IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WINDING YARN OR THREAD ON TO BOBBINS, SPOOLS, OR OTHER SIMILAR SURFACES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Patrick Stewart, of the Atlas Works, in the
City of Manchester, and County of Laucaster, Mechanical Engineer, and
James Gresham, of the same Place, Machinist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WINDING YARN OR THREAD ON TO
BOBBINS, SPOOLS, OR OTHER SIMILAR SURFACES."
Sealed the 4th November 1864, and dated the 6th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Patrick Stewart
and James Gresham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 6th May 1864.
We, CHARLES PATRICK STEWART, of the Atlas Works, in the City of
Manchester, and County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, and JAMES,
GRESHAM, of the same Place, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WINDING YARN
OR THREAD ON TO BOBBINS, SPOOLS, OR OTHER SIMILAR SURFACES," to be as
follows:-
ت:
Our improvements are made upon that arrangement and combination of
mechanism for which Letters Patent were granted to William Weild,.
[Price 8d.]

page_text: numbered 699, and dated the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty. In the Specification of the said
Letters Patent a finger is described, one being used for each head, by which
the thread, when the machine is about to change the spool, is carried to one
side so as to be taken by the hook for cutting and fixing the thread. This
finger is secured upon a rod passing from end to end of the machine, being
one of three similar rods actuated by cams. The arrangement and mode of
actuating this finger has been found inconvenient, as it not only requires a
special adjustment for every change in the size of the spool, but places a limit
to the size of the spool, which can be filled with thread by coming in the way
of other parts of the machine. By our improvements- we overcome these
objections by arranging one finger for each head, so that it is out of the way,
being fixed in position, and so that it does not require adjustments in the
extent of its movements for a change in the size of the spools, but merely an
adjustment in respect to its height above the axis of the spool. This part of
our Invention consists in fixing a thread finger for each head upon the end of
a short shaft placed in an-oblique position in bearings attached to the bracket
carrying the thread-cutting hook; this short shaft being arranged so as to make
a semi-rotation from a position in which the finger is out of the way (when the
machine is winding) to one in which it will catch the thread (when the
machine is changing) between the spool and the thread-distributing guide,
and hold it in the position in which it can be caught by the cutting and fixing
hook. The semi-rotatory movement is imparted by the same cam which
actuates the hook, as a pin fixed upon the hook works up and down in a cam
path formed in a piece secured upon the short oblique shaft.
Another method of overcoming the objections to the arrangement and mode
of actuating the thread finger, as described in the Specification of the said
Letters Patent in which this part of our Invention cousists is, by fixing a
socket or other projection upon the sliding rod and mounting a swivel finger
upon it, which can move in one direction, but will be rigid in the opposite
direction. This socket or other projection and its swivel finger (one for each
head) will be at the hook end of the spool when the machine is, winding, and
thus out of the way, but when the change is to be made the cam will move
the finger towards the other end of the spool, and will be brought against the
thread or its guide, the finger will give way in this direction, but, after it has.
passed and become free from the thread it will be brought against a stop by a
spring, and being rigid in the direction of its return movement it will carry
the thread with it so as to be caught, by the hook.

