IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC THREAD WINDERS ADAPTED FOR SEWING MACHINES OR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES, ALSO FOR AUTOMATIC ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINE WINDERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas McGrah, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Sewing Machine Manufacturer, and William Bown, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AUTOMATIC THREAD WINDERS ADAPTED FOR SEWING MACHINES OR OTHER
SIMILAR PURPOSES, ALSO FOR AUTOMATIC ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINE
WINDERS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas McGrah and
William Bown at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd
May 1880.
THOMAS MCGRAH; of Sheffield, in the County of York, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer, and WILLIAM Bown, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC THREAD WINDERS ADAPTED FOR
SEWING MACHINES OR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES, ALSO FOR AUTOMATIC ATTACH-
MENTS FOR SEWING MACHINE WINDERS."
Our improvements have reference to certain modifications or improvements
relating to thread winders, such as are described in Letters Patent granted to the
before named Thomas McGrab on the Twenty eighth day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy five, numbered 3380, and consists of a thread
guide and cotton smoothing plate combined. A smoothing plate of sheet metal or
other material is hinged or otherwise attached to any ordinary kind of shuttle
sewing machine winder in such a manner as to be brought to press upon the cotton
or thread during the time it is being wound upon the shuttle reel. This smoothing
plate has a slot or groove cut in it, so as to form a bar to act as a guide for the
thread to traverse upon it during the winding operation. The outer edge of the
Baid bar is made preferably a little curved, and the inner edge straight. An
arrangement of tension for the thread or cotton, and to act as a guide to conduct
the cotton or thread from the spool of the sewing machine to the shuttle-reel during
the winding operation, we construct of one or more pieces of sheet metal with
grooves or slots cut in them in such a way that by means of a set screw the centre
of the reel about to be wound may be easily obtained; this arrangement may be

page_text: secured upon the cotton bobbin pin of the sewing machine, or in any other
convenient position. The end of the cotton, silk, or thread intended to be wound
upon the shuttle reel is passed from the cotton spool on the sewing machine into
the guide or conductor and tension, then round the bar of the smoothing plate, and
finally secured in between the reel end and the buffer of the winder, and as soon as
the reel is caused to rotate by the winder (which may be made to revolve by any
ordinary or usual means), the tension of the cotton causes the cotton which is
round the bar of the smoothing plate to pull up the smoothing plate against the
cotton being wound upon the shuttle-reel, so as to flatten or smooth the same
during the filling of the reel, the cotton being caused to traverse upon the bar
backwards and forwards by means of the continuous coils of cotton which are
formed on the shuttle reel during the winding operation.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas McGrah and William Bown in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd November 1880.
THOMAS MCGRAH, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer, and WILLIAM BOWN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC THREAD WINDERS ADAPTED FOR
SEWING MACHINES OR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES, ALSO FOR AUTOMATIC ATTACH-
MENTS FOR SEWING MACHINE WINDERS."
Our improvements have reference to certain modifications and extensions to
thread winders, as described in Letters Patent granted to the before named Thomas
McGrah on the Twenty eighth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy five, numbered 3380, and consist of certain means for guiding the thread or
cotton when being wound upon the shuttle reel of a sewing machine. The thread
guide.here referred to may form part of the smoothing plate of the winder (which
is usually made of flat or sheet metal), by having a slot or groove cut or made in it
so as to form a bar or rod, the said bar or rod to form the guide for the thread or
cotton to traverse upon it during the winding operation; one of the edges of the
said bar or guide is made by preference in a curved form, so as to facilitate the
traversing action of the thread or cotton, whilst the opposite odgo of the bar is
made straight, so as to steady the thread or cotton during the winding operation.
