IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Jacques Bourcart, of Guebwiller, Haut Rhin,
France, but now residing in Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING."
Sealed the 24th April 1860, and dated the 26th October 1859..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Jacques Bourcart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th October 1859.
I, JEAN JACQUES BOURCART, of Guebwiller, Haut Rhin, France, but now
residing in Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR
SPINNING," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, firstly, to regulating the quantity of yarn to be
backed off. For this purpose I employ jointed links constructed so as to be
adjustable in length, and capable of forming any required angle. The upper
part of this arrangement gives motion to the rack which acts upon the faller
quadrant, and the lower part rests upon the usual copping rail. These links
are straightened by the revolution of a wheel or other apparatus upon the
axis of one of them in order to raise the rack, but the extent to which they
will do that depends upon the aforesaid adjustment and upon the distance that
the lower end of the links has been allowed to fall.
Secondly, my Invention relates to the faller, and consists in causing it or the

page_text: wire to be raised by a flexible medium so that it may give way to the tension of
the
yarn. For instance, I draw the wire downward by a weighted cord passing
over rollers and upward by a pulley, to which it is connected by a chain; this
chain not being rigid will allow the faller to rise as before mentioned. I also
adopt the same principle for the counterfaller, and so arrange the apparatus
connected therewith that the said counterfaller shall fall independently of the
tension of the yarn.
Thirdly, my Invention refers to the copping rail on which the faller
apparatus rests, and consists in forming it with a joint between the two ends,
and in applying a third inclined piece, so that the said rail may be caused to
turn upon the joint.
Fourthly, my Invention relates to the apparatus by which the fallers are
caused to rise. For this purpose I use jointed links, the lower end of which
arrangement rest upon the copping plate; the upper end is a fixed centre, and
, an elongation of one of the links carries an adjustable roller. As the carriage
.runs in, a sliding bolt arrives in contact with this roller, and being thereby shot
forward, acts upon the apparatus connected with the faller so as to cause it to
rise; this effect will take place sooner or later accordingly as the links become
straightened by falling on the copping plate.
Fifthly, my Invention refers to the winding-on motion, in which, according
to one arrangement, I cause the point of attachment for the winding-on chain
to move in a curve. In another arrangement I employ two "quadrants," to
one of which the usual chain is attached, and to the other a pulley over which
the said chain passes. These two "quadrants" are made to approach to
and move from each other, thereby affording a portion of chain for the
winding on.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Jacques Bourcart in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
JACQUES BOURCART, of Guebwiller, Haut Rhin, France, but now residing in
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto

page_text: me, the said Jean Jacques Bourcart, Her special license that I, the said Jean
Jacques Bourcart, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Jean Jacques Boureart, 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 therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Jean Jacques Bourcart, by an instrument in writing under
my band and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean Jacques Bourcart, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
My Invention relates, firstly, to regulating the quantity of yarn to be backed
off, and is shewn at the partial side view of a mule, Fig. 1. The faller shaft
is at a, upon which is the toothed quadrant b taking into the rack c. To this
rack is jointed one end of a link d, the other end being connected by an
adjustable pin to a second link e fixed upon a short shaft f, which is supported
at g by the shaper h. Upon the shaft f is a toothed wheel g, driven through
the medium of an intermediate h from the backing-off shaft i. As that shaft
therefore is caused to revolve according to the usual method, the link e acting
as a crank will raise and depress the rack c, so as to give motion to the faller
shaft a through the quadrant 6, but so soon as the link d shall have arrived
at a vertical or other determined position, then by arrival in contact with a
piece k, the backing-off motion is by any convenient arrangement arrested.
The extent of motion cominunicated to the rack c will, however, be altered by
the links d, e, assuming varied angles to each other during the formation of
the cop. Figs. 2 and 3 are detached views, which will explain how this is
accomplished. In Fig. 2 the shaper is in such a position that the shaft fis
raised so as to cause the links d, e, to assume a certain angle, and when
the said shaft is caused to revolve the rack will be elevated from its
lowest point (which is regulated by the stop 1) into the position shewn at Fig. 1,
communicating thereby the greatest extent of motion to the faller shaft, and
allowing the greatest amount of backing off, but as the formation of the cop

