IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WINDING THREADS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM THE SKELN, HANK, OR OTHER CONDITION ON TO REELS OR OTHERWISE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Crutchett, of Stroud, in the County of
Gloucester, at present domiciled at Washington, District of Columbia,
United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR WINDING THREADS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM THE SKELN,
HANK, OR OTHER CONDITION ON TO REELS OR OTHERWISE."
Sealed the 23rd August 1864, and dated the 3rd March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Crutchett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1864.
I, JAMES CRUTCHETT, of Stroud, in the County of Gloucester, at present
domiciled at Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR WINDING THREADS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM THE SKEIN, HANK, OR OTHER
CONDITION ON TO REELS OR OTHERWISE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the arrangement of portable apparatus
suitable for being affixed to a table, stand, or otherwise, for the purpose of

page_text: winding silk, thread, cotton, woollen, or other threads of fibrous material from
the skein, hank, or other condition on to reels, or into balls, or otherwise
in a more convenient manner than heretofore practised. It is well known
that much difficulty is experienced by users or consumers of threads of fibrous
materials obtained in the form of skeins or hanks in winding the same on to
reels, or into the form of balls, or otherwise without the aid of mechanical
means, which difficulty is entirely obviated by the use of the portable winding
apparatus which constitutes the nature of my Invention. The skein or bank
of fibrous material to be wound on to a reel or otherwise is placed on a
revolving holder, which consists of a central part of metal, wood, or other
suitable material having adjustable hinged or jointed arms or projections
capable of sliding, contracting, or folding up into a small compass, the end of
each arm being suitably formed for receiving or holding the skeins or hanks
of thread of different kinds or sizes. The skein or hank holder is furnished
with a central hole (or it may be a point) on which it can be suspended or
supported on a fixed point, so as to revolve either in a perpendicular, horizontal,
or inclined position. The pin or sustaining point for supporting the skein
holder is (by preference) attached to or forms part of a moveable screw, clamp,
clip, or other portable holding instrument suitably constructed for being
temporarily attached to a table or other article or support. The folding parts
of the skein holder are capable of adjustment, and of being fixed in a rigid
position by screws or otherwise whilst in use. The apparatus for winding the
skein or bank of thread from off the reel consists of a revolving spindle
mounted on a support carried by a screw, clamp, clip, or other holding
instrument capable of being temporarily attached to a table or other support.
The reel or instrument for receiving or winding the thread upon is placed on
the spindle, to which rotary motion may be communicated in various ways,
but I prefer a simple toothed wheel and pinion, the latter being fixed on the
spindle, and the toothed wheel for giving motion thereto being carried by an
axis supported in bearings on the upright which carries the spindle. A worm
wheel and worm, or grooved pullies and driving band, or other frictional
driving surfaces, may be substituted for the wheel and pinion, and be employed
for imparting motion to the revolving spindle carrying the winding-on reel
or instrument.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Crutchett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CRUTCHETT, of Stroud, in the County of Gloucester, at present domiciled
at Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Crutchett, Her special licence that I, the said James
Crutchett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Crutchett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR WINDING THREADS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM THE SKEIN, HANK,
OR OTHER CONDITION ON TO REELS OR OTHERWISE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Crutchett, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under ny, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Crutchett, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the arrangement of portable apparatus
suitable for being affixed to a table, stand, or otherwise for the purpose of
winding silk, thread, cotton, woollen, or other threads of fibrous material
from the skein, hank, or other condition on to reels, or into balls, or otherwise
in a more convenient manner than heretofore practised. It is well known
that much difficulty is experienced by users or consumers of threads of fibrous

page_text: materials obtained in the form of skeins or banks in winding the same on to
reels, or into the form of balls, or otherwise without the aid of mechanical
means, which difficulty is entirely obviated by the use of the portable winding
apparatus which constitutes the nature of my Invention. The skein or bank
of fibrous material to be wound on to a reel or otherwise is placed on a
revolving holder, which consists of a central part of metal, wood, or other
suitable material having adjustable hinged or jointed arms or projections,
capable of sliding, contracting, or folding up into a small compass, the end of
each arm being suitably formed for receiving or holding the skeins or banks
of thread of different kinds or sizes. The skein or bank holder is furnished
with a central hole (or it may be a point) on which it can be suspended or
supported on a fixed point, so as to revolve either in a perpendicular.
horizontal, or inclined position. The pin or sustaining point for supporting
the skein holder is (by preference) attached to or forms part of a moveable
screw, clamp, clip, or other portable holding instrument suitably constructed
for being temporarily attached to a table, or other article or support. The
folding parts or arms of the skein holder are capable of adjustment, and of
being fixed in a rigid position by screws or otherwise whilst in use. The
apparatus for winding the skein or hank of thread from off the reel consists
of a revolving spindle mounted on a support carried by a screw clamp, clip, or
other holding instrument capable of being temporarily attached to a table or
other support. The reel or instrument for receiving or winding the thread
upon is placed on the spindle, to which rotary motion may be communicated
in various ways, but I prefer a simple toothed wheel and pinion, the latter
being fixed on the spindle, and the toothed wheel for giving motion thereto
being carried by an axis supported in bearings on the upright which carries
the spindle. A worm wheel and worm, or grooved pulleys and driving band
or other frictional driving surfaces may be substituted for the wheel and pinion,
and be employed for imparting motion to the revolving spindle carrying the
winding-on reel or instrument.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto

page_text: A is the revolving skein or hank holder, which consists of a series of arms
a, a', the inner ends a of which are jointed or connected to a central boss or
ring 6 by a wire, passing through holes in the ends of the arms a, in a similar
manner to that in which the ribs of an umbrella or parasol are connected to
the "top notch.". The outer ends of the arms a when opened out are
retained at a uniform distance apart by the cord at attached to rings or eyes
at the end of each arm a; b' is a base plate below the central ring b, on which
the arms a are supported when opened out for use; and 6 is a clamping plate
which can be screwed down by the thumbscrew c, so as to hold the arms a
firmly in position between the two plates and . The ring band clamping
plato bare formed with notches & corresponding in number with the arms a,
so that when they are moved or placed over or opposite to the arms the latter
can be folded up, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2, so as to occupy
very little space. The arnis a are composed of two or more rods or parts
connected together by the straps a³, a³, so as to be capable of sliding one upon
another, in order to lengthen or shorten the arms to adapt the circumference
of the skein or hank holder to various sizes of skeins or hanks. The parts of
the arms a, a', are retained in position by serrated surfaces thercon, or by any
other suitable contrivance. To the end of each arm a', a', a curved finger a³
is jointed, upon which the skein or bank is placed and held. In place of
forming the arms a' as shown they may consist of tubular parts capable of
sliding into each other to extend or contract the circumference of the skein
holder as required, the parts being retained in any desired position by set
screws, springs, or otherwise. a' is a cord to retain the arms a at equal
distances apart. Or each arm of the skein holder may cousist of a series of
bars jointed together to expand and contract in the manner of "lazy-tongs"
or expanding levers, the inner ends being connected to central plates, one of
which moves up and down on a central axis, and is capable of being retained
in any desired position so as to expand or contract the circumference of the
skein holder, thus occupying very little space when closed up to the centre; or
other suitable mechanical means may be employed for expanding or contracting
the circumference of the skein or bank holder according to this part of my
improvements. The central boss b is formed with a hole to receive the point
of the standard or support d upon which the skein holder revolves. The
support d is connected to or forms part of the screw clamp e, which can be
readily secured by the screw e' to the edge of a table or other article suitable
for fixing it upon, or the support for the skein holder may form part of a
mov:able base plate or weight.

page_text: I will now describe the apparatus for winding the thread from off the skein
or hank holder. f is a standard or support forming part of the clamp g, also
'secured to the edge of the table by the screw 9', or otherwise. The support f
carries the axis of the toothed: wheel h, to which motion is communicated by
the crank handle h. The toothed wheel h takes. into and drives the toothed
pinion i, the axis of which is also supported in bearings on the upright
support f, and upon the elongated portion of the axis or spindle i¹ the reel jis
placed, and upon which the thread from the skein or hank is wound by
causing the axis to revolve. In-place of winding the thread on to a' reel,
as previously described, it may be wound on to the spindle in the form of a
ball, or otherwise, and afterwards removed, as is well understood.in other
winding-apparatus. Other suitable mechanical means of giving motion to the
axis or spindle i¹ may be employed if preferred, such as wheels or pullies
having frictional surfaces of india-rubber or other material, grooved frictional
gearing, such as is well understood, a driving .band and pullies, or a toothed
wheel and worm may be substituted for the arrangement of apparatus shown
and described without departing from my Invention, which consists in
arranging simple apparatus of a portable and convenient character for winding
threads of silk, cotton, wool, or other fibrous material from the skein or hank
'on to reels, or into the form of balls, or otherwise by hand ready for usc.
The apparatus previously described will be found of great utility in enabling
any person, even a child, to wind threads of every description from skeins ör
hanks on to reels, spools, or balls ready for use with great facility, the winding
of the same being accomplished far more rapidly and regular than by tho
ordinary method of winding by hand alone. Waste of material and loss of
time in winding is thus avoided. Consumers of every description of thread
'by having apparatus of this character will be able to purchase the same by
weight in the bank or skein in place of being wound on to reels, or otherwise,
by which a considerable advantage will be obtained in the first cost of such
materials, thus saving the additional cost of reels, labels, and other manu-
facturing expenses which to large consumers aimounts to an important per
centage upon the thread or yarn delivered by the spinner in the hank or bulk
ready for being wound.
· Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practice, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact details berein shown and described, so long as the
peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is, the
arrangement and construction of portable apparatus suitable for winding

page_text: threads of fibrous material from the skein, bank, or other condition on to
reels or otherwise, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Crutchett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JAMES CRUTCHETT. (L.B.)
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings, W.C.