IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING MULES
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1887.
Complete Left, 19th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 19th Aug., 1887.
We JOHN FRANCE and WILLIAM FRANCE, both of 83 Mottram Road, Stalybridge,
in the County of Lancaster, Mule Overlookers, do hereby declare the nature of said
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING MULES to be as follows
Our invention relates to improvements in self-acting nules and the object of our
improvements is to equalize the tension on the yarn during winding so as to prevent
winding on snarls whether arising from irregularities in the working of the strapping
motion or from other causes.
1
In carrying out our improvements we employ a stationary rail or incline secured by
preference to the headstock which rail or incline takes the place of the ordinary stop
for the finger on the counter faller shaft.
When the winding on of the yarn is being effected properly the tension of the yarn
on the counter faller wire keeps the finger out of contact with the inclined rail but
when there is too much slack in the yarn there will not be enough tension on the wire
to depress it and in this case the end of the finger bears upon the rail or incline and
as the carriage runs in the rail gradually raises the finger and draws down the wire to
the proper position and thus prevents any snarl being formed and wound on.
Dated this 20th day of T 1007

page_text: WC JOHN FRANCE and WILLIAM FRANCE both of 83 Mottram Road Stalybridge in
the County of Lancaster Mule Overlookers, do hereby declare the nature of said
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING MULES, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention relates to improvements in self acting mules and the object of our
improvements is to equalize the tension on the yarn during winding so as to prevent
winding on snarls whether arising from irregularities in the working of the strapping
motion or from other causes.
In carrying out our improvements we employ a rail or incline secured by preference
to the headstock which rail or incline takes the place of the ordinary stop for the
finger on the counter faller shaft.
When the winding on of the yarn is being effected properly the tension of the yarn on
the counter faller wire keeps the finger out of contact with the inclined rail but when
there is too much slack in the yarn there will not be enough tension on the wire to
depress it and in this case the end of the finger bears upon the rail or incline and as
the carriage runs in the rail gradually raises the finger and draws down the wire to
the proper position and thus prevents any snarl being formed and wound on.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
offect we will describe the accompanying sheet of Drawings reference being had to the
figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a plan and Figs. 2 and 3 are side views of part of a mule to which our
improvements are applied.
In these views-a designates a portion of the headstock or stationary part of the
mule the carriage and e the spindles and d the counter faller shaft on which is
secured the ordinary counter faller bracket e which carries the counter faller wire f
These parts may be all of the usual construction and call for no special description.
The improved mechanism for equalising the tension on the yarn during winding in
order to prevent winding on snarls consists of an incline or adjustable rail g which
takes the place of the ordinary "stop" for the finger h fixed on the counter faller
shaft d. The rail g is pivoted at one end to a bracket a bolted to the frame a and to
the other end of the rail g two loose swivel pieces i¹ are pivoted each of which is free
to rest on the flange of the frame a to support the rail g the swivel piece i supporting
the rail in the position shown in full lines and the swivel piece in the position shown
in dotted lines Fig. 2.
When starting to build a set of cops the rail g is dropped into its lowest position see
Fig. 3 so that the finger h passes over and clears the front part of the rail for a few
draws but the portion of the rail g acts as the ordinary stop to raise the finger h and
allow the parts to unlock. After a few draws the rail g is raised into either of the tw

page_text: positions shown in full and dotted lines respectively in Fig. 2 the position of the rail
being determined by the work to be done. If after starting to build the cops with
the rail y in the lowest position as shown in Fig. 3 the rail is then raised into the next
position indicated by dotted lines Fig. 2 the rail will subsequently have to be raised
into the highest position as shown in full lines Fig. 2.
When the winding on of the yarn is being effected properly the tension of the yarns
on the counter faller wire keeps the finger h out of contact with the rail g until it
reaches the stop portion g¹ but when there is too much slack in the yarn the counter
faller wire would remain up were it not for the finger h which is gradually raised
by the inclined rail g and so draws down the counter faller e and faller wire f to the
proper position and prevents any snarl being formed and wound on the spindles c.
We prefer to recess the rail y at g² so that when the carriage is running in to the
headstock with the finger on the inclined rail g the recess g² allows the end h¹ of
the finger to drop slightly and so releases the counter faller and allows it to be
governed for a brief space of time by the tension of the yarn alone by which means a
tight nose is built on the cops the upper part g' of the rail g still answering as a stop
piece for the finger.
Although we have shown and described the incline or rail g supported by the
headstock it is obvious that where more convenient it may be supported by standards
secured to the floor or otherwise suitably supported.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is-
1. The use and application of an incline or adjustable rail preferably mounted on
the headstock of a self acting mule in combination with a finger on the counter faller
shaft substantially as and for the purposes described and as shown.
2. The combination with a finger on the counter faller shaft of an incline or rail
recessed near one end where it is pivoted to the headstock of a self acting mule or
otherwise suitably supported and at the other end supported adjustably by swivel
pieces or equivalents substantially as and for the purposes herein described and as
llustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
3. The combination with the incline or rail and the finger h of the swivel
pieces or their equivalents substantially as herein shown and described for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 18th down 1007
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for Applicants.