MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN DOING CERTAIN WORK RELATING TO BOBBINS AND CARRIAGES USED IN BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES, AND PERFORMING WITH IT OPERATIONS WHICH HAVE HITHERTO BEEN EFFECTED SOLELY BY HAND LABOUR
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Squire Whitehurst, of Derby, in the County of
Derby, Foreman to Messieurs Boden and Smith, of the same Place,
Lace Manufacturers, for the Invention of "MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN DOING
CERTAIN WORK RELATING TO BOBBINS AND CARRIAGES USED IN BOBBIN NET OR
TWIST LACE MACHINES, AND PERFORMING WITH IT OPERATIONS WHICH HAVE
HITHERTO BEEN EFFECTED SOLELY BY HAND LABOUR."
Sealed the 10th January 1865, and dated the 16th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Squire Whitehurst at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
July 1864.
I, SQUIRE WHITEHURST, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Foreman to
Messieurs Boden and Smith, of the same Place, Lace Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "MACHINERY EMPLOYED
IN DOING CERTAIN WORK RELATING TO BOBBINS AND CARRIAGES USED IN BOBBIN
NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES, AND PERFORMING WITH IT OPERATIONS WHICH HAVE
HITHERTO BEEN EFFECTED SOLELY BY HAND LABOUR," to be as follows:-
Heretofore bobbins used in lace machines have, when they have been filled
with silk, cotton, or other thread, been placed in their respective carriages one
at once by hand, and when so placed the outer end of the carriage thread
was also passed by hand (aided by a hook) through the eye of the carriage;
in this state the bobbins and carriages were ready for being handed over to
what is called the "setter," who regulated the springs of such carriages as

page_text: required, the bobbins and carriages being then ready to be placed in the lace
machine to have their threads (either in conjunction with other threads or
otherwise) made into lace or net; and when the bobbins became emptied of
their contents they and the carriages were removed from the machine and
were separated from each other one at once by hand, and after the bobbins
were what is called "stripped" they were ready to be refilled by other material
being wound upon them.
Now, with the exception of winding the thread upon the bobbins and
"stripping" them, I purpose to effect the above operations by the use of my
Invention, by which means the operations may be more quickly performed
and quite as effectively as by hand, so that much time and labour are saved
and much convenience obtained.
The machinery I use for effecting the above objects consists of a pair of
standards carrying a metal top pierced with three holes in a right line; under
one of these holes is a receptacle for a pile of bobbins, under a second hole is
a receptacle for a pile of carriages, and under the third hole is a receptacle for
the said carriages after the bobbins have been placed therein and the ends of
the threads have been entered through the eyes of the carriages. In or upon
the standards are bearings for a shaft which may be driven by hand, foot, or
other power.
On this shaft are cams, one of which gives the requisite move-
ments to a lever which carries at or near its upper end a finger or instrument
which takes into the centre hole of the topmost bobbin of the pile in the first
receptacle and draws it into the topmost carriage of the pile in the second
receptacle, such carriage being moved slightly towards the bobbin until it
(the carriage) partly rests upon a bed which is placed to hold it firm. Such
movement of the carriage is effected by means of a second lever, finger,
or instrument which takes into what is known as the groove of the
carriage and holds the carriage firmly while the first finger or instrument,
assisted by an auxiliary finger or instrument moving with it and actuated by
an incline, passes the bobbin into the carriage; at this stage the cams have a
rest upon them, so that the levers do not act until the thread is passed through
the eye of the carriage, which is effected by another cam or cams passing a
book through the carriage eye, which hook takes hold of the thread which is
laid in it by another finger or lever, the hook then descends and carries the
thread through the eye of the carriage; the carriage with the received bobbin
is then passed by the finger or instrument into the third receptacle, while,
during such pressure, the spring of the carriage is placed on the bobbin ; the
operation is continued as often as required. The ends of the threads are laid
evenly on one side by a hook moved by cams and levers or instruments as th

