CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINERY, BY AID OF WHICH MACHINERY SPINNING MACHINES, COMMONLY CALLED MULES, ARE OR MAY BE RENDERED WHAT IS TERMED SELF-ACTING;
Year: 1831

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
KNOWLES, of Chorlton Row, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great-
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-third day of
May (1881), in the first year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said.
Thomas Knowles, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial.
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas
Knowles, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by
myself and themselves, or by my or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Knowles, my 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 of fourteen years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the Domi-
nion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINERY, BY AID OF WHICH MACHINERY SPINNING
MACHINES, COMMONLY CALLED MULES, ARE OR MAY BE RENDERED WHAT IS TERMED
SELF-ACTING; THAT IS TO SAY, CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINERY, BY AID
OP WHICH MACHINERY SPINNING MACHINES, COMMONLY CALLED MULES, ARE OR MAY BE.
WORKED BY POWER, WITHOUT REQUIRING THE USUAL APPLICATION OF THE STRENGTH
OF THE SPINNERS TO GIVE MOTION TO THE HANDLES OR WHEELS AND TO SUCH OTHER

page_text: PARTS OF THE MULES AS ARE COMMONLY WORKED BY THE STRENGTH OF THE SPINNERS;'
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
Thomas Knowles, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to be enrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of tho said Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of, and in compliance with tho said
recited proviso, I, the said Thomas Knowles, do hereby declare that the nature of
my said Invention, and tho manner in which the same is to be performed, is as
herein-after mentioned, that is to say:-
Machinery, by aid of which mules may be rendered self-acting, so as to bo
worked by power without the usual application of the strength of the spinners,
has not hitherto been brought into extensive or general use in the spin-
ning business, notwithstanding the successive Inventions and Patents of
Mr. Eaton, Mr. Do Jongh, and Mr. Roberts, all of whom have constructed
such machinery, and succeeded in rendering mules self-acting, thereby;
but the great complication of parts in all those Inventions, and the
consequent expence of construction and liability to derangement, has been
a bar to the general adoption of such self-acting mules in the spinning
business. The object of my improvements in such machinery is to simplify
the construction thereof so as to enable the same to. perform the requisite
movements for what is called putting up the carriage of a common mule by
means of fewer addition parts thereto, and by more direct applications to those
parts to their intended purposes than has been done in the previous Inventions.
And whereas mules which are rendered self-acting by the application of my
said improvements necessarily include many parts (and some combinations of
parts) which are not of my Invention, I shall point out and distinguish what
I claim as my improvements, after having described the construction and
operation of the whole combination of the machinery which I have used
(and which I recommend to be used) for rendering mules self-acting accord-
ing to my improvements. That combination of machinery may be considered
to be composed of four subordinate combinations of machinery, each of which
performs a distinct portion of the manipulations required for putting up
the carriage of the mule, namely:
Firstly, backing off, or turning the spindles backwards, in order to unwind
those coils which the threads make around the upper parts of the spindles
where they project above the vertices of the conical cops.

page_text: Secondly, running in the carriage, in order to advance the spindles towards
the fluted rollers which supply the rovings.
Thirdly, winding up the threads around the spindles in successive coils
which wrap one over another; and
Fourthly, regulating the faller wire so as to distribute the said coils of
threads in the form of cops.
All the four subordinate combinations aforesaid are combinated together into
one general combination, which constitutes what is usually termed self-acting
machinery for a mule, and which is an additional apparatus to be applied to
the usual machinery of a common mule, such as is put up by the person termed
the spinner, who must perform all the four operations above enumerated by
the strength of his hands, without aid from the moving power, by which motion-
is given to the mule when the carriage is coming out, and whilst it is spinning
and giving twist to the threads. My said improvements relate to the
machinery or subordinate combinations of machinery which perform the back-
ing off and the winding up of the threads; but note, certain parts of the
machinery which I use in those two subordinate combinations are not my
Invention, as I shall point out at the conclusion of this Specification.
And also a new improvement in the mode of working a pair of mules with
self-acting machinery together; by means of which improvements the two
mules will be caused to keep proper time one with the other, in the coming
out and putting up of their carriages, in order that the piecers may have time
to piece up the ends of the threads in one mule before the other requires their
attention for that purpose. In the following description I shall assume that I am
addressing myself to competent mechanicians, who are fully conversant with
the spinning business and with the structure and operation of common mules,
and I shall confine my description to those particulars wherein the common
mules require alteration, and the application of additional machinery to render
them self-acting according to my improvements. Almost all the parts of a
mule, such as is now most commonly made in Lancashire on the most
esteemed pattern, may remain unaltered when the same is rendered self-acting
according to my improvements; but the framing of what is called the mule
head must be very firm and substantial. When my improvements are to be
applied to mules such as were commonly constructed in Manchester fifteen
or twenty years ago, it will in most cases be advisable to make an entire new
mule head upon the most improved modern pattern, with weight and strength
in the frame to render the same very substantial; but my improvements
may be applied to old mules if they are in good condition, without making an
entire new mule head thereto.

page_text: Sheets I. and II. of the Drawings hereunto annexed, represent a common
mule with my improvements applied thereto. The same letters and characters
of reference are used in all the Figures to denote the same parts. It is not
necessary to enter further into a description of those parts represented in the
Drawings which belong to the common mule, than to state some dimensions
and proportions of one particular mule which I have selected (by way of
example) from among those common mules which I have rendered self-acting by
the application of my improvements thereto. And note, when any dimensions
and proportions of my improvements are stated in the following description, it
is to be understood in reference to that particular mule, and that for any other
mules which differ therefrom in dimensions and proportions corresponding
differences must be made in the proportions and dimensions of my improve-
ments, as it will be easy for a skilful mechanician to do. The mule
represented in the Drawings and to which the following description refers, has
288 spindles, the wheel head being at the right-hand end of the carriage.
The spindles are 1 inches apart, the mule having been constructed for
spinning pirn cops for the shuttles of power looms; and when the observations
stated in the following description were taken, it was spinning weft of that
degree of fineness which is denominated No. 36; that is to say, 86 hanks
(each containing 840 yards) will weigh one pound avoirdupois. The spindles
are a quarter of an inch diameter at the part where they project up through the
upper bearing called the bolster, and they diminish from that size by tapering as
they rise upwards to of an inch diameter at the upper ends immediately
below the points of the spindles, which points stand up 6 inches high, above
the top of the said upper bearing. The carriage runs in and out, through a
space of 60 inches; the distance from the points of the spindles to the vertical
centre line of the front roller, measured horizontally, is 63 inches when the
carriage is quite out, or 3 inches when it is quite in, and the points of the
spindles are 2 inches below the level of the tops of the front fluted rollers,
which are one inch diameter. The drum A, at the ceiling of the room, which
drum gives motion to the mule, makes 126 revolutions per minute, and by an
endless strap it turns the fast or loose pulley B of the rim or great wheel D at
the rate of 203 revolutions per minute. The rim band pulley and the twist
pulley E make turns to one of the rim, or 450 revolutions per minute.
When the carriage is coming out, and whilst the mule is spinning the threads,
tho spindles make 7 revolutions for each revolution of the twist pulley;
consequently the spindles then make about 3,550 revolutions per minute. But
note, if the carriage is kept motionless, then the proportion is 8' turns of the
spindles to one turn of the twist pulley. The pulley F, at the end of the

page_text: carriage around which the endless band from the twist pulley is wrapped, is
10 inches in diameter, measuring to the centre of the thickness of the endless
band, and if that band is held motionless whilst the carriage is run in through
its course of 60 inches, the said end pulley will make turns, and the
spindles will make 12 turns; for the spindles make 6 for each turn of the
said end pulley.
Figure 1 in Sheet II. represents the form and dimensions of the cops;
which are formed upon the spindles of the above-mentioned mule by winding
up the threads with the self-acting machinery herein-after to be described. The
finished cop is formed at 500 successive times of winding up the threads, that
number of layers of thread being thereby wound on the surface of the cops, so
that each layer covers over the preceding layer. The first 150 stretches, or
times of winding up (making as many successive layers), completes what is
called the full conc; that is to say, the cops then acquire the form of cones,
whereof the bases are the full diameter of the finished cops, namely, of an
inch, the altitude or vertical height of the cone being being 1 inches. The
succeeding stretches which are wound on after the full cone is completed,
form conical layers of thread which fit one over another in succession, all of
them being nearly of the same size, and the bases of those conical layers' give
a cylindrical form to the body of the cop, which cylinder in the finished cop of
500 stretches is 2 inches high. At the first stretch, when a new set of cops
is begun, the self-acting machinery must cause the spindles to make 74 turns
for winding up, counting those turns after the backing off is completed, and
during the time that the carriage is running in through its course of 60 inches.
The threads will in that case be wound up by coiling them that number of
turns around the spindles, and those 74 coils will occupy of an inch in
height upon the spindles. In backing off, in preparation for winding up to
the second stretch, the spindles require to be turned backwards 7 times, and
about 5 inches of the length of the threads is unwound from off the spindles
in so backing off. At the twenty-fifth stretch the successive layers of thread
which have then accumulated about the spindles will form small conical cops,
an inch diameter at the base and 11 inches vertical height; and at that
stage the self-acting machinery must first back off 6 turns, (thereby unwinding
4 inches of threads), and it must then cause the spindles to make 50 turns for
winding up during the running in of the carriage, after the backing off is
completed. The threads will in that case be wound up by coiling them that
number of turns about the cone. At the fiftieth stretch the conical cops will
have become increased to of an inch diameter at their bases, and 1 vertical
height. The spindles must then back off 6 turns, which will unwind

