Improvements in Balling or Winding Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 8th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Balling or Winding Machines.
We, ISAAK GROBLI, of Gossar, Mechanician, and JAKOB REICH-TISCHHAUSER, of
Bruggen, Mechanician, both of the Republic of Switzerland, (Canton of St. Gall), 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 balling machine or apparatus for winding thread into
balls by crossing it upon itself.
Contrary to the constructional arrangement of spooling machines of the known
kind, this improved machine has but one driving shaft in lieu of two, and from this
shaft all the constituent working parts of the machine receive their respective
movement.
This machine is represented, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in
which:
Fig. 1 is a plan.
Fig. 2 is a front sectional elevation, the driving shaft and the mechanism which
transinits the movement to the thread-guide, and the thread guide itself being
omitted.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 1-1 of Fig. 1 taken from left to right.
Fig. 4 is an identical section taken from right to left.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, taken from right to left.
Fig. 5b is. is the same section, showing the parts in a different position.
Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the right hand portion of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 is a
section along the axis of the driving shaft and of the mechanism which transmits the
movement to the thread guide.
The parts which form the ball consist, as in ordinary machines of the same kind,
of a rotary spindle, upon which the thread is wound; of an oscillating thread-guide
which guides the thread as it is wound up; and of a break-lever which contributes
to rendering the ball tight by exerting a pressure thereon through the medium of a
spring and which recedes from the spindle in proportion as the ball increases in size,
and which finally, when the said ball has attained the required thickness, throws a
mechanism into operation, by which: (a) the rotary movement of the spindle is
stopped (b) the thread-guide is moved away from the ball; (c) the ball is pushed
towards the extremity of the spindle; (d) the preceding ball which occupies the
place upon this extremity, is pushed into a special guide; (e) the thread behind this
ball is automatically cut; (f) and lastly, all the constituent parts are returned to
their initial position occupied by them during the winding period.
The driving shaft A (Figs. 1 and 7) located in bearings A1 and A2, carries the
driving pulley a, which is loose but can be rigidly connected with the shaft by a
friction coupling a¹ capable of being laterally displaced either by the piece a or
by the spring a³ which act in opposite directions. The shaft. A carries the wheel a
which actuates the displaceable shaft C through the friction wheel c; and this shaft
carries the thread winding spindle and rests upon a frame C¹ (Figs. 1, 2 and 4)
capable of oscillating around a shaft F. The method by which the wheel c is placed
into or out of contact with the wheel a will be demonstrated further on.

page_text: :
At the right hand extremity of the shaft A a cylindrical cam as is fixed which
communicates to the thread guide an oscillating movement. Opposite the
helicoidal cama, and in prolongation of the axis of the shaft A, a short shaft E is
arranged which is capable of rotating in a bearing E¹ and presents to the side of the
cam a³ a drum e with a diametrical slot; in which the foot e² of the thread guide e³
oscillates about an axis e as soon as the cam as is set in rotary motion and as two
abutinents which form the ends of the left hand portion of the foot e² bear against
the cam under the pressure of the spring e placed in the hollow of the shaft E
(see Fig. 7).
At the opposite end of the shaft A a worm a² (Figs. 1, 2 and 7) is fixed with
actuates a worn wheel b mounted loosely on the shaft B but which becomes coupled
therewith as soon as the brake-lever or indicating lever h³ has executed a given move-
ment which is not complete until the winding of the ball is finished. This coupling
takes place during a period, in which the shaft B nearly completes one revolution.
The coupling mechanism comprises: the lever h² which is fixed on a long shaft H
carried by the bearings G and G2 and which-through the medium of a lever h®
actuated by a spring his held against the spindle c¹ or against the ball respectively.
The left hand extremity of the shaft H carries a second lever h, to which, by means
of set screws a disengaging catch h¹ (Figs. 1, 5 and 5bis.) is adjustably fixed. During
the period of winding, a finger m² is retained by the catch h¹. The finger m², forins
part of a coupling lever m turning around the axis m' and actuated by the spring m³.
