An Improved Method and Apparatus for Stamping and Labelling Reels or Bobbins of Thread, and also for Labelling Paper Packets and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method and Apparatus for Stamping and Labelling
Reels or Bobbins of Thread, and also for Labelling Paper
Packets and the like.
I, FRIEDRICH HESSER, of 61, Ludwigstrasse, Cannstatt, Wurtemberg, in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object a method of mechanically stamping and
labelling reels or bobbins of thread and for labelling paper packets or the like on
both ends and apparatus for carrying out the said method. The ends of thread
reels, for instance, are in most factories not only provided with labels but before
the labels are stuck on, as a rule the number of the thread, name of the firm, place
of manufacture, date or the like are also stamped thereon by means of smooth or
embossed stamps so that even if the labels come off, the number of the thread and
the name of the firm are still always visible. Both these operations had hitherto
to be done by hand which not only is expensive and consumes a great deal of
time but also is usually not sufficiently accurately performed so that the labels
frequently drop off or are not stuck exactly in the centre of the reel.
This improved method has for its object to first stamp and label the reels of
thread on one end by mechanical means and then also by mechanical means to
reverse the reel and provide it with stamp and label on the other end also, and
then to eject the finished stamped and labelled reel. When paper packets are to
be labelled, stamping is not usually done, but even in this case ink stamps may be
impressed. The method and apparatus for treating thread reels is described as an
example in the following specification.
The method consists as follows:-
. The reels or bobbins lying one behind the other in an inclined channel somewhat
greater in width than the length of the reels, fall separately at given intervals
into a groove from which lying horizontally they are pushed by a rod into a
holder also lying at first horizontally but which is subsequently turned into a
vertical position. The reel then falls into a vertical cup-shaped receptacle
mounted on a wheel rim on which a number of such receptacles are arranged
concentrically. This wheel rim, with its cups, is revolved at equal intervals of
time to a fraction of an entire revolution, in such a way that each cup, after each
revolution, comes to the same spot which the preceding cup had reached on the
previous revolution. At each stoppage of the cup wheel an operation is completed
on the thread reel at each stopping place. First, the thread reel is received from
a feed channel and placed in a cup. It is then stamped at one end at the next
stopping place, and is gummed at the next stopping place. A label is then placed
thereon, the label pressed on, and afterwards the thread reel is turned 180° so that
the already labelled end now lies below, whilst the other end is then stamped,
gummed, labelled and the label pressed on. The thread reel is thus stamped and
labelled on both ends, and is ejected from the cup and removed, falling into a
discharge channel and rolling into a receptacle.
The driving of the mechanism performing these operations at the stopping
places, and the backward rotation of the cup drum, takes place by means of rotary
eccentrics, having a free or compulsory movement.

page_text: The apparatus for carrying out this process is shown in the accompanying four
shects of drawings, and mounted on a frame and bed plate.
In Sheet I, Figures 1 and 2 show a side elevation and plan respectively of the
whole of the machine.
Sheet II shows in Figure 3 a further elevation of the machine and in Figure 4
a horizontal section, from which the position of the separate eccentrics on their
shafts, as well as the backward driving of the cup-wheel, is shown.
The figures shown on Sheets III and IV are drawn on a larger scale; Figures 5
and 6 on Sheet III show respectively vertical and horizontal sections of the
apparatus for inserting the reel of thread from the feed channel into a cup of the
cup-wheel; Figures 7 & 8 show the reversing device for the reel which has
been stamped and. labelled on one end; Figures 9 and 10 show the ejecting
apparatus of the finished reel out of the cup wheel.
In Sheet IV, Figures 11 and 12 show respectively vertical and horizontal
sections of the apparatus for conveying the adhesive substance to the reel;
Figures 13, 14 and 15 the labelling apparatus, and on a still larger scale in
Figure 16 the labelling stamp and beneath it a reel lying in a cup.
The gumming apparatus shown in Figures 11 and 12 is already described and
claimed in a previous Patent No. 1021695 granted to William Phillips
Thompson as a communication from myself, and therefore I do not require to
separately claim the same. Its mode of action however is described in the
following specification in order to enable the working of the machine as a whole to
be better understood.
It is assumed that there are 12 cups, which lie concentrically and at equal
distances apart on a wheel E, and are indicated by the numerals I to XII
according to the work or steps completed successively at each stopping place on
the reels of thread. Corresponding with this, the stopping places are also marked
with numbers I-XII, the reel being inserted in a cup at stopping place I and
ejected at stopping place XI, whilst at stopping place XII no special treatment of
the reel takes place, there being also no reel in the cup.
