IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Lakin, of Ardwick, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, and John Wain, of the City of Manchester, in the
said County, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING
TUT
LETTERS PATENT to Robert Lakin, of Ardwick, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, and John Wain, of the City of Manchester, in the
said County, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINNING
Muses AND VIHER
HER MACHINES OF THAT CLASS USED FOR SPINNING COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Scaled the 25th February 1859, and dated the 14th September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Lakin and
John Wain at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 14th September 1858.
We, ROBERT LAKIN, of Ardwick, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, and
JOHN WAIN, of the City of Manchester, in the said County, Mechanic, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SPINNING MULES AND OTHER MACHINES OF THAT CLASS USED FOR SPINNING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in the said machines consist, first, in an improved mode
of causing the driving strap to be partially traversed on to the fast pulley, at
the time when the friction cones used for backing off are taken out of contact
with each other, and of regulating the time of the strap remaining on the
fast pulley.
Secondly, in an improved apparatus for varying the speed of the backing off.
We attach to the driving friction cone of the backing off motion, two con-
centric spur wheels of different diameters, either of which, as required, is

page_text: driven by one of two pinions of inversely corresponding differences in diameter,
so that as the larger wheel is driven by the smaller pinion, or the smaller
wheel by the larger pinion, the speed is varied accordingly.
Thirdly, in attaching a cam to the faller shaft to act on one end of a lever
connected to the counter faller finger, so as to regulate the motion given from
the counter faller for governing the winding on.
Fourthly, in the application of a spring or weight to the pulley on which the
cord or strap for regulating the winding on moves for the purpose of keeping
the cord or strap at an uniform tension.
Fifthly, in an improvement in the self-acting mules, known as "Roberts's
mules," so that during the outward run of the carriage the driving strap may
be traversed from being partially on the fast and partially on the loose pulley,
to be on the loose pulley only without the intervention of the cam shaft
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Lakin and John Wain in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
LAKIN, of Ardwick, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, and JOHN WAIN,
of the City of Manchester, in the said County, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Robert Lakin and John Wain, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her especial license that we, the said Robert Lakin and John Wain, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert
Lakin and John Wain, our executors, administrators, or 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
SPINNING MULES AND OTHER MACHINES OF THAT CLASS USED FOR SPINNING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition, amongst others, that we,
the said Robert Lakin and John Wain, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the same was
to be performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or

page_text: under the hand and seal of one of us, 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,
:
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said condition, we, the said
Robert Lakin and John Wain, do hereby declare that the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and description,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings on one Sheet. The 'scale
to which the several Figures are drawn is stated on the Drawings.
'
Our improvements in spinning mules and other such machines as aforesaid,
consist, first, in an improved mode or means of causing the driving strap to be
partially traversed on to the fast pulley at the time when the friction cones
used for backing off are taken out of contact with each other, and of regulating
the time of the strap remaining on the fast pulley.
Secondly, in an improved apparatus for varying the speed of the backing off.
We attach to the driving friction cone of the backing off motion, two concentric
spur wheels of different diameters, either of which as required is driven by one
of two pinions of inversely corresponding differences in diameter; so that as the
larger wheel is driven by the smaller pinion, or the smaller wheel by the larger
pinion, the speed is varied accordingly.
. Thirdly, in attaching a cam to the faller shaft to act on one end of a lever
connected to the counter faller finger, so as to regulate the motion given from
the counter faller for governing the winding on.
Fourthly, in the application of a spring or weight [to' the pulley on which
the cord or strap for regulating the winding on moves for the purpose of
keeping the cord or strap at an uniform tension.
And, fifthly, in an improvement in the self-acting mules, known as "Roberts's
mules," so that during the outward run of the carriage, the driving strap may'
be traversed from being partially on the fast and partially on the loose pulley,
to be on the loose pulley only, without the intervention of the cam shaft. In
describing the first, second, third, and fourth of our said improvements, we'
shall explain and illustrato them as applied to the class of spinning mules
known as "Lakin and Rhodes's," and for which Robert Lakin and William
Henry Rhodes obtained several Letters Patent, dated respectively the Twelfth
day of October, One thousand'eight hundred and forty-nine, and the First day
of October, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two. They may, however,
be applied to other such mules and machines as aforesaid, the requisite áltera-
tions in which will readily occur to any mechanic conversant with such¹
machines

page_text: The first of our said improvements is shewn in Figure 1 of the Drawings,
which is an elevation of so much of a mule as is requisite for the explanation
of this improvement. This Figure is supposed to be taken as the carriage has
just commenced its inward run. To the lower part of the ordinary strap lever
A, which turns on the centre. h, is attached the lever A'. The fixing B is
bolted to the floor. On a stud in this fixing is mounted the cranked lever B'.
The connecting rod A2 is at one end bolted to the lower part of the lever A'.
On the other end is formed a screw on which the slotted nut a screws, for the
purpose of adjusting the effective length of the rod A. A stud fixed in the
upper part of the nearer arm of the lever B' passes through the slot of the nut
a. This slot enables the rod A2 to be partially moved lengthways without
motion being thereby given to the lever B. The sector B is, by means of
the rod B, connected to the lever fast on the shaft c'. The action of these
parts (sector, rod, and lever) was described in the Specification of an Invention
of "Improvements in Machinery for Preparing and Spinning Cotton and other
Fibrous Substances," for which Letters Patent were granted to Matthew Curtis
and the said John Wain, dated the Eleventh day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five. On the shaft is fastened the lever C, having
bowl on its lower end, which acts on the lower arm of the lever B. The
spring A is at one end attached to the fixing A' on the frame side of the
machine, and at the other to the strap lever A on which its acts, and constantly
tends, when permitted, to cause that lever to traverse the strap from off the
fast pulley D on to the loose pulley E, as is well known and practised.
i
Having described the various parts, we will now proceed to explain their
action.
Previously to the carriage commencing its outward run, the strap lever A
is moved, so as to cause the strap to be almost wholly on the fast pulley D,
the lever A', and the rod A² attached to it, being consequently moved in the
direction indicated by the arrow. This motion of the rod A2 allows the
end of the lever B' to descend, which it does by its own weight, until it rests
on the floor, but the rod is still moved on after the lever has reached the floor,
the stud in the lever passing up the slot in the nut a. The sector B, and the
levers and C are also at and during the coming out of the carriage in the
position indicated by dotted lines. At the completion of the outward run, and
when the strap has been, by the usual and well-known means, traversed
wholly on to the loose pulley, the strap lever is moved; and with it the lever A
and rod A in the contrary direction to that indicated by the arrow, when
the end of the slotted part or loop of the nut a acting on the stud in the
lever B', pulls that end of the lever to which it is attached with it, and raises

page_text: the end x into the position indicated by dotted lines, ready to be acted on by;
the bowl at the end of the lever C. When the backing-off takes place, the:
sector B2 is raised, and when raised sufficiently high to pass over the bowl B',:
it is drawn by a spring into the position shewn' in full lines in the Drawing
and by means of the rod B³ and lever c', the shaft c' is partially turned round,
and with it the lever C simultaneously, with which the friction cones used for
backing off are taken out of contact, all of which is performed by the usual:
and well-known means. When the lever C is partially turned with the
shaft c, the bowl at its end bears on the end × of the lever B', which it
depresses into the position shewn in full lines in the Drawing. The lower
arm of the lever B' being depressed, the upper part is drawn in the direction
of the arrow, and with it the rod A2 and the lever A¹, which causes the strap,
lever A to traverse the driving strap from being wholly on the loose pulley E,
to be partly on it and partly on the fast pulley D. The extent to which
the strap is traversed on to the fast pulley must be proportioned to the amount
of assistance it is intended that the fast pulley shall give to aid the winding-on
motion in giving motion to the spindles. This can be varied by adjusting the.
nut a on the end of the rod A2, so as to cause it to act more or less on the
lever B', as it will be evident that the higher the end of this lever is raised,
the sooner the bowl at the end of the lever C will act upon it, and more
motion will be communicated to the rod and the strap lever, and on the
contrary, the less the end X is raised, the less the bowl will act on it, and,
consequently, less motion will be given to the strap; or, it may be varied by
passing the bolt which connects the rod A² with the lever A', through a
'different one of the holes made for that purpose, of which there are several (as
shewn in the Figure. The length of time the strap is so kept partly on the
fast and partly on the loose pulley, depends on the length of time the bowl at
the end of the lever C acts on the lever B', for, as soon as the bowl has
passed over the part of the lever on which it bears, the spring A³ acting on
the strap lever, causes it to traverse the strap on to the loose pulley.. Thus,
by varying the length of the part of the lever B' on which the bowl'acts, the
period of time the strap remains partly on the fast pulley can be regulated.:
And we declare, in reference to this first of our improvements, that we claim
as of our Invention, the combination and arrangement of apparatus herein-
before described, as the means whereby the driving strap is caused to be
partially traversed on to the fast pulley at the time when the friction cones
used for backing off are taken out of contact with each other, and whereby
the time of the strap remaining on the fast pulley is regulated.
The second of our said improvements will be seen in Figure 2, where the

