IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRE- PARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR SHIPTING STRAPS BY WHICH MOTION 19 COMMUNICATED IN OTHER MACHINES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Mason, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, and William Robertson, of the same Place, Machinist, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRE-
PARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR SHIPTING STRAPS BY WHICH MOTION 19
COMMUNICATED IN OTHER MACHINES."
Sealed the 17th April 1855, and dated the 18th October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Mason and William
Robertson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 18th October 1854.
We, JOHN MASON, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, and
WILLIAM ROBERTSON, of the same Place, Machinist, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR SHIFTING STRAPS BY WHICH MOTION
IS COMMUNICATED IN OTHER MACHINES," to be as follows:-
Our improvements consist, firstly, in gradually regulating the velocity of
spindles used in preparing and spinning, so that the said spindles are caused
to rotate at a given speed at the commencement of filling, and are con-

page_text: tinuously altered as the cop or bobbin increases in size. We accomplish this
by driving the machine by two conical pullies or by friction plates, along the
former of which the strap is from time to time shifted by any periodical
movement of the machine, as, for instance, the travelling of the carriage in
mules, or the rising and 'falling of the copping rail-in roving frames.
Another part of our improvements relates to the mule, and consists of the
following improvements:-
Firstly, we regulate the speed of the carriage in going in, so that when the
spindles are bare, its speed shall be lower than when the base of the cop has
been formed. A mechanical contrivance for effecting this consists in the
employment of a pulley for the carriage band, made in segments, and capable
of being contracted at one end, so that when the base of the cop is formed, a
conical periphery will be the acting medium. The variable motion of the
carriage may, however, be obtained by other means, as, for instance, upon the
principle used for winding on in Sharp & Roberts' mule.
Secondly, we establish a connection between the under and upper fallers,
whereby the variation of the former is caused to impart to the latter the motion
necessary for securing a good chase of the cop.
Thirdly, our Invention' consists in weighting the faller, so as to cause it
to drop down during the backing-off'; this falling, if necessary, we regulate
by a shaper plate, upon which it rests, and which is turned by friction
from the tin roller; this plate is employed in lifting the faller at the roller
beam. If the shaper plate be not used, we adopt a separate motion for
raising the faller.
Fourthly, we drive the cam shaft which effects the changes by means of a
band or other friction apparatus, which will slip while the said shaft is to
be detained..
Fifthly, our Invention consists in the adoption of loose warves to the spindles,
on to which the bands are shifted when the twist is completed, so as to enable
the pressure of the faller upon the yarn to effect the backing-off. When
spinning yarns of fine numbers, we assist 'this operation by the action of a
friction surface against the spindles.
Another part of our improvements relates to an arrangement for traversing
the driving strap of mules, applicable also to other machines in which the strap
is shifted by self-acting machinery, and is also required to be placed on to the
loose pulley by hand. The peculiar feature of this part of our improvements
is, that whether the strap be moved by the machine or by hand, the proper
relative positions of the several parts will be preserved, and we are enabled by
these means to dispense with the usual over-head motion:

page_text: When, for example, this part of the Invention is applied to Sharp &
Roberts self-acting mule, the forked lever is operated upon by the usual
grooved cam, but its centre of motion is situate with a circular slot concentric
to the pin upon which the cam operates. To this lever is connected a rod
capable of being retained in fixed positions by a notched bar or other ordinary
means. During the self-acting operation of the mule, the action will be
according to the usual arrangement; but when it is desired to stop the machine
by hand, the rod of the notched bar will be moved, so as to cause the lever to
turn upon the pin which projects into the cam. As its guide will be the con-
centric slot, no variation of position will be imparted to the said pin, and the
several parts may be returned to their proper relative positions. It will be
perceived that the above effect is produced by making the pin which projects
into the cam, and the ordinary centre of motion of the lever, serve alternately
as centres for each other; or we cause the grooved cam to slide upon its shaft;
so as to carry onward, the forked. lever, and if much inotion be necessary, we
also cause the lever to move bodily therewith; or we cause the lever, which is
moved by the grooved 'cam, to give motion to a loose pinion which shifts the
forked lever, such loose pinion being in gear with a sliding rack, by which
motion may be, when desired, given; so as to throw off the power by hand.
In order to effect the above: operations, it is of course necessary to apply
a loose pulley which is not concerned in giving motion to any part of the
machine. The principle of this part of our improvements we also apply to
planing or other machines in which the above-mentioned conditions are
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Mason and William Robertson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MASON, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, and WILLIAM
ROBERTSON, of the same Place, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto
us, the said John Mason and William Robertson, Her especial license that
we, the said John Mason and William Robertson, our executors, adminis

