A New or Improved Appliance or Device for use in connection with Reels or Hanks of Thread, Wool, Silk, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Appliance or Device for use in connection with
Reels or Hanks of Thread, Wool, Silk, and the like.
We, JOHN WHITEHEAD, of 42, Anglesey Street, Lozells, Birmingham,
Mechanic, CHARLES ERNEST JAMES, of Victoria Works, Redditch, Manu-
facturer, THOMAS ANGAS WHEATLEY, of 130 Great Suffolk Street, Southwark,
Engineer, and AMBROSE BOULTON BIGGS of Eagle Street, Holborn, Tobacco
Manufacturer, 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:-
Our invention relates to a new or improved appliance for holding guarding or
protecting either reels wound with thread, wool, silk, twine or such like material,
or hanks or skeins of same, (hereinafter generically called "thread") and it is
adaptable also for cutting same where and when required, and has for its object to
provide a new and useful appliance whereby the thread, whether reeled or in hanks
or skeins, is kept clean, unwinding, ravelling, and waste thereof are prevented, and
withdrawal facilitated; the thread may also be cut off as and when required and
the loose end retained. The appliance is also applicable as an automatic tension
device when so required.
The appliance as adapted to wound reels consists in a clip of resilient metal
arranged either to completely cover the wound thread longitudinally, and to encircle,
when sprung on, the greater part of the circumference thereof, and to adapt its
pressure or grip thereon to the varying diameter of the wound reel; or, as adapted
to hanks or skeins of wool, silk, or other fibrous material, the resilient clip is
arranged to receive and hold the material firmly, its grip remaining constant or
practically so as the contents are diminished.
To cut the thread when required, one or both the adjacent sides of the clip is or
are slightly bent back and sufficiently sharpened. The appliance is or may be
adapted for adjustment longitudinally to reels of various lengths.
Referring to the accompanying drawings in further explanation of our
invention,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the form of the clip a, the adjacent sides bb
being bent back and sharpened for cutting.
Fig. 2 shows same when placed upon a reel R of wound thread, the loose end t
being retained by the grip of the clip.
Fig. 3 is an end view of the clip, the thread end t being dotted to the left, and
the cutting position being shown to the right. In order to make it still more easy
to find the loose end t after cutting off we sometimes make an aperture at any
point e, Fig. 4, in the clip through which we pass the loose end. The thread to be
cut is laid back over the cutting end b as shown, so, that when cut, an end t of
considerable length always remains outside the clip.
Fig. 5 shows one means of adjusting the length of the appliance to fit any reel.
The clip is here formed in two parts, a and a¹, the one a having in one or both
sides a slots, and the other a' being provided with a pin p working therein. In
the figure the clip is shown drawn out to full length, and by pressing the ends
inwards any reduction of length is at once effected.
The above described clip is intended for reels when the bobbin is square on its
inner ends as at fin Fig. 6, but where the inner ends are bevelled off as is commonly
done, some modification is called for to prevent the thread jamming and cutting
between the guard and the bevel. This is obviated by the construction illustrated
in Fig. 7. Herein the clip a is extended at both ends, and formed so as to cover
and embrace the bevelled ends f'f' of the reel when sprung on. The cutting edge

page_text: or edges may remain as before and also the means for longitudinal adjustment
when required.
By mounting a reel fitted with an appliance such as is above referred to upon a
spindle as upon a sewing machine, and illustrated for example in Fig. 6, automatic
tension is readily effected by the constant pressure of the clip upon the wound
thread.
Fig. 8 is an elevation, and Fig. 9 a cross section, illustrative of the appliance
arranged to hold and protect skeins or hanks of wool, silk, or the like. The
material is confined in the part g of the clip a which is made of metal of such
resiliency as to firmly hold and guard same and prevent its escape except when
drawn out end ways.
Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate in cross section simple and efficient modified construc-
tions of the appliance to obtain the required resiliency and grip, the lower part h
being the spring, and the cutting edges b, b, being formed or not, as desired.
We do not confine ourselves to any particular sectional form, so long as the grip
of the clip upon the material is maintained practically constant and efficient during
the diminution of bulk as the material is withdrawn.
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 reel holding and guarding appliance adapted for square ended reels
constructed substantially as above set forth in reference to Figs. 1 to 6, and with
or without the cutting edge or edges.
2. A reel holding and guarding appliance adapted for bevel-ended reels con-
structed substantially as set forth in reference to Fig. 7, and with or without the
cutting device.
3. A reel holding and guarding appliance constructed substantially in either of
the manners above specified and adapted for longitudinal adjustment to fit any
reel.
4. A hank or skein holding and guarding appliance constructed and adapted for
use substantially as set forth in reference to Figs. 8 to 11.
Dated this 11th day of November 1893.