Improvements in or relating to Mechanism for Winding Yarn or Thread
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Mechanism for Winding Yarn or
Thread
We JOHN KEATS of Bagnall near Stoke upon Trent in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, and ARTHUR KEATS of Albion Works, Stafford in the same County,
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
This invention has for its object first of all to provide easily adjustable
mechanism for counting or recording any required length of thread or yarn as it is
wound on a holder, and for stopping the winding mechanism when the predetermined
quantity of thread has been wound.
In the sewing silk trade, where the goods are sold by weight rather than by
length, it is important to have counting apparatus readily adjustable to a yard, so
that the ordinary unskilled attendant may set the machine to wind off the exact
length required to make up the proper weight, according to the character of the
goods being wound.
This invention further relates to improved means for guiding the thread to, and
laying it neatly in the rotating thread holder, which thread holder is a star or disc
with tangential slots therein, to receive the thread in the manner explained in the
Specification filed in connection with the Letters Patent granted to John Keats
day January 12, 1887, No. 518.
According to the present invention, the counting mechanism consists of a worm
wheel driven by a worm on the spindle of a measuring wheel over which the thread
being wound passes. Upon the spindle of the worm wheel, is a spur pinion, which
engages with a spur wheel on another spindle, upon which spindle there is also a
notched disc loosely mounted, but capable of being fixed by means of a thumb
screw or other fixing device.
The spindle of the worm wheel is furnished with a hand or pointer keyed thereon,
and arranged to indicate on a suitably placed fixed dial. The spindle of the spur
wheel also supports loosely a pointer which is attached to the loose notched disc
before mentioned, and indicates on a fixed dial.
The dial of the worn wheel, which is the smaller, is divided into, say, a hundred
divisions, to indicate yards, while the second dial is divided to indicate up to a
much greater length, the divisions indicating each a yard.
In connection with the notched disc is a lever, the nose of which engages with
the notch when the pointer is at zero, and in that position the winding mechanism
is held out of action.
To set the counter to any desired number of yards, the notched disc is loosened
from its spindle, and turned thereon until the pointer indicates on the dial the
length to be wound; the dise is then again fixed by means of the screw, and is
carried round with the rest of the mechanism, until the pointer reaches zero, and
the disconnecting lever drops into the notch, and stops the machine.
The worm
wheel dial, whereon the figures may be comparatively large, is intended to facilitate
reading, and, by its aid, the smaller lengths, for "shew samples," for instance, may
be easily read off without the aid of the other dial, if desired.
For laying the thread into the slots of the holder, we propose to employ a laying
needle mounted on a carrier which moves in an arc around the edge of the holder,
which is rotated in a vertical plane, as explained in the Specification of the Patent
before mentioned.
By this means, the thread is drawn down into the slots regularly, and the holder
is filled properly, without the thread having any tendency to pile on one side of
the slots more than the other

page_text: Means are provided for shifting the thread layer, to suit the different diameters
of holder which may be employed.
Dated this 14th day of January 1893
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Mechanism for Winding Yarn or
Thread.
We, JOHN KEATS of Bagnall near Stoke-upon-Trent in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, and ARTHUR KEATS of Albion Works, Stafford, in the same County,
Machine Maker, 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 :-
This invention relates to a novel construction of thread winder, whereby thread
may be wound on star-shaped discs with great regularity and speed, either in bulk
or in pattern, as desired.
The machine which we are about to describe is constructed to fill two holders at
the same time, but it may be made to take one holder only, if desired.
The invention further relates to the measuring of the thread as it is wound on
the holders, and the automatic registering of the lengths wound on the holders.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine fitted with star-shaped thread-
holders, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the counting apparatus, and Fig. 4 is a vertical
section of the same.
Figs. 5 and 6 are detached views of the thread guide or thread layer, with the
parts in connection therewith.
A A is the table of the machine, cast with feet at its angles, to provide space
below the table top for the driving gears.
B is the driving shaft, fitted with a driving pulley B' and a hand wheel B². The
shaft B is mounted in bearings carried respectively by a pendent bracket A' cast
with the table A, and by a yoke bracket piece A bolted to the side of the table.
This driving shaft is fitted, at its inner end, with a driving disc B', which runs in
contact with a similar friction disc on the transverse shaft C, mounted in bearings
carried by pendent brackets A* A* cast with the table.
The friction disc B³ is free to slide on a feather which connects it with the
shaft B. In its base, an annular groove is turned to receive the fork of a clutch
lever B, by which it is thrown into and out of contact with the disc of the shaft C,
for the purpose of starting and stopping the machine. Thus far the mechanism
described is substantially the same as that shown in the drawings of the English
Patent granted to one of us, and bearing date 14 April 1892, No. 7231.
Keyed to the shaft C is a pinion 1, which gears into one or other of the change
wheels 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, made fast to each other and to a sliding key D'. This
key D¹ fits into a longitudinal groove made in a shaft D mounted in a rocking
frame D. This rocking frame is fulcrummed onl hollow bosses cast with
standards A A, which are bolted onto the bed plate A. This arrangement of
rocking frame provides for the movement of the shaft D nearer to or further from
the shaft C, for the purpose of bringing either of the change wheels 2 to 8 into
gear with the pinion 1. The sliding key D' carries rack teeth through which it
receives an endway adjustment. These teeth project outwards through the slot, to
receive a nut C, which turns loosely on the shaft D, and is held in place between
one end of the rocking frame D2 and a collar fixed to the shaft D. By turning this
nut C, a lateral motion is given to the change wheels, so as to bring any desired
ring of teeth into gear with the pinion 1, to suit the work in hand.

page_text: To permit of this movement of the change wheels, the rocking frame D³ is pulled
forward by means of a link terminating in a knob D³.
The change wheels are then adjusted by means of the nut C', and when the
proper ring of teeth is brought opposite the pinion I, the same are brought into
gear, and the new position of the rocking frame is secured by a binding screw D*,
passing through a tapped hole in the table, and bearing on the link of the rocking
frame.
On the inner end of the shaft D, is a spur pinion 9, which gears into an idle
wheel 10, mounted on a stud axle carried by a bracket arm D³ of the rocking
frame D. This idle wheel gears into a pinion 11, keyed onto a short shaft E,
which may be called the winder shaft. This shaft has its bearings in a forked
bracket standard A', bolted to the bed plate A, and within the fork of this bracket,
the pinion 11, in gear with the idle wheel 10, is situate. Mounted in line with this
shaft E, and to the right and left thereof, are sliding rods E' E', which carry on
their inner ends loosely-mounted clamping pieces, for the purpose of gripping the
star-shaped thread holders E* fitted to the winder shaft E, and hold them firmly in
place while the same are rotated, as explained in the Specification of the Patent
above referred to. The sliding rods are supported in the hollow bosses of the
standards A' A, on which the rocking frame D2 is mounted, and in these bosses,
which act as guides, the rods are moved to and from the winder shaft by means of
toggle levers E' actuated by crank handles E³.
The winder shaft at either end terminates in a central stud, and is fitted also with
an excentric pin to receive the thread holders, and carry them round, as the shaft
is driven by the gearing above described.
The thread holders used in this machine may be of various diameters, and have
a greater or lesser number of arms or spurs, it being understood that an odd
number is essential to the system of progressive disc winding.
We have said that the machine is provided with 7 change wheels. This number
is adopted to correspond with the number of changes in the winding which
experience has shown it is desirable to effect; thus, we may lay the thread to the
right or left of each succeeding spur or arm of the rotating holder, whether the
holder have five spurs, seven, nine, or eleven.
Or, taking the larger sizes of holders, we may lay the thread every two
succeeding spurs, and in this case we produce an ever-changing circular progressive
movement of the thread on the holder, by which means a large quantity of thread
can be piled up on the disc holder.
But in what we call single winding, a marked pattern is produced in the work,
and a less quantity of thread is accumulated on the holder.
The numerals on the shaft D, viz., 711 911 51 111, 7, 9, & 11, are intended to indicate
the position which the point of the key D' should occupy when the machine has
been set with the proper change wheel to wind either single or double discs with
five, seven, nine, or eleven spurs. The machine, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,
is set to wind double, or over every two succeeding spurs of a seven-spurred disc
holder.
