Improvements in Thread Winding or Spooling Machinery.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Nov., 1893--Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
!
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thread Winding or Spooling Machinery.
A communication from abroad by JOHN WILLMARTH FOSTER, of Westfield,
County of Hampden, in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United States
of America, Manufacturer.
I Alfred GEORGE BROOKES of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In textile manufacture threads of cotton, silk, and of other fibres in form of
skeins have subsequently to be wound into more compact form in order that the
-thread may be used in different manufactures or machines, and most frequently
this skein thread is wound on the cones to form conical masses of thread, the cones
being used in quill-winding machines, and in knitting and other machines.
These skeins of thread are commonly stretched over swifts or reels and in
practice it has been customary in getting the thread into conical masses to first
wind the thread upon a spool and then redraw or rewind the thread from the spool
upon a cone, thus requiring two handlings in order to get the thread into the form
of a conical mass.
This method has been practised because heretofore it has been considered
impracticable to satisfactorily and economically wind the thread directly from the
skein upon a coue, and chiefly because of the differences in the diameter of the
cone and the consequent variations in the amount of thread required to reach
around the cone at its large and at its small end..
It will be obvious that different portions of the surface of a conical shell mounted
on a journal rotating at a certain speed will run at different surface speeds according
to the diameter of the conical shell, and inasmuch as the speed of rotation of the
swift or reel is determined by the strain of the rotating cone on the thread, the
speed of rotation of the swift must consequently vary, and a varying amount of
thread will be let off.
In his efforts to overcome this difficulty in cone winding so as to make it possible
to wind thread, by which terin, I mean to include any thread of any material,
directly from the skein upon a conical shell, my correspondent has devised what I shall
call a take up or slack-thread controller, which he has so constructed as to enable
it to take care of all the slack thread incident to the winding operation and due to
variations in the diameter of the conical shell between its large and its small ends;
and he has so devised said take-up or slack-thread controller that it will effectually
care for and control the thread and ensure the continuance of the winding operation;
and he has also so devised said slack-thread controlling device that it through inter-
mediate devices will release a drop whenever a tangle or knot occurs in the skein
which would tend to break the thread or prevent the proper rotation of the swift
or reel containing the skein.
The apparatus has also been so devised that it will act upon the occurrence of
a knot of improper size and effect the stopping of the winding operation until
the defect has been removed, and said device will also act in case the thread
breaks.
While the invention is most important and valuable in cone winding, yet it has
very material advantages when used for winding thread from the skein onto a
cylindrical shell or tube, for in use, the thread, whatever the external shape of the
shell, is wound after the manner designated under the term "cross-winding" so that

page_text: large masses of thread put onto the shells may be drawn off the ends thereof
without rotating the thread masses when such practice is desired.
The frame-work may be as usual in spooling machines, suitable to sustain the
working parts..
The machine may have at each side a suitable longitudinal shaft provided at
suitable distances apart with drams one for each thread mass to be wound, each
drum having suitable crossing grooves, in which enters a part of a guide adapted
to slide back and forth on a guide bar as the said drum is rotated.
.
Each rotating drum has resting directly upon it a winding roll which is rotated
by the drum so long as the roll contacts therewith.
The winding roll acts to rotate a spindle it carrying a conical-shaped shell,
preferably of paper, upon which the thread being delivered from the skein is
"
wound.
The spindle has journals or ends mounted in bearings in a suitable carrier said
carrier being so mounted as to be able to rise as the mass of thread wound on the
shell increases in diameter.
The journals of the winding roll rest in suitable bearings at the upper ends of
stands attached to the stringer.
The carrier has a shank which enters, a socket piece pivoted on an upright
erected on the lower frame work, a suitable screw permitting the yoke part of the
carrier supporting a spindle, to be tipped as when the spindle is to carry a conical
shell.
There is provided a lever having at its inner end a lifting device, which, when
moved vertically acts upon the journals of the winding roll and lifts said roll from.
its bearings so as to break the contact of the said roll with the drum, and thus stop
the rotation of the roll and also the winding operation of the thread upon the shell
carried by the spindle.
The stringer constituting a part of the frame-work has a stud from which
depends a leg pivoted, said leg having pivoted upon it at or near its lower end a
leg lever said leg lever having at its outer end a suitable projection above which is
suspended a co-operating drop which may be a lever suitably pivoted.
The lever at its upper side between suitable projections, is provided with a cam
face, and the lower end of the leg or a part carried thereby presses on said cam face
during the vibrations of said leg about its pivot.
