IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF BALLS OF YARN OR OTHER FILAMENT
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6 Lord St, Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OR APPERTAINING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF BALLS OF YARN OR OTHER FILAMENT,
(a communication from Monsieur Louis Julien Vezac of Angers in the Republic of
France) to be as follows:-
The present application for a patent has for its object to secure to me the
exclusive possession of a new method of winding balls of all kinds of thread, having
this advantage over the various systems at present in use, that it produces balls
which cannot become entangled or partially unrolled during the treatment to
which they are subjected in warehouses, in transit, or in the process of winding, as
so frequently happens with ordinary balls; this system also imparts an elegant &
characteristic appearance to the ball, by the extreme regularity of the square or
lozenge shaped designs formed on its surface.
In the various mechanical methods of winding now in use, it is thought sufficient
to arrange the threads symetrically side or to place them parallel in groups, these
groups being very irregularly crossed over each other. The balls thus formed are
very soft, & unroll easily unless handled very carefully especially when being
unwound, their appearance is also irregular & there is nothing to shew the
difference between balls of different kinds of thread.
To prevent these inconveniences, we take care in our method of winding that
each thread is crossed & held in place by the adjacent threads and that, in a great
number of places on the circumference of the ball, and in a regular and uniform
manner; it is this crossing of the threads that gives a characteristic appearance to
the balls.
We have obtained this result by causing a relation, entirely different to that at
present in use between the relative speed of the flier that produces the winding of
the thread, and the spindle on which the ball is made. The machine we use differs
from those usually employed for this purpose in the relative dimensions of the

page_text: circumferences of the pulleys or cog wheels that cause the rotation of the flier and
the spindle.
To explain. better my process of winding thread, I have represented on the
accompanying designs two specimens of balls wound by my method, and also
tracings in detail explaining the formation of the balls; it being understood that
other designs based on the same principle of crossing the threads are included in
my method.
To form the ball represented in fig 1. which is in squares, there must be an exact
relation between the number of turns of the flier and of the spindle, for instance
for every ten turns of the flier, the spindle will make one turn on itself.
In this way, if we take the circle represented in tig 1 bis as shewing the largest
circle or "equator" of the ball, we shall see that during the first ten turns of the
flier, ten turns of thread will be placed on the ball, exactly at the points 1, 2,
3, 4, - - 10; the spindle having made just one turn; then the point 1. having
come back exactly to the position from which it started, the next ten turns will
place the threads exactly on the top of the lower layer, and so on as long as the
ball is being wound.
-
But on the other hand, because of the oblique direction of the threads, and the.
symmetrical relation of the two sides of the ball, each thread placed for example on
point 1, will after half a turn of the spindle be crossed at the same point by the
thread placed at point 6; in the same way the thread passing at point 2 will be
crossed by that coming to point 7 after half a turn of the spindle, and so on; fig 1ter
clearly shews this arrangement. At each turn of the spindle therefore, the
threads 1, 2, 3, 4 - 9, 10 are crossed by the threads 6, 7, 8, 9 - - 4, 5 at two
opposite places on the circumference of the ball.
It will also be seen that because of the sufficiently oblique direction of the turns
of thread on the axis of the ball, these crossings will not only be formed on its
equator," but also in ten little circles parallel to it, and as each turn crosses twice
in each little circle, there are twenty crossings in each of them.
#1
The turns of thread being thus firmly held in place by the crossings, it is a
impossible to entangle the ball, while it can be unwound perfectly easily from the
beginning to the end.
Thus, and this is another characteristic point of my method, the outward
appearance of the ball, is very elegant, because of the perfect regularity of the
squares or lozenges formed as I have just shewn by the crossing of the threads.
The points where the threads cross form solid and resisting summits, and the
intervals between them allow the succession of the threads to be seen to the centre
of the ball, this causes great lightness and considerable bulk for the same quantity
of thread wound.
It is evident that the number of the squares formed may be varied by altering
the relation between the speed of the flier and the spindle; this relation could be,
for instance
14, 15, according to convenience.