page_text: carriages are passed into the third receptacle, and each pile of filled bobbins
have the ends of the threads placed between a rod and cushion which hold
them firm while the bobbins are taken away by the instrument one by one.
Besides the above apparatus there are in the same top three or more recep-
tacles similar to that above described. By similar but reverse movements,
obtained by means of levers and cams and by fingers or instruments, I take
one or more carriages at once and move it or them forward, press out the
bobbin or bobbins, and pass it or them into one or more receptacles, and the
carriage or carriages into one or more other receptacles. By these means I
am enabled to place a drawer full of carriages, with bobbins in each of them
under this part of the machine, and separate the carriages from the bobbins
and place them in two receptacles without handling them during the opera-
tions. The rise and fall of the carriages and bobbins at each operation may
be effected by means of springs or counterweights, or by means of racks and
pinions, as may be most convenient.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Squire Whitehurst in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SQUIRE
WHITEHURST, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Foreman to Messieurs. Boden
and Smith, of the same Place, Lace Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Squire Whitehurst, Her special licence that I, the said Squire
Whitehurst, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Squire Whitehurst, 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
"MACHINERY EMPLOYED FOR DOING CERTAIN WORK RELATING TO BOBBINS AND
CARRIAGES USED IN BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES, AND PERFORMING WITH
IT OPERATIONS WHICH HAVE HITHERTO BEEN EFFECTED SOLELY BY HAND LABOR,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Squire Whitehurst, my

page_text: executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manuer 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 I, the said Squire Whitehurst, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
Heretofore bobbins used in the machines have, when they have been filled
with silk, cotton, or other thread, been placed in their respective carriages
one at once by hand, and when so placed the outer end of the carriage thread
was also passed by hand (aided by a hook) through the eye of the carriage;
in this state the bobbins and carriages were ready for being handed over to
what is called the "setter," who regulated the springs of such carriages as
required it. The bobbins and carriages being then ready to be placed in the
lace machine to have their threads (either in conjunction with other threads
or otherwise) made into lace or net; and when the bobbins become emptied of
their contents they and the carriages were removed from the machine, and
were separated from each other one at once by hand, and after the bobbins
were what is called "stripped," they were ready to be refilled by other
material being wound upon them.
Now, with the exception of winding the thread upon the bobbins and
"stripping" them, I purpose to effect the above operations by the use of my
Invention, by which means the operations may be more quickly performed
and quite as effectively as by hand, so that much time and labor are saved
and much convenience obtained,
The machinery I use for effecting the above objects consists of a pair of
standards carrying a metal top pierced with three holes; in a right line under
one of these holes is a receptacle for a pile of bobbins, under a second hole is
a receptacle for a pile of carriages, and under the third hole is a receptacle
for the said carriages after the bobbins have been placed therein and the ends
of the threads have been entered through the eyes of the carriages. In or
upon the standards and bearings for a shaft which may be driven by band, foot,
or other power. On this shaft are cams, one of which gives the requisite
movements to a lever, which carries at or near its upper end a finger or
instrument, which takes into the centre hole of the topmost bobbin of the pile
in the first receptacle, and draws it into the topmost carriage of the pile in

page_text: the second receptacle, such carriage being moved slightly towards the bobbin
until it (the carriage) partly rests upon a bed which is placed to hold it firm;
such movement of the carriage is effected by means of a second lever, finger,
or instrument which takes into what is known as the groove of the carriage,
and holds the carriage firm, while the first finger or instrument assisted by an
auxiliary finger or instrument moves with it, and actuated by an incline
passes the bobbin into the carriage. At this stage the cams have a rest upon
them, so that the levers do not act until the thread is passed through the eye
of the carriage, which is effected by another cam or cams passing a hook
through the carriage eye, which hook takes hold of the thread which is laid
in it by another finger or lever; the hook then descends and carries the thread
through the eye of the carriage; the carriage, with the bobbin, is then passed
by the finger or instrument into the third receptacle, while during such
pressure the spring of the carriage is placed on the bobbin. The operation is
continued as often as required. The ends of the threads are laid evenly on
one side by a hook moved by canis and levers or instruments as the carriages
are passed into the third receptacle, and each pile of filled bobbins as the
ends of the threads placed between a rod and cushion, which holds them firm
while the bobbins are taken away by the instrument one by one. Besides the
above apparatus there are in the same top three or inore receptacles similar
to those above described. By similar but reverse movements, obtained by
means of levers and cams, and by fingers or instruments, I take one or more
carriages at once and move it or them forward, press out the bobbin or
bobbins, and pass it or them into one or more receptacles, and the carriage
or carriages into one or more other receptacle. By these means I am enabled
to place a drawer full of carriages, with bobbins in each of them, under the
part of the machine and separate the carriages from the bobbins, and place
them in two receptacles without haudling them during the operations. The
rise and fall of the carriages and bobbins at each operation may be effected
by means of springs or counterweights, or by means of racks and pinnions, as
may be most convenient.
And in order that the Invention may be more fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan of the top plate of a machine and some of the parts con
nected therewith, arranged according to my Invention; Figure 2 is an end view;
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 1, 1, Figure 1; Figure 4 is a
vertical section taken on the line 2, 2, Figure 1, and Figure 5 is another

