IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry John Crawford and Joseph Lees, both of Belfast,
in the County of Antrim, in Ireland, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WINDING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Crawford and
Joseph Lees at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th August
1881.
HENRY JOHN CRAWFORD and JOSEPH LEES, both of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, in Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDING MACHINES."
•
The object of our Invention is to provide improved means for lifting and stopping
the spindles of winding machines on the pirns or bobbins becoming filled, or on the
breaking of the threads.
For this purpose, instead of employing a loose collar on the spindle and a lever
and a weight attached to the frame as now commonly practised, we substitute a
slide wedge introduced horizontally between the frame and the collar which bears
the pirn or bobbin, and actuated by a vertical lever which is attached at the lower
end to the wedge, and is made to operate thereon by a stud on the cup covering the
pirn or bobbin.
3
And in order to stop the pirn or bobbin on the breaking of the thread we
provide a guide connected with the wedge, the weight of which is borne by a thread
while unbroken, but when the thread breaks acts ou the wedge by the aid of a
lever and drives it forward, thus stopping the spindle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry John Crawford and Joseph Lees in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th February 1882.
HENRY JOHN CRAWFORD and JOSEPH LEES, both of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, in Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDING MACHINES."
The object of our Invention is to provide improved means for lifting and stopping
the spindles of winding machines on the pirns or bobbins becoming filled, or on
the breaking of the thread while being wound thereon.
For the purpose of stopping the machinery when the pirns or bobbins are full
we dispense with the use of a loose collar on the spindle and of a lever and weight
attached to the frame as now commonly practised, and we modify the shape and
mode of operation of the vertical or snack lever, and thereby adapt the same to
the action of our apparatus.
Between the frame and the collar or nut of the spindle which bears the pirn or
bobbin we introduce horizontally a slide wedge having a perforation through which
the spindle is to pass. The front and adjoining parts of the sides of the perforation
are concaved or bevelled so that the wedge may slide under and force up the
collar or nut. A slot in the lower end of the vertical or snack lever receives an
adjustable stud passing through a horizontal slot at the back end of the slide
wedge. This wedge is drawn under the collar or nut of the spindle by the action
of a stud on the cup covering the pirn or bobbin, and which when the latter is full
comes into contact with a shoulder near the top of the vertical or snack lever,
causing the opposite or reciprocating end of the vertical or snack lever to operate
on the stud or pin at the back end of the slide wedge. A horizontal spring rod
passing through a slotted tongue or snug at the lower extremity of the vertical or
snack lever, and furnished with a spring and an adjustable nut or shoulder to press
against the slotted tongue or snug just mentioned, being set free by the initial
movement of the slide wedge in the manner hereinafter described, aids the action
of the vertical or snack lever and secures the more sudden lifting and stopping of
the spindle.
And for the purpose of stopping the pirn or bobbin on the breaking of the
thread we provide a swan neck lever hung on a stud or pivot at or near its heel,
and carrying a tumbling bar or rod which is adjusted by means of a screw passing
transversely through the upper or adjoining end of the swan neck lever, and is
furnished at the top with a hook in order to retain or guide the thread while being
wound on the pirn or bobbin. The swan neck lever is weighted at the upper end
or neck, and in the winding of coarse and strong yarns may be balanced and
supported without the aid of a tumbling bar or rod so as to retain its vertical
position until the thread breaks, and to fall and operate in the manner hereinafter
described on the thread becoming broken. Where however the yarn is fine and
delicate we find it preferable to employ the tumbling bar or rod which is suspended
by the thread until the latter breaks; but when the thread breaks and the tumbling
bar or rod thereby loses support it overbalances and carries the top or weighty end
of the swan neck lever down, and a kicker upon the bottom or opposite end of
this lever strikes the tail of a catch lever furnished with a wedge shaped tongue
which holds back the perforated slide wedge by the aid of a wedge shaped snug
attached to the perforated slide wedge and sets the latter free. At the same time
a projecting snug on the catch lever is lifted or thrown out of contact with the
shoulder of the spring rod carrying the spring before mentioned, which being
thereby also set free drives or draws the perforated slide wedge rapidly under the
collar or nut of the spindle, and lifting it up brings the spindle with the pirn or
bobbin to a sudden stop, as herein before mentioned. The catch lever is hung on a

page_text: stud or pivot at or near its heel. The swan neck lever, catch lever, and spring rod
are attached to the rail or frame of the winding machine when newly constructed,
or they may be attached to a bracket and fixed thereby upon machines of the
construction now or heretofore commonly employed. The traverse or fall of the
swan neck lever is limited by a snug or stopper attached to the rail or frame of
the machine, or to a bracket to be fixed upon it.