7, 8, 9, 10
----
The outward appearance can also be varied by changing the slope of the spindle
in relation to the flier for the different layers of thread, the number of crossings
remaining the same, but the form and size of the squares or lozenges placed one
upon the other, altering as many times as the slope of the spindle is changed during
the process of winding.
It is also plain that the inside of the ball can be wound in any way whatever,
and the outside ornamented in the manner above described.
I will now pass on to the description of the manufacture of the species of ball t
represented at fig 2, its formation in theory being shown at fig 2bis.
---
Let us allow, for the sake of argument that we have placed ten threads or turns
of thread on the ball at the points 1, 2, 3, 4 10 on its "equator."; if for
example instead of having made exactly one turn while the flier has made ten, the
spindle has made 10+ at the moment when the places the turn of thread &
'corresponding to point 1 the thread will not fall exactly on point 1, but a little to
the right, at 11; in the same way the following turn will fall on point 21, the
"

page_text: following turn on 3¹, and so on, up to 10', when the spindle having made 2 + 10
turns, the third series of turns will fall on point 12, then, at the next turn of the
flier at point 23, and so on up to 10'; continuing this reasoning, it will be seen
that only after ten turns of the spindle, that is to say one hundred turns of the flier
the thread, will fall exactly on point 2, then on point 3 etcetera, up to point 10:
The same thing will be reproduced in starting from point 2, in the manner that
has been shown.
«
It is equally clear that in the same manner as before, because of the obliquity of
the turns, the thread 1, for instance will be crossed by the thread 6 on the
"equator" of the ball, the thread 11 by the thread 6¹, the thread 1' by the
thread 62, and this in each turn of the ball, and these crossings will take place, not
only on the "equator" of the ball, but also on the ten little circles parallel to it;
the number of crossings in each turn is the same as before.
---
Not only can the number chosen, 10+ To be altered, for the relative rapidity
of the spindle and flier but all whole numbers - 7, 8, 9 - - 14, 15 etcetera
can be used for the whole part, and a fraction equally alterable for the complement
so that for any given size of the ball, the interval between each square or lozenge
will correspond to a number of threads, dependent on their thickness. By varying
the slope of the spindle in relation to the flier the form and size of the squares and
lozenges may be varied at pleasure.
It will be understood that in this sort of ball, because of the method by which it
is made, and the joining of the threads in each square or lozenge, the ball, if
desired, can be made very hard and solid throughout.
This method of winding may be reserved for the ornamentation of the outside of
the ball, and the inner portion wound in the manner before described, which will
produce light and large balls, at the same time solid, and not easily to be unwound
when handled.
It should be noticed that in the two kinds of balls I have described, the machine
which produces them should be put together with sufficient care that on the one
hand, the relation between the speed of the spindle and flier may easily be altered,
and that on the other hand, this relation of speed being once established, it may
be maintained during the whole operation, or at least during the ornamentation of
the ball.
The modification of the relation between the speed of the spindle and the flier'
may be easily managed by changing one of the pulleys or cog wheels of one or
other of the two; they may turn in the same, or in an opposite direction as
preferred, as it is only the relation of their speed that affects the formation of the
balls.
I also take care, especially in forming the balls with threads joined in lozengo
shape to add to the apparatus a counter balancing or spring catch to regulate
exactly the tension of the thread, this tension of the thread furnished by the fly.
wheel inssuring the regularity of the winding, and that the balls are uniformly
tight as least for the ornamentation. The centre of these balls may be made, as
has been before said, after the system of squares, which will give tight balls of a
large size from the same weight of thread wound.
My method can also be applied to the winding of balls of thread, cotton, wool,
silk flax string etcetera and can be used for making all shapes of balls round
cylindrical flat etcetera as may be wished.
