IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dodd, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING
MULES."
Sealed the 26th April 1867, and dated the 31st October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dodd at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st October
1866.
I, JOHN DODD, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES," to be as follows:-
My Invention refers to that part of the self-acting mule known as the
"winding-on motion," and is designed to wind the yarn either on bobbins
placed upon the spindles or on the bare spindle as hereafter described, by
which the change from one to the other is greatly facilitated. These bobbins
are generally about double the thickness of the spindle, but my improvments
may be modified to suit any definite difference.

page_text: For the purpose above specified I employ the well-known differential
motion, which I construct as follows:-Within the winding-on drum fastened
on the drum shaft I place the central member of the differential motion. The
winding-on wheel is mounted on the same shaft, and has fastened to it or cast
upon it the second member. The third is furnished with a boss which passes
through or into the retaining bracket.
The differential motion so constructed I use as follows:-Firstly, when
winding the yarn upon the bobbins I fasten by means of a screw or key the
winding-on wheel above described to the drum, or the second or third member
to the shaft, or so fasten the central member to the drum as to prevent it
from rotating on its axis. The drum and wheel will then revolve together,
and they will make the same number of revolutions; secondly, when winding
the yarn on the bare spindle I withdraw the screw or key, before described,
by which the winding-on wheel is set free, and insert it so as to fasten the
third member to the retaining bracket, but not to the shaft. The winding-on
wheel will then receive double the number of revolutions imparted by the
winding-on chain to the drum. The above effects will be produced whether
the motion be constructed with spur or bevil wheels. Also by suitable changes
in the members of the differential motion, if the bobbins sustain a different
relation to the spindles than two to one, the above-described apparatus may
be accommodated thereto.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Dodd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
DODD, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, send
greeting.
"WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Dodd, Her special licence that I, the said John Dodd,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Dodd, 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

page_text: 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 SELF-ACTING
MULES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Dodd,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their bands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 John Dodd, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:-
.
My Invention refers to that part of the self-acting mule known as the
"winding-on motion," and is designed to wind the yarn either on bobbins
placed upon the spindles or on the bare spindle, as herein-after described, by
which the change from one to the other is greatly facilitated. These bobbins
are generally about double the thickness of the spindle, but my improvements
may be modified to suit any. definite difference:
"
For the purpose above specified I employ the well-known differential
motion, which I construct as follows:-Within the winding-on drum fastened
on the drum shaft I place the central member of the differential motion. The
winding-on wheel is mounted on the same shaft, and has fastened to it or cast
upon it the second member. The third is furnished with a boss which passes
through or into the retaining bracket.
The differential motion so constructed I use as follows:-Firstly, when
winding the yarn upon the bobbins I fasten by means of a screw or key the
winding-on wheel above described to the drum, or. the second or third
member to the shaft, or so fasten the central member to the drum as to
prevent it from rotating on its axis; the drum and wheel will then revolve
together, and they will make the same number of revolutions; secondly, when
winding the yarn on the bare spindle I withdraw the screw or key before
described, by which the winding-on wheel is set free, and insert it so as to
fasten the third member to the retaining bracket, but not to the shaft. The
winding-on wheel will then receive double the number of revolutions imparted
by the winding-on chain to the drum. The above effects will be produced
whether the motion be constructed with spur or bevil wheels. Also by suitable

page_text: changes in the members of the differential motion, if the bobbins sustain a
different relation to the spindles than two to one, the above-described apparatus
may be accommodated thereto.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and more
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Drawing.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 an end elevation of my
improvements. The same letters refer to the same parts in both views.
a is the winding-on drum, which is fastened upon the drum shaft a².-
Within this drum I place the central member of the differential motion 6¹ on
the stud b. Upon the shaft a¹ is also mounted the winding-on wheel a³, which has
fastened to it or cast upon it the second member b2 of the differential motion herein-
before mentioned. The third member 63 is furnished with a boss 64, on which
is placed the winding-back pulley d; the office and mode of operation of which
being well known I need not further describe. When winding the yarn upon
bobbins I connect. the winding-on wheel as to the drum as by the screw a.
The drum a² and the wheel as will then rotate together, and make the same
number of revolutions. When winding the yarn on the bare spindle I with.
draw the screw from the wheel a³ by which it is set at liberty, and I insert
it in the ear c¹ on the bracket c, as shown in Fig. 2. The winding-on wheel
will then receive double the number of revolutions imparted to it when it was
.connected directly to the winding-on drum. The effects above described will
be produced when the motion is constructed with spur wheels of suitable pro-
portions; also by suitable changes in the members of the differential motion,
the motion of the bobbins may sustain a different relation to the motion of
the spindles than two to one. Instead of the set screw a key or other
suitable lock may be used for connecting the parts of the differential motion.
When driving the bobbins the pin may also be inserted at other parts
than those indicated, and the same effects produced. Instead of connecting
the drum a³ and the wheel as the pin may connect the drum a³ and the central
number b¹, or the pin x may connect the drum a³ and the third member 6³,
by either of which connections the rotation of the drum and the wheel a³ will
be equalized. When driving the spindles the boss 6* may also enter or pass
through the bracket c and be fastened within it; but these modifications and
others of like character I regard as modifications of 1 my Invention.
Having thus described the nature. of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I claim as secured to me thereby the:
mechanical apparatus herein-before described, whereby in self-acting mules the

page_text: yarns may be wound either on the spindles or on bobbins placed upon them at
the will of the user thereof by placing the screw & in the positions indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said. John Dodd, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN DODD. (L.S.)
Witness,
CHARLES J. WADDELL,
Engineer and Patent Agent,
17, Queen's Chambers,
Market Street, Manchester.