IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING OR EMBOSSING THE ENDS OF SPOOLS FOR HOLDING THREAD, SILK, OR SIMILAR MATERIAL
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR PRINTING OR EMBOSSING THE ENDS OF SPOOLS FOR HOLDING
THREAD, SILK, OR SIMILAR MATERIAL." A communication from abroad by
Arthur Corbin Gould, of Brooklin, County of Norfolk, Massachusetts, United
States of America, Gentleman, and Arthur Chase, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America, Gentleman.
Sealed the 16th April 1878, and dated the 5th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th November 1877.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING OR EMBOSSING THE ENDS OF
SPOOLS FOR HOLDING THREAD, SILK, OR SIMILAR MATERIAL." [A communication
from abroad by Arthur Corbin Gould, of Brooklin, County of Norfolk, Massachu-
setts, United States of America, Gentleman, and Arthur Chase, of Boston, Massa-
chusetts, United States of America, Gentleman.]
This Invention of improvements in machines for printing or embossing the ends
of spools for holding thread, silk, or similar material, consists in the employment of
a series of reciprocating printing dies in one or more intermittently rotating
cylinders, the said dies being moved forward to their work against the stress of a
spiral or other spring by the action of a cam, the motion being so timed as to act
upon the end or ends of a spool presented to them by mechanism connected with a
feed tube into which the spools to be printed or embossed are placed.
The machine is designed to print or emboss both ends of the spool or the labels
thereon simultaneously, but by substituting smooth faces for the dies in one of the
die cylinders only one end of the spools would be operated on.

page_text: Upon a platform or bed are placed side frames carrying two shafts at about the
same level; upon the front shaft are mounted two circular blocks or hubs, through
which pass transversely a series of cylindrical bars, provided upon their inner ends
with blocks or dies, the back of the dies abutting against the inner faces of the
hubs, and they are held in position by coiled springs on the bars.
On the back shaft, just inside the supporting frame, are fixed two cams, which
in rotating act upon the outer ends of the bars so as to force the dies against the
spools at the proper time.
Attached to the back shaft, outside the frame, is a collar, to which is attached an
arm connecting with another arm that carries a spring pawl which operates
a ratchet secured to the front shaft, by which means an intermittent motion
is imparted to the hubs in order to bring the dies into proper position to act on the
spools.
The hub is held in position of rest by means of a spring arm provided with an
angular piece that 'engages in notches in the hub.
The spools to be operated upon are placed within a square tube or hopper, the
lower spool to be subjected to the action of the die resting upon a finger projecting
at right angles from an arm hinged on the outside of the spool tube. Just above
the finger on the arm is a rectangular frame or band surrounding the spool tube,
and carrying upon its rear side an adjustable finger which projects into the spool
tube through an opening in the same.
Upon the front shaft is a double cam which presses against the arm and holds
the finger in position to support the spool while it is being operated upon by the
.die. As the arm is released by the revolution of the cam the rectangular frame is
forced forward by a spring, thus causing the finger to release the printed spool, and
bringing the finger to a position to support the unprinted spool just above it until
the finger is again brought in position to receive the unprinted spool as it drops
from the receding finger.
The faces of the dies are supplied with ink or other colouring matter from rollers;
one roller is attached to an arm pivotted to a standard, and is held in an upward
position by a spring; the other roller is attached to a lever arm fulcrumed to a
standard supported on the bed. Motion is imparted to the arms by means of
rotating arms fixed to a shaft, which is rotated by means of gear engaging with gear
on the back shaft. The rollers are thus caused to act on alternate dies as they
rotate, and may be supplied with different colored inks from platines arranged in
any convenient manner or position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th May 1878.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING OR EMBOSSING THE ENDS OF
SPOOLS FOR HOLDING THREAD, SILK, OR SIMILAR MATERIAL."
This Invention relates to an improvement in machines for printing or embossing
the ends of spools for holding thread, silk, or similar material, and the Invention
consists in the employment of a series of reciprocating printing dies in one or more
intermittently rotating cylinders, the said dies being moved forward. to their work
against the stress of a spiral or other spring by the action of a cam, the motion
being so timed as to act upon the end or ends of a spiral presented to them by
mechanism connected with a feed, to which the spools to be printed or embossed
are placed.
