Improvements in Yarn or Thread Winding Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1898
Improvements in Yarn or Thread Winding Machines.
I, ARTHUR WILSON METCALFE, of Grove Mill, Belfast, in County Down, Flax
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the winding of yarn or thread upon tubes or pirns for
purposes of weaving and the like and is designed especially for building the yarn
upon plain tubes instead of the wooden pirns with conical base as usually employed.
For this purpose the tube or base is pressed upon a spindle and driven at a constant
or variable speed. The yarn to be wound, is passed over or through a guide in front
of the pirn and caused to traverse up and down, through a distance equal to the
chase of the pirn whilst a gradual traverse is also imparted towards the point of the
pirn according to the size of yarn and diameter of pirn required when full. In order
to build the yarn or thread firmly, a presser is employed to press the yarn firmly
upon the pirn as it is delivered from the guide, this has the effect of laying the yarn
closely together without putting any undue strain upon it.
The guide and presser are made to traverse in conjunction with each other.
The presser may consist of a spring blade or lever, and may be formed in conjunc-
tion with the guide or be a separate piece. More than one presser may be em-
ployed bearing on different sides of the pirn. The presser may be formed of a
spring capable of having its pressure adjusted against the yarn, or a blade or lever
may be mounted upon an axis, upon which it is caused to swing towards the yarn
by means of a spring or weight, being able to accommodate itself to the varying
diameters of the pirn. Pressure is preferably exerted by means of a spiral spring
wound round the axis, one end of the said spring being attached to the presser, whilst
the other end may be secured to an adjustable nut or washer, capable of being set
round, and held by a screw or notches. The form of the presser at the part in
contact with the yarn is preferably curved to such a shape that at all positions in
the build the presser is touching the new yarn as it is wound on. Whilst the builder
and guide are moving up and down the pirn the line of the yarn being laid on,
somewhat lags behind the movement of the guide, so that the presser may be caused
to traverse exactly upon the line of the yarn instead of with the guide. When
finding an end upon the pirn for piecing it may be necessary to lift the presser off
the yarn, and means are provided for catching the presser back.
This may be performed automatically when stopping the machine. When starting
again any or all of the pressers, which were put back, are released and caused to press
upon the yarn. When winding back the builder preparatory is doffing, the spindles
may be caused to revolve during the descent of the builder, thus winding the yarn in a
coarse spiral back to the bottom of the pirn, and preventing the loose end from
ravelling so easily when in transit.
A rail or bar is provided for simultaneously loosening all the pirns upon the
spindles to facilitate doffing, this may consist of a rail having parts formed so as

page_text: to grasp the under side of the pirns and force them upwards, or a shaft having
fluted taper bosses and mounted in a line across all the spindles may be made to
revolve and at the same time move the taper bosses past each spindle by means of
a spiral.
These fluted taper bosses whilst revolving and passing by the front of each pirn,
force them upwards. A rail carrying a pin opposite each spindle for holding an
empty tube, is mounted so that it may be tilted over to bring the tubes over the
tops of the spindles and drop them on to their places, and means are provided for
grasping the new tubes and forcing them down tightly upon the spindles. The
frame may be driven by a friction disc, and pulley, the latter being mounted so as to
be capable of moving nearer or farther from the centre to vary the speed. The said
pulley may also be made to shift back and forward automatically according to the
diameter of that part of the pirn at which the yarn is passing on.
In order to cause the pulley to traverse the more freely inwards and outwards it
is made to rise and fall slightly above and below the centre line so as to cause it
to travel partly by its own force, from and towards the centre respectively. When
driving the frame at a constant speed the yarn is drawn on to the pirn at a speed
varying with its diameter. In order to equalize the strain upon the yarn the
bobbins to be wound off may be mounted upon a rail made to advance and recede
from the pirn in order to compensate for the varying speed of winding on.
same effect may be produced by causing the yarn on its way from the bobbin or
hank to the pirn to be passed under a moveable guide which forms a loop of varying
length to take up the slack and let it out again.
The
When winding from bobbins and especially from those which have been spun wet and
dried, the yarn is liable to draw off badly at each end of the hobbin.
To obviate this the bobbin is set upon a spindle, and over it is placed a bell whose
periphery is smoother and reaches about half way down the bobbin.
The diameter being considerably larger than that of the hobbin. The yarn is
then drawn from the bobbin around the periphery of the bell and through
or over a guide above the centre of the bell from which it is conducted to the
pirn.
A lever may be provided for readily lifting the bell out of the way when changing
a bobbin and replacing it again afterwards.
The bell may have parts cut away between the periphery and the centre for enabling
the bobbin under it to be more readily seen.
The spindles may be set on an angle pointing towards the worker whilst the bobbins
are above and behind the spindles for ready access. The frame may be started by
placing the foot upon a foot-board or pedal which when released causes the frame to
stop. A brake may also be provided which shall operate when ever the frame is
stopped. The said brake may be applied to the whole frame or to each individual
spindle or a separate means, may be provided for holding each or all the spindles as
when the pirns are to be doffed.
Another arrangement of the frame provides that each spindle is capable of being
driven independently and may be in conjunction with an independent building motion
and presses for itself so that each spindle may be stopped and started at will indepen-
dently of the rest.
The tension of the yarn may be used to keep a stop motion out of gear which
operates when the yarn breaks, to stop the spindle and builder or the spindle only,
or the builder only.
Dated this 10th day of November 1897

page_text: I, ARTHUR WILSON METCALFE, of Grove Mill, Belfast, in the County of Antrim,
Ireland, Flax Spinner, 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 the winding of yarn or thread upon tubes or pirns for
purposes of weaving and the like and is designed especially for building the yarn upon
plain tubes instead of the wooden pirns with conical base as usually employed or upon
the base spindle if found desirable.
The invention consists essentially in the combination of a guide to deliver the yarn
to the tube or pirn and a presser actuated by a spring to press the yarn firmly upon
the pirn as it is delivered from the guide with the object of laying the yarn closely
together without putting an undue strain upon it.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
sufficient of a winding frame is shown to illustrate my invention.
Fig. 1. End elevation partly in section showing the relative position of the invention
with the spindle driving and operating mechanism.
Fig. 2. Side elevation of one arrangement of, yarn guide and presser.
Fig. 3. Front elevation of same partly in section.
Fig. 4. Plan of same.
Fig. 5. Side elevation of another construction of yarn presser.
Fig. 6. Side elevation of presser arm showing a modified arrangement.
Fig. 7. Side elevation of arrangement of yarn guide with two pressers one on each
side of the cop.
Fig. 8. Front elevation of same partly in section.
Fig. 9. Plan of same. (Fig. 7).
Fig. 10. Side elevation of another arrangement of yarn guide and two pressers.
Fig. 11. Front elevation of same.
Fig. 12. Plan of same (Fig. 10).
Fig. 13. Side elevation of an arrangement of adjustable yarn guide with single
presser.
Fig. 14. Front elevation of same.
Fig. 15. Plan of same (Fig. 13).
Fig. 16. Side elevation of another arrangement of yarn guide and presser.
Fig. 17. Front elevation of same.
Fig. 18. Sectional plan on line x-x (Fig. 16).
The spindle A is of ordinary construction mounted upon a suitable frame and
driven by a band a from the drum A¹. The builder rail B upon which the yarn or
thread guides D and pressers E E¹ are mounted is raised and lowered by rods or
pokers C the traverse of which is effected by the heart shaped cam C¹ and chain e and
the shaping of the cop is effected by the shortening of the chain c¹ around the chain
pulley F. The pulley F is rotated by the worm F¹ and slowly takes up the chain c¹
rotates the cam or wheel c and takes up the chain e thereon, thus altering the height
of the traverse of the builder rail B at each lift.
The cop G is wound upon a paper tube or base g tightly fitting upon the
spindle A or upon the base spindle itself.
To the builder rail B in front of or in conjunction with each spindle is mounted
on a suitable bracket b-a yarn guide D over which the yarn to be wound is passed
and by which it is caused to be traversed through a distance equal to the chase of
the pirn by the builder rail B.

page_text: The builder rail B also carries for each spindle A a presser or pressers E E¹ to lay
or build the yarn or thread firmly on to the cop G upon the tube or pirn g, as it is
delivered from the guide D). This effects the laying of the yarn closely together
without putting any undue strain upon it. The guide D and presser or
pressers E E¹ being carried by the builder rail B traverse and operate in conjunction
with each other.
The guide D forms part of the bracket b or may be pivoted to it or to the
presser E and the presser E is pivoted upon a stud or pin e¹ and held with sufficient
pressure against the yarn on the cop G by a spring. The pressure is preferably
exerted by a spiral spring H wound round the axis, one end being attached to the
arm of the presser and the other to an adjustable washer or collar h capable of
being rotated to adjust the tension of the spring and held by a pin h¹ engaging in
notches in the face.