page_text: vertical section taken on the line 3, 3, Figure 1; Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10
are views of some of the parts separately.
A is a receptacle in which bobbins previously wound in the ordinary
manner are placed in order that in the working of the machine they may be
taken one by one by suitable instruments and placed in carriages; B is a
receptacle for empty carriages in position ready to be taken one by one to
have bobbins placed therein, and C is another receptacle in which the car-
riages are received after the bobbins have been placed therein and the thread
passed through the eyes of the carriages.
The following is the manner in which these operations are effected :-a is
a finger or instrument carried by a bar a fixed to the upper end of lever
arms a², with capability of adjustment thereon as shewn. These lever arms are
acted upon by cams a³ in such manner as to cause a projection on the finger
or instrument a to enter the hole in the topmost bobbin in the receptacle A,
and then to take the bobbin forward into position to be placed in a carriage,
to facilitate which the finger a is caused to descend and retain its hold on the
bobbin whilst following the bobbin into the carriage. This is effected by the
lever arms a being provided with trucks or rollers a acted upon by cam
surfaces a in such manner that at the time of a bobbin falling into a car-
riage, the trucks or rollers a are caused to descend into recesses on the cam
surfaces a, and thereby allow of the fingers a following the bobbins into the
carriages; at the same time another finger as is acted upon by a spring a to
press upon that part of the bobbin into which the spring of the bobbin carriage
enters to ensure the bobbin correctly entering the carriage, and this finger a
continues pressing thereon until in the further movement of the bobbin and
carriage the spring is put on the bobbin. The finger or instrument a is then
by the cams a acting on the levers a lifted clear of the bobbin and carriage,
in other that by the further revolution of the cams a³ the fingers a may be
caused to return into position ready to take the next bobbin from the pile in
the receptacle A. The mode in which the instrument a is caused to press
upon the bobbins is shewn more clearly at Figure 6; the finger a" is pin-
jointed to one end of a lever as; this lever is carried by and is capable of
turning upon a pin on the bar a'; the other end of this lever as is pin-jointed
to a rod a, the lower end of which is acted upon by the spring a to give the
requisite motion to the instrument aº, a spring a acts to raise the finger
a" from contact with a bobbin when not acted upon by the spring a;
weights a act to keep the lever arms a² up to their cams a².
The bobbin carriages have the necessary movements imparted to them in
the following manner:- is a finger or instrument, the lower part of which

page_text: is of such a form as to fit loosely the groove in the carriage; this finger b is
carried by a bar 6 fixed to the upper ends of lever arms b, with a capability
of adjustment thereon as shown. The lever arms 62 are acted up by cams
3, by which after the finger or instrument has entered the groove of a
carriage it is caused to move the carriage back a short distance from the pile
of carriages in the receptacle B towards the bobbin (which has been brought
forward by the finger or instrument a) into such a position that the car-
riage shall be firmly supported, partly upon the top plate of the machine and
partly by resting upon the standard c until the finger or instrument a has
correctly placed the bobbin into the carriage; the finger or instrument b will
then return, and bring the carriage forward to the incline C¹ at the top of
the receptacle C, when by the truck or roller b, on the lever ascending the
incline 6 on the cam surface a³, the finger 6 will be raised clear of the bobbin
and carriage, in order that they may further descend the incline C, and fall
into the receptacle C; the finger or instrument 6 is then raised by the cam *,
and by the further revolution of the cams 63 caused to return to take a fresh
carriage to have a bobbin placed therein, weights 6 act to keep the levers
up to their cams 63 previous to placing the bobbins in the receptacle A. The
ends of the threads are laid evenly between two rods or cushions d (the con-
tiguous faces of which are lined with plush), which are for that purpose
capable of opening upon hinge joints d', and then, when the ends of threads
from the bobbins are laid evenly therein, of being closed and held firmly in
that position by bolts d'; the bobbins resting upon the projection d³ are then,
with the projection d³, placed in the receptacle A, the rods or cushions being
firmly secured to the top of the rods d' by spring bolts or other suitable means.
The bobbins in the receptacle A are caused continually to rise and press
against the turned buttons e by means of weights f acting upon the lower ends
of the rods d', as shewn. Springs or other suitable means may, however, be
employed for this purpose. The carriages are placed in the receptacle B in
the following manner :-The receptacle B is removed from the machine; the
part B thereof is laid downward, and the part B removed therefrom; the
carriages are then placed with their tails upon the part B'; the part B³ is
then again placed in position upon the part B', when the receptacle B is ready
to be placed in the machine. For the purpose of removing the receptacle B
from the machine, the plate 9 is capable of removal from the top plate D;
for this purpose two slots are formed therein, through which two buttons g¹
pass; when these buttons g¹ are in a line with the slots, the plates g may be
readily removed, but when a receptacle B has been placed in the machine with
a pile of empty carriages therein, then the plate g is returned to its position in

