IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPOOLING THREAD
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Willey West, of, Boston, in the County of Suffolk,
and State of Massachusetts, in the United States of America, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPOOLING THREAD."
KL 1000 and
nd the 75th October 1870
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Willey West at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th October 1879.
JOHN WILLEY WEST, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of Massa-
chusetts, in the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SPOOLING THREAD."
This Invention relates to machinery for spooling thread, and comprises various
novel features of construction, as hereinafter described.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the said machine is so constructed that
motion may be communicated to the same by means of a pulley fixed to a shaft, to
which is also fixed a friction wheel which actuates another friction wheel upon another
shaft, to which shaft is also fixed a wheel which is connected by a belt with the driving
pulley upon a tubular rotary arbor. A spindle or shaft carrying the spool is secured
by a pin or screw extending into a groove in such spindle to the said tubular arbor.
This connection allows the spindle to be retracted when the spool is loaded so as to
doff the spool. The doffing mechanism consists of a frame separating into forks,
and extending at its upper portion around the spool shaft or spindle, but not pre-
venting it from rotating. A nut prevents it from slipping off the shaft; the said
frame is grooved and slides in a tongued projection. Placed loosely upon a shaft
between the legs or forks aforesaid is an excentric provided with a pin, which passes
through a corresponding opening therein, and is fastened to a spring secured to the'
excentric. A cam is fixed to the same shaft, and provided with a notch. A pivoted
lever extends into knife-blade shape, and the knife-blade portion is pressed between
the said spring and excentric by means of another spring, thus drawing the pin
into the excentric, so that the cam cannot engage it. The cam shaft (and conse-
quently the cam) is rotated by means of a pulley, which is belted to another pulley
on a lower shaft, another pulley on the lower shaft being belted to a pulley on a
shaft above it. To doff the spool therefore I quickly push the upper end of the

page_text: pivotted lever back, when the knife blade end being withdrawn from the spring it
forces the pin through the excentric, so that the notched cam catches it and thus
carries the excentric, which revolving draws back the forked frame and with
it the retracting spool shaft, thus doffing the spool. The second spring forces the
lever back into position; this operation is performed only when the spool is loaded
with thread.
I provide a guide supported by a guide rod, and provided with a slot for the
passage of the thread and a tension spring; this guide rod passes through a guiding
standard and a slide sliding on a frame, and provided with a vertical tongue which
fits into a corresponding groove in the guide rod, and also provided with a teat,
above which lies a nut. By turning this nut so as to raise the slide the frame is
also raised, which lengthens the traverse of the said guide; this nut therefore is to
adjust the traverse very accurately after the general adjustment of the said
frame.
The aforesaid guiding-standard which carries the guide rod back and forth is
fixed to and supported by a carriage, such carriage being supported by and sliding
longitudinally upon two stationary parallel rods arranged within the frame of the
machine. The sliding frame slides vertically in a carriage, and is provided with
means for adjusting it lengthwise, so as to provide for spools of different lengths.
Slotted hars are applied to the sliding frame, such bars being adjustable by removing
screws into any of the holes; thus the bars may be placed at various distances
apart and angles as may be desirable for varying the traverse of poppets, which are
supported on two horizontal rods extending lengthwise across the frame of the
machine. To each of the said poppets there is a screw that screws horizontally
through the poppet. Near its inner end the shank of the screw is bent up and into
a notch in the front end of one of two levers pivotted on and to the aforesaid
carriage, the rear arms of such levers being cylindrical, and inserted in the grooves
of the guides or bars.
Extending lengthwise through the machine is a shaft having right and left
handed screws cut upon it, and rotated by means of a pulley belted to another
pulley. I provide a tilting lever having female screw projections, which engage
the aforesaid right and left handed screws, and pivotted to a carriage. Upon the
arms of this lever two fingers extend toward the poppets. Each poppet is provided
on its top with a plate and a spring. While one of the fingers is above and upon
one portion of its notched plate the other is below the other projection, and the
screw projection next to the latter is in engagement with its male screw, the other
projection being out of engagement with its own screw. In the operation of the
machine the tilting lever is first tipped one way to carry one projection in connec-
tion with its male screw, and next it is tipped the other way so as to carry the
other projection into engagement with its own male screw. While one projection
is in engagement with its screw, and both screws are in revolution, the last named
carriage will be moved in one direction, thus distributing the thread one way on
the spool. The alternate tippings of this lever are effected by the springs. As the
fingers simultaneously pass beyond the projections in going in either direction, one
finger being below and the other above its projection, the finger that may have then
passed along underneath one projection will be acted on and raised by the spring
below it, so as to tip the lever in a manner to force the other finger down upon its
actuating spring and below the next adjacent projection. As the spool is loaded
the thread thereupon gradually lifts the guide, and hence the guide rod and the
sliding frame. As said frame is raised its slotted bars so act upon the levers which
are provided as to move them in a manner to cause the two poppets to be
simultaneously moved away from each other, thereby causing the traverse of the
thread on the spool to be increased, each layer increasing in width up to the last
layer.
Extending downward from the sliding frame is a rod provided with a screw
thread and a nut, the lower end of which rod is near a similar rod having nuts
placed respectively above and below a support. A spiral spring embraces the rods,

page_text: any angle, as may be desirable for varying the traverse of the poppets 6, 6, which
are supported on two horizontal rods 7, 8, extending lengthwise across the frame
To each poppet there is a screw or connection 9 screwing horizontally through it.
Near its inner end the shank of the screw is bent up, as shewn at 10, and into a notch
in the front end of one of two levers 11, 11, pivoted on and to the carriage 3, the rear
arms of such levers being cylindrical and inserted in the grooves of the guides or
bars H¹. Extending lengthwise through the machine is a shaft E having right and
left hand screws E', E, cut upon it, and rotated by means of pulleys C11, connected by
a belt to pulley C. G is a tilting lever, having female screw projections G¹¹, which
engage the screws E¹, E", and pivoted to the carriage G¹. Each poppet is provided
on its top with a plate 13 and a spring 14, as represented. While one of the
fingers is above and upon the portion 15 of its notched plate 13 the other is below
the other projection 15, and the projection G", next to the latter is in engagement
with its male screw, the other projection G being out of engagement with its
own screw. In the operation of the machine the lever G is first tipped one way to
carry one projection G₁ in connection with its male screw, and it is then tipped
the other way so as to carry the other projection into engagement with its own
male screw. While one projection is in engagement with its screw, and both screws
are in revolution, the carriage G¹ will be moved in one direction, thus distributing
the thread one way on the spool. The alternate tippings of the lever G are effected
by the springs 14. As the fingers 12 simultaneously pass beyond the projections 15 in
going in any direction, one finger being below and the other above its projection 15,
the finger that may have passed along underneath one projection will be acted on
and raised by the spring below it, so as to tip the lever in a manner to force the
other finger down upon its actuating spring and below the next adjacent projection 15.
As the spool is loaded the thread thereupon gradually lifts the guide F, and henco
the guide rod F¹ and frame H. As said frame is raised, its slotted bars H³ so act
upon the levers 11 as to move them in a manner to cause the two poppets to be
simultaneously moved away from each other, thereby causing the traverse of the
thread on the spool to be increased, each layer increasing in width to the last layer.
