IMPROVEMENTS IN MULE SPINNING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Severin Mock of Providence in the State of Rhode
Island United States of America for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MULE SPINNING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Severin Mock at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th June 1882.
SEVERIN MOCK of Providence in the State of Rhode Island United States of
America "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULE SPINNING MACHINES."
In spinning machines, and more particularly in spinning the finer qualities of
yarn on mule spinning machines the accumulation of waste and the fine fibre that
is thrown off from the yarn in the twisting must be avoided, as the same twists
around the spindles, is liable to get on the cobs, and causes injury to both the
machine and the yarn. Cleanliness in the mule-spinning room is one of the
requisites of a successful mill, and is, in the best mills, insisted upon. To facilitate
the cleaning and remove the waste and fibre from the parts of the machine most
difficult of access, and upon which such waste, and fibre are most liable to
accumulate, and also to keep the floor clean and deposit the fibre in a place where
it is accessible or can be easily reached and removed, is the object of this invention.
The said invention consists in providing a mule spinning machine with mechanism,
which, when the mule carriage moves in to the roller-beam, will automatically
wipe the said mule-carriage and the spindles, and remove all the loose fibre and
waste from the portion of the floor traversed by the said mule-carriage as more
fully hereinafter described.
In carrying the said invention into practice, I employ a mule carriage, a roller-
beam, a bracket extending beyond the said mule-carriage and provided with a
sheave or grooved pulley, and a cord, one end of which is secured to the floor.
This cord passes over the aforesaid grooved pulley and over a pulley secured in a

page_text: bracket extending from the roller-beam, thence around a clutch or clutch-drum and
thence back over another pulley, to a weight; the said cord forms the means for
operating the wiper. A wire is secured to the front of the roller-beam and upon the
said wire the wiper is suspended and moved. Secured to the lower part of the
aforesaid clutch is a grooved pulley, hereinafter termed the first pulley; another
grooved pulley, hereinafter termned the second pulley, is placed on the other end of
the roller beam, or opposite the other end of the mule carriage, when two mule
carriages are used as is usually the case, and this pulley is provided with a dise
from which brushes extend downward so that a cord which passes over the two
last named pulleys, will be cleaned of all waste and fibre in passing around this
pulley having the brushes. The clutch consists of a drum or barrel, around which
the cord is wound, and adapted to turn loosely on a spindle whose lower end is
provided with a ratchet clutch, which enters a ratchet clutch fixed to the first
pulley a coiled spring holds the drum or barrel in contact with the lower ratchet
so that the drum will rotate the said first pulley in one direction, and slipping over
the ratchet teeth will turn freely in the opposite direction. On the aforesaid wire
is arranged, with a capability of turning freely, the aforesaid wiper which consists
of a board, having a wedge-shaped bolster or part secured to it, to form a bearing
on the face of the roller beam, by which the said board is maintained in the proper
position. To the upper part of the said board, two brushes are secured so as to
wipe the upper surface of the roller beam, whilst to the lower part of the said
board two other brushes are secured, which brushes extend in the opposite direction
so as to wipe the spindles on the mule carriage, as the same approaches the roller
beam. A long cloth extends over the entire top of the mule carriage and wipes
the same. Extending from the rear of the aforesaid board is a loop; within this
loop, a cone connected with a wire which is hinged in a clamp and thus. secured to
an endless cord which passes over the aforesaid first and second pulleys, is free to
adjust itself when it passes around the said pulleys; the loop is, therefore, of
suflicient length to allow the cone to slide from the inner to the outer line of the
endless cord, and vice versa. As the wire has to be of considerable length, it
requires some support so as to sustain the weight of the wiper, to support the wire
and allow the wiper to pass by such support. I therefore provide one or more
hinged arms, and support the same in a curved bracket secured to the top of the
roller beam, so that the wiper can freely pass under the bracket; and I provide the
said arm or arms with bevelled ends, so that when the wiper reaches one end of
the said arm or arms it will pass behind the same, but as soon as it has passed to
the middle it will strike the other half of the arm, and moving the said arm, will
turn it on its pivotal support, and pass the first end under the wire, again
supporting the same; the wire will therefore always rest on one or the other end
of the arm, and the wiper can freely pass by the same. The operation of this
apparatus is as follows, that is to say: When the mule-carriage is on its outward
and inward traverse, the weight keeps the cord stretched vertically and the cloth
is suspended vertically, and when the carriage approaches the roller beam, the said
cloth is first drawn up the front of the carriage, and then over the inclined top of
the same, the roller on the end of the bracket encounters the cord and draws the
same inward raising the aforesaid weight and turning the barrel of the clutch,
thereby rotating the first and second pulleys and moving the wiper along the face
of the roller beam. On the outward traverse the cord is released, and the weight
draws the cord into the first position, the clutch barrel rotating without moving
the first pulley, or the endless cord; by this arrangement the wiper travels at each
incoming of the carriage, a certain distance and continues to do so, the rod and
cone continuing to move with the said cord, in one direction until it passes around
the pulley on either end and returns in the opposite direction, the wiper thus
keeping the whole carriage free from waste and loose fibre. The part of this
invention, relating to cleaning the floor of waste and fibre automatically, comprises
‘a shaft pivotally supported in a bracket, which extends downward from the mule

page_text: carriage; this shaft, preferably formed of wood, is provided with brushes which
bear on the floor; the end of the said shaft is provided with an arm, which at, or
near, each end of the traverse of the mule-carriage, strikes a stop and thus turns
the brushes over ready for the return movement-By this arrangement all the
waste and fibre is delivered at the end of each movement of the mule-carriage and
can be easily removed, as this space can bo always approached. The mule, its
carriage, and the floor are thus kept clean, and the waste and fibre is collected
automatically into places readily accessible and all parts of the spinning mule
that can only be approached with the greatest difficulty, are kept clean; the
remaining parts of the machine which can be approached at all times are easily
cleaned by the operative.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Severin Mock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th December
1882.
SEVERIN MOCK, of Providence in the State of Rhode Island, United States of
America IMPROVEMENTS IN MULE SPINNING MACHINES."
"
In spinning machines, and more particularly in spinning the finer qualities of
yarn on mule spinning machines, the accumulation of waste and the fine fibre that
is thrown off from the yarn in the twisting must be avoided, as the same twists
around the spindles, is liable to get on the cobs, and causes injury to both the
machine and the yarn. Cleanliness in the mule-spinning room is one of the
requisites of a successful mill, and is, in the best mills, insisted upon. To facilitate
the cleaning, and remove the waste and fibre from the parts of the machine most
difficult of access, and most liable to such accumulation of waste and fibre, and
also to keep the floor clean and deposit the fibre in an accessible place where it can
he easily reached and removed, is the object of this invention. The said invention
consists in providing a nule spinning machine with mechanism which, when the
mule carriage moves into the roller beam, will automatically wipe the said mule
carriage and the spindles, and remove all the loose fibre and waste from the portion
of the floor traversed by the mule carriage as will be more fully set forth
hereinafter. Figure 1 is an end view of the mule carriage at the extreme inward
traverse close to the roller beam, showing the position of the cord for operating
the wiper, and the wiper at this point, in full lines, and their position, when the
carriage has moved out, in broken lines; the floor brush is shown in contact with
a stop, and turned over, for the outward traverse of the carriage. Figure 2, is a
perspective view of my improved wiper. Figure 3, is a view of the roller-beam
and part of a mule carriage, showing the wiper supported from a wire which is
supported by a hinged lever, constructed so that the wiper can pass by the lever.
Figure 4, is a plan of the cord for operating the wiper, and the lever for supporting
the wire. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the Drawing, A is the mule carriage shown, with reference to the roller-beam,
at the extreme end of the inward traverse; B is the roller-beam; C is a bracket
extending beyond the mule carriage, and provided with a sheave or grooved
pulley, d; D is a cord one end of which is secured to the floor. This cord
passes over the pulley d and over a pulley secured in a bracket extending
from the roller-beam, around the clutch or drum E and thence back over
the pulley e to the weight ¹; this cord D forms the means for operating
the wiper.
F is a wire secured to the front of the roller-beam, and on
this wire the wiper G is suspended and moved. Secured to the lower part
of the clutch E, is the grooved pulley H; another grooved pulley H' is placed on
the other end of the roller-beam, or opposite the other end of the mule carriage,
when two mule carriages are used as is usually the case, and this pulley H', is
provided with a disc from which brushes extend downward so that the cord h,
which passes over the pulleys H, and H', will be cleaned of all waste and fibre in
passing around this pulley. The clutch E, consists of a drum or barrel, around
which the cord D, is wound and which turns loosely on a spindle; its lower end is
provided with a ratchet clutch, which enters a ratchet clutch fixed to the pulley H;
a coiled spring holds the drum or barrel in contact with the lower ratchet so that
the drum will rotate the pulley H, in one direction, and slipping over the ratchet
teeth will turn freely in the opposite direction. Sliding freely on the wire F, is
the wiper G, which consists of the board g, having the wedge-shaped bolster g',

page_text: secured to it, to forin a bearing on the face of the roller-beam, by which the board g,
is maintained in the proper position. To the upper part of the board g, the
brushes g, g, are secured, so as to wipe the upper surface, of the roller-beam,
whilst to the lower part, the brushes g³ ³, are secured, extending in the opposite
direction so as to wipe the spindles on the mule carriage, as the same approaches
the roller-beam; g', is a long cloth which extends over the whole top of the mulo
carriage, as is shown in Figure 1, and wipes the same. Extending from the rear
of the board g, is the loop g; within this loop, the cone ³, connected with the
wire, which is hinged in the clamp ', and thus secured to the endless cord h,
which passes over the pulleys I, and II', is free to adjust itself when it passes
around the pulleys H, and H'; the loop is, therefore, of sufficient length to allow the
cone to slide from the inner to the outer line of the endless cord h, and vice versa.
