CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPOOLING AND BALLING SEWING THREADS. SILK. YARN, AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Godfrey Ermen, Thread Manufacturer, and Robert
Smith, Machinist, both of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for
the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPOOLING AND
BALLING SEWING THREADS. SILK. YARN, AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 25th November 1862, and dated the 31st May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Godfrey Ermen and
Robert Smith, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 31st May 1862.
We, GODFREY ERMEN, Thread Manufacturer, and ROBERT SMITH, Machinist,
both of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SPOOLING AND BALLING SEWING THREADS, SILK, YARN, AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to various improvements made in the machinery for
spooling and balling a number of spools or balls at one operation, and our
improvements chiefly apply to the description of machine for which Letters.
Patent were granted to William Young, of the Firm of H. Bannerman and
Sons, of Manchester, Merchant, on the second day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and forty-eight,. No, 12,353, and parts of these improvements
are applicable to other spooling and balling machines.
These improvements consist, firstly, in an improved plan or arrangement of
the spindle upon which the spools are. filled. with thread. These spindles we

page_text: fix in a frame which can be made to revolve upon bearings; this frame contains
two rows of spindles, to which motion is imparted by suitable gearing, each
row corresponding with the number of spools required, and they are so
arranged that whilst one row of spools is being filled with thread, the attendant
can be doffing or taking off the full spools and putting on empty ones on the
other row of spindles so that little loss of time takes place between the sets,
and the machine will thus do a greater quantity of work. This improvement
also applies to the balling machine the spindles upon which the balls are made
being fixed in a similar frame, which is made to revolve, so that the attendant
can be doffing or taking off the finished balls from one row of spindles whilst
balls are being made upon the other. The spindles upon which the spools are
filled may be either fixed or made to rotate, when fixed we lay the thread
upon the spool by means of a flyer and tube, the flyer having a presser cut in
a similar way to the steel guides when the spool revolves.
Secondly, in the spooling machine we have an improved traversing frame
upon which the guides are fixed, we make this frame tubular and thus obtain
strength and lightness.
Thirdly, in an improved change motion for reversing the movement of the
traversing frame at the end of each layer of thread as it is wound on the spools
this change motion is produced by a descending weight or coiled spring,
the weight or coiled spring being wound up by the attendant as each set of
spools is filled.
Fourthly, in an improved plan of varying the length of the traverse as the
spool fills, which we do by means of a right and left handed screw driven by
suitable gearing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Godfrey Ermen and Robert Smith, in the Great Seal Patent
⚫ Office on the 29th November 1862. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GODFREY
ERMEN, Thread Manufacturer, and ROBERT SMITH, Machinist, both of Man-
chester in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Godfrey Ermen and Robert Smith, Her special licence that we, the

page_text: said Godfrey Ermen and Robert Smith, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Godfrey Ermen and Robert Smith,
our 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 MACHINERY
FOR SPOOLING AND BALLING SEWING THREADS, SILK, YARN, AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS
MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Godfrey
Ermen and Robert Smith, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 we, the said Godfrey Ermen and Robert Smith,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
These improvements consist, firstly, in an improved plan or arrangement
of the spindles upon which the spools are filled with thread. These spindles
we fix in a frame or spindle box which can be made to revolve upon bearings;
this frame contains two or more rows of spindles, to which motion is imparted
by suitable gearing, each row corresponding with the number of spools to be
wound, and they are so arranged that whilst one row of spools is being filled
with thread the attendant can be doffing or taking off the full spools and
putting on empty ones on the other row of spindles, so that little loss of time
takes place between the sets, and the machine will thus do a greater quantity
of work. This improvement also applys to the balling machine, the spindles
upon which the balls are made being fixed in a similar frame, which is made
to revolve, so that the attendant can be doffing or taking off the finished balls
from one row of spindles whilst balls are being made upon the other. The
spindles upon which the spools are filled may be either fixed or made to rotate,.
when fixed we lay the thread upon the spool by means of a flyer and. tube,.
the flyer having a presser cut in a similar way to the steel guides used when
the spool revolves.
Secondly, in the spooling machine we have an improved traversing frame
upon which the guides and guide holders are fixed, we make this frame tubular
and thus obtain strength and lightness.

page_text: And that the Invention may be fully understood we will proceed to describe
the Drawings hereunto annexed and forming part of this Specification.
Sheet 1 represents the front elevation of a machine constructed according
to our Invention.
Sheet 2 represents an end view of the same machine.
Sheet 3 represents a plan of the same.
Sheet 4 represents the views of various details of the machine.
Sheet 5 represents the views of various details of the machine.
The machine is drawn upon a scale of about 4 inches to the foot, except
the details which are drawn full size, and is arranged for winding eight
spindles at a time, though this number may be increased or diminished as
circumstances may require. In each of the above Figures the same letters
of reference indicate like parts.
A, A, is the main framing of the machine, and supports a stud 60 upon
which the main driving pulley B constantly rotates, being driven by a belt
from the motive power, to the side of this pulley is attached the friction plate
C, and on the same stud there is a similar friction plate D, which has on its
boss the first driving wheel E; this wheel gives motion through the carrier
wheel F to the pinion G on end of shaft H; upon this shaft H is fastened
a series of bevel wheels J, J, J, driving similar bevel wheels K, K, K,
secured upon the ends of the spindles L, L, L; these spindles revolve in the
tubes M, M, M, and upon the other end are the spools N, N, N, in the
position they are placed when the thread is being wound upon them. It will
be seen that the tubes M, M, M, are fixed in a frame or spindle box O, O,
which has on its opposite side a similar row of spindles, which are shewn in the
Drawing, with a set of empty spools upon them, it will also be seen that this
frame or spindle box can be made to revolve upon its bearings P, P, keyed
fast to this frame or spindle box; outside its bearings is the cross handle Q,
by means of which the attendant causes the frame or spindle box to turn

page_text: being secured when in its proper
The shaft H which gives motion
half a revolution when required, the box
position for winding by the round pin R.
to the spindles is placed out of centre of the spindle box in such a position
that the bevel wheels upon it will only give motion to the row of spindles that
have the spools upon them which are being filled, the other row of spindles
with their bevels being out of gear will remain stationary and so enable the
attendant to take off the full spools and replace them with empty ones.
Fig. 4, Sheet 4, shews the plan we adopt when we wind the spools on a
stationary spindle. 51 is a square rod turning on similar bearings to the
spindle box as described above, the rod has projecting from it 2 rows of
stationary spindles 52, 52; 53 is a flyer with pressers, 54, 54, cut in a similar
way to the ordinary guide; these flyers with the tube 55 are driven by suitable
gearing similar to the spindles as before described, in all other respects the
machine is as shewn in this Specification, the course of the thread is shewn in
the Drawing.
Figure 3, Sheet 4, shews the plan we adopt in the balling machine; 56, 56,
56, 56, represents a section of a similar spindle box to what is used in the
spooling machine, having 4 rows of spindles and the shaft H out of centre as
before named; 57 is the ordinary balling flyer and tube which can be driven
in any suitable manner; 58, 58, 58, 58, are the spindles, two of which are
shewn with balls upon them; it will be seen that the attendant can be doffing
the balls already made, whilst the flyer is forming those on the other spindles,
as each comes in its turn into gear with the bevel 59. S, S, S, Sheet 3 and 4,
are the guide holders which move upon centres fixed to the traversing frame
T, T, and are kept constantly bearing against the bobbins by means of coiled
or helical springs, such as are used in the ordinary spooling head when only
one spool is wound at a time, but in some instances we prefer to have the
presser put on, as it is in Young's machine, that is, with a bar with projecting
pins taking hold of each guide holder and acted upon by a spiral spring as
shewn in Sheet 4, Figs. 1 and 2; s, s, s, are the guide holders; U is the bar,
and W is the spiral spring. One reason why we prefer sometimes to use this
plan is that by means of the handle X the attendant can increase the pressure
on the spools should it be required. Y, Y, are apparatus somewhat similar in
shape and mode of action to the guide holder, and oscillates upon their centres
Z, Z; these are kept in contact with the spools by means of a spring, and their
use is to put additional pressure on the spool when it may be required, they
are best shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 4.
I is the reversing traveller, (best seen in Sheet 3,) fitting loose upon
the fixed shaft 2, which shaft is attached to the traversing frame T, T,

page_text: and is carried along with it, the traveller being kept in its position by
stop 7 3 is a right and left handed screw, such as is used in the one
spindle spooling head; this screw, when the machine is in motion, is kept
continually revolving, being driven by the shaft 4 through the bevels 5, 5,
this shaft is driven by the gearing 61, 6%, & 63 and 6, which is on boss of
friction plate D. The wheels 61 and 6%, are change wheels, to suit the various
thicknesses of thread. The traveller I has two projecting arms, cut to fit
the screw 3, one on the upper and the other on the lower side, these
arms being brought alternately in contact with the right or left handed
thread, carry the traversing frame T, T, to and fro. To the traveller I are
attached the spring arms 8, 8, to which are fastened the studs and friction
bowls 9, 9; 11 is a broad cam wheel, keyed on the change shaft 12,
and raises or depresses the spring arms as it rotates, and so gives alter-
nate rectilinear motion to the traversing frame T, T, by means of traveller
1, & right & left handed screw 3. On the change shaft 12, is also
fastened a star wheel 13, having the same number of teeth as the cam
wheel 11. This star wheel effects the change or reverse motion by
means of the two escapement plates 14, 14, the rotatory motion of the
shaft 12 being caused by the descent of the weighted lever 15, the said
lever having a cord attached, which being uncoiled from the pulley 16,
turns the shaft 12 in the direction indicated by the arrows. Close to this
pulley is also keyed a ratchet wheel 17, and on the side of the aforesaid pulley
16 projects a stud baving upon it a ratchet 17; this is kept in gear with the
wheel by means of the spring 18. This is drawn full size in Fig. 4 and 5,
Sheet 5. 19 is a spur wheel fast to the pulley 16, working into the carrier
20; this carrier has on its boss a bevel 21, gearing with the bevel 22 on
shaft 23; this shaft has to it a handle 24 outside the framing, for the purpose
of winding up the weighted lever 15; this operation being performed by the
attendant previous to filling each set of spools. It will thus be seen that the
change shaft 12 has no backward movement, for as the cord pulley is turned
in the direction to take up the cord, and so raise the weighted lever 15, the
ratchet 17, passes round the ratchet wheel 17, without imparting any motion
to it.
We will now show how the length of the traverse is increased as the spool
fills; this portion of the machine is best seen in the plan, Sheet 3, and in
Sheet 5, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, where it is drawn full size. 25 is a right and
left handed screw, which we will afterwards speak of as the lengthening
screw, one end of which is carried by the traversing frame T, and moves
along with it; the other end is born by and slides through the spur

page_text: wheel 26, this wheel turning the shaft by means of a feather key; the
aforesaid wheel 26 gears into 27 on end of cross shaft 48; this pair of
wheels are change wheels to regulate the lengthening of the traverse. On
the other end of the shaft is the wheel 30, gearing into the wheel 20,
which is driven by the wheel 19, attached to cord pulley 16; on the length-
ening screw 25 are two nuts 31, 31, one fitting the right-handed screw thread,
the other fitting the left; these nuts are attached to the projecting arms
of fixings 32, 32; on these fixings are placed the two escapement plates
14, 14, that arrests the motion of the star or escapement wheel 13 on
change shaft. These plates can be adjusted so that the change will take
place at the end of the traverse when the first layer of thread is put on the
spool by means of the two adjusting screws 33, 33; it will be also seen
that the aforesaid escapement plate fixings are born and slide upon the
two studs 34, 34, attached to traversing frame T, T. Fig. 2, Sheet 5, shews
the traveller 1, with its upper arm in contact with the screw, being kept
in this position by one of the points of cam wheel 11; it will be seen
that when this cam wheel makes a 16th of a revolution the point of
the cam will pass from under the upper friction bowl 9, and another
of its points will press against the friction bowl on lower spring
arm of traveller; by the movement of the cam wheel the traveller 1
is thrown alternately in gear with the right or left handed part of screw 3
and so causes the too-and-fro movement of traversing frame. The star
wheel 13 on change shaft is shewn with one of its teeth pressing on
under side of escapement plate 14; as this plate is carried along with
the traversing frame it is drawn past the tooth of star wheel, this allows
the weight 15 to pull round the shaft 12, until the opposite tooth of
star wheel is arrested by the other escapement plate, the position of the
escapement plates being regulated by lengthening screw 25. 35, Sheet 1, 2,
and 3, is a lever which, when the machine is in motion, presses the main
driving pulley B with its friction plate C, against the other friction plate D;
36 is the handle used for setting the machine in motion, and when it is
pressed down it causes the arm 37 to act upon the spiral spring 43, and
thus causes the lever 35 to press the two friction plates C and D together;
88 is a bar or latch, the use of which is to keep the two friction plates C and D
in contact with each other while the spools are filling, this it does by latching
itself at 39, when the spool is full it can be thrown off by the foot of the
attendant pressing the lever 40, this will raise the rod 41 until it lifts up
the latch 38, and the spiral spring 43, acting on the lever 44, causes its
upper arm to press against the lever 35, which lever draws the friction

page_text: plate Cout of contact with the other friction plate D, and so stops the
machine, the upper arm of lever 44 acting as a brake on side of friction
plate D.
We will now go through the process of filling a set of spools with thread,
supposing the machine has just stopped, having completed a set of spools, and
empty spools are placed on the outer row of spindles; the attendant, by means
of the cross handle Q, will turn the spindle box half a revolution; this
movement will bring the full spools N, N, N, to the outside, and place the
empty ones inside ready for the thread to be wound upon them; immediately
behind each spool is a round plate 45 fast to the spindle, with a number of wires
upon it; the threads are drawn under the wires by giving the shaft II a slight
movement in the direction it revolves with the hand wheel 46; this secures
each thread. The attendant with a knife then cuts the threads between the spools,
leaving the end of each thread that is to be wound fastened under the wires; the
machine is now ready for starting; the attendant then raises the weighted lever
15 by means of handle 24, and sets the machine in motion by pressing. down
the handle 36, the thread running from off the creel bobbins 55, 55. The
same movement that has raised the weighted lever 15 has turned the cross
shaft 48 through gearing 22, 21, 20, and 30. This shaft, through the wheels
27 and 26, has turned the lengthening screw until the escapement plates are
in their proper position for the commencement of winding. It will be readily
seen that as each traverse is made the escapement plate allows the star wheel
13 to make its movements, and so cause the cam wheel 11 to effect the reverso
or change motion by throwing the traveller out of one thread on to the other
on right and left handed screw 3, the changing shaft being drawn round by
the weighted lever 15. When there are a sufficient number of layers on the
spools the attendant can stop the machine by pressing with her foot on lever
40, as before described; it is also made to cease winding by the pin 49 on
short arm of lever 15 raising the latch 38; when this takes place the opera-
tion is complete. Whilst these spools have been filling, the attendant has
taken off the full spools on the other row of spindles and replaced them with
empty one. In some cases we find it more convenient to draw the thread
from the bobbins 55, 55, over the end, as is done in the single spooling
head.
Having indicated the nature of our improvements, and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, we claim as new and of our
Invention,―
Firstly, the revolving frame O carrying two rows of spindles, upon which
the spools are filled and arranged, in such a manner that whilst one row of

page_text: spools on the said spindles is being filled with thread, the other row of spools
previously filled can be doffed or taken off and replaced by empty spools, sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described and shewn.
Secondly, the same principle of construction described in the first claim as
applied to balling machines," substantially as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the improved machinery shewn and described for filling spools upon
a fixed spindle by means of a flyer and tube.
Fourthly, the mode of obtaining the change in direction of motion of the
traversing frame T, as herein-before described and shewn.
Fifthly, the mode of varying the length of the traverse of the traversing
frame T by means of a screw with a right and left handed thread, in the
manner herein-before described and shewn.
In witness whereof, we, the said Godfrey Ermen and Robert Smith,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-two.
Witness,
CHA. BROADBENT.
(L.S.)
GODFREY ERMEN.
(L.S.) ROBERT SMITE.