Improvements in Self-acting Mules and Twiners.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st Jan., 1890-Accepted, 7th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-acting Mules and Twiners.
I, JOHN BUCKLEY, of Queen Street Iron Works, Staley bridge, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in self-acting mules and twiners and the
object of my invention is to improve the driving mechanism of the intermediate
shaft with the backing off and taking in motions and the upright shaft.
In one arrangement I effect this object by securing a double grooved rope pulley
to the intermediate shaft and in order to tighten and adjust the length of the rope
1 attach to the mule frame a bracket arranged to carry an adjustable slide on which
is mounted a double grooved carrier pulley a separate bracket either fast or free to
be adjusted is also carried by the fixed bracket for a second double grooved carrier
pulley.
A convenient means for adjusting the position of the first pulley and its slide is
to make ratchet teeth on the fixed bracket in which a pawl pivoted to the slide
engages; a rack and pinion being applied for moving the slide along the bracket
when necessary to adjust it. When a double driving rope is employed the rope or
band passes from the counter shaft under the first carrier pulley round the pulley.
on the intermediate shaft back to the second carrier pulley then round the counter
shaft pulley again to the first carrier pulley and round the intermediate shaft pulley
to the second carrier pulley back to the counter shaft pulley.
For a single rope single grooved pulleys only would be necessary.
As an alternative I may secure the grooved pulley on the upright shaft in place
of on the intermediate shaft the same arrangement of bracket and carrier pulleys
being employed and I propose to drive the intermediate shaft by bevel wheels from
the upright shaft.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-acting Mules and Twiners.
I, JOHN BUCKLEY, of Queen Street Iron Works, Staleybridge, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Maker, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in self-acting mules and twiners and the
object of my invention is to improve the driving mechanism of the intermediate
shaft with the backing off and taking in motions and the upright shaft.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying two sheets of drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a view of part of the headstock of a self-acting mule illustrating an
arrangement of mechanism according to my invention for driving the intermediate
shaft.
Figs. 2 and 3 are views on a larger scale of the bracket carrying grooved pulleys.
Fig. 4 illustrates a similar arrangement of driving mechanism applied to a
twiner.
In Figure 1. a designates the countershaft from which the rim shaft 6 is driven
as usual by a belt c. Upon the shaft a is fixed a double grooved pulley a¹ and

page_text: upon the intermediate shaft d is fixed a similar pulley d. To the frame e of
the headstock is secured a bracket, see the detail views Figs. 2 and 3, which is
formed with ratchet teeth f' on the upper and rack teeth on the lower edge
and on this bracket are mounted two double grooved pulleys g and h respectively.
Either or both pulleys 9 and 1 may be adjustable, but in this case only the pulley g
is adjustable, the said pulley being carried in a slide or bridle i which is capable of
being moved toward or from the intermediate shaft d as required by turning a
pinion which engages the rack teeth ; a catch k is employed to engage the
ratchet teeth and retain the slide with the pulley y in the desired position.
The double driving rope passes as shown from the pulley a¹ under the non-
adjustable pulley to the pulley d' on the intermediate shaft and back over the
adjustable pulley g to the pulley a¹ so that any slack in the rope can be taken up
by adjusting the position of the tension pulley 9 as described.
У
In Fig. 1 the pulley is shown placed above and in the detail views Figs. 2 and 3
below the bracket but it is immaterial which position is adopted.
For a treble driving rope the pulleys a' and 'y would have three grooves but the
other pulleys d and would only require two grooves.
For a single driving rope single grooved pulleys only would be necessary but the
pulleys a¹ and g might be double grooved if desired.
The upright shaft m is in this arrangement driven by bevel gears from the
intermediate shaft d as usual. As an alternative I might secure the grooved
pulley d¹ on the upright shaft m and drive the intermediate shaft d by bevel gears
from the upright shaft.
In the arrangement applicable for twiners illustrated by Figure 4 a is the
countershaft and a' the double grooved pulley fixed thereon, d the intermediate
shaft and d¹ the grooved pulley fixed thereon. The driving rope in this case
passes from the pulley a' under a guide pulley n round the pulley d' under a grooved
pulley o mounted loosely on a stud p which is secured in a slotted rail g fulcrumed
at q to the bracket f; thence the rope passes round the pulley a' and back to a
second pulley o on the same stud p and completing the circuit by returning over the
pulley a. The two pulleys o which run in opposite directions can be adjusted to
regulate the tension on the driving rope by first slackening a nut on the stud p,
taking the catch k out of the ratchet teeth on the bracket and slackening a lever
nut which is employed to lock the rail y in its proper position; after this has been
done the stud p with its pulleys o can be moved to take up the slack or regulate
the tension on the driving rope and the parts can then be re-secured in their
respective positions.
Treble grooved pulleys may be employed in which case there would be three
pulleys o on the stud p one running in the opposite direction to the other two.
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 I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement of mechanism for driving the intermediate shaft with the
backing off and taking in motions and the upright shaft of a self-acting mule said
arrangement consisting of the grooved pulleys a¹ and d' in combination with the
grooved guide pulleys 9 and one or both of which is capable of adjustment for the
purpose of regulating the tension on the driving rope all substantially as and for
the purposes described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
2. The combined arrangement of parts constituting the improved driving
mechanism for twiners substantially as and for the purposes described and as
illustrated by Fig. 4.
011
1000
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent.