Year: 1887

page_text: We, JOHN CLEGG of the firm of Asa Lees and Company Limited of Oldham in the
County of Lancaster Mule Manager and JOSEPH MOORHOUSE of Ash Spinning
Company of Shaw, near Oldham aforesaid Manager, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention is applicable to those strap forks which are connected to a guide
lever or bar fulcrumed on a fixed centre as in mules for spinning and in other
machinery.
Strap forks actuated by guides working from a fixed centre as above mentioned if
moved quickly to shift the strap from one pulloy to another as necessary in mules and
certain other machines have a tendency to turn up the edges of the strap thus
checking the free movement of the strap and also causing unnecessary friction and
wear.
The object of our improvements is to overcome these defects which are common to
all strap forks actuated from a fulcrumed guide lever or bar.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings reference being had to
the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of a strap fork operated by a guide lever
fulcrumed on a fixed centre and embodying our improvements.
In these views.-
-a is the rod or fixed centre on which the lever b is fulcrumed; to
the lever bis secured by a screw c a guide bar or cross piece d to which are bolted two
studs e e¹ the former being held in a slot d' in which it can be adjusted to suit the
width of the strap; on the studs e e¹ are pivoted the strap forks ff which are
formed with specially shaped surfaces as shown at f2 so as to allow the strap y to pass
freely between them.
In operation when the lever 6 is turned on its axis a so as to move the guide bar d
and shift the strap g by bringing the surfaces f² on the strap fork into contact with
the strap the forks ff swivel on their respective studs e e¹ and adjust themselves
automatically so as to keep the points of contact at constantly parallel to the strap
which consequently slides much more easily on the pulleys and without any

page_text: tendency to turn up at the edges as is the case with the ordinary construction of rigid
guides.
1
In place of forming the surfaces f in one piece with their respective forks ff they
may be made separately as tubes or bushes and placed loosely on studs secured near
the ends of the guides."
We have described a very convenient mode of carrying our Invention into effect a
somewhat similar result might be obtained by employing a box through which the
strap would pass in place of between the forks f¹ the box being pivoted directly
upon the fulcrumed lever d.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The construction use and application of belt shifting mechanism in which the
strap forks or equivalents are self adjusting when operated by or from a guide
lever fulcrumed on a fixed centre substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
2. The combination with self-adjusting belt shifting mechanism of peculiarly
shaped surfaces such as substantially as herein described.
3. The construction and combined arrangements of parts substantially as and for
the purposes herein described with reference to the Drawings.
Dated this 25th day of October 1887.
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for Applicants.
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for Applicants.