CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR PREPARING, ROVING, SPINNING, AND TWISTING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BURN SMITH, of Salford, in the Parish of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixteenth day of November, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-nine, in the third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant to me, the said John Burn Smith, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Burn
Smith, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said John
Burn Smith, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR PREPARING, ROVING, SPINNING,
AND TWISTING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Burn Smith, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court

page_text: of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Burn Smith, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the application, adaptation, and construction of
certain arrangements in the spinning machinery (called or known by the name
of mule, jenny, and doubler, and in the preparation machinery by the billy,
slubber, and stretching frame) whereby these machines are rendered self-acting
and independent of the action and attention of the operative spinner. The
manner in which my Invention is to perform and carry into effect the herein-
after explained movements will be more clearly seen by reference to the
annexed Drawings, in which elevations, plans, and sections of machinery the
same respective letters and figures of reference denote the saine parts through-
out the whole of the Drawings, which have their respective scales marked
thereon. From the great similarity of the jenny, billy, and stretching frame to
the mule, the mule only will be here described, as those conversant with this
class of machinery will understand my arrangements respectively.
Before I proceed to describe the annexed Drawings I shall here endeavour
to explain the nature and construction of a cop of yarn, together with the
various movements required in the formation of a cop. The rotation of the
delivering roller, and the rotation and receding of the spindles and carriage
supporting the yarn to the end of the stretch, run, or draw, is primary to all
mules and dependent on the moving power. As soon as the carriage arrives
at the end of the stretch, or the completion of the spinning action, it is the
object of the operative spinner to retrograde or reverse the rotation of the
spindles, generally called backing off, so as to remove the few spiral coils of yarn
that arrange themselves on the upper and bare part of the spindles during the
process of spinning, as seen at Figures 3, 4, 5. Simultaneously with the retro-
gression of the spindles or backing off, the spinner passes down the faller wire
with the uncoiled yarn to the lower part of the spindles upon which the yarn
is laid or distributed during the going in of the carriage in the subsequent
formation of a cop. It is then the next and most important object of the
spinner to return the carriage to the front or delivering roller. The spinner,
in returning or putting up the carriage gradually elevates the faller wire to

page_text: distribute the yarn spun during the coming out of the carriage in the formation
of a cop with the one hand, while with the other he carefully moves the rim or
driving pulley so as to wind the yarn on the spindles at a uniform tensity. At
the closing of the going in of the carriage to the delivering roller the spinner
elevates the faller wire clear of the spindles at a period commensurate with
the arrangement for the recommencement of the spinning action for another
stretch, and so on successively to the finishing of the cop.
Having now explained the manner and progress of the operative spinner, I
shall endeavour to shew more fully the nature and construction of a cop of
yarn, so that my arrangements for the formation of the same may be more
easily understood. The amount of yarn spun during the coming out of the
carriage is constantly and successively the same, and in machines of this
description is laid or wound on the bare spindle up to a limited point or part
called the nose of the cop, whose altitude progressively increases towards the
point of the spindle by the increasing re-elevation of the faller wire to the
finishing of the cop. The formation of the cop commences a little above the
bolster or bearing of the spindle by a series of circular layers spirally laid or
wound on the bare spindle. But as soon as the yarn of a few stretches is
wound on the spindle, the accumulated yarn begins to have the appearance of
a cone, see Figure 3, upon which is successively wound a decreasing series of
spiral conical layers until the cop assumes and arrives by a multitude of succes
sive stretches to its finished diameter, or what is called the cop bottom, as seen
at Figure 4, after and upon which is laid or wound a successive uniform series
of conical layers similar in every respect to the finishing and completing of the
cop, as indicated by the oblique lines, Figure 5. Always considering the winding
on to commence at the base of the cone or cop, it will be evident that the
speed or revolutions of the spindle to wind on the first series of layers will be
uniform and of the greatest amount of winding-on rotation. But by the
increasing size of the cop fewer revolutions will be required at each going in
of the carriage until the cop assumes its finished diameter; and by the pro-
gressive conical accumulation of yarn on the spindle, the speed of which at
each going in of the carriage will commence progressively slower and increase
up to the greatest amount of winding-on rotation, which is uniformly the same
when the yarn is winding on the nose of the cop or bare spindle at the closing
or finishing of the stretch.
Having stated the nature of the various movements of the mule for the
construction and formation of a cop, I shall proceed to describe, with reference
to the annexed Drawings, the manner in which I effect these movements.
To render the operation of the mule better understood I shall divide it into six

page_text: movements First, the movement of the drawing rollers through which the
roving passes and is delivered to the spindles; second, the spinning or rotative
motion of the spindles; third, the stretch or outward movement and return or
putting up of the carriage; fourth, the backing off or unwinding the spiral
coils of thread which accumulate on the spindles while the spinning proceeds;
fifth, the putting down and guiding the faller wire for distributing the yarn on
the spindles; and sixth, the winding on or placing the yarn or thread spun
during the last stretch on the spindles in the form of what is called a cop.
The first and second of these movements take place at the same time, and the
remainder follow in the succession in which I have enumerated them. In the
mule as represented at Figure 1, A represents the driving pulley which conveys
motion by means of a pinion A' to the wheel B, provided with various segments
and apparatus. for performing the various movements required, so that one
revolution of the wheel B effects one stretch or going out and in of the
carriage, together with all the necessary movements to the winding on the yarn
or thread in a finished state on the spindle in the form called the cop. The
position in which the wheel B is here represented is at the end of a stretch,
when the carriage is at the greatest distance from the drawing rollers at D,
the bevil segment b, b, having given motion to the delivering roller and
spindles, and the spur segment 9, 9, having brought the carriage to the end
of the stretch.
Bearing in mind that every separate movement of the machine emenates
from one uniform revolution of the wheel B, I shall now proceed to describe
the machinery for producing the various movements already enumerated.
Supposing the wheel B in the position represented at Figure 1, and revolving
in the direction indicated by the arrow on its periphery, the bevil segment,
or series of teeth 6, b, will drive the pinion a, when in geer, which, through
the shaft C, conveys motion to the drawing rollers at D, while motion is
conveyed through the shaft d to the pulley E, and thence to the pulley E,
which, by means of a clutch or catch box, drives the larger pulley E, and
the band which passes over the pulley Es in the carriage, to the carrier
pulley E; but in the position of the wheel B shewn at Figure 1, these move-
ments have just ceased, and the pinion a is at rest, while the motion of the
drawing rollers and spinning action of the spindle was proceeding by means
of the bevil segment b, b, driving the pinion a; the stretch or going out of the
carriage was also proceeding by means of a spur segment 9, g, which drives
the pinion H on the small shaft carrying the mendoza or taking-out pulley I,
both of which segments g, g, and b, b, commence and cease to act at the same
time. The carriage having now arrived at the end of a stretch, or greatest

page_text: distance from the rollers D, the backing off is to be performed, and this
movement, along with the putting down of the faller wire, is performed in the
following manner-H is a lever mounted on a stud in the interior of the
framing of the carriage, one end of which forms an internal toothed sector i, i,
giving motion to the small spur pinion i, to which is attached a pulley is,
round which and the pulley it is an endless chain which gives motion to the
cylinder shaft i, from thence to the faller wire by pulleys and chains on both
ends of the cylinder shaft. The other or opposite end of the lever II' is
formed to receive nut with vertical screw i, at the bottom of which is a
cross piece, upon which is supported or mounted a pendant rack K; secured
to the back of the rack is a rod K¹, which slides in a vertical section i',
attached to the interior framing. At the front of the rack is a pinion K³, one
end of which forms a catch or clutch, and is loose on the shaft which is
mounted in the interior of the carriage. Mounted on the same stud as the
lever is the lever H, its the other end resting on the vertical screw i³,
whereby it forms an incline plane. In order to effect the backing off on the
large wheel B, the bevil segment and small spur segment, the arcs of which
nearly corresponds with the horizon of their respective pinions, but the arc of
the internal segment h, h, being several degrees from the horizon line of its
pinion, allows the wheel B in its rotation to pass several degrees of its circum-
ference before the internal segment h, h, comes in contact with its pinion h¹.
During this period of pause, or passing of the wheel B without contact, the
backing off takes place, by having a stud or tappet projection h2 on the disc
or side of the wheel B, which comes in contact with the incline plane lever H
supported in the vertical screw iº, and depresses or forces it down, together
with the pendant rack K, which gears into the small pinion K. The amount
of inclination of the lever II is arranged to suit the retrogression of the
spindles, which are effected by the pulley E3, which is loose and connected by a
mid-feather upon the small shaft, mounted in the interior of the carriage. Upon
both ends of the shaft are small bevil wheels gearing into corresponding bevil
wheels which give motion to the two first drums, and to the remaining drums and
spindles, which are banded in the ordinary manner. One end of the pulley E³
has a catch or clutch which locks into the pinion K² by the action of a vertical
lever N, acted upon by the depression of the transverse lever L, which is
depressed by a stud or tappet m on the wheel B at the same time that the
lever N is vibrated, and depressing one end of the lever N³, liberates the pulley i*,
which was held stationary up to this period by means of a catch at the end of
the lever N. In order to suit the gradual decrease of the backing off, on
the nut of the vertical screw is locked a ratchet wheel m', which comes in

