Improvements in Machines for Winding Thread on to Disc-holders or Star-shaped Bobbins.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Winding Thread on to Disc-holders
or Star-shaped Bobbins.
I, ERNST FRANKE of Wienersdorf near Traiskirchen in the Province of
Lower Austria, Empire of Austria, Mechanical Engineer, 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 relates to machines for winding thread on to disc-holders or star-
shaped bobbins. The improvements consist principally in special means for guiding
the thread, by which the thread is wound on to the holder in such a manner, as to
render these holders suitable for use in sewing-machines.
The method of guiding the thread consists essentially in that the guiding needles
affixed to movable bearers are caused to perform during the winding a rapid hori-
zontal reciprocating motion of variable amplitude and at the same time a slow up
and down motion. In the first of these motions, the amplitude of the oscillation
increases gradually from the commencement of the motion, then remains constant
for a certain length of time, and afterwards decreases gradually; the up and
downward motion begins at the commencement of the winding operation, at which
moment the position of each guiding needle corresponds to the bottom or innermost
point of the notch of the disc-holder and its amplitude increases constantly as the
needles move away from the bottom of the holder.
Owing to these motions and to the simultaneous rotation of the disc-holder or
bobbin, and it being understood that all these motions work in unison with each
other, the thread is uniformly distributed between the arms of the. star, and the
laying of the last layers of thread as close as possible to the arms and
Dearly parallel to the latter is secured, which is the first condition to be complied
with when the star-shaped bobbins are intended for use in sewing machines.
The further improvements in winding machines in which the above described
method for guiding the thread is adopted, relate to rotating holding spindles for
the star shaped bobbins, and to a needle board arranged so as to move toward
the bobbins and carrying the guiding needles the said needle board being movable
horizontally within bearings which in their turn are adjustable both horizontally
and vertically. The motions of the needle board and of the guiding needles are
derived from excentrics driven by a common self disengaging driving gear. The
cinematic links by means of which the motions of the excentrics are transmitted
to the needle board and its bearings are adjustable in such a manner that by
altering the position of the centres of oscillation of these members the motions
of the guides may be adapted to the various dimensions of the star-shaped
bobbins.
In the annexed drawings showing a winding machine embodying these
improvements,
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a plan of the driving gear located immediately beneath the table
board;
Figure 4 a plan of the adjusting mechanism mounted on the base plate for the
adaptation of the links acted upon by the driving excentrics and by means of which
motion is transmitted to the needle board;
Figure 5 is a section on the line - in Figure 1 and also a side elevation of the

page_text: ng the reciprocating motion of the needle board, and the variable
amplitude of this motion;
Figure 6 is a section on the line y-y in Figure 1 and a side elevation
of the main driving gear with the automatical disengaging device and the
excentric actuating the gradually increasing up and downward motion of the
guiding needles;
Figure 7 is a section on the line - in Figure.1, showing the excentric producing
the horizontal return movement of the needle board.
and
Figures 8 to. 10 show in detail. the working of the machine during the winding,
Figure 11 is a horizontal section of one of the bobbin holding spindles.
As shown in Figures 8 to 10 the disc-holders or bobbins to be wound consist in the
known manner. of a star A, with an odd number of arms a stamped in cardboard and
having a central hole a¹ to enable the bobbin to be placed on the head of the
bobbin-holder or on a spindle.
The bobbin A being secured in a rotating bobbin holder, the thread 6' is wound
on to it in such a manner that it is carried through the eye b of a needle B to
which a reciprocating motion is imparted in a plane perpendicular to that of the
bobbin and is then caught by the arms a of the star shaped bobbin which rotates
in the direction shown by the arrow a. During this operation, owing to the hori-
zontal oscillations of the needle to the right (arrow 1, Figure 9) the thread is
carried into a notch of the star A. Owing to the following oscillation of the
needle to the left (arrow 2, Figure 9) and to the simultaneous rotation of the star,
the thread will be brought into the third notch from the one just considered,
whereby the thread will be laid alternately to the right and to the left of the faces
of the star.
As there is an odd number of arms in each star on the rotation of the star
being completed the thread will be laid into the notches that have been
previously skipped, and will thus form even and parallel layers on 'both faces of
the star.
'
In the same measure as the winding goes on, the needle must be slowly moved
backwards (in the direction of the arrow 3; Figure 8).
Now; in order that the layers of thread should be equally distributed between
these arms instead of crossing each other on one peint between the arms of the
star: (as would be the case if the return motion of the needles were horizontal),
the needle, during its regression has imparted to it an up and downward motion
(arrows 4 and 5; Figure 8) which increases gradually from the beginning to the
end of the winding as shown by the zigzag lines drawn in Figure 8-between two
arms' of the star.
