention relates in the first place to the self-acting spooling &
machines, having in each case a revolving frame containing two rows of
spindles so arranged that the attendant can doff one row of spools and
fasten the ends whilst the spools in the other row are being filled, the
filled spools being withdrawn and the empty spools made to take tho
place of the filled spools by rotating the spindle frame to the extent of 1
half a revolution.
According to my present Invention I dispense with one of the said
two rows of spindles and reduce the distance between the full and empty
spools, whereby less wasto of yarn is caused, the attendant being still
enabled to doff the full spools and to fasten the ends whilst the other 1
row of spools is being filled. To effect this I place the driving shaft
behind a fixed rail, which contains a row of spindles driven by gearing
in the usual or in a suitable manner. A. sliding bar or frame carries two
sets of loose spindles corresponding in number to and arranged in line
with the spool spindles. One of the said loose spindles supports the 2
outer end of one of the spools, the spindle being permitted to revolve
therewith, the other and opposite loose spindle being in a position to
receive an empty spool. When the row of spools is filled the said bar is
moved away from the spool spindle, and a fork situated behind the end
of each spool forces the spool off the spool spindle, and leaves it on the
corresponding loose spindle. The attendant then turns the said bar to
the extent of balf a revolution, whereby the full spools are withdrawn
and the empty spools are caused to take their places.
My Invention relates in the second place to other descriptions of
spooling machines as well as those herein-before referred to, and consists
in an improvement in the method of reversing the motion at the end of
each traverse. On the screw that imparts the to-and-fro movement to
the carriage, traversing frame, or bar upon which the guide holders are
mounted I fix a pinion, which is connected by gearing with a wheel
which carries a stud or pin. As the said wheel rotates the said stud
raises a lever, to which is attached a ratchet which engages with a ratchet
wheel on the reversing shaft. The said ratchet wheel is formed with the

page_text: same number of teeth as the star or escapement wheel on the reversing
shaft. Each time that the said lever is raised as aforesaid the said
ratchet is caused to enter the next space in the said ratchet wheel, and
when the aforesaid carriage has traversed so far as to move the said
escapement wheel past the escapement stud, the lever acting on the said
ratchet wheel causes it to make the movement necessary to effect the
change. The said lever may be acted upon by means of a weight or
spring, as may be preferred or considered to be most suitable.
My Invention further relates to mechanism for ensuring that the
carriage or traversing frame shall always move equally or squarely, so
that one end or side can never be in advance of the other ond or side, and
for this purpose I place near to or at each side of the framing of the
machine a rack with which one of two rack pinions gears, the said
pinions being keyed fast to a shaft extending the whole width of the
carriage.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I
will now refer to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which are
marked with letters of reference, corresponding marks indicating the
same parts in the various Figures.
In the said Drawings Fig. 1, drawn about one-third of the full size,
represents a plan of so much of a spooling machine as is necessary.to
the illustration of the first part of my Invention, Fig. 2 being a vertical
section on the line A. In the said Figures B is a rail in which are fixed
bushes a, a, in which the spool spindles b, b, are fitted to revolve. On
one end of cach spindle is fixed a bevil wheel c, which gears with a
bevil wheel fixed on the driving shaft d, whereby all the said spindles
are caused to revolve simultaneously, the other end of each spindle being
suitably formed to enter the holes in the spools. A bar C is mounted
by each end in blocks e, e, which are fitted to slide in slots formed in
the side frames D, D, and in tho said bar are fixed bushes f,fƒ, in which
arc mounted the loose spindles g, g, a spindle projecting from each end
of each bush. Each spindle is fitted to revolve freely in its bush, and is
formed at its outer end to suit the holes in the spools. The said bar is
turned in two places to fit jaws which are formed in two levers h, h,
which are fixed on the shaft i, which is fitted to rock in suitable bearings
in the framing. A second lever j, fixed on the same shaft, is connected
by the rod k with a foot treddle., by means of which the bar C can be