The backward rotation of the cup wheel and the constant operation of the
eccentric shafts takes place in the following manner (see Figures 3 and 4).
. A shaft A¹ driven by means of a hand wheel a³ or a by a belt pulley A³, sets
shafts A2, A3 and A' in an equal rotation, by means of the equal pairs of bevel
gearing a², a³ and a*. By means of another pair of bevel gearing a, a vertical
shaft A is also caused to rotate with a similar number of rotations from the
shaft A. All the eccentrics or cams 1-21, necessary for operating the various
devices at the stopping places, are mounted on the five shafts A1, A2, A3, A¹
and A6.
A shaft e on which the cup wheel E with its 12 cups G is fixed, carries below
a three-armed friction wheel F¹ with three wings f₁ radially adjustable at their
free ends, which wings may be radially adjusted by means of a disc F³ vertically
adjustable on the shaft e and adapted to engage the three arms f³ connected with
the wings. The adjustment of the disc F³ takes place by means of a lever F
connected with the same and pivoted in a support f*, said lever being moved by
an eccentric or cam 7 on the shaft A¹. As soon as the disc F³ is pressed down, it
hits the arms, and presses the wings f¹ of the disc F¹ against the rim of another
disc F, which is loosely mounted on the shaft e and is caused to oscillate to and
fro by an eccentric rod f1 and an eccentric 8. The disc F¹, when the wings f¹ are
pressed on the disc F, shares in the forward movement of the latter and moves
the cup wheel thereby forward one-twelfth of a revolution. On the return
movement of the disc or wheel F, the disc F³ is first again raised so that the
wings are no longer pressed against the wheel F and the latter then runs loosely
backward.
The exact adjustment of the cup wheel E takes place by means of a special
device shown in Figure 2. On the wheel E there are twelve eyelets E', the twelve
holes of which are bored at exactly equal distances and concentrically. At

page_text: each stoppage of the cup wheel a fixing pin E², conically pointed at the top and
mounted in a disc e, engages in a hole e, whilst, as long as the movement of the
cup wheel E continues, the fixing pin E' is depressed by means of a lever E³ and
eccentric or cam 6, Figure 4. After another stoppage of the cup wheel, the
fixing pin is again raised, and again entirely arrests the movement of the cup wheel
and holds the latter firmly until the operations at each stopping place are
completed.
The first operation with a thread reel takes place before the reel has been
placed in a cup G of the cup wheel, in fact in the slightly inclined feed channel b
in which the reels B are inserted one behind the other (see Figures 1, 5 and 6).
This channel b is closed at its lower end by means of a shut-off lever C³ and closing
plate c¹.
The latter opens the passage at each movement forward of the cup
wheel E, and allows one reel B to pass through. The next reel when the channel
is open is retained by a retaining stamp e pressing on the same, which is mounted on
a lever C and is operated from a lever rod C' by means of a cam 1. The stopping
lever C is operated by means of a rod C³ from a cam 2 on the shaft A'.
The reel B, which has passed through, falls into a channel b', which lies on the
support B. On the same support there is arranged a guide eyelet 6', in which
a pushing rod c³ is movably mounted and connected by means of a link c³ with an
elbow lever C. This rod c³, moved by a rod C³ and cam 4, pushes the reel B out of
the groove b¹ into a turning holder D' which is revolubly mounted on a pin d² on
the support D2, and by means of a crank d³ mounted on the same pin d³, and a
link d and lever D operated by means of a cam 3 at each movement forward of the
wheel E, the said turning holder D' is brought from a horizontal into a vertical
position and vice versa. The reel B when the turning holder D₁ is in a vertical
position falls out of the said turning holder into a cup G of the cup wheel E
lying beneath it at stopping place I. As however a reel might remain stuck in the
holder D', a pushing rod D³ is arranged over said holder in an eye or bearing de
of the support D2, which rod is connected by means of a link d' with a lever D,
which is operated by means of a rod d' from a cam or eccentric 5 on the shaft A,
Figure 4. At each turning of the holder D', the rod D³ pushes down through the
holder, so that any reel which bas remained, sticking there is pushed out of the
turning holder.
After a reel is placed in a cup G of the cup wheel E, the latter makes one
twelfth of a revolution, and the reel comes to station II.