In order that the winding of the thread on the hobbin should be uniform
and suitable for the bobbin in sewing machines; it is essential that the amplitude
of the horizontal oscillations' of the needle in the direction of arrows 1 and 2
(Figure 9) should vary. For this purpose, in accordance with the given cross
section of the layers, the needle must make an oscillation the amplitude of which,
as shown by the intervals 6 in 'Figure 9;-increases gradually from the beginning of
the winding operation then remains unchanged for a certain length of time and
finally decreases gradually whereby, in the last period of the operation the thread
as shown in Figure 10 is laid as flat as possible and quite close to the arms a
fof the star.
Owing to this method of winding, obtained by the varying amplitude of
oscillations, when the thread is wound off the bobbin (the latter being placed
horizontally as is the case for instance when used as the upper thread bobbin
in sewing machines) it is guided by the layers themselves until a sufficient
quantity of: the thread is unwound from the bobbin so that the further guiding
of the thread is performed by the arms of the star this prevents the thread from
falling off the bubbin and from laying itself crosswise "and "consequently from
tbreaking..

page_text: The winding machine shown in Figures 1 to 7 and provided with the necessary
appliances for guiding the thread in the above described manner, has a number
of such guiding needles B adjustably secured to a board C movable within
bearings c which can be raised or lowered in their brackets these brackets in their
turn are movable, in the direction of the needles B along guiding rods c! secured to
the table D.
In front of the needle board C the rotating appliances for holding the bobbins A
are arranged in journals E fastened to the table.
Each of these bobbin-holders consists of a head' e revolving within the
journal E (Figure 1) and which is provided with a pinion el engaging each with
one of the toothed wheels e" (Figure 1) keyed on the com:non shaft e². Within
the case of the spindle head e a second head is inserted by means of a
rod in such a manner as te be capable of sliding and is acted upon by a
spring, with the effect of holding in position the bobbin A pressed between the
two heads.
In order that the head e' may rotate together with the head e, a pin e' the end
of which is guided in a slot e of the case eis screwed into the rod e. The
said pin e' traverses a grooved ring e loosely stuck on the case e and connected
to the arms elo (Figure 2) of any known disengaging gear in order that all the
bobbin-holders may be opened and closed at the same time when it is desired to
change the bobbins.
The thread is taken from feeding spools Fi(Figure 5) to the guiding.needles B
by a tension appliance of known construction.
The reciprocating motion is imparted to the needle-board C by means of a
crank shaft G (Figures 1, 3 and 6) driven by gearing, and which constitutes the
main shaft of the winding machine. This crank shaft drives a connecting rod g
which acts upon a double armed lever g² oscillating on an adjustable pivot gland
linked to a rod 93. The latter is connected to a piston rod sliding within a
cylinder g which acts as an air buffer and carrying a pin g which engages in the
needle board C.
The connection effected by the pin g between the rod g and the needle board
allows of the latter moving freely up and down simultaneously with its lateral
reciprocating motion, whilst the to and fro reciprocating motion of the needle board
is allowed by a swivel joint y' inserted between the rods y³ and g.
The variable amplitude of oscillation of the needle board (ie. of the needles B)
during its lateral reciprocating motion is due to the position of the. centre of
oscillation g of the lever g2 being changed whilst the winding proceeds.
For this purpose the lever slides in a sleeve journalled with the pivot gl
forming the centre of oscillation of..the lever, in an. arm 98 keyed on a vertically
movable rod The latter has its lower end connected with a lever gll swinging
on pivots and the other end of which is linked to a vertically movable. rod
carrying a roller 2 acted upon by an excentric H¹ shaped so.as to correspond to
the conditions of the variations of amplitude and keyed. on a shaft H which
performs one revolution during one winding operation.
The to and fro motion, of the needle board C in the. direction of the needles B is
effected by an excentric H also keyed on the shaft H (Figures. 1, 3 and 7). and
acting upon a roller h, then, by means of a rod, on a lever h¹ swinging. on. pivots: h2
and the other end of which is connected to a rod the. latter in its turn. being
connected to a one-armed lever (Figure 7) keyed on a shaft h journalled under
the table D. From this shaft arms rise through. the table. and by means: of
connecting rods h² act upon the brackets of the bearings cof the needle board; in
order to change the position of these. bearings.
The gradually increasing up and down notion of the needle board C. (i.e. of the
guiding needles B) during the return. movement of the latter is effected by an
excentric H also. keyed on the shaft H,ishaped according to, the desired motion
(Figures 1, 3, and 6) and acting on the roller i on, the lever connected to the
latter and swinging on pivots and finally on the rod.³, which latter. by. means of

page_text: a lever rotates & shaft (Figures 1 and 3) revolving in bearings made in one
with the brackets of the bearings c of the needle board.
The rotation of the shaft displaces levers acting directly upon the vertical
guides of the bearings e thus raising and lowering the latter.
The rollers g, and i are pressed respectively against the excentrics H', H', H³.
by weights w acting on rod go and on levers * and *.
In order to regulate the motion of the needle board according to the different
sizes of the bobbins the centres of oscillation go, and of the levers g", h³, 2
(Figure 4) are adjustable on the latter by means of sleeves; the pivots of these
sleeves are journalled in movable bearings which can be adjusted by means of
threaded spindles the hand wheels of which are arranged in front of the base
plate .J.
j.
