IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter McGregor, of the City of Manchester, Machine
Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING
AND DOUBLING."
Sealed tho 2nd October 1863, and dated the 23rd April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter McGregor at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
April 1868.
I, PETER MCGREGOR, of the City of Manchester, Machine Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY:
FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING," to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists, firstly, in an improved arrangement
and combination in machinery for effecting the second draw in mules. On
the side shaft for driving the rollers a worm is fixed, and on the same shaft I
place a frame carrying a worm wheel (gearing into the said worm) and a spur
wheel which gears into a wheel on the back shaft. This frame swivels on the
side shaft for driving the rollers, and when the second draw is to come into
operation the cam in making its change to stop the rollers and carriage in the
usual way allows the spur wheel on the frame to come into geer with the spur
wheel on the back shaft, which drives it at the speed necessary to produce the
second draw.
Secondly, in making the cam for throwing the rollers out and in gear in
two pieces, whereby the throwing out and in parts may be varied in their
relative positions at pleasure; this is of great importance, especially when
applied to mules working with second draw.

page_text: Thirdly, in an arrangement and combination of machinery for pulling the
building faller wire closer to the spindle point as the cop gradually increases
in length, thereby diminishing the amount of backing-off as the set fills. I
place an incline on that part of the builder called the shaper rail, which as
the cop increases is carried forward in the builder by the builder screw; this
incline acts upon an antifriction pulley attached to the faller lock lever hanging
from the building faller. At the commencement of the set the incline in the
shaper rail does not touch the antifriction pulley, but as the set increases and
the shaper rail is moved forward by the screw in the usual way the incline
gradually begins to act on the pulley, and raises the faller lock lever while it
depresses the faller wire. The backing-off chain is kept tight by a chain and
weight, the amount of backing-off is that way diminished as the set increases.
In connection with the above I make the scroll for pulling down the faller the
reverse way to that generally adopted, namely, it begins to pull down the faller
at the small part of the scroll, and gradually increasing the speed of the faller
as it goes further down the spindle, thereby acting more in unison with tho
uncoiling of the yarn from the spindle, the coils being closer together at the
spindle point than at the lower part of the spindle.
Fourthly, an arrangement of machinery for throwing suddenly into gear the
clutch box (or catch when a ratchet wheel and catch are used) for working
the screw of the radial arm and raising the nut or point of attachment of the
chain. Tho catch for ratchet wheel or clutch box lever is kept suspended jut
out of gear by another catch lever, this catch lever is acted upon by another
lever, to which is attached the pulley over which the chain from the building
and under faller is connected in the usual way. When the under faller in
winding on gets to a point sufficiently low that it is desirable to relieve the
winding on the lever with the pulley on, it is arranged to throw out the catch
which holds the clutch-box lever out of gear, thereby allowing the clutch box
to fall into gear suddenly, by this means the teeth of the clutch box do not
wear off at the points as formerly, and a more beneficial and correct action is
given to the screw of the radial arm.
Fifthly, in an arrangement of machinery connected with the builder for
throwing the catch boxes for driving the front rollers into gear, so that as the
cop increased in length the rollers are later in starting. The catch boxes are
put into gear by a lever and spring, this lever is kept out of gear by a catch
which is liberated in the following manner :-To the usual lever connecting
the building faller to the copping rail a rod is connected, this rod is jointed at
the other end to a bell-crank lever attached to the top of the square of the
carriage; at the top extremity of the other arm of the bell-crank lever is