page_text: the machine, and the buttons g', which are pressed upon the plates g by springs
shown by dotted. lines in Figure 1, turned into the position shewn in the
Drawings; the top carriage of the pile will. then be pressed upwards against
the under surface of the plate g in the following manner :-h is a plate, fitting
loosely the interior of the receptacle B, and capable of rising and falling
therein; this plate is fixed to the upper ends of rods h³, connected at their
-lower ends to a cross bar h²; to this cross bar a chain is attached, which
passing over pullies h³, h, is attached to the cross bar i, connected to the
lower ends of rods i; to the cross bar is also affixed a chain, which passing
over pullies 2, 3, is at its other end attached to counterbalance weights in
such manner as continually to press the uppermost carriage in the receptacle B
against the plates g, and in the working of the machine as the receptacle B
becomes gradually emptied, and the receptacle C becomes gradually filled, the
plate his raised, and the plate ; in the receptacle C is lowered; and in order
that a somewhat regular pressure of the carriages against the plate may be
maintained, the weights * are caused in proportion as the receptacle C becomes
filled to rest one by one in the floor springs, or other suitable means may
however be employed to cause a regular rise of the carriages in the
receptacle B, and a corresponding fall of the carriages with the bobbins therein
in the receptacle C. Immediately after the fingers or instruments a, a, and b
have acted to insert a bobbin into a carriage a threading hook k is caused to
rise to take the thread from the bobbin, and carry it down through the eye of
the carriage; this hook k is carried by a rod k' working in suitable guides; to
the lower end of this rod a bar k² carrying a truck or roller ³ is fixed; this
truck or roller works in the groove of the cam k*, by which it receives its
rising and falling motions at the times desired, and in order to insure the
hook securely taking hold of the thread from the bobbin, an auxiliary
instrument or finger l is caused to traverse the thread across the slot l' in the
top plate of the machine, and thereby correctly lay the thread under the hook;
for this purpose the finger 1 is carried by a bar 1, working in suitable guides;
to this bar la traverse motion is given by an L-lever in the following
manner: The lever ³ is fixed to the axis l* (shewn more clearly at Figure 7)
upon which it is capable of rocking, to the shorter arm of the lever 1³; the
upper ond of a rod l is pin-jointed, the lower end of which is jointed to a
lever 1, acted upon by a cam 17; the lever 1 is kept up to the surface of its
cam by a spring 18. Directly after a carriage with its bobbin therein has
fallen into the receptacle C, a hook m rises to take the thread down clear of
the instruments a and b, and lay it straight from the top of the carriage. This
is effected by means of the cam m³ acting on a truck or roller carried by the

