CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN THE PREPARING AND SPINNING OF COTTON, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SMITII, of Deanston Works, in the Parish of Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twentieth day of February, in the fourth year of His
reign, and for Himself, His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto
me, the said James Smith, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Smith, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Smith, my exors, admors, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
USED IN THE PREPARING AND SPINNING OF COTTON, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES;" in which Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said James Smith, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Smith, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention of Certain

page_text: Improvements in Machinery used in the Preparing and Spinning of Cotton,
Flax, Wool, and other Fibrous Substances, to consist in the construction and
adaptation of certain arrangements of machinery to the spinning machine
called the mule, which arrangements and adaptation of machinery are also
applicable to the preparation machine known by the name of the stretcher,
and to mules used for doubling or twisting two or more threads or rovings
together for the purpose of rendering these machines self-acting or moro
independant of the attention required from the operative or spinner, together
with certain arrangements for the condensation of such machinery, so as to
occupy less room or space on the floor, and the more economical application of
the labor and attention required in superintending the same. The manner in
which the same is to be performed and carried into effect will be more easily
seen by reference to the annexed Drawings, in all which plans, elevations, and
sections of machinery letters and figures of reference are used, the same letters
and figures of reference deuoting similar parts throughout the whole of the
.Drawings.
But before I proceed to describe the annexed Drawings, I shall endeavor
to explain the nature of the various movements required in the machine called
the mule, for the purpose of rendering the application of my improvements for
effecting such movements better understood; and this explanation will render
it unnecessary to give any description of the movements of the stretcher, from
the great similarity of the two machines. The peculiar arrangements of any
particular machine may render it necessary to vary the position in which my
improvements are applied; but such variations, together with the various
speeds required, must depend on the nature of the machine to which my
improvements are applied, and are well known to spinners and persons con-
versant with spinning machinery; and although in the following Drawings I
have delineated the whole of my improvements as applied to a mulc of one
construction, any one or more separate movement may be applied to mules
already constructed; and the precise mode or manner of affecting such appli-
cation must also depend on the build of the mule or stretcher to which it is to
be applied. Considering the action of the drawing rollers and the rotation of
the spindles as common to all spinning machines, the mule may, over and
above those two movements, be conveniently divided into five movements;
first, the coming out of the carriage," which commences at the same time as
the delivery of the drawing rollers and the rotation of the spindles, and
terminates at the end of what is called "the stretch,"
or greatest distance
which the carriage is allowed to recede from the drawing rollers. At this point
the delivering rollers cease to move, while the spinning generally proceeds for

page_text: a short time. The second movement is the "backing off," which consists of
reversing the rotation of the spindles for the purpose of unwinding or removing
the spiral coils of yarn which arrange themselves on the bare part of the
spindle during the process of spinning, as shewn at a, a, a, Fig. 3, 4, and 5,
Sheet 2, which is generally done by the spinner reversing the rotation of the
rim or driving pulley by hand. The third movement is "putting down and
guiding the faller wire," which is also generally done by hand, and is for tho
purpose of depressing or carrying the ends of yarn or thread which have been
perfected or spun during the last stretch, or coming out of the carriage down
to the lower part of the spindles, and then, by its gradual elevation during the
subsequent going in of the carriage, distributing the yarn on the spindles in
the form of what is called a cop. The fourth movement or "winding on,"
proceeds during the going in of the carriage, and has generally been effected
by the spinner moving the rim carefully by hand at a speed to "wind on" or
place the yarn spun during the last stretch on the various circumferences of
the cop at a uniform tension. The fifth or last movement, or the "going in of
the carriage," proceeds at the same time as the "winding on," and also generally
depends on the operative in mules of the ordinary construction.
termination of the going in of the carriage, and the winding on, leaves
the carriage up at the front rollers, and the machine in a position to
recommence its operation in the succeeding stretch (always considering
the movements which govern the rotation of the spindles and the drawing
rollers to be arranged to start and end their respective motions at the periods
required, according to the nature of the spinning to be performed. It will be
remarked that of the five movements before described, four are dependant on
the spinner or operative in ordinary machines; and one object of my Invention
is, to render these movements independent of the spinners, and dependent on
the moving power which turns the machine.
The
In spinning yarn on machines of this description, it is generally "wound
on," or placed on the bare spindle in the form of what is called a cop, as
represented at its various stages towards completion at Figures 3, 4, and 5,
Sheet 2, the nature and construction of which I shall now proceed to describe,
for the purpose of rendering the movements for winding on or placing the
yarn in this peculiar form better understood. The commencement of building
a cop takes place at the neck of the spindle, a short way above the bearing, as
seen at Figure 3, Sheet 2, to which point the thread is forced by the faller
wire, as soon as the "backing off" or removal of the spirals a, a, a, is effected,
and the gradual elevation of the faller during the going in of the carriage
distributes the yarn over the surface of the top in successive conical layers at

