IMPROVEMENTS IN BOBBINS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Renfrew, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Smith, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BOBBINS."
Sealed the 6th March 1855, and dated the 27th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Renfrew at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th September 1854.
I, ROBERT RENFREW, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Smith, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BOBBINS to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of bobbins used for winding yarns
or textile materials. These bobbins have hitherto been made entirely of wood,
the spindle and ends being in separate pieces, and fixed together. Now,
according to this Invention the spindle of the bobbin is made of wood, metal,
or other suitable material, and the end discs are made of gutta percha, or of
any suitable material or composition possessing similar properties. It is
preferred to mould the end dises upon the spindle by means of suitable dies
or moulds, one operation moulding and fixing them upon the spindle; they
may, however, also be made separately, and fixed upon the spindle subsequently.
The essential feature of the Invention consists in the application of gutta
percha to the construction of bobbin ends, so as to avoid the frequent breakage
which accompanies wooden ones.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Renfrew in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
RENFREW, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Smith, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Renfrew, Her special license that I, the said Robert Renfrew,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Renfrew, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOBBINS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Renfrew, 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 Robert Renfrew, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :--
My said Invention relates to a novel system of constructing bobbins or
holders, such as are used for winding yarn or textile materials. Such improved
bobbins are made on what may be termed a compound or composite principle,
the essential object of the improvements being the prevention of injury and
fracture of the bobbin ends from the concussions ordinarily arising in the use
and wear of the articles. Bobbins of the general class, to which my Invention
is more particularly applicable, have hitherto been usually made entirely
of wood, the barrel or central spindle portion being in each case a distinct
piece of wood, whilst the end dises or flanges are separately attached. Now,
according to my present Invention the barrel or central spindle portion of the

page_text: bobbin is made of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and the end discs or
flanges are made of gutta percha, or of a composition wherein gutta percha is
an ingredient, or of other suitable material or composition possessing the like
qualities. Papier maché or pasteboard material may also be used for this pur-
pose. Indeed any cheap pulpy or mouldable material may be thus adapted.
The end discs or flanges so made are shaped and attached to the spindle or barrel
piece at one and the same operation, and in thus making the bobbins I prefer
to mould the disc pieces upon the barrel or spindle piece by means of suitable
dies or moulds. The flange parts may, however, be made separately, and fixed
upon the barrel or spindle by a subsequent operation.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings here.
unto attached.
being that surface which moulds the
Figure 4 is an external elevation of
Figure 5 is an external end face
Figure 1 on my Sheet of Drawings is a longitudinal section of a composite
bobbin and its flange mould complete, as it would appear after the completion
of the moulding and attaching process. Figure 2 is an internal elevation of
one-half of the mould, without its end pieces, as supposed to be removed from
the opposite half, shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan or inside face view
of one of the end pieces of the mould,
external end face of the bobbin flange.
the bobbin barrel or spindle detached.
elevation of one of the moulded gutta percha bobbin flanges, as shaped by the
face of the piece, shown in Figure 8. Figure 6 is an elevation of the composite
bobbin with its two gutta percha flanges attached, complete. The mould,
which is made large enough to enclose the entire bobbin, is of tin or other
suitable metal. It is composed of two main body pieces A, furnished with
steady pins and corresponding holes B, to ensure accurate fitting of the two
halves along their line of longitudinal contact, and two end flanges C, D.
When used, the apparatus is placed horizontally; or it may be set vertically, as
represented in Figure 1 of my Drawings; and the two opposite end flanges
are then moulded on, either in succession or simultaneously. The body
portion of the mould A is formed with a rough hole directly through it, in the
line of junction of the two pieces, shoulders being left at the two ends, as at E,
and truly bored out to fit the barrel piece F of the bobbin, and retain it in its
due central position. The barrel piece of the bobbin is then inserted in the two
retaining shoulders E, the square shoulders G of the barrel being set so as to
be accurately flush with the square turned-out face H of the recessed end of
the mould. The extreme ends of the barrel piece are turned with a dovetail,
as at I, to afford a good hold for the plastic material to be moulded thereon.

page_text: In this condition of the parts the gutta percha, or whatever other plastic
material or composition is to be used in the formation of the end flanges, is
supplied in a heated and consequently plastic state to the end recess J, formed
by the two halves A of the body portion of the mould, which halves are now
placed together. The end flange or cap C of the mould is now brought
forcibly down upon the soft mass of deposited material, the central pin K,
which is fast in the piece C, being entered into the open end of the bobbin
barrel F, as a guide. The pressure of the moulding cap C, which is further
guided by entering the end of the recess J of the mould, as at L, thus moulds
the gutta percha to the finished shape of the bobbin end flange, as at M, and
at the same time firmly binds it on to the dovetail of the bobbin barrel end.
The action of both the end moulding surfaces is obviously the same. The
face at the bottom of the mould's end recess is plain and flat, its junction
with the annular flange part being rounded off, as at N. This surface moulds
the inner surface of the bobbin flange, as clearly shewn in Figure 6. The
inner face of the end piece C of the mould is formed with a central recess O, to
produce the central boss of the flange, and from this part six radial grooves P
are cut through to the periphery of the moulding face, to mould corresponding
arms or flanges Q upon the outer face of the bobbin flanges. In the view,
Figure 1, the upper part of the mould is represented in section, so as to cut
longitudinally through two of these radial flanges; in the lower part the
section is between the flanges. When the ends C, D, of the moulds are
removed, the two halves A of the mould are separated, and the finished bobbin
is released. The flanges of bobbins so made are extremely light and tough.
The disc portions of them are strengthened and stiffened by the radial ribs
or arms Q, which form junctions between the bosses and the external annular
flange R. Various sectional forms of flanges may be adopted, but the one
which I have herein-before represented is simple in detail, and it possesses
great strength.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the system or mode of constructing bobbins, as herein-before

page_text: Second, the application and use in the construction of bobbins of end discs
or flanges of gutta percha, or other similar moulded or plastic material.
Third, the system or mode of constructing bobbins wherein the end discs
or flanges are simultaneously moulded or shaped and attached to the bobbin
barrel or spindle portion.
Fourth, the application and use in the end dises or flanges of bobbins, of
external arms, ribes, or flanges for obtaining strength.
Fifth, the system or mode of attaching moulded end dises or flanges to
bobbin barrels by dovetailed or recessed shoulders.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Renfrew, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
ROB RENFREW. (L.8.)