IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WINDING COTTON, SILK, WOOL, OR OTHER THREADS ON SPOOLS OR REELS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Thomas Wibberley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th September 1872.
I, JOHN THOMAS WIBBERLEY, of Blackburn, in the County of Lan-
caster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WINDING COTTON, SILK,
WOOL, OR OTHER THREADS ON SPOOLS OR REELS," to be as follows:-
I employ right and left handed screws for traversing the thread
from end to end of the spool or reel by means of improved self-acting
movements.
On the sliding shaft I place a tube working loose and carrying at
each end right and left handed nuts, and about the centre a fixed arm
extending to the top of the machine. I also employ two stays fixed to
the sliding shaft and extending through a fixed plate on the top of the
machine frame and connected to a slide which carries another moveable
plate working in guides or recesses and supporting at each side a slide
catch spring and adjustable screw.
On the fixed plate I place two cams which are alternately pressed
outward by projecting pins fixed to the arm as it traverses to and fro with

page_text: the sliding shaft and moved inwards by springs. At the sides of the
moveable plate there are slides carrying catches as aforesaid, and to
each slide is fixed a pin which passes through a slot in the moveable
plate and is connected to one end of a spring, the other end is attached
to a pin fixed to the moveable plate, so that when the slides and catches
are moved in one direction the springs shall give them the return
movement. The catches are employed for receiving and holding the
upper part of the arm first at one side and then at the other, and
thereby maintaining the proper nut upon its screw, and as soon as the
arm is released from one catch it is moved by the cam and spring to
the other side, and is received and held by the other catch. The two
slides on the moveable plate are connected to one end of the guide
holder, and the holder itself is jointed to the end of a regulating screw,
so that a revolving motion may be given to the holder alternately in
different directions each time the guide comes in contact with the inner
ends of the spool or recl. This revolving motion of the holder places
the guide in an angular position adapted to right and left traversing of
the thread and also gives movement to the moveable plate, and thereby
releases the catches alternately from the top of the arm in order to allow
one or other of the nuts to be in action.
Furthermore, my new system for working the guide backward and
forward in winding and also to suit all variations and numbers of thread
is likewise self-acting and self-adjusting. The guide stock is fixed to the
sliding shaft having a stay on each side, and a worm is fitted in and
works horizontally through the guide stock by a ratchet wheel and
measureing disc fastened on the outer end of the worm, and the inner
end of the worm is jointed to a regulating screw, and the regulating
screw itself is jointed at the top to the guide holder as aforesaid and to
the stays near the bottom, and having a small hand wheel at the end.
The regulating screw and worm is thus at about right angles, and the
connection of the worm with the regulating screw being between the
guide holder (or weight) at the top and the stays (or fulcrum) at the
bottom, by turning the regulating screw by the hand wheel its con-
nection with the worm (or power) is raised towards the guide holder cr
lowered towards the stays, so that the ratchet wheel in working the
worm backward or forward a given distance shall work the guide holder
a greater or less distance as may be required to suit the variations and
numbers of threads without change of wheels or any other appliance

page_text: whatsoever. To the guide stock is fixed a set pin lifter and back stop,
and on the machine frame a rack to work the ratchet wheel, the
measurcing disc having a circle of as many holes in it as there are teeth,
the holes being numbered in two's corresponding with the to-and-fro
traverse of the guide, and having a circular groove in which is attached
one end of a cord and at the other end a small loose weight. A pin is
put in the hole in the measuring disc denoting the number of rows
required to be wound, and the guide is worked back by the ratchet
wheel in winding till the pin raises the lifter and stop rod out of its
detent, and a weight attached to the stop rod now exerts itself and shifts
the strap fork from the fast to the loose pulley. Having once put the
pin in the ratchet wheel it requires no further attention, there being a
pendent on the stop rod, so that when the machine is started for a fresh
winding the pendant falls on one end of the back stop and holds it out
of the teeth of the ratchet wheel, while the small weight turns the
ratchet wheel round to the set pin and brings the guide forward to the
barrel of the empty reel ready for winding. For putting on and taking
off the reels I employ a rod having fixed brackets attached and worked
by a lever. In putting a recl on it is placed between the brackets and
is forced on the spindle by the lever, and a spring connected to the
machine frame coming in contact with the inner bracket when the
bobbin is put on causes it to rebound a little when the pressure of the
lever is removed, thus preventing any friction of the bracket against
the reel while the thread is being wound.
In order to stop the machine when the thread breaks I employ a
double lever jointed to the guide stock, the thread when entire supports
one arm of the lever, but when the thread breaks this arm falls, and
the other arm raises and turns the stop rod out of its detent and causes
the stoppage of the machine.