Year: 1888

page_text: We, EDWIN KNOWLES, of the firm of Houghton Knowles & Co., of Gomersal,
Yorkshire, Machine Makers, and WILLIAM DIXON, of the same place, Foreman
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention in self acting mules consists in the employment of self acting
mechanism whereby the mule can run either as a single speed mule or double
speed mule, and yet we retain the advantage of being able to put the double
speed on at any part of the draw, according to the class of yarn being spun or at
the will of the operator.
In carrying out our invention we dispense with several parts of mechanism now
employed, and substitute therefor other and new mechanism. We employ in place of
the old cam a new and combined cam, with an adjustable nose or tappet, containing
all the changes required for working the mule, so that on the operative moving the
ordinary stop and setting on rod, a lever is released which by means of a spring causes
the driving strap to be moved from the loose pulley onto the slow speed pulley,
whereupon the twisting operation commences, and the carriage draws out. At a
predetermined point a stud in the twist plate is so adjusted as to operate one end of a
bell crank lever, releasing the opposite end thereof from contact with a space wheel,
causing such space wheel to move the above mentioned cam for the purpose of
operating a lever in such manner as to move the strap from the slow speed pulley
onto the fast speed pulley, thereby putting more twist into the yarn, and this goes
on until a stud in the same twist plate or another twist plate operates a second
bell crank lever, causing the said cam to transfer the driving strap from the fast
speed pulley to the loose pulley, whereupon the mule proceeds in the ordinary
manner

page_text: If the mule is required to run as a single speed mule, the parts for placing the
strap onto the double speed pulley can easily be disengaged so as to remain inoperative,
and this we effect by removing the above mentioned adjustable nose or tappet off the
combined cam and connecting by a screw or other means the two bell crank levers
which are operated by the twist plates, in which case, that bell crank lever, which
is in connection with the slow speed pulley only, is operated.
By the employment of mechanism such as is herein described, the self acting
mulo is made capable of spinning a greater variety of twist yarn than has hitherto
been the case.

page_text: We, EDWIN KNOWLES, of the firm of Houghton Knowles and Company; of
Gomersal, Yorkshire, Machine Makers, and WILLIAM DIXON, of the same: place,
Foreman Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this: invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described. and; ascertained. in
*and by tho:following statement :—
Our invention in. self acting mules consists in the employment of self" acting
mechanism whereby the mule can run either as a single speed mulo or double speed
male, and yet we retain the advantage of being able to put the double speed on.at
any part of the draw, according to the class of yarn. being spun,.or at the will of the
-operator.
In carrying out our invention, we dispense with several parts of mechanism now
employed, and substitute therefor other and new mechanism. We employ, in place
of the old cam, a new and combined cam, with an, adjustable nose or tappet,
containing all the changes required for working the mule, so that on the operative
moving the ordinary stop and setting on rod, a lever, is. released, which, by means of' a
spring, causes the driving strap to be moved from the loose pulley onto the slow speed
.pulley, whereupon the twisting operation commences. and the carriage draws out. At a
pre-determined point a stud in the twist plate is so adjusted as to operate one end
of a. bell crank lever, releasing the opposite end. thereof from contact with a space
wheel, causing such space wheel to move the above mentioned cam for the purpose
of operating a lever in such.manner as to move the strap from the slow speed pulley
onto the fast speed pulley, thereby putting more twist. into the yarn, and this goes
on. until a stud in the same twist plate or another twist plate operates a second bell
crank lever, causing the said cam to transfer the driving strap from the fast
speed pulley to. the loose pulley, whereupon. the. mule: proceeds in the ordinary
manner:
Such being the nature and object of our invention, we will now proceed to describe
the same more fully, and for that purpose make reference to the accompanying sheets
of drawings illustrative thereof, wherein. Fig. 1 is front elevation of the head-
stock of a self acting mule; Fig. 2 is end view thereof.. Number 1 represents the
framework of the headstock of an ordinary self acting mule; 2 shews the main
driving shaft having mounted upon it a loose pulley 3, slow speed pulley 4, and fast
speed pulley 5. The strap fork is shewn at 6, attached to the upper end of lever 7,
whose fulcrum is at 8, such lever 7 carrying at its lower extremity a friction bowl 9
working in the groove of a cain 10,. to which is attached by screw an adjustable nose
or tappet 11 which is employed specially for the purpose of transferring the strap
from the slow speed pulley onto the fast speed pulley as hereinafter doescribed. Fig. 4
is detail of our improved cam, and Fig. 5 is end view thereof. The stud 8 also
carries one end of a lever arın 12, which lever arm 12, when the strap is on the
loose pulley, is held in a downward direction by the end of the stop or setting on
rod 13 as shown in Fig. 3.;. but. when the operator withdraws the stop rod 13 from
above lever arm 12 for the purpose of releasing, the said. lever, then. the lever, 7' is

page_text: drawn by spiral spring 14 into the position shewn in Fig. 1 whereby the strap is
transferred from the loose pulley onto the slow speed pulley 4, whereupon the twisting
operation of the mule commences, and the carriage, not shewn in the drawing, is
drawn out. 15 represents the twist plate mounted on a short shaft 16 supported in
suitable bearings 17 connected to the framework of the headstock, the said short
shaft 16 being driven by worm 18 and wheel 19, and toothed wheels 20 and pinion 21
fixed on the main driving shaft 2. On the back of the twist plate 15 is an adjustable
stud or small cam 22 which is employed for the purpose of determining at what point
of the outward traverse of the carriage the speed of the mule shall be accelerated so
as to put more twist into the yarn, and this is done by the said stund 22 when it comes
into contact with the upper end of the bell crank lever 23, which is thereby caused to
move or oscillate on its fulcrum 24 for the purpose of withdrawing the foot of the
said lever 23 from under the stud 2 projecting from the face of the space wheel 26,
mounted on and secured to the cam shaft 27, therefore on. the said space wheel being
released by the removal of the foot of lever 23 from the stud 25, the said space wheel
is caused to rotate by the pinion 28 in gear therewith, consequently the cam which is
fixed on shaft 27 is also partially rotated, and thereby transfers the friction bowl 9 on
the end of lever 7, from the hollow part a of the cam 10 (which is the position the
bowl occupies when the strap is on the slow speed pulley) to the extreme point of the
adjustable nose 11, thus moving the lever 7 from the position shewn in full line in
Fig. 1 to the position indicated by the dotted line b, in which case the strap would be
transferred right away from the slow speed pulley 4 to the fast speed pulley 5,
whereby the speed of the mule is accelerateil.
The space wheel 26 has another projection c on the face thereof, and after the space
wheel has partially rotated as just described, the second stud c is caught hold of by
another bell crank lever 29 which holds the said space wheel until another adjustable
stud 30 on the back of the twist wheel comes against the upper end of the said
lever, 29 moving it upon its fulcrum 24 and withdrawing its foot from under the
projecting stud whereby the space wheel is again allowed to rotate so as to cause the
cam 10 to transfer the friction bowl 9 from the adjustable nose onto the part d of
the said cam, thus operating the lever 7 so as to shift the strap from the fast speed
pulley onto the loose pulley, whereupon the mule proceeds in the ordinary manner.
After the parts have been operated as above described, the twist plate 15 is rotated
back into its original position so as to be ready for the next outward movement of the
carriage, and this is effected by means of the cam 31 which raises rod 32, the said
rod being connected to one end of the lever arm 33, hinged at 34, and carrying the
worm 18 and toothed wheel 20, consequently by the upward movement of rod 32,
the worm 18 will be raised out of gear with the worm wheel 19, allowing the dead
weight 35 to draw back the twist plate into its original position, these various
movements heing automatic in their action. The twist pinte 15 is provided with slots
as shewn in the drawings so that the operative can adjust the studs 22 and 30 to any
required position, so as to determine when, and which of, the bell crank levers 23
and 29 shall be operated for the purposes mentioned.
If the mule is required to run as a single speed nule, the parts for placing the
strap onto the double speed pulley can be easily disengaged so as to remain inoperative,
and this we effect by removing the adjustable nose 11 from the cam 10, and fastening
the two bell crank levers 23 and 29 together by means of a bolt passed through the
parte so that only the lever 29 is operated by the stud 22 on the twist wheel, the
other stud 30 being taken out of the way or removed from the twist plate. If it is
not required that the mule should be provided with the means for making it a single
or double speed mule as herein described, we may retain the combined cam (dispensing
with the nose thereon) together with the lever 7, and in place of the other mechanism
shewn and described, we may employ a lever 36, see Fig. 6, which catches hold of
projections on the space wheel 26 so that when the operative moves the stop rod 37
in the direction of the arrow a the space wheel will be released and allow the cam to
operate the lever 7 as already described, so as to move the 'strap from the slow speed
pulley onto the fast speed pulley, or vice versa.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
wo claim is―
Firstly. In mules, the combination therewith of the cam 10, levers 7 and 12, and
parts connected therewith for transferring the strap from the slow speed pulley to the
fast speed pulley.
Secondly. In mules, the combination therewith of cam 10, levers 7 and 12, space
wheel, 26, levers 23, operated by twist plate 15 in manner and for purposes described
and shewn in the drawings.
Thirdly. In mules, the combination therewith of lever 29 and twist plate 15 for
holding and releasing space wheel 26, allowing cam 10 to move strap from fast speed
pulley onto loose pulley as described.
Fourthly. The general combination and arrangement of parts substantially as herein
shewn and described for imparting to mules the combined self acting functions of a
single or a double speed mule.
n