Improved Means or Devices for Holding Thread in the Form of Balls, Bobbins, or the like, and for Facilitating the Unwinding thereof.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Devices for Holding Thread in the Form
of Balls, Bobbins, or the like, and for Facilitating the
Unwinding thereof.
I, CAROLINE SCELLES of 15 Rue des Halles, Paris France, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means or devices for holding thread in the
form of balls bobbins or the like and for facilitating the unwinding thereof.
According thereto a holder or container is employed (hereinafter referred to as a
container) in the form of a hollow sphere made in two parts that are adapted to be
separated or shifted relatively to each other so as to allow of the insertion of the
bobbin or ball of thread, means being provided to allow the free end of the thread
to be passed to the outside of the container, one or more sides of which are flattened
so as to give the same sufficient stability to prevent it rolling as the thread is
unwound.
According to one arrangement the container comprises two slightly flattened
hemispheres; the exterior diameter of one being equal to the interior diameter of
the other; the small hemisphere is connected to the other, along one diameter, by
two axles or trunnions around which it can turn so as to be capable of entering
entirely into the larger bemisphere. One of the two axles or trunnions or both of
them are hollow to allow the thread of the ball or bobbin to be passed therethrough
to allow the thread being unwound.
In order to insert a ball or bobbin into the container the hemispheres are turned
one within the other when the ball or bobbin can be laid in the inner one; the end
of the thread is then passed through the hollow axle or trunnion, and the container
closed by turning the hemisphere about the axles or trunnion. The thread can
then be unwound regularly to the end as required, without soiling the ball or the
possibility of its running far away as when it is unwound in the ordinary manner
without any container.
In order that the container may have more stability it may be formed on the
lower part of the larger hemisphere with a small projecting external ring.
To facilitate the opening of the container a small knob is fixed to the smaller
hemisphere and which to ensure the closing of the container is adapted to engage
or be slightly forced in a notch formed in the edge of the larger hemisphere. For
this knob a small plate may be advantageously substituted, the edge of the larger
hemisphere being in this case pressed between the plate and the edge of the smaller
hemisphere.
It is evident that without changing the principle of this invention, the edge of
one hemisphere may be adapted to fit with a certain amount of friction into the
other. In this arrangement of fitting together, the thread issues through a hole a
little above the joint, the two hemispheres may be connected by threads or cords
arranged so that on pulling them, the two hemispheres are drawn together.
In unwinding an ordinary ball of thread, the thread rubs on the unwound portion
thereof and thus abrades or cuts itself so to speak.
To obviate this according to this invention a smooth bell mouthed tube is
introduced into the ball and the inner end of the thread of the ball is passed there-
through and caused to issue from the container through the hollow axle or trunnion
or through a hole as the case may be.
To prevent this cutting of the thread and to moderate the tension necessary for
unwinding a bobbin having semi-spherical ends is sometimes according to this

page_text: invention used; a bobbin of this improved construction turns, in whatever position,
much more easily than the ordinary ball or bobbin.
Dated this 9th day of May 1893.
CAROLINE SCELLES,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Devices for Holding Thread in the Form
of Balls, Bobbins, or the like, and for Facilitating the
Unwinding thereof.
I, CAROLINE SCELLES, of 15 Rue des Halles, Paris, France, 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 :-
This invention relates to improved means or devices for holding thread in the
form of balls bobbins or the like and for facilitating the unwinding thereof.
According thereto a holder or container is employed (hereinafter referred to as a
container) in the form of a hollow sphere made in two parts that are adapted to be
separated or shifted relatively to each other so as to allow of the insertion of the
bobbin or ball of thread, and means are provided to allow the free end of the
thread to be passed to the outside of the container, one or more sides of which are
flattened so as to give the same sufficient stability to prevent it rolling as the
thread is unwound.
to
Referring to the annexed drawings
-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the trunnions of a closed container according
my invention.
Fig. 2 is a similar section, but shewing the container open.
Fig. 3 is an elevation at right angles to the preceding figures shewing the
container closed.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modification (closed).
Fig. 5 is an elevation thereof (open).
Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5 of a slightly modified arrangement.
Fig. 7 is a section through the axis of the trunnions.
Fig. 8 is a vertical section of another construction.
Fig. 9 is an elevation of another modification of which Fig. 10 is a vertical
section.
Fig. 11 illustrates means which I employ to facilitate the unwinding of the
thread.
Fig. 12 shows a container of the kind shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in which is
enclosed a form of bobbin specially designed for use with my container.
The arrangement of container shewn in Fig. 1 comprises two slightly flattened
hemispherical parts A and B; the exterior diameter of the part B being equal to
the interior diameter of the other A. The part B is connected to the part A by
two oppositely arranged axles or trunnions CD around which it can turn so as to
be capable of completely entering the part A as represented in Fig. 2.
One of the two axles or trunnions C or D, is, or both of them are, if desired,
made hollow to permit the thread of the ball or bobbin to be passed therethrough
to allow the thread to be unwound.
In order to insert a ball or bobbin into the container the hemispheres are turned
one within the other as shewn in Fig. 2; the ball or bobbin is laid in the inner
one; the end of the thread is passed through the hollow axle or trunnion C or D
and the container closed by turning the hemispheres or one of them about the
axles or trunnions. The thread can then be unwound regularly to the end as
required, without soiling the ball or the possibility of it running far away as when
it is unwound in the ordinary manner without any container.

page_text: In order to increase the stability of the container it may be formed on the lower
part of the hemisphere A with a small projecting external ring as represented in
Fig. 4.
To facilitate the opening of the container a small knob E is fixed to the
hemisphere B (see Fig. 4) and which to ensure the closing of the container is
adapted to engage or be slightly forced in a notch F formed in the edge of the
hemisphere A. For this knob É a small plate G (which may be bent as shewn)
may be advantageously substituted, as shewn in Figs. 6 and 6 the edge of the
hemisphere A being in this case pressed between the plate G and the edge of the
hemisphere B.
It is evident that without changing the principle of this invention, the edge of
one hemisphere may be adapted to fit with a certain amount of friction into the
other as illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10.
In such arrangements the thread instead of passing through an axle or trunnion,
issues through a hole H a little above the joint. The two hemispheres may be
connected by threads or cords arranged as shown in Fig. 10 which, on being pulled,
draw the two hemispheres together.
In unwinding an ordinary ball of thread, the thread rubs on the unwound portion
thereof and thus abrades or cuts itself. To obviate this, according to this invention
a tube K (preferably of metal) and with rounded edges at the ends, is introduced
into the ball and the inner end of the thread of the ball is passed therethrough and
caused to issue from the container through the hollow axle or trunnion or through
the hole H as the case may be. With the same object of preventing this cutting
of the thread and also to lessen the tension necessary for unwinding I may use the
bobbin represented in Fig. 12 in which the two ends are semi-spherical; a bobbin
of this improved construction turns, in whatever position, much more easily than
the ordinary ball or bobbin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
The improved means or devices for holding thread in the form of balls bobbins
or the like and for facilitating the unwinding thereof hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.