page_text: lever m³, which is connected to the lower end of a rod m³, which at its upper
end is connected to the hook m. By reference to Figure 8 it will be seen
that the hook m is capable of adjustment upon its stem m³, which is pin-
jointed to the lever m'; there is a projection m' on the stem of the hook, which
when the hook has risen almost to its highest position strikes against a
projection carried by the frame of the machine, and throws the hook over to
the right hand, in order to secure its correctly taking the threads from the
bobbins, and then when it has nearly attained its lowest position, the pro
jection m strikes against another projection carried by the frame of the
machine, and returns the hook m to its vertical position in readiness for its
next upward motion.
Having now described the mode in which the various motions of the
instruments are obtained for inserting a bobbin into its carriage, and threading
the carriage, I will proceed to describe the combined action of the instruments.
I will suppose that the receptacles A and B have been respectively filled
with bobbins and carriages, the finger or instrument a having entered the hole
in a bobbin, as shewn at Figure 11; it then advances with a bobbin towards
the receptacle B, at the same time the finger or instrument b advances towards
a carriage; it then descends into the groove of the carriage, and pushes it
forward until it comes against the part g³ of the plate g, when it will be firmily
supported partly on the top plate D of the machine, and partly by the
standard c, until in the further movement of the finger a a bobbin is brought
with its front edge under the projecting corners g* of the plate 9 (see
Figure 1), when the finger or instrument will be caused to descend until
by the further movements of the fingers or instruments a and a" towards the
finger the bobbin is correctly placed in the carriage, as represented by
Figure 12, in which position the instruments a, a, and 6 rest until the instru-
ment has laid the thread from the bobbin under the hook k, and the hook k
has carried the thread down through the eye of the carriage; the fingers a, a,
and then advance a short distance, still retaining their hold of the bobbin
and carriage until the bobbin is drawn clear from under the plate g, which
motion secures the spring being properly put on to the carriage by its coming
in contact with the standard c; the fingers a and a then rise clear of the
bobbin and carriage, and begin to return to their original position, whilst the
instrument b advances with the carriage and bobbin towards the receptacle C,
when it rises into the position shewn at Figure 13, to allow of the descent of
the bobbin and carriage down the incline C into the receptacle C; the
hook m is at the same time caused to rise and take hold of the thread from
the bobbin and carriage last deposited in the receptacle C, and then to descend

page_text: and carry the thread down clear of the instrument 6, and lay the thread
straight from the top of the carriage.
I will now proceed to describe that part of the machine in which the
carriages with the empty bobbins therein are taken by suitable instruments,
the bobbins separated from the carriages, and the bobbins and carriages
placed separately in two or more piles. In Figures 1, 2, and 5 this part of
'my Invention is clearly shewn. n is a box or receptacle in which a pile of
carriages with empty bobbins therein is placed; in this box works a plate n¹
upon which the carriages with empty bobbins therein are placed, and caused
constantly to press upwards. towards the cover n by the weights n³ acting upon
the lower ends of rods n', to which the plate n¹ is attached; there is an
'opening in the cover n², through which a finger o passes and enters into the
hole of a bobbin to take a bobbin and carriage forward till the whole of the
bobbin is over the rod p, when the crown of the carriage will rest against and
wooupported by the sliding piece q, which at this time has risen slightly above
the top plate of the machine; motion is given to the finger o by its being
connected to the bar o', which is fixed with capability of adjustment upon
levers o; these levers o² carry trucks or rollers of acted upon by cams o³, to
give the requisite to-and-fro movements to the fingers o; cams act on the
levers o at the times required to raise those levers clear of the carriages from
which the bobbins have been pressed whilst they return to take a fresh bobbin
and carriage from the box n; cam surfaces o act upon trucks or rollers o' on
the levers o, to allow the finger o to descend and press out a bobbin from a
carriage, and then to raise the finger o clear of the carriage just after the
bobbin has been pressed out; spring fingers o act to push the carriages
through the opening o° on the top plate D over rods pl; springs 10 and
weights o assist the motion of the levers 0%. Motion is communicated to
having formed on its under
the sliding piece q at the times desired by its
surface an incline acted upon by another incline formed on a bar q¹ (see
Figure 9); endway motion is given to the bar q' by the cam q² acting upon a
lever q³, which is pin-jointed to a rod q', the upper end of which is connected
"with a bell-crank lever q', its upper end acting to push the bar q¹ in one
direction, whilst a spring 96 pushes the bar q¹ in the contrary direction. The
bobbins and carriages as they fall over the rods p and p' respectively are
received on to a plate p* carried at the top of rods ps, which at their lower
ends are attached to a bar from which the weights n³ are suspended, as shewn,
in such manner that when the box n is full of carriages with their empty
bobbins, all the weights will act as a counterbalance to press the pile of
bobbins and carriages in the. box n upwards against the plate n', but as the

