CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE PREPARATION, SPINNING, AND DOUBLING OR TWISTING OF COTTON, WOOL, SILK, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, GEORGE
PARK MACINDOE, residing at Mountblow, in the Parish of Old Kilpatrick, and
County of Dumbarton, in that part of the United Kingdom called Scotland;
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of
November, in the thirteenth year of Her reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs
and successors; give and grant unto me, the said George Park Macindoe; Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
George Park Macindoe, my exors; adñiors, and assigns, and such others' as I,
the said George Park Macindoe, my exors, adñiors, and assigns; should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make; use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; my
Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE
TO THE PREPARATION, SPINNING, AND DOUBLING OR TWISTING OF COTTON, WOOL, SILK,
FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso, requiring that I, the said George Park Macindoe; by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, shall particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and shall cause the same to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within' six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent:

page_text: t
NOW KNOW YE, that in. compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Park Macindoe, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by this present instrument in writing, as follows, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention consists of certain improved arrangements of mechanism,
apparatus, or means intended for preparing, spinning, and doubling or twisting
cotton and other fibrous substances, such arrangements or parts thereof being
applicable to the machinery known as the self-acting mule, and to other
machinery constructed on a like principle, and to the stretching and doubling
or twisting frames; and relates,-
First, to a mode of regulating the twist to be given to the yarn in that
class of self-acting mule, wherein a mangle wheel or mangle rack is used for
traversing the carriage.
Second, to the use or employment of an oscillating lever for taking in the
carriage.
Third, to the application of a counterpart to the radial arm and screw for
winding on the
yarn.
Fourth, to a mode of putting down the faller.
Fifth, to the extension of the driving or first motion shaft from one extremity
of the head to the other.
Sixth, to the extension of the cam shaft. over the whole length of the mule
head.
Seventh, to the general arrangement of the mule head, as delineated in the
Drawings on Sheet 2, hereunto attached.
And in order that my said Invention may be readily understood, I shall now
proceed to describe the various Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto
attached.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings, is a side elevation of a self-acting
mangle wheel mule headstock, with a transverse section of the carriage;
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same, shewing the end of the carriage;
and Figure 3 is an end elevation of the headstock, with a portion of the side
elevation of the carriage. In all these views many of the well-known details of
the ordinary mangle wheel mule are omitted, in order to shew more clearly the
improvements which I have introduced. A is the horizontal first motion shaft,
carrying the fast and loose pulleys B, B, employed in driving the mule. It is
from this shaft that the worm or screw for the regulation of the twist given to

page_text: the yarn is ordinarily driven; but as it revolves continuously, and the twist is
communicated from it by means of straps and bands, having considerable slip,
it frequently happens in the ordinary mule that the yarn suffers from a
deficiency of twist. Instead of this arrangement I place the worm C inside
the mule carriage on the short horizontal shaft D, which receives its motion
from the drum shaft E through the pair of bevil wheels F, F, the short angular
shaft G, and the bevil wheel and pinion H, H; in this way the worm is in
direct connection with the movement of the spindles, being stopped and worked
simultaneously with them. One of the drums which give motion to the
spindles is represented in dotted lines at I, in Figure 1. When the stretch or
outward traverse of the carriage is completed, the bell crank J takes up a
position very close to the spring stud K on the lower end of the angular double
lever L, and so soon as the twist shaft M completes its revolutions, the tappet
N upon this shaft comes in contact with the pin O on the sliding rod P; as
this is connected at the opposite end to the bell crank J, the free arm of the
latter actuates the lever L through the stud K, and this lever being carried
on a fixed centre at Q, its upper end R is shifted off the projection on one side
of the double cam S, keyed on the shaft T. The disc of this cam, as delineated
in the side elevation, Figure 3, has upon it two projections, set diametrically
opposite to each other, and in different planes, so that when the lever L is
shifted, its catch releases the projection with which it may be in contact at
the time, and passes across to the plane of the opposite one, in readiness for
holding it when it comes round to the proper point; the shaft T which carries.
this cam has keyed upon it the small pulley U, having two opposite recesses
V, W, cut out of its periphery, for the purpose of allowing the upper corre-
sponding plain pulley X on the shaft A to revolve clear of it at certain periods
of its action; the shaft T also carries a small double cam Y, formed like the
cam S, but with both projections in the same plane, and against one or other
of these projections the free end of the spring Z which is bolted to the frame
constantly presses upwards. The engaging movement between the first motion
shaft A and the carriage is governed by the clutches a, b; the sliding clutch a
works upon a feather fast on the shaft, whilst its counterpart 6, attached to the
wheel c, is loose on the shaft.. The sliding clutch a is worked by the forked
guide lever d, carried on a centre at c, and this lever has upon its front side a
small wedge-shaped projection f with its point upwards; as the shaft T revolves,:
a short pin; carried round with it on the boss g, presses downwards upon one
of the inclines of the projection f, thus forcing out the forked lever and dis-
ingaging the clutches which are held. in gear by a small spring tending to.
h

page_text: draw the end of the forked lever towards the driving pulleys; "when the end of
the lever L is shifted to one side of its cam S after the twist is completed, as
previously described, the shaft T and the cam being thus released from the
position in which' thé lever L-bas held it, the spring Z, by pressing upwards
against one of the projections of the cam Y, turns the shaft T-a short
distance round, until the recessed portion V on the pulley U is passed round,
permitting the plain portion of the pulley to come into contact with the
revolving leather-surfaced pulley X on the first motion shaft above; the revo-
lution of the pulley X then carries the pulley U half round, until tlie corre-
sponding recess W comes round and destroys the contact between the two, and
in this position the opposite projection of the cam S is caught by the catch
of the lever L. During this movement the spring h has put the clutches
a; b, in gear, and the revolution of the wheel c, carried-round by the loose
clutch, drives the wheel i, which carries the pinion, the latter being in gear
with the wheel k. This wheel drives the larger wheel l on one end of the
horizontal shaft m, the opposite end having upon it a bevil pinion n in gear
with the bevil wheel o'on the vertical shaft p. This shaft has upon it a series
of tappets or wipers, employed in actuating the taking-in mechanism of the
carriage. The tappet q stops the movement of the spindles, by shifting their
main driving strap from the fast to the loose pulley, and another one r brings
the break into action to destroy the momentum of the spindles. That marked
s, by means of the curved piece t, actuates the bent lever u, for shifting the
strap working the mangle wheel from the loose to the fast pulley, bringing the
carriage taking-in motion into action. The whole of these movements are
effected by a single revolution of the shaft p, which also carries a fourth tappet
v, for disengaging the clutches a and b, through the connecting rod w. This
rod is jointed at x to the lever L, whilst its opposite end is connected to a
small lever y, projecting from the frame. It is upon this lever that the
tappet v acts as it comes round, shifting the catch of the lever
off its pro-
jection on the cam S, and allowing the recessed pulley U to make another half
revolution, when the clutches a and b aré disengaged, in the way already
explained. A fifth tappet carried the upper end of the shaft p, catches in a
bend' in the end of a spring 1, screwed to the frame, so as to hold the shaft in
its proper position for the succeeding stretch of the carriage, when the clutches
are disengaged. The helical spring 2 on the stud K. is for the purpose of
taking up any superfluous movement of the bell crank in its action on the
lever L, that is, any movement beyond what may be required to give the latter
enough traverse to clear one projection of the cam S, and engage with the

page_text: other, being sumciently, sur to convey the motion to the lever before it yields
in itself.
.I may here remark. that the details of improvement herein-before de
scribed have reference only, to adaptations of existing machinery, and I shall
now proceed to describe the further heads of my Invention, wherein my,
various improvements refer to an entirely movel arrangement of self-acting
mule, as delineated in the several Figures on Sheet 2 of my Drawings..
Figure 1,, on this Sheet, represents a side elevation of a self-acting mule,
headstock, with a transverse section of the carriage as nearly run in. Figure 2:
is a corresponding plan of the mule head, shewing the end of the carriage next
to it. The driving power is communicated to the machine through the hori;-
zontal first motion shaft A; on which are the fast and loose strap pulleys B, C..
When the carriage is, run in up to the beam or drawing rollers, the front roller;
of which series is at D; the driving' strap is on the fast pulley B, a portion of
the strap's breadth being also on the loose pulley C. Motion is communicated
from; the shaft.A to the drawing, rollers by the spur wheel E, gearing with a
second wheel F, loose on a stud carried by the frame, and gearing with.
a second carrier wheel F. This wheel carries with it a small bevil wheel G,
driving the bevil wheel H, on the horizontal shaft I, connected to the front-
line of drawing rollers;, the spindles are also driven from the shaft. A by the.
cord pulley J, on the inner extremity of the shaft; from this pulley. an. endless,
band passes, downwards and beneath the guide pulleys K, K, and thence to.
the front, pulley L, fast on the horizontal shaft M, the opposite end of which
carries the pulley N; a band from the latter pulley, passing round the stationary:
pulley. O in the head; drives the, double grooved pulley P, on a short vertical,
shaft Q, in the carriage. The same shaft carries the bevil wheel R, gearing.
with the second wheel. S, the horizontal shaft. of which carries the drums or
the cylinder, whichever is used, for driving. the spindles. Whilst these move-
ments for the spindles and drawing rollers are going.on, the small pinion Ton
the shaft I drives the spur wheel. V. on the. shaft W,. carrying on its projecting.
end a scroll pulley X; this'-pulley has the end of a band attached to and
wound upon it, the loose end being passed round the guide pulley Y, and then
turned back and attached to the carriage at Z, for the purpose of traversing it
outwards as the yarn is being spun. When the carriage arrives at the extent
of its stretch, that is, at its furthest. point from the drawing rollers, a stud or,
catch attached to the carriage comes in contact with the tail of the lever a,
pushing it outwards, so that as it turns on its fixed.centre at b, its.upper end
comes directly beneath the projection 'cr of the cam on the horizontal shaft, c.