page_text: trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Mason and William
Robertson, our executors, administrators, and 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
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
SHIFTING STRAPS BY WHICH MOTION IS COMMUNICATED IN OTHER MACHINES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Mason and William
Robertson, or one of us, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, 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 I, the said William Robertson, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
Our first improvement relates to machinery used for preparing and for
spinning fibrous materials, and will be illustrated by reference to Fig. A.
a is supposed to be the axis of the back roller of a roving frame, from which
rotatory motion is communicated to an upright shaft b. The upper end of
this shaft carries a bevil wheel, driving another upon the axis of a screw c,
mounted in suitable bearings overhead, upon which is placed a nut carrying a
double fork d. At e, f, are two conical pullies, reversed as regards their ends,
upon which and through the fork & there is a strap g. The pulley e receives
rotatory motion from the motive power, which, being transmitted to the pulley
f, is communicated therefrom by the pulley h to the main shaft of the machine.
As the back roller a revolves, the fork d will be caused to travel upon the
screw c, and the strap g will consequently be shifted along the conical pullies,
so as to vary the speed at which the machine is driven. At the commence-
ment of filling a bobbin, the said strap is so situate that the spindles shall be
driven at the greatest speed, gradually diminishing in velocity as the material
accumulates. When the bobbins have been filled, the strap of the conical
pullies may be brought to its starting position by disengaging the shaft f from
the train, by which it is connected to the roller d, and then turning it by means
of suitable hand apparatus. The Drawing shews the shaft bas connected to

page_text: the back roller direct by bevil wheels, but if the speed thereof be not suitable
so as to cause the strap g to be traversed in the right time, a diminished motion
of the strap fork may be obtained by worms or other ordinary gearing, or the
motion may be taken from any other suitable part of the machine. We have
described the varying velocity of the spindles as regulated by a rotatory motion,
but the same effect may be obtained from a reciprocating part of the machine;
for instance, the rising or falling of the copping rail may bring a driving click
to act upon the traversing screw at regular intervals. In the case of a mule,
this effect may be derived from the motion of the carriage, which, by its
running out or in, may shift the strap along the conical pullies. We would
also observe that friction surfaces may be employed instead of the cones.
The second part of our improvements is shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
in which Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation of a mule, with our improve-
ments adapted, the general arrangement being that for which Letters Patent
were granted to me, William Robertson, bearing date the Eighteenth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, the Specification of
which Patent was duly enrolled; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is
a sectional view through part of the headstock, shewing a front view of part
of the carriage, and taken about the line A, B, of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section
taken through the carriage, looking at right angles to Fig. 3, and shewing
generally the same parts; Fig. 5 is an elevation of one end of the carriage;
and Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the carriage at the headstock, shewing particu-
larly the backing-off motion; Fig. 8 is an end view of the headstock. In
all of these Figures similar letters and numbers of reference denote the like
parts, but they do not represent perfect views of the mule, some portions
thereof being removed in order to expose others more plainly. The position
shewn in the Drawings represents the carriage coming out, and the headstock
arranged so as to effect this. The strap a is shewn on the pulley b, which shews
the position of the strap and fork c, the sliding bar c*, and handle o, suitable
for stopping the mule in coming out. In this position, the pulley b, being
fast to the boss d, on which are fixed the pullies e, f, gives motion to the two
pullies g, h, on the shaft i, by means of the two cross straps j, k; but these
two pullies g, h, are both loose, as the shaft i communicates motion to none
of the working parts of the headstock, except through the friction boxes and
wheels 1, m; the boss d, also being loose on the main shaft n, communicates
no motion to any working part of the mule; but if the handle o is reversed,
and the sliding bar c* thereby shift the strap fork c, the strap will pass from
the pulley 6 to the pulley p, fixed on the main shaft, and will put it in motion.
On the back end of this shaft is fixed the grooved pulley q, by which motion