Here, by means of an impressing stamp h, attached to a lever H, the number of
the thread, the name of the firm, the address of the same and the like are imprinted
on one end of the reel. The lever H is mounted on a support h² arranged on the
plate A of the machine and is pushed by means of a spring h³ against the support
and operated by means of a rod from a cam 9 mounted on the shaft A. A
spring draws the rod h' against the cam. As the stroke of the stamp must be a
short and sharp one, the cup G rests at this stopping place on a support H².
The reel then comes to stopping place III (Figure 11). In this it is provided
in the ordinary manner with gum or other suitable adhesive substance. The
gumming stamp i has a gumming arrangement, which, after each operation of the
stamp, rubs against a constantly revolving gumming roller which dips in the gum,
and thus constantly receives sufficient gum. The support J of the gumming stamp
is mounted in a support J' guided in horizontal rods, which support J' is moved
to and fro horizontally by means of a rod from a lever J', connected with its
slotted end J, said lever being operated by a rod from a cam 10 on the shaft A'.
The support and its guide bars are mounted on a support J³ vertically movable
in rods, which support J is connected by means of a link to a lever J³ operated
by means of a rod from a cam 11 on the shaft A. The gumming stamp only
ácts when, simultaneously with its horizontal forward movement, it is caused to
descend which may be effected from any suitable point in the manner described in
the aforesaid previous Patent No. 10216°.
The gumming roller U¹ is mounted in a vessel U, and constantly dips in the gum,

page_text: and is driven from a pulley u³ on the shaft A by means of a belt and belt
pulleys u u¹ and u³..
After the reel has been gummed it comes to station IV, Figures 13 and 14, where
the labelling takes place. A large number of labels lie one above the other in a.
vertical label box L, and are separately sucked up by a labelling stamp k and placed
on the previously gummed end of the reel B. The labelling stamp k has about the
same movement as the gumming stamp i at stopping place III.
•
The labelling stamp k, which is provided below with an indiarubber ring, is
hollow internally, and has below a small suction opening, and is connected above
by means of a pipe t with an air pump T, the piston of which is operated by means
of an eccentric rod t' from an eccentric 15.
The stamp kis mounted in a carrying piece K, which is fixed in a support K1
horizontally adjustable on bars kl. The said support is connected, by means of
bars having slotted heads K³, with an elbow lever K, operated by means of a rod k
from a cam 13 and thus moves the labelling stamp k horizontally to and fro.- In
one end position the stamp descends, removes a label from the label box L, again
rises, assumes then the other horizontal end position, descends in that, and presses.
the label on the gummed end of the reel, then rises, and returns to its other
horizontal end position. This vertical rising and sinking is effected by the bars k',
carrying the horizontally movable support K¹ being mounted on a vertically movable
support K, which is carried on vertical bars k³, and is connected by means of a
link with a lever K³, which latter, mounted in a support K³, receives an
oscillating motion from a cam 13 by means of a rod carrying a roller 14.
The cam 13 is suitably formed for the above mentioned object of causing a double
rising and sinking of the labelling stamp at a single revolution of the cam.
The labels lie in the label box L, which is open in front, the labels being
prevented from falling out at the sides by two bars 1, which are screwed on the
box. The labels lie on an arm / engaging in the box, which arm is firmly connected
with a vertically toothed bar L. This rack bar L', carried in a slide L,
is moved vertically upwards corresponding to the thickness of the labels
at each removal of one such, so that the block of labels is moved with it.
The movement of the rack bar L' takes place by means of pinion ", and
toothed wheels L2 and 12 from a ratchet wheel L³, which is mounted on the same
shaft as the tooth wheel and is intermittently moved from a cam 12 on the
shaft A by means of a pawl 13 arranged on the cam rod 1. After the label has
been placed on the reel and is retained by the gum, the labelling stamp again rises
and moves horizontally backwards. The cup wheel is moved further forward, and
the reel B comes to station V, which has only the function of pressing on the reel B
the label placed thereon by means of the labelling stamp k. This is effected by
means of an elastic pressing stamp m, which is mounted on a lever M and moved by
means of a rod m² from a cam 16 on the shaft A*.
The reel B is now provided with a label and stamp pressed on one end, and must
then be turned 180° and provided with stamp and label on the other end. This
turning apparatus is shown in Figures 7 and 8 of Sheet III, and the reversing of
the reel takes place at stopping place VI by the reel being pushed out of cup G
into a turning holder N and the latter being turned 180°, after which the reel again
drops back into the cup G lying beneath it.