page_text: attached a small catch, which, when the carriage goes in towards the beam.
passes over the top of the catch which holds the catch-box lever out of gear
when the carriage begins to recede from the rollers, the little catch in the end
of the bell-crank lever throws up the catch which keeps the catch-box lever
out of gear and starts the rollers. As the long lever on the top of the
copping rail drops as the cop increases in length, the little catch on the top of
the bell-crank lever is thrown farther over the catch which holds the clutch-
box lever out of gear, and it is consequently that much longer in throwing up
the catch and starting the rollers.
.
If this varying motion is wanted to be brought into operation only after the
set is part finished, I connect the bell-crank lever to an incline on the shaper
rail, which, as the shaper rail moves forward by the screw of the builder in the
usual way as the cop increases, brings the incline to act on the bell-crank
lever at any desired part of cop, thereby throwing the little catch on the bell-
crank lever farther back, and bringing the rollers into operation later, as in
the former plan.
Sixthly, in a mode of attaching the winding-on chain to the radial arm,
whereby a more beneficial action is produced on the winding-on as the cop
increases in diameter. Instead of attaching the chain to the nut in the usual
way, a small pulley is connected to the nut, the chain passes over this
pulley and is attached to a point at the top of the radial arm some distance
from the centre of the screw, and to the side farthest from the barrel. At
the commencement of the cop, the chain being doubled, every movement of
the nut upwards gives out more chain than heretofore, thereby more quickly
releasing the winding-on, but as the nut gives up the angle of the double
chain becomes more obtuse, and consequently gives out less chain in proportion
than when the nut was at the bottom of the screw.
Seventhly, when two scrolls are used for taking in the carriage, I connect
the bands of both scroles to a double lever mounted on a stud attached to the
carriage, so that both bands are kept at a uniform tension.
The last part of my Invention consists in tightening the winding-on chain
as the carriage goes in towards the beam from the shaping rail or other part
of builder.
Near the winding-on barrel a lever is hinged, one end of which carries a
pulley acting on the chain, and this lever is acted upon by an incline, the
angle of which is varied by a lever acted upon by the shaper rail or other part
of the builder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter McGregor in the .Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
MCGREGOR, of the City of Manchester, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Peter McGregor, Her special license that I, the said Peter
McGregor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Peter McGregor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Peter McGregor, my executors or admini-
strators, 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 Peter McGregor, 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 (that is to say):-
The nature of my Invention consists, first, in an improved arrangement and
combination of machinery for effecting the second draw in mules.
Secondly, in making the cam for throwing the rollers out and in geer in
two pieces, whereby the working parts may be varied in their relative positions
at pleasure.
Thirdly, in an arrangement and combination of machinery for pulling the
building faller wire closer to the spindle point as the cop gradually increases
in length for diminishing the amount of backing-off as the set fills. In con-
nection therewith I make the scroll for pulling down the faller the reverse
way to that generally adopted.

page_text: Fourthly, in an arrangement and combination of machinery for throwing
suddenly into gear the catch when a ratchet wheel and catch are used or the
clutch box for working the screw of the radial arm and raising the nut or
point of attachment of the winding-on chain.
Fifthly, in an arrangement of machinery connected with the builder for
throwing the catch boxes for driving the front drawing roller into gear, so that
as the cop increases in length the rollers are later in starting.
Sixthly, in a mode of attaching the winding-on chain to the radial arm,.
whereby a more beneficial action is produced on the winding-on as the cop
increases in diameter.
Seventhly, when two scrolls are used for taking in the carriage, I connect
the bands of both scrolls to a double lever mounted on a stud attached to the
carriage, so that both bands are kept at an uniform tension.
And, lastly, in certain improved combinations and arrangements of self-
acting machinery for tightening the winding-on chain as the carriage goes in
towards the beam.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Draw-
ings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the headstock and carriage of a self-acting mule
to which parts of my improvements are applied; Figure 2 is an end view of
the same.
a is the framing; b, the rim shaft; c, the cam shaft; d, the side shaft for
driving the rollers; e, the back shaft; f, the front drawing roller; g, g', the
radial arm and quadrant; 9, the nut on the screw g³ of the radial arm; his
the carriage; i, the spindles; ;, the building faller shaft; k, the counterfaller
shaft; 1, the tin roller for driving the spindles; and m, the winding-on barrel;
these parts and all the others requisite to complete the mule, which are not
shewn, or not particularly referred to hereafter, are made in the usual manner,
On the side shaft d, for driving the drawing rollers, a worm d' is fixed, and on
the same shaft is hinged the frame n, carrying a worm wheel n', gearing into
the worm d'; to the axle of the worm wheel n' is fixed a spur wheel n³, which
geers into the wheel e' on the back shaft e. The frame n swivels on the side
shaft d, and when the second draw is to come into operation, the cam c' on
the usual cam shaft c, in making its change to stop the rollers and carriage,
allows the spur wheel n on the frame n to come into gear with the spur
wheel e' on the back shaft e, which is then driven at the speed necessary to
produce the second draw. When the second draw is completed the stop h¹ on
the carriage h comes in contact with the weighted lever and liberates the

