IMPROVEMENTS IN MULE SPINNING MACHINERY
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Tolson and James
Boothroyd at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 16th January 1868.
We, JAMES TOLSON and JAMES BOOTHROYD, both of Dalton, near
Huddersfield, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULE SPINNING MACHINERY,"
to be as follows:-
The particular purpose to which our Invention has reference is what
is generally known as the process of "jacking-up" in the spinning of
woollen yarns. In that process, as is well known, as soon as the mule
carriage has got out to its full traverse it is requisite for it to return a
short space, say three or more inches, and then pause for a short time
in order to twist up the thread, which is not done in the process of
drawing as in cotton spinning. On ordinary cotton mules, or what is
termed the S. A. Billy, the backing off takes place at once, the
drawing up friction" drops into gear, and the carriage goes up
immediately. Our improvements have particular reference to what are
known as "Tatham's S. A. Mules."
In our Invention (by "jacking-up" from the "drawing-up scroll")
we dispense with much of the gearing which is now in use for the
purpose by means of the friction gearing hereafter described.

page_text: To the centre of the mule carriage is attached a lever used for the
purpose of holding out the carriage during the process of "jacking-up,"
and called the "holding out catch." This lever we lengthen with a
cranked arm. As the mule carriage approaches the end of its stretch
the "holding out catch" is raised up by passing over a holding out
stud upon which it drops and catches. The carriage still continuing
its traverse pushes out the slide bars to which the holding out stud is
attached until it arrives at the end of its stretch. When the carriage
arrives at the end of its stretch a pin which is worked by a depressing
lever acts upon the friction lever, which is so placed as to entirely
prevent the "frictional surfaces" from falling into gear. By cranking
this pin it can be arranged to allow what we term the "friction" to be
partially in gear sufficiently to draw the carriage for the jacking-up
motion. When the "fallers" come into action the "depressing lever"
and pin slide back and the "friction" works in the usual way.
In our Invention we attach a sliding bar, herein-after called the
"slide," to the end of the "jacking-up lever." The opposite arm of
this lever is detached from the rod used for the purpose of holding
the jacking-up wheels in gear to which it is connected. This rod and
the jacking-up wheels are removed; the arm of the lever (previously
called the opposite arm) is then attached to the rod, which is used
for the purpose of throwing the "drawing-up friction" out of gear.
When the carriage commences to put up the "bottom slide bar,"
to which the "holding out stud" is attached, comes in contact with
the "slide" and pushes the bottom arm of the lever back, thereby
throwing the "drawing up friction" out of gear, and causing the
carriage to stand. At the completion of the twisting process the
"fallers" are thrown into action, and being in connection with the
'holding out catch," this said "holding out catch." (being lengthened
as previously mentioned) strikes a stud on the "slide" and knocks
the slide up, thereby leaving the spring attached to the rod at liberty
to draw back the rod and cause the "drawing up friction" to fall into
gear. The carriage is then drawn up in the usual manner.
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