Improvements in Machines for Winding Thread for Use in Sewing Machine Shuttles and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1897-Accepted, 20th June, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Winding Thread for Use in Sewing
Machine Shuttles and the like.
1, GEORGE BARKER, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, of
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Consulting Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the invention as communicated to me from abroad
by Samuel Martin Green, of 296 Locust Street, Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Mechanical Engineer, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to machines for winding the bobbins used in sewing-
machine shuttles of the Singer or Wheeler & Wilson type, that is to say, bobbins
of a disk shape composed of thread closely wound upon a central tube of paper or
other suitable material, and which are placed upon the market in condition to be
at once placed within a shuttle.
The object of my invention is to provide a machine for winding such bobbins
which will greatly expedite the operation, and will enable a single operator to
do as much work in a given time as has heretofore been performed by several
operators, thereby effecting a material saving in the cost of winding the
bobbins.
To this end my invention consists in the machine constructed and operating as
hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the practice of my invention I mount upon a revolving table a plurality of
bobbin-winding mechanisms adapted to be brought successively before the operator
stationed at one side of said table, and provide a driving medium, common to all
of said mechanisms, whereby they are driven to wind the bobbins.
I also provide
means whereby each of said mechanisms is automatically disconnected from the
driving medium when its bobbins have reached the desired diameter and whereby
said completed bobbins are forced off from the winding arbors, thus leaving the
latter free for the starting of new bobbins.
In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters designate like parts in the
several figures,
Figures 12 and 3 are, respectively, a plan view, a side elevation, and an end
view of one of the individual winding mechanisms.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the entire machine, but one of said individual
mechanisms being shown upon the table, however, for the sake of clearness.
Figures 5 and 6 are front and side views of the thread guide.
Figure 7 is a plan view of the table having mounted thereon eight winding
mechanisms.
Figure 8 is a plan view of the stationary cam-plate.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the creel adapted to carry sixteen spools of
thread, to supply the mechanisms shown in Figure 7.
Referring particularly to Figures 12 and 3, each of the individual winding
mechanisms is provided with a frame a, having at its upper end bearings a 1 in
which is supported the winding arbor b, and provided near its lower end with
bearings in which is supported a cam-shaft c, which is parallel with and in the
same vertical plane with said arbor. Upon arbor b, between the bearings a 1, is
mounted a bevelled, friction pulley 1 having an exteriorly threaded hub 62
which is keyed to the arbor to permit said pulley to have a limited movement

page_text: :
longitudinally of the latter without impairing its rotational engagement there-
with, and a gear 63 at one end of the arbor meshes with a similar gear cl
on shaft c, thereby transmitting motion from the former to the latter. Upon
the hub of said pulley 61 are located two spanner-nuts 64, which nuts
engage the center of a yoke 65, pivoted at its upper end to a bracket a 2
of the frame and having a pivotal connection at its lower end with the upper
end of a lever 46, said lever being pivoted at 67 to the frame and carrying
an anti-friction roll at its lower end, whereby movement of said lever about
its pivotal center will be transinitted through said yoke to the friction pulley,
moving the latter longitudinally of the arbor b. The adjustability of the nuts 64
upon the hub of the pulley enables the starting point of the pulley in such
movement to be accurately predetermined. The end of arbor b opposite to that
at which gear 63 is located forms the support for the bobbins while being wound,
there being preferably two bobbins wound at the same time, as will be presently
described. Surrounding the arbor adjacent to said end is an ejector d, for forcing
the wound bobbins off from the arbor, said ejector being carried at the end of a
rod laving a limited endwise movement within bearings d 2 on the frame, and
to which movement is transmitted by a lever d 3 pivoted at d4 to the frame and
carrying an anti-friction roll at its lower end, said lever at its upper end having a
pivotal connection with a block d5 adjustably secured to said rod. The thread-
guide, shown detached in Figures 5 and 6, is composed of two members e el pivotally
connected together at 2 in such manner as to permit the upper member e to have
a lateral swinging movement upon the lower member, and the lower member