page_text: driving friction cone of the backing off motion is marked F, to which are
attached the spur wheels F and F. On the shaft G are the spur pinions G
and G. These pinions may either be keyed on the shaft, and capable of being
slided sideways on it, so that either one may be put in geer with the spur wheel
it is intended to drive, the other pinion being moved so as not to be in geer;
or they may be made as shewn in the Drawing, where there is no key on the
shaft, and the pinions remain constantly in geer with their respective wheels
In this case, that pinion which is intended to drive one of the spur wheels is
fastened to the shaft by a pin or bolt passed through corresponding holes in
the boss of the pinion and the shaft. The pinion, so fastened, will be carried
round with the shaft, and communicate motion to the wheel with which it
geers, whilst the other pinion being loose on the shaft, will be driven round by
the spur wheel with which it geers, it will be evident that the speed of the
backing off cones will be increased or diminished as the larger or the smaller
pinion is made the driver. In the machines as heretofore constructed, one
spur wheel only has been attached to the driving friction cone, and driven by
one constant pinion.
We claim, as constituting this second part of our improvements, the
attaching to the said friction cone two concentric spur wheels of different
diameters, either of which, as required, is driven by one of two pinions of
inversely corresponding differences in diameter, so that the speed may be
varied accordingly, as aforesaid.
The third of our said improvements is shewn in Figure 3, which is an
elevation of such parts of a mule as are requisite for the explanation of the
same improvement. In this Figure the faller shaft is marked n, and the counter
faller shaft c. On the faller shaft is fastened the cam n', and the finger n³,
and on the counter faller shaft is fastened the finger e¹. A sectional view of
the cam is shown in Figure 3. The lever e², shewn partly in dotted lines, is
mounted on a stud fixed in the carriage end J. The link is formed of two
pieces, the upper piece being, by means of a screw, formed on its lower end,
connected with the lower piece, which is a nut, formed with a looped or slotted
part. This link (the length of which may be adjusted by means of the screw
and nut, connects the finger e¹ and the lever e as shewn in the Drawing. On
a stud fixed in the lever is mounted the lever et (shewn partly in dotted
lines, having at one end a bowl e, which is supported by the bevilled pro-
jection or incline of the cam n¹; near the other end of the lever e is a small
stud, which passes under the lever e², against which it bears when from any
cause the support of the cam n' is withdrawn from the bowl e', and when
without which stud the lever would fall. The lever H is at one end supported

page_text: by a stud attached to the carriage end, at the other end it is weighted, and is
supported by the rod H', which rod at its upper end is held by the lever '.
On the lower side of the lever H is the break piece × ×; which, when
required, is caused to act on the break, pulley H2. The lever Hand break
pulley H are one of the many well-known contrivances by the intervention
of which the tension of the threads on the counter faller wire is made to
regulate the winding-on speed of the spindles, and forms no part of our
Invention. The lever, as commonly employed, is supported in the loop' or
doubling of a chain passing under a pulley on the end of the lever, and one
end of which chain is attached to the counter faller finger e¹, and the other to
the faller finger n². The disadvantage of this plan is, that as the finger n³ is
depressed less and less at each successive stretch, the part of the chain
dependent from it is gradually raised at each successive stretch, consequently,
the finger e, with the portion of cbain dependent from it has to be depressed
to a greater extent to compensate for the less depression of the finger n², so
that the end of the lever H may sink sufficiently to allow the break XX, to
bear upon the break pulley H². This uniform increase of the distance
the finger e¹ has to be depressed is an objection which we remove by the
application of the cam n' and the lever e', the action of which we will
now describe. The carriage is represented in the Drawing at the time
it is going inwards, and when the winding-on is near the bottom of the
cop, and when the counter faller has been sufficiently depressed to allow
the break to bear upon the break pulley, at this time the point of the
incline of the cam n is just under the bowl e. As the formation of the
cop proceeds, the finger on the shaft n is, as before stated, depressed less
and less each successive stretch, and as the cam n¹ is also fast on the same
shaft, the point of the incline will of necessity pass further under the bowl.
If the incline of the cam n' is great, then the bowl will be raised proportionably
more, but if it is small, then, as it passes under the bowl, the latter will be
raised proportionably less. It will thus be seen that. by varying the form of
the cam, the amount of elevation it will communicate to the lever can be
varied at pleasure, and that if it was made circular, the bowl on the lever
would, throughout the formation of the entire cop, be kept at the same height.
From the foregoing it will be seen that instead of the action of the lever H
being regulated entirely by the fingers connected to the fallers as heretofore, it
is now regulated by the counter faller in conjunction with the cam and tho
lever e*.
And we declare, in reference to this third of our improvements that we
claim as of our Invention: the application of the cam attached to the

