IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES.
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Rothwell, of the firm of Taylor, Lang, and Co.,
Castle Iron Works, Stalybridge, in the County, of Chester, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES.".
Sealed the 18th July 1856, and dated the 24th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Rothwell at the
Office of the Commissioner's of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
January 1856.
I, CHARLES ROTHWELL, of the firm Taylor, Lang, & Co., " Castle Iron Works,"
Stalybridge, in the County of Chester, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for." IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES" to be as follows:-
My improvements relate principally to self-acting mules, for spinning fine
numbers, and consists in certain arrangements of mechanism, whereby, the
carriage is caused to move out at: less, speed and the spindles, to revolve at
greater speed during the latter part than at the first part of the stretch, by
which means the required amount of twist will be better put in the yarn, or
thread. The change of speed in the carriage is accomplished by disconnecting
the gear producing. the outward motion of the carriage during the first part
of the stretch, and at the same time,bringing into operation other gear to
produce the slower motion, the disconnection and connection of the gear being
produced by the carriage striking on levers or latches or from the "cam
shaft"

page_text: The increase of the velocity of the spindles may be produced by gear in
connection with a loose pulley on the first motion or "rim-pulley "shaft," the
driving belt being on a pulley fast on the shaft for the first part of the
"stretch," then changed on to the pulley loose on the shaft for the last part of
the "stretch," or the strap may always remain on the loose pulley, and may
be connected and disconnected with the shaft by a clutch box arrangement. in
such manner, that when the shaft is diconnected with the pulley it will be
connected with the gear which the pulley drives to multiply the motion of
the shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 1
by the said Charles Rothwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
ROTHWELL, of the firm of Taylor, Lang, and Co., Castle Iron Works, Staly-
bridge, in the County of Chester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Rothwell, Her especial licence that I, the said Charles
Rothwell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Rothwell, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES," upon the condition, amongst others, that
I, the said Charles Rothwell, 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 Charles Rothwell, do liereby 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).:-

page_text: My improvements relate principally to self-acting mules for spinning "fine
numbers," and to that class known as "Roberts' self-acting mule."
My Invention consists in certain arrangements of mechanism, whereby the
carriage is caused to move out at less speed and the spindles to revolve at
greater speed during the latter part than at the first part of the "stretch," by
which means the required amount of twist is better put in the yarn or thread.
The slow movement of the carriage commences when the rollers have
ceased to deliver, and is termed "after draught." I shall first describe the
arrangements for producing the "after draught," and in doing so shall refer to
the annexed Drawings, wherein the same letters and figures of reference
denote the same and corresponding parts. In "Roberts' self-acting mule"
the "taking-out drum" is placed generally in the middle of the headstock,"
the band from it passing round a pulley at the front part, and one at the back
part of the "headstock"; but some makers have changed its position, having
placed it in the position of the pulley employed at the back of the head-
stock, by which arrangement it is made to answer the purpose of that pulley,
and the "taking-out drum " as well.
Now, in applying my improvements, if the "taking-out drum" is not in the
middle of the "headstock," I apply a pulley or drum in addition to the
'taking-out drum" about the middle of the "headstock," and pass the band
from the "taking-out drum" round this additional drum two or three times,
so that it may when revolved have sufficient hold of the band to move the
carriage for the "after draught." But this additional drum or pulley is
perfectly free, and is driven by the band passing round it at all times, except
when required to give the movement to the carriage for the "after draught,"
when it becomes the driver.
Figure 1 is a plan view, Fig. 2 a side sectional elevation, and Fig. 3
an end view, shewing portions of the "headstock" part of a self-acting
mule constructed on "Roberts' principle," and the mechanism forming one
modification of my improvements. In the modification represented by
these Figures the "taking-out drum" is supposed to be at the back of the
"headstock." A, framing; a, the pulley added, round which the band b¹
passes from the "
taking-out drum b, and then round the pulley b², at
the front of the "headstock," the ends of the band being secured to the
carriage. The axis of the pulley a is placed in bearings in a frame or forked
lever a', which has its fulcrum on a stud a², secured in a bracket a", attached
to the framing A. On the axis of the pulley a a spur wheel a is secured,
which by the movement of the lever a' up or down may be brought in or out
of gear with another spur
wheel c, which is fixed on the end of a short shaft