The inner end of the leg lever when elevated or put into its abnormal position by
the falling of the drop will be struck by one of the projections on a ratchet wheel
connected with a shaft having its journals mounted in suitable bearings of a stand
suitably attached to the framework.
The frame-work has upon it at suitable intervals suitable uprights or stands
adapted to sustain a suitable swift or reel to contain a skein of thread, silk, or other
material to be wound upon the shell of conical or other form.
The frame-work has attached to it by suitable bolts suitable stand's constituting
bearings for a rod.or beam to which is secured by suitable screws or otherwise the
foot of a frame.
The said frame supports a track serving to guide a take-up or slack-thread
controller having a suitable stud under or partially about which passes the thread
"on its way from the reel to the traverse and the spindle or the shell thereon which
is to receive the thread.
..
The said take up has a finger which contacts with the smooth guiding surface of
the track frame when the take up is being moved up and down on the track for
distances suitable to control such slack threads.
.
The surface near its upper end is curved upwardly, so as to let the said finger
pass and following said surface, owing to the pull of the thread upon the stud due
to a knot or obstruction in the thread at the swift or reel, cause said finger to pass
under a stop trigger say a latch pivoted on a part of the track frame, said finger
in such position and under such circumstances acting to lift the stop trigger into
position and cause the shoulder of the stop trigger to be lifted about a toe at the

page_text: upper end of the drop pivoted on the track frame, thus releasing said drop,
enabling it to fall and strike the pin at the end of the leg lever thus lifting the
inner or rear end thereof and putting it into the path of movement of one of
the teeth of a ratchet or stop wheel said tooth in the further rotation of the wheel
acting on one end of said leg lever to swing the leg to cause the same, or a part
carried by it, to act on the cam surface at the upper side of the lever and turn it
about its fulcrum, thus moving the lifting device upwardly and causing it, acting
against the winding roll, to lift it from contact with the rotating drum, such break
of contact immediately stopping the rotation of the spindle.
To enable the winding operation, to be stopped in case the thread breaks or
becomes too slack, a rod is connected to the stop trigger which is extended through
suitable guides said rod acting upon one end of a slack-thread trigger pivoted on
the track frame.
In case the thread breaks it no longer supports the take up, and as a result, it
drops and strikes the slack-trigger, turns it and through a rod lifts the stop trigger,
releasing the drop lever.
In practice to restrain in a measure the upward movement of the take up under
the pull of the thread coming from the swift or reel, so that certainly a safe
amount of strain may be put upon the thread, to thus aid in overcoming any
adhesion of one layer of thread to another before the carriage will rise far enough
to swing about the track as described and lift the slack-trigger to effect the
stopping of the winding mechanism, and to effect this result, it is preferred to add a
spring which may be of india rubber.
It will be understood that the traverse guides the thread, and that the said
traverse, moved by the crossing grooves rather widely distributed, causes
the thread to be laid is long spirals, one layer crossing another diagonally layer
after layer.
Such a cross wound mass of thread may readily be delivered from the thread
mass of whatever form without rotating the thread mass.
The lever, the leg, the leg lever, the ratchet wheel, and the drop constitute what
may, for brevity be designated as "stop-motion devices." I may use any usual or
suitable stop motion devices intermediate the stop-trigger and the devices for
rotating a shell of whatever form, said stop motion devices, when acted upon by or
through the take-up or slack-thread controller stopping the winding of the thread
on the drum.
Dated the 14th day of September 1893.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thread Winding or Spooling Machinery.
A communication from abroad by JOHN WILLMARTH FOSTER, of Westfield,
County of Hampden, in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United States
of America, Manufacturer.
I, Alfred GeorgE BROOKES of 55 & 56. Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
In textile manufacture threads of cotton, silk, and of other fibres in form of skeius
have subsequently to be wound into more compact form in order that the thread
may be used in different manufactures or machines, and most frequently this skein
thread is wound on the cones to form conical masses of thread, the cones being
used in quill-winding machines, and in knitting and other machines.

page_text: These skeins of thread are commonly stretched, over swifts or reels and in
practice it has been customary in getting the thread into conical masses to first
wind the thread upon a spool and then redraw or rewind the thread from the spool
upon a cone, thus requiring two handlings in order to get the thread into the form
of a conical mass.
This method has been practised because heretofore it has been considered
impracticable to satisfactorily and economically wind the thread directly from the
skein upon a cone, and chiefly because of the differences in the diameter of the cone
and the consequent variations in the amount of thread required to reach around the
cone at its large and at its small end.
