Improvements in Self Acting Mules.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1899
5th Cant 1000
Accented 17th Nov. 1900 ·
Improvements in Self Acting Mules.
I, ROBERT SLACK, of Old Falinge, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Flannel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in self acting mules particularly to
woollen and waste mules, and the object of my invention is to drive the carriage
independently of the spindles, and I effect this object by employing a rope or
band to convey motion from the overhead countershaft to drive the carriage, and
the backing off and taking in motions.
In carrying my invention into effect I mount a friction rope pulley and a
friction plate loose upon the rim shaft and to the boss of the friction plate I
secure a pinion for driving the front roller shaft, and the drawing out scroll
shaft when the friction plate is in contact with the rope pulley.
The friction plate is moved into contact with the rope pulley by means of a
fork connected by levers to the change motion, and the friction is put into and
out of gear by the carriage at the end of its inward and outward run.
The rope from the overhead countershaft passes round the friction pulley on
the rim shaft and round similar pulleys on the backing off and taking in shafts,
and thus also drives both these motions.
In place of mounting the friction pulley and plate upon the rim shaft, they
might be mounted upon the backing off or cross shaft.
By driving the carriage in the manner described it can be run at a regular
speed independently of the ordinary two speeds given to the rim shaft, and the
speed of the spindles can be varied without affecting the speed of the carriage.
Dated this 4th day of December 1899.

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in self acting mules particularly to
woollen and waste mules, and the object of my invention is to drive the carriage
independently of the spindles, and I effect this object by employing a rope or
band to convey motion from the overhead countershaft to drive the carriage,
and the backing off and taking in motions.
In the accompanying two sheets of drawings-
Figure 1 is a side view of the headstock of a self acting mule to which my
improvements are applied, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
In these views, a designates the frame or headstock of the mule, 6 the rim
shaft, e the backing off shaft, & the taking' in friction shaft, e the drawing in
scroll shaft the front roller shaft and g the drawing out scroll shaft.
In carrying my invention into effect I mount a friction rope pulley h and a
friction plate or cone i loose upon the rim shaft b, and to the boss of the friction
plate I secure a pinion for driving by a train of gears 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the front
roller shaft from which by a train of gears 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, the drawing out
scroll shaft is also driven when the friction plate i and the friction rope
pulley hare in contact.
The driving rope from the overhead countershaft (not shown in the drawings)
passes round the friction rope pulley h on the rim shaft b and round other rope
pulleys k, l, on the backing off shaft c and taking in shaft d and thus drives both
these motions as well as the drawing in scroll shaft e which is geared to the
taking in shaft by a clutch and toothed wheels 11, 12.
is
The friction rope pulley h is held normally in gear with the friction plate i
by means of a coiled spring m or it might be a weight connected to the end of a
lever fulcrumed on a shaft o on which is also fixed the clutch fork P. Below
the friction clutch is fulcrumed at r¹ the usual horizontal elbow lever which is
connected to the three change motion rods 13, 14, 15, by which the position of
the lever is regulated and the usual changes effected. Upon the lever
mounted a bowl s which when the lever is moved in one direction and a change is
made bears against the curved surface of the lever n and pushing it back against
the resistance of the spring m causes the clutch fork p to move the friction rope
pulley out of contact with the friction plate i and so stops the rotation of the
front roller shaft f and the drawing out scroll g thereby stopping the front rollers
and the mule carriage.
"'
By driving the carriage in the manner described it can be run at a regular
speed independently of the ordinary two speeds given to the rim shaft by means
of the driving belt, not shown, and usual pulleys on the rim shaft and there-
fore the speed of the spindles can be varied without affecting the speed of the
carriage. The backing off cone wheel v is driven in the usual manner from a
pinion on the backing off shaft.
Instead of mounting the friction rope pulley h and friction plate i upon the
rim shaft bas shown and described they might be mounted upon the backing off
or cross shaft c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is-
1. Driving the mule carriage and the front rollers independently of the
spindles by means of a friction plate and friction rope pulley actuated by an
endless rope or band which also drives the backing off and taking in motions
substantially as herein set forth.
2. In combination, the friction rope pulley / driven by an endless rope or
band which also drives the backing off and taking in motions, the friction
plate having a pinion j mounted on its boss, and the train of gears from the

page_text: said pinion for driving the front roller shaft and the drawing out scroll, all
substantially as and for the purposes herein described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
3. The general combination and arrangement of parts embodying my improve-
ments in self acting mules substantially as herein described and as illustrated in
the drawings.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.