page_text: lever, the outer end of which is then drawn down by the spring n³; this
action of the lever ', by the rod n, elbow lever n, and vertical rod ³, dis-
connects the wheels n and el. During this operation, and while the twisting
at the head is being performed, the pendant catch ' is over the hollow part
of the lever n', and remains there while the cam shaft performs another
change to start the carriage; the carriage, in performing this change the
cam cagain comes in contact with the bowl on the frame and holds the
wheels and e' out of gear.
When the carriage is running in the pendant
catch a depresses the inclined end of the lever n', thereby charging the
spring and allowing the weighted catch lever to drop under the stud in
the lever ', thus bringing the arts into the position for the next draw.
My improved mode of making the cam for throwing the rollers out and
in gear is illustrated by the Figures 3 and 4. The cam is made in two pieces,
marked o and o'; the part o is fixed to the cam shaft, and the part o' is con-
nected to the part o by set screws passing through segmental slots; by this
means the throwing out and in parts may be varied in their relative positions
at pleasure; this is of great importance, especially when applied to mules
working with second draw.
My arrangement and combination of machinery for pulling the building faller
wire closer to the spindle point as the cop gradually increases in length, for
diminishing the amount of backing-off as the set fills, is shewn in Figure 5.
I place an incline p' on the shaper rail p, forming part of the builder, which
as the cop increases is carried forward in the builder by the builder screw p²;
this incline acts upon an antifriction pulley 7, attached to the faller-lock
lever ', hanging from the building faller j. At the commencement of the set
the incline p' on the shaper rail p does not touch the antifriction pulley 7, but
as the set increases and the shaper rail is moved forward by the screw p² in
the usual way, the incline p' gradually begins to act on the pulley 9, and
raises the faller lock lever q', while it depresses the faller wire. The chain q2,
for pulling down the fallers, sometimes called the backing-off chain, being kept
tight by the chain q and weight q' in combination with the depression of the
wire, as above described, diminishes the amount of backing-off as the set
increases. In connection therewith I make the scroll q³, for pulling down the
faller, the reverse way to that generally adopted, namely, it begins to pull down
the faller at the small part of the scroll and gradually increases the speed of
the faller as it goes further down the spindle, thereby acting more in unison
with the uncoiling of the yarn from the spindle, the coils being closer together
at the spindle point thau at the lower part of the spindle.
My arrangement of machinery for throwing suddenly into gear the catch

page_text: when a ratchet wheel and catch are used, or the clutch box for working the
screw g of the radial arm g, and raising the nut or point of attachment of the
winding-on chain, is shewn in Figure 1.
The catch for the ratchet wheel , or clutch-box lever, when a clutch box
is employed, is kept suspended just out of gear by the catch lever; this
catch lever is acted upon by another lever, to which is attached the pulley,
over which the chain from the building and under fallers ; and k is con-
nected in the usual way, or as shewn in the Drawing. is the usual finger
attached to the counterfaller k, and j' is a lever hinged to the faller stand;
the lever bears upon the segment j fixed to the building faller shaft. At
the commencement of a set of cops the lever is supported by the lower part
of the incline on the segment, but as the bottom of the cop increases in
diameter the lever is rapidly elevated to raise the lever, thereby allowing
a greater depression of the under faller lever k¹ to take place before the catch
is liberated. When the under faller in winding-on gets to a point sufficiently
low that it is desirable. to relieve the winding-on, the lever r, with the pulley
on it, is arranged to throw out the catch lever by means of the stud acting
on the inclined part of the catch lever r, which holds the catch out of gear,
thereby allowing the catch r to fall suddenly into geer with the ratchet
wheel r; by this means the teeth of the ratchet wheel or of the clutch box,
when such is employed, do not wear off at the points as formerly, and a more
beneficial and correct action is given to the screw g³ of the radial arm g. A
set screw passes through the end of the catch lever 1, acting on a projection
from the lever, for drawing the catch r out of gear with the ratchet wheel r¹
immediately the under faller begins to rise. The ratchet wheel r¹ is connected
to the screw of the radial arm by bands and pulleys as usual, as shewn in the
Drawing.
My arrangement of machinery connected with the builder for throwing the
catch boxes for driving the front rollers into gear is shewn in Figure 5; by
this means as the cop increases in length the drawing rollers are later in
starting. The catch boxes are put into gear by the lever s and spring s¹; this
lever is kept out of gear by the catch s³, which is liberated in the following
manner To the usual lever s³, connecting the building faller to the copping
rail t, a rod t is connected; this rod is jointed at the other end to a bell-crank
lever t, attached to the top of the square of the carriage; at the top extremity
of the other arm of the bell-crank lever t is attached a small catch &, which
when the carriage goes in towards the beam passes over the top of the catch st,
which bolds the catch-box lever out of gear. When the carriage begins to