The machine herein-after described is designed to print or emboss both ends of
the spool or the labels thereon simultaneously, but by substituting smooth faces
for the dies in one of the die cylinders only, one end of the spools would be
operated upon.
In the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine, embodying the Invention; Figure 2 is a
rear view of the same.
Figure 3 is a section on the line x, x, Figure 1, and shewing the milling rolls in
elevation.
Figure 4 is a view in detail of the ratchet for imparting the intermittent motion
to the rolls; a is a platform or bed upon which are placed the side frames b, b, in
the upper portion of which the shafts c, d, have their bearings; upon the shaft d
are mounted two circular blocks or hubs v1, v2, through which pass transversely a
series of cylindrical bars a¹, provided upon their inner ends with blocks or dies
These blocks or dies abut against the inner faces of the hubs v1, v2, and are
held in position by means of coiled springs on the bars a¹, as shewn in Figure 1, the
hub being shewn as broken away to expose the spring.
On the shaft c, just inside the frame b, 6, are fixed two cams e, f, which in rotating
acting upon the outer ends of the bars a¹ so as to force the dies against the spools at
the proper time.
Attached to one end of the shaft c, outside the frame b, is a collar g, to which
is attached an arm h, connected with an arm i, that carries a spring pawl j, which
operates a ratchet kc, secured to the shaft d, by which means an intermittent motion
is imparted to the hubs 61, 62, in order to bring the dies ¹¹ into proper position to
act on the spools.
The hub b 2 is held in position of rest by means of a spring arm 9 provided
with an angular piece q¹ that engages in notches q" in the hub, as shewn in
Figure 3.
The spools m' to be operated upon, represented in section in Figure 3, are placed
within a square tube or hopper m, the lower one, or that subjected to the action of
the die, resting upon a finger p¹ projecting at right angles from an arm n hinged at
n¹ on the outside of the spool tube m, as shewn in Figure 3.
Just above the finger p¹ on the arm m is a rectangular frame or band v sur-
rounding the spool tube and carrying upon its rear side an adjustable finger o,
which projects into the spool tube through an opening in the same.
Upon the shaft d is a double cam p, which presses against the arm n, and holds
the finger p in position to support the spool while it is being operated upon by the
die. As the arm n is released by the revolution of the cam p the rectangular fram v
is forced forward by a spring u, thus causing the finger p¹ to release the printed

page_text: spool and bring in the finger o to a position to support the unprinted spool, just
above it until the finger p¹ is again brought in position to receive the unprinted
spool as it drops from the receding finger o.
The faces of the dies are supplied with ink or other coloring matter from rollers
21, y¹; the roller ¹ is attached to an arm z, which is pivoted at 22 in a standard k¹,
and is held in an upward position by means of a spring ; the roller y¹ is attached
to a lever arm y, fulcrumed at y² to a standard y³, supported on bed a. Motion is
imparted to the arms y, z, by means of rotating arms w, x, fixed to a shaft ย, which
is rotated by means of a gear s engaging with a gear t on the shaft c; the rollers
are thus caused to act, on alternate dies as they rotate, and may be supplied with
different colored inks from platins arranged in any convenient position.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,-
First. In a machine for printing or embossing the ends of spools, the combination
of the intermittently rotating die-carrying cylinders and reciprocating die carriers,
substantially as shewn and described.
Second. In a machine for printing or embossing the ends of spools, the combi-
nation of the intermittently rotating die-carrying cylinders, the die carriers
reciprocating therein, and the operating cams mounted upon the driving shaft,
substantially as shewn and described.
Third. In a machine for printing or embossing the ends of spools, the combi-
nation with the intermittently rotating die-carrying cylinders of a spring stop
operating to prevent motion in said cylinders while the die carriers are being pressed
forward by the cam surfaces, substantially as set forth.
In a machine for printing or embossing spools, the combination with the feed tube
of a depending arm hinged thereto, and carrying a collar which surrounds said tube
and supports the spool stops upon opposite sides thereof, and the operating cam
adapted to force the hinged arm against the action of a returning spring, the several
parts being arranged with reference to the die carriers; substantially as shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)