ANVED COMBINED REEL FRAME. AND THREAD. CUTTER
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Edward Keen, of No. 26, Old Change, in
the City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
"
Sealed the 3rd September 1867, and dated the 4th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Edward Keen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th March 1867.
I, RICHARD EDWARD KEEN, of No. 26, Old Change, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the, said Invention. for "AN
IMPROVED COMBINED REEL FRAME. AND THREAD. CUTTER," to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to an apparatus for supporting thread reels in a
convenient manner' to allow the thread to be taken therefrom as it is used,
a knife or cutting blade being attached to the said apparatus, whereby the
thread may be divided into portions of any required length.
This apparatus is. intended chiefly for ladies' use, and is more especially
designed to prevent their having to divide the thread by biting it, which is
often attended with danger from the presence of poisonous substances on the
thread. The said apparatus consists mainly of a frame, which may be made
of suitable shape and size to support any desired number of reels; the latter

page_text: are carried upon studs or fingers secured in and projecting from the said frame;
this frame is by preference formed of wood or ivory, while the fingers are
made of brass or other metal; but these parts may be made of any other
material suitable for the purpose. The frame may be either attached to an
independent stand or foot or may be fixed inside a work box. The knife
for dividing the thread is by preference made V shaped, or in the form of a
crescent, but may be of any other form if desired; the said knife is fixed in
the top or other convenient portion of the frame, and may if desired be made
removeable. Guides are attached to the frame in the proper position to
conduct the thread from each of the reels to the knife and to keep the ends
of the said thread in a convenient position to be taken up by the person using
the same; these guides may be constructed of metal wire or may be formed
by boring or perforating the frame, or in any other convenient and suitable
manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Edward Keen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
EDWARD KEEN, of No. 26, Old Change, in the City of London, Gentleman,
send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard
Edward Keen, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Edward Keen, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Edward Keen, my executors, administrators, and 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 of "AN IMPROVED COMBINED REEL
FRAME AND THREAD CUTTER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Richard Edward Keen, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
.ticularly 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

page_text: in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Edward Keen, 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 following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming part of
this Specification:-
The said Invention relates to an apparatus for supporting thread reels in a
convenient manner to allow the thread to be taken therefrom as it is used, a
knife or cutting blade being attached to the said apparatus, whereby the
thread may be divided into portions of any required length.
This apparatus is intended chiefly for ladies' use, and is more especially
designed to prevent their. having to divide the thread by biting it, which is
often attended with danger from the presence of poisonous substances on the
thread. The said apparatus consists mainly of a frame, which may be made
of suitable shape and size to support any desired number of reels; the latter
are carried upon studs or fingers secured in and. projecting from the said
frame; this frame may be formed of wood, ivory, or metal, and the fingers
are preferably made of brass or other metal, but these parts may be made of
any other material suitable for the purpose. The frame may be either
attached to an independent stand or foot or may be placed inside a work box."
The knife for dividing the thread is fixed in the top or other convenient
portion of the frame, and may if desired be made removable. Guides are
attached to the frame in the proper position to allow the thread from each of
the reels to be passed over and cut by the knife and to keep the ends of the
said thread in a convenient position to be taken up by the person using the
same; these guides may be constructed of brass or other wire, or may be
formed by boring or perforating the frame, or in any other convenient and
suitable manner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan of one of my improved reel frames supported upon an
independant stand or foot; Figure 2 is an elevation of the same; Figures 3
and 4 illustrate a modified form of the said frame; Figure 5 is an elevation of
a work box provided with my improved reel frame, showing the same adjusted
for use; Figure 6 is a plan of the said work box, with the reel frame adjusted
to allow the box to be closed. Like letters indicate the same parts in each of
the Figures.

page_text: firmly and prevent its being overturned when in use. When formed of brass
the said base is preferably made hollow and filled with lead or iron to keep it
steady. The stem or pillar B is screwed, rivetted, or otherwise firmly secured
in the said base, or may be formed solidly thereon. The arms or cross bars C
from which the fingers D project may be cast in one piece or stamped from a
flat plate of metal and attached to the stem B as shown in Figures 1 and 2,
or may be formed of small brass rods or tubing and passed through the stem B
as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The fingers D are formed of brass, iron, or
other suitable metal and are securely rivetted, soldered, or otherwise fastened
in the arms C. Any desired number of these arms and fingers may be used,
and they may be arranged upon the upright stem B as shown in Figures 1
and 3, or in any other convenient manner. The fingers D are made of the
proper diameter and length to hold the reels safely and allow them to turn
freely as the thread is unwound therefrom, and are placed at such distances
apart as not to interfere with each other when the apparatus is in use. The
central stem B is preferably extended above the arms C as shown, and the
knife E is advantageously fixed upon the top of the said stem. The said
knife is firmly fitted in the curved or crescent-shaped piece B', whose ends
project slightly above the edge of the said knife and serve to keep the thread
from slipping laterally therefrom while being cut. The guides F are preferably
formed of brass wire and soldered in the stem B, and are arranged in the
most convenient manner to allow the threads from all the reels a to be passed
through them, as shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5. By this means the ends of
all the threads are kept together in the most convenient position to be taken
up to be used, and each thread can be, drawn in any required length from its
reel and readily passed over the knife: It may be found desirable to provide
a stud or holder G for carrying a thimble, as shown in Figure 2.
The upper part of the frame represented in Figures 5 and 6 is provided
with a knife E and guides F similar to those already described. The lower
end B2 of the stem B is in this case preferably formed slightly taper or conical
a corresponding hole G¹ is formed in the side of the work box H, and the
end B2 is fitted to the said hole in such a manner that the frame can be readily
inserted therein and removed therefrom as desired. A metal plate I is pre-
ferably provided to strengthen the side of the box and assist in holding the
stem B. When the frame is not in use the said stem is taken out of the
hole, the reels a are removed from the fingers D, and placed in the compart-
ments H¹ of the box, while the frame is placed in the central compartment H³
of the said box, which can then be closed.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the same

page_text: may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it
understood that I do not claim supporting a reel or number of reels upon a
stand, as I am aware that devices for bolding reels have been already used,
and also that holders for single reels provided with knives and guides have
been employed; but I claim, a reel frame or holder provided with fingers D,
a knife E, and guides F, constructed and combined substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Edward Keen, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
RICHARD EDWARD KEEN. (L.S.)
Witness,
W*. ROB². LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings, W.C.