The lever m is provided with a nose or cam m³ and with a second finger m³ which
engages with the circular groove or recess 6' of the coupling box b The box b²
carries a coupling pin 6° which is capable of sliding through a hole provided in the
coupling box b¹ firmly connected to the shaft B and carrying a projection b³. As
will be seen from Fig. 2, the worm wheel b is bored with a circle of holes arranged
concentric with the axis of the shaft B to correspond with the coupling pin 66, so that
when the coupling box 62 is forced against the coupling box b1, the-pin 60 engages
with the first one of the before mentioned holes that comes opposite thereto. The
coupling box b¹ is then coupled with the wheel b and this takes place as soon as the
lever h is sufficiently lowered by the brake lever h², so that the arm m is released and
enabled to yield to the action of the spring m³ (Fig. 5bis.). Before the shaft B has
completed a revolution, the projection 6 of the coupling box 61 exerts a pressure
upon the cam m¹ of the lever m, until the lever has been pushed back completely;
then the coupling of the worm wheel with its shaft is interrupted and the catch h¹
is raised so as to maintain the finger m² in its position. The shaft B supported by
the bearings B' and B2 carries at one of its ends a lever b³ combined with a spring b
so curved that through the action of the spring on the lever the rotary motion of
the shaft B is stopped. When the uncoupling of the worm wheel with its shaft B takes
place, the shaft has not yet executed its complete revolution, but this is afterwards
completed and the lever 63 returned to the position it occupied at the commencement
of the operation (Fig. 2), by the action of the spring b. In this position the
projection 6 of the coupling box b', as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, lies opposite the
cam m' of the lever m, and the lever m, after having been disengaged by the hook h¹,
is enabled to yield to the action of the spring ms and to oscillate with its cam m¹
over the projection 65 so as to effect the coupling. At the other end of the shaft B
the crank b is mounted which operates the rod G¹ by means of the connecting rod 6º.
The rod G is located in bearings G¹ and G2, and it is this rod which actuates all the
operating parts which serve to place the friction pulleys a and c into or out of
contact, to remove the finished balls and to cut the thread.
As shown in Fig. 1, 2 and 4, the rod G carries a cam g' which, during the winding
period, bears against a strong spring c² fixed to the frame C¹ which carries the shaft
of the spindle C and which pivots on the shaft F. The spring c² maintains the
friction wheel c applied under pressure against the wheel at of the driving shaft.
When the rod G is pushed sufficiently to the right so that the cam g¹ is moved
away from the spring c² to a sufficient extent, the wheel c is disengaged (Fig. 4)
through the action of the spiral spring o¹ placed around a rod o which bears at one

page_text: end against the bearing A2 and at the other end against the interior of the frame C¹;
the movement of the frame C¹ is limited by stops o³ placed on the rod o.
Sideways of the cam or cam sleeve g¹ a band brake g is arranged which exerts a
pressure upon the side surface of the pulley c when the latter leaves the pulley a*,
and thus stops its rotary motion.
Between a stopping ring and a conical sleeve g* a movable arm g' is mounted on
the rod g, the extremity of which arm is provided with a hole, through which passes
the spindle c¹ and the centre of which carries a projection g', the function of which
will be indicated further on. When the rod G is pushed towards the right, the
arm g³ takes the finished ball and thrusts it towards the extremity of the spindle,
directly behind the scissors n n¹ and against the preceding ball which is thus pushed
into the outlet channel i. During the movement of the rod G to the right, the
cone gt fixed thereto drives the flat arm of the lever h' back towards the outside,
said lever being held in position between a stopping ring h³ and the hub of the.
indicating or brake lever h² and pivotally connected to the shaft H (Figs. 1, 2 and 3).
By means of a connecting rod 1, the lever h is connected to a lever et fixed to
the shaft E. A screw e serves to regulate the position of the lever et. Another
connecting rod k, likewise connected to the lever h*, actuates the movable blade n¹ of
the scissors, the other blade n of which is fixed to a support N (Figs. 3 and 6). A
lever d, pivotally fixed to the shaft D, presses under the action of the spring do
against the back of the movable blade n¹ and at the required moment causes the
scissors to close. On a support il arranged in front of the scissors, a receiving
channel or shoot is pivoted, one extremity of which, namely the one directed towards
the scissors, bears against a finger do of the lever Figs. 2 and 3. By means of this
finger d the channel or shoot i, at the time when the scissors are closed, occupies
the inclined position indicated in solid lines, (Fig. 2) and at their time of their opening,
the position indicated in dotted lines, in which latter position the channel or shoot lies
directly opposite the scissors. As shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the thread guide e³ is
withdrawn from the spindle and takes up the position indicated in Fig. 3, in dotted
lines. owing to the movement of the rod G toward the right, which rod acting through
the mediuin of the cone g³, operates the compound lever mechanism, as the scissors
are open and as the channel or shoot is occupying its horizontal position. The
operating parts are held in their respective positions while the movement of the rod G
towards the right is being completed, and this is effected by means of the projection g
herein before referred to which is arranged on the sleeve g² of the arm g³, and which
passes along behind the arm h³; this movement enables the arm to thrust the
finished ball, without causing any obstruction, toward the right hand extremity of
the spindle, and the preceding ball between the blades of the scissors into the channel
or shoot.