page_text: recede from the rollers the little catch t, in the end of the bell-crank lever t
throws up the catch s, which keeps the clutch box out of gear through the
intervention of the lever s, and starts the rollers. As the long levers on the
top of the copping rail t drops as the cop increases in length, the little catch t
on the top of the bell-crank lever is thrown farther over the catch &, which
holds the clutch-box lever out of gear, and it is consequently that much longer
in throwing up the catch and starting the rollers. If this varying motion is
wanted to be brought into operation only after the set is partly finished, I
connect the bell-crank lever t by the rod t' to a lever t' hinged to the carriage
square; at the end of the lever t' is a bowl bearing on the incline p³, attached
to the shaper rail p, which as the shaper rail is moved forward by the screw of
the builder in the usual way as the cop increases, brings the incline to act
on the bell-crank lever t at any desired part of the cop, thereby throwing the
little catch on the bell-crank lever further back, and bringing the rollers
into operation later, as in the former plan.
My improved mode of attaching the winding-on chain to the radial arm,
whereby a more beneficial action is produced on the winding-on as the cop
increases in diameter is shewn in Figure 1. Instead of attaching the winding-
on chain g' to the nut in the usual way, a small pulley 9 is connected to
the nut g; the winding-on chain passes around this pulley, and is attached to
a stud g at the top of the radial arm g, placed at some distance from the
centre of the screw 93, and to the side farthest from the winding-on barrel m.
At the commencement of the set of cops, the nut being near the fulcrum of
the radial arm, as shewn by dotted lines, causes the chain 9' to be nearly
doubled, consequently every movement of the nut upwards gives out nearly
twice as much chain as heretofore, thereby more quickly releasing the
winding-on, but as the nut goes up the angle of the double chain gradually
becomes more obtuse, and consequently less chain is given out in proportion.
The stud 9 passes through a slot in the radial arm, and the position of the
stud can be varied according to the diameter of the cops and the position of
the nut in the radial arm.
In Figure 6 I have shewn my improved arrangement of machinery which
is applicable to mules in which two scrolls are used for taking in the carriage;
the bands of both scrolls are carried around guide pulleys mounted on the
double lever u, which vibrates on a stud u', attached to the carriage square;
the ends of the bands are then secured in the usual manner to the pulleys u³.
By this arrangement both bands are kept at an uniform tension, for it is
evident that the lever u will accommodate itself to any irregularity in the

