IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINES IN WHICH CLUTCH BOXES ARE USED
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Platt, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer, and John Hibbert, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the
same County, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES
FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
OTHER MACHINES IN WHICH CLUTCH BOXES ARE USED."
Sealed the 5th February 1856, and dated the 6th August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Platt and John
Hibbert at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 6th August 1855.
We, the said JOHN PLATT and JOHN HIBBERT, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINES IN WHICH CLUTCH
BOXES ARE USED," to be as follows:-
Our Invention refers to a method of connecting the driving power from
one part of the machine to another in such manner that it may be disengaged
when required, as in the cases of the running in and out of the carriages of
mules, and may be illustrated by that example. Thus, upon the "taking in
in".
or "scroll shaft" of a mule we mount loosely a bevil pinion, which is driven

page_text: by a fast ratchet wheel, through the medium of a click, mounted upon a boss
of the bevil. The click is kept in contact with the bevil when required to act
by means of a spring, and it is provided with an inclined projecting part, situate
over a disc formed upon a sliding boss embraced by a forked lever; this lever,
therefore, being caused to move, will convey the disc forward under the inclined
projection, thus raising the click and liberating the driving wheel, which may
then turn in either direction. This method of engaging and disengaging is
applicable to other machines of similar requirements.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Platt and John Hibbert in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
PLATT, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, and
JOHN HIBBERT, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the same County, Manager, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Platt and John Hibbert, Her especial license that we, the said
John Platt and John Hibbert, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as' we, the said John Platt and John Hibbert, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINES IN WHICH CLUTCH BOXES
ARE USED," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said John Platt
and John Hibbert, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Platt, do hereby declare the
nature of our said 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 (that is to say):-
Our Invention relates to a method of connecting the driving power from
one part of the machine to another in such manner that it may
be disengaged
when required, as in the case of the running in and out of the carriages of
mules. By that example we shall illustrate the same, referring to a Sheet
of Drawings accompanying this our Specification.
Fig. 1 represents a portion of a mule with the Invention applied; Fig. 2
is a section upon a larger scale, and shewing more particularly the improved
parts and Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2. The ordinary taking-in" or
"scroll shaft" is shewn at b, and the "long taking-in" shaft at a; upon the
latter of these is mounted loosely a bevil pinion c, capable of communicating
motion to the former by gearing, as shewn. Fast upon the shaft a is a ratchet
wheel d, situate within a recess e of the bevil c; and loose upon the said shaft
is a boss f, provided with a groove for the reception of a forked lever, by
which it may be slidden to and fro. To the pinion c is affixed a pin, upon
which a click h is mounted, pressed downward by a spring i into a tooth of
the ratchet wheel d. This click has a projecting arm k, formed as an inclined
plane, and extending over a flange 1 formed upon the boss f. The parts being
situate as above described, motion will be communicated to the shafts a, b,
simultaneously by means of the connexion established by the ratchet wheel d,
during which time the grooved boss f, being loose, is independent of the ratchet,
and the forked lever will not therefore be submitted to any strain. Upon the
time arriving for the disengagement of the shafts the forked lever is moved
by the ordinary means, so as to cause the flange to arrive in contact with the
inclined arm k, thereby turning the click h upon its centre pin and removing
it from the ratchet wheel d, which will consequently be no longer fast with the
pinion c. It is obvious that a return sliding motion of the boss f will allow
the several parts to resume the positions shewn in the Drawing.
We have above alluded to our Invention as applied to a particular part of
the mule, but it will be evident that it may also be adapted to other portions
thereof, as "the winding-on" and front roller catch boxes; its application also
to other machines in which clutch boxes are used will be obvious.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that we claim, as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent, and as applied to mules for spinning or other machines, as aforesaid,
the general arrangement and construction above described, particularly the use
of a ratchet and click, such click being placed in and out of gear by the sliding
of a loose and independent part, for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Platt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
JOHN PLATT. (L.S.)