IMPROVEMENTS IN TUBES AND SKEWERS FOR COPS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Strang, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Yarn Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TUBES
AND SKEWERS FOR COPS."
Sealed the 22nd January 1867, and dated the 25th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Strang at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th July 1866.
I, JAMES STRANG, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Yarn Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN TUBES AND SKEWERS FOR COPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for one of its objects to simplify and cheapen the manu-
facture of cop tubes, whilst rendering them more suitable for the use to which
they are put.
Another object of the Invention is to improve the form and construction
of skewers used for holding cops when reeling, winding, or weaving in order
that they may hold the cops in a better manner.
Cops tubes have hitherto been made either with a taper form externally,
or with a parallel form, the former being preferred in practice, whilst the
latter is much more easily and economically made.
By the present Invention all the advantages of the taper form are imparted
to tubes, which may be made in exactly the same manner as common
[Price 8d.]

page_text: parallel tubes by forming the tube with a slit entirely from end to end, or, as
is preferred, with one or more slits from one end along a greater or less
portion of the tube's length; this slitting of the tube enables it to assume
the preferable taper form when it is put on a spindle or skewer. Paper
appears to be the best material of which to make the improved tubes, but
they may be made of any other suitable material. When the tubes are slit
all their length they need not be first formed into complete tubes to be sub-
sequently slit, but may be made of pieces of paper of suitable width, these
being bent or rolled into a cylindrical form, and being stiffened as in making
common tubes, whilst the paper will of course be formed in lengths, to be
afterwards cut into short pieces forming the cop tubes. The improved skewer,
instead of being generally round or nearly round, is made narrow and flat,
the narrow edges being rounded so that the cop catches or grips them more
than the flat sides. It is preferred to make the broad part near the point
at right angles, as seen in cross section, to the broad part near the shank.
In one modification suitable for shuttles the skewer is formed with two
springs, which consist of narrow externally rounded strips fixed to the middle
part at the point, and bent to form the broad part of the skewer near the
point, whilst their other ends are bent inwards and have the necessary play
in an opening cut for them near the shank.
In another modification the inner ends of the springs may be bent outwards
so as to be gripped by the bottom of the cop, and be thereby distended near
the point, and to assist in distending the bottom of the cop, or to distend it
without assistance from the rigid part of the skewer.
In a modification of the skewer suitable for reeling or winding, the springs
are made longer so as to be entered into the holding socket, when the con-
sequent compression will cause the parts near the points to be distended and
so hold the cop more securely.
the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Strang in the Great Seal Patent Office
25th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STRANG, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Yarn Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Strang, Her special licence that I, the said James Strang, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Strang, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN TUBES AND
SKEWERS FOR Cops," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Strang, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
iny, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 1, the said James Strang, 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 state-
ment in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is
to say:-
use
My said Invention has for one of its objects to simplify and cheapen the
manufacture of cop tubes whilst rendering them more suitable for the
to which they are put.
Another object of my Invention is to improve the form or construction of
skewers used for holding cops when recling, winding, or weaving, in order
that they may hold the cops in a better manner.
And in order that the said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing cop
tubes and skewers as made with my improvements.
Cop tubes have hitherto been made either with a taper form externally, or
with a parallel form, the former being preferred in practice, whilst the latter
is much more easily and economically made.
By my present Invention all the advantages of the taper form are imparted
to tubes, which may be made in exactly the same manner as common parallel
tubes by forming the tube as shown in section in Figure 1, and in side view
in Figure 2, the section being as at the line a, a. in Figure 2, that is to say,
with a slit entirely from end to end, as in modification 1, or, as I prefer, with

page_text: one or more slits from one end along a greater or less portion of the tube's
length, as in modifications 2 and 3; this slitting of the tube enables it to
assume the preferable taper form when it is put on a spindle or skewer. The
tubes are made of paper, and when they are slit all their length, as in modi-
fication 1, they need not be first formed into complete tubes to be subsequently
slit, but may be made of pieces of paper of suitable width, these being bent
or rolled into a cylindrical form, and being stiffened as in making common
paper tubes, whilst the paper will of course be formed in lengths, to be after-
wards cut into short pieces forming the cop tubes.
A modification of my improved skewer is shown in Figures, 3 and 4, one
view being at right angles to the other, whilst in Figure 4 the cop 4 is shown
in section; this skewer, instead of being generally round or nearly round, is
made narrow and flat, the narrow edges being rounded so that the cop catches
or grips them more than the flat sides. I prefer to make the broad part near
the point at right angles, as seen in cross section, to the broad part near the
shank 5.
The modification shown in Figures 3 and 4 is suitable for a shuttle, and in
this case the skewer is formed with two springs 6, which consists of narrow
externally rounded strips fixed to the middle part at the point, and bent to
form the broad part of the skewer near the point, whilst the other ends are
bent so as to incline inwards and have a little play in an opening or openings
cut for them in the shank 5. At one side of Figure 3 an end view of the
skewer is delineated, together with cross sections of the parts of the skewer
opposite which they are placed. Figure 5 shows a simple way of applying
the springs 6, to form which a single strip is passed through a hole drilled
transversely near the shank, the ends being then bent up and soldered or
welded to the point of the skewer.
In another modification delineated in Figure 6 the inner or bottom ends 7
of the springs 6 are bent outwards so as to be gripped by the bottom of the
cop, and be thereby distended near the point, and to assist in distending the
bottom of the cop, or to distend it without assistance from the rigid part of
the skewer.
Figures 7 and 8 are views at right angles to each other of a skewer suitable
for reeling or winding. The cop 4 is delineated in section on the skewer in
Figure 8; this skewer is made in the same way as the shuttle skewer shown
in Figure 5, and herein-before described.
In another modification of the skewer suitable for reeling or winding the
springs 6 are made longer so as to be entered into the holding socket, when
the consequent compression will cause the parts near the point to be distended

page_text: and so hold the cop more securely. The bottom ends of the springs 6 may be
soldered or welded to the skewer, as in Figure 9, or they may be made free,
as in Figure 10.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what
I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1, the making of paper cop tubes with a single slit from end to end, or with
one or more slits from one end, and extending more or less along the tube,
substantially as herein-before described.
And, 2, the constructing of skewers for cops, substantially in the improved
manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Strang, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES STRANG. (L.S.)