Improvement in Driving Gear of Mules for Spinning.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th May, 1892-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Driving Gear of Mules for Spinning.
COOPER KERSHAW, 381 Oldham Road Failsworth, in the County of Lancaster,
Mill Manager, LUKE RUSHWORTH, 218 Edge Lane, Droylsden, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, & ALFRED TAYLOR, 18 Ashton Road East, Failsworth in
the County of Lancaster, Salesman do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
It is well known that considerable damage is caused to belts or straps "which
are used to drive the rim shaft of a self actor mule" by the belt being moved from
the fast, to loose pulley & vice-versa each draw of the carriage. The edges of said
belt become worn & curl up by the constant rubbing against the strap fork or
guider, and the unequal stress on the belt, the edge of which has to transmit a
considerable amount of power, before the whole width of the belt gets on the fast
pulley.
"
Now this invention is designed to prevent, or reduce such wear & tear to a
minimum, and consists of a double friction pulley, "with plate centre, in place of
arms (hereinafter called the plate of friction) with two concentric slots in the
plate & keyed on the rim shaft, one side of the said friction pulley to act as
backing off friction, and the reverse side, to act as starting friction. In place of
the ordinary fast pulley we propose to use a pulley (hereinafter to be called the
driving pulley) one side of which is formed as a dish, to fit the starting friction,
before mentioned.
The said driving pulley, has a long sleve or boss, and is keyed loosely on the
sleve or boss, of a clutch box or disc (we prefer a disc) the said clutch box, or
disc is placed between the friction, & driving pulley.
On the face of the said disc, are two studs or pins, and are so placed, as to coincide
with the slots in the plate of the friction. The driving pulley, & the clutch box or
disc, may be moved lateraly, and independently of each other, by means of forks, or
similar appliance.
The action is as follows, when the mule, or carriage runs in to the beam, the
driving pulley is pressed against the friction pulley, by means of levers & springs,
or similar contrivance, thereby starting the rim shaft.
When the carriage has travelled a few inches from the beam, the clutch box,
or disc is placed in gear with the friction pulley, by other levers, springs, and the
like, and remains in gear, until the carriage reaches the out head when the said
clutch box, or disc, is released by the camb, carriage, or other means allowing the
mule to back off.
The mule may be driven by belts, ropes, or similar means, as only one pulley is
required.
Dated this 21st day of August 1891.
COOPER KERSHAW.
LUKE RUSHWORTH.
ALFRED TAYLOR.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Driving Gear of Mules for Spinning.
COOPER KERSHAW 381 Oldham Road Failsworth in the County of Lancaster,
Mill Manager LUKE RUSHWORTH 218 Edge Lane Droylsden in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, ALFRED TAYLOR 18 Ashton Road East Failsworth, in the
County of Lancaster Salesman 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 the following statement :-
It is well known that considerable damage is caused to belts or straps, "that
are used to drive the rim shaft of a self actor mule," by the said belt or strap
being moved from the fast to the loose pulley, and vice versa, each draw of the carriage.
The edges of the belt become worn, and curl up, by the constant rubbing against
the strap fork or guider, and the unequal stress on the belt, the edge of which has
to transmit a considerable amount of power before the whole width of the belt gets
on the fast pulley.
Now this invention is designed to prevent or reduce such wear and tear to a
minimum, and consists of a double friction pulley a driving pulley and a disc.
The friction pulley is keyed on the rim shaft, and has two beveled faces, one
face acts as driving friction (that nearest to the driving pulley) and the reverse
side acts as backing off friction. A circular plate may be attached to the arms of
the friction pulley, or the friction pulley may have a plate centre instead of arms,
The plate of
(we prefer plate attached) hereinafter called plate of friction.
friction has a number of holes or slots in it (preferably seven) equidistant from
each other and all one distance from the centre of pulley. The driving pulley
has a long sleve or boss with a grove near the end of sleve, to receive a fork or
similar contrivance to move it in a lateral direction. The said driving pulley is
not keyed to the rim shaft, but works freely upon it.
Underneath the rim of the driving pulley (that side nearest the friction pulley).
is formed as a dish to fit one side or bevelled face of friction pulley. In place of
arms we prefer to have a solid plate centre to the said driving pulley, hereinafter
called the plate of driving pulley.
In the plate of driving pulley are several holes (preferably three) equidistant
.from each other, and all one distance from the centre of the pulley & coinciding
with those in the plate of friction.
The disc has a sleve or boss and has a grove near the end of the sleve to receive
a fork, or similar contrivance to move it laterally, the said disc works upon the
sleve or boss of the driving pulley but is free to move laterally independently of
the driving pulley. The disc has the same number of holes in it as the driving
pulley (preferably three) & coincide with those in the plate of driving pulley.
In each hole in the disc is a pin or stud held in its place by means of a spring,
fixed on the plate of driving pulley or on the disc itself. The said pins or studs
project through both the disc and the plate of driving pulley thus connecting
them together consequently both rotate at the same speed.
The action is as follows. When the mule carriage runs from the outhead to
the beam, a little before or at the moment the said carriage reaches the beam, the
driving pulley is pressed against the friction pulley by means of leavers springs
and the like, connected to the carriage, camb, or other convenient part of the mule
thereby starting the rim shaft.
When the carriage has travelled a few inches from the beam the rim shaft
will have attained the speed of the driving pulley then the disc placed in gear
by other leavers springs and the like.
The driving pulley is shortly afterwards released, but the disc and pin remair
in gear until the carriage reaches the out head, when it is thrown out of gear by
the camb carriage or other contrivance thereby allowing the mule to back off.

page_text: This invention may be applied to right or left hand, driven mules, as it will work
in either direction equally well.
The dish of the backing off friction may be driven in the reverse direction to
the driving pulley by means of a seperate rope, as is now the case in the majority
of mules.
And in order that our present invention may be easily understood and readily
carried into practice, we will proceed to further describe same with reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section.
Fig. 2 is a front view showing disc and friction pulley.
a, is the rim shaft.
b, is the friction pulley.
C₂
is the plate of friction.
d, is the driving pulley.
e is the disc or clutch box.
fis the sleve or boss of disc.
9, are the flat springs to keep the pins or studs in place.
h, are the slots or holes in disc.
1, are the pins or studs.
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 we
claim is
1st. Less wear and tear in the belt or strap, the whole width of which is
always on the driving pulley consequently transmitting a maximum amount of
power.
2nd. Only one pulley being required, the strap fork or guider may be dispensed
with.
3rd. Less time wasted in starting from the beam, than is now the case, where
the strap has to travel from the loose to the fast pulley.
Dated this 4th day of May 1892.
COOPER KERSHAW.
ALFRED TAYLOR.
LUKE RUSHWORTH.