page_text: being regulated as to its length of movement by a notched or indented spring
catch on its end. This cam is formed on the principle of that marked S, and
described in reference to my modified mangle wheel inule, in Sheet 1, with the
difference, that on the cam d there are four projections placed diametrically
opposite to each other in two different planes. When the lever a is moved, "as
I have explained, its end is relieved from a projection at the part marked d;
and the shaft e, then being released, makes a quarter of a revolution, and is
again stopped by the projection c coming down upon the end of the lever. The
partial revolution of the shaft e is effected by the revolving pulley f, fast on the
boss of the loose pulley C on the first motion shaft. The periphery of the
pulley is covered with leather, so as to be capable of driving the corresponding
pulley g, keyed on the cam shaft e, which is extended to the front of the head-
stock, so as to afford facilities for carrying the set of cams. Both these pulleys
f and g are represented in elevation in Figure 3 on my Sheet of Drawings;
the lower one g is recessed on its periphery in four places, diametrically opposite
to each other, so that when any one of these recesses is turned towards the
pulley f the leather surface of the latter works free of it. The cam shaft e also
carries a quadruple cam or ratchet of four teeth h, as represented also on a
large scale in Figure 4. A flat spring i is screwed at one end to the frame, so
that its opposite free end shall always press on one or other of the projections
of the cam h, thus tending to turn the cam round a short distance in the
direction of the arrow; and, consequently, when such a movement does take
place, the recessed pulley g, being keyed on the same shaft, receives the same
movement. As the lever a is pushed back or forward from one plane of the
cam d to the other, the cam shaft being released, is then turned slightly round
by the spring action upon the cam h, until the recess in the pulley g, which is
at the time being nearest to the centre of the pulley f, is passed onwards until
the plain portion of the former pulley comes in contact with the periphery of
the latter. The revolution of the pulley then carries round the pulley ga
quarter of a revolution, until the next of the four recesses comes forward to
break the connection between the two pulleys. As the carriage arrives at the
extent of its stretch, the first movement performed by the cam shaft e, actuated
in the manner which I have explained, is to throw the bevil wheel H out of
gear with the wheel G, and thus stop the motion of the drawing rollers and
carriage. This is accomplished by the cam j, which in coming round presses
against the projection on the upper end of the forked lever k, working in a
ring groove in the projecting boss of the wheel H; this wheel slides loose on
a feather in the shaft I, and when otherwise unacted on, it is kept in gear with.

