IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Illston, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS
TO SEWING MACHINES,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Illston at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th October 1880.
GEORGE ILLSTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO SEWING MACHINES."
My Invention consists of the new or improved arrangements, herein after
described, of mechanism to be attached to and operated by sewing machines, by
which said mechanism the winding of the thread on the shuttle spool is effected by
the turning of the handle of the sewing machine.
According to one of my improvements I arrange the mechanism in the following
manner-On the same level as, and near the principal axis of the machine, a
rotatory spring holder for carrying the spool on which the thread is to be wound
is supported. By means of toothed gearing rotary motion is communicated from
the said axis to the said carrier. Nearly parallel to the spool carrier is a slender
rod on which a grooved roller is placed. This roller rotates freely on the said rod,
and is besides capable of a sliding motion thereon. The said rod is fixed at its
end in a carrier which is attached to the machine by a pin or centre on which it
is capable of swivelling through a small angle, so that by its swivelling motion the
rod on which the sliding roller is situated may take a position differing by a small
angle from parallelism with the spool carrier, that is, it may swivel in either
direction so as to make a small angle from parallelism with the spool carrier.
The reel from which the thread is to be unwound is placed on an axis at the top
of the machine and over the spool carrier. The thread after passing from the
reel between tension plates descends and passes round the grooved sliding roller
described, and from thence to the spool.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:-The end of the thread being
attached to the spool and the handle of the machine turned, the winding of the
thread on the spool proceeds through about one half the spool, the sliding carrier
Prine d

page_text: being carried along its rod as the winding proceeds. When the roller has passed
the centre of its carrier, the said carrier swivels by the tension of the thread, and
by the changed position of the rod on which the roller slides the travelling of the
roller through the remaining half of its range is facilitated, and the winding on
the second half of the spool proceeds without interruption. When the thread has
wound to the end of the spool the winding proceeds towards the other end of the
spool, the roller carrier swivelling when the roller has passed the middle of the
spool. In this way the winding of the spool continues, the swivelling of the rod
carrying the sliding roller around which the thread passes determining the regular
or uniform winding of the thread.
According to another of my improvements I employ two rods carrying sliding
rollers, the said rods being fixed and parallel to the spool carrier.
The reel from which the thread is unwound is carried by a bracket supported
by carriers travelling on the parallel rods. The travelling rollers over which the
thread passes from the reel to the spool are situated between the arms of the said
carriers, and as the winding on the spool proceeds the grooved rollers, in con-
sequence of the tension of the thread, travel in the direction of the winding, taking
with them the brackets of the reel carrier and consequently the reel. The reel
supplying the thread is thus carried backwards and forwards simultaneously with
the backward and forward winding of the thread on the spool.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Illston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th April
1881.
GEORGE ILLSTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO SEWING MACHINES."
My Invention consists of the new or improved arrangements, herein after
described, of mechanism to be attached to and operated by sewing machines, by
which said mechanism the winding of the thread on the shuttle spool is effected by
the turning of the handle of the sewing machine.
According to one of my improvements I arrange the mechanism in the following
manner-On the same level as, and near the principal axis of the machine, a
rotatory spring holder for carrying the spool on which the thread is to be wound
is supported. By means of toothed gearing rotary motion is communicated from
the said axis to the said carrier. Nearly parallel to the spool carrier is a slender
rod on which a grooved roller is placed. This roller rotates freely on the said rod,
and is besides capable of a sliding motion thereon. The said rod is fixed at its
end in a carried which is attached to the machine by a pin or centre on which it
is capable of swivelling through a small angle, so that by its swivelling motion the
rod on which the sliding roller is situated may take a position differing by a small
angle from parallelism with the spool carrier, that is, it may swivel in either
direction so as to make a small angle from parallelism with the spool carrier. The
reel from which the thread is to be unwound is placed on an axis at the top of the
machine and over the spool carrier. The thread after passing from the reel
between tension plates descends and passes round the grooved sliding roller
described and from thence to the spool.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:-The end of the thread being
attached to the spool and the handle of the machine turned, the winding of the
thread on the spool proceeds through about one half the spool, the sliding carrier
being carried along its rod as the winding proceeds. When the roller has passed
the centre of its carrier, the said carrier swivels by the tension of the thread, and
by the changed position of the rod on which the roller slides the travelling of the
roller through the remaining half of its range is facilitated, and the winding on
the second half of the spool proceeds without interruption. When the thread
has wound to the end of the spool the winding proceeds towards the other end of
the spool, the roller carrier swivelling when the roller has passed the middle of
the spool. In this way the winding of the spool continues, the swivelling of the
rod carrying the sliding roller around which the thread passes determining the
regular or uniform winding of the thread.
According to another of my improvements I employ two rods carrying sliding
rollers, the said rods being fixed and parallel to the spool carrier.
