CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter McGregor, of the City of Manchester,
Machine Maker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 11th November 1862, and dated the 23rd May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter McGregor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
May 1862.
I, PETER MCGREGOR, of the City off Manchester, Machine Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,"
to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in a combination and arrangement of
machinery for regulating the amount of twist in the yarn. In performing my
Invention, I apply a worm to the tin drum shaft, or other shaft, in the carriage
for driving the spindles. This, worm gears into a wheel, to the shaft of which
is fixed a wiper or tappet, acting when the carriage is out upon a lever
jointed to the headstock. This lever, by means of a connecting rod, shaft, or
other equivalent agent, liberates a catch, when the twist is completed, and
allows the driving strap to be moved in the usual manner, either by a spring
or weight, or by the action of the cam shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter McGregor, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
MCGREGOR, of the City of Manchester, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Peter McGregor, Her special license, that I, the said Peter McGregor,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Peter McGregor, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter
McGregor, my executors, or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Peter McGregor, 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 state-
ment (that is to say):
The nature of my Invention consists in a combination and arrangement of
machinery for regulating the amount of twist in the yarn. In performing my
Invention I apply a worm, or tin drum'shaft, or other shaft, in the carriage
for driving the spindles. This worm gears into a wheel, to the shaft of which
is fixed a wiper or tappet, acting when the carriage is out upon a lever jointed
to the headstock. This lever, by means of a connecting rod, shaft, or other
equivalent agent, liberates a catch when the twist is completed, and allows the
driving strap to be moved in the usual manner, either by a spring or weight,
or by the action of the cam shaft.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried

page_text: into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the principal parts of a self-acting mule to which
my improvements are applied. I wish to observe that iu this view one of the
frame sides of the headstock is removed, in order that the working parts may
be more clearly shewn; Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1. In these views a is
the driving shaft; b, the driving pulley; c, the loose or self-acting pulley; d,
the backing-off wheel; e, the backing-off lever; f, the strap fork lever; f
the cam shaft, and f' the cam for acting on the lever e; these, and all the
other parts of the headstock, which are not shewn in the Drawing, and not
particularly referred to hereafter, are made in the usual manner; g is the
carriage end; h is the shaft of the tin drum, by which the spindles i arǝ
driven as usual. To the shaft h is fixed a worm j, gearing into the wheel k,
which is fixed to the lower end of a short shaft, revolving in a bearing attached
to the carriage; to the upper end of this short shaft is fixed the wiper or
tappet . Near the front of the headstock is attached a bracket m, for the
stud of the elbow lever n, in which is fixed a stud for the bowl n'. To the
shorter arm of the elbow lever n is jointed one end of the rod o, the other
end of which is connected to the vertical arm of the elbow lever o'; to the
horizontal arm of this elbow lever is jointed the lower end of the link o², the
upper end of which is connected to the catch lever p; the fulcrum of this
lever is at p', and the weighted end thereof takes on a projection on the strap
fork lever f. The backing-off lever e is retained by the weighted catch lever q,
and to this lever is fixed a stud q' projecting under the lever p.
The mode of operation is as follows:-In Figure 1 the parts are in the
positions they occupy when the carriage is going out, and in Figure 2 the
carriage supposed to be out. When the carriage is out, and during the
time that the twist is being given to the yarn, the tappet is gradually turning
round in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, and when the twist is com
pleted, the tappet 1, acting on the bowl n', and on the elbow lever n, rod o, elbow
lever o', link o³, and has depressed the right hand end of the catch lever p
and liberates the strap fork lever f, which is drawn by the spring f3, into the
position indicated by the dotted line in Figure 1, thereby traversing the
driving strap from the fast pulley b.to the loose or self-acting pulley .c..
When the catch lever p has been drawn down to a short extent, the lower
edge of it comes in contact with the stud q' in the lever g, thereby depressing
the right hand end of this lever until the catch at the other end has liberated
the backing off lever e, which being acted upon as usual by the spring e¹, see
Figure 2, puts the backing-off friction cones-into contact. By this means,at

page_text: the moment when the requisite twist has been given, the tappet l, acting on
the bowl n', liberates the catch levers p and q, thus instantly stopping the
spindles and putting the backing-off friction cones into contact. When the
backing-off is completed, the friction cones are disconnected by the cam f³, on
the cam shaft f acting on the lever e. When the carriage has completed its
run in, the stud g! acting on the weighted catch r, and the bow! 92 acting on
the incline, of the lever g³, cbarges the spring 9, and restores the strap fork.
lever f, and parts in communication therewith, to their proper positions for
commencing a fresh stretch. Figure 3 is an elevation of part of a self-acting
mule, shewing a modification of my Invention. The parts marked a, b, c, d,
e; e¹, f, o, o¹, o, q, and r, are similar to those above described in reference to
the preceding Figures. In this arrangement the link o is connected abové to.
the weighted catch lever q, which retains the backing-off lever e, until the
operation of backing-off is required to be brought into action. At the end
of the backing-off lever e is a bowl, which on the liberation of the catch q,-
acts upon the inclined arm of the lever s. The parts shewn in this view are
also in the positions they occupy while the carriage is going out, and until the
twist is completed, or until the tappet 1, see Figures 1 and 2, bas acted on the
lever n, and moved the rod o in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3. This
notion of the rod o disengages the backing-off lever e, from the catch lever q,
and the usual backing-off spring then draws the backing-off friction cones
into contact. This same action of the lever e causes the bowl at its end to act
on the under side of the horizontal arm of the elbow levers, thus moving the
strap fork lever f until the driving strap is traversed on to the loose pulley c.
When the strap fork lever f is in this position, the flat surface at the under
side of the elbow lever s is bearing on the bowl at the end of the backing-off
lever e, thus relieving the pressure on the lever s. The driving strap is held
on the loose pulley c by the stud in the lower arm of the strap fork lever f
resting on the upper catch in the lever r. When the carriage is running in,
the stud 9', see Figure 1, comes against the lower end of the lever
liberates the strap fork lever, which is then instantly brought into its original
position by the spring g'. By means of this arrangement the actions of
putting into contact the friction apparatus for backing-off, and the traversing
of the driving strap are effected simultaneously.
and
Figure 4 is an end view, and Figure 5 a plan, of part of a mule headstock,
shewing another modification of my Invention. In these views the parts
marked a, f', f, and o, are similar to those previously described. The link o³
is connected above to the lever t, the weighted end of which bears upon the
cam f' on the cam shaft f'. As soon as the link o³ is depressed in the

page_text: manner before described, the weighted end of the lever t is raised above the
cam f, thus liberating the cam shaft, which is then at liberty to perform
a portion of a revolution for shifting the driving strap, and putting the
backing, friction apparatus into contact in the usual manner.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim the improved combinations and
arrangements of machinery herein-before described, applicable to mules for
spinning and doubling, for regulating the amount of twist in the yarn or
thread.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter McGregor, have hereto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
PETER M GREGOR. (L.S.)