page_text: 4 inches of the threads, and after that backing off they must make 43 turns
in winding up during the running in of the carriage. At the one hundred
and fiftieth stretch the full cones are of an inch diameter at. their bases,
and 1 inches vertical height. The spindles must then back off 6 turns,
which will unwind 4 inches of the thread, and after so backing off the
spindles must make 88 turns in winding up during the remaining stretches,
until the cops are completed; the cones at the tops of the cops continue to bo
so nearly of the same size as to require but little difference to be made in the
number of turns which the spindles must make in winding up the threads at
each stretch, but the number of turns to be backed off must be gradually
diminished as the height of the cops increase. At the five hundredth stretch
the spindles must make only 4 turns in backing off, which will unwind 2 inches
of the thread, and after so backing off the spindles must take 36 turns in
winding up.
The above particulars relative to the mule being understood, I shall proceed
to describe the self-acting machinery, observing the classification of all the
parts thereof into the four subordinate combinations before mentioned.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MACHINERY FOR BACKING OPP or Unwinding those Coils
which the Threads make around the Upper Parts of the Spindles, where
the latter project above the Vertices of the Conical Cops.
The
The axis at the ceiling of the room over the mule has a pulley 1
fixed upon it, by the side of the drum A, and by an endless strap (which
is crossed) it turns a pulley 2, of the same size as the pulley 1. The
pulley 2 is fixed fast on a horizontal axis, which is thereby turned round
without intermission at the rate of 126 revolutions per minute.
axis 3, which I call the backing-off axis, is mounted in a small headstock
frame a, which is fixed fast across the end of the frame of the mule head,
nearly over the axis of the twist pulley E, to which axis the axis 3 is parallel.
A small pulley is fitted on the extremity of the backing-off axis 8, at that
end which is farthest from the carriage, and by an endless strap 14 (which is
crossed) it occasionally turns a large pair of fast and loose pullies 5 and 15,
which are fitted on the extreme end of the axis of the twist pulley E; but
when the endless strap 14 is upon the loose pulley 15 it turns the same the
contrary way round to that in which the twist pulley E commonly turns.
The pulley is 4 inches diameter, and the fast and loose pulleys 5 and 15
(which I call the backing-off pulleys) are 15 inches diameter, measuring to
the middle of the thickness of the endless strap 14. When the pullies 5
and 15 are in action they turn round backwards at the rate of 40 revolutions

page_text: per minute, and during the backing off the endless strap 14 is shifted upon
the fast pulley 5, so as to turn the twist pulley E round thereby, and thus cause
the spindles to turn round, backwards (that is, in a contrary direction to the
direction in which they are turned for the spinning or for the winding up of
the threads) at the rate of 325 turns per minute; but the backing-off pullies
4 and 5 are only put in action occasionally, although the axis 3 turns round
continually, because the pulley 4 is fitted loose on the end of the backing-off
axis 3, and is only occasionally turned round therewith by means of a clutch-
box 6, which is fixed fast on the axis 3, being partly contained in a hollow
within the pulley 4. The centre boss of the pulley 4 has a groove formed
round it to admit the prongs of a fork 13, which is fixed fast to the end of a
horizontal slider 7, and projects from the slider to reach to the boss of the
pulley. The slider 7 stands edgeways upwards, and it is fitted through openings
in the upright parts of the headstock frame a, so as to be capable of sliding
endways, backwards, or forwards, in which case the fork 13 being fixed to it
carries the pulley 4 a short distance endways, along the axis 3. If the
pulley 4 is thus moved by the slider 7 and its fork 13 towards the carriage of
the mule, then the teeth of the clutch-box 6, which is fixed fast on the axis 3,
will take into corresponding teeth formed within the hollow of the pulley 4,
and the interlocking of those teeth will compel the pulley 4 to turn round
along with the axis 3; in which case the endless strap 14 of the pulley 4 will
be put in motion, and will either turn the fast pulley 5 or the loose pulley 15,
according as the endless strap 14 is guided upon one of those pullies or the
other. The fast pulley 5 is fixed on the extreme end of the axis of the twist
pulley E, and always turns round therewith; but the loose pulley 15 is fitted
easily on the same axis between the fast pulley and the bearing for the axis.
The slider 7 is detained from moving when it is not required to move by
means of two latches 8 and 9, which are applied one at each side of that
upright standard of the headstock frame a, which is nearest to the carriage.
The two latches 8 and 9 are moveable on centre pins, which are fixed fast to
the frame, and the ends of the latches drop when required into suitable
notches which are cut in the top edge of the slider 7, close to the said upright
standard. The latch 8 detains the slider 7 from returning when it has been
moved as far as it will go towards the carriage, and in like manner the other
latch 9 detains the slider 7, when it is moved as far as it will go the other way.
The slider 7 is moved endways in its supports when required by means of a
steel blade spring 10, which is set on a strain, first in one direction and then
in an opposite direction, so as to give it a tendency to throw the slider 7 first
one way and then the other, according as the slider is required to be moved,

page_text: and the motion is given to the slider 7 by the spring 10 with an instantaneous
start the moment that it is released, by lifting its latches 8 or 9 out of the said
notches in the slider. The spring 10 is fitted at one end upon an upright pin,
which is fixed fast in the frame, and the blade part of the spring extends
horizontally and edgeways upwards from that pin to the slider 7, the extreme
end of the spring being reduced to a round pin, which is inserted into a hole
in the slider 7. The direction of the length of the spring 10 is at right angles
to the slider 7, and the middle part of the spring 10 is included between two
rollers 11, 11, fitted upon two pins which project out upwards from a hori-
zontal axis 12, which extends across the frame of the mule head; and the
middle part of the axis 12 has a lever b fixed fast upon it, and hanging down
in a suitable position for the lower end of it to be acted upon by the carriago
when it gets nearly out. The carriago then pushes the lower end of the
lever b before it, thereby giving motion in a contrary direction to the rollers 11
above the axis 12, which rollers include the blade spring 10 between them;
and that part of the blade of the spring which thus included between the
rollers 11 is formed with a double bend so as to stand at an oblique angle to
tho straight part of the spring, and also to the direction in which the rollers
11, 11, are moved, when the earringe acts on the lower end of the lever b.
The consequence of the said obliquity of the blade of the spring 10 is to cause
the spring 10 to be set on a strain towards one side or the other, accordingly
as the rollers 11 are placed one way or the other by their lever 6; for instance,
when the carriage gets out it bends the spring 10 that it tends to move the
slider 7 away from the carriage; but nevertheless, the slider does not move in
consequence of that tendency of the spring, because it is detained by its latch 8,
before mentioned, in like manner as the cock of a gun when full cocked
is detained by its scer. After the carriage has got quite out, and the twisting
of the threads is finished the motion of the rim and spindles is discon-
tinued by the usual means; namely, a worm at the end of the axis of
the rim D works into the teeth of a worm wheel, which is called the
bell wheel or twist wheel, so as to turn the samo slowly round, and on
the axis C of that wheel a finger 7 is fixed, which turns round with the
axis C, and at the proper moment the finger g presses downward upon the
tail of a catch d, which previously detained the long horizontal lever and
fork c, c, for guiding the endless strap of the mule, so as to have kept
that strap upon the fast pulley B of the rim during all the time that the
carriage was coming out, and also after it had come out, until the proper
quantity of twist was put into the threads; but by that time, the said finger g,
on the axis c of the bell wheel, will have come round in contact with the tail

page_text: of the catch d, and will have released the same, in order that the rim and the
spindles may cease to turn any longer.-Note, the long strap lever and fork
e, e, are fixed on the upper end of an upright axis, which passes down through
a fixed hollow standard; and on the lower end of that axis a short lever is
fixed, which extends crossways of the frame beneath the same, so that the
short lever at the bottom of the axis is fixed thereon in a direction at right
angles to the direction of the strap lever e, e, which is fixed at the top of the
same axis. The end of the said short lever is connected by a wire spring h
with the lever b, in such manner that, when the said lever is moved in the
manner aforesaid by the carriage in coming out, the spring h will be extended
in readiness to give motion to the strap lever and fork c, c, for casting the
strap on the loose pulley B the instant that the finger g, on the axis c, releases
the catch as above mentioned.-Note, the above action of the worm and bell
wheel, the catch d, the finger g, and also of the strap lever and fork c, c, with
its lower lever and spring h, belongs to the movements of the common mule;
and is no part of the self-acting machinery; but there is an additional finger
fixed on the axis of the bell wheel, and at the same instant that the finger
g acts on the tail of the catch d, as aforesaid, the finger v acts sideways
against the curved tail or upper end of a small lever z, which is poised on a
fixed centre pin projecting out from the frame, and the lower end of the lever
is connected by a wire with the short arm of a small elbow lever 16, which is
mounted on a stud pin fixed to the frame, and the long arm of the elbow lever 16
reaches behind the endless strap 14 of the backing-off pulleys 4 and 5 and 15.
The action of those parts is to shift the backing-off endless strap 14 from the
loose backing-off pulley 15 to the fast pulley 5, at the same instant that by
the ordinary movement of the mule the main endless strap of the mule is
shifted from the fast pulley B, of the rim D, to the loose pulley thereof, in
order to stop the motion of the spindles, as usual in mules. The consequence
is, that the backing-off endless strap 14 then begins to act on the fast
pulley 5, which has been turning round with the twist pulley E, at the rate
of 451 revolutions per minute, during all the time of spinning and giving
twist; hence, before the twist pulley and spindles and rim have lost their swing
or energy of motion, or had time to come to rest, the backing-off strap 14 is
shifted on to the fast pulley 5, and that strap deriving its motion from the
pulley 4 is moving in a contrary direction to that in which the fast pulley 5
was moving, and in which it continues to move for a very short time by virtue
of the said swing or energy of motion remaining in all the moving machinery.
The first action of the backing-off strap 14, when it is thus shifted from off
the loose pulley 15 to the fast pulley 5, is to retard and resist the original

