Improvements connected with the Supply of String at Shop Counters
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1898-Accepted, 28th May, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with the Supply of String at Shop Counters
I, WILLIAM GOUGH, of 54, Oxford Street, Dudley, in the County of Worcester,
Haberdasher, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
The objects of my invention are improvements connected with the supply of
string and the like at shop counters so that the surplus string withdrawn on the
last occasion shall not remain on the counter but is automatically drawn upwards
out of the way, but so that the end is left within comfortable reach.
My invention is a device or arrangement for supplying string and other similar
materials, and automatically winding up any surplus quantity remaining from
the last withdrawal. Therefore, the arrangement is specially adaptable for use
over shop counters, in warehouses and elsewhere.
My device or arrangement consists of a metallic or other frame usually made
in four parts although it might be constructed of more or less than four, or made
in one piece. When the device is made up of several parts they are secured
together by bolts passing through whose screwed ends receive nuts of any shape.
These nuts and bolts may be formed separate from the device or the bolts may
be formed integral with any portion and by thus forming them I save the expense
incurred by making these portions separately. Whether the arrangement is
formed in one or more pieces, it takes the form of a rectangle in plan, whose sides
in elevation are formed by two parallel rails inclining at a slight angle to the
horizontal plane. The ends of the rectangle are formed by cross ties, tying the
sides together and brackets by which the whole arrangement may be secured to
the ceiling of a room, a beam or other convenient fixture. An opening is left
in the two upper rails close to their lower ends, for the ends of a spindle to pass
through, carrying a spool or its equivalent of string or other material. This
spindle is heavy so that it readily gravitates after being drawn to the elevated
end of the incline (formed by the aforesaid rails) by the action of the person
pulling the end of the string below. One end or roller of the spindle is remov-
able, thus permitting the spindle to be withdrawn from the empty spool and
placed in a full one, when the removable end is again attached and the mounted
spool placed on the incline rails, the end of the string is then passed through
an eye in the far end of the frame and pulled down until within convenient reach
of the attendant. The so called spool may consist of a cardboard, wood or metallic
cylinder and the string or other material may be wound onto it, or it may be
placed as a ball inside the cylinder the aforesaid spindle naked or clothed in a
wooden sleeve passing through the ball. Or in other cases the ball may be
secured inside the cylinder by a spindle fixed diagonally across the cylinder, in

page_text: this case the longitudinal spindle is dispensed with and ends or rollers are fixed
to the ends of the cylinders.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1898
WILLIAM GOUGH,
By George Barker,
gent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.
I, WILLIAM GOUGH, of 54, Oxford Street, Dudley, in the County of Worcester,
Haberdasher, 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:--
The objects of my invention are improvements connected with the supply of
string at shop counters so that the surplus string withdrawn on the last occasion,
shall not remain on the counter, but is automatically drawn upwards out of the
way but so that the end is left within comfortable reach.
My invention is a device or arrangement for supplying string and other similar
materials and automatically winding up any surplus quantity remaining from
the last withdrawal. Therefore the arrangement is specially adaptable for use
over shop counters, in warehouses and elsewhere.
My device or arrangement consists of a metallic or other frame usually made
in four parts although it might be constructed of more or less than four, or made
in one piece. When the device is made up of several parts they are secured
together by bolts passing through whose screwed ends receive nuts of any shape.
These nuts and bolts may be formed separate from the device or the bolts may
be formed integral with any portion and by thus forming them I save the expense
incurred by making these portions separately. Whether the arrangement is
formed in one or more pieces it takes the form of a rectangle in plan whose sides
in elevation are formed by two parallel rails inclining at a slight angle to the
horizontal plane. The ends of the rectangle are formed by cross ties, tying the
sides together and brackets by which the whole arrangement may be secured to
the ceiling of a room, a beam or other convenient fixture. An opening is left
in the two upper rails close to their lower ends, for the ends of a spindle to pass
through carrying a spool or its equivalent of string or other material. This
spindle is heavy so that it readily gravitates, after being drawn to the elevated
end of the incline (formed by the aforesaid rails) by the action of the person
pulling the end of the string below. One end or roller of the spindle is remov-
able thus permitting the spindle to be withdrawn from the empty spool and
placed in a full one, when the removable end is again attached and the mounted
spool placed on the inclined rails, the end of the string is then passed through
an eye in the far end of the frame and pulled down until within convenient reach
of the attendant. The so called spool may consist of a cardboard, wood or metallic
cylinder and the string or other material may be wound on to it or it may be
placed as a ball inside the cylinder the aforesaid spindle naked or clothed in a
wooden sleeve passing through the ball. Or in other cases the ball may be
secured inside the cylinder by a spindle fixed diagonally across the cylinder in

page_text: this case the longitudinal spindle is dispensed with and ends or roners are nxeu
to the ends of the cylinders.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and easily carried into
practical effect I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon
which I have illustrated examples of the same.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my string supplying arrangement with a full
spool placed in position for use.
Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1 looking from the left hand.
Figure 3 is a modification of my spool or cylinder, shewing the string inside.
Figure 4 is another form with the ball mounted diagonally in the cylinder or
spool.
Figure 5 shews one method of attaching the parts of my device together, where
the screw or bolt is formed integral with one portion.
Figure 6 shews another method of attachment as illustrated on Figures 1 and 2.
In carrying my invention into practice I use a frame F either cast in one
piece or made up of a number of pieces and fastened together by screws fo or other
means and the frame is bolted or fastened up to an overhead beam B by screws fl
or other means, or to an equivalent fixture such as a counter. The string is
carried either upon a spool or barrel C as shewn at Figures 1 and 2 or upon a
ball E as seen at Figures 3 and 4 in which cases the ball is covered by the casing C
all as hereafter to be more fully explained.
In the example shewn at Figures 1 and 2 the frame F is made up of several
parts namely the inclined rails or guides f and f³ on each side, the cross ties f
and with corresponding ties at the other end. The cross ties f7 are provided
with the tabs f by which the frame is secured to the beam B although the frame F
might be similarly secured to the cross ties f8 to the counter or other fixture. The
various parts are secured together by the ornamental bolts and nuts f5 though I
also employ the method shewn at Figure 5 which is essentially the same except
that the screw f10 is formed integral with the frame F or I may employ other
methods of connection and construction and fixing so long as I get my inclined
rails.
The cylinder or spool or barrel as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 in simply a
plain cylinder of paste board or thin sheet metal adapted to carry the string either
externally as at Figures 1 and 2 or internally as at Figures 3 and 4. I do not
claim paste board cylinders as shewn at Figures 1 and 2 in themselves as such
cylinders are sold full of twine and are very suitable for use on my apparatus.
But the end spindles S¹ are an essential feature of my invention and the axle or
spindle S may or may not be used but I must have the spindles or rollers S¹ as
in the case of Figure 4 where the rollers would be fixed to the end of the cylinder.
The spindle S may be made of cast iron or other heavy metal or weighted so that
it will cause the cylinder to gravitate quickly along the inclined rails f². One
or both of the spindle end s¹ may be detachable to allow of a new spool of string
being replaced for the empty one. In the case of Figure 3 the string may be
put into the cylinder or spool through such a door as D) or otherwise. It will
also be obvious that my apparatus is applicable for supplying braids ribbons and
such like material as well as string.
The action of my apparatus is as follows:-After placing a spool of string
mounted on the spindle or roller s¹ on the guide rails by means of the opening/
I carry the end of the string towards the far end of the frame threading it through
the eyelet and assuming the frame to be suspended as at Figures 1 and 2 the
string is then pulled down until it is within easy reach when my apparatus is
ready for use. When requiring a quantity of string it is pulled down sufficiently
and in so doing the spool or cylinder is caused to travel to the top of the incline.
The string is then severed when the cylinder gravitates to its normal position
winding up any excess in length which may have been withdrawn but leaving
the end within convenient reach for future use.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
CLAIMS.
First: The improvements connected with the supply of string at shop counters
and other places consisting of a frame in one or more parts comprising an inclined
rail, rails or guides upon which a roller or rollers travels or travel carrying a
spool or cylinder which automatically winds up any excess of string or material
for the purpose substantially as herein set forth and as shewn upon the accom-
panying drawings at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Second: The new device for supplying string wherein a heavy roller or its
equivalent carrying string gravitates on an incline thereby winding up any excess
of material substantially as herein set forth and as shewn upon the accompanying
drawings.
WILLIAM GOUGH,
By George Barker,
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
Agent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.