Extending downward from the frame H is a rod W provided with a screw thread and
a nut, the lower end of which rod is near a similar rod x, having nuts x1, x¹, placed
above and below the support Y. A spiral spring z embraces rods wand x, and is
confined between the nuts. The object of this device is to relieve the friction of the
guide upon the thread, such relief being caused by a tendency to lift the guide rod,
and being regulated by the nuts. This is to prevent "roughing" the thread. Means
are also provided for automatically stopping the machine in case a knot or bunch
appears in the threads, such means being as follows:-A hollow standard b supports
a box z, z, and extension e. A lever is pivotted at f¹ to the arm & extending
from box %, z, and its rear end rests upon the spring within the box. The two
springs h, k, are connected by electric wires h, k, which pass into the hollow
standard b with a battery and with the magnet on the front end of the machine,
such magnet being connected with the battery by the wire k". Attached to the
front end of the lever f is a spring g, to which is rivetted a plate g³, which is held
at the proper distance from the lever f by one or more set-screws gl. A set
screw g holds the spring down with suitable tension. The springs h¹, k¹, and
wires h, k, are properly insulated; m is an armature having an extension m³
sliding in the way n, and held by a projection n' passing through the slot n11;
the handle q connecting with the dagger passes through the slot n in the
extension m; t is a lever whose horizontal arm t¹ is pressed by the horizontal
arm t, and whose downward spur til engages the friction gear A¹¹. Upon the
withdrawal of the dagger r the spring t forces down the rod t and the arm t¹,
and forces back the rod t and the gear A", disengaging it from the gear B and
stopping the machine. Now supposing a knot in the thread to leave the
bobbin a, a, it is drawn up until it reaches the plate gl on the lever f, catches the
plate and lever, and draws them up, thus causing the wire h to come into connection
with the wire k, establishing a circuit. The armature m is attracted toward the

page_text: magnet, drawing the handle in the slot n with it, and hence the dagger stopping
the machine. Meanwhile the knot has forced its way between the plate g¹ and
leverf (the former yielding), and has stopped between said lever and the spool. The
released lever is drawn back into its original position by a spring; 17 is a ratchet-
wheel pivotted to the carriage G¹, and having studs 18 projecting from its inner
side. A spring-pawl 19 fixed to the frame of the machine catches in the ratchet;
a slide 20 is placed on one of the parallel rods supporting the carriage. Through a
projection 21 therefrom an adjusting screw 22 extends; the number of teeth regu-
late the number of layers. Each movement of the frame G causes the spring-pawl
to revolve the ratchet-wheel, and when the spool is loaded a stud 18 moves the
slide 20, and by means of the lever 23 the handle g, thus stopping the machine.
Having thus fully described my Invention, what I claim is as follows:-
First. The arbor D provided with the retractive spindle J for the purpose
specified.
Second. The frame H provided with the slotted bars H³, in combination with
levers 11 and guide-rod F¹, substantially as described.
Third. The separate movable poppets 6 and connections 9 in combination with
the levers 11 and slotted bars H, substantially as specified.
Fourth. The combination of the movable and adjustable carriage 3, levers 11,
connections 9, poppets 6, frame H, and slotted bars H¹, substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination of the arbor D, frame K, K', shaft o, excentric M having
spring M and pin M¹, cam N having notch N' and knife-blade lever P, Pu
arranged substantially as set forth.
Sixth. In combination with the thread-guide of a thread winding machine, the
grooved guide rod F' having a screw-thread, the slide u having the tongue u¹
fitting into such groove, and having the teat u¹¹ and the nut v, all arranged as
described.
Seventh. The combination of the guide-rod F', frame H, rod w having the nut,
and rod having nut ¹, said rods being provided with spring 2, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
Eighth. The above described detecting mechanism, consisting of the standard b
having electric wire k, lever f having spring g, plate g', set screws g¹¹, gl, and
wire h, the arm d, rod e, magnet 1, armature m, m³, the handle q, dagger r, and
stopping lever t, and necessary electrical connections for the purposo set forth.
Ninth. The combination of the lever f, plate g', spring g, and set screws g¹¹, g¹¹¹,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Tenth. The combination of the lever t, dagger r, and handle q, with the
arniature m, m³, having slots n", n¹¹¹, and a suitable stopping device, substantially
as described.
Eleventh. The combination with the stop motion of a thread winding machine of
the ratchet-wheel 17 having studs 18, spring pawl 19, slide 20 having projections 21,
and screw 22, lever 23, and handle q, substantially as specified.
Twelfth. The combination with the stopping mechanisin of a thread winding
machine, an electric battery, and an armature of a knot detector, comprising an
arm or lever, and a yielding plate, and suitable electrical connections, whereby the
passage of a knot or bunch in the thread through such detector stops the machine
without breaking the thread.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Willey West, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JOHN WILLEY WEST. (L.S.)