page_text: pile of carriages and bobbins in the box n decreases, and the piles of bobbins
and carriages on the rods p, p¹, increase, one by one of the weights will be
caused to rest on the support n*, whereby a sufficiently uniform pressure will
be maintained to the pile of bobbins and carriages in the box n against the
plate or cover n¹ thereof; it will be seen by reference to Figure 1 that there
are four boxes n, two of which are represented as empty, and two as having
empty bobbins and carriages therein in position to be taken by fingers o. In
commencing work with the machine the boxes n are all filled, at which time
the frame n (upon which the boxes n and rods p, p', are fixed) is fixed to the
left-hand end of the machine in position for the boxes 2 and 4 to be opposite
the fingers o; this is effected by means of a bolt n taking into an eye n' fixed
to the frame n; this bolt when a determined number of bobbins with their
carriages have been removed from the receptacles n, Nos. 2 and 4, is with-
drawn from the eye n', when a spring acts upon the frame to draw it with the
boxes n to the right-hand side of the machine, the boxes 1 and 3 will then be
opposite the fingers o for the empty bobbins and carriages to be removed
therefrom, in like manner to the last. This motion of the bolt n is effected
in the following manner :-On a cross bar carried by the framing is mounted
a ratchet wheel no, having as many teeth therein as may be found convenient;
this ratchet wheel receives motion the distance of one tooth for every revolution
of the shaft r, by means of a stud 7 carried thereby, and when the ratchet
wheel shall have completed one revolution it will by the pin or stud n' carried
thereby move the bolt no the distance of one tooth, and so on until the number
of carriages determined upon have been taken from the boxes n which for the
time being were opposite the fingers o; the bolt nº (a separate view of which
is shewn at Figure 10) will be then withdrawn from the eye n', and the
frame no will, as before stated, be drawn by a spring to the right-hand side of
the machine in the position shewn in Figure 1. The frame n³ with the
boxes n and rods p, p¹, thereon is also capable of being moved on the frame n¹º
to the front of the machine, in order that the piles of bobbins and carriages
on the rods p, p³, may be removed therefrom, and that a fresh supply of
carriages with empty bobbins therein may be placed in the boxes: n; to facilitate
this the fronts of the boxes n are capable of turning down on hinge joints, and
when the boxes are filled of being held up by spring catches, as shewn.
I will now proceed to describe the combined movements of the instruments
or fingers o and 08, and the sliding piece q in taking an empty bobbin and
carriage from the boxes n, and depositing them separately on the rods p, p¹.
I will suppose that the machine is first about to commence emptying a box n.
A projection on the finger o is first caused to enter, the hole in the topmost

page_text: bobbin in one of the boxes n and draw it forward with the carriage until the
.crown of the carriage comes against and rests upon the sliding piece q,
which
at this time is caused to rise slightly above the upper surface of the top plate
of the machine; the finger o is still caused to advance a short distance, in order
that the bobbin may be removed from the verge of the carriage just previous
to its falling on to the rod p; this position of the parts is represented in the
full size section at Figure 14; the finger o is then caused to return a short
distance towards the box n, and at the same time to rise slightly above the
carriage, in order to free the lower end of the finger o from the spring of the
arriage, which would otherwise have a tendency to bind; it then again
dvances a short distance, thereby pushing the carriage over the sliding
piece 9, which in the meantime has descended to allow of this movement of
.the carriage a little nearer to the opening o° in the top plate of the machine;
the finger o then rises and returns to take another empty bobbin and carriage
from the box n, when in moving the second carriage towards the opening over
the rod p the spring finger os will be caused to act on the bottom of the empty
carriage first referred to, as shewn at Figure 5, and in the further backward
movement of these fingers the first carriage will be pushed down the opening o
on to the rod p' below, and so on for the other carriages and bobbins. Motion
is given to the cams on the shaft r by a strap or band acting upon a pulley
(not shewn) on the shaft s; the shafts r and s are geared together, as shewn
in Figure 2.
Although throughout this Specification I have referred to carriages having
grooves therein, it will be readily understood that by slight modifications of
some of the parts other descriptions of carriages may be operated upon. The
cams for effecting the various movements of the instruments are shewn at
Figures 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.
Having, thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same may be carried into effect, I would have it understood, that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described; but what
1 do claim is,-
First, the combined arrangement of instruments having motions imparted
to them by mechanical means, in such manner that bobbins may be taken
from one pile and placed in carriages taken from a second pile, the carriages
threaded, and then deposited in another pile, in which the threads are laid in
a straight line from the tops of the carriages, substantially as described.
And, secondly, I claim the combined arrangement of fingers or instruments
.having motions imparted to them by mechanical means, in such manner as to
take carriages with empty bobbins therein from que pile, separate the bobbin

page_text: from the carriages, and then deposit the bobbins and carriages in separate
piles, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Squire Whitehurst, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
SQUIRE WHITEHURST. (L.S.)