IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robertson, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELF-ACTING MULES."
Sealed.the 26th April 1867, and dated the 31st October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robertson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
October 1866.
I, WILLIAM ROBERTSON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN. SELF-ACTING MULES," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist, first, in a new arrangement of machinery by
which motion is obtained for placing the faller in position for building the cop
either by the backing off or the inward run of the carriage, or partially from
the backing off and the inward run of the carriage. To effect this purpose
the winding-on chain is passed over one or more pulleys placed upon studs in
a lever or rod or in levers or rods, one or more of which have freedom to
oscillate so far as to put down the faller, being in communication with a
notched pendant rod connected to the faller for that purpose, and herein-after
described. Oscillation in one direction is imparted by a spring or weight
attached to the rods or levers, which uncoils such a portion of the chain from
the winding-on-barrel during the outward run of the carriage as to obtain

page_text: freedom for a counter oscillation by which the faller is placed in position.
The backing off laps the chain previously drawn off by the spring upon the
winding-on barrel, the inward run of the carriage unlaps the chain from the
barrel, force being exerted by both operations so as to move against the spring
the pulley or pulleys above mentioned, with the rods or levers in which they
are placed. The backing off if stopped too soon, that is to say, if not con-
tinued until the faller is locked, leaves a portion of this counter oscillation
uneffected, but as it cannot cease until the cam shaft has been released and
the changes are effected for putting up the carriage, the deficiency is thereby
supplied. It is also obvious that as the cop progresses the faller needs to be
depressed gradually a shorter and shorter distance, and that the length of
the oscillation above described must be varied accordingly; to effect this
purpose the lever, which is connected with the pulley or pulleys above men-
tioned (whether directly or indirectly), and which puts the faller down, is
made in several portions, one portion, which is placed to move easily on a
stud in a bracket fastened to the framing, constitutes a framing for the whole,
one end of a second which slides therein bears against the inside of the locking
plate upon the builder, its other end communicates with a third and slides
with it in the same frame; the end of this third has ratchet-teeth, which cor-
respond with and are fitted to enter similar teeth in the face of a catch
suitably placed on a stud in the framing. When the pendant rod, connected
as hereafter described with a sector on the faller, has been so far raised as
that the builder plate can get into the notch therein, it also drives longi-
tudinally the second and third portions of the lever above described, and
releases the one end from acting on the rod, and throws the teeth at the other
end in gear with the catch, and the counter oscillation ceases. The connection
between the second and third portions above described is effected by a lever
hinged to the third portion and connected with the second; this lever is of a
length and proportion suitable for unlocking the faller by striking a pro-
jecting bracket bolted suitably to the roller beam, and in doing so from its
double connection it keeps the ratchet-ended portion in its position in contact
with the catch, while it moves the second portion above mentioned, so as to
remove the builder plate from underneath the notch in the rod by which the
faller is held in position. When the carriage reaches the roller beam and the
spindles are set in motion for twisting the strain upon the chain is removed,
and the spring above described performs the oscillation by which the lever is
set for repeating the above-described operation.
The second part of my Invention consists in arranging rods connecting the
faller and builder together, so that the cam shaft or its equivalent will be put

page_text: in operation and the backing-off cones or their equivalent made to cease.
actively operating before the faller is locked, and so as the point at which this
is effected may be varied as the cop progresses, and may also be adjustable.
For this purpose two sectors are attached to the faller, one being of definite
radius, the other adjustable from the centre; the one which is of definite:
radius carries by means of a stud fastened thereto the pendant rod above
referred to, one notch on which sits upon the builder locking plate and
enables the builder to govern the building of the cop; the other which
receives and transmits motion from the oscillating lever above described until
it is released from it by the locking of the faller. The sector, which has a
slot by which the radius of the stud therein carrying another pendant rod may
be adjusted, is also connected with the builder, but cannot effect the governing
of the cop. Its pendant rod has a notched plate attached to it, which according
as it is adjusted releases the cam shaft or its equivalent change motion more
or less earlier than the faller is locked by the rod above described and referred
to. If the radii of the studs in these two sectors were of equal length the
relative times of changing effected will be constant, but by making the radii
different these times may be varied, and as the momentum of the spindles at
the termination of the backing off on the bare spindle is generally greater®
than when the spindle is full or the cop completed, the radius of the second-
mentioned sector is set proportionally longer, and the difference of throw is
adjusted to take effect at the locking of the faller at the first-stretch, which
permits a longer time to elapse between the change of the cam shaft or its
equivalent at the beginning of a set of cops than is allowed at the completion
thereof; it also admits of constantly and of purposely completing the locking
of the faller after the carriage has started inwards, or if on occasion the
works are moving slowly of effecting in any stretch when such slowness has
taken place the completing of the motion of the faller during the inward run
of the carriage and before the winding-on has commenced. The pendant rod
attached to the sector of definite radius has thus two notches, one by which
the building of the cop is governed, the other by and upon which the lever
operates, described in my first improvement, and from underneath which that
lever is driven when the faller is locked and the ratchet teeth put in gear, by
which the counter oscillation described is made to cease; this operation
secures that the building of the cop is separated from the winding on, and is
not affected by the peculiar strainings and twitchings to which the winding-on.
chain and its various connected parts are known to be subject.
I wish it to be understood that my Invention may be otherwise modified;
but so as to effect the same end by substantially the same means; „thuš

page_text: instead of giving the winding-on chain freedom to move up during the
backing off, a differential motion may be employed, of which one portion may
be used for the purpose of putting the faller in position and commencing the
winding on, or the winding-on barrel may be placed upon an oscillating arm,
and the same operations may be performed thereby.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERTSON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One, thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Robertson, Her special licence that I, the said William Robertson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Robertson, 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robertson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:―
.
My improvements consist, first, in a new arrangement of machinery by
which motion is obtained for placing the faller in position for building the cop
either by the backing off or the inward run of the carriage, or partially from

page_text: the backing off and the inward run of the carriage. To effect this purpose
the winding-on chain is passed over one or more pulleys placed upon studs in
a lever or rod or in levers or rods, one or more of which have freedom to
oscillate so far as to put down the faller, being in communication with a
notched pendant rod connected to the faller for that purpose, and herein-after
described. Oscillation in one direction is imparted by a spring or weight
attached to the rods or levers, which uncoils such a portion of the chain from
the winding-on barrel during the outward run of the carriage as to obtain
freedom for a counter oscillation by which the faller is placed in position. The
backing off laps the chain previously drawn off by the spring upon the
winding-on barrel, the inward run of the carriage unlaps the chain from the
barrel, force being exerted by both operations so as to move against the spring
the pulley or pulleys above mentioned, with the rods or levers in which they
are placed. The backing off if stopped too soon, that is to say, if not con-
tinued until the faller is locked, leaves a portion of this counter oscillation
uneffected, but as it cannot cease until the cam shaft has been released and
the changes are effected for putting up the carriage, the deficiency is thereby
supplied. It is also obvious that as the cop progresses the. faller needs to be
depressed gradually a shorter and shorter distance, and that the length of the
oscillation above described must be varied accordingly; to effect this purpose;
the lever, which is connected with the pulley or pulleys. above mentionie I
(whether directly or indirectly), and which puts the faller down, is made in
several portions, one. portion, which is placed to move easily on a stud in a
bracket fastened to the framing, constitutes a framing for the whole, one end
of a second which slides therein bears against the inside of the locking plate
upon the builder, its other end communicates with a third and slides with it.
in the same frame; the end of this third has ratchet teeth, which correspond
with and are fitted to enter similar teeth in the face of a catch suitably placed
on a stud in the framing. When the pendant rod, connected as hereafter
described with a sector. on the faller, has been so far raised as that the builder
plate can get into the notch therein, it also drives longitudinally the second
and third portions of the lever above described, and releases the one end from.
acting on the rod, and throws the teeth at the other end in gear with the catch,
and the counter oscillation ceases. The connection between the second and
third portions above described is effected by a lever hinged to the third portion
and connected with the second; this lever is of a length and proportion.
suitable for unlocking the faller by striking a projecting bracket bolted.
suitably to the roller beam, and in doing so from its double connection it keeps.
the ratchet ended portion in its position in contact with the catch, while it