This bar may however be made in an independent form, and afterwards secured to
the smoothing plate by means of slots and screws, and in such a manner as to be
easily adjusted to the required position. Instead of the bar however, as herein
described, a roller turned or made bearing the same or similar shape may be placed
in between two projecting arms fastened to and extending beyond the smoothing
plate. The said roller may revolve in centres or otherwise, so as to act in a similar
way and for the same purpose as the bar above described. Although we prefer to
employ the said bar or roller in the position herein set forth, we do not confine
ourselves to the particular place or position as herein described, as the same may be
secured upon the band guard of a Singer sewing machine, or any other convenient
position in any other machine, so as to act in a similar manner. In order to
conduct the thread or cotton from the cotton spool which is fixed upon the bobbin
pin of the sewing machine to the winder, and to give tension thereto, we construct
a thread guide with a spring to bear upon the cotton so as to give the desired
tension during the winding operation. We construct the said guide and tension of
one or more pieces of metal with slots formed in them, and so shaped and arranged
as to clamp by means of set screws upon the band guard of the machine or other
convenient position, the slots being formed therein for the purpose of adjusting the
guide and tension so as to easily obtain the exact centre of the shuttle reel intended
to be wound. But in order to be more clearly understood, I will proceed to
describe our improvements in winders and the winding operation by aid of the
Drawing hereunto annexed.
In the first place we pass the cotton from the spool A, Figure 1 (which represents
part of a Singer sewing machine), into the slot in the guide and tension B, thence
along the extending arm or guide C, then underneath the bar D formed at the end
of the smoothing plate, and afterwards place the end in between the buffer end of
winder E and that of the buffer of the shuttle reel, so as to secure the end of the
cotton or thread; then by rotating the wheel F of the sewing machine, the friction
of the same bearing against the buffer of the winder causes the same to revolve,
which at the same time rotates the shuttle reel. The tension on the thread pulls up
the smoothing plate G of the winder, so as to bear against the cotton which is being
wound upon the shuttle reel, flattening or smoothing the same, each successive coil
of thread formed upon the reel acting as a guide, and thereby causing the thread to
traverse upon the bar gradually from end to end of the reel until the same is
sufficiently filled with cotton. Figure 2 shows an arrangement by which upon the

page_text: reel being sufficiently filled with cotton, the winder is released from its position so
as to stop the winding. The smoothing plate G is formed with a tail piece H to it
when the winder is placed in position for winding, and the smoothing plate bearing
against the shuttle recl, the tail end H of the smoothing plato drops into a notch
formed in a flat or other shaped piece of metal I, which may be screwed upon the
sewing machine table or other position. The thickening of the cotton by means of
its successive laps or coils upon the shuttle reel gradually forces down the
smoothing plate G so as to raise its tail end out of the notch or from behind the
plate I, and cause the balance wheel by its vibration to force the winder to turn on
the pivot or screw J and stop the friction of the balance wheel, which stops the
winding process. In this Figure it will be seen that the tension and conductor of
the thread are arranged upon a pillar attached or forming part of the winder.
Figure 3 shows the bar or thread guide and thread conductor and tension
combined and altogether secured by means of a set screw and clamp to the band
guard of a Singer machine. The bar is formed in the shape of an arm so as to
extend from the band guard in a direct line with the centre of the reel M. The
bar or thread guide L is hinged in such a manner as when not in use it may be
laid flat to or close to the band guard, and held in position when in use by means
of a small spring arranged underneath it.
Figure 4 shows a winder detached from the machine. G is the smoothing plate
hinged to the frame of the winder at P; D, the thread guide forming part of the
smoothing plate; 0, 0, the sockets of winder bearing, and E the buffer and centre
for carrying the reel.
Figure 5 represents a modification with a roller Q attached to the end of
smoothing plate G supported in centres to act in a similar manner and for the same
purposes as herein described.
Figure 6 shows the combination of thread conductor and tension B, bar L,
hinge R, and clamp, as arranged to fit upon the band guard of a Singer machine or
corresponding part of other machines.
Figure 7 shows in a separate form the thread conductor, tension B, and clamp C,
arranged so as to fit on the bend guard of a Singer machine or corresponding part
of other machines, so as to act in conjunction with the bar or roller attached to the
smoothing plate.
And now having fully and particularly described the before named Invention,
and the mode in which the same may be carried into practical effect, I wish it to
be understood that what we wish to claim as our Invention and to be secured to us
in these Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The combination of a smoothing plate with a thread guide, as herein
described.
Secondly. The arrangement or combination of thread guide, conductor, and
tension, arranged and hinged on band guard or other suitable position, as described,
to act as an attachment to ordinary winders either in combination with a smoothing
plate or otherwise.
Thirdly. The combination of the thread guide, tension, and the means of throwing
the winder out of gear by means of the thickening of the thread upon the reel, as
herein described and set forth, or any similar or modified form thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bown, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twentieth day of November, One thousand eight hundred and