CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Asa Lees, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, and David Schofield, of the same Place, Manager, for
the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES FOR
SPINNING AND DOUBLING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Asa Lees and David
Schofield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 27th November 1856.
We, ASA LEES, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker,
and DAVID SCHOFIELD, of the same Place, Manager, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING
MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in an improved combination of parts for guiding the
fallers to effect the winding of the yarn on the spindles, commonly called the
copping motion. According to our Invention the usual copping rail and
shaping rail required in Roberts' self-acting mules are dispensed with, and a
single rail answering the purpose of both is employed. This rail is guided
between short shaping plates sliding on fixed plates attached to the headstock.
These shaping plates are connected together by a rod, and motion is given
to them by a ratchet wheel and screw in the usual manner of giving motion to
the shaping rail. The object of this Invention is to simplify the copping.
motion, and to render the parts firmer or less liable to get out of order; this
is effected by the compound copping and shaping rail being supported on each

page_text: side of the shaping plates; these supports being adjustable by screws to
lengthen or shorten the bottom of the cop. The bowl that travels along the
compound copping and shaping rail is also capable of being supported by two
levers from the segment shaft, instead of one as heretofore. The end of the
compound copping and shaping rail is supported by an adjustable bracket with
a slot, to be able to vary the longitudinal position of the compound rail, and
consequently to vary the winding of the yarn on the nose of the cop.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Asa Lees and David Schofield in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ASA
LEES, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and DAVID
SCHOFIELD, of the same Place, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Asa Lees and David Schofield, Her special license that we, the said
Asa Lees and David Schofield, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others, as we, the said Asa Lees and David Schofield, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING
MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Asa Lees and David Schofield, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our; or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Asa Lees and David Schofield, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be preformed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-

page_text: Our Invention relates to that part of self-acting mules called the copping
motion, and consists in the application of a copping rail supported by double
shaper plates for effecting the same object as the copping rail and shaping
frame required in the self-acting mules known as "Richard Roberts' Patent
Self-actors."
Our Invention also consists in the mode of regulating the longitudinal
position of the copping rail, and in supporting the stud of the bowl that travels
along the copping rail in two lovers, instead of only one as heretofore.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
same.
Fig. 1 represents the outline of a self-acting mule, to which our improve-
ments are applied; Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 is an end viow, of part of the
The framing of the headstock is marked a, and b is the front drawing
roller; c is the segment shaft, supported by the carriage in the usual manner.
The parts above enumerated, and all the others requisite to complete the mule,
and not particularly referred to hereafter, are made in the usual manner. fis
our improved copping rail, which is supported at one end by the double shaping
plate g moving on the bracket d, and at the other end by the double shaping
plate moving on the bracket e. The stud g fits in a slot in the end of the
railf, and the position of this stud, which bears on the double shaping plate h,
can be varied by the set screw f'. The rail fhas a piece fs hinged to it, the
position of which can be varied by the set screw f³; the object of this is to be
able to regulate the position of the faller wire, so as to commence winding the
yarn at any point of the nose of the cop. The stud g is fixed in the other
end of the rail f, and bears upon the double shaping plate h. The shaping
plates and h are made double, as shewn in Fig. 3, in order that the
copping rail may be supported at both sides, thereby rendering the parts
firmer and less liable to get out of order than when they are supported in
the usual manner. The stud g³ fits in the diagonal slot in the bracket i;
this bracket is connected to the bracket e by set screws fitting through slot
holes. The object of the bracket i is to enable the longitudinal position of
the copping rail to be varied, thereby varying the winding of the yarn on
the nose of the cop. The double shaping plates g and h are connected by the
rod j, and the requisite longitudinal motion is given to the double shaping
plates 9 and h by the ratchet wheel k and screw 1, which are made in the usual
manner, the screw working in a nut fixed to the double shaping plate g.
The bowl m that travels along the copping rail f is supported between the
lever c', which is made in the usual manner, and the lever n, which is loose on

page_text: the segment shaft c, and is applied for the purpose of giving additional support
to the stud on which the bowl m revolves."
Having thus particularly described the nature of our Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not
limit ourselves to the details set forth, as they may be varied without departing
from the peculiar character of our Invention; and that what we claim is,-
First, the improved copping rail f, as shewn and described.
Secondly, supporting the copping rail in double shaping plates, as shewn
and described.
Thirdly, the mode of varying the longitudinal position of the copping rail,
as shewn and described.
And, fourthly, supporting the bowl that travels along the copping rail in
double levers, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Asa Lees and David Schofield, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
DAVID SCHOFIELD. (L.S.)