As the wire F, has to be of considerable length, it requires some support so as to
sustain the weight of the wiper, to support the wire and allow the wiper to pass
by such support. I place the hinged arm I, or one or more of such arms, and
support the same in a curved bracket secured to the top of the roller-beam, so that
the wiper can freely pass under the bracket; and I provide the arm I, with bevelled
ends, so that when the wiper reaches one end of the arm I, it will pass behind the
same, but as soon as it has passed to the middle it will strike the other half of the
arın, and moving the arm, will turn it on its pivotal support, and pass the first end
under the wire F, again supporting the same; so that the wire will always rest on
one or the other end of the arm I, and the wiper can freely pass by the same.
The operation of this part of my Invention is as follows: When the mule-carriage
is at the end of its outward traverse, the weight E keeps the cord D stretched
vertically and the cloth g' is suspended vertically, as is indicated in Figure 1, in
broken lines; and when the carriage approaches the roller-beam, the cloth is first
drawn up the front of the carriage and then over the inclined top of the same, the
roller & encounters the cord D, and draws the same inward, raising the weight E¹,
and turning the barrel of the clutch E, thereby rotating the pulleys H and H' and
moving the wiper along the face of the roller-beam. On the outward traverse the
cord D is released, and the weight E draws the same into the first position, the
clutch barrel E rotating without moving the pulley H. or the cord ; by this
arrangement the wiper travels, at each incoming of the carriage, a certain distance
and continues to do so, the rod h² and cone ³ continuing to move with the cord h
in one direction until it passes around the pulley on either end and returns in the
opposite direction, the wiper thus keeping the whole carriage free from waste and
loose fibre. The part of this invention, relating to cleaning the floor of waste and
fibre automatically, comprises the shaft M, pivotally supported in the bracket L,
which extends downward from the mule carriage; the shaft M preferably formed
of wood is provided with the brushes m, which bear on the floor; the end of the
shaft M, is provided with the arm n, which at, or near, each end of the traverse of
the mule carriage, strikes a stop N and thus turns the brushes m over, ready for
the return traverse. By this arrangement all the waste and fibre is delivered at
the end of each traverse of the mule-carriage, and can be easily removed, as this
space can always be approached. The mule, its carriage, and the floor are thus
kept clean, and the waste and fibre is collected automatically into places readily
accessible, and all parts of the spinning mule that can only be approached with
the greatest difficulty, are kept clean; the remaining parts of the machine which
can be approached at all times are easily cleaned by the operative. Having thus
described my Invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent,
First: The combination, with the roller-beam and the carriage of a mule spinning
machine, of the wiper G, consisting of the board g, the wedge-shaped bearing g',
the brushes y2, and g³, and the cloth g', supported on the wire F, and operated by
means of the cord D, and the endless cord h, as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Second: The combination, with the wire F and the wiper G, of the pivoted arm I,
constructed to support the wire and the wiper as described. Third: In a mule
spinning machine, the combination, with the roller-beam and the carriage, of the

page_text: ratchet clutch E operated by the carriage through the cord D, the pulleys H
and H, the latter provided with a brush, and the wiper provided with the loop g³
connected with the cord h, as described. Fourth: The combination, with the mule
carriage, of the pivoted brush M, m, constructed to sweep the floor and remove the
waste as described. Fifth: The combination, with the brush M, m, of the arm n
and stop N, constructed to reverse the brush at each end of the traverse of the
carriage, as described.
In witness whereof I, the said Severin Mock, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord, Eighteen
hundred and eighty twen
In presence of:
JOSEPH A MILLER
Solicitor of Patents,
Providenco, R.I.-U.S.A,
SEVERIN MOCK (L.S.)