page_text: every stretch or "winding on." The form of the successive layers vary at
every winding on until the cop arrives at the stage represented at Figure 4,
which is called the cop bottom, after which it consists of a succession of
conical layers, similar in every respect until the cop is completed, as indicated
by the oblique lines in Figure 5, Sheet 2, which represents a finished cop.
Having stated the nature of the various movements of the mule, together
with a description of the cop which it is designed to construct, I shall
proceed to describe, with reference to the annexed Drawings, the manner in
which effect these various movements, together with the condensation of the
machinery and means of economising the labour and attention of the opera-
tives or hands required to superintend the operation of the machine.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents an elevation, and Figure 2 a plan, of a pair of
mules arranged with the application of my improvements. In these Figures
A represents the fast and loose pullies for driving the machine in the
ordinary manner; and A, the drawing rollers. B represents the rim carrying
two straps b, which convey motion to the pulley band 'b, and thence to the
drum band pulley b, which is placed on the same shaft, and through the drum
band to the spindles, in the usual manner. But as in this arrangement the
same rim B drives both the mules, and the various movements being precisely
similar in cach, I shall only describe the right-hand gearing, which is lettered
in black. In this arrangement of mules the rim B does not stop, as is
generally the case while the carriage is going in; but the strap bis traversed
on to the loose pulley as soon as the spinning action is required to cease.
which is effected by the projection C from the carriage coming in contact and
forcing back the lever 'C, which carries back the horizontal rod C, and actuates
the strap guider 'C, which governs the position of the strap at the same
time that it tightens the break Q, which, pressing on the pulley R, stops the
motion of the drum band pulley.
In Figure 1, E represents the internal face of a mangle wheel which receives
motion from the pulley A through the bevels placed on the horizontal E,
which imparting motion to the spur wheel F and F, it is conveyed to the
pinione, see Figure 2, and thence to the mangle wheel E, which thereby
reciprocates or varies the direction of its rotation, as the pinion e vibrates from
the external to the internal circumference of teeth of which it is constructed.
Attached to the mangle wheel E, and partaking of the same motion, is the
spur wheel F, which, gearing into the rack F below, carries or traverses the
carriage D, on which the rack is fixed, back and forward at every revolution of
the mangle wheel E; and the speeds of the going out and coming in of the
carriage Dare regulated by the size and relative proportions of the internal