page_text: is communicated to the spindles, and on the front end the- bevil wheel r, by
which motion is communicated to the rollers. The centre, on which the strap
fork c is placed to turn, being now moved by the cam shaft or other arrange-
ment for that purpose, afterwards described, the strap is again placed on the
pulley b, when the friction boxes l, m, are brought alternately into contact, and
the spindles are reversed, and the fallers worked, and carriage brought in
towards the roller beam. To stop this movement again, place the handle o
in the position shewn in the Drawing, and, by consequence, the strap fork c,
and with it the strap a, will pass on to the pulleys, loose on the boss d, through
which, as above described, motion is communicated to the spindles during
backing-off, and to the carriage in going in; and thus the motion communi-
cated to both the spindles and the carriage will be stopped, without affecting
the parts worked by the mule itself, and without the use of an overhead shaft.
In addition to the mode described and shewn in the part of the Drawings
referred to, other means, may be employed under the same principle to
accomplish the same end. Thus, instead of the sliding bar c*, shewn and
described above, the stud at, the end of the, rod c* may move in a circular
slot, the centre of which will be the centre of the stud 18, when the mule
in working places the strap on the middle pulley. The next parts of our
improvements will be seen particularly at Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and as they
are combined in one machine we will describe them together. When
the carriage has arrived at the out end of the stretch, the upright rod t
attached to the lever u, moving on the stud v, fixed in the carriage end,
comes under the inclined plane w (dotted in Fig. 1), and seen also in the
plan, Fig. 2. This inclined plane is fixed on the horizontal arm of the bell
crank x, moving on the stud y, fixed in -the headstock. The upright end of
the bell crank a moves from under. the. cam z,-fixed on the cam shaft 1, and
relieves it. The lever 2 being weighted, and having an incline on its edge 3,
resting on the projecting tooth of the cam 4, moves the cam shaft round, so as
to admit of the end of the said lever 2 taking into any tooth in the ratchet
wheel 5. This ratchet wheel is fixed to the bevil wheel. 6, one member of the
"jack in box "train 6, 7, 8, of which the member 8 is fixed on the front roller
shaft 9, and revolves with it. When the lever 2. drops into the tooth of the
ratchet wheel 5 on the member 6, the intermediate 7 on the stud 10, loose on
the front roller shaft 9, moves with the roller-and at half its velocity, being
driven by the fixed member 8. On the end of the stud 10 is fitted the one
end of the universal jointed lever 11, the ball on the other end being fitted in
the socket 12 in the sliding lever 13, having a fork. 13*. attaching it it to the
wheel 14, by which the carriage is let out, and another fork attaching it to

page_text: the bevil wheel 15,
which the rollers are turned. On the boss on which the
stud 10 is fixed is also fixed a projection 16, to which is attached the rod 17
by means of the joint. The opposite end of this rod is attached to the middle
of the strap fork c by the stud 18. When the stud 10 is moved round with
the roller shaft 9, it pushes the roller wheel 15 and carriage wheel 14 out of
gear and draws the strap a off the pulley p on to the pulley b, by means of
the, rod 17. When the strap is on the pulley b, as herein-before described, it
is connected with the geering by which the backing-off and putting-up are
performed...
An important part of our improvements here comes into operation, as, by
nieans of the peculiar friction apparatus employed to turn the cam shaft, the
backing-off friction is kept from operating till the spindles have so far been-
exhausted of the velocity acquired during the time of twisting, as to admit of
being stopped without producing an inconvenient or injurious shock to the
parts of the machine to be reversed. Instead of the edge-friction apparatus
commonly employed for this purpose, we have substituted two cords driven at
different velocities and from two different parts of the mule. The cord 22 con-
nects the pulley 24 with the pulley 23, fast on the main shaft. The cord 19.
connects the pulley 20 with the pulley 21, fast on the boss d, by means of which
These pulleys
motion is communicated to the backing-off and putting-up.
are of such dimensions as to allow the pulley 24. to turn with greater velocity
than the pulley 20. To each of the bosses 25, 26, of these pulleys is fixed a.
bevil wheel 27, 28, each being members of a "jack in box" train, the middle
member of which, 29, is fitted on a stud 30, fixed in a flat on the shaft 31,
communicating with the cam shaft 1 by means of the two spur wheels 32, 33.
The wheel 33 has a pin 34 attached to it, situate within a concentric slot
formed in the plate 35, fixed on the cam shaft 1. This slot is of such length
as to allow the cam shaft 1 to revolve so far as to permit the lever 2 to drop
into the ratchet tooth 5 on the bevil 6, by which, as herein-before described, .
the roller carriage and spindles are stopped. This movement of the cam shaft
is all that it obtains until the velocity of the pulley 24 has become less than
that of the pulley 20, and so as to enable the pulley 20 to communicate a
gentle motion to the cam shaft until it has reached the second stopper on the
can . When it has reached this stopper, the crank pin 36 in the end of the
shaft 31 has pressed the friction for backing-off into, gear, by means of
the connecting rod 37 and stud fixed in the plate 38, to which the fork 39 is
also fixed, communicating a vibratory movement to the shaft 40, on which the
backing-off and in-taking m friction apparatus are fixed. When the tin
roller is reversed, the bevil wheel 41 is also reversed, being fixed on it.
This

page_text: bevil is a member of a "jack in box" train, 41, 42, 43, of which the opposite
member 43 is loose on the tin roller shaft 44, but is slightly detained in the
present position of the carriage by the break 45, pressed on to the grooved
pulley 46, fixed on the bevil 43. This break is acted on by the arm 47,
(across the frame on which the adjustable plate 48 is fixed; one end of this
plate 48 comes in contact with the one end of the lever 49, loose on the front
faller shaft 50, whilst the other end of the lever, by means of the connecting
rod 51, draws back the catch lever 52 on the stud 53, fixed on the carriage
bottom by means of a bracket. To the top end of this catch lever 52 is
attached an elastic band or spring 54, the other end of which is fixed to the
upright arm of the break 45, and pulls it into contact with the pulley 46,
above described, by which the bevil wheel 43 is detained during the time of
backing-off. The intermediate member 42 of the "jack in box" train is bung
on a stud or arbor in the shaper plate 55, turning loose on the tin roller shaft
44, and at half its velocity, when the member 43 is detained. This shaper
plate 55 is formed so as to allow the fallers to go down at the precise rate at
which the yarn is unwound from the spindles in backing-off. A.lever 56 with
an antifriction roller 57 rests on the surface of the shaper plate 55, and com-
municates with the faller shaft 50 by means of the connecting rod 58 and the
arm 59, fixed on the faller shaft. The connecting rod 58 has two notches at
its top end, against which the stud 60 in the arm 59 rests on the outermost,
until the carriage has reached, the farthest distance from the rollers, when the
top of the rod 59 above the notches comes into contact with the bracket 61,
fixed on the headstock frame, by which the notch is dislocated, and the faller
drops, until it is detained by the stud 60 coming against the second notch, when
it will have reached within three-eights of an inch of the point of the spindles.
When there, the shaper plate begins to move with the tin roller; the faller
wire is nearly at the point of the spindles, so that no loose yarn is backed off
which is not taken up by the faller wire; and from the formation of the shaper
plate this movement is maintained, and the yarn backed off till the faller
wire has reached the cop, when it is stopped by the following means, sce
Figs. 2, 3, 4-An arm 62 is fixed on the faller shaft 50, having a stud in it,
marked 63, to which is attached a connecting rod 64, communicating with the
builder frame 65 by means of a stud 66. The builder and frame move on a
stud 67, fixed in a slot in the carriage 68, by which it is adjustable.to spindles
of different lengths and angles, and is furnished with the common screw shaper
and ratchet wheel, which it is not necessary here minutely to describe, as they
are common to all self-acting mules. By means of the connecting rod 64,
described above, the builder frame drops with the faller, and when the wire