terminates at its upper end in a collar e 3 which embraces the cam-shaft c, whereby
the entire guide is permitted to have a swinging movement about said shaft as a
center and in a plane at a right-angle to that of the independent movement of said
upper member. The lower member el carries at its lower end an anti-friction
roll, and a spring e4 connected at one end to said member and at its opposite end
to a bracket e 5 projecting from the frame, normally presses the upper end of the
guide toward the arbor b. The upper member of the guide is preferably made in
two parts and connected together by the split hub e 6 and binding screw as shown,
to permit vertical adjustment of the upper part, and said member carries the
bevelled collar e 7 which is engaged upon its opposite sides by the two-part cam 2
by which a positive vibratory movement is imparted to the upper member for the
purpose of laying the thread evenly upon the bobbins. At its upper end the
thread guide is provided with the usual notches to receive the thread. Disk
tension devices of the usual form, designated by the letter, are supported upon
the bracket e 5, for producing the proper degree of tension upon the threads. The
friction pulley I is thrown into operative engagement with its driving medium,
presently to be described, by being moved toward the right, in Figure 2, and is
disengaged from said medium by being moved toward the left, the movement
thereof in the latter direction being produced by a spring 68, connected at one en
to lever 6 and at its opposite end to the frame. For the purpose of automatically
disconnecting said pulley from its driving medium and stopping the movement of
the arbor when a bobbin reaches the desired diameter or, in other words, becomes
filled with thread, I provide a stop-motion device, consisting of a lever 1, pivoted
at / 2 to a lug projecting from the frame, said lever carrying at one end a notched
steel block 3 adapted to engage the pivot pin which connects lever 66 with
yoke 65, which pin may if desired be provided with an anti-friction roll, and thereby
normally retain the pulley 61 in its extreme position to the right, in opposition
to the stress of spring 68. At its opposite end said lever fl is provided with a
split socket and set-screw, into which socket projects the stem of a pad 4 adapted
to bear against the under side of the bobbin or bobbins being wound, said pad
being thereby rendered vertically adjustable upon the lever. The increasing
diameter of the bobbin gradually depresses said pad and the lever until the bobbin
reaches the desired diameter, at which time the opposite end of the lever
is raised sufficiently to release the lever 66 and permit spring 8 to dis-

page_text: connect pulley 6.1 from its driving medium, the precise diameter which the
bobbin must have in order to thus stop the winding arbor being predetermined
by the adjustment of said pad f4. A spring f5 on the lever f1 and bearing
against the frame serves to normally keep said lever interlocked with lever b 6.
Referring now to Figures 4 and 7, the letter g designates the main frame of the
machine, which is provided at its upper end with suitable bearings in which are
located a vertically disposed tubular shaft h1 carrying at its upper end a circular
table and at its lower end a spur-gear 2, and a second vertical shaft I, which
passes through said tubular shaft, and carries at its upper en la circular disk k and
at its lower end a bevel-gear k 2, whereby said table and disk are adapted to
revolve in a horizontal plane independently of each other. Motion is transmitted
to said disk by a horizontal shaft k 3, having its bearings in a bracket & 4 projecting
from the frame g and carrying at its inner end a bevel-gear k 5 which meshes with
the gear 2. At its outer end, said shaft k3 is connected by the ordinary form of
friction clutch with a band-pulley 6 by which motion is transmitted to said shaft
by belt from a counter-shaft, a clutch-lever k 7, rod k 8, treadle & 9, and spring k 10
enabling the operator to connect and disconnect said friction clutch by foot
pressure in a manner which will be obvious from the drawings. Motion is
transmitted to the table through a vertical shaft h3 carrying at its upper end a
spur-gear 4 which meshes with the gear h 2, and at its lower end a worm-gear h 5,
which engages a worm on a sleeve 6 carried by a horizontal shaft 7. The
shaft 7 is capable of receiving a slight end wise movement through said sleeve
and through a band-pulley 8 turning on a projecting hub 9 of the frame, to
engage a toothed clutch-head h 10 at its outer end with and disengage it from the
toothed hub of said band-pulley 8, a treadle h 12 serving to move said shaft in
one direction and a spring 413 moving it in the opposite direction. A belt 3
connects the band-pulley 8 with a similar pulley k 12 on shaft 3. It will be
obvious from the foregoing description and an inspection of Figure 4 that a greatly
retarded motion will be transmitted to table from shaft k3 by the means
described, and that the operator can at any time stop the movement of said table
by pressing upon treadle 12 without interrupting the movement of the disk k.