page_text: Another part of our Invention relates to an arrangement of the mechanism
for stopping the machine when a thread breaks, and this part of our Invention
consists in mounting one lever for each head, so that its fulcrum will be
carried by a part from the thread-distributing guide; this lever is balanced so
that one end will fall (when not sustained) upon a rod passing from end to
end of the machine, which rod is arranged to slide freely in brackets attached
to the framing, and this sliding rod is connected with a lever attached to a
shaft having at one end two arms which come under the rod for stopping the
machine; by this means, should the sliding rod move in either direction one
of the arms under the stopping rod will lift and release it from the notch
which holds and prevents the spring from pushing it endways and stopping.
the machine. The thread passing to the spool is taken through two "curls,"
one at each end of the balanced lever, so that when the thread is winding
one ending of the lever is lifted, and the other end is depressed by the tension
of the passing thread, and by this means the balanced lever is prevented from
falling upon the sliding rod, which has a series of notches formed in one side
of it, into which the lever enters when the thread breaks, so that the sliding
rod will be carried along with the thread guide, and this will give the required
movement to stop the machine. The sliding rod has notches only upon one
side of it, so that by turning it partly round by a suitable handle, the notches"
will not catch upon the balanced levers, in which case the machine would
then work through all the balanced levers (there being one for each head)
rested upon the sliding rod, as they do when the machine is stopped, the
tension sustaining the levers not then being in action, so that when the
machine has been stopped the sliding rod is turned till the machine has put
the tension upon the threads, except when the machine stops for changing the
spools, in this case, through the balanced levers fall upon the sliding rod it is
upon a part of it where there are no notches, so that the balanced levers do
not come opposite the notches till the machine has commenced the winding,
when the tension upon the threads will sustain them.
Another part of our Invention consists in simplifying the arrangementsofa
part of the machine by placing the fulcrums of the levers for carrying the
incision knives and spring points upon the bracket which forms the bearing
of the traverse rod, by this means saving a bracket and rendering the
parts less crowded and more accessible. We find it an advantage to add
brackets to the back of the machine, so that the shaft to which the rods are
connected for putting pressure upon the thread guides may be placed at a
greater distance from the spools, thereby obtaining a greater length of con-

page_text: necting rod, and consequently the thread guide will be less affected by the
curve described by the end of the rod.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Patrick Stewart and James Gresham in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 4th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
PATRICK STEWART, of the Atlas Works, in the City of Manchester, and County
of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, and JAMES GRESHAM, of the same Place,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Charles Patrick Stewart and James Gresham, Herspecial license that
we, the said Charles Patrick Stewart and James Gresham, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Patrick.
Stewart and James Gresham, our executors,administrators, and assigns, should
at any
time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland; the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WINDING YARN OR THREAD ON TO BOBBINS, SPOOLS, OR
OTHER SIMILAR SURFACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Charles Patrick Stewart and James Gresham, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals (or under the hand and seal of one of us)
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and.
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles Patrick Stewart and James
Gresham, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inventior, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings,
that is to say:-

page_text: Our improvements are made upon that arrangement and combination of
mechanism for which Letters Patent were granted to William Weild, Dum-
bered 699, and dated the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty. In the Specification of the said
Letters Patent a finger is described (one being used for each head) by which
the thread when the machine is about to change the spool is carried to one
side so as to be taken by the hook for cutting and fixing the thread. This
finger is secured upon a rod passing from end to end of the machine, being
one of three similar rods actuated by cams. The arrangement aud mode of
actuating this finger has been found inconvenient, as it not only requires a
special adjustment for every change in the size of the spool, but places a limit
to the size of the spool, which can be filled with thread by coming in the way
of other parts of the machine. By our improvements we overcome these
objections by arranging one finger for each head, so that it is out of the way,
being fixed in position, and so that it does not require adjustments in the
extent of its movements for a change in the size of the spools, but merely an
adjustment in respect to its height above the axis of the spool. This part of
our Invention consists in fixing a thread finger for each head upon the end of
a short shaft placed in an oblique position in bearings attached to the bracket
carrying the thread cutting hook, this short shaft being arranged so as to
make a semi-rotation from a position in which the finger is out of the way
(when the inachine is winding) to one in which it will catch the thread
(when the machine is changing) between the spool and the thread-distributing
guide, and hold it in the position in which it can be caught by the cutting,
and fixing hook. The semi-rotatory movement is imparted by the same cam
which actuates the.hook, as a piu fixed upon the hook works up and down in
a cam path formed in a piece secured upon the short oblique shaft. Instead
of a separate cam path for each finger a toothed pinion may be secured upon
each oblique shaft, and made to geer with a toothed rack passing from end to
end of the machine, and actuated by a separate cam.
Another method of overcoming the objections to the arrangement and made
of actuating the thread finger, as described in the Specification of the said
Letters Patent, in which this part of our Invention consists, is by fixing a
projection or socket with an adjustable finger upon the sliding rod, and in
imparting an additional movement to the sliding rod, that is, a partial
rotatory movement. By this means the finger can be withdrawn clear of
the thread, when the hook has taken hold of it, and the rod can be made
to move backwards without coming in contact with the thread, and then

