Improvements in Self Acting Mules and Twiners.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1893-Accepted. 13th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self Acting Mules and Twiners.
We, ROBERT CLEGG, Foreman of Mule Department, and JOHN HOLT, Mule
Erector, both of Soho Iron Works, Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in self acting mules and twiners and the
chief object of our improvements is to insure the gradual and smooth depression of
the counterfaller at the end of the inward run of the mule carriage instead of the
sudden and abrupt movement imparted to the counterfaller when it is depressed by
means of a lever and fixed stop in the ordinary way.
We attain this object by an improved arrangement of mechanism, which in the
accompanying drawing is shown applied to a self acting mule.
In this drawing, which is a side sectional elevation of part of the mule carriage,-
a designates the mule carriage, b one of the spindles, c the counterfaller shaft
and c its sickle, & the faller-shaft and d¹ its sickle.
On the counterfaller shaft c we fit loosely an arm e, and also fix thereon a
curved arm or elbow lever f and connect the arm e to the lever by means of a
spring g, the tension of which can be adjusted by any suitable device for example,
as shown, by means of a screwed stud g' and a wing nut which bears upon the upper
part of the arm e. To the free end of the arm e is pivoted a rod h which passes
through and is guided by a bracket i secured to the mule carriage and to the lower
end of the rod h is secured adjustably a bracket with a curved foot which when
the mule carriage has almost completed its inward run comes upon and mounts an
incline k secured adjustably at k¹ to a bracket secured to the floor.
As the curved foot of the bracket j mounts the incline it lifts the rod h which at
the same time forces the arm e upward thereby extending the spring 9 which tends
to turn the counterfaller shaft c and so pull down the counterfaller sickle c¹
smoothly and gradually and thus place the counterfaller in such a position
relatively to the points of the spindles 6 that it allows the faller sickle d¹ to rise
smoothly to its position and thereby prevents snarls being wound on the spindle
blades.
We prefer to place the incline k upon the floor but-it-might be mounted on the
headstock of the mule in which case the end of the arm e or a bowl thereon would
mount the incline as the carriage approached the end of its inward run, the action
being the same as in the arrangement above described.
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 :-
1. The combination with an arm mounted loosely upon the counterfaller shaft
and connected by a spring to an arm fixed upon the same shaft, of an incline
acting either directly or through suitable connections upon the loose arm and
spring so as to depress the counterfaller at the end of the inward run of the mule
carriage and take the strain off the yarn smoothly and gradually substantially as
herein set forth.

page_text: 2. The combination and arrangement of parts substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 7th day of April 1892
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants.