Patent GB-732665-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to spinning mules
Inventor: CHAMBERLAIN NORMAN HENRY
IPC: D01H3/00
Filed: 1952-01-28
Abstract: 732,665. Spinning-mules. T. M. M. (RESEARCH), Ltd. Jan. 28, 1953 [Jan. 28, 1952 ; March 5, 1952 ; March 11, 1952; March 19, 1952], Nos. 2267/52, 5762/52, 6349/52 and 7087/52. Classes 120(2) and 120(3). [Also in Group XXXV] A mule comprises two electrically controllable variable speed driving mechanisms for driving the carriage and for driving the spindles during spinning and winding, two voltage shaping circuits that are applicable selectively to the driving mechanisms and control mechanism for effecting the selection. The cycle of operations is controlled by six carriage operated switches C/S 1 - C/S 6 (not shown) and a control drum that makes one complete revolution for each complete mule cycle and is adapted to receive adjustable contact pins for closing contacts DC 1 - DC 8 (not shown). The control drum is mounted in a cabinet separate from but having electrical connection with the mule. This cabinet also carries manually-adjustable control means for (1) the spindle speed during the outward run, including an optional increase of speed towards the end of the outward run, (2) the spindle speed during the high speed twisting period, (3) the initial acceleration of the carriage for the outward run, (4) the carriage speed during the initial portion of the inward run, (5) the rate at which the carriage speed falls towards the end of the outward run, (6) the minimum speed of the carriage at the end of the outward run, (7) the carriage jacking-up speed and (8) the carriage speed during the inward run. The points in the outward run of the carriage at which the delivery rollers are stopped and the carriage deceleration starts are normally adjustable by altering the position of the carriageoperated switches C/S 1 and C/S 4. In cotton mules wherein the delivery rollers may rotate while the carriage is stationary and the delivery rollers are required to make a small movement during the inward run of the carriage, a separate drive through an electromagnetic slip coupling may be arranged. The invention is stated to be applicable also to mules having the delivery rollers mounted on a carriage and the spindles carried on a stationery member. In a woollen mule, the carriage is driven by an electric motor 23, Fig. 2, mounted on the machine frame preferably above the roller beam and driving, through an electromagnetic slip coupling 24, pulley 27 and a chain 29a, a clutch shaft 28 on which clutch sleeves 30, 31 are freely mounted for coupling to the shaft 28 alternately, to rotate in either direction a back shaft 37 that carries a sprocket engaging a chain with both ends attached to the carriage so that alteration in the direction of rotation of the shaft 28 alters the direction of movement of the carriage. Clutch sleeves 30, 31 are engaged in turn according to the energisation of either of solenoids SOL 1 or SOL 2 under the control of carriageoperated switches C/S 2, C/S 3 which are actuated at either end of the carriage run. When the outward carriage run is completed, the clutch 29, 30 31, is changed and the slip coupling 24 is energised to cause a slow inward carriage movement for jacking-up which may continue until the spindles end their period of fast rotation or may terminate before this period ends by the actuation by the carriage of a switch C /S 5. Carriage speeds are controlled by varying the voltages across the field coil of the slip coupling 24 (see below). The delivery roller drive is also obtained from the back shaft 37 through a chain 48, gears 49, 50 and a differential gear 51 mounted on the bottom roller shaft 52. A pawl 58 is normally held clear of teeth 57 of a planet carrier 56 by a spring 59 and the gear 50 rotates the carrier 56 idly, but upon energisation of a solenoid SOL 3 by the carriage at the end of its inward run through the switch C /S 2 the pawl 58 engages with the carrier 56 to stop it, whereupon drive is transmitted through planet wheel 55 to the shaft 52. A switch operated by the carriage de-energises the solenoid SOL 3 to stop the roller delivery. The tin roller 21, Fig. 3, is driven from an electric motor 60 on the carriage through a slip coupling 61 and a chain drive 62. Spindle speeds are controlled by varying the voltages across the field coil of the coupling 61 (see below). Another electric motor 64 mounted on the carriage drives the tin roller 21 for backing-off. At the end of the period of fast rotation of the spindles, the slip couplings 21, 61 are energised to stop the drives to the spindles and carriage, a brake is applied temporarily to the tin roller shaft under the influence of the control drum which then brings the motor 64 into operation. Motor 64 drives a sprocket 119 on a sleeve 117  that is free to rotate on the shaft 118. Fixed to the sleeve 117 are bevel gears forming parts of differential gears 111, 112. When the differential gear 112 is locked by a pawl 114, the tin