The reel from which the thread is unwound is carried by a bracket supported
by carriers travelling on the parallel rods. The travelling rollers over which the
thread passes from the reel to the spool are situated between the arms of the said
carriers, and as the winding on the spool proceeds the grooved rollers, in con-
sequence of the tension of the thread, travel in the direction of the winding, taking
with them the brackets of the reel carrier, and consequently the reel. The reel
supplying the thread is thus carried backwards and forwards simultaneously with
the backward and forward winding of the thread on the spool.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation partly in section, and Figure 2 in end

page_text: elevation partly in section winding mechanism constructed according to the first
part of my Invention applied to a sewing machine; Figure 3 is a plan of the
winding mechanism detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
a is the spool holder, and b is the spool on which the thread is to be wound.
The spindle c by which the spool 6 is driven has on its inner end a pinion d, with
which a spur wheel e on the axis f of the sewing machine gears. By means of the
toothed gearing d, e, rotary motion may be communicated from the sewing machine
to the spindle c and spool b. The spindle c is capable of sliding in the bearing c³,
and is pressed outwards or from the driving wheel of the sewing machine by the
coiled spring represented. When the spool b is removed the spindle c is pressed
outwards by its spring, and the toothed wheel d is thrown out of gear with the
toothed wheel e. g is a slender rod on which a grooved roller h slides and rotates.
The said rod is supported by the carrier i, i, the base plate of which is attached
to the machine by the pin or axis k, on which pin or axis the carrier is capable of
swivelling through a small angle, that is, the carrier i, i³, can either take the
position represented in continuous lines in Figure 3, or the position indicated in
dotted lines in Figure 3. When in either of these positions the rod g on which the
grooved roller h works differs by a small angle from parallelism with the spool b.
Stops 1, 1, on the fixed framing of the sewing machine limit the motion of the
swivelling carrier i, i, in either direction. m is the reel from which the thread is
unwound. The thread after leaving the reel m passes between the tension plates n,
and descends and passes under the grooved sliding roller h on the rod g, and from
thence to the spool b (see Figure 2). The tension plates n are carried by the
adjustable arm p, and the said tension plates are pressed together by the coiled
spring at q.
The action of the winding mechanism is as follows:-The thread from the reel m
having been conducted to the spool b in the manner described, the handle of the
machine is turned, and motion is thereby transmitted through the toothed wheels e
and & and spindle c to the spool b, and the winding of the thread on the spool
proceeds, the sliding roller h being carried along its rod g as the said winding
proceeds. As the winding of the thread is effected, say, on the left hand half of the
spool (see Figure 3), the carrier i, 2, is maintained by the tension of the thread in
the position represented in continuous lines. When however the roller h around
which the thread is coiled has passed its middle position, and approaches the right
hand end of the spool, the carrier i, 2, swivels on its axis k by the tension of the
thread into the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3, and the travelling of
the roller through the remaining half of its stroke, so as to coil the thread on the
right hand half of the spool, is facilitated, the winding of the thread proceeding
without interruption. When the thread has wound to the end of the spool, the
winding of the next coil upon the spool commences; and when the roller / has
passed the middle of the spool the carrier i, i³, again swivels upon its centre k into
the position shown in continuous lines in Figure 3. The swivelling of the rod g
carrying the roller & thus takes place after the thread has been coiled upon one half
of the spool, and the roller h has reached the middle of its traversing motion, the
changed position of the said rod g to the spool b determining the regular or uniform
winding of the thread upon the spool.
For the purpose of holding the coiled thread firmly upon the spool as the winding
proceeds, I use on the under side of the spool a spring presser plate marked r.
This presser plate is carried by the vertical rod or axis 8, the latter working
in a socket in the frame of the machine (see Figure 2). A coiled spring in the
socket acting upon the bottom of the axis or rods presses the plater against the
underside of the thread coiled upon the reel. The coils of the thread are thus
preserved in their places on the reel. In order to remove the spool from its carrier
it is necessary first to turn the presser plater upon its rod or axis 8 into the
position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3.
Figure 4 represents in front elevation, and Figure 5 in transverse section winding

page_text: mechanism constructed according to my Invention, in which two rods carrying
sliding rollers are employed, and in which the reel is made to travel with the
sliding rollers. Figures 6 and 7 are parts of the winding mechanism. Figure
represents a cross section of the parts of the winding mechanism drawn to a larger
scale.
a is the spool carrier, and 6 the shuttle spool, the said shuttle spool being driven
from the rim of the sewing machine. The spool carrier a, a, is jointed at d to the
sewing machine by the arm a pressed upon by a spring, so that the friction wheel a³
on the said carrier a, a, can be geared to or ungeared from the driving wheel o of
the sewing machine at pleasure; e, e, are the parallel rods fixed to the spool
carrier a, a.