page_text: placed in bearings in a bracket c², secured to the framing. This short
shaft c' has keyed upon it-a worm wheel c³, which gears with a worm c¹ keyed
upon the shaft d; that gives motion to the "taking-in shaft" e. The forked
lever a¹ is connected, with another lever f, having its fulcrum on a stud in the
frame at ; the connection of the two levers f and a is made by a swivel
piece A lever piece. f3 is jointed on a stud adjustable backwards or
forwards in the end of the lever-f;-when the carriage.comes out to the point
where the "after draught" begins, the fallers (9), or à suitable projection on
the carriage, strikes against this lever piece f³; and forces the lever fupwards;
and consequently brings the wheel a into geer with the wheel c. The
lever piece has an arm from it with a projection that rests upon the upper.
edge of the lever f; this arm of the lever piece prevents, it. from turning on
its stud when acted upon by the fallers as the carriage moves out, conse-
quently the lever f is lifted by the fallers; but when the carriage moves in,
the fallers cause the lever piece f³ to turn upon its stud, so that they pass
without acting upon the lever f. The lever piece f³ is brought to its position
again when the fallers have passed by the gravity of the arm that rests upon
the upper edge of the lever f. When the lever a¹ is lifted, so as to bring the
wheel a into gear with the wheel c, it is secured in that position by 'a' latch 'h,
that has its fulcrum on a stud h¹, secured in 'a bracket attached to the framing;
this latch catches hold of a projection 'a' from the forked lever a¹.
.There are two arms from the fulcrumn of the latch h; one of them acts as
a weight. to cause the latch 'to take hold of the projection from the forked
lever when it is lifted to bring the wheels into gear; to the other arm ha
rod h³ is jointed, which is connected with a lever h', 'having its 'fulcrum h³ on
a bracket secured to the framing. With this arrangement, when the carriage
has completed the stretch, the fallers g come against the, lever, and thus
pull the rods, and unlatch the forked lever a': The preponderating weight
of the extreme ends of the forked lever.a and lever. f causes them to drop,
and bring the wheels a and c out of gear. .A bracket f*, which forms a guide
for the end of the lever f, prevents it from falling further than is sufficient to
bring the wheels out of geer.
3
Another modification for giving notion to the carriage for the "after
draught" is 'exhibited by Fig. 4, 5, & 6, which are respectively a plan, side,
and end view. In this modification, the pulley or drum a:is on. a shaft.a",
fixed-in-bearings on the framing; or this pulley or drum:a may be considered
the "taking-out drum," as arranged in the middle of the "headstock." In
this modification, a spur wheel a' is keyed on the shaft a*, or on the "
"taking-
out drum shaft," which gears with another wheel-c, fixed. on a short. shaft c',

page_text: carried in bearings on a forked lever a', which corresponds to the forked lever
a¹ in the modification shewn in Figs 1, 2, and 3. The shaft a* or the "taken-
out drum" shaft forms the fulcrum of the forked lever a¹. On the short
shaft c', carried by the forked lever a¹, a worm wheel is fixed, which the
movements of the forked lever a¹ bring in and out of geer with a worm c* on
the shaft d, giving motion to the." taking-in" shaft e. The forked lever a¹
is secured when the worm wheel c³ is in geer with the worm c, by a latch h
on a stud h¹ fixed in the framing. The forked lever al and the latch hare
operated in the same manner, as herein-before explained in reference to
Fig. 1, 2, and 3.
Another modification for giving the slow motion to the carriage for the
"after draught" is shewn by Fig. 7 and 8 respectively, a plan and side view.
a* is a shaft, corresponding to the shaft a, shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. Loose
on this shaft a* is placed a spur wheel at, which geers with one con a stud (c¹)
from a bracket secured to the framing. On the boss of the wheel ca worm
wheel is fixed, that geers with a worm c on the shaft d, giving. motion to
the taking-in shaft e. The spur wheel a bas on one side of it a clutch box
attached, the other side of the clutch box being free to slide on a fixed key..
The clutch box is brought in and out of geer by a clutch forked lever f,
having its fulcrum on a stud f, in a suitable bracket secured to the framing.
The end of this leverf has secured upon it a lever piece f³, acting in a similar
manner to that described in reference to Fig. 1, 2, and 3; but as it is in an
horizontal position and cannot act by gravity, a spring f*, attached to the
lever f, is used to bring it into the proper position after the carriage has
moved inwards. A vertical projection 9* secured to the carriage acts on the
lever piece when the "after draught" is to commence, and causes the lever
f to force the "clutch box" in geer; the same, or another projection on the
carriage, comes against a bell crank lever h, having its fulcrum h' on a suitable
bracket secured to the framing, which acts upon the clutch box lever f, to
force the "clutch box" out of geer at the end of the "stretch."
I have now to describe the manner in which the velocity of the spindles is
increased for the "after draught." The increase of the speed is produced by
causing the motion given by the driving belt to pass through a series of wheels.
Fig. 1 represents'k, the rim shaft; k', the rim, round which the band passes that
drives the spindles; is the fast pulley; m, the loose, pulley; on its boss a wheel
m' is placed, that geers with one m², on which tho friction pulley m³ is secured;
that turns the cam shaft. The wheel m³ also geers with one m' on a shaft m³,
that has a wheel me upon it, that geers with one (¹) on the shaft d, that gives
motion to the "taking-in shaft (e.) The shaft d has also a wheel that geers