page_text: and external circumferences of the teeth of the mangle wheel E. Thus,
supposing the carriage to have arrived at the end of a stretch or greatest
distance from the front or delivering roller, and the spinning to have ceased,
the backing off will be the next movement required; but I do not perform
this by reversing the rotation of the spindles, as in ordinary mules, but by the
Patent movements invented by John Robertson, of Crofthead, Renfrewshire,
more particularly described in his Specification to his Patents, which consists
in elevating the horizontal wire d, d, see Figure 2, which, being below the
ends of yarn or thread, the whole length of the carriage D thereby draws off
the spiral coils at the point of the spindle, instead of unwinding or backing
them off in the usual manner. This movement I consider of great importance
towards simplifying the machinery for rendering the mule self acting; and
the particular way in which I bring the stripper into action will be more
clearly seen when the properties and nature of the mangle wheel E are further
explained. The motion or speed of which any mangle wheel revolves, supposing
the motion of the driving pinion to be uniformly the same, must depend on the
circumference on which the pinion acts; but any amount of distance between
the internal and external circumference on which the pinion travels will impart
motion or not to the mangle wheel, according as it may form or deviate from
a radius of the circle of which the mangle wheel consists. Thus, in the mangle
wheel used in the machine which I am describing (represented separate at Fi-
gure 6, Sheet 2), in which Figure the pinion is placed in the position at which
it arrives when the carriage is at the end of a stretch, and the pinion having to
travel down a portion of the radius from to f; the mangle wheel E remains
at rest during this period, which period of rest allows the time required for
stripping, or backing off and putting down the faller, which is effected before
the pinion e arrives at f, at which point it immediately commences, bringing in
the carriage at the increased speed due to the smaller circumference of the
mangle wheel in which the pinion acts. On the other hand, when the mangle
wheel has revolved to the position seen at Figure 7, and the pinion e is about
to travel from the internal to the external circumference of the mangle wheel.
the distance from if to f not being any part of a radius of the wheel E, the
wheel E does not remain at rest, but moves at a decreasing speed in the same
proportion as the pinion recedes from its centre. On referring to Figure 2, it
will be seen that the small shalf on which the mangle wheel pinion e is placed
is supported by two vibrating arms 7, 9, which move on the centre of the
shaft G, which carries the spur wheel F, so that the vibration of the armis g, g,
allow the traverse of the pinion e from the internal to the external circum-
ference of the mangle wheel E, at the same time that it keeps the spur wheels

page_text: F and F constantly in geer. To these vibrating arms 9, 9, which carry tho
mangle wheel pinion shaft, is attached the connecting rod II, the opposite
extremity of which carries the small lever h alternately in the direction
indicated by a dotted line at its extremity, so that every time the carriage is
at the end of a stretch, and the pinion e is travelled from the exterior to the
interior of the mangle wheel, the lever his carried in the direction of the bent
arrow at its extremity. This vibration of the arms 9, 9, which depends on the
position of the mangle wheel E, also regulates the period at which the drawing
rollers are put in motion by means of an oblique slot e², seen in plan,
Figure 2. which vibrates a perpendicular lever for the purpose of disconnecting
the conical friction clip or coupling e, through which motion is conveyed to
the front rollers by the spur wheels and . Thus at the end of a stretch the
vibrations of the arms g. 9, stop the drawing rollers by disconnecting the
coupling ; and when the carriage arrives in or up to the front rollers, the
reverse vibration of the same arms connect the coupling e', and puts the
drawing rollers in motion for the succeeding stretch. Returning again to
the carriage which I have supposed at the end of a stretch, or greatest distance
from the drawing rollers, it will be seen that the motion of the small lever h,
moving in the direction of the bent arrow, will come in contact with the end
of the spring ½ attached to the carriage, which, up to this period, had held the
upright rod h, as seen in the position of the opposite carriage at Figure 1.
The upper
end of this rod h is attached to a small lever on the same shaft as
the small arm which carries the stripper d, d. so that as soon as the rod h is
relieved, the stripper d, d, immediately rises up by the action of a spiral
spring h, best seen in Figure 1. At the same time that the spiral coils a, a, a,
Figure 3, Sheet 2, are thus stripped and relieved from the spindle (which is
no part of my Invention, but merely explained to render the other movements
better understood), the faller is put down by means of the same projecting
lever h, which in its vibration presses against the jointed rod i, i, which is
attached at its upper extremity to a small lever proceeding from the
faller shaft, so that when it is forced from the bent position, as shown at i, i, in
the carriage of the mule, which is near to the front rollers at Figure 1, to the
position as shewn at i, i, in the carriage of the opposite mule, it clevates the
small lever at its upper extremity, and depresses the faller. By the time the
stripper and the faller are thus brought into action, the mangle wheel e has
travelled from the position shewn at f, Figure 6, Sheet 2, to the interior
circle, and the carriage commences the inward traverse at the increased
speed due to the smaller circumference of the mangle wheel E during the
inward traverse of the carriage. The progressive elevation of the faller for

