A NEW OR IMPROVED CASKET FOR HOLDING REELS OR BOBBINS OF DIFFERENT QUALITIES OR COLOURS OF THREAD, THE SAME BEING APPLI- CABLE FOR PROVIDING A GAME OR AMUSEMENT.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Mac Ewan, of Mauchline, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Manufacturer of Clan Tartan and Fancy Woodwork, for the
Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED CASKET FOR HOLDING REELS OR BOBBINS
OF DIFFERENT QUALITIES OR COLOURS OF THREAD, THE SAME BEING APPLI-
CABLE FOR PROVIDING A GAME OR AMUSEMENT.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Mac Ewan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th June 1877.
EDWARD MAC EWAN, of Mauchline, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Manu-
facturer of Clan Tartan and Fancy Woodwork. "A NEW OR IMPROVED CASKET
FOR HOLDING REELS OR BOBBINS OF DIFFERENT QUALITIES OR COLOURS OF
THREAD, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR PROVIDING A GAME OR AMUSEMENT."
This Invention, which relates to a new or improved casket, which is primarily
adapted for holding different qualities or colours of thread, consists of a circular or
other suitably shaped box, mounted on a spindle, which is again carried on a stand,
or foot, and upon which the box is capable of revolving. or being revolved or
spun.
The box is, by preference, fitted with a cover, and its interior is provided with
removable pins upon which the reels or bobbins of thread or silk are carried. By
taking out the pins from the interior of the casket it may be used as a trinket
receptacle, or for other analogous purposes.
On the side of the foot which carries the spindle upon which the casket rotates
or spins is an indicator pointing to one of the divisions into which the exterior of
the casket is divided. In each of these divisions au answer, or a question, or
sentence of an amusing character is placed, and other questions are arranged at the

page_text: upper part of the casket, so that the question being asked, the casket is rotated,
and when it stops the answer or sentence in reply is that opposite the indicator.
In place of constructing the casket so as to rotate, as herein-before described, the
casket may be stationary and the lid made to rotate, in which case the lid carries
the indicator.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Mac Ewan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
December 1877.
EDWARD MAC EWAN, of Mauchline, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Manu-
facturer of Clan Tartan and Fancy Woodwork. "A NEW OR IMPROVED CASKET
FOR HOLDING REELS OR BOBBINS OF DIFFERENT QUALITIES OR COLOURS OF
THREAD, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR PROVIDING A GAME OR AMUSEMENT.'
"
My said Invention relates to a new or improved casket, which is primarily
adapted for holding reels of different qualities or colours of thread, and it consists of
a circular or other suitably shaped box, mounted on a spindle carried by a stand or
foot, upon which spindle the box is capable of revolving or of being spun. The
exterior of the box is divided into a number of divisions or spaces, each of which
contains an amusing question, statement, or answer to a question, or it may contain
symbols, or numbers, and on the foot is an indicator which points to one or other of
the spaces or divisions containing the questions, statements, or answers. The box
having been spun upon the spindle, when it comes to rest, the question, statement,
or answer to a question, or symbol, or number, is that indicated by the pointer, and
is intended to apply to the person by whom the box has been spun.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to sny
Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2 is a plan, with the cover removed; and
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 1, 2, Figure 2, of a casket constructed
according to my Invention. It consists of a circular box A, mounted on a spindle B,
screwed into the stationary stand or foot C, and fastened securely thereto by the
washer d. The box is, preferably, fitted with a cover E, and its interior is or may
be provided with moveable pins F, F, upon which reels of thread inay be carried,
and with a central projection G, which serves to carry a thimble and also to afford:
a long bearing for the spindle B. To enable the box A to freely rotate, its bottom
is prevented from coming into contact with the foot C by the projection b, which may
be formed either on the box or on the foot, or on both.
Figure 4 shews an arrangement in which the rotating box is carried upon a
spindle B, fastened into a screw J, passing through the foot. This arrangement.
serves for preventing the box from being rotated when necessary by tightening the
screw J until the bottom of the box is brought hard down upon the sole, and thereby
prevented from rotating.
The pins F, in Figures 2, 3, and 4, may be kept or taken out when it is desired

page_text: to use the box for the reception of trinkets, or for other purposes which render the
said pins unnecesary.
The stand or foot C is provided with a pointer c, and the exterior of the box A is
divided into a number of spaces or divisions a, a, (as seen in Figure 1) in each of
which is a question, statement, or answer to a question, of an amusing character, as
shewn for example in Figure 1. A question or questions may be printed or placed
upon any suitable part of the box or its lid, or upon the foot or sole on which the
box spins. The divisions on the exterior of the box may contain various answers
to that question or questions of an amusing character, or the casket may be used in
playing other games of chance by providing the divisions on the exterior of the box
with various signs and numbers; for example, such as are shewn in Figure 6, so
that on the box being spun and coming to rest the pointer will indicate one of the
divisions on the box which will contain an answer to the question put, or (in the
case of the casket being used for a game) a number which the player by whom the
box was spun will score.
The marking of the divisions and spaces, and the questions, statements, or answers
on the exterior of the box may be effected in any suitable manner, but I prefer to
print them upon strips of paper, as shewn at Figures 5 and 6, which strips are
pasted or otherwise fastened on to the exterior of the box. Figure 5 represents a
strip divided into spaces suitable for receiving questions, statements, or answers to
a question marked on any suitable part of the casket. Figure 6 is a strip suitable
where the casket is to be used for playing a game of chance. Directions and
explanations may be marked on the casket.
If desired, the lid of the box may be divided into radial or radial and concentric
divisions containing figures, signs, or continuations of the statements on the side of
the box.
Instead of making the box to revolve, as herein-before described, it may be
stationary, and the lid may be made capable of revolution.
Figures 7 and 8 are transverse sections of a casket constructed in this manner.
The lid E is mounted so as to turn freely upon the spindle H, which has a screw h
on its lower part passing through a screwed hole in the centre of the bottom of the
box. By turning this screwed spindle in one direction by its head h¹, the box is
closed by the lid being brought down tightly against the top of the box, as shewn
in Figure 7, and by turning the spindle in the reverse direction the lid is raised
from the box sufficiently to allow it to be freely rotated on the said spindle, as shewn
in Figure 8.
In this arrangement the box may have the questions, statements, or answers
marked upon its side, and the lid may carry the pointer; or the lid may be divided
into radial or concentric and radial divisions containing questions, statements, or
answers, or figures, or signs, the pointer being upon the side of the box; or both the
lid and the body of the box may be divided into spaces, each containing a question,
statement, or answer, and on the lid coming to rest after being spun, the statements
on the lid coming in line with these on the body of the box, they can be read
together and will provide a variety of amusing combinations.
The upper part of the spindle H is provided with a screw nut x, which being
removed enables the cover or lid E to be taken off.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the casket for holding reels
or bobbins of different qualities or colours of thread or other articles, and for
providing a game or amusement by making the box or its lid capable of being
rotated or spun upon a spindle, so that on coming to rest a pointer on the foot, box,
or lid of the casket will point to one of a number of spaces or divisions containing
questions, statements, answers, signs, or numbers into which the exterior of the

page_text: casket is divided; or so, that spaces on the different parts of the casket containing
questions, statements, answers, signs, or numbers will be brought opposite each
other, the said casket being constructed essentially as herein-before described.
•
In witness whereof, I; the said Edward Mac Ewan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-seven.
r-AATובזתי זוזת
1701
EDWARD MAC EWAN (LE)