We will now explain the means employed for laying the thread upon the holders,
and measuring the same as it is wound up, premising that, as the mechanisms
employed for laying the thread for the two holders are counterparts the one of the
other, the winding only of one holder need be referred to.
As respects the measuring of the thread, it will be obvious that one act of .
measuring will serve for the two threads that are being simultaneously wound.
FF are the thread layers, carried respectively by the slotted arms of their rock
shafts F, they being made adjustable on their arms, to suit different diameters of
holders. Fare slides mounted in fixed guides F³ made fast to a pedestal bolted on
the bed plate A.
The slides F are fitted with centres which carry their respective rock shafts I.
Made fast to each rock-shaft, is a pendent arm F, carrying a horizontal pin, which

page_text: lies in a groove made to receive it in the upper end of a rock lever F³. This
mechanism is best shown in the detached views Figs. 5 and 6, where the rock
lever F is shown in face view at Fig. 5, and edge view at Fig. 6, as connected
through a bowle with a grooved cam F keyed to the shaft C.
It will now he understood that as the shaft C is rotated, its cams F will rock
the levers F', and cause them to impart an oscillating motion to their respective
thread layers F, causing them to describe a vertical arc across the plane, or, it may
be outside the plane, of rotation of their respective dise holders, and draw down the
thread into the slots, so as to properly fill the holders, and avoid all tendency for
the thread to pile more on one side of the slots than on the other.
To ensure the correct action of the thread layer, its rock shaft is mounted in the
plane of rotation of the holder, and on a level with the stud centre carrying the
holder.
By reference to the plan view Fig. 2, it will be seen that the slide F' is slotted
centrally at its inner end, to afford free space for the rotation of the thread
holder.
An inclined extension of this slide, at one side of the slot, .bears against a pin on
the underside of the sliding and pressing rod E', it being held up to the pin by the
tension of the coiled spring F' (Figs. 1 and 6).
The advantage of mounting the thread layer on a slide which receives a tendency
to approach the holder, is, that a receding motion of the thread layer is permitted,
as the thread accumulates on the holder, to produce balling of the thread.
In the act of accumulating the thread, it serves to press back the slide by bearing
against the inner end thereof, and thereby automatically adjusts the position of the
thread layer, to suit the progress of the work.
It will now be understood that, on starting the machine (which we will assume
has been properly threaded up in the manner that will be hereafter described),
the disc holder will receive a rapid rotary motion, and present its spurs or arms to
its thread guide, which, in its rapid reciprocation, relatively timed to the work
required, will pass between the arms, and lay the thread alternately on opposite
sides of the succeeding arms, travelling through every slot or opening in the disc as
they are presented, or every other slot, as the case may be.
When it is desired to lay the thread separately on each succeeding arm or spur,
the slide 2 is fastened back, by inserting a pin in one of the pin-holes of the slide
shown at Fig. 2, which will then fix the position of the oscillating thread layer,
keeping it outside the plane of motion of the rotating thread holder..
When a holder is filled or balled with the required amount of thread, it is only
necessary to draw back the pressure rod to the position shown at the left-hand side
of Fig. 2. By this movement, the slide F2 is forced back, the pin of the rod E' acting
upon the inclined extension of the slide F2, and thereby automatically moving away
the thread layer out of reach of the thread holder. The attendant can then lift
the filled disc holder out of the machine, and replace it by an empty holder, which
is secured in position by advancing the pressing rod into contact with the holder.
We will now explain the course of the thread through the machine, and show
how the drag put upon it by the holder, in the act of winding, sets the indicating
apparatus in action.
G is the fixed bobbin or cop from which the thread to be wound is led up to and
over a guide pulley G', to a tension apparatus G³.
From this tension apparatus, the thread passes to and around a pulley H, forming
part of the counting apparatus, and from this pulley the thread is led, as shown at
Fig. 1, to the thread layer F, it being finally attached to the holder on which it is
to be wound.
The tension apparatus G (see Figs. 1 and 2) consists of two india rubber rollers
mounted loosely in a pair of arms, one of which is made fast to the case of the
counting apparatus, and the other is pivotted to the fixed arm. These rollers are
made preferably, the one of soft, and the other of hard rubber, and they are caused

page_text: to bite the thread which is led between them by means of a light tension spring, in
such a manner as to avoid the crushing of the thread.