page_text: the wheel G by the pressure of the helical spring J', which abuts at one end
against the end bearing of the shaft, the other end pressing against the outside
of the boss of the spur pinion T, placed loose on the shaft immediately behind
the bevil wheel. The next operation is the stopping the motion of the spindles.
This is effected by the worm 7 on the first motion shaft A gearing with the
worm wheel m, keyed upon a short tubular shaft, carrying a spur wheel n. on
its opposite end, and running loose on a short stud carried by the frame; the
latter wheel again gears with the carrier wheel o, driving a similar wheel p,
both wheels running loose on studs carried by the frame. A pin 9 is attached
to the face of the wheel p; and as the latter makes one revolution during each
stretch of the carriage, this pin is adjusted to act at the proper time upon the
ends of the rods and s; the end of the rod r is notched, to give a hold to the
revolving pin q, which thus pushes the rod longitudinally, and its opposite end
being jointed at t to an upright lever on a short shaft carrying the lever a
holding the cam d; thus the action of the revolving pin q is to effect. the
change of position of the lever a, as before noticed, permitting the pulley g
with its shaft e to make a quarter of a revolution, bringing the cam u-into
action to effect the backing; this cam is notched on one side, as shewn in the
elevation, Figure 1, and the quarter revolution just described brings this notch
opposite to the end of the lever v, loose on a centre at w; when the end of the
lever v falls into the notch into which it is pressed by the helical spring a, the
movement of the opposite end y of the lever draws the rod z in the direction
of the arrow; the other end of this rod is jointed to the end of the horizontal
lever 1, which is connected to the forked lever 2, set on a centre at 3; the
forked end of this lever fits to the grooved ring on the boss of the spur wheel 4,
which is in one piece with the conical friction pulley 5, and the latter is thus
moved into frictional contact with the internal cone of the fast pulley B on the
first motion shaft A. The wheel 4 with its external cone 5 is made to revolve
in the direction of the arrow by the bevil wheel 6, on the first motion shaft A,
gearing with the wheel 7 on the transverse shaft 8; this shaft again carries
à bevil wheel 9, gearing with the large wheel 10 on the longitudinal shaft 1.1,
the opposite end of which shaft carries a spur pinion 12, driving the wheel 4
in a direction opposite to that of the first motion shaft. Thus, when the cone's
are brought into action, the motion of the pulley B-with its shaft A is 'reversed,
and this change of movement reverses the motion of the spindles. So soon as
the backing commences, the band pulley N revolves in the direction of. the
arrow; carrying round with it on the same shaft the disc 13," and some of the
detents in which, 14, hold with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 15, "carrying it

page_text: round in the same direction; this rachet wheel is attached to the spur wheel
16, both running loose-on their-shaft, and the latter drives the wheel 17,
having screwed to one side of it the adjustable lever 18, carrying an anti-
friction, pulley 19 on its free end; the upward movement of this lever then
puts down the faller 20 by elevating the pendant rod 21, jointed at its upper
end to the short lever-22; working the faller. By the time the faller wire has
arrived at the level of the points of the cops, the foot of the rod 21 is drawn
upon the top of the catch 23, resting on the shaper 24; this movement of the
rod 21 then brings 'it against the end of the short lever 25, set on a centre at 26;
the opposite end of this-lever comes, in contact with- the tail of the lever a,
shifting its upper, end to the other plane of the catches, thus allowing the cam
shaft to make a third quarter of a revolution. This movement then forces the end
of the lever v out of the side notch of the cam u, disengaging the cone 5 from
the pulley, B, and the movement of the cam 26¹ then releasing the forked lever
27, the helical spring-28 attached to the frame pulls back the end 29 of this
lever turning it upon its centre, 30, so as to force the sliding clutch 31, which
is set on a fixed feather on the shaft 8, into gear with its loose counterpart 32
on the same shaft: The spur pinion 33 is, then carried round with its shaft,
driving: 'the large wheel 34; keyed on the transverse shaft 35. This shaft
projects beyond the front; of the framing, and carries the long oscillating
or vibrating lever 36, the weight of the lower portion of which is counter-
balanced by the weight 37.-The lower end of this lever carries an antifriction
pulley 38, which is fitted to work in, the vertical slot of the upright bar 39, fast
on the front end corner of the carriage, and thus a semi-revolution or a portion
thereof; of this, radial arm puts up, the, carriage in an expeditious and simple
manner;: at the same moment that the clutches.31 and 32 are engaged, the
clutches 40 and 41 on the shaft M are also put in gear to wind on the yarn,
by uncoiling the chain:42 from the barrel 43. One end of this chain is fast
to the barrel, and being wound upon it, the loose end is attached to a hook
carried by the adjustable nut 44% of the screw 44,,which is connected to the
end of the 'carriage by the bracket. 45., Thus,, as the carriage recedes from the
chain barrel 43' during the putting-up, movement, motion is communicated.to
the spindles by the band pulley N, carried on the shaft: M along with the
barrel743, which latter is caused to revolve by the carriage drawing off the
chain. When the carriage arrives at the beam, the bracket 45 comes against
the lower part of the upright lever. 46,, which turns upon a fixed centre on the
floor at 47: This movement then forces back the lever, the upper end of
which being. jointed at 48 to the rod 49, attached at the opposite end to the