:

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster, Fellow of the Institute of
IMPROVE-
Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
MENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF BALLS OF YARN OR OTHER
"
FILAMENT " (a communication from abroad by Monsieur Louis Julien Vezac, of
Angers in the republic of France) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The present application for a patent has for its object to secure to me the
exclusive possession of a new method of winding balls of all kinds of thread,
having this advantage over the various systems at present in use that it produces
balls which cannot become entangled or partially unrolled during the treatment to
which they are subjected in warehouses, in transit, or in the process of winding as
so frequently happens with ordinary ball: this system also imparts an elegant and
characteristic appearance to the ball by the extreme regularity of the square or
lozenge shaped designs formed on its surface.
In the various mechanical methods of winding now in use, it is thought sufficient
to arrange the threads symmetrically side by side, or to place them parallel in
groups, these groups being very irregularly crossed over each other. The balls thus
formed are very soft and entangle easily unless handled very carefully, especially
when being unwound, their appearance is also irregular and there is nothing to
shew the difference between balls of different kinds of thread.
To prevent these inconveniences the new method of winding ensures that each
thread is crossed and held in place by the adjacent threads, and that in a great
number of places on the circumference of the ball, and in a regular and uniform
manner. This crossing of the threads gives a characteristic appearance to the balla
This result is obtained by adjusting the relative speed of the flier that effects the
winding of the thread and the spindle on which the ball is made in a different
proportion to that now in use. This machine differs from those usually employed
for this purpose, in the relative dimensions of the circumferences of the pulleys or
cog wheels that cause the rotation of the flier and the spindle.
To explain better this process of winding thread, two specimens of balls wound
by this method are shewn in the accompanying designs and also tracings in detail
explaining the formation of the balls, it being understood that other designs on the
same principle of crossing the threads form part of this method.
'
To form the ball represented in Figure 1 which is in squares, there must be an
exact proportion in whole numbers between the number of turns of the flier
and of the spindle, for instance for every ten revolutions of the flier, the spindle
will make one revolution.
In this way if we take the circle represented in Figure 1bis as shewing the largest
circle or "equator" of the ball, we shall see that during the first ten turns of the
Bier ten turns of thread will be placed on the ball, exactly at the points 1 to 10,
the spindle having made exactly one turn then the point 1 having come back
exactly to the position from which it started, the next ten turns will place the
threads exactly on the top of the lower layer, and so on as long as the ball is being
wound.
But on the other hand, because of the oblique direction of the threads and the
symmetrical relations of the two sides of the ball, each thread placed for example
on point 1 will, after half a turn of the spindle, be crossed at the same point by the
thread placed at point 6; in the same way the thread passing at point 2 will be
crossed by that coming to point 7 after half a turn of the spindle, and so on.
Figure 1 clearly shows this arrangement. At each turn of the spindle therefore,
the threads 1, 2, 3, 4, - 9, 10 are crossed by the threads 6, 7, 8, 9 - - 4, 5, at two
opposite places on the circumference of the ball.

page_text: It will also be seen that because of the sufficiently oblique direction of the turns
of thread on the axis of the ball these crossings will not only be formed on its
"equator" but also in ten little circles parallel to it, and as each turn crosses twice
in each little circle, there are ten crossings in each of them.
The turns of thread being thus firmly held in place by the crossings, it is
impossible to entangle the ball, while it can be unwound perfectly easily from the
beginning to the end.
Thus, and this is another characteristic point of this method, the outward
appearance of the ball is very elegant because of the perfect regularity of the
squares or lozenges formed as has just been shown by the crossing of the threads.
The points where the threads cross form solid and resisting summits, and the
intervals between them allow the succession of the threads to be seen to the centre
of the ball; this causes great lightness and considerable bulk for the same quantity
of thread wound.
It is evident that the number of the squares formed may be varied by altering
the relation between the speed of the flier and the spindle; this relation could be
for instance
14, 15, according to convenience.
7, 8, 9, 10
The outward appearance can also be varied by changing the slope of the spindle
in relation to the flier for the different layers of thread, the number of crossings
remaining the same, but the form and size of the squares or lozenges placed one
upon the other altering as many times as the slope of the spindle is changed during
the process of winding.