roller 21 is driven in reverse for backing-off. When the differential gear 111 is locked by a pawl 113, a sleeve 122 is driven to rotate, through gears 123, 124, a countershaft 125 connected by belts to faller shaft 115 and counterfaller shaft 116. As the countershaft 125 is rotated to lower the faller wire 65, an S-strap 127 first allows the counterfaller wire 66 to rise until it contacts the yarns and then the strap 127 slackens permitting a counterfaller weight 130 to take up the yarn tension. Lowering of the faller wire 65 is accompanied by the raising of the faller leg 67 until it drops into operative position on the copping bowl 68. As it does so, it operates a switch F /S 2 to stop the motor 64 and free both differential gears 111, 112. The carriage now runs in at a constant speed and the faller leg 67 follows the contour of the shaper rail in the usual way. As the counterfaller shaft 116 oscillates under the influence of the yarn tension, it rotates the slider of a rheostat in the circuit of the coupling 61 to vary the spindle speed for correct winding-on. At the end of the inward run, the faller leg 67 is pushed off the copping bowl 68 in the usual way, switch F/S 2 is operated, the motor 64 starts again, the differential gear 111 is locked and drives the faller shaft 115 to raise the faller wire 65 and depress the counterfaller wire 66. Closing of the switches F /S 1, F /S 3 by the faller leg 67 stops the motor 64 and maintains the differential gear 111 locked so as to maintain the faller and counterfaller wires in inoperative positions. An alternative form of backing-off mechanism may be used in which a friction driving disc 225, Fig. 11, is driven continuously by an electric motor 226. This disc 225 is effective to return the faller and counterfaller shafts 115, 116 to inoperative positions after they have been brought into operation by counterweights 230, 130 upon the release of solenoid-controlled latches 235, 236 holding discs 223, 224. The spindles are rotated from the faller shaft 115 during backing-off through a torque amplifier 246. The control drum is driven by a separate electric motor at an adjustable speed that is held constant by a stabilizing circuit (see Group XXXV). If the control drum speed is not properly synchronised with the carriage speeds, correction is made at the ends of the inward and outward runs to return them to synchronism. During the period of lack of synchronism an indicator lamp is lit. The control drum contacts and carriage-operated switches operate a relay system connecting various elements of voltage shaping circuits to the slip couplings 24, 61 according to a preset programme. Two guard relays are provided, one stops the machine on failure of the power supply to the voltage shaping circuits and the other if the control drum stops when neither of the drum contacts controlling stopping are closed. The voltage shaping circuit for the carriage provides five main excitations of the field coil of the carriage coupling 24. For the outward run, a slow-start switch 158, Fig. 9 (part a), is preset to one of three accelerations and introduces a condenserresistance delay before the application of the main carriage run out circuit through switches F3, J3, A2 to a valve 136 in a coupling excitation circuit (see Group XXXV). The speed of the carriage is decreased towards the end of the run by rotation of the slider 146 of a rheostat 110 operated by a sector coupled to the control drum. A slider 150 is manually adjusted to determine the rate of fall of the carriage speed, and sliders 156, 157 to determine the maximum and minimum speeds. To stop the carriage, the switch J3 is moved to its lower contact to connect the grid of the valve 136 to a point in a potentiometer chain 162, 163, 164 at which the voltage is high enough to de-excite the coupling. The jacking-up circuit is closed through the upper contacts of the switches A2, J3, F3. Manual adjustments of resistances 176, 174 determine the speed of jacking-up and the range of speeds available respectively. When a manually set carriage operated switch C/S 5 opens, a resistance 178 is brought into circuit to raise the voltage applied to the valve 136 to stop value. For the inward run, excitation is derived from a manually adjusted resistance 171 modified for a slow start by the discharge from a condenser 172. Towards the end of the inward run, a carriage-operated switch causes a condenser 170 to discharge through a resistance 169 that is adjustable to alter the rate of deceleration. The voltage shaping circuit for the spindles provides excitation to the valve 137, Fig. 9 (part b). First a slow speed is provided by a circuit including a ' potentiometer chain 180-183, basic slow speed being determined by adjustment of the wiper of a resistance 182. A rheostat 181, the slider 185 of which is rotated by the control drum, may be included in the circuit to cause an increase in spindle speed prior to the closing of the fast speed circuit. Fast speed is determined by the setting of a resistance 187. The