Instead of pivoting the presser or pressers E E¹ upon studs, they may be mounted
upon spring blades attached to the rail B.
on.
The presser E (or E¹) is formed or curved to such a shape that in all positions in
the build or traverse of the cop the pressure is touching the new yarn as it is wound
The presser may be made of cast iron of bent or curved shape as in Figs. 2 to 4,
or it may be formed of a blade or spring of steel as in Fig. or of a hardened steel
block adjustable to compensate for wear carried (as in Fig. 6) at the end of an
arm or lever pivoted on the pin or stud e¹.
The pressers E E' are held back out of position for the purpose of piercing a broken
end or for doffing the full cops by a catch el pivoted thereto or by the end e³
engaging with the traverse rail B or by an eccentric or other device.
Whilst the builder and guide D are moving up and down the pirn the line of the
yarn being laid on the cop G lags somewhat behind the guide and to ensure the
presser acting as required upon the new thread of yarn I may pivot the guide D to
the presser E as in Figs. 7 to 9 or employ two pressers E E¹ set at different levels as
in Figs. 10 to 12 or I may give an adjustable movement to the guide D as in
Figs. 13 to 15. Or the guide D may have a swivelling movement as in
Figs. 16 to 18.
In Figs. 7 to 9 two pressers E E¹ are pivoted to the bracket b and the yarn
guide D is pivoted to the presser E and carried to and fro with it so that the line of
delivery of the yarn and the line of the pressure of the pressers remain relatively
constant. The free end of the pivoted yarn guide D may rest upon the builder
rail B or a pin such as d may be provided in the other presser for it to rest upon.
The pressers are held out of contact with the cop when required by the eccentric
lever K engaging with the pins k.
In Figs. 10 to 12 the two pressers E E¹ are pivoted in a position at right
angles to that shown in the preceding figs. The yarn guide D is fixed or
mounted upon the studs e¹ which carry the pressers E E¹ and so remains stationary
relatively to the bracket b whilst the position of the pressers varies with the
diameter of the cop. To ensure that the pressure should come upon the new yarn
as it is wound on, the pressers may be set one slightly above the other, one for
the upstroke and the other for the downstroke, so that each in turn presses upon
the new yarn.
In Figs. 13 to 15 a single presser E is shown pivoted upon the pin e¹ as before
described. The yarn guide Di is pivoted to the bracket b so as to be moveable within
certain limits moving up and down at each change of traverse to bring the line of
delivery of the thread above or below the pressure line of the presser E to allow for the
lag or trailing of the yarn when traversing. The bracket b is provided with two
jaws 61 611 between which the yarn guide D¹ passes. The guide is pivoted to the
bracket on the pin d¹ and carries at its free end a rod L reaching downwards and
engaging with a spring clip on the spindle rail M so arranged as to exert a slight
frictional pressure upon the rod. The builder rail B is shown at the bottom of the
traverse but when it commences to rise the rod Lis held by the spring clip until the
yarn guide D¹ is raised into contact with the upper jaw b¹ of the bracket b, thus

page_text: raising the point of delivery of the yarn above the pressure line of the presser.
When
the builder reverses at the top of the traverse and begins to move down the reverse
action takes place and the rod L is retained by the clip until the yarn guide comes
into contact with the lower jaw 611, thus bringing the point of delivery of the yarn
below the pressure line of the presser. The whole movement amounts from
about d to th of an inch.
32
In Figs. 16 to 18 the presser E is formed with an eye at its end for the thread
and is mounted to swivel on a pivot e so that it can always present the centre of the
eye upon the face of the yarn as the angle alters between the empty and full pirn.
The swivelling presser may also be applied to vertically swinging arms such as shown
in the previous figs. but I at present prefer the arrangements previously described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. Apparatus for winding thread or yarn into cops or pirns constructed with a guide
to deliver the yarn on to the spindle or tube and a presser actuated by a spring and
acting upon the cop against the new yarn as it is wound on, substantially as
described.
2. In yarn or thread winding machines the combination with the spindle A and
builder rail B of the bracket baffixed to the rail the yarn guide Da presser pivoted
upon a fixed axis, a pin to carry the presser and a spiral spring H upon the pin to
hold the presser with force against the yarn, substantially as described.
3. Apparatus for winding thread or yarn into cops or pirns constructed substantially
as described and shown with reference to either of the figs. of the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of Av 100
Aunt 1000
August
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.
Dated this 8th day of August 1908.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.