IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR UNWINDING SILK, THREAD, OR YARN FROM THE HANK
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Hodges, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturer and Merchant, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR UNWINDING SILK, THREAD, OR YARN FROM
THE HANK."-A communication.
Sealed the 23rd January 1857, and dated the 26th July 1856:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Hodges, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th July 1856.
I, CHARLES HODGES, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster;
Manufacturer & Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR UNWINDING SILK, THREAD, OR YARN
FROM THE HANK," as communicated to me from abroad, to be as follows:-
This apparatus is particularly adapted to domestic purposes, and will prevent
the necessity of an attendant when ladies wish to unwind a hank, of silk,
cotton, worsted, or other yarn to arrange it for use. The present. plan is
generally to get an attendant to hold the hank stretched out between his or
her thumbs or hands whilst the material is wound on a bobbin or made into a
ball for more convenient use, which plan this apparatus will supersede. It

page_text: consists of two metal clips being attached to an elastic band, the clips being
made of wire, or other suitable metal or material, and formed so as to clip the
edges of the table, or to penetrate the seats of the chairs, sofa, table cover, or
any convenient substance at hand; the said clips have also each a vertical
projection, on which is placed loosely a bobbin or spool to revolve easily. The
hank of silk or thread is placed on these bobbins, and the elastic band being
stretched out to the length of the hank, the clips then stuck into the seat of
the sofa, table cover, or any convenient position, will remain firm, whilst the
yarn may be unwound with ease.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Hodges in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HODGES, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer
and Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Hodges, Her special license that I, the said Charles Hodges, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Hodges, 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
UNWINDING SILK, THREAD, OR YARN FROM THE HANK," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Ilodges, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Charles Hodges, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
Instead of the usual method of one person employing or engaging another
to hold the hank or skein of silk, cotton, worsted, or other yarn stretched out
between the hands to be wound on a bobbin or made into a ball for more
convenient use, I construct a simple apparatus, consisting of two clips, made
of any suitable metal or material, and attached to an elastic band. The said
clips are formed so as to clip the edges of a table or other convenient peices of
furniture at hand, or to penetrate the seat of a sofa, or the seats of two chairs,
a table cover, or any convenient material at hand, so as to stretch the hank or
skein out to its full extent. The said clips have also each a vertical pin or
projection, on which is placed loosely a bobbin or spool, so that they may
revolve easily on the pins or projections. The hank or skein is placed on these
spools or bobbins, and the elastic band being stretched out to the length of
the hank or skein, and the clips fastened to the chair seats, sofa, table cover,
or other convenient position, will remain firm whilst the yarn or material is
unwound with ease without the assistance of an attendant.
St
The construction of this apparatus will be clearly understood by reference to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings with the figures and letters of reference
thereon, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the apparatus as it appears un-
stretched, without the bank or skein; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 is
a side view of the said apparatus, in which is shewn stretched or lengthened
with the hank or skein on the bobbins. a represents the clips furnished with
the pointed hooks b, and also the pins or projections c, upon which are
placed the bobbins d, of any convenient size. To the said clips the elastic
band e is attached. Upon the bobbins the bank or skein f is placed, which
with the band is stretched out and held by the hooks b, thus affording the
means of easily unwinding without other assistance.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention as communicated to
me from abroad, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire
it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the particular
shape or construction of the said clips, as the same may be varied or modified
without departing from the principle thereof; but I claim the use of clips of
any convenient form so as to clip the edges of a table or any hard substance,
or pointed so as to penetrate the covers of chairs, sofas, or any soft substance,
the said clips having each a bobbin or spool, and attached to an elastic band,

page_text: for the purpose herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Hodges, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
CHARLES HODGES. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Charles Hodges, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.