page_text: motion which the said fast pulley 5 retains until the said motion is stopped,
and then the backing-off strap 14 begins to turn the fust pulley 5 round with
it in the backward direction at the rate of 40 revolutions per minute, together
with the twist pulley E and the spindles, which are thereby turued backwards
at the rate of 825 turns per minute, in order to back off the thread therefrom.
- Note, the motion of the rim and spindles is stopped in less time, by means
of the aforesaid action of tho backing-off strap 14, than would be requisite to
stop the motion if it were left to expend itself; for when the backing-off
strap 14 is shifted from the loose pulley 15 to the fast pulloy 5, that fast
pulley is still moving in a contrary direction to the motion of the said strap
by virtue of the energy of motion remaining in all the moving parts. The
stopping of the motion of the machinery is effected quietly, and without
violence, by the above means. The said action of stopping the motion of the
spindles, and then turning them backwards, with the least possible loss of time,
but without violence, produces, as nearly as can be, the same effect as the
usual mode practised by a spinner in putting up a mule; for he applies his
right hand to the handle of the rim or wheel before it has lost its motion, and
when he catches the handle, he first retards, and then stops, and then turns
the same backwards, in order to back off. The duration of the reverso motion
given to the spindles by the above machinery is limited by the following
mechanism, which is well known, and which is used in other self-acting mules,
namely: on the opposite end of the axis of the twist pulloy E to that whereon
the fast and loose pullies 5 and 15 are applied, a pinion i is fitted, it is 24 inches
diameter at the pitch line, and has 20 teeth to work into the teeth of a straight
rack, which is fitted into brackets fixed to the frame, so as to be capable of
moving endways freely up and down in a vertical direction. The pinion i is
fixed fast to a circular plate, and both together are fitted on the end of the axis
of the twist pulley E, so as to turn round freely thereon in one direction, but not
in the other direction. To effect that purpose, a ratchet wheel m is fixed fast
on the axis of the twist pulley E, close to the circular plate 7, and a click n is
fitted on a stud pin which is fixed fast into the circular plate 1, so as to project out
therefrom; and the extremity of that click takes into the teeth of the ratchet
wheel, m, and by holding fast therein compels the pinion to turn round with
the axis of the twist pulloy, whon the same turns backwards, thereby raising
the rack upwards; but whenever the axis of the twist pulley E turns round
forwards (that is in the proper direction for spinning or for winding up) the
said click n leaves the teeth of the ratchet wheel m, and allows the pinion i to
remain at rest; but nevertheless the click n will always take into the teeth of
the ratchet m the instant that the axis and the ratchet wheel m begin to turn

page_text: backwards. The click n is put into action or taken out of action with the
teeth of the ratchet wheel m, in manner aforesaid, by means of a slight spring
collar o, which is made in two halves screwed together, around a groove in the
boss of the ratchet wheel m, and the screws by which those two halves are
united together bind the spring collar o upon the said groove with a gentle
friction. The interval between the ends of the two parts of the collar o,
receives between them the end of a stump or short arm which projects out
from the boss of the click n, in a direction pointing towards the centre of the
axis of the twist pulley, and when that axis, together with the ratchet wheel
m, first begin to turn backwards, the tendency which the spring collar o has
to go round therewith, by its friction, causes the end of the spring collar to act
on the short stump or arm of the click n, and to throw the end of the click
inwards towards the axis, so that it will catch into the teeth of the ratchet
wheel; and then the click n, with its circular plate 1, and pinion i, must
altogether turn round backwards, along with the axis of the twist pulley. But
so soon as the said axis begins to turn round forwards, the friction of the spring
collar o acts in a contrary direction on the stump arm of the click n, and
causes the end of the click n to recede from the axis of the twist pulley, so as
to quit the teeth of the ratchet wheel m, and then the circular plate and the
pinion are left at liberty either to stand still whilst the axis of the twist
pulley turns round forward, or else to follow round in the same direction as the
said axis turns, provided that they do not move so quick as to overtake the
axis. In consequence of the above action of the ratchet wheel and click, the
rack k, after having been raised during the backing off, may be let down again,
whilst the twist pulley E is turning round forwards, without any impediment
from the ratchet wheel m and click n. To have a complete idea of the back-
ing-off action it is necessary here to enter into some description of a portion
of the machinery of another of the subordinate combinations before pointed
out, namely, that for regulating the faller wire, because the action of the faller
wire is necessary during the backing off, in order to take up the slack of the
threads which are then unwound from the spindles, and to keep those threads
to a proper tension until the running in of the carriage and the winding up
action of the spindles commences. The upright rack k has a small bracket q
affixed to it and projecting out from it in a suitable position to reach beneath
a small roller r, which is fitted on a pin projecting out sideways from the tail
end of one of the short levers or fingers s, to which the faller wire F is affixed;
and whereby it is extended along the row of spindles as usual in common
mules. The said levér s is that one of the fingers for the faller wire F which
is at the right-hand end of the carriage next to the mule. head frame; the

page_text: "'
lever is affixed on the extreme end of the usual horizontal axis G of the
faller. A weight w, which is fastened to the tail of the lever 8, at the same
end thereof as the roller r, overbalances the faller wire F, and raises the same
up clear above the points of the spindles, whilst the carriage is coming out, and
whilst the spinning and twisting of the threads is going on; and when tho
carriage gets quite out, the roller will hang over the projecting bracket
9, of
the rack, so that the said bracket will lift up the roller r upon it, when the
rack is raised by its pinion i, during the backing-off' action before described.
At the same time that the roller r is thus raised, the faller wire F (being at
the opposite end of the lever s) descends with a corresponding motion, whereby
that wire bears down the threads as they are backed off and unwound from
the spindles, in order to take up the slack and preserve the threads at a proper
tension. a is the counter faller wire, which assists the faller wire F in taking
up the slack of the threads; it is affixed to the extreme ends of several curved
arms or levers, called sickles, which are fastened to an additional faller axis
t, situated parallel to the usual faller axis G in front thereof, or farther from
the spindles, but as near to the usual axis G as it can be conveniently placed,
and both axes are supported by the same bearing brackets in front of the row
of spindles. The sickles reach over in the spaces between the threads, and
the counter wire & is extended between the ends of the sickles u, so as to pass
beneath the row of threads. The counter faller wire a is constantly borne
upwards beneath the threads, with a moderate tension, by means of a
weight, which is suspended by a small cord y from an arch or portion
of a pulley, which is fixed on the axis of the counter faller, and the
weight hangs within, in a tube, which is fixed to the front of the carriage
to keep it from swinging about. During the backing off, the faller wire
Fis depressed below the counter faller wire a, and carries the threads
down in loops into the interval between the spindles and the counter
faller wire, which wire all the time bears those threads gently upwards, and
in opposition to the descent of the faller wire F. This action preserves their
tension, notwithstanding the increased length, which is to be extended in con-
sequence of the unwinding of the threads from off the spindles in backing off.
The backing-off motion is stopped at the proper period by the following means:
-A short arm is affixed to the upright rack k, and projects out therefrom to
support the lower end of an upright blade 17, which I call the backing-off'
sword, and which is raised up endways along with the rack &, during the
backing off. The lower end of the sword 17 is united to the arm of the rack k
by a joint pin, and the upper end of the sword 17 is continually drawn back-
wards by a wire spring 18 towards one of the standards for the rim. Tho

page_text: middle part of the backing-off' sword 17. is received in a notch through a pro-
jecting part of the end of a long straight ruler K, which is called the faller
guide. The sword lays flat behind that ruler, and the spring 18 bears the
edge of the sword continually into the notch, whilst the sword is raised end-
ways upwards, along with the rack k, during the backing-off motion. When
the intended number of backing-off turns have been made, the sword 17 will
have thus been raised to such a height through the notch at the back of the
faller guide K, that a part which is cut away from the edge of the sword will
allow the sword to jump suddenly backwards towards the roller beam by the
action of its spring 18, with a motion about the joint pin, by which the lower
end of it is united to the projecting arm of the rack k. When the backing-off
sword 17 thus makes its sudden jump backwards, its edge strikes a pin which
projects out from the upper end of the latch 8, whereby the horizontal slider 7
is detained, as before mentioned; and the blade spring 10 of that slider having
been previously set on a strain by the action of the carriage against the lower
end of the lever b, as before described, that spring 10 shoots the slider 7 end-
ways, with an instantaneous motion, whereby the backing-off pulley 4 is carried
so far cudways along the axis 3, that the teeth within the pulley 4 will be
detached from those of the clutch box 6, consequently the pulley 4 will cease
to turn any longer, and the backing-off motion will cease. The same instan-
taneous motion of the slider 7 puts the machinery for running in the carriage
into action, and the winding-up machinery is also actuated by that motion of
the carriage whilst it is so running on. The latch 9 drops into its notch in the
slider 7 the moment after it has moved, and holds it fast from moving back
again for the present.-Note, the faller guide K is a bar or straight ruler,
which supports the roller r of the levers of the faller, whilst the carriage is
running in, and then the roller rolls along the faller guide K. The roller r
was raised up during the backing off, as before stated, by the bracket I which
projects out from the rack k, for the purpose of carrying up the roller 2, which
was thereby raised to a proper level to enable it to roll off from the bracket q
on to the faller guide K when the carriage begins to run in; because the
bracket rises to a level with the top edge of the faller guide K, and there it
stops, in consequence of the cessation of the backing-off motion, as before
stated. The faller guide K has a suitable declivity towards the roller beam to
allow the roller to descend as it rolls along upon the roller guide K, and thus
cause the faller wire F to rise up gradually as the carriage runs in, in order
that the faller wire may distribute the threads in ascending spiral coils around
the cops. The faller guide K is let down a little at every successive stretch
(by means herein-after to be described), in order that the faller wire F may be
depressed less and less beneath the level of the points of the spindles at each

page_text: succeeding stretch, suitably to the increased height at which the spiral coils
are required to be wound about the conical parts of the cops, as the cops
increase upwards upon the spindles. This action of building the cops will be
more fully explained, along with the machinery for regulating the faller; but
the above is suflicient here to shew, how the gradual descent of the faller
guide K regulates what number of turns shall be made in backing off'; for the
notch, wherein the backing-off sword 17 acts, descends at the same time with
the faller guide K, that notch being made in a projection at the back of the
faller guide consequently that part of the edge of the sword 17 which is cut
away (as before mentioned), in order to allow the sword to make its sudden
jump backwards, will arivo at the notch at an earlier period of the backing-
off motion at every succeeding stretch, because the backing-off motion is
discontinued (in the manner before stated) the instant after the straight part
of the edge of the sword gets up above the notch; whence it follows, that if the
notch is placed lower down the said cessation of the backing-off motion will
take place so much sooner, and, consequently, when a smaller number of turns
have been backed off. Therefore, the progressive descending motion which is
given to the faller guide K as aforesaid, to order to cause the faller wire to be
depressed less and less at every succeeding stretch, has a twofold object, viz', to
cause the faller wire to distribute the threads higher and higher up the spindles
suitably to the increasing height of the cops as they accumulate thread upon them
by conical layers one above another, as before described, and it also diminishes
the number of turns which the spindles make in backing off suitably to the dimi
nished length of the upper parts of the spindles which remain exposed above the
vertices of the cops. For instance, at the first stretch (see Sheet III.) the faller
wire must be put down so low as to lay the first coil of thread which is wound up
around the spindles at only g of an inch above the upper bearing thereof: to do that
the fuller guide F must be placed at its greatest height in order that the roller r
of the faller may be raised very high up, when it is lodged upon the faller
guide K. Also, at that first stretch all the coils of threads are distributed
upon of an inch in height on the spindles, leaving 4 inches of the upper
parts of the spindles projecting up above the part where the uppermost coil
of thread is wound ou. Under these circumstances, when the spindles first
begin to turn round for spinning a succeeding stretch, the threads will mako
7 spiral coils around that 4 inches of the spindles in climbing up to the
points thereof, and consequently that number of turns must be backed off at
the next time of backing off. The great height at which the faller guide K
requires to be placed at the first stretch, in order to depress the faller to its
proper place will likewise cause that number of reverse turns to be made iu
backing off because the backing-off motion, when once begun will continue

page_text: q
until the pinion i has raised up the backing-off rack k, and the backing-off
Sword 17 along with that rack, until that part of the edge of the sword which
is cut away is raised a little higher up than the notch at the back of the faller
guide K, in which notch the edge of the sword acts; and then (but not before)
the sword will make that sudden jump backwards which occasions the cessation
of the backing off in the manner before described.-Note, in all cases when
the backing off first begins, the lower end of the rack k rests upon the floor.
The arm to which the lower end of the sword 17 is jointed, is fixed to the
rack at such a height thereon, that at the first stretch, when the rack is
raised up above 7 inches from its resting place on the floor, it will then allow
the sword to make its jump backwards; and likewise the bracket is fixed on
the rack k at such a height thereon that the bracket will then have lifted up
the roller of the faller to a proper height, to enable it to roll forwards from
off the bracket on to the faller guide K as the carriage runs in. The pinion i
being 2 inches diameter with 20 teeth, the said rise of 7 inches of the
rack will be performed whilst the spindles make 7 reverse turns in backing off;
for the pinion is 8 inches in circumference, and one turn of the twist
pulley (or one turn of the pinion, which when it is backing off is the sanie thing)
makes 8 turns of the spindles. When 500 stretches have been wound up,
and the cops are completed, they occupy so much of the height of the spindles
as to leave only one inch of their upper parts visible above the tops of the
cops, and then the threads make only 4 coils around those upper parts in
climbing up to the points of the spindles; hence only 4 reverse turns of the
spindles are required to be made in backing off. Also at the same 500th
depressed so low as will
stretch, the faller wire F is only required to be
conduct the threads down opposite to the bases of the conical parts of the
cops, which bases are 3 inches above the upper bearing of the spindles
instead of only of an inch above the same, as was the case at the first stretch.
Hence, the faller wire must only be depressed so much at the 500th stretch
as will conduct the threads to the cops at 2 inches less height below the
points of the spindles than the place to which the said faller wire conducted
the threads at the first stretch. This is acconiplished by the descent of the
faller guide K, which has taken place during the progress of winding up 500
stretches, which descent is about 2 inches, and the same descent causes the
backing off to be diminished to 4 reverse turns of the spindles, because the
sword 17 will make its jump backwards when the rack k has risen to 3 inches
less height than the height to which it was raised at the first stretch, and
as it was raised 7 inches at first it is only raised 4 inches now, and those
4 inches of the rise of the rack are equivalent to 4 reverse turns of the spindles.
-Note, the first of an inch of the motion, wherewith the rack k and

page_text: bracket rises, will only depress the faller wire F so much as to bring
it down to the level of the points of the spindles and commence its contact
with the threads. Note, that part of the edge of the sword 17 which is
cut away as before mentioned, forms as it were a deep notch in the
edge, which when the sword makes its jump backwards hooks over the
top of the projection in which the notch is made for the edge of the
sword to act in, and by that hooking over the sword (together with the
rack and its bracket g) is retained from descending again, when the
backing off is completed, and the carriage begins to run in. Although
in consequence of the action of the ratchet wheel m, and its click (as
before explained), the pinion which raised up the rack (when the axis
of the twist pulley is turned backwards, during the backing off) offers no
impediment to the descent of that rack after the backing off is finished, and
the twist pulley resumes its proper motion forwards; consequently the rack
together with its bracket 7 remains in the position to which it has been
raised all the time that the carriage is running in; but when the earringe gets
quite in, the sword 17 is disengaged and the rack allowed to descend by the
following means:-The carriage, when it gets nearly in, pushes before it the
lower end of a lever II, which is fixed on a horizontal axis, extending across
the frame, and that lever is connected by a small rod I with the corresponding
lever b, at the other end of the frame, so as to pull the lower end of the
lever backwards when the carriage gets in; and that action moves forwards the
rollers 11, before mentioned, which are borne by the axis 12, and which include
between them the oblique part of the blade spring 10, which spring, as before
mentioned, gives motion to the slider 7 when required in either direction.
The said movement of the lever b sets the spring 10 on a strain, and also, by aid
of a lever 21, sets the sword 17 at liberty to descend in its notch. The lever
21 is poised on a centre pin which is fixed fast to the frame. The lower end
is connected by a short link with a lever b, and the upper end has a pin pro-
jecting out from it to press against the edge of the sword 17, which it does
when the lever 6 is moved by its connecting rod 1 from the other lever II;
that is, when the carriage gets quite in, as before stated. The pin of the lever
21 having thus pushed back the sword 17 (in opposition to its spring 18)
until the edge of the sword falls into its proper notch, the sword 17, with the
rack and the bracket 9, then descend all together by their own weight, the
pinion i turning round upon the axis of the twist pulley, to which motion the
ratchet wheel m and its click make no impediment. By motion of the
rollers 11, which they derive from the motion of the lever b, the spring 10
becomes set on a strain in that direction which will tend to move the slider 7
endways, towards the carriage of the mule; but, nevertheless, the slider 7 will

page_text: not move because it is detained by its latch 9, which is inside of the headstock
frame a, and which latch dropped into its notch, as before mentioned, the
moment that the slider 7 was moved at the last time (viz, when the backing-
off was discontinued, in which case the slide 7 moved away from the carriage),
but now it is prepared to move the contrary way, which it does by the time
that the carriage gets quite in, for then the lever II, by means of its rod I, will
have moved the other lever b, so far that a short arm which projects out from
the central boss of the lever towards the outer end of the frame will press
down the tail of the catch 9, so as to lift up the opposite end of that latch out
of its notch in the slider 7, which slider is then shot endways by its spring 10
with an instantaneous motion towards the carriage, whereby its fork 13 carries
the backing-off pulley 4 endways along the axis 3, until the teeth which are
within the hollow of the pulley 4 lock into gear with the teeth of the clutch-
box 6, and then the pulley 4 (which had remained idle all the time since the
backing-off ceased, and whilst the carriage was running in), begins to turn
round with the axis 3.-But note, the said locking of the toothed clutch 6
into gear is done without violence, notwithstanding that the clutch box 6 is in
motion at the time, for the endless strap 14 occasions but very little resistance
to the pulley 4, when the said pulley is suddenly put in motion by throwing
the same into gear, because the strap 14 is upon the loose pulley 15, to which
it had been shifted from the fast pulley by the short lever 20, the tail at the
upper end of which was acted upon by the slider 10 the instant after the
backing-off had ceased. The same motion of the slider 7 puts the machinery
for running in the carriage out of gear. When the slider 10 has thus moved
endways its latch 8 detains it from returning.-Note, a spring blade is fixed to
the lever at the lower end thercof, and the upper end of that spring is
connected by a wire M with the end of the short lever before mentioned at
the lower end of the upright axis f of the strap lever c, e; that spring blade is
stronger than the wire spring h, by which the same arm is connected with the
lever b, and therefore the spring blade moves the strap lever and its fork e, e, so
as to cast the main strap on to the fast pulley B, in order to put the rim D in
motion, and the catch d holds the strap on the fast pulley until the carriage
gets quite out, and has given the intended twist; and then the catch dis
released by the finger g on the axis c, and of the bell wheel, for that wire
spring has become slack in consequence of the motion of the lever b. The
self-acting machinery is now entirely detached and out of action, leaving the
carriage to come out for spinning and twisting the threads in the usual manner
of common mules. The parts and actions above described of the self-acting
machinery have no operation whatever on the common action of the mule,
B

page_text: whereby the carriage latches into gear when it gets in and prepares for coming
out again; all which, together with the coming out and twisting after it the
carriage out, is done in the usual manner, excepting that the worm wheel,
called the bell wheel or twist wheel, is not always engaged with the worm at
the end of the axis of the rim D, for the end of the axis c of the bell wheel is
supported in the end of an elbow lever I, which is moveable about a stud pin
fixed into the standard for the axis of the rim, and the lower end of the
lever L is acted upon by a short lever, which is fixed on the extreme end of
the axis 12 of the lover b. When the carriage gets nearly out, and presses
forwards the lower end of the lover b, as before described, in order to set the
spring 10 on a strain, then the short lever on the end of the axis 12 presses
against the tail of the elbow lever L, and raises up the end of the axis c until
the worm wheel takes into gear with the worm at the end of the axis of the
rim; and after the worm wheel is so put into gear it acts in the same manner
as is usual in mules to cause the main drawing strap to be shifted on to the loose
pulley as soon as the proper quantity of twist is put into the threads; and in
addition thereto the axis c brings the backing-off machinery into action by
means of the extra finger v, as before described, which shifts the backing-off
strap 14 from the fast pulley 5 to the loose pulley 15.-But note, when two
such mules are worked together in a pair by means of another improve-
ment herein-after to be described, then the said shifting of the backing-off
strap 14 will be retarded by what I call a detaining latch (to be herein-after
described) in all cases where the two mules are not keeping proper time one with
another, in respect to the coming out and going in of the carriages; but if the
mules are keeping proper time then the additional finger v causes the backing-
off machinery to be put in action at once. When the carriage runs in and
leaves the lever bat liberty, then the short lever on the end of the axis 12 of
that lever allows the elbow lever L to drop the end of the axis c, so far as
to take the worm wheel out of gear with the worm, and then a chain
and weight, which is applied to the rim of a pulley, which is fixed on the
axis c, pulls that axis, and its fingers g and v, round, so as to place them
in a proper position for putting them again into gear when the earringe gets
nearly out at the next stretch.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MACHINERY FOR RUNNING IN THE CARRIAGE.
The axis 3, by means of a pair of mitre wheels N, which are about 4 inches
diameter, with 30 teeth, turns an inclined axis O, at the opposite end of which
is a bevil pinion of 16 teeth, to turn a bevil wheel P. of 48 teeth, which is 7
inches diameter; that wheel is fixed on an axis which extends horizontally

