IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ellis Butterworth at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
February 1861.
I, ELLIS BUTTERWORTH, of Calder Cottage, Spotland, near Rochdale, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of spinning machines known as mules
and twiners, and consists, first, in making mules and twiners that "back off,"
so that the stoppage of the rotation of the spindles (preparatory to backing
off) is effected during the inward run of the carriage. One way of performing
this is to put the scroll that takes in the carriage in geer when the friction
box is put in geer for stopping the spindles, and when the carriage has gone
in, say, twelve inches, so as to give time for stopping the spindles and backing
off, the winding-on motion is put in geer so as to wind the yarn on the spindle
in the usual manner.
Secondly, not only stopping the spindles (preparatory to "backing off") but
also "backing off" during the inward run of the carriage of that class of
machines in which the band for driving the drums or tin rollers moves in an
opposite direction during the time it "backs off" to what it does when putting
the twist in. One way of performing this is to put the scroll that takes in the
carriage in geer when the friction box is put in geer for stopping the spindles

page_text: and backing off, and when the carriage has gone in, say, twelve inches, so as
to give time for stopping the spindles, and backing off, the winding-on motion
is put in geer.
Thirdly, stopping the spindles preparatory to stripping, and stripping the
yarn off the spindle points during the inward run of the carriage of that
class of mules and twiners where the yarn is "stripped" instead of being
"backed off."
Fourthly, making the builder shaper shorter, or putting it in geer later, so
as to allow the carriage to go in far enough to give sufficient time for the
stopping of the spindles, and "backing off" or "stripping," before the faller
begins to shape the cop.
Fifthly, making the "winding-on" motion so that it will not begin to wind
on the yarn as soon as the carriage begins to go in as usual, but will wait
until the carriage has gone in so far as to allow sufficient time for the spindles
to be stopped, and "backed off" or stripped, before it begins to wind on.
One way of performing this is to have one-half of a clutch box fast to the tin
roller shaft, and the other half loose on the shaft, but fast to the wheel, that
is, driven by the winding in barrel. These two clutches are kept out of geer
until the carriage has gone in as far as required, when they are put in geer,
and the winding on begins to act.
Sixthly, making the self-acting motion for regulating the winding on, so
that the height of the under faller at which it begins to act will be varied
during the running-in of the carriage. One method of performing this is to
have a small wheel fast on the under faller shaft. This wheel works in a
rack, which is vertical, and to this rack is connected a catch, and when the
under faller rises it will lift the rack which lifts the catch. There is a bracket
fast to the carriage, in which another bracket slides up and down. There is
a stud fastened to the bottom of this bracket (which slides up and down), on
which is a roller which runs on a rail, which is a few inches longer than the
draw of the carriage. This rail is set bigher from the floor at the end furthest
from the rollers than at the end next the rollers. On the top of the bracket
that slides in the one fast to the carriage is another stud, on which is a band
pulley fast to a catch wheel, which run loose on the stud. This pulley is
driven by an endless band, which goes round a pulley on the quadrant, and
over a pulley on the other end of headstock, in the usual manner. The action
is as follows:-When the winding on gets too tight, the yarn pulls the under
faller down, which lowers the catch until it takes hold of the catch wheel, and
keeps the pulley which is fastened to it from revolving, which as the carriage
is running in will cause it to pull the band along with it, and turn the pulley

page_text: on the quadrant, which slackens the chain in the usual manner. The rail
being higher where the carriage is when out raises the catch wheel and pulley,
and by this means the catch will not have to descend so far before it takes
hold of the catch wheel, as it does when the carriage is nearly in.
Seventhly, releasing the under faller so as to take up the slack yarn during
the inward run of the carriage before the spindles are "backed off" or
stripped. One way of effecting this is to make the under faller independant
of the building faller, and when the carriage comes out there is a pin which
pushes a catch from under a stud, which releases the under faller, and allows
it to rise, so as to take up the slack yarn.
The above improvements are applicable to mules and twiners of the ordinary
construction, and they consist more particularly in putting the various motions
into operation at the requisite times to produce the results or effects above
referred to, and the following advantages will result by the application of my
Invention. It is now customary in mules when the carriage has receded a
certain distance from the rollers for the carriage to stop and stand still until
the spindles are stopped, and the yarn backed or stripped off the spindle points
previous to the carriage running in again, which time is lost, but by making the
mules as above described, so that the stoppage of the spindles is effected
during the time the carriage is running in, there is no time lost for
stopping, and backing off, or stripping, for the carriage immediately it has got
a certain distance from the rollers begins to run back again, and the spindles
are stopped, backed off, or stripped, and the yarn wound on the spindles
during the time it is running in. By this means a greater amount of
work will be produced in the same time than in mules of the ordinary
construction.