IMPROVEMENTS IN CREELS FOR SPINNING MACHINERY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CREELS FOR SPINNING MACHINERY." A communi-
cation from abroad by James O'Neill and George M. Stewart, both of St.
Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th March 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CREELS FOR SPINNING
MACHINERY." A communication from abroad by James O'Neill and George M.
Stewart, both of St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
The objects of this Invention are, firstly, to economize space; secondly, to avoid
friction of the bobbins against the posts wherein the spindles or axles which hold
the said bobbins are set; and thirdly, to avoid the friction of the threads against
the guide posts as they pass from the bobbins into the loom.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which—
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved creel, and
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the lines x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of the post showing the spindle socket.
Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section through the spool and the supporting
frame.
A represents the base; B, B, the upright posts; C, C, cross pieces; D, D, the
bobbins; a, the spindle-socket; and c, c, the spindles. The upright posts B are for
the purpose of holding the bobbins in place, and are firmly attached to and are
arranged at right angles with the base A. These posts are arranged two together
in rows on parallel lines and at equal distances apart, diverging from the centre on
either side, and are held in position at the top by means of the cross pieces C.
The relative positions of the separate sets of posts one to the other are such that
the outside post of each set occupies a position directly in front and about at the
гр.

page_text: centre of the space between the set of posts directly behind it. However, in order
that the bobbins may be more readily taken out and replaced (as hereinafter
described) the inner posts of the set immediately behind the front or first posts
are covered by the outside posts of the front or first set of posts, thus leaving the
bobbins clear.
In the rear of the posts and at even distances are the sockets a. The spindles c
are passed through the bobbin D, and the spindle with the bobbin upon it is placed
in the spindle-socket a from the rear of the creel.
The front of the creel is the narrowest. When the bobbins are placed in the
creel as above specified, they are in a position parallel with the loom, and the
threads are fed straight into the latter. Heretofore creels have been made with
posts diverging from the centre, but in single line, the bobbins being set by means
of the spindle and socket, as in this case; but when set, instead of being parallel
with the loom, they are at an angle, and the threads pass from the bobbins around
the rods set directly in front and in the middle of each row of bobbins, which act
as guides to direct the threads into their proper places in the loom. The bobbins
running thus at an angle from the loom the thread is drawn around the rod and
into the loom with a lateral pull and the thread passing around the rod at such a
sharp angle is often broken. This lateral pull also forces the ends of the bobbins
alternately as the thread passes the centre against the sides of the upright posts,
causing much friction, and the threads are constantly broken, thus causing great
loss of time and expense to the manufacturer. In these creels commonly in use
the posts that support the bobbins being in single line on either side (as before
mentioned) the bobbins when set are entirely exposed on lines running diagonally
from the face of the loom, and the lines thus made from the front and centre of the
creel to the rear ends on either side are longer by about 1/4 than the lines made by
the arrangement of the posts and bobbins in my improved creel, and in the old
machine by reason of this extension of the sides the width of the creel at the rear
end is greater than in that constructed according to this Invention.
Creels have also been constructed with bobbins running on lines parallel with
the loom, so far as the first sets of bobbins are concerned presenting very much the
same appearance as that shown by the accompanying Drawing, but the same
objection is met with in this construction as in the old creel just mentioned. The
object in this arrangement is not apparent; the thread is still fed into the loom
by being drawn around separate guide posts at an acute angle, causing the friction
and the binding of the bobbin journals that breaks the thread, and so far as it is
possible to judge there is no economy of space in this construction. My improved
creel is constructed with a view to practically obtain beneficial results, and from
experience it has been found that the improved means above described are of great
value in the manufacture of clothes. In weaving mills a large number of creels
and looms are constantly in use, and just in proportion to the number of creels
and looms on the floor is the capacity of the mill increased or lessened.
It is therefore desirable that each creel should contain the requisite number of
bobbins, and at the same time occupy as little room as possible, and to avoid friction
it is important that the widest part of the creel should be as nearly as practicable
the width of the face of the loom. For these reasons the creel that holds the
bobbins together in the most compact manner, and that feeds the threads into the
loom with the least possible friction, is the most valuable to the trade.
The creel commonly in use is the old one first referred to in this Specification,
and upon enquiry the other construction seems to have been abandoned if ever
used, especially in this old construction referred to, the creel with bobbins on
diagonal lines from the face of the loom, too much space is occupied on the floor of
the mill, the widest part of the creel being considerably wider than the face of the
loom. The threads fed from the bobbins hung in the posts at the widest part of
the creel passing into the loom at a very sharp angle. About one fourth of the
space now occupied by creels commonly in use is saved in my improved construction;
the bobbins are brought more completely together; each set of bobbins, except the

page_text: first set or sets, is brought nearer to the face of the loom than in the old construction,
the guide posts being directly in front of the middle of each row or set of bobbins ;
the comparative distance of each guide post in my Invention to that of the old
creel is nearer to the face of the loom.
This is an important feature when the true purpose of these guide posts is under-
stood. These posts are for the purpose of preventing the threads as they leave the
bobbins from wabbling about and becoming tangled. It is therefore desirable that
the threads bear against these posts for tension so as to keep each in its place
apart, but at the same time little or no friction must be created, so that the threads
unbroken may be delivered into the loom. All these results are attained by the
use of my improved creel. In the first place my posts are so compactly arranged
that there is an economy of space, the very widest part of the creel being but a
trifle wider than the face of the loom, and the distance from the front of the creel
to the rear end is much less than in the old construction. In this compact
arrangement of posts the bobbins when set are all on parallel lines with the loom ;
my arrangement of guide posts is such that each guide post according to its
relative position is nearer the loom than the guide posts in the old creels, and
while these posts act as guides and give tension to the threads that bear against
them on their way to the loom the friction is too slight to be harmful. In the
creels commonly in use the threads are constantly broken, as before stated, and
these threads are broken because of the friction created by reason of their passing
around the guide posts at a sharp angle. In practice with my creel the threads in
being fed into the loom are never broken because of friction, the bearing of the
threads against the guide-posts as constructed in my creel serves only as the needed
tension on and keeps the threads, as before stated. In the construct of my
creel I not only save the additional expense of separate posts for guides, but the
posts used for that purpose accomplish their purpose in a better and more lasting
manner. The separate guide rods in the old creel are attached at the top and
bottom to the horizontal beams that hold the bobbin posts in place by means of
screws as the simplest and cheapest method; but owing to the considerable
pressure brought to bear by the number of threads bearing against each other as
they are fed around the rods into the loom at a sharp angle the screws become
loosened, and the rods must be moved, and new holes bored in the top and
bottom beams. This is done several times in the course of a year. As a result
these beams become worn with holes and must be removed, and the whole creel
demolished for the purpose; whereas in my improved creel, on account of the
manner in which the threads are fed into the loom, the pressure of the threads
against the posts amounts practically to nothing, and on this account and because
of the particular arrangement of the posts the changes are never necessary. The
consequent results in the use of my creels are the productive power and the
better quality of the article manufactured. My single creels, by reason of the
saving of the breakage of threads, can feed a much greater amount of thread
into a loom in a given time than the creel commonly in use having exactly the
same number of bobbins, and on account of the compact arrangement of the posts
more of my creels can be placed in a given space than any of the creels commonly
in use or heretofore known having the same capacity for bobbins. It is not only
that more of my creels can be used in one mill and each creel accomplish better
and greater results, but there is also economy in labor. The attendant whose time,
aside from replenishing the bobbins as they become unwound of their contents, was
greatly taken up in tying the constantly breaking threads, is relieved of that duty
to the greater care of his or her other occupation.
In my creel the outside posts of each set that act as guides or the threads may
be bevilled at the edge to allow the thread to pass with greater case if desirable,
as shewn in Figure 4.
The Drawing represents a creel with two sets of posts in front, but this is a
matter entirely of convenience, as a single set of posts or more than two sets
may be made for the front of the creel as desirable. My creel may be used for

page_text: coarse or fine weaving, the size to be proportioned according to the work to be
done.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I am aware that creels have heretofore been constructed with bobbins
set therein on a line parallel with the loom, and I therefore make no claim to any
such general construction, but I claim,-
A creel having a series of bobbin posts arranged in sets on parallel lines, the
outer post of each set being arranged intermediate between the posts of the
succeeding sets and serving as thread-guides for the succeeding bobbins, whereby
the thread is conducted to the loom in a direct line, and undue friction is avoided,
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)

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