IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Oldfield, of the Firm of Oddy and Oldfield,
of the Adelphi Iron Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES FOR
SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 22nd April 1864, and dated the 28th October, 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Oldfield at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th October 1863.
I, EDWARD OLDFIELD, of the Firm of Oddy and Oldfield, of the Adelphi
Iron Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Makers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-
ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
to be as follows:―
My Invention relates to the mechanism by which changes are made in the
working of self-acting mules, and consists in substituting for the ordinary
rotating cam shaft a reciprocating piece having a series of cam slots or paths
in it which act upon bowls on levers connected with the strap guide and the
clutches for bringing in and out of geer the mechanism performing the various
operations of the mule.

page_text: And my Invention also consists in the combination and arrangement of the
reciprocating cam piece with the mechanism giving it motion, also in arranging
the mechanism so as to regulate the backing off to prevent shock when
entering into gear, and also in arrangements for latching and unlatching the
carriage at the end of the stretch. The reciprocating cam piece is arranged
in slides and is connected by a link with that lever known as the "long lever,"
upon one end of which a cam piece is fixed so that a bowl on the carriage may
strike upon the cam piece about the end of the stretch and depress it in two
movements. The first movement will cause one of the paths in the sliding cam
piece to act and put the delivery roller clutch out of gear, and when the second
movement takes place; another cam slot will put out of gear the motion taking
the carriage out, while another cam slot will permit the belt lever to traverse
the belt from the twist pulley to that for giving motion to the backing
off, which will also be permitted to be brought into (gear. The long lever
receives its third movement in the same direction when the backing off is
completed by mechanism in connection with the "fallers," and this allows the
backing off to be put out of gear, unlatches the carriage and puts the motion for
taking in the carriage into gear by a weighted latching lever, and when the
carriage is run in this weighted Intching lever is acted upon by the carriage and
the descent or back
it releases the end of the "long lever" and allows it to fall;
reciprocation of the "long lever" is in one movement, and simultaneously
shifts the driving belt back to the twist pulley and puts into gear the delivery
rollers and the mechanism for taking out the carriage. The cam slot in the
reciprocating piece for the strap lever only acts positively when traversing the
belt to the twist pulley, the opposite movement both for the strap and backing-
off lever being effected by a weighted lever, one arm from which acts upon
the backing-off lever which acts upon the strap lever. The backing-off lever
is connected to the end of the long lever by means of a stud entering a slot in
a piece sliding upon the end of the backing-off lever, so that one can move at
a right angle to the other while each remains in connection with the other.
When the long lever makes its third movement an incline upon the sliding
piece upon the backing-off lever comes against a stud in the framing and forces
the backing off out of gear. The weighted lever for operating the backing-off
and strap lever is lifted by the carriage when it runs in and it is held up while
the carriage is moving out by the sliding piece upon the backing-off lever which
cannot move till the strap lever is permitted to move by the cam slot in the
sliding cam piece. The long lever is held up at its highest point when the carriage
is going in by the said weighted latching lever, which is pushed back by the
carriage when it has run in, and thus the end of the long lever is allowed to fall

page_text: and hold up the weighted latch lever, in fact the long lever and weighted latch.
lever alternately retain or hold each other up. When putting after twist into
the yarn one of the movements may be given to the long lever by mechanism
in connection with the twist wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Olfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
OLDFIELD, of the Firm of Oddy and Oldfield, of the "Adelphi Iron Works,"
Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Oldfield, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Oldfield, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Oldfield, my 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 SELF-
ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Oldfield, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Edward Oldfield, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates to mechanism by which changes are made in the
working of self-acting mules and consists in substituting for the ordinary
rotating cam shaft a reciprocating piece having a series of cam slots or paths
in it which act upon bowls on levers connected with the strap guide and the

page_text: clutches for bringing in and out of geer the mechanism performing various
operations of the mule.
And my Invention also consists in the combination and arrangement of the
reciprocating cam piece with the mechanism giving it motion and with the strap
and backing-off levers.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation of part of a head-
stock of a self-acting mule having my improvements applied, but in which
all the ordinary and well known parts are omitted except such as are necessary
to render my Specification intelligible. Fig. 2 is also a side elevation shewing
my improvements apart from the framing so as to be more readily understood.
The mechanism is shewn in its position when the mule is spinning. Fig. 3
is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 except that the parts are shewn in this case
in their position when the mule is winding the yarn or thread upon the spindles.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation, and Fig. 5 a side elevation of the sliding piece (9)
or part having the cam slots in it. I shall first describe the parts and their
arrangement and afterwards the order and manner in which they act to perform
the operations required.
A is the side frame of the headstock; a, is the rim shaft upon which
are placed the driving pulleys a¹, and backing-off cone (a'); b is the "back
shaft" for taking out or giving motion to the carriage when spinning; c,
the scroll shaft for "taking in" or giving motion to the carriage when "winding
on "the yarn or thread; this receives motion from a vertical shaft (not
shewn in the Drawing) upon which the clutch box is placed for stopping
and starting the motion of this shaft (c); d is the shaft conveying motion
to the rollers which supply the material to be spun; d', being the shaft
giving motion to the rollers. Upon the shaft (d) a clutch box (d) is
placed for connecting and disconnecting the rollers with the driving power.
The mule carriage is represented by e in Fig. 1. All the parts which have
been enumerated are old and well known in their arrangement and con-
struction, and some of the parts herein-after mentioned are also old and well
known, but they are modified either in their arrangement, construction, or
application in carrying my improvements into effect; f is the well known
"long lever" having its fulcrum upon the framing at f¹. This lever at the
end farthest from the rollers is arranged so that it can be held or latched
and operated upon by the carriage, and the mechanism is connected with the
fallers as described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me on the
Twenty-first October in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-one, and numbered 2624, or by any other arrangement of mechanism pro-
ducing or permitting like movements in this end of the lever. The opposite.

page_text: end of the long lever (f) to that above named has a link (2) jointed to it, and
a slot is formed at its lower end into which a stud (ƒ³) can work freely up
and down, this stud being fixed in a weighted lever f* having its fulcrum on
a stud in the framing as shewn. In the position shewn in Fig. 1 the weight
is supposed to be acting to push up one end of the long lever, but this is
resisted till required by the latching arrangements connected with the other
end of the long lever. The slot in the link (f) permits the weighted end of
the lever (f) to be lifted when that end of the long lever is held at its highest
position. This weighted lever (f*) is lifted by the action of a bowl (e) free
on a stud in a bracket secured to the "square" of the carriage, which bowl
when the carriage runs in passes over the treadle fo, jointed to a bracket (f")
secured to the floor of the room at one end and connected at the other end to
an adjustible screw link (f) jointed with the end of the weighted lever (ƒ),
and thus the weighted lever (f) is held up by the carriage when it has
run in, at the end of which movement the roller end of the long lever falls
and the latching arrangement at its other end prevents the descent of the
weight when the carriage goes out. The weighted lever may be arranged as
shewn in dotted line in Fig. 3, that is with the link (f³) attached to the
opposite end of the long lever and to a long lever having its fulcrum at f",
one end of the lever acting as the treadle (✓6) for the bowl (e¹) upon the
carriage. The piece (9), having the cam slots in it shewn detached by Figs. 4
and 5, is placed so as to be able to slide vertically upon the side of the head-
stock framing, as represented in Fig. 1; this sliding cam piece is connected to
the long lever (f) by a link (g') shewn in dotted line in Fig. 1. The lower
end of the link is jointed to a stud in the long lever at g², the upper end may
be jointed to a stud fixed in the sliding cam piece or attached rigidly to it, as
the are described by the stud in the long lever (f) departs but slightly from
a straight line in the length of its movement. In the end of the long lever (f)
and projecting from one side a stud (h) is fixed which is shewn in dotted
line in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; this stud as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 is acting upon
the edge of the upper arm of a three-armed lever (h¹) having its fulerum at
a point (h) in the framing shewn in dotted line. The stud (h) in the long lever
(as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2) prevents the weighted arm of the lever (h¹) from
descending, and by this means keeps the clutch box of the "taking-in" scroll
out of geer, the clutch being worked by a fork carried by the weighted arm of
the lever at (3). When the three-armed lever (h') is in the position shewn in
Fig. 3 the taking-in clutch is in geer and stud in the long lever rests upon the
end of the upper arm of the lever (h¹), and by this means the long lever (f)
is held in the position shewn in Fig. 3, so that these two levers (f and h¹)

page_text: alternately hold each other up.
up
The weighted end of the lever (h¹) is
lifted and thus the taking-in clutch is put out of geer and the long lever (f) is
allowed to fall into the position to hold the weighted end of the lever (h¹)
when the carriage runs in, as a projection from the carriage strikes against
the lower arm of the lever (h¹) when in the position shewn in Fig. 3 and forces
it into the position shewn by Figs. 1 and 2. The backing-off cone (a2) is
worked by a lever (a³) having its fulcrum (a) on a stud in a bracket secured
to the framing as shewn in Fig. 1. The lower end of this lever (a³) is
parallel in form so as to fit a box (a) which can slide freely up and down it,
and to make the box move easily two antifriction bowls are placed in it, as
shewn by dotted line, which act against that side or edge of the lever upon
which the pressure comes. There is also a projection from one side of this
box, shewn in dotted line, which enters so as to slide freely in a slot (ƒ) formed
in or upon the side of the long lever (f) as shewn by this means; the sliding
box (a) can have both horizontal and vertical movement, and at the same
time remain in connection with both levers (f and a²). The sliding box (a³)
is acted upon by an antifriction bowl (f) in a bracket secured so as to be
adjustable upon the end of an arm (¹) fixed on a shaft (*) passing from one side
to the other side of the headstock, and upon the outside end of this shaft a two-
armed weighted lever (³) is fixed, shewn best in Fig. 2. This weighted lever
(3) acts to force the backing-off cone into geer when permitted. The weighted
end of the lever (53) is lifted after each descent by a projection fixed to the
carriage which strikes against the vertical arm of the lever when the carriage
has run in and as the long lever falls at that moment, the sliding box (a³) is
lowered into the position shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, where the antifriction
bowl () is resting against the sliding box, thus holding up the weighted end.
of the lever. But though the pressure of the weight acts upon the sliding box,
the weight is actually supported and held up till required to act by means of
the parts in connection with the strap lever. The strap lever (k) has its
fulcrum (k) on a stud in a bracket secured upon the side of the framing, the
strap guide being fixed on the upper end of the lever in the usual manner; an
antifriction bowl is placed on a stud (2) at the upper end of the strap lever,
which enters the cam slot (k) of the sliding cam piece (g) by which the move-
ments of the strap guide are given or regulated. To the upper end of the
strap guide a latch (3) is also jointed as shown, the end of the latch passes
through a bracket (*) secured to the upper part of the frame, upon which
bracket the latch takes hold when the strap lever is forced to one side. The
end of the latch comes over a finger (*) on a shaft (k), commonly termed a
"twist finger," as it is rotated by the rim shaft so as to make one revolution

page_text: while the twist is being put in each stretch. This finger in its rotation
comes under the end of the latch so that by the time sufficient twist has been
put in the latch will be so far lifted as to be released from the bracket, at which
time the strap lever (k) is acted upon by the weighted lever (³). An adjust-
able bracket (k) is secured upon the side of the strap lever which is made to
touch the side of the backing-off lever (as) when in the position shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2. It will now be seen that so long as the strap lever (k) is held
by either the cam slot (8) or the lach (3) the backing-off lever (a³) will be
held and prevented from acting, but when permitted to act the backing-off lever.
and strap lever will move together in the same direction by the force of the
weighted lever (3). The roller clutch is worked by the lever (d³), having its
fulcrum (d) on a stud in the framing, and the end of this lever carries an anti-
friction bowl which enters its cam slot (d')in the sliding cam piece (9), the clutch
fork being centered at do. The taking-out shaft clutch is worked. by a cam slot
(64) in the sliding cam piece (9) by a lever (6) having its fulcrum (6) on a stud
in a bracket secured to the framing, the clutch fork being centered in the lever
at (63). The shape of each of the several parts are in the form shewn looking
at the side represented, but some of them are cranked and bent at a right
angle to the plane of the view so that they may work without contact with
other parts.
My improved self-acting mules operate in the following manner :-In Figs.
1 and 2 the mule is supposed to be spinning, the carriage moving out, con-
sequently the strap or driving belt is on the twist pulley; the taking-out motion
for the carriage and the rollers are in gear and the " backing-off" and taking-
in motion of the carriage are out of gear. When the carriage has arrived at
the end of its stretch a projection upon the carriage unlatches the long lever
and it falls one step, the sliding cam piece (9) by this means is lifted, and the
taking-out motion and the rollers are put out of gear; the strap lever is also at
liberty to move so far as the cam slot is concerned, but it is held by the latchi
till released by the twist finger when the weighted lever (3) acts through the
bowl () upon the sliding box (a); this pushes the backing-off lever, which
pushes against the strap lever through the bracket (k). The backing off
brings the fallers into action, and when they have made their descent the long
lever is again unlatched and drops the second step, which thus allows the
weighted lever (f) to lift the sliding cam piece (9) to its highest position, and
as the long lever (f) ascends the sliding box (a³) is slided up the backing-off
lever (a³), so as to be released from the bowl (j), and consequently the
backing-off lever (a) withdraws the cone out of gear, and if the cone is not
withdrawn by reaction this is made positive by a stud fixed in the framing so

page_text: that when the sliding box (a³) ascends the incline (6) shown on its edge.
will come in contact with the stud so that it will be forced back. The ascent
of the long lever (j) brings the parts into the position shown by Figure 3, in
which the weighted end of the three-armed lever (h¹) has descended and put.
the taking-in clutch into gear, this takes the carriage in and by the time it has
arrived at its nearest position to the rollers the weighted levers (f' and ³)
have been lifted and the taking-in clutch has been put out of gear and the.
long lever released at the some time, when the descent of the sliding cam
piece will traverse the driving belt on to the twist pulley and bring the " "taking-
out and the rollers into gear. These operations are repeated for each stretch.
When "after twist" is not required the latch (3) is dispensed with, con-
sequently the strap lever (k) and backing-off lever (a³) are moved simultan-
neously with the first descending movement of the sliding cam piece (g).
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention and the mode
of carrying it into effect, and claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, the use of a reciprocating slide having cam slots or paths in it for.
effecting changes in the working of self-acting mules substantially as herein-
before described.
Secondly, the combination of a reciprocating slide having cam slots or paths
with the "long lever" and the other connected parts substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Oldfield, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
EDWARD OLDFIELD. (L.B.)