AN IMPROVED SPOOL HOLDER
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALEXANDER ALLEN MURPHY, of the City of Montreal, in the District of
Montreal and Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN IMPROVED SPOOL HOLDER, 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 cases for holding spools of thread, and has for its
object the production of a device which shall meet the want at present felt in
retail stores for a holder in which the different sizes of spools and numbers of
thread may be kept separate while the stock is still displayed within a small
space, and so arranged as to allow of the quick removal of one or more spools as
the same may be required or sold.
My Invention embodies all these advantages and consists, broadly speaking, of a
series of tubes of different diameters to suit the sizes of the various spools, cut
away at their lower ends so as to display one spool of each size, and permit of its
removal, while the others are contained within the tubes and fed downwards by
their own weight.
For full comprehension of my improved spool holder reference must be had to
the accompanying Drawing in which letters similar to those hereinafter used
indicate like parts.
In the Drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of my spool holder arranged
in circular form; Fig. 2 a plan view of a semi-circular holder; Fig. 3, a front
and side view further illustrating my Invention; Fig. 4 a plan of Fig. 3; Fig. 5
an enlarged sectional detail, and Fig. 6 a perspective view of one of the tubes.
A represents the tube of any desired length and made of paste board, wood,
pulp, glass, sheet metal or any other suitable material, and cut away for part of its
diameter at the lower end as indicated at a.
.
The tube will be slightly larger than the diameter of the spool which it holds,
and the opening a will be of such length as will allow the spool, standing on its
end, to be easily and quickly withdrawn.
A series of tubes of this construction will be arranged in rows as shown, either
in circular, semi-circular, straight or angular form according to the situation the
holder is to ocenny

page_text: To allow of a great number of sizes being displayed in a small space, I arrange
the tubes A between upper and lower end plates B, B and interpose between these,
division plates or platforms B¹ placed at different elevations; the spaces between
them being a little greater than the length of the spools displayed in the different
rows.
The tubes in the outer row will be shorter than those in the next row behind,
which in turn are shorter than those in the next series in rear and so on,-all the
lower ends of the tubes being in this manner visible from the front.
The numbers of the different spools and sizes of thread will be marked in any
suitable way upon the division platforms B' opposite the respective tubes, thus
enabling the salesman to readily select the sizes required. These numbers may
also be marked on the top board for convenience in filling.
It is only necessary to drop a number of spools into the tubes from their upper
ends until the same are filled, or nearly so, and then, as a spool is extracted from
underneath, the pile falls and immediately exposes another of the same size and
number at the lower opening.
By using my tubes, the spools and thread are kept clean and free from dust, and
a large number are stored as well as displayed in much less room and with greater
facility than can be accomplished in any of the spool boxes or cabinets at present
in use.
Besides, my holder may be suspended from the ceiling, arranged in corners, like
spaces and walls otherwise unoccupied, or may be used to stand upon a counter;
in which latter case the tubes and their framing may be arranged to revolve upon
a central spindle, or in any other desired manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A spool holder formed of a tube cut away at its lower end, as and for the
purpose specified.
2. A spool holder composed of a series of tubes cut away at their lower ends,
and held between end plates, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination in a spool holder, of the tubes A having openings a at
their lower ends, the division plates or platforms B¹ and the end plates,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 18th day of July 1884