Improvements in Spinning mules.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8 h Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 10th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spinning mules.
1 JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON of the Firm of John Hetherington and Sons of the
Vulcan Works, Pollard Street, Manchester in the t'ounty of Lancaster Machinists do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the parts which control the movements of the carriage
when drawing or running out and particularly to the parts which control the
action of the Mendoza lever which effects the engagement and disengagement of
the actuating gearing. The said lever tends by its own gravity alone or assisted
by a load or spring to keep the gearing engaged during the ordinary working of
the carriage but is free to rise and thereby to release the gearing in the event of
an unusual resistance to the movement of the carriage. To effect the starting
outward of, the carriage the lever is locked by a click latch which is moved
over to release the Mendoza lever after the carriage has moved a short distance.
This release is effected by the action of a lever which is raised, when the carriage
runs in and is dropped when the carriage is running out. The object of my
invention is to bring the said click latch under the control of parts which are
connected with the cam shaft so that when the said shaft is turned for oiling or
other purposes whilst the carriage is at rest the Mendoza lever shall be unlocked
and be free to rise risk of breakage of the parts being thereby avoided. I mount
a second latch controlling lever so that one end can be acted upon by the long
lever the other end being adapted to act upon the catch latch. When the long
lever is depressed at one end for the intaking change or by the turning of the
cam shaft whilst the carriage is at rest the said second controlling lever draws
over the catch latch so as to release the Mendoza lever. According to another
method I dispense with the said second controlling lever and I make the catch
latel in two parts hinged or connected together or adapted and arranged to be
capable of opening or yielding to the strain arising from the positive action of the
cam shaft. Such opening or yielding is resisted by a spring which has sufficient
power to enable the catch latch to hold down the Mendoza lever until the carriage
has fairly started outward.
Dated tnis 7th day of March 1890
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spinning-mules.
I JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON of the Firm of Jolin Hetherington and Sons of the
Vulcan Works, Pollard Street Manchester in the County of Lancaster Machinists
do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying drawings :-
27
:-
My invention relates to the parts which control the movements of the carriage
when drawing or running out and particularly to the parts which control the action
of the "Mendoza lever which effects the engagement and disengagement of the
actuating gearing. The said lever tends by its own gravity alone or assisted by a
load or spring to keep the gearing engaged during the ordinary, working of the
carriage but is free to rise and thereby to disengage the gearing in the event of an
unusual resistance to the movement of the carriage. To effect the starting outward

page_text: of the carriage the lever in some cases is locked by a "click latch" which is moved
over to release the Mendoza lever after the carriage has moved a short distance.
This release is effected by the action of a lever-which I will term the unlocking
lever which is raised when the carriage runs in and is dropped when the carriage
is running out. The object of my invention is to bring the said click latch under
the control of the cam shaft so that when the said shaft is turned for oiling or other
purposes whilst the carriage is at rest the Mendoza lever shall be unlocked and be
free to rise risk of breakage of the parts being thereby avoided. In one arrangement
I mount a second latch-controlling lever so that one end can be acted upon by the
long lever the other end being adapted to act upon the click latch. When the long
lever is depressed at the outer end for the intaking change or by the turning of the
cam shaft whilst the carriage is at rest the said second latch-controlling lover draws
over the click latch so as to release the Mendoza lever. According to another method!
dispense with the said second latel-controlling lever and I make the click lateli in
two parts hinged or connected together or adapted and arranged to be capable of
opening or yielding to the strain arising from the positive action of the cam shaft.
Such opening or yielding is resisted by a spring which has sufficient power to enable
the click latch to hold down the Mendoza lever until the carriage has fairly started
outward.
In order that the manner in which I carry my invention into practical effect may be
well understood I will describe my invention more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
In the said drawings
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of a mule headstock taken on a plane which
would be parallel with the line of movement of the carriage and Fig. 2 is a plan view
of certain parts which appear in Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate modifications in the construction of the click latch part of
the-apparatus.
