Moton in Sell-acting us.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept. 1887
Complete Left, 31st May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
on Moton in Sell-acting us.
I, JOHN THOMAS AINSWORTH of 24 German Street, Bolton in the County of
Lancaster, Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object that of automatically operating and regulating the
backing-off motion of self-acting mules, and consists in mounting on the side of the
headstock in suitable fixings a rod provided with a notch in which operates a catch on
the completion of each outward run of the mule carriage. The aforesaid rod is made
in two parts being connected by a rod and spring which allows of a yielding action
when operated by an arm from the faller leg on the mule carriage. The other end of
the divided rod is secured to a catch attached to the headstock. To the spring that
operates the backing-off motion is attached the rod connected to the front part of the
divided rod; the latter being moved backwards thereby ready for the next outward
run of the mule carriage. When the mule changes for backing-off the catch is released
from the notch by a lever, or its equivalent, operated from any convenient part of the
headstock.
The backing-off of the mule carriage is arrested by the catch until released by the
lever operated by the ordinary changing motion, which is automatically and
mechanically performed.
EDMUND CHADWICK, C.E., Fel. Inst. P.A.,
92, St. George's Road, Bolton,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: off Motion in Self-acting Mules.
I JOHN THOMAS AINSWORTH of 24 German Street Bolton in the County of
Lancaster Overlooker, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in the backing off motion of self-acting
mules and has for its object that of automatically operating and regulating the backing
off motion in such manner as to prevent any possibility of the long lever missing the
second change and to ensure the positive locking of the faller while the mule is
backing off.
"catch"
In mules of the ordinary construction the reversing lever (described as a
attached to the headstock in my Provisional Specification) which throws the backing
off mechanism into and out of gear is connected by a single rod known as the
backing off rod and a spring to the second change lever and a stud on the
gun lever
as the carriage approaches the end of its outward run acts upon and moves the second
change lever thereby putting sufficient tension into the above named spring to cause it
to operate the reversing lever and throw the backing off motion into gear when the
long lever makes the first change. The chief defect in this arrangement is that
occasionally, particularly when the engine is running slow, the faller misses locking
and the long lever misses the second change by reason of the stud thereon catching
and remaining in the notch in the reversing lever instead of forcing back the latter
and throwing the backing off motion out of gear and locking the faller and when the
long lever thus misses the second change the faller instead of being locked after it has
backed off the proper distance drops to the bottom and so breaks all the ends thereby
entailing great waste of time in piecing up besides making bad yarn.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are side elevations of my improved apparatus for regulating
the backing off motion in self acting mules showing the parts in the relative positions
they occupy. Fig. 1, just as the carriage is approaching the end of its outward run,
Fig. 2 when the carriage is out and twisting going on Fig. 3 when the spindles are
being backed off and the faller lowered and Fig. 4 when the long lever has made the
second change and the carriage has started on the inward run.
In these views. A designates part of the headstock and 6 the long lever pivoted
thereto at the second change lever which is pivoted to the headstock at c and is
actuated by a stud c from the gun lever; d the reversing lever pivoted to the head-
stock at d; is the strap fork guide lever which is fulcrumed on the stud e¹ and is
weighted at e and connected by a spring e to the roller beam or headstock; the strap
fork guide levere is held in the position shown in Fig. 1 during the outward run, and

page_text: a¹
also while the mule carriage is out and twisting is going on, by the strap fork catch
lever but when the twisting has been finished the cam or projection g' on the twist
shaft g, as the shaft turns, comes under the piece f¹ and lifts the strap fork catch
lever thereby unlatching the said lever from the stop a' and allowing the weight e*
to fall and draw it back and move the guide lever e so as to shift the belt from the
loose to the fast pulley on the rim shaft (not shown) the catch leverf being then latched
on the side of the stop a' opposite to that shown in the Drawing; on the completion of
the inward run of the carriage the catch lever fis lifted and unlatched from the stop
by means of a projection on the faller horn the weight e having been previously taken
off by means of a projection (shown in dotted lines Fig. 1) on the back of the middle
piece of the carriage coming against a leg e¹ bolted to the guide lever e so that the
springe then acts and draws forward the said lever thereby moving the belt from the
fast to the loose pulley on the rim shaft and again latching the catch lever ƒ on
the front side of the stop a' as shown in Fig. 1. When the weight e² drops and moves
the guide lever e as above described it also raises a lever e³, see Fig. 3, on which is
bolted a bracket e which until that moment has been resting opposite a stud d² on the
reversing lever & and holding the latter in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The above described parts are substantially of the ordinary construction and
operate in the usual way.
I will now describe those parts which embody my Invention.
i
The backing off rod is made in two pieces i¹ and is supported in guides or
brackets secured to the headstock a; the part of the rod is pivoted at 2 to the
roversing lever & and an adjustable bracket on the part is connected by a divided
rod and spring to a bracket d³ on the reversing lever d; the part i¹ is enlarged
and notched at to receive a catch on an elbow lever which is pivoted at l'on a
bracket secured to the headstock a and on the part is fixed an adjustable bracket m
which is caught by a stud or projection n on the faller leg (not shown) as the carriage
approaches the end of the outward run.
When the mule carriage is going out and approaching the end of its run the parts
occupy the relative positions shown in Fig. 1 with the stud on the long lever >>
resting above the notch in the reversing lever d then the stud c² or another stud on
the gun lever comes against the first change lever (not shown) thereby moving the
long lever the stud on which then drops into the position shown in Fig. 2, i.e.
opposite the centre of the notch in the reversing lever while the reversing lever dis
held by the bracket e at the same time the stud n on the faller leg coming against the
bracket m draws out the rod i leaving an open space between the ends of the parts i i¹
and putting the necessary tension into the spring k the parts i ¹ being held asunder
while twisting is going on by the catch which falls into the notch it in the part .
When the twisting is finished the cam g' raises the catch lever thereby allowing
the weight e to act which moves the belt from the fast to the loose pulley and also
raises the bracket e and as the part is still held by the catch this movement allows
the spring to draw forward the reversing lever d into the position shown in Fig. 3
whereby the backing off motion is put into gear.
When the spindles have been backed off the action of locking the faller raises the
stud n clear of the bracket m and also raises the stud c³ which moves the change lever c
and makes the second change and simultaneously unlatches the catch thereby releasing
the spring which shoots back the part against the end of the part i and forces back
the reversing lever d clear of the stud which falls into its lowest position below the
notch in the reversing lever d as shown in Fig..4 until the carriage has completed.
the inward run when the parts return to the relative positions shown in Fig. 1. The
action of the spring k¹ in making this last change as above described forces back the
reversing lever d clear of the stud 63 and so prevents any possibility of the long lever
missing change by reason of the stud 6 catching in the notch but in addition to the
spring if found advantageous or desirable, another spring p may be employed
working as shown in Fig. 4 between the fixed bracket j and an adjustable collar ron
the part and assisting to force back the said part and the reversing lever d when the
catch is unlatched.