page_text: contact with a click or catch on the transverse lever L, and gathers a tooth at
every going in of the carriage, and lowers the vertical screw i, and so
decreases the inclination of the lever H, upon which the stud or lappet has
less effect. The lower end of the pendant rack K is provided with a friction
roller, running upon an incline plane o, o, which is progressively raised
during the going or running in of the carriage to distribute the yarn in the
formation of a cop.
The varying depression of the faller wire to increase the
progressive altitude of the cop takes place with the same ratchet wheel m', by
the lowering of the vertical screw i, lengthens the pendant rack K, and also
reduces the extent of the are in which the faller wire moves, for the purpose
of laying the successive layers of yarn higher up the spindles in consequence
of the are described by the sector i, i, being shortened by the varying depression
of the inclined lever H².. The backing off' and the putting down of the faller wire
having been effected, the internal segment h, h, the reverse side of the wheel B,
will have come in contact with the pinion ' affixed to the taking-in pulley G,
and carrying in the carriage to the rollers D, during which period the winding
on of the yarn proceeds. This movement will require the nature and construc-
tion of a cop to be understood as already explained in the beginning of this
Specification. Commencing with the bare spindle, the yarn is forced down by
the action of the faller wire, which at the commencement of the cop proceeds
to its lowest point of depression, which amount of depression is gradually
decreased, as already explained. But the rise of the faller wire, which is effected
by the varied position of the inclined plane o, o, must be here explained, as
the rise of the faller wire and distribution of the yarn depends on the correct
position of the inclined plane o, o. One end of the inclined plane o, o, is mounted
on an adjusting fulerum at m², while the other end rests on a circular cam m³,
seen in dotted lines at Figure 2, to which is attached a ratchet wheel m³, see
Figure 1. This cam m³ forms a nut, and is placed on a stationary screw m³.
The bell-crank lever m is furnished with a click or catch, which gathers a
tooth at every going in of the carriage, and thereby varies the position of the
circular cam m³, and also the varied amount of inclination of the inclined
plane o, o. The winding on or sixth motion proceeds simultaneously with the
going in of the carriage. Attached to the taking in pulley is the rope or band n',
which passes over carrier pulleys, and round the pulley R fast on its shaft n².
The circumference of the pulley R correspond with the length of the stretch, and
revolves one revolution at each going in of the carriage, while a similar band n³
attached to the carriage, produces a reverse revolution of the pulley Rat each
going out of the carriage. On the shaft n² is also keyed a pinion, which drives one
of the two horizontal racks n' and n³, mounted in sockets or slides attached to
'

page_text: the framing of the machine. At one end of the rack n' is a recess, in which
is placed a spiral-grooved screws, the application of which to self-acting mules
was claimed by me in a former Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth of April, One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, on which is placed a nut shewn in red
lines, which has a pin or stud fitting in the groove, so that by the turning of
the screw the nut traverses up or down the recess, which nut is formed of a
projecting part of the rack n³, which consequently partakes of the motion of
the rack n'. Under and gearing into the rack n³ is a pinion affixed to the
pulley T, which is here shewn in the position which it assumes when the
carriage is in or up at the front roller. On the periphery of this pulley are
two rounds or revolutions of a groove or thread, the first revolution forming a
uniform diameter, whilst the second forms a conical convolute revolution to a
smaller diameter, forming together a scroll or snail pulley. Attached to the end
of the smaller circumference is a band or chain U, which is wound round the
scroll or snail-formed pulley, and carried forward to the small cylinder p, to
which it is attached, and is held in a state of tension by an opposing cord and
counter-weight p', suspended from the ceiling of the room for the purpose of
taking up the redundant band or chain. On the periphery of the wheel B is a
cam-formed I groove w, for the guiding of a lever W, for the purpose of libe-
rating the pulley E3 from the pulley E' at the completion of the spinning
action. As soon as the internal segment wheel h, h, acts upon the taking-in
pulley, the lever W locks the pulley E with the clutch on the small cylinder p.
During the going in of the carriage the scroll or snail pulley T will wind on
the uniform groove the band or chain from the small cylinder p at a uniform
velocity, and motion will be imparted to the spindles by the pulley E at a
uniform rotation consistent with the winding rotation required at commencing
the cop, but by the accumulation of yarn on the spindle, fewer revolutions will
be required, as heretofore shewn. To accomodate this variation of winding-
on rotation, I apply at the end of the spiral screw S a ratchet wheels, which
gathers a tooth at every stretch and turns the screw S, by which means the
rack n shifts its position progressively until the snail or scroll pulley T has
made a full retrogade revolution on its axis during the formation of the cop
bottom. This retrograde motion of the scroll or snail pulley T may be effected
without the racks n' and 5, in the following manner :-
Figure 6 represents a sectional view of this arrangement. t is a hollow
cylindrical screw on the shaft n², which supports the snail or scroll pulley T,
and is prevented from revolving on the shaft by means of a mid-feather; one
end of this screw is provided with a thread of a uniform pitch, into which a
nut takes, and the other end is provided with one revolution of a spiral

