IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We, JOHN. HODGKINSON, of 21, Brackenbury Road, Mule Overlooker, SAMUEL
BAMFORD, of 14, Christ Church Terrace, Cotton Mill Manager, and JOHN RANSON,
of Garden Walk, Ashton, Cashier, all in Preston, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR
SPINNING AND DOUBLING" to be as follows:-
f!
or
This invention of improvements in mules for spinning and doubling consists in
an arrangement of mechanisin designed to cause the backing-off chain to be
gradually and automatically tightened and at the same time proportionally or
correspondingly to tho gradually increasing length of the cop. We employ &
backing-off "snail" and a backing-off "star" or ratchet wheel with its "click
detont catch all mounted and arranged in the usual manner. In existing arrange-
ments the click is caused to actuate the star wheel by coining in contact with a
stud or projection occupying a stationary position; by this arrangement the taking
up or tightening of the backing-off chain is increased at each stretch of the mule
to an equal or uniform extent. According to our invention we mount the stud or
projection upon a vertical sliding bar carried upon one end of a centrally supported
rocking lever whose other end is connected to the copping lever above through the
medium of a jointed rod or bar. Thus the position of the copping lever will
determine the position of the sliding bar and its stud or projection; and it will be
obvious that, as the copping lever gradually assumes a lower position as the length
of the cop increases, the stud or projection below will be raised thereby causing the
click and star wheel to be moved forward at an increased extent at each succeeding
stretch of the mule and the backing-off snail to increase the amount of taking up
or tightening of the backing-off chain accordingly.`

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
We, JOHN HODGKINSON of 21 Brackenbury Road, Mule Overlooker, SAMUEL
BAMFORD, of 14 Christ Church Terraco, Cotton Mill Manager, and JOHN RANSON,
of Garden Walk, Ashton, Cashier, all in Preston, in the County of Lancaster do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR
SPINNING AND DOUBLING" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This Invention of improvements in mules for spinning and doubling consists in
an arrangement of mechanism designed to cause the backing-off chain to be
gradually and automatically tightened and at the same time proportionally or
correspondingly to the gradually increasing length of the cop.
We employ a
backing-off "snail" and a backing-off "star" or ratchet wheel with its "click"
or, detent catch all mounted and arranged in the usual manner.
In existing
arrangements the click is caused to actuate the star wheel by coming in contact
with a stud or projection occupying a stationary position; by this arrangement the
taking up or tightening of the backing-off chain is increased at each stretch of
the mule to an equal or uniform extent. According to our invention we mount the
stud or projection upon a vertical sliding bar carried upon one end of a centrally
supported rocking lover whose other end is connected to the copping lever above
through the medium of a jointed rod or bar. Thus the position of the copping
'lever will determine the position of the sliding bar and its stud or projection; and
it will be obvious that, as the copping lever gradually assumes a lower position as
the length of the cop increases, the stud or projection below will be raised thereby
causing the click and star wheel to be moved forward at an increased extent at
each succeeding stretch of the mule and the backing-off snail to increase the
amount of taking up or tightening of the backing-off chain accordingly.
In the accompanying Drawings (in which the same letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in the several figures) Figs. 1 and 2. are respectively side and
end views shewing the application of our invention to an ordinary arrangement of
spinning mule apparatus.
a is the backing-off snail, a¹ the snail-plate, b the backing-off star-wheel, c the
click or catch mounted on the arm or pivot d (fastened to the snail plate a¹),
and e the backing-off chain. f is the vertical sliding bar in the form of a flat plate
carrying the stud or projection g which comes in contact with the click arm d.
h is a rocking lever supported on the fulcrum or axis i actuated by the copping
lever (also known as the "trail" lever) k through the medium of the jointed
connecting rod j. is the builder bowl and the connecting rod; is preferably
jointed at its upper end upon the extremity of the builder bowl stud m. n is the
builder rail upon whose upper edge the builder bowl & carrying the copping lever k
traverses from end to end the builder rail n assuming a lower position as the
building of the cop proceeds by the side movement of the diagonally shaped
copping plate o as shewn in dotted lines.
Fig. 3 shows a modification of the arrangement above described in which tho
sliding bar ƒ is a round rod having fastened upon it the stud or projection g—
a guide bearer ŉ supporting the unner end of the bar f

page_text: Fig. 4 shews a further modification in which the rocking lover h is dispensed
with, the connecting rod in this instance being on the opposite side of the snail
shaft to that shewn in the preceding figures and acting also as the sliding bar f
carrying the stud or projection g.
In the different makes or patterns of spinning and doubling mules the position
of the snail relatively to the copping or trail lever and builder mechanism varies,
that is to say-in some cases the snail is placed above the builder mechanism
instead of below it as in the arrangement hereinbefore referred to.
Where the snail is above the builder the builder rail n is usually of greater
length (see Figs. 5 and 7) than the rail in mules in which the snail is arranged
below it (as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4). The same rising and falling action of
the builder rail and with it the copping or trail lever takes place, however, in both
arrangements. Figs. 5 and 6 (being respectively side and back views) illustrate
our invention as applied to mules having long builder rails, the rail rising and
falling by the movement of the shaper or copping plates oo in the usual manner.
A rocking lever h is mounted or fulcrummed on a bracket r secured to the mule
carriage pand actuates the sliding bar f through the medium of the radius bar q as
shewn in Fig. 6.
In some makes of mules it is impracticable to conveniently arrange the sliding
bar in a vertical position as shewn in the preceding figures. Fig. 7 shews an
arrangement in which the bar ƒ slides horizontally, being connected with the
copping or trail lever k through the medium of the rocking lever h.
Other arrangements of lever mechanism may obviously be employed to suit
varying circumstances whereby the rising and falling of the copping or trail lever
may be utilised to effect the gradual movement of the stud or projection_g. in its
relation to the click arm & and the snail plate a' without departing from the
distinctive character of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. In mules for spinning and doubling the use or employment of apparatus in
which the copping lever as it rises and falls imparts movement to the stud or
projection against which the star click comes in contact so as to cause the backing-
off chain to be tightened to an increased extent at each succeeding stretch of the
mule substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
2. The use or employment of a rod or its equivalent connected to the copping
lever for the purpose of operating the stud or projection g substantially as described
and shewn in the drawings for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination of parts constituting the improved apparatus for imparting
movement to the stud or projection g constructed, arranged, and operating sub-
stantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 12th day of January 1885,
JOHN HODGKINSON.
SAMUEL BAMFORD.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Applicants' Agent.
Witness,
YATES W. BOOTH,
Patent Agent,
30, Guildhall Street, Preston.