page_text: proceeds the shaper will allow the shaft f, and consequently links e to descend,
so that the latter become gradually straightened; Fig. 3, represents the posi-
tions of the parts when this has taken place, and the rack c will therefore now
be raised but a short distance, and consequently there will be less motion
imparted to the faller shaft, and the motion of the backing off will be
sooner arrested by the arrival of the link d in contact with the stop k, and it
is evident that if the shaft f be allowed to descend a short distance farther so
as completely to straighten the links d, e, that no motion at all will be com-'
municated to the rack c, and the backing off will be immediately stopped.
By this arrangement, therefore, the operations may be varied accordingly, as
the links are caused to begin at their maximum of effect, and to be gradually
straightened until they assume positions in a line with each other at starting..
It will also be obvious that the amount of backing-off' at starting may be
varied by shifting the connexion e of the two links as shewn by red lines, or
the same object may be attained by changing one or more of the wheels
which connect the shafts f, i. At 6 is a spring for bringing the quadrant b
back when the faller is to be raised.
The next part of my Invention relates to the faller, and is shewn at Figs. 4
and 5, as applied to a hand mule. The faller shaft is at a, upon which is
fixed a boss 6 provided with projecting parts e, situate in the same plane as
studs d, which are fixed to the handle e; the fallers move with the part b,
which part has a groove g, for the reception of a cord h carrying a weight,.
and tending to press the fallers downward. The handle e has also a pulley i
carrying a weighted cord k, which has a tendency to turn the handle upon its
shaft, so that the projecting parts e and studs d are kept in contact with each
other, the weights acting as shewn by the arrows in Fig. 5, that weight how-
ever which tends to carry the fallers downward having the advantage, so that
the parts c fast with the faller shaft follow those shewn at d, which extend-
from the handle e. It will be seen by this arrangement that the attendant by
turning the bandle allows the weight to carry the fallers downward, but
when the tension of the yarn arrives at a certain pitch, then it will overcome
the said weight, and the fallers will be carried upward thereby, the parts c
being at liberty to retreat from those shewn at d, and the faller wire being
thus allowed to be carried up, admits of the yarn passing on to a smaller
diameter of the cop, and thus to remove the superabundant tension.
In Fig. I. this part of my improvements is shewn applied to a self-acting
mule. The faller sickles m are fixed upon the shaft a, and fast thereon is
also a boss m, with two projecting parts situate. against studs n, which are
On this shaft
carried by the quadrant b turning loosely upon the faller shaft.