page_text: faller shaft, and acting on a lever connected to the counter faller finger so as
to communicate the motion given to the counter faller by the tension of the
threads when winding on the spindles to the break lever II, at such times and
to such extent as may be required.
The fourth of our said improvements is shown in Figures 2 and 4,
where L is the endless cord or strap usually employed for regulating the
winding on. On a stud in the fixing M is mounted the lever M', having on
its lower arm a weight tending to draw the upper arm of the lever in the
direction of the arrow. On a stud in the upper arm of the lever is the carrier
pulley M, round which the cord L passes. The weight on the lower arm of
the lever must be sufficiently heavy to cause the pulley on its upper arm to
keep the cord tight and. at as near one uniform state of tension as can be,
which, as is well known, is essential to ensure good winding. Instead of apply-
ing a weight to the lower arm of the lever a spring may be applied, fastened
at one end to that arm, and at the other to any suitable fixed point.
In reference to this fourth of our improvements, we claim as of our Invention
the application of a weight or spring to the pulley on which the cord or strap
for regulating the winding on moves, for the purpose of keeping such cord or
strap at an uniform tension.
The fifth and last of our said improvements is shewn in Figure 5, which is
an elevation of so much of a spinning mule as is requisite to explain the same,
and is supposed to be made during the outward run of the carriage; the mule
is of the class known as Roberts's mules. The strap lever N is mounted on
a stud m in the fixing N, attached to the frame side of the mule. The
rod N at one end is attached to the lower part of the strap lever, and near the
other cnd it is supported by the fixing N³ fastened to the frame side. The
fixing is cranked or returned at an angle, and has a slot in the return part
through which the rod passes. The rod at this end is curved, and has a notched
part at i, which, when in the position shewn in the Drawing, rests against the
fixing, which keeps it there until it is raised by the studs on the fixing O,
attached to the carriage square O₁%; P is the cam shaft; 1" the cam which
acts on the strap lever; R, the fast pulley; S, the loose pulley; and T the
spring which acts on the strap lever. In mules of this class as hitherto con-
structed, at the completion of the inward run of the carriage, the cam shaft is
partially turned, and with it the cam P", which is so formed, that by acting on
the stud on the strap lever, that lever is moved, and causes the strap to be
traversed so as to be for the most part on the fast pulley, instead of being
wholly on the loose one. The cam is also so formed as to keep the strap lever
in that position so long as the spindles require motion given to them for tho

page_text: purpose of twisting the yarn, after which the cam shaft again receives motion,
and the cam is so formed as to allow the spring T to act on the strap lever,
and cause it to traverse the strap so as to be wholly on the loose pulley.. In
our present improvement we cut away that part of the cam which ordinarily
keeps the strap lever in the position to cause the strap to be kept for the
most part on the fast pulley, as well as the portion which, when the cam is
moved, allows the strap to be traversed on to the loose pulley, and the strap
lever is held in the required position to hold the strap on the fast pulley by the
notched part i of the rod N2, which, resting against the fixing N³, as shewn in
the Drawing, prevents the spring T from moving the strap lever until the
notched part is raised high enough to clear the fixing, which it is by the studs,
as herein-after explained. Detached views of the cam as altered by us are
given in Figure 6.
of it acts on the
We will now proceed to describe the action of our improved apparatus,
commencing as before at the completion of the inward run of the carriage.
The cam P', as before stated, acting on the stud q in the strap lever, moves
it, and causes the strap to be traversed, so as to be for the most part on the
fast pulley. As the strap lever is so moved, the lower part
rod N2, and forces it outwards in the direction of the arrow. The fixing N³ is
so placed, that by the time the strap lever is sufficiently moved to traverse the
strap to the required position on the fast pulley it will allow the curved end of
the rod N to drop, and cause the notched part i to rest against the fixing, and
thereby prevent the spring T from traversing the strap back on to the loose
pulley, which it otherwise would do, as the cam as formed by us ceases to act
on the stud, that part which in the cam as hitherto formed would have
continued to bear against the stud, being, as before stated, cut away in the
cam as formed by us. The curved end of the rod N² is raised by the stud s,
which, as the carriage moves outward, comes in contact with it, and lifts it
sufficiently to raise the notched part i above the part of the fixing N³, against
which it previously rested. The rod being now at liberty, the spring T acts
on the strap lever, and causes it to traverse the strap on to the loose pulley;
the time at which the rod is liberated depends on the time the stud sis
caused to act on the curved part of the lever. This can be varied either by
placing the stud nearer to or farther from the curved part than is shewn in
the Drawing, or by shortening the rod and bringing the curved part nearer
to the stud.
And in reference to this fifth and last of our improvements, we declare that we
claim as of our Invention (in application to the class of spinning mules known
as Roberts's) the improved cam P¹, together with the rod N³, by which in

page_text: connection with the other parts described, the driving strap may, during tho
outward run of the carriage, be traversed, from being partially on the fast and
partially on the loose pulley, to be on the loose pulley, without the intervention
of the cam shaft.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, the
Eleventh day of March, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said
Robert Lakin and John Wain, in
the presence of
CHARLES ASTON, Attorney,
Manchester.
JOHN WAIN.
(L.B.)