page_text: reaches the cop, the shaper 69 stops on the top of the rod 70, which rests on
the race 71, suspended upon two fixings, one at each end of the stretch, to be
afterwards described. When the shaper 69 is nearly at the stopper 70, it acts
upon a stud 72 in the end of the lever u, moving on the stud v in the carriage
end 68, which, by means of the rod t from its other end, before referred to, lifts
the horizontal arm of the bell crank w still further, and liberates the cam shaft
from the second stopper in the cam z, hitherto detained by the vertical arm of
the bell crank, when the cord 19 will turn the cam shaft until the cam 73 is
stopped on the vertical arm of the bell crank 74 at the other end of the head-
stock frame. By this movement of the cam shaft, the crank pin 36 will have
pressed out the backing-off friction l, and pressed in the in-taking friction m,
and also brought the cam 74 into such position as will admit of the cone 75
dropping into geer with the bevil wheel and clutch 76, by means of the rod 77
and fork 78, to which the rod 77 is attached; the antifriction roller on the rod
77, which keeps the cone out of geer, being now opposite a notch in the cam
74, made of such depth as to allow the cone 75 to drop freely into geer; also
the wiper 79 will have traversed the cross bar 47, so as the adjustable plate 48
will be clear of the end of the lever 49 on the faller shaft, by which the
member 43 of the "jack in box" train was detained, and the shaper plate 55
thereby be released; also, a wyper 80 on the boss of the cam 74 will have
pressed down the rod 81, communicating with the lever 82, moving on a stud
83 in the carriage end, and having a catch on the opposite end, by which the
break rod 84 and break 85 are brought in contact with the pulley 86 on the
tin roller shaft 44 through the action of the spring 87, distended by means of
the bell crank 88, on the horizontal arm of which is an antifriction roller 89,
which is raised up by the inclined plane 90, fixed on the bracket 91 on the
floor, and thereby the vertical arm is made to distend the spring through
which the break is brought into contact with the tin roller pulley 86. This
break stops the overrun of the backing-off, and enables us to back off more
rapidly and accurately than before. As the backing-off gives more yarn off
the spindles than the descent of the faller wire is capable of taking up in con-
junction with the shaper plate, before described, we put a small ring and chain
127 on the faller shaft 50, communicating with the under faller shaft weight
92, by which it is permitted to descend, according as the cop is empty or filled,
thereby raising the under faller wire nearer to or a little above the point of the
spindles, to take up the yarn unwound from the spindles during the backing-off
which the faller wire cannot take up. The carriage now begins to move, in
being drawn by the cord 93, as described in the Specification before referred
to, dated Eighteenth December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two,

page_text: which cord drives the pulley 94 at a uniform rate. The velocity communi-
cated to the carriage is controlled by the cone 75, also turned at a definite
velocity by the wheel 95 and pulley 94. When the cop is just beginning
to be formed, the cord 96 wound on the sinall part of the cone 75 allows
the carriage. to move at a slow pace, while the cord 93 is employed in
turning the spindles at the velocity due to the proper winding on of the
yarn. When the cop increases in size the carriage requires to move quicker,
because the carriage and spindles being driven from the same definite motion,
the carriage must be allowed to go quicker in proportion, as the increased size
of the cop makes it necessary to drive the spindles slower. By adopting this
method the motion of the carriage must be accommodated to the size of the
cop, and varied accordingly, so that the under faller is capable by its sensitive-
ness to, impart by any apparatus suitable the proper velocity to the carriage.
The cord 96 is wound 'on the spiral 97, as well as on the cone 75. On the
bottom of this, spiral is fixed the worm wheel 98, geered into the worm 99,
fixed on the shaft 100. On this shaft is also fixed a pulley 101, and a loose
pulley 102, communicating with the tin roller by means of a small strap 103.
On the under faller shaft.104 is fixed the arm 105, into which is fixed the stud
106, on which the rod 107 is hung, staid at the bottom by the stand:108, fixed
in the carriage rail. Two small fixings 109 on this rod carry a small shaft. 110
parallel with it, and having on the foot of it a quadrant pulley 111, covered on
the curved surface with leather. There is also a cam 112 on this small shaft,
which takes into the groove or gutter in the sliding bar 113, to which the
strap fork 114 is fixed, by which the small strap 103 is traversed. A small
spring or weight 115 is fixed to this bar to pull it back. A part of the race 71
is covered with leather, so that when the under faller indicates the tightness of
the yarn by being pulled down, it also draws up the friction quadrant 111, in
contact with the friction part of the race, which contact moves the small shaft
110 round till the cam 112 pulls the sliding bar 113, and the strap 103 is
traversed on to the fast pulley 101, by which means the spiral 97 is caused to
yield a portion of the cord 96.to be wound on the cone 75, and the motion of
the carriage will be accelerated during this stretch by the amount of cord thus
unwound, and permanently afterwards, by the new position which the cord 96
will take up on the surface of the cone 75. The spiral shaft 97 and cone
shaft 75 are continued down further than is necessary to the operations above
described, and by these continuations two ends are accomplished. On the
bottom of the cone shaft is fixed the spiral.cone 116, and on the bottom of the
spiral shaft is fixed the barrel 117;. these are connected together by the cord
118. This cord is kept. tight by the weight 119, suspended over the pullies

page_text: in thickness.
120, and communicating with the cord 118 by means of the block and
sheave 121, to which the cord 122, by which the weight 119 is suspended, is
fixed. By means of this weight the cord 96 on the cone and spiral is kept
tight, and whatever is uncoiled from the one is placed on the other; likewise,
when the carriage is coming out, the cord 118 pulls the cones 75 and 116
round, the weight 119 preserving an equilibrium throughout the stretch.
But another object which the cord 118 accomplishes is in turning the pulley
123, fixed on the screw spindle 124, fitted in the frame 125, fixed to the
floor. On the screw 124 is fitted easily the nut 126, fastened on the race 71.
By this connection, when the cord is unwound from the spiral 97, this screw
124 is caused to turn, and the race 71 is moved higher, so as to lengthen
the chase of the cop in proportion as it increases in thickness; and in conjunc-
tion with the adjustment apparatus for tempering the motion of the carriage
and spindles, acting also as the friction bar 71, above referred to, by which
the motion of. the carriage is varied, it gives the advantage in this case of
making each succeeding adjustment less in amount as the cop bottom proceeds
It is not necessary that the friction bar and race should be in
one piece, as the motion may be communicated to a separate bar from the
race by any suitable apparatus, which a common mechanic may design and
construct. For different counts also this bar may be lengthened, or the worm
wheel 98 may be changed. The sensitiveness of the under faller 104 is
regulated by the weight 92, connected with it by means of the chain and
pulley 128. The pulley 128 is attached to the arm 129 on the under faller
shaft 104. The opposite end of the chain 128 is fixed to the stud 180, which
is also, fixed to the ends of two levers, one of which is shewn at 131, and
holds them together. These levers are fitted to vibrate easily on the carriage
arbor 132, and between them and fixed on this arbor is a pulley 133. To the
stud 130, by which the two levers 131 are connected, are fixed the two ends of
a cord 134, which passes over the pulley 133. At one end this cord is attached
to the stud 130 by an adjustment screw, by which the friction of the cord on
the pulley may be regulated so as to lift the weight 92, by which the under
faller is rendered sensitive. While the carriage is coming out, the carriage arbor
turns so as to leave the weight entirely resting on the chain 127, by which it
is connected with the upper faller, the action of, which has been previously
described. When by this action of the upper faller during the backing-off, the
under faller wire has been allowed to press gently on the yarn, and the carriage
has begun to move inwards, the carriage arbor turns in the direction by which
the pulley and cord 133, 134, will raise the weight 92, so as to enable the
under faller 104 to take up the yarn; according to the manner. in which the

page_text: spindles are allowed to turn for a longer or shorter time by the motion of the
carriage, regulated
the cone. When the carriage has reached the roller
beam, or nearly so, the antifriction roller 135 (see Fig. 1), on the lever 136,
fixed on the end of the break lever 45, is raised by means of the adjustable
inclined plane 137, fixed on the headstock frame. By this means the shaper
plate raises the faller to its proper position while the twist is being put in ;
but as the angle which the thread, when the carriage is at the roller beam,
makes with the spindle is more obtuse, and consequently nearer a straight
line than when the carriage is at the out end of the stretch, it will take on
the number of coils necessary to wind the yarn to the point of the spindle with
a less quantity of free yarn than it will leave loose at the backing-off from
the alteration of the angle (then approaching nearly to a right angle); so the
shaper plate, left at liberty when the backing-off is completed by its being
heavier on one side, moves farther than the backing-off turns it, and allows
the uppermost notch on the rod 58 to fall in below the stud 60 in the arm 59
on the faller shaft; and the shaper plate being formed somewhat irregular,
increasing in the rapidity of the approach of the curve to the centre as it
comes nearer to it. By this means the faller is lifted to the spindle point a
little sooner by the motion of the tin roller than it is allowed by the same
motion reversed to fall to the point of the cop; at the same time the anti-
friction roller 138 (see Fig. 5) on the end of the lever 139, mounted on the
stud 140, fixed in the carriage foot, comes in contact with the inclined plane
141, fixed on the floor. To this lever 139 is also attached the one end of
the connecting rod 142, the other end of which is attached to the lever 131
on the carriage arbor 132 by means of the stud 143, fixed in the lever 131.
By means of the inclined plane 141, and connecting rod 142, the levers
131 are raised, so as to allow the weight 92 to be sustained wholly by the
chain 127, attached to the upper faller, and the under faller wire is allowed to
assume its position below the yarn during the time of twisting. At the same
time also the stud 144, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) in the faller arm 145, comes in
contact with the horizontal arm of the bell crank 74, by which it is raised,
and the vertical arm thus relieves the cam 73, which is moved by the cord
19, as herein-before described, turning it. until the crank pin 36 has pulled
out the in-taking friction m, raised the catch lever 2 out of the tooth of the
ratchet wheel 5, fixed to the bevil 6, which thus allows the bevil 7 and its
stud 10, and the connecting rod 11, with the roller wheel 15 and carriage
wheel 14, and also the strap fork c and its connecting rod 17, to be pulled by a
spring, fixed at one end to the back rail of the headstock, and at the other to
a pin in a washer, fixed on the strap fork connecting rod 17, which restores the

page_text: is
movement above named to the positions herein-before described as suitable for
twisting and drawing out. Besides the mode already described, by which the
variation is imparted to the carriage motion during the inward run, other
modes may be employed without affecting the principle by which it is accom-
plished; for instance, a pulley for the carriage band may be made in segments
capable of being contracted at one end, so that when the base of the cop
formed, a conical periphery will be the acting medium. Also, the cord may
give place to a chain, and instead of the surface of the cone 75 being rendered
adhesive by a leather covering, it may be traversed at right angles with
grooves, so as to be covered with small teeth, into which the cord may take,
according as it is directed by the spiral on the carriage, and by which it will
be prevented from slipping towards the apex of the cone.
Another part of our Invention consists in a new mode of backing-off,
represented in Fig. 6, 7. 150 represents the tin roller; 151, the spindle
cords; 152, the spindles, having two whaves, the upper one fast, the under
loose, and resting on a slight collar cut in the spindle, or fixed on it; 153 is a
shaft, passing the whole length of the carriage, arms 154 projecting from
which carry a rod 155 above the cords 152. This shaft 153 is connected
with the faller 50. On the faller shaft is placed a cam 156, communicating
with the shaft 153 underneath by a connecting rod 157, and pressed against
the cam 156 by counterpoise weights. 158 is a catch lever fixed on the
carriage, provided with a projecting notch 159, on to which an arm 160,
fixed on the shaft 153, rests, when the faller cam 156 has pressed the rod
155 down, so as to traverse the cords on to the loose wharves. These
loose wharves are made a little broader than the fast ones, and slightly
tapered, so as to disincline the the cords to work on them. The rod 155,
after having passed them from the fast wharves, continues to press them still
farther, and the edge of the rod 155 comes in contact with the flanges on the
fast wharves and stops them, until the faller wire, having descended so far as
to rest on the yarn, it is pressed past them, and the arm 160 then takes into
the notch 159 on the lever 158, and detains the shaft in this position until the
faller, having descended to the cop and disengaged the cam shaft, as herein-
before described, the cross bar 47 (see also Fig. 2), by the projection 48,
strikes out the catch lever 158, and the cords, liberated from the pressure of
the rod 155, replace themselves at the first motion of the tin roller on the
fast wharves. It may sometimes occur that the yarn will be too fine to turn
the spindles back, in which case a bar 161, covered with felt or other elastic
substance, is put in front of the spindles, so as when the cam 156 presses the
shaft 153, so as to put the cords on the loose wharves, a series of arms 162

page_text: will draw in the bar 161 against the spindles. This bar 161 is pushed on
end by means of the descending of the faller operating on the bell crank 168,
which communicates with the faller by means of the rod 164; and with the
bar by means of the other arm of the bell crank 163. The arms 162, by
which the bar 161 is pressed against the spindles, are furnished with anti-
friction rollers 165, by which it is allowed to pass easily along. On this
principle, the spindles, being separated from the motion given to the tin
roller and the other parts of the mule, can be stopped and reversed at once
and with great rapidity, while those other parts are not subjected to that
sudden stoppage and reversing which occasions breakages, or makes the parts
cumbrously heavy.
A modification of our method of traversing the driving strap is shewn at
Fig. 9. as applied to that arrangement of mule known as Sharp and Roberts'.
On the cam shaft a is the cam b, by which the strap fork c is moved by
means of the pin:d. This fork is connected by a pin e to a sliding hand rod f
capable of being held in definite positions by notches g; the connection is made
by the pin e, attached to the fork lever, and passing through a slot formed
in the sliding rod f; the said pin also projects into a circular fixed slot h, the
centre of which is. the pin d. When the sliding rod f is shifted by hand,
the fork lever will shift the strap, by turning upon the pin d as a centre, and
during the self-acting operations its centre of motion will be the pin e, by
which means the said lever may be moved without disturbing the position
into which the mule has brought by the cam b in the course of working.
The concentric slot h is not absolutely necessary, for although it ensures a
greater accuracy, the motion required is so small that the pin e of the fork
lever may simply be connected to a sliding bar. Fig. 10 shews in plan view
another method of accomplishing the above object. In this instance the
cam 6 is mounted upon the shaft a, so as to be capable of sliding thereon by
means of a groove and feather, and upon it is formed a grooved boss i,
embraced by a fork j, which is attached at its lower end to the sliding hand
rod f. The strap fork is shewn at c carrying the pin d, upon which the cam
operates, and attached to a bracket k, capable of sliding upon the shaft a.
Upon the rod f being moved, the fork i will cause the cam 6 to slide upon
the shaft a carrying the strap fork c with it by means of the pin d, and
guided in. its motion by the bracket k, which is prevented from turning upon
the shaft by means of a rod situate below, and passing through a guide
in the framework.
::
A. third method of accomplishing the above object is shewn at Fig. 11:
The cam is, as.before-shewn, at b, and the pin upon which it acts, at d; this pin

page_text: extends from the sliding bar m, furnished at its upper side with a toothed rack,
in gear with which is a pinion n, mounted so as to be capable of turning upon
the sliding hand rod f; in gear with the other side of the pinion is a rack,
formed upon a sliding 'bar, which carries the strap fork c. During the self-
acting operations, the bar m by moving to and fro will communicate motion
to the strap fork c through the medium of the pinion.n, and the same effect
will be produced by hand: by sliding, the bar, and with it the pinion n: This
part of our improvenients is also applicable to the traversing of straps of other
machines in which it is desired that there shall be a self-acting shifting of
the same, with an arrangement for effecting the doing this by hand without
disturbing the relative positions of the parts left by the working of the
machine.
Fig. 12 shews, as an example, the adaptation of this part of our Invention
to a planing machine turned by one strap only. The driving shaft has
three pullies a, b, c, of which the centre one b is loose; the strap fork d is
mounted upon a lever e, to which is jointed an arm f, by which it is connected
to the ordinary rod-g, through which the self-acting traversing of the strap
is effected. To the lever e is also connected the hand lever h, capable of
being retained in positions answering to the several pullies by notches
formed in the framework. During the ordinary working of the machine, the
arrival of any part thereof in connection with the rod 9 will shift the driving
strap, by causing the lever e to turn upon the centre i, at this time held
stationary by the notch in which the lever h is situate. When it is desired
to traverse the strap by hand, the lever h is to be moved, so as to cause the
lever e to turn upon the centre e*. When two straps are used, the action,
except in having two forks instead of one, is precisely the same, but the
middle pulley will in that case be fast. In screw-cutting lathes, the reversing
motion; as in the planing machine, is sometimes applied, and by the same
arrangement of strap forks the stopping of the lathe will be under the control
of the workman. From these examples of the application of this part our
Invention, its adaptation to other machines and under modified forms will be
apparent to all competent persons.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim, as secured to us under the above in part recited
Letters Patent,—
Firstly, as applied to preparing and spinning machinery, driving the
machines through the medium of conical pullies, friction surfaces, or other
apparatus, by means of which the spindles or bobbins may be caused to vary

page_text: in speed as the material accumulates thereon, such variation being continuous
or at regular intervals, governed by the rise and fall of the copping rail in
preparing machines, or by the traversing of the carriage in mules. As applied
to mules, we claim, firstly, so regulating the speed of the carriage in going in,
that when the spindles are bare, its speed shall be lower than when the base
of the cop has been.formed..
Secondly, the connection between the under and upper fallers, above
described, and the model in which the sensitiveness is imparted to the one,
and the change produced on the operation of the other..
Thirdly, weighting the faller, so, as to cause, it to drop, down, during the
backing-off, regulated, if desired, by a shaper plate; also raising the faller, by
the shaper plate when the "carriage is at the roller beam; also we claim the
use of friction apparatus for working this shaper.
Fourthly, we claim driving the cam shaft which ; effects the, changes, by
means of a band, or other friction apparatus which will slip while the said
shaft is to be detained."! :
* P *.
!
Fifthly, we claim the use of loose, wharves upon the spindles,for,, the
aforesaid purpose, and also the use of friction bars described in conjunction
therewith. *
Sixthly, we claim the double-acting, strap. forks above described; and any
modifications thereof as 'applied to' mules, and also to other machines in which
the like conditions exist. ::
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robertson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five."