page_text: with the wheel for working the "backing-off cones" n. In "Roberts' self-
acting mule" there are only two pulleys on the "rim shaft k, the fast pulley 1,
and the loose pulley m; the driving belt is always partly or wholly on the
latter, which is thus always driven. In the modification shewn by Fig. 1, a
third pulley p is added, for giving the increase of speed to the "rim shaft."
This pulley is loose upon the "rim shaft," and it has a long boss which passes
through the boss of the loose pulley m. Upon the end of the long boss a
wheel p¹ is keyed, which geers with one of less diameter 7¹ on a counter shaft
g, placed in suitable bearings attached to the framing; another wheel q², on
the counter shaft q, geers with one q³ of less diameter, keyed on the "rim
shaft. With this arrangement, it will be seen; that when the driving belt
is on the pulley p, the "rim shaft "k will be driven at greater speed than when
it is on the pulley Z, fast on the "rim shaft."
The arrangement of the pulleys and gear for driving will be better under-
stood on reference to Fig. 9, a sectional view; and it may be again repeated,
that is the pulley fast on the shaft; p is the pulley added, whicli is loose on
the shaft, having a long boss (or it may be keyed on a tube loose on the shaft);
on this long boss or tube the wheel p¹ is keyed. m is the pulley loose on the
long boss or tube of the pulley p (or it may be keyed on a tube) on its boss,
or the tube the wheel m¹ is keyed. When the carriage is moving-out the
driving belt is on the fast pulley l, and at the time the "after draught" is to
commence, the "cam shaft" turns, and the belt cam forces the belt from the
"fast pulley "on to the pulley p, and partly on to the pulley m. When the twist
is put in the "cam shaft" moves again, and the belt is traversed wholly on to
the pulley m; the next move of the" cam shaft "brings the belt back to the fast
pulley. When the belt is in the last position, the pulley m will receive no
motion from the pulley 1; but as the pulley p is driven by means of the wheels
999, and p, though at a slower speed than the pulley 1, motion is imparted
to the pulley m by a click or pawl p³, jointed on the pulley p, that takes into
the teeth of a ratchet wheel p', keyed on the boss of the pulley m. The
click or pawl på is arranged in the same manner as that of the "wind-
ing-on drum" of "Roberts' self-acting mule;" that is, a clip p' is placed on
the boss of the ratchet wheel p³, which acts on a tail piece from the click or
pawl p. When the ratchet wheel p³ moves faster than the click p², the
friction of the click'p on the boss of the ratchet wheel keeps the click out of
the teeth of the ratchet; and, on the contrary, when the ratchet begins to
move slower than the click or pawl, it will immediately enter the teeth of the
ratchet. A stop is fixed to prevent the click or pawl from lifting more than
sufficient to clear the teeth of the ratchet.

page_text: Fig. 10 is a sectional view of another arrangement for giving an increased
speed to the "riin shaft," in which the ratchet wheel and click shewn in Fig.
9 is dispensed with. In this 'arrangement, the fast and loose pulley 1 and m is
placed as in Roberts: self-acting mule." The pulley. p 'for giving the
increased speed is placed on the boss of the loose pulley.m. This arrange-
ment will be understood by inspecting the Figure. When the carriage is
moving out, the driving belt is on the fast pulley 1, and partly on the loose
pulley m; when the increase speed is required; the belt cam moves the belt
from the fast pulley 1 on to the pulley p, part of the belt still remaining on the
pulley m; when the twist is put in, the belt is moved wholly on to the loose
pulley m, and at the next move of the cam shaft back on to the fast pulley 1,
remaining partly on the loose pulley m, by which arrangement it is always
driven by the belt. There is a slight objection to this modification, inasmuch
as the belt, in having to pass from the fast pulley 7 to the pulley p, will for a
moment cease to drive the "rim" shaft k while passing over the middle or
loose pulley m.
Fig. 11 exhibits another modification for imparting. an increased speed to
the "rim shaft," though I prefer either of the two arrangements already
described. In this modification the driving pulleys are the same as in
"Roberts' self-acting mule," the belt being moved by the "cam shaft". pre-
cisely in the same manner; these are the differences: the "fast pulley " is
loose on the shaft, and has a long boss; the loose pulley in is placed on this
long boss, on which also the wheel p' is placed loose. The wheel ³ is placed
on the boss, or attached to the back of "the backing-off cone" n. The wheels
p' and ' geer with the wheels q' and 93 on the counter shaft q, as described in
the other modifications. A double clutch box p³ is placed to slide in a fixed
key on the long boss of the fast pulley 1, so that it can be brought into.geer
with corresponding parts of the "clutch box" on the wheel p¹ and q³. When
the clutch is in geer with the wheel g³, keyed on the rim shaft, the fast
pulley acts as if secured to the "rim shaft," and when in geer with the wheel
p' it is free from the "rim shaft," which is then driven by the wheels p', 'T
and . This double clutch box is worked by a cam added to the "cam shaft,"
which brings it in geer with the wheel p¹ when the increased speed is required,
and brings it in geer with the "rim shaft" when the twist has been put in the
yarn, where it remains till the increased speed is again required.
Having now described the modes of producing the slow motion of the
"carriage" for the "after draught," and the increase of speed in the spindles, I
will now describe the operations of the mule as to their order and time.
When the carriage has got within a few inches of the end of the stretch, or

page_text: .
to the point where the "after draught." is to commence, the carriage is caused
.to act on the lever that releases the "cam shaft," in the same manner as in
mules working without." after draught;" the cam then turns and puts the
"rollers" and "taking-out drum". out of geer, the belt cam passing the belt
on to the pulley. for the quick speed, and at' the time this change is taking
place by the "cam shaft," the fallers (by the momentum of the carriage) act
upon tlie lever to put in geer the slow motion for giving movement to the
carriage for the "after 'draught."
The next change is when the "stretch" is completed, when the carriage"
*puts out of
geer the after draught " motion. When the twist is complete,
the "cam shaft" is again released by the "twist finger"in the ordinary
manner, and it immediately turns, traversing the belt from the quick speed
pulley on to the loose pulley, and puts the "backing-off cones" in geer in the
usual manner, when the fallers descend, and then the "cam shaft" is again
released, making the usual changes (putting into gear the "taking in "); when
the carriage is put up, the "cam shaft" again acts, producing the usual
changes at this point, that is, it brings the belt on the fast pulley, puts out of
gear. the "taking in," and puts into geer the "taking-out drúm "and the
rollers:
I have now particularly described tlie.nature of my Invention, and the modes
in which it may be carried into effect'; I claim as my Invention in self-acting
mules on "Roberts' principle,"
-
Firstly, the arrangements for giving the slow motion to the "carriage" for
"after draught," by geering from the shaft corresponding to the shaft d, or a
prolongation of the shaft ms, Fig. 1, as, herein-beforé described.
Secondly, I claim as my Invention arrangements of geering for producing
an increased speed of the spindles during the "after draught " or latter part of
'the "stretch," as herein-before.described.
Thirdly, I claim as my Invention the combination of an increased speed of
the "spindles and a slow motion of the carriage during "after, draught",or.
the latter part of the "stretch,".as herein before described. *
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Rothwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
CHARLES ROTHWELL. (L.S.) ·