page_text: the rod can be turned so as to catch the thread when the rod moves
forwards.
Another part of our Invention relates to an arrangement of the mechanism
for stopping the machine when a thread breaks; and this part of our Invention
consists in mounting one lever for each head, so that its fulcrum will be
carried by a part from the thread-distributing guide. This lever is balanced
so that one end will fall (when not sustained) upon a rod passing from end to
end of the machine, which rod is arranged to slide freely in brackets attached
to the framing; and this sliding rod is connected with a lever attached to a
shaft having at one end two arms which come under the rod for stopping the
machine; by this means should the sliding rod move in either direction, one
of the arms under the stopping rod will lift and release it from the notch
which holds and prevents the spring from pushing it endways, and stopping
the machine. The thread passing to the spool is taken through two curls,
one at each end of the balanced lever, so that when the thread is winding,
one end of the lever is lifted, and the other end is depressed by the tension
of the passing thread, and by this mears the balanced lever is prevented
from falling upon the sliding rod, which has a series of notches formed in one
side of it, into which the lever enters when the thread breaks, so that the
sliding rod will be carried along with the thread guide, and this will give the
required movement to stop the machine. The sliding rod has notches only
upon one side of it, so that by turning it partly round by a suitable handle, the
notches will not catch upon the balanced levers, in which case the machine
would then work though all the balanced levers (there being one for each
head) rested upon the sliding rod as they do when the machine is stopped,
the tension sustaining the levers not then being in action, so that when the
inachine has been stopped, the sliding rod is turned till the machine has put
the tension upon the thread, except when the machine stops for changing the
spools, in this case though the balanced levers fall upon the sliding rod it is
upon a part of it where there are no notches; so that the balanced levers do
not come opposite the notches till the machine has commenced the winding,
when the tension upon the threads will sustain them.
Another part of our Invention consists in simplifying the arrangements of a
part of the machine by placing the fulcrums of the levers for carrying the
incision knives and spring points upon the bracket, which forms the bearing
of the traversing rod, by this means saving a bracket (for each head), and
rendering the parts less crowded and more accessible. We find it an ad-
vantage to add brackets to the back of the machine, so that the shaft to which

page_text: the rods are connected for putting pressure upon the thread guides may be
placed at a greater distance from the spools, thereby obtaining a greater
length of connecting rod, and consequently the thread guide will be less
affected by the curve described by the end of the rod.
Our inprovements are illustrated by the Figures upon the accompanying
three Sheets of Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a cross sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a front elevation of one
head shewing the parts which immediately operate upon the spool; and the
thread to be wound upon it. We shall first name the old parts, and then
describe those parts of our improvements which are illustrated by these
Figures of the Drawings.
A, represents the framing and beams for carrying the mechanism; 'a, a
trough for empty spools; b, the trough into which the spools are discharged
when filled with thread; c is the shaft which has the wheel upon it, that
gives motion to the wheel upon the spindle upon which the spool is placed;
d is the spool spindle. This spindle d has a collar (d¹) upon it, which is "
forced against the end of the spool (d) by 'a spiral spring (d2) placed upon
the spindle (d) as shown; that edge of the collar against the spool is serrated
so as to take hold of the wood of the spool. The collar (d) is made to rotate
with the spindle, and is prevented from being pushed too farby the springwhen
the spool is discharged by a pin fixed in the spindle, which enters into a slot
in the collar parallel to the axis of the spindle; e' is the arm upon the rod (e),
which gives end movement to the spindle (d); f is the rod which gives.
motion to the arm (f) that carries the hollowspindle (f); g is the traversing
rod for distributing the thread, and g' is the part carrying the tread dis-
tributing guide (9), and the spring nippers (93) for regulating the ter:sion
the thread; h is the shaft upon which is fixed the arm or trough (h¹),
that presents the empty spoil which is next to be placed on the spindle (d);
is the leverwhich carries the knife for making the incision in the edge of the
spool, and the spring point for guiding the thread to the incision; % is the.
hook by which the thread is drawn into the incision made in the edge of the
spool, and by which the thread is cut and held till secured between the spool
and the collar (d) upon the spindle (d). This hook is actuated by a forked
arm () fixed on the shaft (k2) as shewn.
upon
Those parts of the Drawings above described are old, the description which
follows relates to our improvements. For the purpose of simplifying the
mechanism we mount the stud ( ') for the lever () on a projection from the
bracket (3) carrying the bearing of the spool spindle (d), thereby saving a