page_text: across the frame, and a scroll Q is fixed upon the axis to receive two cords. R.
and S, which are conducted opposite ways over two leading pullies, at each end
of the frame, and the ends of the cords are made fast to the carriage, with
wind-up pins to adjust the lengths of each cord R and S. The scroll Q (which
is drawn of the real size in Sheet V. of the Drawings) is a double spiral curve,
which sets out at a radius of 18 inches, measured from the centre of the axis.
to the middle of the cord, and after making 1 turns, the radius, by enlarging
continually, becomes 6. which is the largest radius, and then the radius
begins to diminish again by a similar curvature, but of contrary flexure, until,
after making turns, the radius becomes 13 inches, as at first.--Note, the
curvature of the scroll, for nearly of a circle on each side of the largest
radius of 63 inches, conforms very nearly to an arch of a circle described.
about the centre of motion. There are two separate grooves in the edge of
the scroll Q to receive the two cords R and S, which wind contrary ways about
the scroll. The bearing for the upper end of the inclined axis O is fastened to
the slider 7, and when that slider is moved endways by its spring 10, in order
to throw the backing-off pulley 4 out of geer, and discontinue the backing-off
motion, as before described, the mitre wheels N are brought into gear, and
they transmit motion with a diminished velocity to the scroll Q, which, by
winding up the cord R, runs the carriage in. At first starting, the cord R,
windling on the small radius of the scroll nearest to the centre thereof, puts the
carriage into motion quietly and without any jerk; but as the carriage runs in,
the cord R gradually winds upon an increasing radius, so as to move the
carriage quicker and quicker, with an accelerating motion, until it gets about
half way in, and then the carriage is moved at its quickest rate of running in,
in consequence of the rod R being drawn by the largest radius of the scroll.
After the carriage has completed half its course it begins to run in slower, and,
as it advances farther in, the velocity of its motion continually decreases until
it gets quite in, by which time the smallest radius of the scroll comes into
action, and moves the carriage slowly up to its stops without violence or jerk.
The varying rapidity of motion which is obtained by running in the carriage
by the said scroll is very similar to the motion which spinners give to the
carriages of common mules in putting up the carriages by hand. When the
carriage gets quite in, the slider 7 is moved by first setting its spring 10 on a
strain, and then releasing the catch 9 in the manner before mentioned, and
thereby the mitre wheels N are taken suddenly out of gear, leaving the scroll-
quite at liberty to be turned backwards by its cord S, which has no other office
to perform them to turn the scroll round backwards, whilst the carriage is
coming out, until the scroll reaches its proper starting place, which is when

page_text: the carriage is quite out, and then it is ready to begin its action of running the
carriage in again for another succeeding stretch, that action being begun, as
before explained, by the mitre wheels N locking into gear by the same move-
ment of the slider 7 which caused the cessation of the backing-off motion.-
Note, the aforesaid machinery for running in the carriage is already used in
other self-acting mules, and forms no part of my improvements.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MACHINERY FOR WINDING UP THE THREADS.
It has already been stated that if the carriage is run in whilst the drum
band is held motionless the end pulley F will be turned round so much by its
action against the stationary cord (in a similar manner to the action whereby
a carriage wheel is turned round upon its own axis when it is running along
a road) as to produce 12 turns of the spindles during the running in of the
carriage through its course of 60 inches, by the ordinary action of a common
'mule, without any regard to self-acting machinery; also, that the spindles
require to make 74 turns during the said running in of the carriage in order
to wind up the threads at the first stretch, when those threads must be coiled
round the bare spindles; and also, that the spindles must make 36 turns during
the said running in of the carriage, in order to wind up the threads at the
500th or last stretch, when those threads must be coiled round the cones at the
tops of the cops. The machinery for winding up must be calculated to increase
the said 12 turns of the spindles which would be produced without its aid to
74 turns of the spindles at the first stretch, when the greatest number of turns
is required, and to 36 turns at the 500th stretch, when the last number of
turns is required. Therefore the machinery for winding up must give 614
turns of the spindles during the running in of the carriage at the first stretch,
and 28 turns of the spindles at the 500th stretch. On the axis of the twist
pulley Ea pinion 24, of 38 teeth, is fixed, in order to be worked by the teeth
of a spur wheel 25, of 80 teeth, which is situated nearly beneath the axis of
the twist pulley E. A small cylindrical roller 26, called the winding-up
barrel, is fixed upon the same axis as the spur wheel, 25, which axis is
mounted between two arms, which project out from each end of a hollow axis
27, in order to form a frame to receive the wheel 25 and the winding-up
barrel 20. The axis 27 of that barrel is supported on a horizontal centre
pin or bolt, put through the leg of the framing of the mule head, and
the other end of the bolt is sustained by a small upright standard between
the two legs of that framing. The 'spur wheel 25 can be engaged with the
teeth of the pinion 24, or disengaged therefrom, by raising or lowering
the frame in which the axis of the barrel and spur wheel is mounted, which

page_text: raising or lowering is performed by moving the said frame around the centre
pin of the hollow axis 27, by which the frame is supported. For that purpose
one of the arms which projects out from the axis 27 is connected at its end by
a small rod or upright link 28 to the horizontal arm of an elbow lever 29,
which plays upon a stud centre pin fixed to the framing at the outside thereof,
and the upper end of the upright arm of the elbow lever 29 is perforated to
receive the extremity of a pin 30, which projects out from the back of the
slider 7, being firmly fixed in that slider. The action of these parts is to put
the teeth of the spur wheel 25 in the axis of the winding on barrel 26 into
gear with the teeth of the pinion 24 on the axis of the twist pulley, by the
same change of gear which occasioned the cessation of the backing off, and also
the commencement of the running in of the carriage, viz, when the slider 7 is
suddenly moved endways in a direction away from the carriage, it puts the
mitre wheels N, and the pinion 24 and wheel 25 in gear at the same instant,
and also disengages the backing off pulley 4 from its clutch box 6, on the
axis 3. Note, the link 28 is adjustable in length by a screw to regulate it,
so that the mitre wheels N, and the pinion 24 and spur wheel 25, will run
properly in depth gear at the same time. The twist pulley must make (for)
2 turns to one of the winding-up barrel, and as the spindles make 8, turns
to one turn of the twist pulley, it follows that the spindles must take 17 turns
to 1 turn of the winding barrel when the spur wheel 25 thereof is in gear with
the pinion 24. A cord 31, called winding-up cord, is coiled around the
winding-up barrel 26, and the other end of the same cord 31 is coiled round
a spiral fusee 32, whereof the axis (which is vertical) is mounted in a suitable
frame 33 at the end of the carriage of the mule.
To understand the action of winding up the threads at the first stretch,
when 74 turns of the spindles must be made during the running in of the
carriage, it is not necessary to contemplate any action of the fusee 32, because
that fusec does not then turn round much about its axis, but the winding up
cord 31 may be considered as if it were made fast to the carriage, so that the
carriage in running in through a space of 60 inches will draw after it 60 inches
in length of the winding-up cord 31 in receding from the winding up barrel 26,
and the said cord being coiled around the barrel 26, the drawing off of the
cord must turn that barrel round, and that turning motion is transmitted by
the
spur wheel 25 and pinion 24 to the twist pulley with a multiplication of
times, and therefrom the spindles are turned with a further multiplication
of 8,, or in the whole the turning motion given to the winding-up barrel, by
so drawing off, the cord 35 from it, is transmitted to the spindles with a multi-
plication of 17 turns as before stated. The winding-up barrel 26 is 17 inches
2

page_text: in circumference to the middle of the thickness of the cord 31, therefore the
60 inches length of that cord, which the carriage pulls off in the above case
from the barrel, would cause it to turn round 3 turns, which number,
multiplied by the 17 turns that. the spindles make as aforesaid to one of the
barrel, shews that the spindles will be turned round 60 times during the
running in of the carriage, by virtue of the winding-up machinery, to which
number must be added the said 124 turns which the spindles derive from the
common action of a mule, independently of any self-acting machinery thereto,
and it gives 72 turns, which is rather short of the 74 turns which are requisite;
and hence, if the machinery were to act as above supposed, the threads would
be wound up a little too slack about the spindles. To explain how that
deficiency is made up, the action of the fusee 32, which was before assumed to
have no action, must be included in the calculation; the fusee '82 is turned a
little round about its axis (by means herein-after explained) during the running
in of the carriage, the turning being in that direction, and to that extent of
turning motion, which will cause the fusee to coil or gather up a short length
of about 1 inches of the leading end of the cord 31 about the spiral groove
of the fusce, which 14 inches is so much additional length of cord to be drawn
off from the barrel 26 beyond the 60 inches which are drawn off therefrom by
the receding motion of the carriage before stated, and that extra 14 inches of
cord so drawn off, in consequence of the action of the fusee, will cause such an
addition to the said calculated number of turns made by the spindles as will cause
them to make the proper number of 74 turns. The necessary turning motion
of the fused 82 about its own axis is thus produced, see Sheets IV. and V. of
tho Drawings: Beneath the spiral groove 32 of the fusee, wherein the winding-
up cord 81 coils, the fusce is formed with a cylindrical barrel part 34, around
which barrel part a cord or chain 35 is coiled, the end of that cord or chain
being made fast to the circumference of the barrel 34. The other end of the
cord or chain 35 passes horizontally from the circumference of the barrel
part 34 of the fuseo beneath the carriage in the direction of the length
thereof, and anakes a half-turn around a pulley or sheave 36, and then returns
horizontally parallel to its former course, and the extremity is made fast to
the frame 37 which supports the fusee, and which franc is fixed beneath the
carriage, so as to be part thereof. The end of the cord or chain 35
is secured to a winding-up pin 38 or a screw, by which the length
of that part of the cord or cliain which is in action can be adjusted.
The sheave 36 is mounted on an upright centré pin in the space between
two plates T, which are fastened together to form a frame for the sheave,
and that frame is fitted in the manner of a slider to move horizontally endways,

