Improved Fittings Connected with the Moving Toothed Quadrants of Spinning Mules.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 11th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Aug.,
1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Fittings Connected with the Moving Toothed Quadrants
of Spinning Mules.
I, JOHN ALLAN, of Menstrie, near Stirling, in the County of Clackmannan, Spinner,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
In spinning mules heretofore the moving toothed quadrants carried outside the
main stationary framing of the fixed gearing of the mule and actuated by a pinion
over it on a horizontal shaft in the stationary main framing, have only been covered
in and protected by a fixed sheet metal case at the extreme back end, secured to the
main framing, so that when the quadrant is oscillated by its pinion back out of the
case, the teeth of the quadrant are wholly exposed, and so in the forward motion
these teeth may draw in the clothes of the Piecers or attendants, and cause serious
danger.
My improvements consist in securing a movable sheet metal case to the quadrant
lever and wheel outside, with smooth surface on front and top, which will not catchi
the clothes of the persons when moving, and preferably of an inverted U or channel
shape, with its front side so deep as to completely cover in the teeth of the quadrant
and outer end of the pinion, leaving a sufficient annular or open segmental space
within the case to clear the outside diameter and teeth of the pinion, and with the
back flange of the case projecting down over and clear of the back of the teeth of
the pinion, as far as the spindle of the pinion would allow it, all so as to move with
the quadrant and prevent the possibility of either the teeth of the quadrant or the
pinion catching the clothes of the attendant in its motion. This movable quadrant
hollow case would in this way protect the quadrant and pinion during their motion
from the possibility of touching the attendants or their dress; and it might be made
to work down into an enlarged form of the present stationary case when that is used
and its front or outer end need not come quite out of this stationary case and so both
would keep the attendants from coming within the path of the quadrant and its new
case, all in a more satisfactory and safe manner than has been possible heretofore with
this moving quadrant.

page_text: Or by a further improvement the teeth on this quadrant in spinning mules, might
be made on the inside of the rim or web of the quadrant, and so have the overhung
pinion on the end of the shaft working inside, the rim of the quadrant thus enclosing
the teeth of the pinion and the quadrant, and protecting these from the attendants, in
the same manner as my new proposed protecting case, the quadrant working down
into the enlarged ordinary stationary protecting case. And in cases where the self
winding motion is adopted, I could dispense with the usual pulley mounted on the end
of the quadrant pinion shaft, and place it in or near the same place on a stud, or
dispense with it altogether.
01-1
1002

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Fittings Connected with the Moving Toothed Quadrants
of Spinning Mules.
I, JOHN ALLAN, of Menstric, near Stirling, in the County of Clackmannan, Spinner,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
In spinning mules heretofore, the moving toothed quadrants B B', carried outside
the main stationary frame A of the fixed gearing of the mule and actuated by a
pinion Cover it on a horizontal shaft in bearings in the stationary main framing A,
have only been covered in and protected by a fixed cast iron or sheet-metal case D,
at the extreme back end, secured at D', D', to the main framing A, so that when the
toothed quadrant B is oscillated by its pinion C back out of the case, the teeth of
the quadrant B' are wholly exposed, and so in the forward motion the teeth of the
segment B or the pinion C may draw in the clothes of the Piecers or attendants, and
so is a cause of serious danger and accidents.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
an explanatory Sheet of Drawings in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures where shown. Figures 1 and 2
represent a side and end elevation respectively of the main frame A of the stationary
gearing of a spinning mule, with its moving toothed quadrant B, B', and as fitted
with my new or improved protecting movable sheet metal or cast iron case b, with
the quadrant B and case in their outer position. While Figure 3 is a plan of the
whole arrangement corresponding to Figure 1.
Bi
Referring to these Drawings; my improvements consist in securing a movable
sheet metal or cast iron case over the quadrant B B¹, preferably by bolts, V²,
securing it to the main and lesser arms respectively of the toothed quadrant B
enclosing and covering in on the front and upper side, the teeth of both the segment
and its actuating spur pinion C, on the over-hanging end of its shaft C₁ carried in
fixed bearings in the main stationary frame A. This casing has a smooth surface
on front and top, which will not catch the clothes of the persons when moving, and
preferably of an inverted or angle shape in cross section, with its front side so deep
as to completely cover in the teeth of the quadrant B, and outer end of the pinion C,
leaving a sufficient annular or open segmental space within the case to clear the
outside diameter and teeth of the pinion C, and with the back flange of the case b,
projecting down over and clear of the back of the teeth of the pinion C, as far as
the shaft or spindle C₁ of the pinion C will allow it, all so as to move with the
quadrant lever B, B', and prevent the possibility of either the teeth of the quadrant B, B',
or the pinion C catching the clothes of the attendants in its motion. This movable
quadrant hollow case would in this way protect the quadrant B, B', and pinion C

page_text: during their motion, from the possibility of touching the attendants or their dress;
and it is preferably made to work down into an enlarged form of the present stationary
case D D when that is used, and its front or outer end need not come quite out of this
stationary case, and so both would keep the attendants from coming within the path
of the quadrant B' and its new case all in a more satisfactory and safe manner than
has been possible heretofore with this moving quadrant lever B B₁.
Or by a further improvement, the teeth on this quadrant B' in spinning mules,
might be made on the inside of the rim or web of the quadrant B', and so have the
overhung pinion C on the end of the shaft C¹ working inside and turned in the reverse
direction; the rim of the quadrant B thus enclosing the teeth of the pinion C), and
its own teeth, and protecting these from the attendants, in the same manner as my
new proposed protecting case b, the quadrant B¹ working down into. the enlarged
ordinary stationary protecting case D D¹. In mules where the self winding is adopted,
by the use of a chain pulley on the outer end of the quadrant pinion shaft C driving
a corresponding pulley mounted loose on the quadrant shaft C2 at the back of the
bevel pinion B to actuate this, and the bevel pinion B and screw B³, of the quadrant B.
I dispense with the pulley on the shaft and chain, and as in some other mules,
mount a band pulley on the clutch of the shaft C to drive the said bevel wheels B, B¹¹,
by a band passed over this pulley, and an idle pulley mounted on a stud at the other
end of the main frame A of the machine, having the two ends of this band attached
to the traversing carriage carrying, the spinning and winding spindles so that this
band turns the Bevel wheels in an equivalent manner to the said chain pulley on the
outer end of the spindle C; but this arrangement of band self winding motion having
heretofore been used 1 make no claim to it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In spinning mules, the construction and use of a movable case over the teeth
of the quadrant B₁ of the quadrant lever B, B1, and its actuating spur pinion C, so as
to act as a cover to protect the attendants, substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In spinning mules, the fitting or forming of the teeth on the inside of the
rim or web of the moving quadrant B, B', with the teeth of the actuating pinion C
working inside, so that the front side and outer top web of the toothed segment B¹
would act as a cover to protect the attendants, substantially in the same manner as
the hollow case herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.