IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1853

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Kerfoot at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th September 1858.
I, JOHN KERFOOT, of Lower Darwen, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES'
to be as follows:-
My improvements in machinery for spinning cotton or other fibrous
substances have reference to what is called the self-acting mule.
My first improvement consists in regulating the speed of the spindles
by friction and other mechanical means, so as not to break or injure
the
yarn
in winding the same upon the spindles as the carriage goes in;
and consists of the application of two friction pullies, together with an
improved catch box, having one tooth in each plate of the said box,
instead of three spur wheels, the former weighing only three pounds
fifteen ounces, and the latter nine pounds two ounces.
My second improvement consists of a lever fixed horizontally, and
made a little longer than the distance the carriage works when passing

page_text: in and out. At a short distance from the centre there is a boss through
which passes a stud, and upon which the lever works freely up and down
when the said stud is screwed firmly to the framework of the wheel head.
At the end of the lever next the roller beam there is a balance weight
made to slide to any required distance to balance the opposite end, at
which end there is a long slot to receive two bolts, which fasten a small
casting in the form of an inverted T, at the top end of which is a slot
in which is a small stud. Upon the said stud works a short lever,
which when at rest hangs perpendicularly, but when the carriage is
coming out is pressed backwards until stopped by a stop pin, when it
immediately elevates the lever at one end by passing over the "falle
rod," and depresses the other until it has moved the strap or belt off one
pulley on to another, and thus changes the motion of the carriage from
the quick to the slow speed, or stops it by putting the two wheels out
of gear which drive the slow motion, which the said lover will do at
any point required, and will set the carriage in motion again by the
improved break when the requisite twist is given to the yarn. The
object of this contrivance is to prevent the "minder" taking the twist
out of the yarn, as this arrangement detects such an act; also to allow
of the yarn being changed from "weft" to "twist," or from twist to
weft, in inuch less time than by the hand mules.
My third improvement in the self-acting mule is that of a stop fixed
to the front of the carriage, and covered with leather at one end, for the
bottom end of the stripping plate or lever to fall against.
My fourth improvement consists of the application of a weight
instead of a spring for the break, which is more sure than the spring
in stopping the spindles when the carriage is out, as the former is un-
changeable in its operation, while the latter is liable to strain or break,
and is changeable in its action. The amount of pressure can be
increased or diminished at pleasure by sliding the weight to and fro
upon the lever, to which it is attached and fastened by a set screw. In
connexion with the break I also claim the construction of a catch to
hold the break off the friction pulley while the spindles are revolving.
The said catch works upon a stud, which is screwed to the lever that
lifts the break off the friction pulley, and works perpendicularly at the
front of the roller beam. My Invention in this part also consists of

page_text: setting the carriage in motion by the break in its fall by connecting a
rod to the break at one end, and attaching the same to the strap guide
which puts the carriage in motion after having been stopped till the
yarn has received the requisite twist. By the above improvement
any amount of twist can be given to the yarn in the coming out of
the carriage, as well at the "head," as when the carriage is out at the
end, and the yarn will always receive its regular amount of twist, and
may be altered with as much ease and in the same way as by the hand
mules.
My fifth improvement in the self-acting mule is the Invention of
a lever with a long boss at one end with two set screws, which are
intended to fasten the said lever to the rod of the under or stripping
faller. The purpose for which it is applied is to press the stripping
faller down when the carriage lights up until the stripping plate gets
under a small stud placed for the stripping plate to rest on until the
carriage gets out.
My sixth improvement in the self-acting mule is that of a bracket
fastened to the framework of the wheel head at a short distance from
the front of the roller beam, to which is attached by a bolt a flat plate
of cast iron with a slot or notch in it, by means of which it can be set
o any required distance so as to unlock the faller at any desired
point. With this improvement the faller never misses being unlocked
at the proper time, as is sometimes the case with the ordinary plan,
causing the breaking of the yarn and injuring some part of tho
machine.
My seventh improvement in self-acting mules is in making a hole
through the centre of the shaft upon which the drum works that drives
the spindles when the foot of the said shaft is required to be steeled.
The hole in the centre extends within an inch of the end of the shaft,
with a hole made through the sides to allow of oil passing out. The
hole is made in the sides of all the shafts, whether the foot is steeled or
not. I also claim the Invention of making a groove at the outside of
the drum shaft nearly the whole length of the same, together with
the application of a cup to the top end of the drum boss, and also the
same to the top end of the wheel boss, with a groove in the inside of

page_text: the said bosses, if required, instead of the groove at the outside of the
drum shaft. The hole through the centre, as well as the groove at the
outside of the above-mentioned shaft, together with the cups made in
the drum and wheel bosses, are all intended to convey oil to the foot
of the shaffs' upon which the drum and wheels are fixed. When the
foot step is full of oil it runs down through a groove made at one side
of the step, and falls into a cup at the side of the bottom step to receive
and convey it to the collar of the shaft which drives the drums that
work under the centre of the drum shaft. By these improvements the
top and foot of the drum shaft, and also the shaft which drives the
drums, can all be oiled at the same time without waste of oil.
My eighth improvement in the self-acting mule is that of a weight
hook, which is a little bent at the end, which hooks upon the end of
the front top roller, so that it cannot stop the same from revolving
when waste gets into the neck, is much easier to hook on and off, and
prevents the yarn from being injured through stopping the roller.
My ninth improvement in self-acting mules is that of a spiral worm
fastened with a key upon the twist pulley shaft; this worm drives a
wheel with 40 teeth in it, which is fixed with a set screw to the twist
shaft; the said shafts works in an horizontal position in a line with the
wheel head. At the opposite end of the twist shaft there is a spur
wheel that works in another wheel with 100 teeth in it, on the face of
which is attached a mitre wheel that drives another wheel, the same
as the last mentioned, which is fixed to the top end of a short shaft that
works perpendicularly at the front of the roller beam. Between the
wheel head at the bottom end of the said shaft is fixed a mitre wheel,
which drives another that is fastened to a shaft which works in an
horizontal position in a line with the roller beam, to which shaft is
attached two finger pointers, one of which presses against a casting
which is fixed to the strap guide, by which means the strap that drives
the spindles is forced on to the loose pulley. At the same time the
ther pointer presses against the catch which holds the break off the
friction pulley, and presses it off the stud upon which it rests while the
spindles are revolving, when it immediately falls down, and in its fall
stops the spindles, and puts the carriage in motion by means of a con-

page_text: necting rod which connects the break and strap guide together. The
strap works both the carriage and mule rollers. The object of this
improvement is to secure regularity of twist to the yarn, and to give
less to the same as the carriage works out, and more at the head or
when the carriage is out. By the above Invention any amount of
twist can be given to the yarn, both as the carriage works out, and at
the head, from which it cannot vary in consequence of the twist being
regulated by the twist pulley shaft, which is forced to make a regular
number of revolutions every draw. Any amount of twist can be put
into the yarn, with as much ease as by the hand mule, by putting a
wheel with any number of teeth on to the twist shaft instead of the
spur wheel with 40 teeth, as above mentioned. Upon the old plan the
twist pulley shaft is obliged to stop when the carriage is out, whether
it has made the requisite number of revolutions or not, and consequently
the yarn is often short of twist.
My tenth improvement in self-acting mules is that of a balance
weight to assist and ease the mangle wheel and the pinion which
drives it, and also to counteract the drag of the drum band, both in the
coming out and going in of the carriage, but especially in going in.
This is done by attaching a rope or chain to the carriage or to a pulley
fastened to the mangle wheel shaft at one end, and to the weight at the
other, & fixing a pulley for the said rope to work upon.
My eleventh improvement in self-acting mules is that of a long rod,
which is attached to the mangle wheel swing at one end, and has
a catch at the other to stop the carriage when out at the head until
the spindles stop, when the carriage is immediately set at liberty by the
"swing" moving towards the centre of the mangle wheel.
I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-before described.
It substantially the above is a description of my Invention.