The pulley H is keyed to one end of a horizontal shaft H, which turns in
bearings in the case of the counting apparatus. The other end of this shaft
carries a loose pulley H*, which acts simply as a guide for the thread to the second
thread layer. He is a worm cut on the shaft H', and gearing into a worm wheel H³
mounted on an arbor which forms the centre of a small dial H. Immediately
below this dial, is a larger dial H, graduated. to fifties and hundreds of yards,
while the small dial is graduated to single yards.
Made fast to the worm
wheel H', is a spur pinion H, which gears into a spur wheel H', mounted on an
arbor that forms the centre of the dial H. The arbors of the two dials carry
each an index hand, which are adjustable thereon, and serve to point out the
progress of the winding. The hand of the small dial H is held by friction to its
arbor, but the hand of the dial H³ is made fast to its arbor by a winged nut, for the
purpose to be presently explained.
The amount of thread to be wound on the holders will constantly vary, and
it is desirable that the working should be automatically stopped.
This is effected by causing the index hand of the dial H, on reaching the end of
its course, to release the friction clutch B³. The dial H, it will be seen, is
graduated up to 1,500 yards, which may be assumed to indicate the maximum.
amount of thread to be wound on a holder.
Supposing it is desired to wind 500 yards only, we slacken the indicator hand
(before starting the machine), shift it to 500, and make it fast to: the arbor by
means of the winged nut.
On starting the machine, the thread, which is laid around the pulley H, will, by
the draught put upon it, cause the pulley and its worm shaft to rotate, and thereby
set in action the indicator hands.
In order that the machine may automatically stop when the hand of the dial H
points to zero, a notched disc I is fitted to the boss of the indicator hand, and
serves to hold out of action a wedge-shaped rocking arm 1', that is held by a spring
in contact with the disc I. This rocking arm is carried by a forked standard A³,
attached to the table, and it is held up in front of a vertical lever I³, fulcrummed
in a stud pin carried by a standard A. To this standard A' is also fulcrummed a
hand lever I', which may be termed the starting lover. The head of this lever
is shaped, and the upper limb of the T head serves to carry a cross pin which
projects out from opposite sides of the T head. One end of this pin bears
against the back of the lever I, and the other end of the pin is borne upon by a
pressure spring I³, the use of which is to lift the starting lever I' from its depressed
position.
The lower limb of the T head reaches down to the clutch lever B' before
mentioned, and stands in front of a lateral projection of that lever, so that when
the starting lever is depressed, the lower limb of its T head being moved forward,
will strike the lateral projection or incline of the clutch lever, rock it on its fulcrum,
and put the friction clutch into action.
By the depression of the starting lever, the pendent end of the lever I³ will be
brought opposite the turned-up extremity of the clutch lever, and serve as a stop
to prevent that lever from yielding to the pull of its tension spring B', and throw
the clutch out of action. The starting lever will be thus left free to rise to its
normal position, under the pressure of its spring 1°. It is in this position that the
levers I, I, and B' remain, while the machine is in action. So soon, however, as
the indicator hand reaches zero, the notch of the disc I will be presented to the
rocking arm I, which, under the pressure of its spring, will thrust back the lever I'
clear of the clutch lever, leaving that lever free to take the position of Fig. 2, and
put the clutch out of action.
The smaller dial and index hand provides for the winding of samples, and when
the machine is thus used, the working and stopping the mechanism will be by
hand.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination of mechanism above described constituting a new thread-
winding machine, which is capable of winding thread upon various sizes of star-
shaped disc thread-holders progressively from arm to arm, or upon groups of two
arms in succession; of measuring and indicating the measure of the thread, as the
winding proceeds; and of automatically stopping when a given amount has been
wound upon the holders.
2. The means above described for operating the thread layer, such thread layer
being fitted to a rock shaft mounted on a slide which bears upon the accumulated
thread on the holder, and is caused to retreat with its thread layer as the thread
accumulates, the rock shaft being connected through a rock lever with a cam on
the cam shaft.
.
3. The arrangement of measuring and recording apparatus above described, by
which the machine is automatically thrown out of action when a given amount of
thread is wound upon the holder.
D
4
LOGO
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.