page_text: is a pulley or pulleys carrying a weight or weights o, which tend to turn it
downward so as to depress the fallers. The upward motion of the rack c
turning the quadrant 6 therefore loosely upon the shaft, will remove the studs n
from contact with the projecting parts m*, thus permitting them and the fallers
5 fast therewith to turn downward through the agency of the weight o, and thus
the fallers are depressed, but should the tension of the yarn require it, the
weight o will be overcome, and the faller wire will rise, the parts m being
turned away from the studs n. It will be seen by the above description that
the fallers are caused to be depressed by the weight, and are retarded or
governed in that motion by the rack and quadrant c, b, such depression how-
ever being effected by a weight, is accomplished as it were by an elastic
medium under controul of the tension of the
yarn.
Fig. 6 represents a modication of this part of my Invention. The faller
shaft is at a, upon which is a pulley b, furnished with cords or chains c, which'
act as the fallers. These cords carry the faller wires d, and are carried:
downwards by the weight e; the motion of the pulley b may be governed by
à rack and quadrant, similar to that shewn at Fig. 1, acting after the manner
before described, so as to retard or govern the descent of the faller, that is to
say, it gives off a sufficient quantity of chain or cord to allow the faller
to descend to the required point; but should the tension of the yarn gain
sufficient force, then the weight e will be lifted, and the chain or cord ċ will.
yield so as to permit the fallers to rise.
The next part of my Invention, according to my Provisional Specification
consisted in forming the shaper or copping rail with a joint, and in applying a
third inclined part so that it might be caused to turn upon the said joint, but
since the filing thereof I have found that the arrangement is not new and
therefore lay no claim thereto.
The next part of my Invention relates to the apparatus by which the fallers
áre caused to rise, and is shewn at Fig. I., before referred to. At q, r, are
jointed links, the former turning upon a fixed centre at s, and the latter upon
a centre t, which rests upon the shaper h; the link q has an elongation u, to
which is adapted an adjustable roller v; as the shaper h is lowered, the
links 2, r, become straightened, and the roller v is therefore brought nearer to
the, vertical line of the centres s, t; upon the carriage w is mounted a sliding
bolt x, maintained, however, in a certain position by a spring y. As the
carriage runs in, the head of this bolt arrives in contact with the roller v, and
being thereby shot forwards, its other end strikes against the links d, e, and by
thus causing them to turn upon their centres draws downward the rack c, and
effects the raising of the faller. This operation it is evident will take place

page_text: sooner or later, aecording as the roller u is moved by the straightening of the
links q,.
The next part of my Invention relates to the winding-on motion, and is also
shewn at Fig. 1. The quadrant is shewn at 1, and the regulating screw at 2,
the nut thereof is at 3, and is formed with an extended part, which has a
slot 4; within this slot is a roller 5, to which the winding-on chain is connected,
and which therefore constitutes the point of attachment for the winding-on
chain in place of the nut, as is usually the case. To the quadrant arm is
fixed a curved bar 6, against which the roller 5 bears; as the regulating screw
is turned by the ordinary method, it causes the point of attachment 5 to travel
along the curved bar 6, and this it is permitted to do by moving outward in
the slot 4.
The next part of my Invention (it being another improvement in the
winding-on motion) is shewn in Figs. 7 and 8. In this arrangement I employ
two quadrants or wheels a, b, in gear with each other, so that they move in the
directions of the arrows, motion being communicated to one of them by the
pinion c. The quadrant or wheel a is provided with a regulating screw d and
nut e, to which the chain f is attached; from thence it passes over a roller g,
carried by a second regulating screw h over a guide pulley i, and then to the
winding-on drum; as the wheels or quadrants a, b, are caused to turn in the
directions of the arrows, the regulating screws advance towards each other and
slacken the chain between them, so as to cause a quantity to be given off
necessary for winding on. The regulating screws are caused to turn by the
following means:-Upon the screw d is a bevil pinion k, taking into another 1,
which is fixed to a spur wheel m, the two turning loosely upon a stud; from
these motion is communicated by carriers n to a spur wheel o, mounted
loosely and carrying with it a bevil pinion p, taking into another q, upon the
axis of the second regulating screw h.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I desire it to be understood that I
claim, as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the use of an adjustable crank or jointed links for regulating the
backing-off and motion of the fallers, and causing such crank or links as
herein-before described and shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 to be acted upon
directly or indirectly by the shaper.
Secondly, operating upon the copping fallers by a medium which will give
way to the tension of the yarn, as shewn at Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6.
Thirdly, the use of the jointed links governed by the shaper, for causing the
fallers to rise.

page_text: Fourthly, causing the point of attachment of the winding-on chain to the
quadrant of self-acting mules, to be varied by a curved bar or plate fixed to
the quadrant.
Fifthly, the employment of two winding-on quadrants or wheels acting in
concert in self acting or other spinning machines, as shewn in Figs. 7 and 8,
so as to give off the required length of chain for winding on.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Jacques Bourcart, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
J. J. BOURCART. (L.S.)