page_text: moved bodily in a direction from the rail B, the blocks e, e, sliding in
the frames. When the pressure is removed from the said treddle the
weight m moves back the said bar. Gudgeons are formed on the ends
of the said bar, and are fitted to revolve in bearings formed in the
sliding blocks e, e. On the outer end of one gudgeon is fixed a boss, to
which is hinged a spring handle n, by means of which the bar C can be
rotated to, the required extent. A disc or quadrant o, fixed to the
sliding block, is formed with a projecting flanch, in which are formed
two diametrically opposed notches, with either of which the spring
handle may be caused to engage.
When the machine is in use empty spools are placed on the ends of
the outer row of spindles, and the bar C is drawn forwards by means of
the treddle into the position indicated by the portion to the left hand
in Fig. 1. The bar C is now rotated to the extent of half a revolution
by means of the spring handle which is disengaged from the notch with
which it may at the time be resting, and is caused to engage with the
opposite notch. The treddle being now released the bar C is moved
back by the action of the weight m until the empty spools are forced on
to the ends of the spindles b, b, as indicated in the right hand portion of
Fig. 1. The spools are now supported jointly by the spindles 6 and g,
and the winding proceeds in the usual manner, empty spools being placed
on the other set of spindles g. When the spools are filled the said bar
is again drawn forwards rotated to the extent of half a revolution and
permitted to return, by which means the filled spools are brought to
the front in position to be doffed. A shaft p extending across the
machine and mounted in bearings is provided with doffing forks q, q,
there being one to each of the spindles b. On one end of the said shaft
is fixed an arm to which is jointed one end of the latch 8, the other
end thereof resting on a pin t. The said latch is formed with a shoulder
with which the bar C comes into contact when being moved forwards, and
motion is thereby imparted to the arm and the forks q, q, and the said
forks are caused to follow up the spools and to push them off the ends of
the spindles b, b. During the filling of the spools the said shoulder on.
the latch prevents the bar C from being rotated. The end of the latch
which rests upon the pin t is made of such an inclined form, as that-
when the bar Ơ has moved into position to be rotated the said latch has
been raised sufficiently for the said shoulder to become disengaged from
the said bar which may then be rotated,

page_text: Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the second part of my Invention; in Fig. 3 is
represented so much of the traversing frame upon which the guide
holders are mounted as is necessary to illustrate my Invention. The
reversal of the direction of motion is effected by means of an escapement
wheel J, a cam wheel H, bevils F, F, and a screw shaft E, as in the
Invention for which Letters Patent, dated December Thirtieth, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, were granted to me. On the said
screw shaft is fixed a pinion u which gives motion through intermediate
gearing v, v, to a spur wheel w which is mounted on the shaft G, the
arrangement being drawn in elevation to a larger scale in Fig. 4. Fixed
on the shaft G is a ratchet wheel x with which engages a ratchet y
which is jointed to a lever z. A pin a fixed to the wheel w comes in
contact with the said lever each time that the said wheel revolves in one
direction or the other, and the said pin lifts the lever and thereby causes
the said ratchet to entor the next space in the ratchet wheel, a detent c
preventing any movement on the part of the said ratchet wheel. After
the said pin has moved away from the said lever, the latter is sustained
in the elevated position by the ratchet bearing against a tooth in the
ratchet wheel, the weight of the said lever aided by a spring 6' causing
the said ratchet to bear with sufficient force against the said tooth to
effect the rotation of the ratchet wheel, and of the shaft G when such
rotation is permitted by the escapement action. When the wheel J is
released by the said action the lever z immediately descends, and thereby
causes the ratchet wheel to be rotated to the extent of one tooth, and
the cam wheel is caused to act upon the reversing motion in the usual
Fig. 5 illustrates the last part of my Invention. A shaft d¹ is fitted
to revolve in bearings e' which are secured to the sides fl of the
aforesaid traversing frame, and on each end of the said shaft is fixed a
rack pinion g¹. Racks h', ', are fixed to the framing of the machine,
and the said rack pinions gear with the said racks.

page_text: Having now fully described and indicated the nature of my said
Invention, and means whereby the same may be carried into practical
effect, I would have it to be understood that I claim,-
First. The sliding bar or frame fitted with two sets of loose spindles,
and capable of being rotated, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and indicated herein-before when referring to the first part of my
Invention, and in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
the
Secondly. The ratchet lever lifted at intervals, substantially as and for
purpose set forth and indicated herein-before, when referring to the
second part of my Invention and to Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying 1]
Drawings.
Thirdly. The arrangement for ensuring unison in the movements of
all parts of the traversing frame or carriage, substantially as herein.
before set forth and indicated.
And, Lastly. The combination and arrangements of parts sub- 1
stantially as and for the purposes set forth and indicated herein-before,
and in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
ROBERT SMITH. (L.S.)