A Process and Apparatus for Winding or Spooling Thread.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Process and Apparatus for Winding or Spooling Thread.
I, CARL BACK of IV Lambrechtsgasse 14, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria,
Merchant, 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 :-
Hitherto threads and yarns of linen, cotton, wool, silk, etc., intended for use in
sewing machines, have been wound on wooden reels or bobbins for sale and it
frequently happens that the weight of the reels or bobbins alone exceeds by far
that of the thread wound thereon which involves a considerable increase of freight
expenses. Moreover the thread being wound in parallel coils and layers becomes
crushed on winding and very soon becomes brittle and unfit for use by reason of the
close winding preventing the air reaching the inner layers. These defects are in a
large measure remedied by the spool forming the subject of previous Letters
Patent dated September 23rd 1891, No. 16185, and consisting essentially of two
discs of thin material united by a thin hollow core, but these spools being made
first and filled afterwards the thread is necessarily wound in the same way as on
wooden reels.
Now, this invention relates to a process, and to an apparatus for carrying the
same out in practice, whereby the thread is balled in the form of a spool, the coils
of successive layers crossing each other obliquely. The spools formed by this
process are strong and light and fulfil all the conditions required for ensuring the
durability of the thread at the same time that they are free from the defects
inherent to the use of wooden reels or bobbins. This spooling or winding of the
thread in the form of a spool is effected, according to my invention, by a process
comprising two distinct operations, the first of which has for its purpose to wind the
thread on a hollow cylinder which is destined to form the core of the spool, whilst
by the second operation the core is secured and discs are applied to form the cheeks
of the spool and protect the ball of thread previously formed.
In order to carry out this process in practice, a hollow core is first mounted upon
the spindle of the ball-winding machine and on said core the thread is wound
obliquely between two temporary removable cheeks by which the desired form is
given to the ball so that on removing the ball it will retain the shape thus imparted
to it by the removable cheeks. This first operation being accomplished, the ends
of the core are splayed or clenched to secure the core in place, or two thin discs
may first be applied at the sides of the ball by being slipped on the ends of the
core and secured by splaying the ends of the core by pressure at the same time
that the ball itself is compressed between said discs.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates the apparatus employed for
obtaining spool-shaped thread-balls.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ball-winding machine modified for the purpose
of this invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are a part sectional elevation of the two removable cheeks
which are mounted upon the spindle of the winding-machine and of the hollow
core held between them.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the core.
Figure 5 represents a thread-ball as removed from the winding machine, one
half being shewn in elevation and the other half in section.
Figure 6 is a vertical section of the apparatus for pressing the ball and securing
the core,
and also for securing the two discs to form the cheeks of the spool.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate, partly in elevation partly in section, a spool-shaped

page_text: thread-ball provided in Figure 7 with discs enclosing the whole of the sides of the
ball and in Figure 8 with narrow rings.
The hollow core consists of a short thin tube A which has its ends notched as
at a; in order to wind the thread the said core is slipped
winding machine and is held between two ch clipped upon the spindle B of the
(Figures 1, 2, and 3)
mounted on this spindle B the teeth or tangs a of the hollow core projecting into
the cheeks CC' as far as is necessary in order that the thread should not be wound
on the notched ends of the core. The cheek C is coupled to the spindle B by
means of a key band both cheeks C C' are provided with small studs c.projecting
between the teeth a at the ends of the core so that the cheeks and core are caused
to revolve together with the spindle.
In order that the ball after completion may be rapidly removed and another core
slipped on the spindle after taking off the cheek C', an easily operated coupling
device is provided consisting preferably of a cam c¹ pivoted on C₁ and engaging
in a groove b¹ in the spindle. Said cheeks C C¹ are convex on their inner faces
to permit of winding the thread in oblique coils and consequently the sides of the
ball receive a shape corresponding to that of said cheeks.
In order to wind the thread between the two cheeks C C in oblique coils crossing
each other in successive layers, the spindle B of the winding machine is inclined
relatively to the axis of the flyer d, as shewn in Figure 1, as usual in balling
machines, and in order to prevent the last coils of thread from slipping off at the
sides, said coils are brought nearer to the centre line of the periphery of the ball,
this being effected in the known manner by gradually altering the inclination of
the spindle B so as to make it approach more nearly to the direction of the axis of
the flyer spindle in the last stage of the winding operation, this adjustment being
effected by means of the link d. After having balled the thread A³ on the hollow
core in the manner herein before described the ball is removed from the spindle B
and submitted to the following operation for the purpose of securing the core and
the discs to form the checks of the spool. This operation is performed by means
of a press worked by machinery or by hand and in which are set the top and bottom
swages or dies E' E as shewn in Figure 6. The dies E and E' are turned
conformably to the intended final shape of the ball or spool and have pins e for
centreing the same, the bottom swage being also provided with guides e¹ for the
same purpose. On the top die being lowered, the ball A³ is pressed, the pins e
project into the hollow core A. and the toothed ends a of the core are bent outwards
or splayed so as to clench the core to the ball.
If discs A¹ have been first applied at each side of the ball, as in Figure 6, the
teeth a of the core will be clenched over said discs and will thus secure them to the
ball so that they form the sides or cheeks of the completed spool. If the ball A³
does not require to be compressed, narrow rings A would be applied to the ends
of the core and secured by the teeth a being clenched over them as before. The
pressure exerted by the discs reduces the volume of the ball after the winding is
over and the ball is completely finished, so that during the winding, the thread will
have to sustain very much less tension. By the oblique crossing of the coils of
successive layers, spaces are left between them so that the thread is not crushed
and the air is allowed to penetrate into the heart of the ball.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The herein described process of spooling thread, consisting substantially in
winding or balling the thread on a hollow core A comprised between two cheeks CC'
the thread being wound in oblique coils crossing each other in successive layers,
then compressing the ball between dies whereby the toothed ends of the core are
splayed or clenched either against the ball itself or over discs A' or A', thus
completing the spool, substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
2. For the purpose of winding or spooling thread as described in the preceding

page_text: claim, the combination, with the balling machine, of the cheeks C C' mounted on
the spindle of said machine and adapted to hold between them the hollow core and
to mask the notched ends thereof whilst the winding is being performed, substan-
tially as shewn and described.
1000
C. BACK,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.