During the return motion of the rod G, after the passage of the cone g* against
the lever arm h³, the lever d is brought back into the position represented in full
lines in Fig. 3, by the action of the spring do, and the channel or shoot i owing to
the inclination of the finger d³, descends into the inclined position and simultaneously
carries along to a certain extent the ball which has just arrived therein. The
scissors close under the action of the lever d and cut the thread between the ball
lying in the channel and that which is held upon the extremity of the spindle. The
first ball then drops into a receiver, the thread guide is returned to its working
position, adjusted by the set screw e, by the lever mechanism actuated by the
spring d and the arm g³ is returned to its initial position by the rod G. The sleeve
cam gagain acts upon the spring-blade c²; the friction wheel c is again actuated by
the wheel a, and the operation of winding a fresh ball commences.
In case a ball should be accidentally caught and retained between the scissors, a
device is provided by which the wheel c, carrying the spindle c¹, is prevented from
entering into contact with the driving wheel a' and the winding operation is
suspended. For this purpose, the shaft D supported by the bearings D1 D2, possesses,
besides the lever d, a lever di (Fig. 4) pivotally connected to a rod d² guided by a

page_text: support L. This rod terminates in a bevelled part followed by a thickening or
head d³.
In the position of winding, represented in Fig. 4, a projection d', likewise
bevelled, and appertaining to the frame C¹ which pivots around the shaft F, is located
below the part d³. If a fall is accidentally retained between the scissors, it prevents
them from closing; the lever d is thus retained by the back of the blade n¹. When
the scissors are allowed to close, the rod d² occupies the position represented in
Fig. 4, in which position the wheels a and c are in contact, as already described,
whereas, when the scissors no longer operate that is to say, when they remain open,
contact can no longer take place and the winding operation is stopped until the ball
has been moved away. This effect is produced by the rod d² being maintained in a
lower position by the lever d, the shaft D and the lever d¹, and in which position
the head d³ is held between the support L and the projection d' of the frame C¹.
In Fig. 1, r represents the carrier with the spool p, from which the thread is
passed to a thread-tightener q and thence to the hole of the thread guide.
We would finally point out that the brake g of the friction wheel c may be so
arranged on the rod G that the shaft, which carries the spindle, will execute a few.
more revolutions by its inertia when left to itself and when the thread guide recedes
from the finished ball, whereby upon the oblique turns of the thread of the hall a
few turns of thread passing vertically to the axis of the ball are wound centrally
upon the ball in order to prevent the same from being undone.
Having now particularly described and ascertained, the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
· 1. A ball winding machine provided with a single driving shaft producing all
movements continuous or intermittent, required for all the respective operating parts
of the machine.
2. A ball winding machine provided with a single driving shaft, on which is fixed
one of two friction wheels, movable or capable of being thrown out of gear, and
transmitting the rotary motion to the spindle or spool; a cylindrical cam imparting
an oscillating movement to the thread guide, and an endless screw actuating a worm
wheel which, each time that the brake or indicating lever has executed a given
movement, when the ball is finished causes a crank shaft to perform one revolution
under the influence of a coupling mechanism controlled by the movement of the
'brake or indicating lever, said shaft giving reciprocal motion to a rod, from which the
operating parts are actuated to place into and out of contact the friction pulleys for
driving the spindle, to displace and to remove the finished balls and to cut the
thread.
3. A ball winding machine provided with a channel or shoot for receiving the
finished balls, which channel or shoot pivots in front of the scissors and is actuated
by a reciprocating rod and by means of a spring, so that when the scissors are open,
the said channel or shoot lies directly opposite said scissors and in line with the
winding spindle, whereas, when the scissors are closed, the said channel is moved
away from the scissors and occupies an inclined position.
4. In a ball winding machine, a propelling mechanism for the thread guide,
substantially as described.
5. In a ball winding machine a cone arranged on the rod G and operating in
connection with the lever mechanism h³ hlke serving to move the thread guide
away from the ball, to open the scissors and to place the receiving channel in a
horizontal position.
6. In a ball winding machine a lever d pivoted on the shaft D, with a finger d³,
and the lower surface of which finger serves as a support for the receiving channel or
shoot.
7. In a ball winding machine a device placed in relation with the lever d on the
shaft D, and comprising the lever d¹, rod d² and support L, said device serving to

page_text: prevent the friction wheels from operating the spindle as soon as a ball has been
retained between the scissors substantially as described.
8. The improvements in balling machines substantially as described with reference
to the drawings.
Dated this 17th day of September 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.