page_text: backwards and forwards, in a groove which is formed between the two long
rails 37, which rails are fixed horizontally, as before mentioned, beneath
the carriage. The slider T, containing the sheave 36 within it, is moved
along endways in the said groove, when it is required to do so, by means of a
long ruler V, which placed horizontally and flat ways beneath the carriage,
it's length being either in the direction in which the cariage runs, or else
obliquely to that direction, as is represented in the Drawing, Sheet IV. The
said ruler V is supported at each of its ends at X and at Y to bear its weight
and hold it fast at any obliquity at which it may be placed. The middle part
of the ruler V passes through the opening in the slider T, without touching
any part of the slider; but the roller W is mounted on an upright centre pin
in the space between the upper and lower part of the slider T, and the roller
lies within the opening of the slider. T in the same manner as the sheave 36
does; but the sheave 36 is at that side of the ruler V which is nearest
the fusee at the end of the carriage, and the sheave does not touch the
ruler, but the roller W is at the opposite side of the ruler, and applies with
its circumference to the edge of the ruler, so as to roll along the same when
the carriage is run in or out, and the tension of the cord or chain 35 will keep
the said roller W always in contact with the edge of the ruler V, which edge,
when the ruler is placed obliquely, as is represented in Sheet IV., will act in
the manner of an inclined plane to the roller W, whilst the carriage is running
in, and will then allow the slider T to move in its groove 37 by the tension of
the cord 35 in a direction towards the fusee at the end of the carriage,
whereby the sheave 36 will give up a portion of the cord 31 to the barrel
part 34 of the fusec as the carriage runs in, and the barrel part will wind up
that said portion of cord around itself by the tension to which the cord 31 is
subjected, when by pulling it off from the winding-up barrel 26 it turns that
barrel round in order to give motion by the spur wheel 25 and pinion 24 to
the twist pulley, and therefrom to the spindles, as before described. The same
tension of the cord 31 will cause it to pull off and unwind itself from the
spiral groove 32 of the fusee, as far as ever the cord 35 will allow the fusee
to turn round about its own axis, but how far that will be depends upon how
much the edge of the inclined ruler V will allow the rollow W and the
slider T to move along in its groove 37 during the running in of the carriage.
The effect of the above combination of parts is, that the edge of the ruler V,
when it is placed in an oblique direction to the run of the carriage, will allow
the slider T to move in its groove towards the fusec, whilst the carriage is
running in, and by the aid of the sheave 36 the motion thus allowed to the
slider T is caused to allow twice as much length of the cord 35 to be given

page_text: up to the cylindrical part 34 of the fusee as the inclined edge of the ruler V
allows the slider T to move along in its groove 37. Whatever length of the cord
or chain 35 is thus yielded up to the barrel part 34, it allows the fusee to turn
round to a corresponding extent about its own axis by virtue of the tension of
the winding-up cord 31, a portion of which unwinds itself from the spiral groove
of the fusee, thereby giving out a portion of that cord 31 at the leading end
thereof, viz,. at that part thereof which is coiled around the spiral groove 32
of the fusec. All the length of cord so given out by the spiral groove 32 of
the fusco is a deduction from what would otherwise be drawn off from the
winding-up barrel 26. For instance, at the 150th stretch, when the full cones
are completed, the ruler V must be set at that degree of obliquity which is
represented in Sheet IV., and during the running in of the carriage it will
allow the roller W and slider T to move about 15 inches in its groove
towards the end of the carriage. The sheave 36 causes the cord or chain 35
to yield up twice as much as 31 inches to the barrel part 34 of the fusee,
and that allows the whole of the fusce 34, 39, to make about 2 turns about
its own axis, whereby the fusee unwinds and gives out from its spiral groove
35 inches in length of the cord 31, consequently, when the carriage runs in
through its course of 60 inches, instead of pulling off and unwinding that
length of the cord 31 from the barrel 26, it draws off only 25 inches there-
from, which is 35 inches less than the run of the carriage, because the spiral
groove fusce by unwinding 24 turns has given out 35 inches of the cord $1
at the end which is opposite to that end which winds about the barrel 26.
The 25 inches of the cord 31, which is actually drawn off from the barrel 26
during the 60 inches run of the carriage, will cause the spindles to make 25
turns, to which, adding the 12 turns which are produced by the common
action of the mule, independently of the self-acting machinery, gives 38 turns
of the spindles during the running in of the carriage, as is required. The end
of the winding-up cord 31 is made fast to the spiral groove of the fusce at
the interior end thereof, nearest to the centre of motion, so that the cord 31,
as it unwinds and pulls off from the spiral, acts continually at a less and less
distance from the centre of motion of the fusee. Owing to the spiral form
of the groove 32 of the fusee, it gives out the winding-up cord 31 in unequal
portions of length to corresponding equal portions of the space run over by
the carriage towards the roller beam. The portions of cord which are given
out at the first commencement of the running in of the carriages are the
longest, and they shorten gradually as they get towards the interior end of the
spiral. The spiral groove of the fusee gives the requisite variation of the
turning motion of the spindles during the running in of the carriage, to suit

page_text: the conical form of the cops about which the threads are to be wound. The
curve of the spiral groove of the fusee is accurately represented in Sheet V
of the real size, and from that Drawing a proper fusee may be con-
structed. Note, when the cord 31 unwinds from that part of the spiral
groove which is marked 3 radius to that part which is marked 13 radius, 35
inches length of the cord will be unwound.-Note, if the 60 inches that the
carriage runs is supposed to be divided into 9 equal spaces of 6 inches each,
then the numbers 1 to 9, which are marked on the cord 31 in the frame, shew.
the progressive lengths of cord which will be given on whilst the carriage runs
in each of those spaces by unwinding from off 2 turns around the spiral
groove of the fusee.-Note, on the extreme end of the axis of the barrel 26
another smaller barrel E is fixed on a cord A, which winds round the barrel E
in a reverse direction to the cord 31, is conducted over the suitable leading
pullies B, and loaded with a balance weight D, which acts continually to draw
and keep the cords 31 and 35 tight whilst the carriage is coming out, and when
the spur wheel 25 is disengaged from its gear with the pinion 24. At that
time the fusee and winding-up barrel are turned backwards by the action of
the said cord A and weight D without producing any effect, except to turn
all parts backwards to bring them to a proper position to commence their
action at the next time of running in the carriage. At the commencement
of a new set of cops, and whilst the cones of those cops are forming, the front
end of the ruler V requires to be moved at every few successive stretclies
away from the mule head or towards the left hand, in order to give it more
obliquity as the cops increase and gradually acquire a more conical form.
That regulation of the obliquity of the ruler V may be made by the attendant
to the machine, who can give the ruler V a little more obliquity at discretion,
whenever he observes the threads begin to wind too slack around the cops
whilst the carriage is running in for them; by moving the front end of
the ruler V a little further towards the left hand the threads will be
wound tighter at the next stretch. At the commencement of the forma-
tion of a set of cops, the ruler V will be required to be thus moved by
hand at each succeeding stretch, and also to be moved a considerable space
at each stretch, but as the cops advance and form sensible cones about the
spindles, the ruler V will require to be moved less and less at each succeeding
stretch, so that after a few stretches have been made it will not require to be
moved any sensible quantity at each stretch, but moving it a very little once in
every two stretches will be sufficient, then once in every three stretches, and.
afterwards once in every four stretches, and so on, a less and less frequent regula-.
tion will be necessary as the cops go on increasing. This discretionary adjustment,

page_text: of the obliquity of the ruler according to the apparent slackness of the thread as
they wind up when the carriage runs in is so very easy to be done by the hand of
the attendant that it is not necessary to apply further machinery to move the
ruler V. The backward end of the ruler V is supported on a fixed centre
pin X, Sheet 4, and the other end rests on a fixed arch Y, which has serrated
teeth, and the ruler V has two clicks to act therein and retain the ruler from
returning or moving back towards the right hand by the stress which the
roller W exerts against the edge of the ruler whilst the carriage is coming out;
when the full cones of the cops are completed, the ruler V will not require to
be moved again, or only a very little, during all the completion of the set of
cops. In case it may be thought advisable to have machinery for moving the
end of the ruler V whenever it requires moving the parts marked with the
letters K to R inclusive in Sheet IV. may be added to those already described.
A pin K is fixed to the end of the ruler V, and projects downwards therefrom;
one end of a link Lisjointed on to the pin K, and the other end is jointed to the
extremity of a straight slider, which is fitted into sockets affixed to the railway
T, whereon the carriage wheel runs so as to be capable of sliding freely end-
way in those sockets. The under side of the bar r has serrated teeth cut in
it to receive the action of a driver N, which is jointed to a short lever M,
which is poised on a centre pin supported by the railway O, and has a heavy
tail, which always tends to draw the driver N backwards along the sloping
sides of the teeth until the furthest retreat of that driver is stopped by the
heavy end coming to rest on the floor. The end of the lever M stands up so
as to be caught by the end of a small elbow lever or dettent P, which is applied
to the carriage (and is moveable on a centre pin) whenever the carriage is
coming out, but when the carriage is going in the lever M is not disturbed.
When the elbow level P is lifted up so that it passes over the upper end of the
lever M without touching the same, the said machinery remains entirely out of
action. The upright arm of the elbow lever P is detained by a catch Q, when-
ever the dettent is intended to be kept out of action. R is an upright slider, the
lower end of which rests upon the tail of the catch Q, and is heavy enough to
lift up the other end of that catch so that it will leave the upright arm of the
dettent part liberty, whereupon its other arm will hang down so as to intercept
and move the other end of the lever M every time the carriage comes out, but
will pass over the end of the lever M when the carriage goes in; the conse-
quenco is, that the sliding rack a is moved endways a tooth or two teeth at
a time, and by its oblique link L the end of the ruler V is moved along its
arch Y, as is required, and with a more rapid motion at the earlier stretches
than afterwards. The upper end of the slider R is suspended from the wire

page_text: of the counter faller, consequently, when the threads wind slack from want of
sufficient turning motion of the spindle to gather up the threads as fast as
the carriage runs in, the counter faller rises and lifts the slider R from
off the tail of the catch Q, and then that tail, being heavier than the
other end, will detain the elbow lever P so as to keep it up out of the
way of the top of the lever M, and then no motion will be given to this
machinery until the threads begin to wind too tight. The counter faller will
then be depressed, and, by letting down the slider R, the weight thereof
coming to rest on the tail of the catch Q, and overbalancing the same, will let
the elbow lever loose, so as to give action to the machinery, as before ex-
plained. Note, I do not claim the said combination of machinery for moving
the ruler V, and which is marked in the Drawings with the letters from K
to R, as one of my improvements.-Note, I do not claim the ruler V and
slider T by themselves as my Invention, or as part of my present improve-
ments, unless the same are used in combination with the fusce 34, 32, and
winding-up barrel 26.-Note, instead of the cord 35, a chain may be used to
pass round the sheave 36, and wind round the barrel part 34 of the fusce,
which barrel is not necessary to be a cylinder, but it may be a spiral groove
similar to the upper spiral groove 32. The cord or chain 35 must be fastened
to the small or inner end of the lower spiral curve nearest to the centre thereof.
The curvation of the upper spiral must be in a contrary direction to that of the
lower, if the two fusees join base to base like a barrel. The spiral curvature
must be less rapid and more nearly to a circular figure when two curves are
used than when one is a cylindrical barrel and the other a spiral curve, as
represented in Sheet V., because the action of the two when combined must
only produce the same effect in letting out the cords 31 as before described.
Or a broad strap may be used, in lieu of the cord 34, to pass round the sheave
36, and to wrap round the barrel part 34 of the fusee, which must then be
cylindrical, but the end of the strap being nailed to the barrel, the strap will
coil up around itself so as to have somewhat of the effect of a spiral curve
below as well as above. Or a short chain may be used to go round the
sheave 36, the end of that chain being joined to a strong strap, which coils,
as last mentioned, round the barrel 34, wrapping upon its own coil.-Note, the
roller W of the slider T should, when the carriage is quite in, apply to the
edge of the ruler V, opposite to the fixed centre pin X, which is capable of
being set nearer towards or further back, being mounted in an overhanging
forked bracket Z, which is fastened with a screw and a long-slot to the
railway X, on which the carriage wheel runs.-Note, and in order that the
threads may be caused to wind neatly around the spindles near to the vertices

page_text: of the cops, a short ruler 40 is jointed to the edge of the ruler V to fill up a
notch, which is cut out in the edge of the ruler V, so that the edge of the
ruler 40 will line exactly with that edge.. The jointed ruler 40 is pulled out
by a spring 41, which is extended from a bracket 42 affixed to the end of the
ruler V, with a setting screw 49, to strain the spring 41 to any required
degree, so as to tend to pull the jointed lever 40 out about its joint to make an
angle with the edge of the ruler V, in which case, by acting on the roller W
of the slider T, the said spring will pull that slider so much farther than the
edge of the ruler V would move it as to cause the threads to wind tight about
the noses or vertices of the cops. By setting the screw 49, the spring 41 may
be strained till it will produce that effect. After the explanation which has
been given of the action of the faller in describing the backing-off' motion, it is
not necessary to enter into further description of the action of the parts. The
faller guide K is let down gradually as the cops increase in size by means of a
double inclined plane II, composed of two wedges F fixed on a bar G, which is
caused to slide endways by a screw K, of 7 threads per inch, which screw has
a ratchet wheel L, of 25 teeth, fixed on the end of it, whereby it is turned
round two of those teeth at a time at every successive stretch. The parts
being represented of the real size in Sheet III., will serve to construct the work
by, and need no further description. The faller guide is represented as broken
off in Sheet III., but the length of it appears in Sheet II. When above
described is required to spin different numbers of yarn, or to put in a different
quantity of twist thereto, the alterations in the parts of the common mule are
to be made in the usual manner, taking care that the alterations do not affect
the proportion which exists between the number of turns made by the axis of
the twist pulley and by the spindles. The ratchet wheel L of the screw K,
which gives motion to the shaper F, must be changed for other similar ratchet
wheels, with different numbers of teeth, by means of which the screw K will
be turned more or less quickly round, in order that it may move the shaper F,
and let down the faller guide K, at such a rate of progress as will suit the
increased or diminished rapidity of the growth of the cops, by the accumulation
of finer or coarser yarn around them.-Note, the mule above described, when
in regular working order, performs a stretch in 23 seconds of time, whereof 16
seconds of time is expended in the carriage coming out and in giving twist to
the threads, during which time the rim or great wheel makes 55 revolutions,
and the spindles make 962 revolutions, which, in 60 inches length of yarn, is
at the rate of 16 twists in an inch of length of yarn No. 36 for weft. The
backing off occupies three seconds; including the stopping the motion and the
running in of the carriage, 4 seconds. This was observed at about the 50th

page_text: stretch, but after 350 stretches have been made each stretch is performed in
about 22 seconds, because the backing off then takes one second less
time. Note, although I have selected, by way of example, for the pre-
vious description a mule for spinning pirn cops for weft, my improvements
are equally applicable to mules for spinning twist on larger cops, and also
to mules for spinning finer numbers of yarn than above stated; and also
my said improvements are equally applicable to those mules which have
drums in their carriages for turning the spindles, or to those mules which
have long horizontal cylinders in their carriages to turn the spindles. I
have rendered mules of both these descriptions self-acting by the application
of my improvements thereto, and with equal success. The proportions
and dimensions of the parts of the winding-up motion herein-before stated
were originally set out in order to apply to mules with long horizontal
cylinders in the carriages, and were made to act correctly in mules of that
description, in which mules the spindles make about from 17 to 20 turns of the
spindles to one turn of the rim or great wheel, and about 7 or 8 turns of the
spindles to one turn of the twist pulley; and the spindles make from 10 to 13
turns during the running in of the carriage if the twist pulley is held
motionless. When I have applied self-acting machinery made by casting the
parts from the same patterns, so as to be the same in dimensions and pro-
portions as herein-before stated, to mules with drums in the carriages, I have
applied a pair of bevil wheels in the carriage to transmit the motion from the
end pulley F to the drums in the carriage, that pulley being placed nearly in
the same position as if the mule had a long cylinder. The small bevil wheel
on the horizontal axis of the end pulley F has 24 teeth, and it turns a bevil
wheel of 45 teeth on an axis which is placed in an inclined position parallel. to
the bevil of the spindles and of the drums, and which axis has a pulley upon
the upper end of it to turn the drums by a drum band. The said bevil wheels
are in no way necessary to be introduced into the carriage of a mule with the
drums in order to apply my improvements thereto, but having introduced
them into those mules with drums in the carriages which I have rendered self-
acting by aid of my improvements, in order to save the trouble of making
other alterations in the speeds, I have thought it better to represent the mule
in the Drawings as it really is working; although the use of bevil wheels in the
carriage is not to be recommended, any mule may be rendered conformable to
the proportions and dimensions stated at the commencement of the Specifica-
tion, and then the self-acting machinery herein-before described will apply
correctly thereto. For the kind of mules commonly termed box-organ mules,
the usual machinery at the back of the roller beam, whereby that kind of
mule is put in motion, should be removed, and a common mule head frame

page_text: and machinery substituted, something after the fashion of that represented
in the Drawing, or any other approved pattern for a common mule head, and
the self-acting machinery herein-before described will be applicable thereto.
There will be no material differences to be made in the self-acting machinery
herein-before described when the same is applied to mules with the wheels in
the middle of the length of the carriage; in such mules the axis of the twist.
A new improvement in the mode of working a pair of mules with self-acting
machinery together, by means of which improvement the two mules will be
caused to keep proper time one with the other in the coming out and putting up
their carriages respectively, in order that the children, termed piccers, may have
time to piece up or mend the ends of the broken threads in one mule before
the other mulo requires their attention for that purpose, and that the carriages
of the two mules can never at the same time be in that situation which the
piceers usually choose for piecing the broken ends, therefore their attention
can never be distracted between the two mules by both requiring piecing at
the same time. In place of the wire before mentioned, which connects the
lever with the arm of the elbow lever 16 of the backing-off motion, a curled
wire spring must be substituted, and a small detaining latch must be applied
in a centro stud pin, which is fixed in the framing of the mule head in such a
position that it will fall by its own weight in the way of the elbow lever 16
of the backing-off motion, so as to detain and hinder that elbow lever from
acting in the manner herein-before described (viz', to shift the backing-off' strap
14 from the loose pulley 15 to the fast pulley 5) notwithstanding that the
finger on the axis and has acted to give motion to the said elbow lever,
because the spring which is substituted for the wire to connect the lever and
the elbow lever together will yield and extend without moving the elbow
lever. Therefore the said strap 14 cannot be shifted (in the manner herein-
before described in order to commence the backing off') unless the said
detaining latch is first lifted, so as to release tho elbow lever 16 from the
detention which the said latch occasions to the action of the elbow lever 16;
and consequently to the commencement of the backing off. The said detain-
ing latch is connected by a wire or small rod with a jointed dettent moveable
about a fixed centre of motion, which is situated in any place near the floor
where the carriage of the other mulo will pass over the said jointed dettent,
and the same is so situate in respect to the coming out of the carriage of that
mule that when the said carriage is come so far out that it becomes inconve-
nient for the piccers to reach over the carriage to piece up the ends of
that mule, then, but not before, the carriage, or some part aflixed thereto,
will bear down the said jointed dettent about its fixed centre of motion,
and pull the wire or connected with the aforesaid detaining latch of the