The excentric shaft H and the bobbin holding devices receive their motion from
the crank shaft G (Figures 1 and 3) by means of gearing kk rotating a shaft k³
which drives, by means of toothed wheels the shaft of the rotating holding.
devices.
The motion of the shaft 2 is transmitted by a worm 3 and a worm wheel /* to a
vertical shaft K (Figures 1 and 7) and from the latter to a horizontal shaft m² by
means of a worm and wheel gearing m, m¹. The shaft m² drives the excentric shaft
by means of chain wheel gearing m³, m².
In order that the machine should stop automatically after one complete revolution
of the excentric shaft H, i.e. after the winding operation is completed with regard
to one set of bobbins, the driving pulley a fitted loosely on the crank shaft G
(Figures 3 and 6) is connected to a friction coupling n acted upon by a discon-
necting gear. The latter consists of an angle lever O (Figure 6) turning loose on
the shaft and provided by a weight w', which lever engages the friction coupling
and is connected at its lower end by means of a rod o with a swinging lever o
suspendingly affixed to the table board. A lever N secured to the excentric
shaft H presses on completion of the rotation of the latter laterally on the lever o'
and thereby disengages the coupling..
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. A machine for winding thread on to disc holders or star shaped bobbins in
which machine the uniform distribution of.the layers of thread between the arms
of the bobbin, and the placing of these layers close to the said arms are effected
owing to the various motions of the thread guides B, which corresponding in
position to the bottom of the notch of the star before the beginning of the winding
operation, perform during the whole operation, a regressive motion from the bobbins
and at the same time a rapid horizontal reciprocating motion of variable amplitude
simultaneously with a slow up and downward motion, the amplitude of which
increases as the guides more away from the bobbins, the amplitude of the
horizontal motion gradually increasing from the beginning of the winding then
remaining unchanged for a certain length of time aud finally decreasing
gradually towards the end of the winding operation, substantially as described
and shown.
2. In a winding machine in which the guiding of the thread is effected as
described in the preceding claim, for the purpose of imparting to the guides a
motion of variable amplitude, a needle board C, carrying the guiding needles B,
journalled in adjustable bearings c and receiving from a crank shaft G a recipro-
cating to and fro motion by means of rods g g² g³, g₁ the lever 92 having an
adjustable centre of oscillation displaced by rods g, g" acted upon by an
excentric H1 (Figures 1 and 5) substantially as described and shown.
3. In a winding machine in which. the guiding of the thread is effected as
described in Claim 1, for the purpose of shifting the needle board C forward and
backward, brackets for the bearings of the needle board. C, which brackets.are

page_text: movable along guides c, in the direction of the needles and are connected with a
weighted lever ' operated upon by rods driven by an excentric H³ the needle
board in order to render this last motion independent of the mechanism imparting
to it the horizontal motion of variable amplitude, being connected to the rod g by
means of a pin g and the rod g being in its turn connected to the rod g³ by a swivel
joint (Figures 2, 3 and 7) substantially as described and shown.
4. In a winding machine in which the guiding of the thread is effected as
described in Claim 1 for the purpose of imparting to the guiding needles B, during
their backward motion a gradually increasing up and down motion, bearings c for
the needle board which are movable along vertical guides coupled with a
weighted lever operated upon by rods 23 driven by an excentric H³ the needle
board C in order to permit this motion being adjustably coupled with the pin g of
the rod g (Figures 1, 3 and 6) substantially as described and shown.
5. In a winding machine in which the guiding of the thread is effected as
described in Claim 1, for the purpose of altering the amplitude of motion of the
guides, the arrangement of the centre of oscillation glo, h2, ¹ of the corresponding
levers, within bearings j the position of which can be regulated by adjusting
spindles j provided with hand wheels 2 substantially as described and shown.
6. In a winding machine in which the guiding of the thread is effected as
described in Claim 1, a self-acting disconnecting gear, consisting of a friction
coupling n arranged on the driving shaft G, and the disconnecting lever O of
which is operated upon by rods o, o' under the action of an arm N rotating
with the excentric shaft H (Figures 1 and 6) substantially as described and
shown.
7. In a winding machine in which the guiding of the thread is effected as
described in Claim 1, a driving gear consisting of the crank shaft G the motion of
which is transmitted to the shaft e² of the bobbin holding devices e es by means of
wheels k, k shaft k and wheels and to the excentric shaft H by worm
gearing k³ k, m, m', shafts K, m² and chain wheel gearing m³, m (Figures 1 and 3)
substantially as described and shown.
8. In a winding machine in which the guiding of the thread is effected as
described in Claim 1, devices for holding the bobbins, consisting of a rotating
head e and of another head e acted upon by a spring, disconnectible and movable
within the case e of head e, the said head e being coupled by a pin e7 with a ring e
and with the rod e of the head e in such manner that the head e rotates together
with the head e substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 5th day of August 1896.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, Loudon, Chartered Patent Agents.