IMPROVEMENTS CABINETS OR CASES FOR CONTAINING ASSORTMENTS OF THREAD, SPOOLS, OR BOBBINS, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Kerr, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew,
IN
North Britain, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
CABINETS OR CASES FOR CONTAINING ASSORTMENTS OF THREAD, SPOOLS,
OR BOBBINS, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Kerr at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th April 1881.
ROBERT KERR, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CABINETS OR CASES FOR CONTAINING ASSORTMENTS
OF THREAD, SPOOLS, OR BOBBINS, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES."
This Invention relates to cabinets or cases for containing assortments of such
articles as spools or bobbins of thread, and has for its object the constructing of
such cabinets in an improved manner, rendering them very convenient when used
by shopkeepers or retailers, or when a stock of different qualities or kinds of
small articles is kept from which single articles have to be taken at different
times.
In one modification the improved cabinet is in the form of a shallow box divided
internally by parallel partitions into separate compartments for the several
qualities, numbers, or kinds of articles, each compartment being large enough to
contain several articles of those allotted to it. The cabinet may be fixed or hung
vertically against a wall, or it may be arranged to be placed on a horizontal or
inclined stand, or counter, or table; it is, however, in all cases arranged so that
the compartments are either vertical or inclined in order that the spools or other
articles may tend to roll or slide towards the lower ends of their several
compartments. The cabinet may be fitted with one or more main covers or doors,
which when open will expose the entire interior to view, but combined with such
main cover or covers or instead thereof there is fitted to the cabinet a small cover,
which when open exposes as much of the lower ends of the several compartments
as will allow of a single article being conveniently extracted; or instead of a
single small cover for all the compartments there may be separate small covers for
ת
11

page_text: one, two, or more compartments. When any single article is withdrawn for retail
or for use the articles remaining in the compartment will descend, so that there
will be one ready at the lowest point when next required.
The small covers for giving access to the single articles may be arranged in a
variety of ways; they may be hinged or be fitted to slide in grooves; they may
be fitted to either the upper or lower side, or to the end of the cabinet, or partly
to the end as well as to the upper or lower side, and they may have parts
connected to them for raising the articles more or less to facilitate their
withdrawal.
Numbers or marks indicating the qualities or kinds of the articles are applied,
by preference, in an ornamental manner upon the small cover or covers or upon
convenient parts of the cabinet, whilst the manufacturer's name, trade mark, or
show card, can be very satisfactorily displayed upon the main cover above the
small cover or covers.
In a modification which will be very suitable for some shops the cabinet is made
in two parts inclined in opposite directions. The upper part is inclined downwards
towards the outer side, which will face a customer, the lower part being inclined
downwards towards the inner side. The internal compartments are continuous
through the two parts of the cabinet, the articles passing from the lower end of
the upper part through openings into the higher end of the lower part.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Kerr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th October
1881.
ROBERT KERR, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CABINETS OR CASES FOR CONTAINING ASSORTMENTS
OF THREAD, SPOOLS, OR BOBBINS, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My said Invention relates to cabinets or cases for containing assortments of such
articles as spools or bobbins of thread, and has for its object the constructing of
such cabinets in an improved manner, rendering them very convenient when used
by shopkeepers or retailers, or when a stock of different qualities or kinds of
small articles is kept from which single articles have to be taken at different
times.
In one modification my improved cabinet is in the form of a shallow box divided
internally by parallel partitions into separate compartments for the several
qualities, numbers, or kinds of articles, each compartment being large enough to
contain several articles of those allotted to it. The cabinet may be fixed or hung
vertically against a wall, or it may be arranged to be placed on a horizontal or
inclined stand, or counter, or table; it is, however, in all cases arranged so that the
compartments are either vertical or inclined in order that the [spools or other
articles may tend to roll or slide towards the lower ends of their several
compartments. The cabinet may be fitted with one or more main covers or doors,
which when open will expose the entire interior to view, but combined with such
main cover or covers, or instead thereof, there is fitted to the cabinet a small cover,
which when open exposes as much of the lower ends of the several compartments
as will allow of a single article being conveniently extracted; or instead of a single
small cover for all the compartments there may be separate small covers, each for
one, two, or more compartiments. When any single article is withdrawn for retail
or for use the articles remaining in the compartment will descend, so that there will
be one ready at the lowest point when next required.
The small covers for giving access to single articles may be arranged in a variety
of ways; they may be hinged or be fitted to slide in grooves; they may be fitted
to either the upper or lower side or to the end of the cabinet, or partly to the end
as well as to the upper or lower side, and they may have parts connected to them
for raising the articles more or less to facilitate their withdrawal.
Numbers or marks indicating the qualities or kinds of the articles are applied
by preference in an ornamental manner upon the small cover or covers, or upon
convenient parts of the cabinet, whilst the manufacturer's name, trade mark, or
show card, can be very satisfactorily displayed upon the main cover above the small
cover or covers.
In a modification which will be very suitable for some shops the cabinet is made
in two parts inclined in opposite directions. The upper part is inclined downwards
towards the outer side, which will face a customer, the lower part being inclined
downwards towards the inner side. The internal compartments are each continuous
through the two parts of the cabinet, the articles passing from the lower end of
the upper part through openings into the higher end of the lower part.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the same,
may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings,
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing by way of example a cabinet for
thread spools as made according to one modification of my Invention.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation of the
cabinet with all the covers or doors closed; Figure 2 is an elevation of the cabinet

page_text: as with the main cover open and with the bottom ends of some of the compartments
uncovered; Figure 3 is a vertical section as at right angles to Figure 1; and
Figure 4 is a horizontal section corresponding to the upper part of Figure 2. In
these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
The cabinet is a shallow rectangular box 5 fitted (in this example) with eye
plates 6 for being hung against a wall on nails or hooks, but which may be placed
either vertically or in an inclined position. The interior of the box is divided by
vertical or longitudinal partition slips 7 into a number of long compartments,
which being intended for thread spools of different sizes are made of correspondingly
different dimensions, whilst in the smaller compartments false bottoms are fitted,
so that the outer parts of the spools may all be nearly in the same place. The
box has a main cover or door 8 hinged to one of its sides, such door being of a size
to cover all but a small part at the lower ends of the compartments. On the
outside of the main cover or door 8 the manufacturer's show, card, with name,
trade mark, and other words and devices, is ornamentally and effectively displayed.
A number of spools of thread are shown in the compartments, to the lower ends of
which they all tend by their weight. Two sliding covers 9 are fitted in grooves
over the lower ends of the compartments, and can be moved by means of buttons
or studs 10 in order to uncover any compartment for the purpose of withdrawing
a spool. A bar 11 is fixed across the box between the main cover 8 and the small
covers 9, the groove for the upper edges of these covers being formed in it, and
this bar serves for bearing numbers (such as 16 to 80, as shown) for distinguishing
the kinds of thread in the different compartments.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the
precise details herein described or delineated; but that what I believe to be novel
and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,--
1. The construction or combination of parts constituting a cabinet or case for
containing assortments of thread, spools, or bobbins, or similar articles, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and as shown on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
2. The making of cabinets or cases for thread spools or similar articles with
vertical or inclined compartments, to the lower ends of which the articles tend to
move, and with outlets or doors at the lower ends of the compartments for the
withdrawal of single articles, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I the said Robert Kerr, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ROBERT KERR. (L.S.)