It will be obvious that different portions of the surface of a conical shell mounted
on a journal rotating at a certain speed will run at different surface speeds according
to the diameter of the conical shell, and inasmuch as the speed of rotation of the
swift or reel is determined by the strain of the rotating cone on the thread, the
speed of rotation of the swift must consequently vary, and a varying amount of
thread will be let off.
In his efforts to overcome this difficulty in cone winding so as to make it possible
to wind thread, by which term, I mean to include any thread of any material,
directly from the skein upon a conical shell, my correspondent has devised what [
shall call a take-up or slack-thread controller, which he has so constructed as to
enable it to take care of all the slack thread incident to the winding operation and
due to variations in the diameter of the conical shell between its large and its small
ends; and he has so devised said take-up or slack-thread controller that it will
effectually care for and control the thread and ensure the continuance of the
winding operation; and he has also so devised said slack-thread controlling device
that it, through intermediate devices, will release a drop whenever a tangle or knot
occurs in the skein which would tend to break the thread or prevent the proper
rotation of the swift or reel containing the skein.
The apparatus has also been so devised that it will act upon the occurrence of a
knot of improper size and effect the stopping of the winding operation until the
defect has been removed, and said device will also act in case the thread breaks..
While the invention is most important and valuable in cone winding, yet it has
very material advantages when used for winding thread from the skein onto a
cylindrical shell or tube, for in use, the thread, whatever the external shape of the
shell, is wound after the manuer designated under the term "cross-winding" so
that large masses of thread put onto the shells may be drawn off the ends thereof
without rotating the thread masses when such practice is desired.
Fig. 1, in side elevation shows a sufficient portion of a spooling machine with
the improvements added to enable the invention to be understood; and Fig. 1A
shows a detail.
Fig. 2, a portion of the grooved drum for rotating the winding roll or driving
the mass of thread being, wound';
Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the track and its supporting frame, and the stop-
trigger and slack-trigger, viewing the same as in Fig. 1, but enlarged;
Fig. 4 is a view of the devices in Fig. 3, looking from the left;"
Fig. 5 is a view looking at Fig. 3 from the rear side ;
A.
Figs. 6 and 7 are details to be referred to, one showing the stop-trigger and the
.other the slack-trigger in plan view;
TA
Fig. 8 shows the remainder of the spindle-carrier broken off from Fig. 1;-
Fig. 9, a top or plan view of the front end of the spindle carrier showing the
spindle as adapted to hold a shell of conical shape; and
:
:
Fig. 10; an enlarged detail showing the spindle shaped to receive a tubular
shell.
☐
The frame-work A is and may be as usual in spooling machines, it being of
suitable shape to sustain the working parts.
The machine in practice will or may have at each side a suitable longitudinal
shaft a, provided at suitable distances apart with like drums a', one for each thread

page_text: mass to be wound, each drum having suitable crossing grooves al⁰, see Fig. 2, in
which enters a suitable foot or shoe 6" of a suitable traverse guide 6' adapted to
slide back and forth on a guide bar b' as the said drum is rotated.
Each rotating drum a¹ has resting directly upon it a winding roll 24 which is
rotated by the drum so long as the roll contacts therewith.
The winding roll acts to rotate a spindle marked d in Figs. 1 to 9, it carrying, as
supposed in said figs. a conical-shaped shell 614, preferably of paper, upon which
the thread y being delivered from the skein is wound.
The spindle d has journals or ends mounted in bearings in a suitable carrier o
but partially represented in Fig. 1, the remaining part being, however, represented
in Fig. 8, said carrier being so mounted as to be able to rise as the mass of thread
wound on the shell increases in diameter.
The journals of the winding roll rest in suitable bearings 25 at the upper ends of
stands 26 attached to the stringer A.
The carrier c², see Fig. 8, has a shank 10 which enters, as shown by dotted lines
Fig. 8, a socket piece e pivoted at es on an upright c¹ erected on the lower frame-
work, a suitable screw c permitting the yoke part of the carrier supporting the
spindle d, to be tipped more or less as when the spindle is to carry a conical shell,
as 6, best represented in Fig. 9, but, as stated, while the apparatus is very
essential for winding thread in conical masses, yet it may be used to great
advantage to wind threads upon cylindrical paper tubes or shells, as represented in
modification Fig. 10, wherein the cylindrical shell is marked t, the spindle being
marked it having cylindrical collars rather than conical collars d as
represented in Fig. 9. The screw *, see Fig. 8, acts on the spring 0, which,
by its hooked end engages a projection et fast on the upright c", said spring and
lug constituting a locking device to hold the spindle co in an elevated position when
it is desired to move said spindle away from the winding frame.
9 represents a lever pivotted at 9* and having at its inner end a lifting device f,
which when moved vertically, as will be described, acts upon the journals of the
winding roll 24 and lifts said roll from its bearings 25 so as to break the contact of
the said roll with the drum, and thus stop the rotation of the roll and also the
winding operation of the thread upon the shell carried by the spindle.
The stringer A' constituting a part of the frame-work has a stud A from which
depends a legg² pivoted at yo, said leg having pivoted upon it at or near its
lower end at g a leg lever h, said leg lever having at its outer end a suitable
projection, as 3, above which is suspended a co-operating drop h¹, represented as a
lever pivoted at 28.
The lever at its upper side between suitable projections, is provided with a
cam face 88, and the lower end of the leg or a part carried thereby presses
on said cam face during the vibrations of said leg as will be described, about its
pivot g
The inner end of the leg lever when elevated or put into its abnormal position
by the falling of the drop h¹ will be struck by one of the projections m on a ratchet
wheel connected with a shaft m' having its journals mounted in suitable bearings of
a stand m³ suitably attached to the framework, the said shaft in practice being
rotated as provided for in British Patent No. 4054, dated March 16-1888.
I will now specifically describe the improvements which have been added to the
parts thus briefly referred to.
The frame-work has upon it at suitable intervals suitable uprights or stands A³
adapted to sustain a suitable swift or reel A' to contain a skein of thread, silk, or
other material to be wound upon the shell of conical or other form.
The frame-work has attached to it by suitable bolts suitable stands 10
constituting bearings for a rod or beam D to which is secured by suitable screws 13
or otherwise the foot of a frame 14.
The frame 14 supports a track 15, herein represented as a round rod held in a
socket 16, the said track serving to guide a take-up or slack-thread controller,
shown as a carriage 17, having a suitable-stud 18, preferably of vitreous material,
1

page_text: under or partially about which passes the thread y on its way from the reel to the
traverse and the spindle d or the shell thereon which is to receive the thread, the
said shell used in Fig. 1, being supposed to be conical as represented in Fig. 9,
the shell in Fig. 1 being partially filled with thread so that it is not visible.
The carriage 17 has a finger 19 which contacts with the smooth guiding
surface 20 of the track frame when the carriage is being moved up and down on
the track for distances suitable to control such slack threads as will enable the
machine, all other things being equal, to be run properly.
The surface 20 near its upper end is, however, curved upwardly, as at 21, so as
to let the said finger 19 pass about the portion 22 on the track frame, and following
said surface, owing to the pull of the thread upon the stud 18 due to a knot or
obstruction in the thread at the swift or reel, cause said finger to pass under the
stop trigger 23 shown as a latch pivoted at 24* on a part of the track frame, said
finger in such position and under such circumstances acting to lift the stop trigger.
into the dotted line position Fig. 5, and cause the shoulder 25* of the stop trigger
to be lifted about a toe 26* at the upper end of the drop pivoted at 28 on the
track frame, thus releasing said drop, enabling it to fall and strike the pin 3 at the
end of the leg lever h, thus lifting the inner or rear end thereof and putting it into
the path of movement of one of the teeth of the ratchet or stop wheel m, said tooth.
in the further rotation of the wheel acting on one end of said leg lever to swing the
leg to cause the same, or a part carried by it, to act on the cam surface 88 at the
upper side of the lever and turn it about its fulcrum g, thus moving the lifting
-device upwardly and causing it, acting against the winding roll 24, to lift it from
contact with the rotating drum a¹, such break of contact immediately stopping the
rotation of the spindle d.
To enable the winding operation, however, to be stopped in case the thread breaks
or becomes too slack, there is connected to the stop-trigger 23 a rod 30 which is
extended through suitable guides 31, 32, said rod acting upon one end of a slack-
thread trigger 33 pivoted at 34 on the track frame, the opposite end of said lever
being herein shown as entering a slot 35 in the track 15, said slot being convenient
as it enables the lever to be so located as not to be strained laterally out of place,
and so that it will always be within the range of movement of the carriage 17.
.
In case the thread breaks it no longer supports the carriage 17, and as a result, it
drops and strikes the slack-trigger, turns it from its full into its dotted line position
Fig. 5, and through the rod 30 lifts the stop trigger, releasing, as before, the drop
lever 27.
It is preferred in practice to restrain in a measure the upward movement of the
carriage 17 under the pull of the thread coming from the swift or reel, so that
certainly a safe amount of strain may be put upon the thread, to thus aid in
overcoming any adhesion of one layer of thread to another before the carriage will
rise far enough to swing about the track as described and lift the slack-trigger to
effect the stopping of the winding mechanism, and to effect this result, it is preferred
to add a spring 36 which may be of india rubber.
It will be understood that the traverse guides the thread y and that the said
traverse, moved by the crossing grooves rather widely distributed, causes the thread
to be laid in long spirals, one layer crossing another diagonally layer after layer.
A cross wound mass of thread, such as herein provided for, may readily be
delivered from the thread mass of whatever form without rotating the thread mass.
Prior to this invention my correspondent is not aware that thread has been wound
directly from skeins into a conical mass or upon a conical shell, or, in fact, a shell
of any kind, and while I have shown one form of take-up or slack-thread controller
which operates well to accommodate the maximum and minimum slack of the thread
when winding the latter from the skeins upon different portions of the conical shell,
yet this invention is not limited to the exact form of take-up or slack-thread
controller shewn, nor to the exact shape shown for the triggers, as it will be obvious
to those skilled in the art that other forms of such devices might be employed to
effect the same result without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

page_text: Instead of the particular drum herein shewn I may employ any other usual drum
so long as it has a crossing groove in its periphery.
This invention is not limited to the exact form of carrier shown for the cone, nor
to the exact form of traverse mechanism for laying the thread from end to end
of the cone in long spirals.
The lever g, the leg, the leg lever, the ratchet wheel, and the drop constitute
what may, for brevity be designated as "stop-motion devices," but instead of the
particular devices shewn, I may use any other usual or suitable stop motion devices
intermediate the stop-trigger and the devices for rotating a shell of whatever form,.
said stop motion devices, when acted upon by or through the take-up or slack-thread
controller stopping the winding of the thread on the drum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The use in a spooling machine to wind thread from a swift or reel onto a tube
or shell, of the following instrumentalities, viz. ;-A spindle to carry a tube or shell
to receive the thread; a carrier for said spindle; devices to rotate the said spindle ;:
a suitable swift to hold a skein of thread; a stationary track; a take-up or slack-
thread controller supported by and adapted to slide on said track; a stop trigger
adapted to be acted upon by or through the said take-up or slack-thread controller
on the occurrence of obstruction to the proper delivery of the thread from the skein,.
and a stop motion mechanism between said stop-trigger and the device for rotating
the said spindle, to operate, substantially as described.
2. The use in a spooling machine for winding thread from a skein onto a tube.
or shell, of the following instrumentalities, viz. ;-A swift or reel; a track; a take-up.
or slack-thread controller; a stop-trigger; a drop; a leg lever adapted to be
moved by said drop when released, a support for the leg lever, a lifting lever, means
to move the leg lever and cause the lifting movement of the lifting lever; a drum
provided with crossing grooves; a winding roll; a support for a spindle; a spindle
adapted to hold a shell for the reception of the thread coming directly from the
skein, and a traverse or thread guide having a projection to enter the grooves of the
drum and be reciprocated thereby, to operate, substantially as described.
3. The use in a spooling machine to wind thread from a skein onto a tube or
hell, of the following instrumentalities, viz. ;-A spindle to carry a tube or shell; a
carrier therefor; devices to rotate said spindle; a suitable reel or swift to hold a
kein of thread; a track, a carriage adapted to slide thereon, and a slack-thread
rigger adapted to be acted upon by the said carriage when the thread breaks, and
top motion mechanism between said trigger and the device for rotating the spindle,.
o operate, substantially as described.
4. The use in a spooling machine for winding thread from skeins onto tubes or
hells, of a winding drum. devices to rotate it; a swift or reel; a slack-thread
ontroller made as a carriage and adapted to slide on a track under the influence of
he thread being unwound from the swift or reel; a
nd of said track and adapted to be struck by said carriage when the delivery of
stop-trigger located near one
he thread from the skein is unduly obstructed; stop mechanism between the
op-trigger and the devices for rotating the drum; a slack-thread trigger located
ear the other end of said track and also adapted to be operated by said carriage ;.
drop normally held out of operation by said stop-trigger, and devices intermediate
id drop triggers and said stop triggers whereby the drop may be released bcth
hen the yarn or thread ceases to be delivered from the swift or reel, or when it
eaks, substantially as described.
Dated the 29th day of November 1902
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.