page_text: distributing the yarn on the various circumferences of the cop is effected by
the gradual rotation of the tappet or cam piece k, see Figure 1, on which the
small roller at the lower extremity of the upright rod i, i, is supported. This
cam or tappet k is fast on a small shaft, which is geered by spur wheels to the
shaft of the carriage wheel K, as seen at Figure 1; and the speed or proportion
of the geering is such as to cause the scroll to make one whole revolution
during the going in of the carriage; and although the return or coming out of
the carriage also elevates the lower extremity of the rod i, i, to its full extent,
the faller is not effected or depressed in consequence of the bent position of
the joint in the rod i, i, as shewn at Figure 1, in the carriage near the front
rollers. The rod i, i, is forced into this bent position by coming in contact
with the projection immediately on its arrival at the front rollers, which
allows the faller to be elevated to its original position by the spiral spring. The
motion gained from the carriage wheel K, for the purpose of revolving the tappet
k, is effected by the carriage wheels gearing into a rack formed in the straight
edge or rail on which the wheels are supported, which renders the revolution
The action of this pro-
of the wheels of the carriage more certainly correct.
jection in bending the rod i also allows the spiral spring , at the back
of the faller shaft, to elevate and remove the faller clear of the spindles pre-
paratory to the recommencement of spinning in the succeeding stretch. On
referring to Figures 3, 4, and 5, and from what has been already said of the
construction of a cop, it will be seen that the faller which at the commence-
ment carried the ends of yarn to the lowest part of the spindles, must decrease
in its depression at every winding on; so that, although the upward or dis-
tributing motion of the faller is the same at every going in of the carriage,
the position in which this motion takes place is gradually elevated as the cop
increases in size. This upward elevation of the distributing motion is effected
by the gradual rotation of the larger scroll or cam L, see Figure 1, on which
the small arm which carries the scroll k rests. On the same shaft which
carries the tappit L is placed a worm wheel which gears into a worm on a
small perpendicular shaft, as seen at Figure 1; and on the lower end of this
shaft is attached a ratchet wheel, one tooth of which is gathered at every going
in of the carriage, so that the total number of traverses required to form or com-
plete a set of cops revolves the tappit L once round, and gradually depresses
the tappet k, which supports the rod i, i, and thereby clevates the position of
the faller. The stripper, which had been forced up by the action of the coiled
spring h, is also replaced in its former position by means of the scroll or
tappet placed on the axis of the carriage wheel K; but, as soon as this

page_text: tappet has elevated the rod h for the purpose of depressing the stripper d, d,
the spring comes under a small stop placed on the side of the rod 'h, and
holds it free of the tappit k until it is again relieved at the end of the stretch
by the lever h, as already described. The winding on or placing the yarn in
successive layers on the surface of the cop at each putting up or going in of
the chrringe will be best seen by reference to Figure 1, where M represents
an upright shaft supported at the end of the carriage, and provided with pullies.
round which tho drum band 6 passes for the purpose of driving the spindles;
but, as soon as the spinning ceases by the traverse of the strap 6 on to the
loose pulley, and the carriage commences going in, the spindles are revolved
by means of the band n, n, which is attached to the small cylinder m placed
loose on the shaft M, and provided with a ratchet wheel, which is laid hold of
by one or more spring catches. which are attached to the under side of the
pulley 'M; so that, during the spinning, or when the drum band pully M is
in motion, it overruns the ratchet wheel or shaft m, which then becomes of no
effect, but as soon as the spinning ceases, and the carriage commences its
inward motion, the ratchet wheel laying hold of the catches, the band n, n,
being held by the weight N, the drum band pulley M' is caused to revolve,
and the winding on is thereby effected. This band n, n, is an endless band
passing round the carrying pullies placed at the two extremities of the
framing, but fastened to the small cylinder m below the pulley M'. Thus,
supposing the band n, n, free, it is clear that it would be carried in along with
the carriage, and no rotation of the spindle would be effected; but, on the
other hand, supposing it to be held stationary, a certain amount of revolutions
would be effected in the spindles, dependent on the length of the inward
traverse of the carriage and the circumference of the small cylinder mon
shaft M, round which the band m, n, is wound and fastened to. Now the
diameter of this small cylinder m is calculated and constructed to give the
spindles the amount of revolutions required to wind on at the commencement
of a set of cops, or when the spindles are bare; and the band is held by means
of a weight N at the extremity of another band, which passes over the pullies,
as seen in the Drawing, and is attached to the band 1, 2, at the opposite
extremity. As the cop increases in circumference, and the winding on or
number of revolutions of the spindles requires to decrease, this weight is
gradually elevated more and more, and it is by the aggregate tension or resis-
tance of the ends of the yarn that the amount of this weight must be regu-
lated; for, as the total revolution of the small cylinder winds on to the bare
spindle, less will be required to the increased circumference of the full cop;