page_text: first-mentioned mule in the manner of pulling a bell wire, so as to release
the elbow lever 16 of that mule from its detaining catch, whereupon, but
not before, the curled spring which is used in place of a wire to connect
the lever with the elbow lever 16 will draw the elbow lever in con-
tracting, and will shift the backing-off strap 14 from the loose pulley 15 to
the fast pulley 5, whereby it will put the backing-off' mechanism of the first-
mentioned mule in action, and then that mule will begin to put up. The
improvement being applied to both the mules which are to work in a pair, by
self-acting machinery according to my improvements, will prevent the carriage
of one mule from putting up until the carriage of the other is got so far out
that the piecers will have no further occasion to attend that mule, but by
turning round they will find the other mule just put up and beginning to
come out again, and therefore in a proper position for them to piece up the
ends. Note, the said jointed dettents must give way to the carriages when
they strike the jointed parts of the latches in going up again so as not to
pull the wires or links to the detaining latches when the carriages are going
in but only in coming out.
Having now described the construction and operation of the whole combi-
nation of the machinery which I have used, and which I recommend to be
used for rendering mules self-acting, according to my improvements, I shall
proceed to point out what I claim as my improvements :-
First, in respect to machinery for backing oil, I claim as one of my improve-
ments the combination herein-before described of those parts which are marked
in the Drawings with the numeral characters from 3 to 21 inclusive, which combi-
nation so marked performs the office of stopping the motion of the wheel and of
the spindles without needless loss of time and without violence, and after having
stopped the motion, it then turns the spindles round backwards until a proper
quantity of the threads are backed off or unwound from the upper parts of the
spindles where they rise up above the vertices of the cops. The essential and new
properties of the combination which I do not claim, in respect to backing off
as one of my improvements, is, that the machinery whereby the backwards
motion is to be communicated from the moving power to the spindles shall, in
some part of the train of communication, be provided with two distinct means
of connecting and disconnecting the communication of the backward motion,
one being for the purpose of commencing the said motion, and the other for the
purpose of discontinuing the same, the former being an endless strap or belt to
act on a pair of fast and loose pulleys, whereof the fast pulley is so connected
with the spindles by intervening machinery that it must turn round one way
when they turn forwards and the contrary way when they turn backwards;

page_text: and the endless strap, when prepared for backing off (previously to com-
mencing that operation), is on the loose pulley, and imoves the same way as the
fast pulley is to be turned in order to back off, but the contrary way to that in
which the said fast pulley actually does turn by the swing or energy of motion in
the moving parts previously to commencing the backing off. The commence-
ment of the backing off is made by shifting the said endless strap from the
loose pulley to the fast pulley, whilst the fast pulley is turning round the
contrary way to that in which the endless strap moves. By that means the
endless strap first assists to stop the motion that the machinery preserves by
its swing or energy of motion (after the common driving strap of the mule
has been cast off), and the stopping of the remaining forward motion of the
machinery being thus performed by the said endless strap and fast pulley
without violence or needless loss of time, they then begin to turn the spindles
backwards. The means of disconnecting the backwards motion so produced
must be distinct, as above stated, from the said fast and loose pulleys by which
the backwards motion has been commenced; and the disconnecting should be
of the nature of toothed gear which communicates the motion by the contact
of metal teeth, which teeth being withdrawn from their contact will cease to
communicate the motion. The object I have aimed at is, that the com-
mencement of backing off shall be begun with an easy and quict action of
shifting an endless strap from a loose to a fast pulley, in order to assist in
stopping the previous motion, and then to turn back; but, nevertheless, that the
cessation of the backing-off motion so commenced and produced shall be made
by an instantaneous action of what is called throwing toothed work out of gear.
-But note, in other self-acting mules the cessation of the backing off has been
effected by throwing toothed work out of gear, and I do not claim that by
itself as a new improvement, but only the use of fast and loose pulleys applied
under the conditions herein-before stated for commencing the reverse motion
without violence, as aforesaid; but as an endless strap cannot be thrown off
instantaneously, the termination of the motion so commenced should be made
by throwing toothed work out of gear; therefore I use two distinct means of
connecting and disconnecting, as before stated, whereof that for connecting
consists of a fast and a loose pulley, as aforesaid.-And note, I make no claim
to that part of the combination of parts herein-before described for backing of
which is marked in the Drawings with the small letters of the alphabet, viz.
from i to y, being those parts or combinations of parts which cause the faller
wire to be put down with a motion corresponding to the unwinding of the
threads during the backing off, in order that the faller wire (with the
assistance of the counter faller wiro) may take up the slack of the threads, and

page_text: keep them to a proper tension. A very similar combination of parts is in use
other self-acting mules. In respect to machinery for running in the carriage
I make no claim whatever.
Secondly, in respect to machinery for winding up the threads, I claim as one
of my improvements the combination of all those parts which are marked in the
Drawings with numeral characters from 24 to 38 inclusively, which combina-
tion marked performs the office of turning the spindles round during the
running in of the carriage, in order that the spindles may wind up the threads
in spiral coils around the cops. The said turning round of the spindles during
the running in of the carriage being performed with an accelerating motion,
that is, with a continually increasing rapidity of angular or turning motion
during the running in of the carriage, the rate of that acceleration or rate of
increase in rapidity during such running in of the carriage being suitably
adopted to the diminishing length of thread that is wound up by each of the
successive coils which the threads must make around the conical cops as those
coils ascend spirally from the bases of the cones towards the vertices thereof;
and hence the said rate of acceleration or of increase in rapidity will be least
at first, when a new set of cops are begun on the spindles, and will become
greater as the cops increase and become more and more conical until the full
one of those cops is completed. And, further, the said combination causes the
spindles to make a smaller number of turns during the running in of tho
carriage at every succeeding stretch, or at every few succeeding stretches or
times of winding on a layer of threads around the cops, from the commence-
ment of a new set of cops until the full cones of those cops are completed.-
And note, I do not claim the part included in that combination which are
marked in the Drawings by the capital letters of reference from T to Y
inclusively, because a ruler similar in its form and its properties to that which
I use, and which is marked V in the Drawings, together with a slider T, to be
moved by that ruler, was invented some years ago by Mr. De Jougn, and is
fully described by him in the Specification belonging to a Patent which was
granted to him, dated the Eighteenth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-six, viz., straight ruler to be placed horizontally
beneath the carriage of the mule, with the length thereof in the direction of
the run of the carriage, but capable of being placed more or less obliquely to
that direction at pleasure, in order that the edge of the said ruler may act in
the manner of an inclined plane upon a roller or rollers borne by a slider,
which is fitted to slide horizontally in a groove fixed beneath the carriage in
the direction of the length of the carriage. To such a ruler and slider I make
no claim; but the essential and new properties of what I do claim in respect
to winding up as one of my improvements is, the means of communication of
0

page_text: motion herein-before described (and marked in the Drawing, Sheet IV., with
the numeral characters 31 to 38 inclusive) whereby the motion of the said
slider T in its groove during the running in of the carriage is caused to
diminish or augment in a greater or lesser degree, and also with a rate of
acceleration corresponding to that degree all that turning motion which tho
spindles derive from the running in of the carriage, partly by the ordinary
action of the drum band and end pulley E, and still more from the action of
drawing off the cord 31 from off the winding-up barrel 26. In order that the
turning motion which results from the action of the combination; when
diminished or augmented by my means, may have an accelerated motion
during the running in of the carriage, which accelerated turning motion, will
be suitable for winding the threads around conical cops, that is to say, when
the slider T (which I do not claim) is caused by my means, 31 to 38 aforesaid,
to deduct or add very little from or to the said turning motion of the spindles,
then but little variation will be made in the acceleration of the turning motion
which results as aforesaid; but the more the said slider is caused by my
said means to so deduct from or add to, the more the resulting motion will
have the quality of acceleration given to it; because, by means of the spiral
curve 82 of the groove of the fusee, all the motion which that fusee transmits
in augmentation or diminution of the turning motion which is given by the
action of the end pulley and of the winding-up barrel 26 is accelerated motion,
and gives the quality of acceleration to the resulting motion in a greater or
lesser degree corresponding to the actual quantity of turning motion which
results. For instance, if the inclined ruler V is set so as to give no motion to
the slider T in its groove, then no augmentation or diminution will be given
to the turning motion, nor will that turning motion have any acceleration given
to it. But if the ruler is set at a considerable obliquity to the motion of the
carriage, as in Sheet IV., so as to give a considerable motion to the slider T
in its groove, then the turning motion which is by my said means transmitted
therefrom to the spindles, being in diminution of the turning motion, will cause
the resulting motion to be but few turns of the spindles, but they will turn with
a rapid rate of acceleration during the run of the carriage. What I have above
called my means of communication of motion for the slider T in its groove, to
cause diminution or augmentation of the turning motion of the spindles (viz
the combination marked in the Drawings 31 to 38 inclusive), and whereof the
spiral groove of the fusee is the principal member, has the property of pro-
ducing accelerated turning motion of the spindles from uniform rectilinear
motion of the slider T in its groove under the carriage, which will be illustrated
by a simple experiment, viz., suppose the carriage to stand still and be out, and
the winding-up barrel 26 to bo in order by its wheel 25, and pinion 24, in

page_text: that case, if the end of the ruler V is moved along its arch Y from one end to
the other, that motion of the ruler will cause the spindles to turn round, and
also they will turn quicker and quicker as the ruler becomes more and moro
oblique; whereas, if the same experiment were made upon the machinery of
Mr. De Jough's Specification aforesaid, no motion whatever would be given to
the spindles, but they would stand still.-Note, a winding-up barrel and cord,
with wheel and pinion, together with a reverse cord and counter weight similar
to that which I use, (and which are marked 26, 31, 25, 24, and also A to D,
in the Drawings, has been used before in self-acting inules, in order to give a
turning motion to the spindles by pulling a cord 31 off therefrom, by the
motion wherewith the carriage runs in. I make no claim to the parts 26, 31,
25, and 24, also A to B, except when the same are used in the combination of
the parts marked 24 to 38, which I have claimed as aforesaid, and of which
combination the new and essential properties have been set forth above.
Thirdly, I claim as one of my improvements the detaining latch, and parts
herein-before described, for compelling a pair of mules, which are to work by
self-acting machinery, according to my improvements, to keep proper time one
with another, to suit the convenience of the piecers herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Knowles, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of Novomber, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.