page_text: tension of the bands. In the event of one of the bands breaking, the lever u
is held against one of the studs u³, and the carriage can be drawn in by one
band only.
The last part of my Invention, which consists in certain improved com-
binations of machinery for tightening the winding-on chain as the carriage
goes in towards the beam, is shewn in Figures 7, 8, and 9.
In, Figure 7, g is the radial arm; h, the carriage; and m, the winding-on
barrel. The chain g*, in passing from the radial arm to the winding-on barrel,
is taken over the guide pulley v, mounted on a stud projecting from the lever v',
which is hinged to the carriage; to the lever v' is fixed or cast the lever v².
The copping motion is of the usual construction, and is attached to the
carriage, but the shaper rail p is prolonged at one end to receive the stud p³,
which acts on the lever v. The mode of operation is as follows:-The
Drawing represents the parts in the positions they occupy when the carriage is
nearly in and when the set of cops is about completed. When the carriago
is going in, the builder is moving in the direction of the arrow, thus bringing
the stud p against tho lever v³, and raising tho guide pulley v, thereby
tightening the winding-on chain. At the commencement of a set of cops the
levers and are in the positions shewn in dotted lines, and the shaper
rail p having been moved forward in the usual manner by the screw p³ until
the studs of the copping rail are supported by the higher parts of the inclines
of the shaper rail, the stud p³ will then not come in contact with the lever v²,
no tightening of the chain being then required; but after the bottom of the
cop is formed, the shaper rail being gradually moved in the direction of the
arrow, brings the stud p° in contact with the lever v³, which, with the lever v',
is raised to a greater height at every stretch until the set of cops is complete,
when they assume the positions shewn in the Drawing.
Figure 8 represents a modification of this part of my Invention. In this
instance a long builder of the usual construction is employed, and instead of
the stud po, for acting on the lever v2, the incline pº, attached to the sbaper
rail p, acts on an antifriction bowl at the end of the lever v².
Figure 9 represents another modification of this part of my Invention. In
this instance the tightening stud or pulley is connected to the radial arm g.
This pulley is mounted at the extremity of the lever w, jointed to the radial
arm g. To the lever w is connected the link to, the lower end of which is
furnished with a slot fitting on a stud in the lever x, to which is jointed the
catch, taking in the retaining rack 2; the lever a is fixed to the same axle
as the lever a, which is acted upon at every stretch, after the bottom of the
cop is finished, by the stud p³ fixed to the shaper rail p. The dotted lines

page_text: represent the position of the parts when the bottom of the cop is completed,
and before the chain requires tightening. The stud p being gradually
moved in the direction of the arrow by the builder screw p² in the usual
manner, gradually raises the lever a, thus moving the lever x and stud a',
consequently as the radial arm g descends, the link w' acting on the lever w
draws down the pulley v, and tightens the winding-on chain in proportion to
the position of the lever x. The lever zu is drawn back against a stop by the
spring was the radial arm rises when the carriage is coming out. The full
lines shew the position of the parts when the set of cops is complete. I wish
to observe that instead of acting on the lever by the stud p in the shaper
rail, a suitably shaped lever may be acted upon by a stud in the copping rail t
or in the lever s³, shewn in Figure 5, as they descend, in proportion to the
increased length of the cop.
The dotted lines in Figure 8 represent the mode of applying the arrange-
ment shewn in Figure 9 to a mule furnished with a long builder. In this
instance the stud p' is constantly acting on the lever after the bottom of the
cop is formed, and the catch ¹ and retaining rack a³, shewn in Figure 8, aro
dispensed with. I wish to remark that the inclines on the levers, against
which the studs p act, may be curved or of any suitable form, in order to
regulate the tightening of the winding-on chain.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First, the improved combination and arrangement of machinery applicable
to self-acting mules for effecting the second draw, as shewn and described in
reference to Figures 1 and 2.
Secondly, making the cam for throwing the drawing rollers in and out of
gear in two parts, for the purposes described in reference to Figures 3
and 4.
Thirdly, the arrangement and combination of machinery for pulling the
building faller wire closer to the points of the spindles as the cop gradually
increases in length, as shewn and described in reference to Figure 5.
Fourthly, the improved arrangement and combination of machinery for
working the screw of the radial arm, and raising the nut or point of attach-
ment of the winding-on chain, as shewn and described in reference to
Figure 1.
Fifthly, the application of self-acting machinery in combination with the
builder for starting the drawing rollers later as the cop increases in length, as
shewn and described in reference to Figure 5.
Sixthly, attaching the winding-on chain to a stud fixed to the radial arm,

page_text: and causing it to pass over a pulley mounted on the nut of the screw, as
shewn and described in reference to Figure 1.
Seventhly, when two scrolls are used for taking in the carriage, passing the
bands around guide pulleys connected to a double lever for keeping the
bands at an uniform tension, as shewn and described in reference to
Figure 6.
And, lastly, the improved combinations and arrangements of machinery
actuated or governed by the builder for tightening the winding-on chain as
tho carriage is going in, as described in reference to Figures 7, 8, and 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter M.Gregor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.