IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBRES "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dransfield of Dewsbury in the County of York,
Machine Maker, and John Issett of Dewsbury aforesaid, Spinner for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING WOOL,
COTTON, AND OTHER FIBRES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dransfield and John
Issett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th September
1882.
JOHN DRANSFIELD of Dewsbury in the County of York, Machine Maker, and
JOHN ISSETT of Dewsbury aforesaid, Spinner, "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING
MULES FOR SPINNING WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBRES
"1
This Invention has reference to the side wheels in connection with the scroll
motion. As at present arranged these wheels have unnecessary rotary motion
given to them, ie, they are rotating at a time when they are doing no work; and
when the mule is spinning the thread they are caused to revolve at a considerably
increased speed with no results. Our Invention is intended to prevent the rotation
of these wheels except when it is necessary for them to revolve and when they have
work to do; and this is effected by throwing the said side wheels out of gear when
they have done their work so that they can rest during the time the mule is
spinning and the carriage returning. We accomplish this by means of a sliding
clutch placed on the driving shaft of the head stock. This clutch is moved in and
out of gear at the proper time by means of the scroll clutch or other moveable part
of the mule acting upon levers in connection with the clutch on the driving shaft
by which means the side wheels are disengaged and remain at rest until required.
By this arrangement of mechanism considerably less power is required to drive the
mule as no part of the head stock gearing is in motion except the spinning band
apparatus for a great portion of the day consequently there is less wear and tear
and fewer breakages.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Dransfield and John Issett in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th March 1883.
JOHN DRANSFIELD of Dewsbury in the County of York, Machine Maker and
JOHN ISSETT of Dewsbury aforesaid, Spinner, "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING
MULES FOR SPINNING WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER FIBRES
"
This Invention has reference to the side wheels in connection with the scroll
motion. As at present arranged these wheels have unnecessary rotary motion
given to them,-i.e-they are rotating at a time when they are doing no work;
and when the mule is spinning the thread, they are caused to revolve at a con-
siderably increased speed with no results.
Our Invention is intended to prevent the rotation of these wheels except when
it is necessary for them to revolve and when they have work to do; and this is
effected by throwing the said side wheels out of gear when they have done their
work, so that they can rest during the time the mule is spinning and the carriage
returning. We accomplish this by means of a sliding clutch placed on the driving
shaft of the head stock.
This clutch is moved in and out of gear at the proper time by means of some
moveable part of the mule acting upon levers in connection with the clutch on the
driving shaft, by which means the side wheels are disengaged and remain at rest
until required. By this arrangement of mechanism considerably less power is
required to drive the mule as no part of the head stock gearing is in motion except
the spinning band apparatus, for a great portion of the day consequently there is
less wear and tear and fewer breakages.
In order that this Invention may be better understood, we herein give reference
to the accompanying sheet of Drawings, wherein Fig 1 is back elevation of a head-
stock in connection with a self-acting mule. A are the driving pullies fixed upon
the main driving shaft B, and C are the side wheels in connection with the scroll
motion for moving the carriage out. In ordinarily constructed mules these wheels
are always revolving, even at the time the mule is spinning and twisting, and as
these wheels are only employed for operating the carriage outward, it is an
unnecessary waste of power and wear and tear of the parts.
By means of our Invention we cause these wheels to stand still during the time
the mule is spinning and the carriage returning, and this we accomplish by placing
the wheel D and part of the clutch E loosely on the driving shaft, but the other
part of the clutch E' is keyed on the said shaft but capable of sliding end wise
thereon as will be well understood by Mechanics. In connection with the sliding
clutch E. we employ a clutch fork on the upper end of the bell crank lever G
operated at the proper time, by means of the usual sliding bar H employed for
operating the drawing out scroll. On the end of the sliding bar H is a fixing I
having two surfaces a and b upon which the extreme end of the bell crank
lever G rests, and is pressed downward by spiral spring J. The drawing shews
the parts in the position they assume when the side wheels are in motion
and the carriage travelling out, but when the said carriage arrives at its
furthest point, it comes into contact with the extreme end of the sliding bar H
causing the said bar to travel a short distance further (see Figs 3 and 4) in
the direction of the arrow, whereby the upper surface 6 is drawn underneath the
end of the bell crank lever F which it raises and operates the other end of the said
lever in the direction of the arrow K thereby removing the clutch E out of contact
with the clutch E, by which means the side wheels are stopped until the spindles
have completed their twisting process and the carriage has returned, when the

page_text: bar H is slided back again, allowing the end of the bell crank lever F to be pulled
by spring J onto the lower surface a of the fixing I so that the clutches E and E'
are brought together again and the rotary motion of the side wheels are resumed.
As the drawing out scroll shaft W has rotary motion given to it when the carriage
is returning, the side wheels which have been stopped whilst the mule was
twisting, would be caused to rotate when the carriage was returning unless pro-
vision was made to prevent them-this we effect by placing the wheel X loosely
on the drawing out shaft W so that when the mule is returning the said shaft will
not operate the wheel. In order however to cause this wheel X to revolve when
intended we fix a catch wheel Y upon the said shaft, and attach a catch Z to the
side of the wheel X which is forced into the teeth of the wheel by a spring f 60
that the said wheel is operated independantly of its shaft.
In connection with the Drawing up motion, we simplify the parts and make
them more certain of action than the arrangement at present in use.
To effect our
object we remove the clutch and parts in connection therewith from off the clutch
shaft, and instead thereof, we place loosely thereon a spurr wheel, gearing with the
usual drawing off scroll wheel. A catch wheel is keyed on the said clutch shaft and a
catch attached to the spurr wheel, is in contact therewith when not removed by a
sliding cone operated by the usual cam employed for reversing the spindles. The
alterations referred to are shewn in Figs 1 and 2 where M is the clutch shaft, upon
which the spurr wheel N is loosely placed, gearing with the usual drawing off
scroll wheel O. Upon the same shaft M we fix a catch wheel P into the teeth of
which, the catch R is pressed by the flat spring c. When the parts are in motion
as shewn on the Drawings the catch R is in contact with the catch wheel, taking
the spurr wheel N around with it, but when it is necessary for the wheels N and Ŏ
to be inoperative, the cam S operates the stud d in such manner as to cause the
shaft T to slide end wise in the direction of the arrow, by which means the arm U
which is in contact with the cone V pushes it on its shaft, nearer to the wheel and
catch, lifting the small cone e upwards and removing the catch from contact
with the wheel by which their rotation stopped. These motions are reversed at
the proper time by the rotation of the cam S.
As the details in the construction of mules vary with each machine maker, it
will be necessary in applying our Improvements, to vary some of the parts in detail,
to suit each description of maker. The Drawing accompanying this Specification
shewn our Improvements, as applied to a mule made by Houghton, Knowles & Co.,
but it will be evident to practical men that our Improvements can with equal
advantage be applied to machines made and constructed on a slightly different
principle by other makers, the primary object of our Invention being to stop the
side wheels when they have completed their work, and to restart them, when they
are required.
Having now shewn and described the nature and object of our Invention we
would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details
herein shewn and described, but what we believe to be new and claim is―The
employment of self-acting apparatus for giving intermittent motion to the side
wheels in manner and for purposes substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we the said John Dransfield and John Issett have here-
unto set our hands and seals this tenth day of March in the year of our
Lord, One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
JOHN DRANSFIELD (L.S.)
JOHN ISSETT
(L.S.)