In Fig. 1 parts of the mule which are not essential-to-the sufficient illustration of
my invention are omitted. In Fig. 1a is the Mendoza lever is the click latch
c-is-the-said-unlocking lever and d is the "long lever" these parts having been in
use prior to the date of my invention. The lever e turns upon a fulcrum at e-which
is also the centre of motion of the click latch-and the said lever is provided with a
finger which when the arm of the lever is not sustained bears upward against the
end of an adjustable screw b' which is carried by an arm which projects from the click
latch. During the commencement of the stretch or outward rim of the carriage the
long arm of the lever is sustained by a bowl upon the carriage as is usual but when
this bowl has passed away the said arm drops and the finger c throws over the click
latch so as to unlock or release the Mendoza lever.
The aforesaid second latch-controlling lever is represented by g g' and is mounted
upon a fulcrum at h. One arm g of this lever is brought over a finger 2 with which
I provide the clitch latch. The arm g¹ of the said lever is adapted to be acted upon
by a stud or projection d' which I fix upon the inner end of the long lever d that is
to say upon the end which is nearest to the fixed framing which carries the roller
stands and creels. In the example the outer end of the stud d' is provided with an
adjustable screw d. When the said inner end of the long lever rises so as to raise
the stud the end of the screw d raises the arm of the lever and thereby
depresses the arm g which by pressing downward upon the finger moves over
the click latch and thereby unlocks the Mendoza lever. The form of the lever gg
and the means for transmitting movement from the long lever to the said lever gg'
may be varied and also parts may be used in lieu of the last named lever for connecting
the long lever with the click latch as for example a rocking shaft provided with two
projecting lever arins might be used for the purpose the long lever acting upon one
of the arms the other arm acting upon the click latch. Such an arrangement is
indicated in Fig. 3 wherein i indicates a rocking shaft and two lever arins secured
thereto the arm taking the place of the arm g with relation to the finger 6 upon
the click latch. It will be seen that when the outer end of the arm would be raised

page_text: by the long lever d the outer end of the arm
would depress the finger 6 upon the
click latch and thereby unlock the Mendoza lever.
If considered to be advisable for any reason the unlocking action might be obtained
directly from the cam shaft instead of from the long lever as for example a cam or
wiper on such shaft might act to lift the end of the arm the said cam or wiper being
arranged to act in advance of the cam which lifts the Mendoza lever. In Figs. 4 and 5
the click latch is so constructed as to be capable of yielding when subjected to an
excessive strain so as to release the Mendoza lever. In both figs. the unlocking
lever g g fulfils the same object as in Figs. 1 and 2 the construction of the click
latch being alone altered. In Fig. 4 the click latch is composed of two principal
parts & and the latter part being fitted to slide up and down upon the part b. The
part is formed with a projecting catch which serves to hold down the pin or stud
which projects from the Mendoza lever and thereby to lock the said lever. A spring j
is applied so as to tend to draw downward the part 63. It is necessary that this spring
shall have sufficient power or resistance to enable the catch to hold down the
Mendoza lever until the carriage has fairly started outward as aforesaid but at the
same time the spring should yield and permit the Mendoza lever to rise in the event
of the cam shaft being allowed to make the change which would cause the Mendoza
lever to be lifted at a time when the lever arm c would be sustained in its higher
position. In Fig. 5 the catch is hinged at to the click latch and is provided with
an arm which is acted upon by a spring which fulfils a similar office to that of
the spring in Fig. 4.
Many other modifications may be made in the arrangement and construction of the
parts without departing from the nature and intent of this part of my invention and
so long as the catch or equivalent part which holds down the end of the Mendoza lever
is made capable of yielding or opening against the resistance of a spring to an
excessive or breaking strain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The employment of a lever or part acted upon by the long lever or cam shaft to
unlock the latch which holds down the Mendoza lever prior to the lifting of the
Mendoza lever by the cam shaft substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated.
2. The finger or projection & upon the click latch and lever g g¹ in its relation to
the said finger and to the long lever d substantially as and for the purpose set forth
and indicated.
3. In spinning mules the interposition of a part between the inner end of the long
lever and the click latch the said part being adapted to transmit motion from the long
lever when the said end thereof rises to the click latch so as to move the same to
unlock the Mendoza lever substantially as set forth and indicated.
4. The improvements or modifications in the construction and action of the click
latch as set forth with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings hereto.
5. Adapting the catch or part of the click latch which at timos holds down the end
of the Mendoza lever of a mule to be capable of yielding or opening against the
resistance of a spring having sufficient power to keep down the said lever end for a
time after the starting of the carriage outward substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and indicated.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.