The pushing of the reel B out of the cup into the turning holder N takes place
by means of a pusher rod N³, which is pressed by means of spring n³ carried by a
lever N, which mounted on a support is operated by means of a rod n from a
cam or eccentric 18 on the shaft A. When the reel B has come into the turning
holder N, the latter is turned 180° by means of its long nave n being revolubly
mounted in the support N2 and having a cogwheel N¹ secured to it which cogwheel N¹
is engaged by a toothed segment N' operated by a rod 72 from a cam 17 on shaft A',
any falling out of the reel from the turning holder N being prevented by means of
a bent or curved protective plate o². After the turning holder has reached a
vertical position the reel B is given the opportunity of again dropping into the

page_text: cup G. If this does not take place automatically, a pushing rod O, mounted in an
eye of a support 03, pushes it down, which rod is connected by means of a link o
with a lever O', pivotally mounted in the support O³, and set in action by a rod o¹
from a cam 19.
The reversed reel lying in the cup passes then by the further movement of the
cup wheel E to stopping station VII, in order here to be first stamped precisely as
in stopping place II and then at the next stopping place VIII is again provided
with gum and at station IX has a label placed on this gummed part and finally pressed
firmly on at stopping place X. The apparatus at stopping places VII to X are
arranged precisely similar to those at stopping places II to VI and are operated in
a similar manner to the latter by means of cams or eccentrics 9-16, which are all
mounted on the shafts A³ A².
and 10.
An
The reel B, quits the stopping place ✗ stamped and labelled on both ends
and comes to stopping place XI, where by means of an ejecting device it is
ejected from its cup G, drops into the rolling-away passage S, and is conveyed by
the latter to the collecting receptacle. The ejecting device is shown in Figures 9
This consists of a removing holder R arranged over the cup G on one arm
of an elbow lever R' which
pivoted on a pin and has its other arm connected by
means of a link R³ with another elbow lever R². The latter is moved by means of
a weighted eccentric rod 3 from a cam or eccentric 21 on the shaft A².
arresting lever R is mounted on the elbow lever R2, which lever R* has an
obliquely placed arresting plate on its free end, to engage in the discharge
channel S. A wood blocks bevelled in an opposite way to the plate is also
arranged in the channel S. The finished reel B ejected into the channe! S falls on
the two inclined supports s and r, and thus comes into a lying position, in which,
after the rising of the stopping plate, which prevents it running away, it
automatically rolls out.
The ejecting mechanism works in the following manner :-
An ejecting rod P mounted on a lever P₁ and drawn by a spring p against the
lever Pi is raised upwards by means of said lever which is pivotally mounted at p
and operated by a cam 20, so that the finished reel B lying in the cup G is pushed
out of the latter into the removing holder R. This latter or rather its lever R', is
then revolved by the cam 21 and rests, as long as the reel is still beld up by i.he
ejecting rod P, over the wood blocks arranged in the discharge channel S, so that
the reel is held up. The removing holder is so far cut out on the side turned to
the discharging channel that as soon as the holder R comes to rest over the
channel S the reel may be turned over sideways and drop into the channel in which
at first it is prevented rolling away by means of the arresting plate r¹ of the lever R.
As soon as the holder has again returned to its position of repose, the elbow lever R²
again turns, and the free end of the lever R rises and sets the reel free, which then
rolls down into the receiver for the finished reels. The limitation of movement of
the lever R¹ in ejecting the reels takes place by one arm of the same encountering
a set screw w¹ in an angle plate w. The lever R is drawn against the lever R³ by
means of a spring .
At each movement forward of the cup wheel E there is thus placed in one of
the cups G of the cup wheel E a reel which is to be stamped and labelled and at
the same time a finished reel is ejected. In this manner one person serving the
machine can daily conveniently stamp and label on both ends 20,000 thread reels,
and in addition the further advantage is obtained that the stamp and label are
applied exactly at the correct place of the thread reels. The previous amount
turned out by a skilled work girl stamped and labelled amounted in a working time
of 10 hours to at most 3000 to 3500 reels.
When it is a question of labelling paper packets, a special feeding and removing
device must be employed, of course, in place of a feed and discharge channel such
as suffices for reels of thread. Corresponding to the consequent form of the
packets, cups, turning and reversing holders, receptacles, etcetera, of a form suitable

page_text: or corresponding to the packets must then of course be employed, instead of the
round ones hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The method of stamping and labelling, or only stamping or labelling reels of
thread, paper packets, or the like, on both ends, characterized by the thread reels,
which are placed in an inclined feed channel separated by a feed device, and by
means of a turning holder moved out of their horizontal position vertically into
the cups or vessels of an intermittently rotated wheel, being first stamped and
labelled (or only stamped or labelled) on one end at each pause, by means of cam
operated devices arranged at the stopping places and then reversed and stamped
and labelled (or only stamped or labelled) on the other end also, the finished reels
being ejected from the cups or holders into a discharge channel or removing device,
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
and
or
2. For carrying out the hereindescribed method of stamping labelling reels of
thread, paper packets or the like, that is to say, for delivering at each step only one
reel (B), or the like, from the feed channel (b) into a cup (G) of the cup wheel (E);
a device, consisting of a retaining lever (C2) with a retaining plate (c) normally
closing the feed channel (b), which device is adapted to first open the channel (b)
and then by means of a stamp (c) on a further lever (C) to hold the next reel, and
thereby the whole series of reels, so that only the reel lying in front of the
lever (C) shall fall into a channel (61), from whence, by means of a push rod (c³),
it is pushed into a turning holder (D¹) and caused by the latter being turned 90°,
to fall into a cup (G) of the intermittently moved cup wheel (E) lying beneath it,
or is forcibly expelled, by means of a push rod (D³), out of the turning holder (D¹)
substantially as described and shown.
3. A device for carrying out the l'ereindescribed method at stopping place II,
characterized by an impressing stamp h, removably mounted on a lever (H), being
adapted by means of a rod (41) and cam (9) to stamp or imprint on the end of the
reel substantially as described and shown.
4. A device for carrying out the hereindescribed method at stopping places III
and IV, consisting of a label stamp (k), communicating with an air pump (T),
which stamp is adapted to suck the labels separately from a label box (L), and by
means of a raising and lowering bevice (K³, K³) and a cam or eccentric (14), as
well as by means of a horizontal device (K, K), which has a forward and backward
movement, and a further cam or eccentric (13), to place the label on the thread
reel (B), the end of which has already been gummed in the ordinary manner at
stopping place III, whilst by means of a ratchet device (³, L³) driven from a cam
or eccentric (12) by means of toothed gearing (L2, 12) and rack (L¹) with pinion (1),
the pile of tickets is raised in the ticket box (L) correspondingly as the tickets
are fed out of said box substantially as described and shown.
5. A device for carrying out the hereindescribed method at stopping place V1,
consisting of a turning holder (N), operated by means of a spur wheel (n') and
toothed sector (N¹) from a cam (17), into which holder the thread reel (B), already
stamped and labelled on its upper end, is pushed by means of a push rod (N³)
moved by a cam or eccentric (13) and lever (N₁) and turned together with the
holder 180°, in which movement it is prevented from falling out by means of a
curved plate (2), after which turning or reversal, said reel again falls back into
the cup lying beneath it, or is pushed forcibly out of the turning holder (N) into
the cup by means of a separate push rod (0), substantially as described and shown.
6. A device for carrying out the hereindescribed method at stopping place XI
(the ejecting place), characterized by the finished thread reel (B) being pushed by
an ejecting red (P) out of the cup (G) into a removing-holder (R) arranged
vertically above it, which holder (R) conveys the thread reel by means of elbow

page_text: levers (RR) and a cam or eccentric (21) into a side discharge channel (S), where
it drops on to the inclined surfaces of an inserted block (s) and a retaining plate (**),
so that it lies horizontally with its axis at right angles to the channel (S), whereby
after the rising of a lever (R) connected with one of said elbow levers (R') said
reel can roll down the channel (S) after the latter has been opened by the retaining
plate (), substantially as described and shown.
7. A device for carrying out the hereindescribed method with the object of
intermittently moving and exactly adjusting the cup wheel (E) at each step, consisting
of a disc (F) mounted on the same shaft (e) as the cup wheel, the rim of said
disc being in three parts or wings, the free ends (f') of which are adapted to be
radially adjusted by means of the arms (f³) of a disc (F³) vertically adjustable on
the aforesaid shaft (e), and to be thus pressed on the rim of a wheel (F), receiving
an oscillating movement from a rod (2) and cam (8) on a vertical shaft (A°)
whereby the disc (F) and cup wheel (E) are caused to share in the forward inove-
ment of the oscillating wheel on the vertically adjustable disc (F³) being depressed,
the exact adjustment of the cup wheel (E), however, being effected by the
engagement in eyelets (e¹) in the cup wheel of a fixing pin (E2) tapered at the top
and operated by means of a cam or eccentric (6) and lever (E3) substantially as
described and shown.
8. The general construction and combination of parts taken as a whole forming
the improved apparatus for stamping and labelling reels or bobbins of thread and
the like substantially as described and illustrated.
or
Dated this 25th day of January 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.