A plurality of the winding mechanisms shown in Figures 1 2 and 3 are mounted
upon the table with their winding arbors occupying a radial position relatively
thereto, and in such position that their friction pulleys &1 will, in their operative
position, engage the bevelled under side of the disk k, said disk thus forming the
driving medium common to all of said mechanisms. The table herein shown is
adapted to carry eight of said individual winding mechanisms as shown in Figure 7,
but one of the same being shown in Figure 4 for greater clearness. When thus
mounted upon the table the lower ends of the levers b6 d3 and thread-guides of
said mechanisms project below the plane of the table, the latter being suitably
slotted to receive said levers. To automatically actuate said levers and thread-
guides at one point in the revolution of the table, I provide a cam-plate m, shown
detached in Figure 8, which embraces a circular hub at the upper end of frame g
and is rendered capable of adjustment about said hub as a center by the ears in 1
and screws m2 in an obvious manner, upon which plate are located cams as
follows: At its extreme outer end is the cam m 3 having a curved upper surface,
the office of which is to successively engage the lower ends of the thread-guides
and rock said guides in such manner as to cause their upper ends to clear the
bobbins at the instant at which the bobbins are forced off from their arbors by the
ejectors d. Adjustably secured to the upper side of said cam-plate, by means of
their slotted shanks are two cam-block: m 4 m 5, facing in opposite directions, the
function of the cam m 4 being to engage the lower ends of the levers 3 and by
moving them inwardly cause the ejectors d to force the wound bobbins from their
arbors, the ejectors being returned to their normal positions by springs da, see
Figure 1, and the function of cam m 5 being to engage the lower ends of the
levers 66 and, by moving them outwardly, return the friction-pulleys 1 to their
position of engagement with disk k and permit the levers fl to lock them in such

page_text: position. By adjusting the cam-plate about its pivotal center the precise point in
the revolution of table h at which these operations will occur can be determined
at will.
A creel n, shown detached in Figure 9, is supported upon the table by means
of standards n 1, said creel comprising a ring provided with posts to receive the
supply spools e, a wire ring n 2 provided with thread-eyes located directly above the
spools o, and a similar ring n 3 of greater diameter provided with thread-eyes
located in substantially the vertical plane of the tension devices f. The thread is
led from the spools o through the eyes on ring n 2, thence through the eyes on
ring n 3, and from thence about the tension devices to the winding arbors of the
several winding mechanisms.
In the operation of the machine thus described, the operator occupies a position
in front of the cam-plate m, and as each winding mechanism is brought before her
by the revolution of table h, she places upon the winding arbor thereof the two
paper or other tubes which form the centers of the bobbins and gives one turn of
the two threads projecting from the tension devices about the arbor, or otherwise
fastens the ends thereof, which can readily be done while said winding mechanisin
is passing from the plane of cam m 4 to that of cam m 5. As said mechanism
passes the latter cam its pulley b1 is thrown into engagement with the disk k as
before described and the winding of the bobbins begins, the thread being evenly
laid by the action of the thread-guide as before stated. The winding movement
continues until the bobbins have reached the proper diameter, when the stop-
motion described causes the arbor to cease its movement, and the continued
movement of the table brings the mechanism again to the cam-plate and the
thread-guide is retracted and the bobbins are ejected as before described,
whereupon the operator immediately starts two more babbins upon the arbor and
the operation goes on as before. All of the winding mechanisms except the one
which is passing over the cam-plate are thus caused to perform their winding
operation simultaneously, and the machine is given a very great capacity for
supplying wound bobbins, the single operator being thus enabled to do the same
work that has heretofore required the services of several. The operator can at any
time stop the movement of table / or of the entire machine by pressing the proper
treadle, the winding mechanisms continuing their winding movement, in the former
case, because of the continued movement of the disk k. The under side of the
disk and the peripheries of the pulleys 61 will preferably be faced with leather
or other friction producing material. By reference to Figure 2 it will be observed
that the under side of the ejector d is bevelled from its outer face, the object of
which construction is to cause it to depress the pad f4 and cause the stoppage of
the arbor when moved outwardly to eject the bobbins in case the bobbins
themselves should for any reason fail to sufficiently depress said pad to secure such
result.
The machine herein described besides greatly expediting and cheapening the
operation of winding sewing-machine bobbins, secures perfect uniformity in the
size and shape of the bobbins themselves thereby enhancing their mercantile
value.
It is obvious that various modifications in the details of construction herein
described can be made within the spirit of my invention.
Inasmuch as the pitch of the gears 3 c 1 determines the action of the thread-
guide relatively to the movement of the winding arbor, I provide different
pairs of said gears having varying pitches to correspond with different sizes
of thread, so that the even laying of the thread on the bobbin is assured under all
circumstances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what |
claim is :-
:-
1. In a machine for winding bobbins, a revolving table, a plurality of independen

page_text: bobbin winding mechanisms mounted upon said table, each of said mechanisms
comprising a winding arbor and means for guiding the thread thereto, and a
driving medium substantially as described common to all of said mechanisms, for
imparting a revolving movement to their arbors, combined and operating
substantially as set forth.
2. In a machine for winding bobbins, a revolving table, a plurality of bobbin
winding mechanisms mounted upon said table each of which comprises a winding
arbor and thread guiding devices, a single driving medium for simultaneously
revolving the arbors of said winding mechanisms, and means substantially as
described for automatically stopping the movement of each arbor upon the
completion of the bobbin being wound thereon, combined and operating substantially
as set forth.