It is also plain that the inside of the ball can be wound in any way whatever,
and the outside ornamented in the manner above described.
The following is the method of producing the kind of ball represented in Fig 2,
its formation in theory being shown at Figure 2bis.
Supposing ten threads or turns of thread on the ball at the points 1, 2, 3,
4, - 10 on its "equator" if for example instead of having made exactly one
turn while the flier has made ten, the spindle has made 1+rd at the moment
when the flier or winder places the turn of thread corresponding to point 1, the
thread will not fall exactly on point 1 but a little to the right at 11, in the same
way the following turn will fall on point 21, the following turn on 3¹ and so on up
to 10 when the spindle having made 2+1 turns, the third series of turns will
fall on point 1 then, at the next turn of the flier or winder, at point 2³, and so on
up to 10%; continuing this reasoning it will be seen that only after ten turns of the
spindle that is to say one hundred turns of the winder, the thread will fall exactly
on point 2, then on point 3 etcetra, up to point 10, the same effect being reproduced
again starting from this point 2 in the same manner as has been described.
It is also evident that as before, by reason of the obliquity of the turns, thread,
for example will be crossed by thread 6 on the equator of the ball, the thread 1 by
the thread 6, the thread 1* by the thread 62, and so on: these crossings will be.
produced not only upon the equator of the ball, but also upon the ten smaller circles
parallel to this equator: the number of crossings will therefore remain as before.
Not only the number 1+100 but also the proportional speeds of the spindle and
winder may be varied and any whole numbers 7, 8, 9 ..... 14, 15, etcetera for the
integral number and also any desired fraction in addition to this number, so that
for a given size of bobbin the interval between each square or quadrangle
corresponds to a number of threads determined by their diameter. Lastly by
causing the inclination of the spindle to vary with relation to the winder, the form
and size of the quadrangle obtained may be varied as desired.
It is obvious that in this description of ball and in consequence of its mode of
winding, the turns of thread being superposed in each quadrangle formed, the ball
may be made if desired of great hardness and unalterable solidity, or the out-
side only of the ball may be wound in the manner last described the inside being
wound according to the modification first described whereby a very voluminous and
light ball is produced although sufficiently solid and firm not to be liable to come
unravelled.

page_text: : To complete the description of the invention, it should be remarked that the two
methods of winding above described have been illustrated in terms of turns of the
winder per single revolution of the spindle: but these illustrations might be equally
given in terms of any given number of revolutions of the spindle as explained
further on. It is also obvious that a given number of regular quadrangles may be
wound upon a ball in different ways, each method being based upon one of those
described and illustrated in this specification.
Thus, to obtain for instance a ball of 15 points, the winder making 15 turns in a
given time, there may be given to the spindle such a speed of rotation that within
the said time it will make 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13 or 14 revolutions: these numbers
being prime numbers with regard to 15, that is having no divisor in common
with it.
A ball of 15 points is also attainable by making the number of revolutions of the
winder and of the spindle much greater than those indicated above.
It is obvious that these various combinations of speeds present no advantage over
the most simple one which consists in making the winder make 15 revolutions to
one of the spindle, seeing that the result obtained remains the same.
For instance, by driving the winder so as to make 15 turns per 3 or 6 revolutions
of the spindlo, a ball of 5 points would be produced, and if for the same speed of the
winder the spindle made 5 turns, a ball would result with 3 points only: but as all
these arrangements necessitate speeds higher than those required to realize the
desired object, they are merely alluded to here to shew they.come within the scope
of this invention.
If the circumference of a circle be divided into a given number of equal parts,
into ten for example, and if from a given point A as starting point, the points of
division of the circumference be joined by straight lines from n to n (n being a
whole number less than the half of 10) there will be formed a regular concave
polygon of 10 sides, if n is a prime number with relation to 10. But if the
numbers n and 10 are not prime numbers with relation to each other, and if d is
their greatest common divisor, the polygon so constructed will have only sides.