page_text: It is obvious that almost endless modifications may be made in the arrangement of
a divided backing off rod without departing from the main feature of my Invention
which consists essentially in so arranging the parts or connections that when the
backing off motion is thrown out of gear after the faller has been locked one part of
the connections is moved by the backing off spring a cortain distance to close a space
or division in the connections and to gain such speed or impetus that when it meets the
resistance of the other part of the connections it has sufficient power to force back
the reversing lever clear of the stud on the long lever.
I will now proceed to describe some of these modifications.
Fig. 5 illustrates my Invention as applied to Messieurs Dobson and Barlow's well
known arrangement of backing off motion leg 8.
In this arrangement the notch it and catch and the means for operating the same
are dispensed with and the tension is put into the spring k¹ by the stud * moving the
leg s on its fulcrum sand by the connecting arm & drawing forward the part i¹ away
21
from the part which is fixed by nuts 9 to an eye or projection d' on the reversing
lever d.
In Fig. 6 the part 2 is connected directly to the legs and the part i is connected
to the reversing lever d as in Figs. 1 to 4.
In the arrangement Figs. 7 and 8 the ends of the divided rod i¹ are slotted and
in one slot is fixed adjustably a stud t which works in the other slot; or one part only
need be slotted and the stud fixed on the other part the necessary adjustment being
obtained by adjusting the said part.
In Fig. 9 the part i is the longer part and passes through a bracket j¹ which is fixed
to the headstock and to this bracket is secured one end of a divided rod and spring u
the other end of which is secured to the bracket and assists the action of the spring k¹
in a manner similar to that of the spring p in Fig. 4.
In Fig. 10 the part i of the rod is dispensed with and the end of the part 1 passes
freely through an eye or projection d³ on the reversing lever. I fix an adjustable
collar on the rod i so that when the spring kl acts to draw back the said rod
the reversing lever d is also forced back by the collar v striking against the
projection d
In Fig 11 the part i is again dispensed with and the end of the part i strikes against
a plate or projection d on the reversing lever d. Also the position of the bracket m
is reversed so that the stud & acts against it to draw out the part and put tension
into the springs k¹ and p.
Fig. 12 shows a modification of Fig. 9 the difference being that here the bracket ³
is pivoted to the legs while the part it is fixed adjustably in the said bracket.
In Fig. 13 the end of the part 2 is arranged to strike against the plate do through
which passes a guide rod w which is secured adjustably upon the part . The inner
end of the supplementary spring and rod u is secured to a bracket 3 secured to the
headstock.
Fig. 14 is intended to illustrate the manner in which the Invention can be used for
either the latch arrangement Figs. 1 to 4 or with Messieurs Dobson and Barlow's
backing off motion leg s or with the reversed bracket m as in Fig. 11. The
modifications illustrated by Figs. 9 and 12 can be used with the backing off motion leg
only but any of the other modifications can be used either with the arrangements
shown or with the latch arrangement as in Figs. 1 to 4.
My invention is applicable to all classes of self acting mules including those mules
which are commonly called "Twiners."
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. Making the backing off rod in two pieces or otherwise dividing or arranging
the said rod in an equivalent manner so as to leave a space in the connections between

page_text: equivalent part whereby when the backing off spring acts to throw the backing off
motion out of gear said space is closed and the reversing lever forced back clear of the
stud on the long lever substantially as and for the purposes specified.
2. The several constructions combinations and arrangements of parts embodying
my improvements in automatic apparatus for regulating the backing off motion in self
acting mules substantially as and for the purposes herein described and as illustrated
by the accompanying Drawings.