page_text: moves the second portion above mentioned so as to remove the builder plate
from underneath the notch in the rod by which the faller is held in position.
When the carriage reaches the roller beam and the spindles are set in motion
for twisting the strain upon the chain is removed, and the spring above
"'described performs the oscillation by which the lever is set for repeating the
above-described operation.
The second part of my Invention consists in arranging rods connecting the
faller and builder together, so that the cam shaft or its equivalent will be put in
operation and the backing-off cones or their equivalent made to cease actively
operating before the faller is locked, and so as the point at which this is effected
may be varied as the cop progresses, and may also be adjustable. For this.
purpose two sectors are attached to the faller, one being of definite radius, the
other adjustable from the centre; the one which is of definite radius carries
by means of a stud fastened thereto the pendant rod above referred to, one
notch on which sits upon the builder locking plate and enables the builder to
govern the building of the cop; the other which receives and transmits motion
from the oscillating lever above described until it is released from it by the
locking of the faller. The sector, which has a slot by which the radius of the
stud therein carrying another pendant rod may be adjusted, is also connected
with the builder, but cannot effect the governing of the cop. Its pendant rod
has a notched plate attached to it, which according as it is adjusted releases
the cam shaft or its equivalent change motion more or less earlier than the
faller is locked by the rod above described and referred to. If the radii of
the studs in these two sectors were of equal length the relative times of
changing effected would be constant, but by making the radii different these
times may be varied, and as the momentum of the spindles at the termination
of backing off on the bare spindle is generally greater than when the spindle
is full or the cop completed, the radius of the second-mentioned sector is set
proportionally longer, and the difference of throw is adjusted to take effect at
the locking of the faller at the first stretch, which permits a longer time to
elapse between the change of the cam shaft or its equivalent at the beginning
of a set of cops than is allowed at the completion thereof; it also admits of
constantly and of purpose completing the locking of the faller after the
carriage has started inwards, or if on occasion the works are moving
slowly of effecting in any stretch when such slowness has taken place the
completing of the motion of the faller during the inward run of the carriage
and before the winding on has commenced. The pendant rod attached to the
.sector of definite radius has thus two notches, one by. which the building of
-the cop is governed, the other by and upon which the lever operates, described

page_text: in my first improvement, and from underneath which that lever is driven when
the faller is locked and the ratchet teeth put in gear, by which the counter
oscillation described is made to cease; this operation secures that the building
of the cop is separated from the winding on, and is not affected by the peculiar
strainings and twitchings to which the winding-on chain and its various
connected parts are known to be subject.
.
I wish it to be understood that my Invention may be otherwise modified,
but so as to effect. the same end by substantially the same means.; thus
instead of giving the winding on chain freedom to move up during the backing
off a differential motion may be employed, of which one portion may be used
for the purpose of putting the faller in position and commencing the winding
on, or the winding-on barrel may be placed upon au oscillating, .arm, and the
same operations may be performed thereby.
:
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation of one form of my Invention as
adapted to the Invention of "Certain Improvements in Mules for Spinning,"
for which Letters Patent were granted to me and John Muir Hetherington,
dated Fourteenth of November, One thousand eight hundred and sixty;
Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation of the same, the carriage end being
removed and the carriage square shewn in section; Figure 3 is a plan of
a portion of the tin roller shaft exhibiting its connection with the winding-
on barrel; Figure 4 is a detail exhibiting the sliding bar in plan and
elevation: Upon the tin roller shaft a is fastened the well-known spectacle
spring groove a', into which is placed with its ordinary frictional accompani-
ments the spectacle spring a³ for engaging and disengaging the catch a³ on
the stud a from the ratchet a. In my Invention the friction upon a² does
not require the usual amount of strength, as it is only employed to throw out.
the catch when the tin roller shaft is at full speed. The stud a³ is fastened
in the plate a' loose upon the tin roller shaft, and has cast with it or fastened
upon it the pinion a³. The ratchet a is fast upon the tin roller shaft, and
when the tin roller is reversed for backing off the leg of the spring a³, which
takes into the jaws of the catch a³, causes the point of the
catch to engage
This engagement.
itself almost instantaneously with the teeth of the ratchet a.
causes the plate a and pinion as to turn in the same direction and at the same
velocity as the shaft a. The pinion a gears with the wheel 6 loose on the
shaft b. Fastened to the wheel b³, or cast with it, is the barrel b³, commonly
called the winding-on barrel. To this barrel there has been fastened at one
end, and partially lapped thereon, the chain this chain passes over thė-

page_text: pulleys and 68, and is attached to the radial arm screw nut by the
hook 6. The pulley 65 is upon the fixed centre 6º, whilst 6 on the stuḍ 610
is free to oscillate with the lever c on the stud 6" within certain limits, so that
when motion from the backing off is imparted, as above described, to the
pinion as and wheel and barrel & a farther lapping on of the chain upon
the barrel takes place, which pulls the pulley be in the arm c downwards, that,
being the only quarter from which additional chain can be obtained, and in
doing so distending the springs n¹, n'. In the oscillating arm c¹ is placed the
stud 60, which carries one end of the connecting rod c. At its other end c³
is placed on the stud fastened to the lever c, whose stud c passes through
the bracket c in the carriage square A. By means of this connection the
lever. receives motion from and with the backing-off motion. The lever c*
is constructed to act as a support to the sliding bar c' suspended in it, so as
it may partake of its oscillation derived, from the backing off, and also be free
to move longitudinally so far as to throw the ratchet teeth on one end of it
into gear with similar teeth in the catch c. In the position shown in the
Drawing it is represented as having these teeth withdrawn by the action of
the spring co, and as having the end opposite to the ratchet teeth under-
neath the rod d', which thereby in turn partakes of the motion of the backing
off. The rod d' is suspended on the stud d³ in one arm of the bell-crank
lever d³, which is placed on the stud d in the adjustable arm d¹ on the rod d,
placed on the stud fin the sector f¹ fastened on the building faller f. In the
other arm of the bell-crank lever d³ is fastened the stud do, on which is placed
the antifriction roller d'; this antifriction roller bears against the builder plate h,
being pressed against it by the spring d³. This pressure is intensified by
the action of the spring h³, and it will keep the builder plate h constantly
bearing against the rod d. above described so long as this rod presents a.
vertical face to the plate h, the rod d and the bell crank d³ with its pendant
rod d', moving as one piece, and when the end of the pendant rod a actuated
upwards by the motion of the sliding bar received as above described
from the backing off its motion will be imparted by the connection above
described to the building faller f, and will proceed until the builder plate h, by
the rising of the rod d, will come opposite to the notch therein. At this
juncture the sliding bar acting upon the rod d' will through the bell
crank d³, together with the spring and the spring h³, combine instanta-
neously to throw the builder plate h into the notch in the rod d, and release
the sliding bar at the same tine from all strain beyond that which i's own
weight imparts thereto. The sliding bar has an arm projecting downwards
from it, into which is fastened the stud k¹, on which is placed the lever k;;

page_text: into this lever is fastened the stud k, on which is placed the boss on one end
of the rod k³, which at its other end enters and is carried by a small pap or boss:
cast or fastened on the inside of the builder plate: h, against which it presses,;
so that when the plate is thrown into the notch in the rod d, herein-before:
described, it presses the rod forward, which would cause the lever k.to
move shortly on its axis, but this result is prevented by the .pin k fastened in
the sliding bar c, previously described. By means of this pin k* the builder'
plate h, when it enters the notch on the rod d, carries the sliding bar c with it
until the ratchet teeth in the end. thereof come into gear with the teeth in
the catch co, herein-before. described, and the farther movement of the appa-.
ratus by the backing off, is arrested. On the faller shaft f, berein-before
referred to, there is fastened the sector f, having a slot in it; into which is
fastened and adjusted the stud f*, on, which is carried the rod m, having
a. boss at its lower, end formed: longitudinally on it, into which is fas--
tened the stuḍ m², on which is placed, the wing plate m³, swinging freely.
and carried, with its upward movement by means of a shoulder or collar
formed thereon.. The wing of the plate m has a projection on its upper
inside surface, which presses against the end of the builder plate h; it is.
pressed in, turn on its outside by the end of the shaft mt, by which, as is well,
known, the cam shaft is during the backing off kept from changing. When
the projection on the wing plate m³ has risen with the rod m, so that it is
clear above the builder plate h, the shaft m is free to change and to set the
cam shaft, as is well known, in motion to stop the backing off and produce the.
next change. The relation of the locking of the projection on the wing plate
m³ to the notch on the rod d may be varied in two ways; it may have a con-
stant precedence of it if the radii of the studs in the two sectors f¹ and f³.
coincide; it may also be varied differentially if the radius of the stud f* is
greater than that of, the stud f, then the lucking of the projection on the
wing plate m³ will have precedence of the locking of the builder plate h in
the notch of the rod.d by a greater distance at the commencement of the set
of cops than at the finishing thereof, and in practice this will be necessary,
as the movement of the parts engaged in backing off is then considerably
greater and requires greater time to become dissipated. When the works are
irregular, or at stopping times when otherwise regular, it will happen that.
the cam shaft will be changed by the means above described so early that the
motion of the backing off will be exhausted before the builder plate h has locked.
into the notch in the rod d. The carriage will commence to move inwards,.
however, and the chain being strained will continue to draw down the oscil-
lating pully, as before, until the locking has taken taken place. During

page_text: this time the winding on yields to the travel of the faller wire, and thus
accommodates itself to the shortened backing off instead of running up tight
and tending to strain the yarn at the roller beam, as has been the case before
time in similar circumstances. The cam shaft being now changed, the builder
having locked the faller, the sliding plate having geared its ratchet teeth with
those in the catch, all as above described, the teeth in the catch n enter those
in the end of the lever c, formed in an opposite direction to those in c', and
prevent the two counteracting springs n', n', from effecting the counter oscilla-
tion until the carriage has nearly reached the roller beam, which on the bare
spindles after the carriage is halfway in they would do, and so hurt the winding
on at that most tender part thereof; this counter oscillation, if permitted, would
also alter the adjustment of the lever k, herein-after described, by which the
plate his unlocked from the fallers. When the carriage has approached close
to the roller beam the inclined plane o fastened on the floor comes into con-
tact with the downward continuation of the wing plate m³, and restores it to
the position shown in the Drawings. The cam p¹ on the cam shaft p strikes
out the stud p³ in the catch lever n, and the springs n², n³, effect the counter
oscillation. The projecting plate 9 fastened on the roller beam comes into
contact with the lever k, and by means of the rod strikes out the builder
plate h from the notch in the rod d and allows the faller to rise, which it
effects sooner or later according to the distance to which it has been carried
forward at the upper end by the oscillation of the lever during the
backing off, this distance being always greater on the empty spindle, and
diminishing as the cop fills up;
it also keeps the sliding bar c' out of contact
with the rod d' until the faller is raised, as it uses the stud ¹ as a fulcrum by
which to force out the builder plate h from the notch in the rod d. The
counter oscillation being completed the sliding bar c' is drawn under the rod d*
by the spring c, and the apparatus is adjusted for another stretch.
. Another form of this apparatus is shewn on Sheet 2. Figure 5 is a front
elevation, Figure 6 is an end elevation of the same, Figure 7 is a plan of a
portion thereof, and Figure 8 is a detached view of the screw nut and lever
by which the motion of the backing off is arrested. The former arrangement
showed the apparatus as adapted to the existing mode of making the mule
before referred to, patented by me and John Muir Hetherington, dated Four-
teenth November, One thousand eight hundred and sixty, Number (2791).
In the Figures shewn on Sheet 2 there are several parts of the framing and
machinery altered the better to suit the requirements of the apparatus, more
especially the subject-matter of the present Invention. Thus the carriage
square A is raised so that the bottom thereof coincides with the bottom of

page_text: the carriage wood, thereby leaving room for the oscillations of the pulley 6º,
which falls by weight when released at the roller beam instead of being
drawn up by the counteracting springs n', n', as in the method herein-before
described. The builder plate h is here dispensed with, the vertical arm of
the bell-crank lever d³ acting instead thereof, being drawn over the top of the
builder arm x, or a projection thereon, at the time and in the manner herein-
before described with reference to the builder plate h. The lever k and the
rod are also dispensed with, the rod m being continued much lower, and
having an inclined plane me suitably placed on it, by which it is released at
the roller beain, and at the same time releases the vertical arm of the bell-
crank lever ds from the builder arm a. Instead of ratchet teeth in the end
of the sliding bar c' and lever c', by which the motion of the backing off
was adjusted. to the motion of the builder, there is substituted the following
arrangement :-On the builder screw a¹ is fastened the bevil pinion. ², geared
into the bevil on the short diagonal screw a', the nut. of which will
therefore move co-ordinately with the builder screw nut. A projection from
the nut a will come in contact with the projection a on the oscillating frame c,
and will cause its motion to cease as the builder varies during the building of
the cop. The suspended lever has a catch moveable thereon with the
motion of the nut ; this catch being suitably inclined for that purpose on
its lower side yields to the projection a, and permits it when rising to reach
the projection-on the nut, but immediately on its reaching that projection™
it falls behind it, and prevents its falling until the carriage reaches the roller
beam; when it is struck out by an incline on the floor, or by a cam on the
cam shaft, or in any of the ways so well known. The rod m hangs on the
adjustable stud f in the slot of the sector f, as herein-before described, but it
is connected directly to the builder x without the intervention of the wing plate
m³ previously described. It is also directly connected with the rod y, by. which
the cam shaft is retained during the backing off and released near the termi-
nation thereof, as herein-before described, and by which also, through the
cam y acting on bowl y³, on the stud y³ fastened in the slot of the projecting
snug y', the lever y is pressed in the direction suitable for putting the backing-
off cones into contact; this it effects by means of the boss y on the end of
the rod y, placed very freely on the stud z¹ in the boss z, on which the backing-
off friction cone 2 rotates, the boss z being loose on the tin roller shaft v.
When the carriage reaches the roller beam the rod m, which is furnished, with
an adjustable inclined plane for that purpose, is struck out, taking the vertical
arm of the bell crank with it, and thereby releases the faller, permitting it
to rise for another stretch.

page_text: The method shewn on Sheet 2 does not make provision for liberating the
rod d' from the horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever ds; under this
arrangement the faller will be regulated in rising by the chain 6. This regu-
lation, whilst it prevents the faller from rising at the rate at which it is
accustomed to do under the sole influence of the spring usually employed for
raising it, still permits it to rise much more quickly than it is put down. The
chain lies at an angle which permits the faller sooner to reach its destination,
being held by the same points whilst these points are further apart; there is
also a considerable amount of slack chain thrown off at the completion of the
winding on, which permits a free rise of the faller to a limited extent.
arrangement accommodates the well-known difference of rate at which the
yarn is wound on the spindle at the beam as compared with that at which it
can be unwound during the backing off when at the other end of stretch, and
is thus suited at once to prevent the formation of snarls and: to avoid the
cutting of the yarn..
This
. It is obvious that the motion by which the faller is operated, as herein-before
described, may be obtained also by the well-known differential motion which
would permit the chain to remain tight whilst one of its members would put
the faller down and permit it to rise, as herein-before described; the member
of the differential motion so employed being controlled by the ratchet teeth or
regulating screw, as herein-before set forth. It is also obvious that the
motion by which the winding-on chain puts down the faller, and the means
by which its own motion and that of the backing off is caused to cease by
means of a regulating screw, may be applied both to the carriage squares and
to the headstocks of other forms of mules than that shewn in the accom-
panying Drawings; thus instead of attaching the end of the chain by a hook
to the radial arm screw nut, it may be passed over a pully placed thereon
and hooked on to a lever regulated to oscillate as described, and give motion
to the fallers; the backing off may be stopped by the screw connected with
the builder screw.
The double rods on differential radii by which the time of starting the cam
shaft or its equivalent before the faller is locked may be applied to any form
of mule or any construction of builder by any mechanic conversant with such
machinery:
Having now indicated the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I claim as secured to me thereby in
connexion with the mule for which a Patent was granted to me and John
Muir Hetherington, dated Fourteenth November, One thousand eight hundred
aud sixty,

page_text: Firstly, the method described by which the winding-on chain directly or by
the intervention of a differential motion puts down the faller and the motion of
the chain and the backing off are determined on the locking thereof by ratchet
teeth or a regulating screw, whether connected with the builder, as shewn in
the Drawings, or otherwise operated.
Secondly, I claim the alterations in the carriage square, the builder, and the
cam shaft by which the form shown on Sheet 2 is effected.
Thirdly, I claim the method described by which the winding-on chain may
be used to permit the faller to rise at a somewhat regulated velocity.
Fourthly, I claim the differential radii or sectors f¹,ƒ³, and their pendant
rods and connected parts, by which the cam shaft or its equivalent is permitted
to act before the faller is locked and at a differential rate, as herein-before
described.
I also claim any application of the above-named apparatus, or any portion
thereof, to other forms of mules than those shewn in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robertson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM ROBERTSON. (L.S.)
0 Witness,
FRED. HARRIS,
Patent Agent,
35, Southampton Buildings.