Improvements in Spool-cabinets..
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
Improvements in Spool-cabinets..
We, ELIJAH HIRAM NORTHCUTT, and JAMES WALTER LEGG, Salesmen,
both of Marietta, in the County of Cobb and State of Georgia, United States of
America, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in spool-cabinets employed for exposing
in an accessible. manner for the retail trade various colors of spool silks,
cottons, etc.
The objects of our present invention are to enhance the attractiveness and
simplicity of the present construction of cabinet, and to facilitate and simplify
the operation of removing the spools from the cabinet in the act of retailing the
same.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following
description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the
claims.
Referring to the drawings,―
Figure 1 is a perspective sectional view of the case, the glass front being swung
down to serve as a receptacle.
Figure 2 is a detail of one of the passageways and the spring stops at the lower
end thereof.
The rectangular casing or cabinet may have any desired external ornamentation
and may be of such size and dimensions as desired.
The top of the cabinet terminates short of the front wall, and to it is hinged at, 1,
a rearwardly swinging cover, 2, whose edges are provided with such ornamentation
or moulding as will form a continuation of that of the top.
The front wall, 3, of the cabinet is located at the upper end thereof immediately
below the swinging cover, and is of a depth about equalling the two series of spool-
passages, 4, and, 5. These spool passages, 4, and 5, decline from the opening in
the top rearward to the back wall of the cabinet, thence descend vertically, and
decline forward to the front of the cabinet, terminating above the base, 6, thereof.
The upper ends of the passages, 4, are set back from those of the passages, 5, 80
that each set of passages has its receiving ends exposed in such manner as to readily
receive spools. The passages, 4, at their lower ends project beyond the passages, 5,
and said lower ends are covered by means of a curved glass cover, 7, which is seated
in a suitable frame, 8, provided for the purpose, and hinged at, 9, at its lower edge to
the front of the base, 6, the latter projecting beyond the exit ends of the passages,
as shown. This cover, 7, when swung forward closes the lower ends of the spool-
passages and prevents the admission of dust thereto. In like manner the cover, 2,
closes the upper ends of the spool-passages and prevents the admission of dust.
There will be exposed to view, therefore, only the first spools of the series
contained in each passage, and as a spool is removed, those remaining in the
passage from which it is removed will move forward to the front by reason of the
inclination of the lower end of the passage. The space between the upper and
lower branches or inclines of the passage, 5, is preferably occupied by a tier of
drawers, 10, and these may be employed or utilized for containing pins, needles, or
various colored cottons, as may be desired.

page_text: The passages, it will be understood, may vary in size so as to receive spools
numbered from eight to one hundred, if so desired, and are numbered accordingly
at their upper and lower ends or at points opposite the same, as shown, whereby
the proper number of spools may be readily taken from the cabinet or the proper
passage for the reception of a given spool may be readily observed.
Projecting forward and inward from the opposite partitions of each passage are
a pair of curved flat spring-holders or stops, 11. The springs, 11, are mounted in
pairs at the outer edges of the partitions, and they project outward therefrom
beyond the spool passages, and diverge; one spring being arranged to engage an
end of a spool of the adjacent passage, and the other spring of a pair engaging an
end of a spool of the next passage. By this arrangement, the adjacent members of
the adjacent pairs of springs curve outward toward each other, whereby a spool is
exposed at each passage, and held outward beyond the same in convenient position
for ready removal. These spring holders exceed in length preferably the diameter
of the spool, so that spools rolling down the inclines of the passages will from
pass
the latter to points between the holders at the ends of said passages, and thus be
held in a position to facilitate their extraction, or, in other words, they pass beyond
the upper sides of the passage, so that the forefinger of the operator may be readily
inserted back of the spool and forcing the latter toward the front said spool will
pass between the spring-holders and thus be extracted, a succeeding spool taking
its place immediately thereafter, so that the cabinet always appears full.
When in the act of withdrawing the spools, the curved glass front being swung
forward and down serves as a ready receptacle for any number of spools that may
be extracted from the passages, and thus the operator is not required to pick one
spool at a time from the several passages and hold the same in his hand, while he
extracts the remaining spools, but can simply pass from one passageway to another,
forcing each spool desired from its holder and subsequently gathering the entire
number of spools, which, it will be observed, have rolled into the curved cover.
The fronts of the drawers are preferably of glass, and with the addition of the
curved glass cover for the lower ends of the passages, a very effective and finished
appearance is gained for the cabinet as a whole.
By the employment of such a cabinet, the spools are all preserved against dust
and exposure, and the spool that has been exposed to any extent whatever is the
first one sold.
Our invention, it will be seen, is very simple in its construction and obviates
the necessity of opening and closing various drawers for the extraction of spools.
The number of passages may be increased or decreased as deemed proper
without departing from the invention, and we may also resort to other changes in
the details.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
1. A spool cabinet provided within it with a series of inclined spool passages,
and having partitions arranged at opposite sides of the passages and separating the
same, said passages having their outlet ends arranged at the front of the casing
combined with the horizontally-disposed, curved diverging springs, mounted in
pairs at the outer edges of the partitions, projecting outward therefrom beyond
the spool passages, one spring of each pair extending in front of the adjacent spool
passage to engage an end of a spool, and the other spring of said pair extending in
front of the next passage to engage an end of a spool thereof, whereby a spool is
exposed at each passage and held outward beyond the same in convenient position
for ready removal, substantially as described.
2. In a spool-cabinet, the combination with the casing having its upper end
provided with a front opening, and the hinged cover arranged thereover, of the
plurality of sets of spool-passages having their upper ends located at said opening,

page_text: each set being offset from the other and declining from said point backward to the
rear end of the cabinet, thence depending, and finally declining from the back wall
to the front of the cabinet above the base, where the exit ends of the passages are
offset, the pairs of curved spring-holders at the ends of the passages and exceeding
in length the diameter of the spools to be received by the passages, and the curved
glass cover hinged at its lower edge to the front of the base and adapted to be
swung up over the exit ends of the passages or down to form a receptacle for the
spools, and the set of drawers arranged between the upper and lower branches of
said passages, substantially as described.
3. In a spool-cabinet, the combination with the casing having its upper end
provided with a front opening, of the plurality of spool-passages having their upper
ends located at said opening, and declining from said point backward to the rear
end of the cabinet, thence depending, and finally declining from the back-wall to
the front of the cabinet above the base, and the curved glass cover hinged at its
lower edge to the front of the base in advance of the outer ends of the spool
passages and adapted to be swung up over the exit ends of the passages to close
the same or swung down to form a receptacle for the spools, substantially as
described.
Dated this 29th day of March 1895.
ELIJAH HIRAM NORTHCUTT.
JAMES WALTER LEGG.