On each of the rods e a grooved roller is supported and slides; his
the reel from which the thread is unwound. The reel h is supported between the
arms of the forked hanging bracket i, the said arms of the bracket being affixed to
the connected carriers k, k, working on the rods e, e, and situated on opposite sides
of the sliding rollers f, f, so that as the said rollers make their traversing motion
upon the rods e, e, a like notion is imparted to the hanging bracket i and reel h
carried by it. One of the rollers f is represented detached in Figure 7, and an end
elevation of one of the carriers k is shown in Figure 6. The axes of the rollers f
take into the grooves k³ in the carriers. The thread from the reel his coiled
around the travelling rollers f, f, in the manner represented in Figures 5 and 8
before it passes to the spool b. When the spool b is thrown into gear with the
driving wheel c of the sewing machine the said spool 6 is rotated, and the thread
wound upon it. As the winding on the spool proceeds the grooved rollers f, ƒ, in
consequence of the tension on the thread, travel in the direction of the winding,
taking with them the hanging bracket i, and consequently the reel h.
The reel h supplying the thread is thereby carried backwards and forwards
simultaneously with the backward and forward winding of the thread upon the
spool b, and the uniform winding of the thread thus effected.
The required tension is put upon the reel h by the spring holder I, the conical
end of which takes into the hole in the reel, and constitutes one of the pivots on
which the reel turns.
Figure 9 represents in front elevation, and Figures 10 and 11 in side elevation
partly in section a modification of the winding mechanism last described, in which
modification the uniform winding of the thread upon the spool is effected by means
of tension plates combined with a single sliding or travelling roller.
In Figures 9 and 10 the winding mechanism is represented in action, and in
Figure 11 thrown out of action.
Figure 12 represents a plan of the winding mechanism detached; Figure 13
represents in side elevation, and Figure 14 in front elevation and section the
sliding grooved roller combined with the tension plates.
a, a, is the spool carrier, and b is the spool. The spool carrier is jointed by the
arm a³ to the sewing machine, the parts for driving the rotating axis of the spool
from the sewing machine being of the kind last described, and corresponding parts
are marked with the same letters of reference; is the slender horizontal rod
supported by the spool carrier a, a, and situated parallel to the spool b; f is the
grooved roller capable of sliding and rotating upon the said rod e. Connected to
the roller fare tension plates g, g, between which the thread from the reel passes
on its way to the spool. The said tension plates g, g, are pressed together by the
coiled spring h carried by the screw pin i. At the horn shaped ends of the tension
plates g, g, are studs k, k, which confine the thread between the said plates, that is,
prevent the thread when tension is put upon it from being pulled from between the
said plates. The studs k, k, are fixed on one plate, and holes in the other plate pass
onto the said studs. By means of lips at the horn shaped ends of the plates 9, 9,
they may be separated for passing the thread over the studs k, k, and between the
said plates. The thread from the reel is conducted to the spool b in the following
manner: The thread from the reel first passes through the guide eye m, and is
then passed between the tension plates g, g, on one side of the screw pin i, and

page_text: then under the sliding grooved roller f; the thread is then passed between the
tension plates g, g, at the other side of the screw pin i, and from thence to the
shuttle spool b, as illustrated in the Drawing.
When the winding mechanism is out of gear with the driving wheel c of the
sewing machine the thread and the tension plates g,g, take the positions represented
in Figure 11, but when the winding mechanism is in gear with the driving wheel c
the thread and tension plates occupy the positions represented in Figures 9, 10,
and 12, the thread delivered from between the tension plates being situated near
the spool b. When rotary motion is given to the spool b the thread is wound upon
it, the friction of the thread passing between the tension plates g, g, causing them
and the roller f to travel backwards and forwards upon the fixed rod e. The tension
plates g, g, are thereby made to follow the winding of the thread upon the spool,
and thus secure the regular or uniform winding of the said thread.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
of "Improvements in or Additions to Sewing Machines,"
First. The construction and combination of the parts of winding mechanism
operated from the sewing machine for winding the thread on shuttle spools herein
before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say, the construction of the swivelling carrier i, i, k, sup-
porting the rod g, and the combination with the said rod of the roller h sliding
and rotating on the said rod, for the purpose and substantially as described and
illustrated.
Secondly. The construction and combination of the parts of winding mechanism
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say, the construction and combination of the fixed
parallel rods e, e, sliding and rotating rollers f, f. sliding carriers k, k, and the reel
supporting travelling bracket i, for the purpose and substantially as described and
illustrated.
Thirdly. The construction and combination of the parts of winding mechanism
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 of the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say, the construction and combination of the
fixed rod e, the roller f sliding and rotating on the said rod, and the tension plates
g, g, h, i, k, connected to and sliding with the said roller f, for the purpose and
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Illston, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this First day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty one.