The foregoing may be recapitulated in conformity with the above theory of star
shaped polygons, that in order to produce a regular surface of a given number of
points, the winder accomplishing precisely the same number of turns in a given
time, the speed of the spindle during the same time corresponding to any given
number which is a prime number with relation to the number of revolutions of the
spindle.
This condition excludes a priori an even number of points from the ball seeing
that the presence of even numbers would necessarily imply the presence of two
opposed points at both extremities of the equator of the ball, so that it would
necessitate the employment of a number of revolutions of the winder and of the
spindle having the divisor 2 in common.
In this connection, the speed of the two revolving organs, the spindle and the
winder, may be determined in conformity with the theory of star shaped polygons;
thus to produce a regular superficies presenting n points one may take as number
of the revolutions of the winder any multiple of n say Kn and as number of the
revolutions of the spindle any number which fulfils the condition that on dividing
the number Kn by the greatest common divisor of Kn and of ac, there be obtained
às quotient the number n of points which it is desired to obtain.
When the number of turns of the spindle and of the winder are prime numbers
with regard to each other, the greatest common divisor of these numbers will be {
unity, consequently the number of points obtained will be precisely equal to the
number of turns of the winder.
If, however the superficies of a ball wound on this system be examined it will be
seen that it is only apparently composed of a series of concentric star shaped
polygons; in reality the threads forming the outlines of these polygons are not t
disposed in a straight line as in a star shaped polygon nor even in segments of
circles moreover in contradistinction to that which occurs when a star shaped

page_text: polygon is constructed upon a flat surface by joining the points of division of a
circle of 2 by 2 and 3 by 3 etcetera the threads appear alternately above and below
the surface, so that in reality they describe two continuous curves one above; the
other below, superposed in projection. But when the theory of star shaped
polygons is referred to, allusion is made only to the application of the theory to the
summits of the polygons appearing upon the equatorial line of the ball: it may also
be considered as applicable to the points of contact of the summits with the smaller
circles parallel to the equator and which support the concentric summits shewn in
the drawing.
Whatever be the pattern of ball wound, it is important that the machine employed
should be constructed and adjusted with sufficient accuracy to ensure the easy and
correct variation of the relative speeds according to the nature of the ball which is
to be wound, and that moreover this proportion of speeds once ascertained and
adjusted, the machine should maintain the same without variation throughout the
winding of the ball, or at least during the winding of the covering layer.
The requisite alterations in the relative proportions of the speed of the spindle
and of the winder can be easily effected by changing the pulleys or cog wheels of
either of these two parts, which can moreover be driven in the same or contrary
directions as may be preferred, the proportion between their speeds alone_deter-
mining the formation of the superficies of the ball according to this system. Besides
the winding apparatus for the process, especially that of winding the angles with
joined threads, a tension apparatus having a spring or counterweight is necessary
for the purpose of exactly regulating the tension of the thread delivered by the
winder so as to ensure uniformity in the winding of the ball necessary at least in
winding the top layers of the ball.
This system of winding is applicable to the winding of all descriptions of threads*
of cotton, flax, silk, hemp, string etcetera, and can be used for making all shapes of
balls, round, cylindrical, flattened, etcetera as may be wished.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st. The process of winding all kinds of thread so as to effect regular crossing of
the threads in each layer of the ball, which is ensured by regulating the proportion
between the speed of the spindle on which the thread is wound to the speed of the
winder which supplies the thread, in whole numbers or fractions according to which
of the two kinds of ball described it is desired to obtain, whereby is attained the
crossing of the threads with suitable spaces and inclination in each layer of the ball,
substantially as described and shewn in the annexed drawings.
2nd. The application of the properties of star shaped polygons to the winding of
balls of threads, substantially as described and shewn.
3rd. As a new or improved industrial product the various sorts of balls formed by
this method, that is to say with layers crossed thread by thread in a great number
of places on their circumference, and presenting a characteristic and ornamental
regular appearance with designs of a square or quadrangular form, variable in
number, form, and size, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this twelfth day of November 1884