IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR WINDING THREAD ON TO SPOOLS OR REELS, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN SEWING MACHINE SHUTTLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Thomas Powers, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM AND
ARRANGEMENTS FOR WINDING THREAD ON TO SPOOLS OR REELS, MORE
PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN SEWING MACHINE SHUTTLES."
Sealed the 7th October 1876, and dated the 13th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Thomas Powers at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th July 1876.
CHARLES THOMAS POWERS, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Machinist.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR WINDING THREAD ON
TO SPOOLS OR REELS, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN SEWING MACHINE
SHUTTLES."
My Invention relates to and consists in means and arrangements for distributing
the thread in even layers when winding the same upon spools or reels, more par-
ticularly those used for sewing machine shuttles, whereby the winding operation is
made easy even to inexperienced persons and a greater length is put upon each
spool, and being evenly wound the tension of the shuttle thread in sewing machines
is made more uniform, consequently the sewing and working of the machine is
better and more satisfactory.
The spool or reel is or may be placed in centres and rotated in any ordinary or
well-known manner, and a rod or wire is placed in front of the reel, which rod or
wire is carried by the headstock of the winding head, and it is made parallel to
the axis of the spool or reel when held between the centres of the winding head.
Upon this rod or wire there is a flat piece of metal hinged, or it may be hinged in
independent centres so as to be pressed by a spring or an elastic tail part from
itself against the under side of the spool or reel when held between the centres;
this presser plate is equal in width to the length of the reel within the heads. The
thread to be wound is brought from the bobbin, which is left perfectly free to
rotate through an eye, to the wire or rod, and is passed over it and is taken up
and over the thread as it comes to the wire or rod, then under the thread, and then
the end is placed into the hole in the spindle of the headstock, the head of the reel
being pressed against it to secure it in the ordinary manner. The reel is then
rotated and the thread begins to wind, the thread passing from the wire to the
reel crossing over and rubbing against the thread coming to the wire or rod; this
[Price 6d.]

page_text: arrangement and the action of the presser causing the thread to slide along the
rod or wire as it is wound and to turn and traverse in the contrary direction when
it arrives at each head of the spool or reel, and so on until the reel or spool is
filled. The position of the eye through which the thread passes from the bobbin,
or the position of the axis of the reel or spool, is such when winding that when the
thread is in the middle part of the spool or reel the axis of the latter is at a right
angle to the line of the thread coming from the eye. The thread may, be passed
round a pulley free on the rod or wire or through a guide and tension arrangement
in a plate having anti-friction pulleys to work on the wire or rod, but I prefer the
arrangement above described as the best and most simple.
The winder may be rotated in the ordinary manner from the fly wheel of sewing
machines, or independently of the sewing machine, and may be used to wind for
several sewing machines, or for other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Charles Thomas Powers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
January 1877.
CHARLES THOMAS POWERS, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Machinist.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR WINDING THREAD ON
TO. SPOOLS OR REELS, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN SEWING MACHINE
SHUTTLES."
The object of the Invention is by simple mechanism and arrangements to dis-
tribute the thread in even layers when winding it upon spools or reels automatically,
which for sewing machine shuttle spools or reels has generally been done hitherto
by hand.
By my Invention the winding operation is made easy to inexperienced persons
and a greater length of thread is wound upon each spool or reel, and being evenly
distributed, the tension of the shuttle thread in sewing machines is made more
uniform, consequently the sewing is better and the working of the machine is more
satisfactory.
The spool or reel to have thread wound upon it is placed in centres so as to be
rotated in any well-known manner to wind the thread, and my Invention consists
in fixing a wire or rod in front of the spool or reel and parallel to its axis when
winding, this wire or rod being supported in any suitable way, but by preference
is carried from the headstock of the winding spindle and centre. The thread to
be wound is brought from a bobbin that is placed so as to rotate as frecly as
possible on a vertical axis, by preference, and this thread is brought through an
eye or guide, and the latter and the axis of the spool or reel upon which the thread
is to be wound is arranged so that the axis of the spool or reel will be at a right
angle to a line drawn from the eye or guide to the middle of the axis of the spool
or reel. The thread from the bobbin after passing through the eye or guide is
taken under the wire or rod and over it, and then once round the thread passing
to the wire and then to the spool or recl, so that the thread going to the spool or
reel rubs against the thread passing from the bobbin to the wire or rod; this
arrangement, and the action of the flat presser that extends between the heads
of the spool or recl, which is pressed by a spring against the same, causes the thread
to be evenly distributed as it winds, and to return at each head of the reel or spool,
and retraverse until the spool or reel is full. The presser plate is hinged upon the
wire or rod, or upon independent centres.
Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the Invention, and Fig. 2 a vertical section
showing its connection with part of a sewing machine.
t is part of the frame of a sewing machine; b, part of the fly wheel; c is the
bobbin of thread for the sewing machine, and from which it is drawn when filling
spools or reels for the shuttle; d is the bracket or headstock of the spool winder

page_text: secured by the screw c so that the india-rubber tire can be brought against or
withdrawn from the fly wheel (b), which tire is on a pulley f upon the spindle g
of the headstock, the spindle being forced endways by a spring in the bearing for
the spindle; h is a centre for carrying one end of the spool while being wound,
the other end of the spool entering a cavity in the headstock spindle, in the end of
which there is a pin j to enter a hole in the head of the spool to drive it. The end
of the thread before commencing to wind is placed between the end of the spool
and the end of the spindle.
The thread winder above described by reference letters is the same or is similar
to thread winders which are in common use with sewing machines.
This Invention consists in applying the rod or wire k, which may be held in
arms from the headstock, as shown, and arranging the wire in relation to the axis
of the spool or reel and guide eye or wire l, as herein-before described and shown
in the Drawings, the thread passing from the bobbin through the guide and to
the wire and round the thread between the wire and spool, as herein-before
described and shown by the lines in the Drawings; m is the presser plate hinged
on the wire or rod and acted upon by a spring n, which is guided and secured
by a screw, as shown. The thread instead of passing simply round the wire or
rod, as shown, may pass round a small barrel free to rotate, or round a small
pulley free to slide and rotate on the wire or rod, but the arrangement above
described and shown by the Drawings is preferred as the simplest and best.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be carried into effect, and claim as my Invention-
Firstly. The novel combination of a wire or rod () with a thread winder
arranged in combination with a guide (l), the thread passing round the wire or
rod () and round itself, the presser plate (m) acted upon by a spring (n), all
working and acting together substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described.
Secondly. The wire or rod k arranged as described and the giving of tension to
the thread by causing the threads to rub together, substantially as and for the
purpose described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Thirdly. The flat presser plate (m), acted upon by a spring n, in combination
with the wire or rod , and the arrangement of the thread, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Thomas Powers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
CHARLES THOMAS POWERS. (L.S.)