The “Roberta”
Manufactured for 51 years (2024) and sold all over the world.
Roberta is the “Rolls Royce” Electronic spinners.
When the bobbin fills, there is no need to stop and adjust anything, and there is no need to alter the tension on a bobbin brake as you progress. Just keep spinning from start to finish.
Very fast, with high-speed plying. Everything is balanced to prevent vibrations.
The combo version can ply two full bobbins rapidly without stopping and joining the yarn.
Bobbins never get worn or noisy over time, even after 20 years of constant use.
Built for commercial use, it was proven by one owner by spinning up to 2 kg of fiber every working day for more than eight years before the first service was needed.
Spin up to three times more than on a treadle wheel (given the same period of time), and do it more easily. Not just because it has a motor but also because of the unique bobbin-driven system.
There is a 10-year warranty on the motor and a 2-year warranty on the whole spinner.
Each one is handcrafted with a superior furniture gloss finish.
The yarn does not break with irregular drafting, and you can still get a good quality of yarn. (great for a beginner).
Extremely versatile spinner. Use any fiber and make any type of yarn. There are three ways to control and design a yarn (instead of the usual two). The third way is to hold back the pull of the spinner while drafting the fiber from the fingers. A light holdback creates a different yarn than a hard holdback.
The Roberta spinner’s jumbo bobbins hold more than twice the volume of other brands of motorized spinners. Jumbo bobbins hold half a kilo (18oz) and even more if rounded up when filled.
Uses less power than a household bulb, i.e. 40-60 watts.
The flyer hooks are made from hard-wearing stainless steel. Resists abrasive dust in Alpaca fiber.
The working bobbin is quick and easy to take off.
The dual-powered Roberta electronic spinner is portable.
All the top parts are individually balanced, so there are little or no vibrations at speed. We have a carpet manufacturer in Melbourne who has several Robertas. They run them at top speed to spin man-made fibers for carpet samples. They have owned 5 Roberta spinners for quality laboratory work for over 26 years.
Proven for over 51 years of production (in 2024). One spinner model, perfected in every detail over that time.
The motor is quiet because it is insulated from the timber back, including the fixing points.
Each Roberta electronic spinner is hand-crafted.
The Roberta electronic spinner is value for money.
The Roberta electronic spinner is not just another spinner on the market. It is quality with a capital Q. The manufacturer has many hidden quality points that the average person cannot see (such as being balanced for high-speed plying and the felt-insulated motor).
Advantages
The flyer brake can remain set for days of use, with no further adjustments being necessary. This brake device governs the rate of fibre pull-in to the spinner during the drafting. Because the brake groove has no friction drag, it never changes with its use. The loading from the brake spring is transferred through to the inside of the bearing hole. This is where the flyer fits into the bearing. Because this is always lubricated there, it always stays set.
Adjustments to the bobbin speed or tension settings are not needed regardless of how big the diameter of the bobbin grows in size. This is a big advantage over other brands of spinners. Observe the size of the jumbo bobbin on the Roberta. Little or no adjustment is needed as it grows to full size from the small spindle center.
The electronic design ensures that whatever performance is set on the controls will stay that way, regardless of how hard you hold back in drafting. The electronics also protect the motor from wear and tear.
More yarn control.
A. A speed control on the driven bobbin for the twist rate.
B. More or less brakes on the free-turning flyer will regulate the draw-in rate.
C. You can change the overall degree of holdback in the drafting against the pull to create a different yarn. The top design used on the Roberta is the same system used in modern mills today. (The only difference is that their design is vertically constructed.)Good results are still possible even with irregular drafting because of the ability of a turning flyer to change its speed. This makes it self-regulating to create an even yarn. If you pause and hold in the drafting, the free-turning flyer will increase until it is the same speed as the bobbin. In this situation, nothing will be laid down in the center of the bobbin. The twist will continue, but the yarn will not break. When you are ready to go again, you can do a long draw to take up the additional twist, which will self-regulate from your fingers through to the bobbin loading.
Long-lasting motor. The electronics design protects it from damage. The motor guarantee is for 10 years, even if it is used for constant commercial use.
The working bobbin is quick and easy to remove. Lift off the drive band with one finger, tilt up the flyer and bobbin while in place, and withdraw the bobbin off the free end of the flyer.
Reeling off after the plying is easy - lift the drive band off with a finger and roll off the finished yarn to a niddy noddy or skein winder.
The Combo version has an advantage in plying. The jumbo bobbin holds the volume of two regular bobbins, so the two regular bobbins will fit onto a jumbo bobbin without stopping and joining.
High-speed plying is possible without any hard treadling work.
No top equipment changes are necessary to create different types of yarns. There is no need to worry about pulley or whorl ratios. It easily makes thin lace yarn through heavy rug yarn.
The Roberta Spinner is built to a professional quality standard and is suitable for production yarn making and beginners. For beginners, there is no need to worry about foot and hand coordination. It has been known to be used every working day (all day use) for eight years before any servicing was necessary. Even then, only the top parts were reconditioned.
There is a very practical sliding hook on the flyer arm. Use it both ways - backward and forwards. Use thumb and forefinger for an easy, quick change on the O ring to a new hook loading position. It is very quick and easy to do, and it saves time. You do not have to wonder which flyer hook you were on, as would occur on conventional flyers.
Handy threading hook holder on the side of the spinner.
Use the optional pause control to keep both hands on the fibre. Stopping and starting is so comfortable. Because of the self-regulating and free-turning flyer, there is no need to vary any speed set on the spinner when starting up again.
Variable motor speed is unnecessary because the flyer's speed automatically changes when you hold back against the pull. The motor determines the twist rate only, not the pull-in rate, as occurs on other brands of spinners.
Use the 12-volt dual power input with the auxiliary cable for maximum portability. This cable can go to a car cigarette lighter fitting, rechargeable 12-volt power pack, or small solar panel.
It uses only the power of a household light bulb.
The Roberta is light and portable, and it is extremely versatile. It makes any type of yarn from any type of fibre. The specially made carry bag makes it easy to move around or travel.
The furniture finish is nice for the Roberta Spinner, which complements its professional performance. The “Roll Royce or Cadillac” of spinners without the high price tag.
Originally designed for the disabled or people with leg troubles, it has been so popular over its 51-year production that 95% of sales now go to ordinary people who have discovered its advantages.