page_text: and the traverse of the carriage, which causes the rotation, being always the
same, the surplus motion must be expended in winding up the weight N,
which, being balanced according to the number of ends and strength of yarn
to be wound on, always keeps the yarn at a proper and equal tension, during
the winding on, at every period of the cop building. The application of this
principle of winding on may also be attained by a friction, spring, or other
similar means; but I prefer the weight, as being more simple and easy of
adjustment. A rack and pinion, or other contrivance, may also be used
instead of the band and cylinder. The carriage baving arrived at the front
roller, the vibration of the mangle wheel pinion again connects the drawing
rollers, the strap 6 is traversed on the fast pulley 16, the spinning recommences,
and the weight N resumes its former position.
By the foregoing description it will be seen, that by the arrangement and
application of the mangle wheel, I am enabled to take in and out the carriage
at various speeds, to stop the carriage during the stripping and putting down
the faller, to put the drawing rollers in and out of geer, and to traverse the
lever h, by which both the faller and stripper are brought into action.
My next improvement in the mule and stretcher consists in the placing and
arranging the traverse of the two opposite carriages of a pair of mules or
stretchers, as shewn at Figure 1 and 2, Sheet 1, in which it will be remarked
that I cause both carriages to travel over the centre or half distance between
the two sets of drawing rollers, by which I am enabled to condense the space
required for the pair of mules to stand in; and, both of the mules being
driven from the same shaft, and at the same speed, it is only required that one
carriage should be at the front or delivering roller when the other carriage is
at or near the greatest distance or extremity of the stretch. The space
required for the machinery is not only much lessened, but, the passage or dis-
tance between the two carriages continually varying and moving along with
the traverse of the carriage, keeps the piccers or hands who attend to the mule
constantly up to their work, and their attention directed to the part where it
is most required.
Having described my Invention of Certain Improvements in Machinery used
in the Preparing and Spinning of Cotton, Flax, Wool, and other Fibrous Sub-
stance, I hereby declare that I do not claim any of the ordinary or well-known
machinery used in the mule or stretching frame; nor do I claim any of the
machinery or apparatus by which the invention of the stripper, which I use
in the place of backing off, is made applicable to my improved arrangements
for effecting other movements of the machine. But I do claim as my
Invention,―

page_text: Firstly, the application and adaptation of the mangle wheel or mangle rack
to the mule or stretcher for effecting certain successive movements, either
separately or in conjunction, in those machines as have been herein-before
described.
Secondly, I claim that arrangement of the carriages of a pair of mules or
stretching frames by which the traverse or stretch is caused to take place over
part of the same ground by both carriages, and thereby the space required for
the working of the pair of mules or stretching frames is greatly diminished,
along with the other advantages herein-before described.
And, thirdly, I claim as my Invention the application of a weight, spring,
or friction for balancing the tension of the ends or threads in winding on,
which, from the description herein-before given, it will be seen may, in like
manner, be effected by any equivalent power applied in the same way, to act
as a moveable and yielding counterpoise to the pull of the threads, by which
application the quantity of motion, and the force or power given or provided to
turn the spindles in winding on, becomes modified in its transmission to the
spindles in any requisite degree, the excess of given motion over and above
what is requisite to wind on the yarn or thread being expended in lifting or
moveing the yielding counterpoise, while the extreme power or force capable
of being transmitted or conducted through the apparatus, and on which power
or force the degree of tension of the winding on depends, is necessarily limited
by the actual weight or power of resistance of such counterpoise, which
counterpoise, it has been already shewn, admits of adjustment in any required
degree.
And these my improvements being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
new and never before used, I deliver this as a true and faithful Specification
of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by
the within-named James Smith,
in the presence of
JAMES (t..s.) SMITH.
-

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1834, the aforesaid James Smith came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twentieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-four