3. In a machine for winding bobbins, a revolving table, a plurality of bobbin
winding mechanisms mounted thereon each of which comprises a winding arbor
and thread guiding devices, a driving medium adapted to simultaneously revolve
the arbors of all of said mechanisms, and means substantially as described for
automatically stopping the movement of each arbor upon the completion of the
bobbin being wound thereon and for ejecting said bobbin from the arbor, combine.l
and operating substantially in the manner set forth.
4. In a machine for winding bobbins, the combination with a revolving table,
of a plurality of bubbin winding mechanisms mounted upon said table each of
which comprises a winding arbor and thread guiding and controlling devices, a
driving medium for revolving the arbors of said mechanisms simultaneously,
stop-motion devices substantially as described for automatically disconnecting each
arbor from said driving medium upon the completion of the bobbin being wound
thereon, and means substantially as described dependent upon the revolving
movement of said table for automatically ejecting the completed bobbins fron said
arbors and again restoring the connection between the arbors and said driving
medium, substantially as set forth.
5. In a machine for winding bobbins, the combination with a revolving table, of
a plurality of bobbin winding mechanisms mounted upon said table each of which
comprises a winding arbor carrying a friction pulley and suitable thread guiding
and controlling devices, and an independently revolving disk located above said
table and adapted to frictionally engage the pulleys of said winding mechanisms,.
whereby the arbors of the latter are given a simultaneous and uniform revolving
movement, substantially as set forth.
6. In a machine for winding bobbins, the combination with a revolving table and.
a revolving disk located above said table, of a plurality of bobbin winding
mechanisms mounted upon said table, each of said mechanisms comprising an arbor
and a friction-pulley longitudinally movable upon said arbor whereby it is adapted
to be moved into and out of frictional engagement with said revolving disk, and
having a stop-motion mechanism dependent upon the diameter of the bobbin being.
wound for automatically disconnecting said pulley from said disc upon the
completion of the bobbin, substantially as described.
7. In a machine for winding bobbins, a revolving table a plurality of bobbin
winding mechanisins mounted upon said table each of which comprises an arbor, an
ejector for removing a completed bobbin from said arbor, and a lever and spring.
for actuating said ejector in opposite directions, a driving medium substantially as
described for simultaneously revolving the arbors of said winding mechanisms, and
a stationary cam adapted to be brought successively into contact with the ejector-
levers of said mechanisms by the revolving movement of said table, and to thereby
cause the ejectors to remove the completed bobbins from the arbors, combined and
operating substantially as set forth.
8. In a machine for winding bobbins, the combination with the revolving table,
and the plurality of winding mechanisms mounted thereon each of which is provided
with a bobbin ejector and a vibrating and swinging thread-guide substantially as.
described, of two stationary cams adapted to be brought into contact with sail

page_text: thread-guides and said bobbin ejectors respectively by the revolving movement of
the table, the former being retracted to clear the bobbin and the latter being
actuated to eject the bobbin, substantially as described.
9. In a machine for winding bobbins, the combination with a revolving table, of
a plurality of bobbin winding mechanisms mounted upon said table, a revolving
disk supported above said table and adapted to actuate the winding arbors of said
mechanisms simultaneously, and a creel carried by said table for holding the spools
which supply the thread to said mechanisms, arranged and operating substantially
as set forth.
10. In a machine for winding bobbins, the combination with an arbor having
mounted thereon a friction-pulley which is movable longitudinally thereof, of
a lever operatively connected with said pulley, a stop-motion lever adapted to
engage said first mentioned lever and normally retain it and the pulley in one of the
extreme positions of the latter, a pad carried by said stop-motion lever which bears
against the periphery of a bobbin wound upon said arbor, and means substantially
as described for adjusting said pad to differeut heights upon said lever, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
11. In a machine for winding bobbins, a main frame, as g, having mounted
thereon a revolving table, a plurality of bobbin winding mechanisms mounted upon
said table, each of which is provided with an ejector lever, as d 3, a clutch lever,
as 6, and a thread-guide, as e e 1, which project below the horizontal plane of said
table, and the stationary cam-plate m adjustably secured to said frame below said
table, said plate carrying the cams m 3 m 4 m 5, combined and operating substantially
as and for the purpose described.
12. The combination with frame g, of the vertically disposed shafts h 1 and 1
journalled on said frame and carrying the table and disk k respectively, horizontal
shafts 7 and 3 operatively connected with said shafts 11 respectively for
imparting a revolving movement thereto, treadle-operated clutch devices connected
with each of said shafts 7 3 for governing the motion thereof, and a plurality of
bobbin winding mechanisms mounted upon said table the winding arbors whereof
are driven by frictional contact with said disk k, substantially as set forth.
Dated the 3rd day of Nov 1807
GEORGE BARKER.