page_text: special bracket hitherto used for the purpose. Our improved apparatus for
placing the thread in a position to be taken by the cutting and fixing hook,
consists of the oblique shaft (7), capable of rotating in bearings formed in the
bracket carrying the thread hook (k). The upper end of this oblique shaft
(1) carries a finger (') which can be secured and adjusted by a set screw.
Upon the lower end of the oblique shaft (7), a cylindrical part (2) is secured
by a set screw; it is of such length as to extend between the two bearings of
the oblique shaft, and when secured to the shaft prevents end play in the
shaft, and by means of the set screws the oblique shaft can be adjusted to
any required height according to the diameter of the spool. Into this
cylindrical part (2) a cam path is formed of the shape shewn by the diagram
Fig. 3, the periphery in which the cam path is formed is supposed to be a
flat surface. There is a pin (3) secured to the hook (k), the end of which
pin enters the cam path as shewn, by a detached cross sectional view by
Fig. 4. The point of the pin moves in a line parallel to the axis of the
oblique shaft (1), and causes it to make a semi-rotation when ascending, and
another back semi-rotation when descending, by acting upon the cam path.
When the pin (*) ascends it acts upon one side, and when it descends it acts
upon the other side of the cam path, there being sufficient friction upon the
oblique shaft to prevent it from moving by accident. When the pin (³) is
at its highest point, the finger (11) is in the position shewn in Fig. 1; when at
its lowest point the finger (1) has made a semi-rotation. It will be seen that
the cam path is so formed that the back semi-rotation does not begin till the
hook has got below the finger (1). Instead of a cam path, a toothed pinion
(13) may be placed upon each oblique shaft (1) as shewn in Fig. (5); a
detached enlarged cross sectional view, and this pinion (13) upon each oblique
shaft (1) may be made to geer with a toothed rack (4), (see sectional view
Fig. 6) carried in suitable bearings; and this rack may be actuated endways
to give the required movements by a suitable cam.
The other method of accomplishing the object of this part of our Invention
is illustrated by Fig. 7 a cross sectional view, and Fig. 8 a front view; d is
the spindle for the spool (dx); is the rod for giving end movements to the
spindle; fis the rod for giving end movements to the hollow spindle, and m
is the rod hitherto used for actuating the thread finger. The finger (1) may
be arranged as shown, but the rod (m) has both end movements and oscillatory
movements. When the machine is winding, the finger (") stands in about the
position shown in Fig. 8, but the rod m is turned till the arm (m²) is in the
position shewn in dotted line, Fig. 7, in which position the finger (") will be
1