page_text: thread, into which a stud in the bos of the scroll pulley T is inserted at t.
The nut t, which takes into the uniform screw, is provided with a ratchet
wheel to at one end, while the other rests against the bos of the scroll pulley T,
so that by progressively gathering a tooth of the ratchet wheel the cylindrical
screw is forced into the circular recess in the seroll pulley t, and causes the
stud in the groove to follow the course of its revolution, and thereby retro-
grade the scroll pulley T.
Figure 7 and 8 represent the side views of two pullies, upon which are
polygonal divisions radiating from the centre, and forming recesses in their
sides. The pulley 7 is of a uniform circular periphery, and is used in the
place of the pulley R in the former description, whilst the pulley 8 is a snail
or scroll-formed periphery marked x.
Figure 9 represents a section of these pullies, so that when their sides are
placed together the divisions will fit in the alternate recesses marked v of
each, and allow the two pullies 7 and 8 to close into each other and form one
compact pulley; the pulley 7 is secured to the shaft n, and the snail or scroll
peripheried pulley 8 is mounted upon a hollow cylindrical spiral-grooved
screw ', and has a stud or pin v passing through its boss into the groove of
the screw ', by which it is guided or governed. At the end of the spiral-
grooved screw is a ratchet wheel 2, upon which is gathered a tooth at every
coming out of the carriage, which causes the screw to turn progressively,
and thereby cause the snail or scroll peripheried pulley to slide away or recede
from the pulley 7. The snail peripheried pulley receding from the pulley 7
presents a differential series of circumferences to the band or chain U, which is
attached to the smaller circumference of the scroll or snail pulley, by allowing
it to sink deeper into the groove formed by the receding of the snail or scroll
pulley 8, which accommodates and is appropriated to the winding or rota-
tion of the cop bottoms. When the receding pulley has passed over the length
of the spiral screw v', the stud or pin
continues to revolve in a circular
The winding on having been com-
groove during the building of the cop.
pleted, and in order to elevate the faller wire to its station during the spinning
action, I employ a tranverse lever L, see Figure 1, mounted upon a fulcrum L';
upon one end is an upright jointed rod, connected with the inclined plane o, o,
from the fulcrum to the opposite end. The lever is formed into a hollow
cylindrical barrell for the purpose of admitting a shaft L2, one end of which is
provided with a bent or inclined arm L, for the purpose of receiving depression
from the tappit or stud Z on the wheel B; on the other end is formed a
serew L³, upon which is mounted a nut and ratchet wheel, one tooth of which
is gathered at each going in of the carriage, and thereby draws inward the

page_text: shaft L, and inclined arm L', so that it will progressively receive a less amount
of depression and elevato the faller wire thereby, which will correspond with.
the decreasing are in which the faller wire moves. From what has been hereto-
fore shewn of the formation of a cop, it will be here requisite to state that.
the figure of a cop being always a conc, the figure of the snails or scrolls of
the winding-on pullies must be a cone revolved round a spindle, the extreme.
diameter of which must bear a corresponding proportion to the base of the
cop and its nose or the bare spindle, also the spiral-grooved screw must bear
the same differential proportion.
Having now described the six movements required in the mule for com-:
mencing and completing the cop, I wish it to be clearly understood that many
of the parts to which I have referred for the purpose of rendering my
improvements better understood are common to all mules, and form no part of
my Invention. But what I do claim as my Invention consists of and are enu-
merated under the following heads:-
-
Firstly, I claim the application and adaption of a wheel, upon the disc or
sides of which are placed segmental racks, for the purpose of giving rotation
to the delivering roller, and in taking out and in the carriage respectively.
Secondly, the improved conjoined manner of backing off and guiding down
the faller wire.
Thirdly, the manner of application and adaptation of the screw-grooved
scroll or snail pulley passing a full retrograde revolution on its axis for the
purpose of winding on the cop bottoms of yarn.
Fourthly, the manner of applying and adapting the snail or scroll peripheried
pulley with the uniform circular pulley, each having pologonical recesses in
their sides, so that when closed into each other the receding of the one from
the other may cause a differential series of circumferences appropriate to the
winding on of the cop bottoms of yarn.
Lastly, the improved manner of actuating the decreasing rise of the faller
wire at the closing of the stretch by the transverse lever L acting on the
incline plane.
And such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
new and never before used in that part of Her Majesty's Dominions called
England, I deliver this as my true and faithful Specification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Burn Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty.
JOHN BURN (L.S.) SMITH.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid John Burn Smith came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowled the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.