page_text: tail of the lever a, draws back the latter and shifts the catch end to the other
plane of the cam d, allowing the shaft re to make its fourth quarter-revo-
lution, completing the series of movements of the cam apparatus. The last
shift of the cam shaft disengages the two sets of clutches 31 and 32,--and
40 and 41, and sets the rod 50 in readiness for another-stretch. The clutches
40 and 41 are worked from the upright shaft.51, the head of which carries a
bent lever 52, jointed to the rod 53, the opposite end of this rod being.con-
nected to the lever 54, moving on a fixed centre at: 55. This lever is worked by
the notched cam 56 which acts in a manner precisely similar to that of the cam
u, a spring being placed at 57 to press upon the bent lever arm for the return
movement of the sliding clutch; worked by the forked lever 58, carried on the
same upright shaft 51: In connection: with the copping motion, a lever.59;
acting as a counterpart to the radial arm of:.the screw..44,.is-jointed to a stud
on the floor at 60. As the carriage recedes: .from. the drawing rollers the
outward movement of the radial arm 61: causes .a-knee joint action at 62,
where the lever 59 is connected, and the latter serves to carry up the radial
arm, so as to make it assume a nearly: vertical position when the stretch is
completed. The radial arm and screw action. in self-acting mules is well
understood by practical men, so that a further account of this portion of my.
mechanism is unnecessary, except in rasifar as regards the mode I have
adopted for working the nut 44 up the screw in the radial arm as the
diameter of the cop increases."--When the building of the cop commences, the
nut 44' stands at the bottom of the screw next the carriage. This extremity
of the screw carries a bevil pinión 63, gearing with a similar pinion, fast on
the shaft 64, working in a bearing in the bracket 45.....A. small spur wheel 65
runs loose on a stud in the headstock frame; and .gears..with the.fixed 'rack: 66;
on the floor, as also into the pinion '67,loose, on the shaft 64, and carrying with
it the loose clutch 68. The counterpart of; this clutch 69 slides on a feather
in the shaft, being worked by the curved end of the forked lever 70, oscillating
on a fixed stud centre 71: The rod 50, attached at 72 to the back..lever of
the counter faller, carries a stud piece 73; in which, is: cút a diagonal slot to
allow the angular end of the forked- lever 70. to pass: through it. With
this arrangement, when the aggregate threads of yarn get too tight in
winding on, the counter faller is depressed,..and the. clutches: 68 and 69
are put into gear by their actuating lever, thus. causing the revolution of
the screw in the radial arm, by means of the bevil pinions. 63 worked by
the shaft 64, to work the nut upwards, until the yarn is so much slackened
as to permit the counter faller to rise again and disengage the clutches. When

page_text: the carriage arrives at the drawing rollers in the putting-up motion, the faller
is disengaged by the sliding rod 74 which is carried in guides in the carriage.
This rod coming in contact with the fixed upright 75, its opposite end 76
pushes, against the end of the rod 21, disengaging it from the piece 23, when
the faller rises by the downward tension and momentum of the rod. During
the outward stretch of the carriage, the lever is returned outwards by the
counter weight 77, which is hung to a chain passed over the pulley 78 on the
lever shaft. When the carriage has been put up, and has arrived within
two or three inches of the roller beam, the upright slotted piece 39 comes in
contact with the lever 79, moving on a centre at 80. The opposite end of
this lever is jointed to the lever 81 by the link 82. The lever 81 moves
on a centre at 83, and its contrary end 84 hits the angular projection on the
end of the rod 85, and shifts the strap fork 86 to the fast pulley B for the
commencement of a new stretch.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements of mechanism or apparatus
which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of my
Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,
First, the system or mode of regulating the twist of the yarn in self-acting
mules of the mangle wheel or mangle rack class, by means or through the
intervention of the. mule carriage, or any parts thereof, or by means of the
front or back twist pulley, or the shafts of these pulleys, or by other mechanism
in direct connection with the movement of the spindles.
Second, the use or employment of an oscillating or vibrating lever for
taking in or putting up the carriage, whether such lever is attached to the
carriage or headstock, or to the floor.
1
Third, the use or application of a counterpart to the radial arm and screw
employed for. winding on the yarn, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of putting down the faller from any of the twist
pulleys, or in connection therewith, by means of an arrangement of centrifugal
disengaging catches or detents, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the use or employment of a driving or first motion shaft extending
from one extremity of the headstock to the other.

page_text: Sixth, the extension or elongation of the cam shaft from the drawing rollers
forward to the front or outer end of headstock.
Seventh, the general arrangement of the mule headstock, delineated in
Sheet 2 of my Drawings, in which arrangement great facilities are afforded for
access to the different moving parts.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Park Macindoe, have hereunto
placed my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty.