CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN-WINDING OR BALLING THREAD OR YARN, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathaniel Jones Amies, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Smallware Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN-WINDING OR BALLING THREAD OR YARN, AND IN
THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathaniel Jones Amies. at
the Office of the Commissioners. of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th January 1855..
I, NATHANIEL JONES. AMIES, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Smallware Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my. said Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN. WINDING OR BALLING THREAD: OR YARN, AND.IN:
THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH;" to be as follows:
My Invention applies to the winding or forming of "cotton balls'
"thread balls," and generally used as sewing thread; and consists (instead of
winding or forming these balls upon the bare spindles employed in the common
balling machines) of furnishing or.placing upon the end of the spindles a small,
paper cardboard or other cap or cover (similar to the lower half of a common
pill box," upon which the thread ball is wound or formed, and when finished
is removed from the winding spindle along with its core or interior lining,
which thus formis a support for the ball; and. preserves it from being crushéd
or prematurely destroyed whilst in use. This interior hollow core or lining,
having one end closed-to receive the ordinary "ticket "for the No., maker's
name, &c. on the closed end; may be printed or marked, so.as to supersede thè

page_text: necessity of a separate ticket. It may also be circular or octagonal, or as
many sided as the ends of the spindle on which it is placed may be, so as to
ensure a sufficiently tight fit that it will rotate with the spindle.
Secondly, my Invention relates to the machinery or apparatus for winding
or balling thread or yarn, and consists in so arranging or constructing the
machine that each spindle has an independent or separate motion, and so that
one operative can attend one or more spindles, and also be enabled to stop one
or any number of spindles, as required, either when necessary to "piece up
"doff" the balls, instead of being obliged to stop the whole number of
spindles, as heretofore.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nathaniel Jones Amies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHANIEL
JONES AMIES, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Smallware Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Nathaniel Jones Amies, Her especial license that I, the said Nathaniel
Jones Amies, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Nathaniel Jones Amies, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter 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
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDING OR BALLING THREAD OR YARN, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Nathaniel Jones Amies, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Nathaniel Jones Amies, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
My Invention applies to the winding or forming "cotton balls," or "thread
balls," and generally used as sewing thread; and consists (instead of winding
or forming these balls upon the bare spindles employed in the common balling
machines) of furnishing or placing upon the end of the spindles a small paper,
cardboard, or other cap or cover (similar to the lower half of a common "pill
box," upon which the thread ball is wound or formed, and when finished is
removed from the winding spindle along with its core or interior lining, which
thus forms a support for the ball, and preserves it from being crushed or pre-
maturely destroyed whilst in use; this interior hollow core or lining having one
end closed to receive the ordinary ticket for the number, maker's name, &c.;
or the closed end may be printed or marked, so as to supersede the necessity
of a separate ticket. It may also be circular or octagonal, or as many sided as
the ends of the spindle on which it is placed may be, so as to ensure a suffi-
ciently tight fit that it will rotate with the spindle.
Secondly, my Invention relates to the machinery or apparatus for winding
or balling thread or yarn, and consists in so arranging or constructing the
machine that each spindle has a self-acting independent or separate motion,
and so that one operative can attend one or more spindles, and also be enabled
to stop one or any number of spindles, as required, either when necessary to
piece up" or "doff" the balls, instead of being obliged to stop the whole
number of spindles, as heretofore.
"
In order that these improvements may be the better understood and explained
in detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawing, made upon a scale of
about two and a half inches to the foot, having placed similar letters of reference
upon corresponding portions of the machinery or apparatus.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a frame of a "balling engine" with these
improvements attached; Figs. 2 and 3 being respectively a front elevation and
plan, or top view of the same. Although in the Drawing attached hereto the
framing and machinery or apparatus is shewn for the winding on of but one
"cotton ball," the machinery or apparatus may be so repeated and adjusted
as to wind on any number of cotton balls required in one frame. Figs. 4
and 5 represent respectively an elevation and section of the cap or cover on
the spindle (which is provided with side springs, for the purpose of keeping the
cap firmly on the spindle), which in this improvement is employed as a base
or core for winding the cotton on, in lieu of, as at present, winding it on the
bare spindle. The shape of the core may be varied, according to taste or con-
venience, so long as sufficient adhesion is maintained between the core and the

page_text: spindle to cause them, to rotate together. a represents the closed, end, on
which the number or maker's name,, &c. may be printed or placed; and Fig. 6
shews, a section of a cotton ball complete, with its core...
These improvements in the machinery or apparatus for,winding or balling"
thread or yarn-may be divided into two separate and distinct motions; the one
being an arrangement of machinery or apparatus which stops the operation
of "winding" when a thread- breaks; the other; effecting a stoppage of the
machine when the ball is finished "winding" and requires to be "doffed."
a, a, represents. the framing of the machine; and b, the, bobbins from which
the balls are wound;c is an eyelet, through which the thread or yarn from the
bobbin 6 first passes on its way to the 'ball. By the release of the eyelet c,
consequent upon the breaking of the thread which it encircles, a motion is
obtained, which stops the revolving spindle (*) and partially, wound ball, should
the thread break, thereby affording an opportunity for "piecing up." To the
eyelet c is attached a small, weight d,, working freely in the slotted tube é,
beneath which revolve the snugs f. f g is a bent lever, working on its ful-
crum h. One end of the lever g gears into a notch on the vertical stop rod k,
furnished, at its lower end with a spring and supporting a lever 7, which.
acts upon the throwing-out gear m. It will now be evident, on reference
to the Drawing, that should the thread or yarn break during the winding. of
the cotton ball," the small weight d, hitherto supported by the tension of the
thread or yarn, must fall, and rest upon the revolving snags ff. The con-
tinued revolution of the snugs presses the weight d against and thrust forward
the one end of the bent lever g there, by withdrawing the other end from the
notch or indentation on the vertical stop rod k. The spring being now
allowed to come into operation, forces up the rod k, and thus elevates the lever.
2, by which means the machine is stopped or thrown out of gear... The wire
of the eyelet c is bent, so as to form a handle ( Fig. 2), by which the weight
d may be restored to its position, as well, as acting as a guide in the slotted'
tube e. The second motion, for stopping the machine when the' cotton, ball is
fully wound on, is communicated from the driving shaft through the spur
gearing o, p, q, r, to the vertical shaft s, on, which is the worm t, working in
the carrying gear u, v, w. On the wheel w a small stud a is placed, which,
with the, wheel w, makes one perfect revolution at every entire completion of
a ball; when the stud a, coming into contact, with the swinging lever y,
throws over the lever, which, acting on the bent lever g, releases it from the
notch or indentation-on-the vertical stop rod k, which, by the aid of the spring
throws the machine, out of working, geer. The depression of the spindle
(*) for the finishing of the winding on of the cotton ball, is effected through a

page_text: worm a', which is mounted on the vertical driving shaft n. The worm a gears
into a worm wheel b, which actuates two projecting fingers c¹ and d'. These
fingers, by the revolution of the worm wheel b', are brought down upon and
depress the cam e' at the proper periods of "winding-on." The came when
depressed brings down with it the connecting lever f¹, the upper end of which
is secured to the framing g' of the spindle, while the limit of depression given
is retained by the small curved rack h¹ acting upon the edge of the spindle
framing g', always kept in action on the framing g¹ by the spring , except
when it is required to elevate the spindle. The operative then withdraws the
curved rack, and raises the spindle framing to the highest tooth of the curved
rack h³, so that the operation may be repeated. I would remark, in conclusion,
that it will be evident to any competent mechanic that this motion may.
be similarly attained by any mechanical equivalent, such as excentrics or
tappets. This depressing motion will be more convenient to the operatives by
being situated lower down on the machine, and connected with the spindle
holder by a chain rod, or any other suitable connection.
Having now particularly described the nature of, this Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that I claim,―
First, the novel application, employment, and use of a tubular core, a base
of paper, cardboard, or any other suitable material, closed at one end and
placed upon the spindle, for the purpose of receiving the winding-on of the
cotton or thread ball.
Secondly, I claim the novel application, employment, and use of the two
motions; the one for stopping the machine when the thread or yarn breaks,
the other for stopping the machine or apparatus when the winding-on of the
ball is completed, as well as the general arrangement of the several novel
portions or parts of the machinery or apparatus, as herein particularly set forth
and described, and fully illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathaniel Jones Amies, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
NATH JONES AMIES. (L.S.)