page_text: quiet clear of the thread (x). When the change of spool is to take place,
the rod m is slided endways by its cam till the fiuger (1) can pass on the
spool side of the thread, then the rod (m) is turned so that the finger (1)
will catch and take the thread (x) on the back movement of the rod. The
rod (m) will be allowed to stand with the finger (4) in the position shewn in
Fig. 8, till the hook (k) (see Fig. 1) has taken the thread, when the rod (m)
may be made to oscillate back so as to withdraw the finger (1) clear from the
thread; and stand in that position which it occupies when the machine is
winding. But if the finger ("") is hooked at its end, as shown in Fig. 8, the
cam should cause the rod (m) to make another forward movement to disengage
the hook of the finger before the rod is turned, and then a final back move-
ment to the position in which the finger (1) stands when the machine is
winding. The rod (m) has oscillating movements imparted to it by an arm
(m) loose upon it, but having a key sliding in a groove in the rod (m), and
the arm is held in position between the forks of a bracket (m²), forming one
of the bearings of the rod (see Figs. 7 and 8). Motion is conveyed to the
arm (m²) by a rod connected with a lever actuated by a cam. The rod (m)
may be placed in any other convenient.position. Fig. 9 is an end view, and
Fig. 10 a front view, of part of the machine illustrating the mode of stopping
the machine when a thread breaks; Fig. 11 is a plan, and Fig 12 a cross
sectional view, and Fig. 13 a front view of parts on a large scale for bringing
in action the mechanism for stopping the machine when a thread breaks.
A, the framing; n, fast and loose driving pulleys on the end of the first motion
shaft (n), which drives the second motion shaft (n²) by a belt. The driving
belt on the pulleys (n) is traversed by the belt guide (23) fixed on the upper
end of a, shaft (n) in suitable bearings, and an arm upon the lower end of
this shaft is jointed with one end of a rod (n³) passing in front of the machine;
the other end of the rod (15) is free to slide and to lift up in the slots in a
double arm or lever (n°) on the end of a.shaft (n) placed in suitable bearings
at a right angle to the stop rod (n); the end of this shaft projects, and is
formed so that a notch upon the stop rod (5) can catch upon itas,shown best
in Figs: 12 and 13. When the notch has hold of the end of the shaft (n'),
it resists the action of a spring (n³) held in tension, which upon the rod being
released will slide it endways, and pass the driving belt from the fast to the
loose pulley. Whichever way the shaft (n) is oscillated, either one or
the other arm (n) will lift the rod (n³);. and release it from the end of the
shaft (n), and consequently allow the spring (m³) to stop the machine. Upon
the shaft (n) an upright arm (n) is fixed, which is connected with a rod,(p)

page_text: capable of sliding in bearings in a projection from the bracket carrying the
spindle of each spooling head. This rod is connected with the upright
arm (n), so that it can be rotated or partly turned round upon its axis as
shown in Figs. 12 and 13. The rod (p) has a series of notches in its upper
side opposite each spooling head. Upon the part carrying the thread dis-
tributing guide, a lever (p') is placed on a fulcrum (p³) as shewn in Figs.
11 and 12. One end of this lever (p') preponderates over the other, so that
if unsustained, the heavy end will fall upon the rod (p),and enter one of the
notches in it, consequently this rod (p) will be carried along endways with the.
traversing rod (g) till the lever (n) has moved sufficiently to release
the stop rod (n³). The balance lever (p¹) has two curls (p³) in it as shown,
and the thread to be wound passes through these curls, and the tension upon it
will lift one end and depress the other end of the lever, so as to sustain it as
long as the thread remains unbroken. When the machine stops all the threads
become slack, and the balanced levers will fall upon the notched' rod (p);
this occurs when the machine is changing the spools, but as this always takes
place on the same side of the spool, no notches are formed in the rod (p)
immediately opposite the balanced levers when in that position, so that time
is given for the tension to come upon the threads before the balanced levers
come opposite the notches in the rod. To start the machine after it has been
stopped in any other position than that above described, the rod (p) is turned
by a suitable handle, so that the balanced levers will not rest upon the
notches, but upon the smooth part of the rod. 7 is one of the brackets
applied to the back beam to carry the shaft (9) for putting pressure upon
the spool, which bracket allows the connecting rod (92) to be lengthened,
and thus enlarges the radius of the arc of oscillation, so that in long spools
the pressure will be less affected by the curve described by the end of the
connecting rod. The same figures are placed upon the same or corresponding
parts, so that those parts of the Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13, which have not
been referred to will be readily understood from the letters and figures upon
the Drawings previously explained.
"
In describing our improvements and their mode of action, we have
referred to the parts of one "head only, but it will be understood
that the movements described are given to several heads and sets of parts
simultaneously.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention, and the
'mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim as our Invention,»
Firstly, the arrangement and combination of mechanisın for placing the

page_text: thread in a position to be taken by the cutting and fixing hook (k) as herein-
before described.
Secondly, the arrangement of the levers carrying the incision knife and
the spring point, in the manner herein-before described.
Thirdly, the arrangement and combination of the mechanism for stopping
the machine when a thread breaks, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Patrick Stewart and James
Gresham, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Third day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four.
CHARLES P. STEWART. (L.S.)
JAMES GRESHAM.
(L.S.)