But we do not limit ourselves to the forms or arrangements of levers which we
have above described, inasmuch as there are several obvious modifications thereof
and substitutes therefor by which the objects of our Invention could be effected.
We prefer however attachments or apparatus such as we have already described.
The pitch of the apparatus is regulated by the adjustment of the spring rod.
And in order that our said Invention may be more fully understood we shall
now proceed to refer to the Drawings upon the Sheet hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference being used throughout all the Figures thereon to indicate the
same or corresponding parts of our said apparatus.
Fig. I. is a front clevation of the spindle and upright slides of an ordinary pirn
winding machine with our apparatus attached thereto, the parts being shewn in
working position.
Fig. II is a similar view of the spindle slides and apparatus, the parts being
shewn in the position they occupy when the objects of our Invention have been
effected.
Fig. III. is a sectional side elevation on the line A, B, in Fig. I., and shews the
vertical or snack lever in position while the spindle is revolving and the pirn or
bobbin is being filled, the thread being unbroken.
Fig. IV. is a plan of the perforated slide-wedge, and Fig. V. is a side view of the
saine.
し
a is the perforated slide wedge having the front and part of the sides of the
perforation concaved or bevelled to act on the nut or collar of the spindle, and
raise the spindle and pirn or bobbin when the latter is filled or on the breaking of
the thread; b is a swan neck lever carrying a tumbling bar or rod c which is
adjusted by means of a transverse screw d, and upon the top end of which is a
hook to retain the thread being wound. At the bottom end of the swan neck
lever b is a kicker e. The traverse or fall of the swan neck lever b is limited by a
snug or stopper attached to the frame, rail, or bracket. g is a catch lever hung on
a stud or pivot at its heel and has a front projection and a tail to receive the
kicker e.
A wedge shaped tongue at the top of the catch lever g and a wedge
shaped snug attached to the perforated slide wedge a acting reciprocally on each
other, hold and release the catch lever and perforated slide wedge respectively,
according as the initial motion comes from the vertical or snack lever, or from the
swan neck lever. m is a horizontal rod carrying a spring and having an adjustable
nut or shoulder at the back end pressing against the slotted tongue or snug
on the vertical or snack lever, and a knob and shoulder at the front end to
be held by the projection on the catch lever g; n is the vertical or snack
lever which is provided with a vertical slot to receive the stud o adjusted in
the horizontal slot of the perforated slide wedge a, and a slotted tongue or snug
to receive the spring rod m; p is the adjustable nut or shoulder on the spring
rod m.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we would have it to be understood that we do not claim
the exclusive use of a slide wedge except when the same is constructed specially
and employed as hereinbefore described, nor do we claim the use of vertical or
snack levers, swan neck levers, or catch levers, spring rods or springs, nor of any
of the separate mechanical parts which form the compound automatic apparatus
employed by us, but we claim,-
First. The use in winding frames of a slide wedge constructed, actuated, and
employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and shewn upon the Drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: Secondly. The lifting of the collars or nuts and spindles in winding machines,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn
upon the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the compound
automatic apparatus herein before mentioned, constructed, and applied, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
Drawings on the Sheet hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry John Crawford and Joseph Lees,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of February, in
. the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two,