IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Alfred Dobson, of the Firm of Messieurs Dobson
and Barlow, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and
William Dobson and Robert Crompton Tonge, both of the same Place, Engineers,
for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING
AND DOUBLING
"
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Alfred Dobson,
William Dobson, and Robert Croinpton Tonge at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents on the 12th October 1878.
BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of the Firm of Messieurs Dobson and Barlow, of
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and WILLIAM DOBSON and
ROBERT CROMPTON TONGE, both of the same Place, Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
SELF-ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING."
Our Invention consists of an improved combination and arrangement of parts
forming a self-acting mule for spinning and doubling, whereby such machines are
greatly simplified in construction, and all the parts rendered easy of access for
adjustment and repairs. Our improved mule contains a rim shaft, a cam shaft, and
a side shaft. The cam shaft is driven by a pinion on the loose pulley and by bevel
wheels and pinions for driving the backing-off cone, on which is a spur wheel for
driving the cam shaft; this spur wheel also drives the drawing-up motion by bevel
wheels and an upright shaft. The cam shaft is driven by a friction cone, and makes
only two changes. On the cam shaft are two discs acting upon bowls on swivel
arms; on these discs are inclined cams with recesses. When the cam shaft is at
rest the bowls are in the said recesses, and when the cam shaft has to be started
the end of the swivel arm is lifted to move the bowls out of the recesses and to put
the cam shaft into gear. The side shaft is driven by gearing from the rim shaft.
At the front of the headstock is a lever, which is connected by a rod to an elbow
lever which puts the backing-off cones into and out of gear, when the carriage is

page_text: out the same rod liberates the cam shaft to allow it to make a change, as before
described. The same lever when the backing-off is completed puts the drawing-up
motion into gear, and acts as a stop motion as the carriage runs in. At the inward
run of the carriage the swivel arm is acted upon by an elbow lever to make the
second change of the cam shaft.
On the back shaft is a tube with two arms, one of which is acted upon by a cam
on the cam shaft, and the other by lifting a swing frame disconnects the drawing-
out and the drawing roller gearing.
The carriage is drawn in by scrolls and bands as usual, but before commencing
the drawing-in a latch which holds the cone out of gear is acted upon when the
backing-off commences by the elbow lever above described; the end of the fork
which had been held up by the latch then falls on a slide fixed on the rod above
referred to. When the backing-off is completed the end of the fork drops into a
recess in the slide, and allows the drawing-up to go into gear. One end of the
recess is bevelled, so that the end of the fork can be raised by hand to stop the
carriage.
Our Invention consists also in an improved arrangement of machinery in con-
nection with the backing-off scroll for coiling the yarn on the spindles, and for
varying the number of coils at the roller beam, and in backing-off to uncoil the
same number of coils without straining the yarn. The tin roller shaft is provided
with the usual ratchet wheel and friction clip and with a scroll to which the
backing-off chain is attached. This chain passes around a pulley connected to a slide
or lever, and thence to the segment on the faller shaft. To this segment is hinged
a curved plate, which acts on a stud fixed to the headstock during the backing-off.
The backing-off chain is kept tight by a spring or weight connected to a chain or
strap which passes round a guide pulley which is fastened to the faller leg or seg-
The faller shafts are connected to a finger fixed on a shaft in the carriage
square. To this shaft is also fixed a second finger acting on a step plate or other
equivalent to regulate the winding on. One of these fingers acts on a lever which
determines the number of coils. The parts remain in the saine position until the
backing-off is finished.
inent.
Another part of our Invention relates to the machinery for controlling the rising
of the copping faller after the yarn is wound on the cop to prevent snarls.
To the faller shaft is fixed a lever, to which is suspended a rack gearing into a pinion
attached to a friction pulley which acts on a disc driven from the tin drum shaft.
The pinion and friction pulley are loose on the nut of a screw which is turned round
by a ratchet wheel and catch actuated at every draw by a tappet on the floor.
When the carriage arrives at the end of the inward run the friction disc is pressed
against the friction pulley by a lever actuated by an incline on the floor. By this
arrangement the copping faller wire is only allowed to rise at such a speed as will
wind the slack yarn on to the blade of the spindle, thereby preventing snarls. This
speed is greater at the beginning of the cop than at the finish.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Benjamin Alfred Dobson, William Dobson, and Robert Crompton
Tonge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th April 1879.
BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of the Firm of Messieurs Dobson and Barlow, of
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and WILLIAM DOBSON and
ROBERT CROMPTON TONGE, both of the same Place, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SELF-ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING.'
"
Our Invention consists, first, of an improved combination and arrangement of
parts forming a self-acting mule for spinning and doubling, whereby such machines
are greatly simplified in construction, and all the parts are rendered easy of access
for adjustment and repairs.
Secondly. In certain improved arrangements of machinery applicable to self-acting
mules for coiling the yarn on the spindles and uncoiling it, and
Lastly. In an improved arrangement of machinery for controlling the rising of
the copping faller after the yarn is wound on the cop to prevent snarls.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood we will proceed to
describe the three accompanying Sheets of Drawings.
On Sheet 1 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved self-acting mule for
spinning and doubling; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3 represents a side
elevation of the headstock, shewing the drawing-out gear and parts connected there-
with Figs. 4 to 10 represent the cam shaft and parts connected therewith on an
enlarged scale.
In Figs 1, 2, and 3, a is the rin shaft; a¹, the fast pulley; a², the loose pulley,
to which is cast or fixed the bevel pinion as; b, the back shaft; c, the side shaft;
d, the scroll shaft for the taking-up scrolls; e, the carriage; f, the tin roller shaft;
g, the spindles; and g', the front roller shaft, all of which are made as usual. The
bevel pinion a³ gears into the wheel h, to which is cast or fixed the bevel pinion h¹
gearing into the wheel a loose on the rim shaft a as usual. To the bevel wheel at
is cast the spur wheel a³, in which is the ordinary backing-off friction box aº.
is the friction cone which slides on the rim shaft, and is connected to it by keys
projecting from the boss of the cone taking into grooves in a collar on the rim shaft,
as shewn detached in Fig. 1*.
a7
i is the cam shaft, shewn best in Figs. 4 and 5. This cam shaft is driven by the
spur wheel a³ gearing into the pinion, to the boss of which is fixed the bevel
wheel by which the drawing-up scroll shaft d is driven, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
Within the spur pinion is a friction box for the friction cone ³, shewn detached
in Figs. 6 and 7. The friction cone i³ is cast with the disc 24, in which are slots for
the inclined cams with recesses i³; these cams are fixed to the plate 6. The disc **
is acted upon by the spring . Between the friction cone ³ and the disc is the
swivel arm j, seen best in Fig. 5. In this arm are bearings for antifriction bowls
acting against the cams with recesses 2³. The swivel arm j is held in its place by
the adjustable bracket j', in which is a stud for the catch taking alternately into
two recesses in the periphery of the disc . When the cam shaft is at rest the
bowls are in the recesses of the cams 25, and when the cam shaft has to be started
the end of the swivel arm j is lifted by the incline at the top of the lever k, see
Fig. 1. This lever k is actuated by the rod k¹, at one end of which is the finger k³,
and at the other end is the finger. When the carriage is out the bearing of
the tin roller f acts on the finger ², and when in the same bearing acts on the
finger ³.
When the swivel arm j is lifted, the bowls are moved out of the recesses in
the cams, and the cam shaft is put into gear by the spring i, acting on the
disc i¹.
To the cam shaft i is also fixed the double cam 28, 29, see Figs, 4, 8, 9, and 10, the
part marked 8, moves the strap lever L, see Figs. 1 and 2, by means of the stud 1.

page_text: which works against the face of the cam i³, and the part iº, disconnects the carriage
and the drawing rollers, as shown in Fig. 3, as will be described hereafter.
The cam shaft above described is intended to make only two changes, but by
modifying the inachinery more than two changes may be made if found desirable.
The side shaft c is driven from the rim shaft a, in the following manner-the
pinion a³, see Fig 1, is cast or fixed to the rim face plate, and this pinion gears into
the carrier gearing into the change wheel c', on the side shaft which drives the front
drawing roller shaft g', by a pair of mitre wheels as usual, and as shewn in Fig.
3. On the side shaft c is the drawing roller clutch box c², which has hitherto been
placed on the drawing roller shaft. The wheel b', on the back shaft b, is driven
from the side shaft c, by the train of wheels and pinions shewn in Fig. 3, supported
in the swing frame be as usual, and this wheel 61 instead of being fixed to the back
shaft is connected to it by a saw-tooth slipping catch box 62, the taper sides of the
teeth being the drivers, the two parts of which are loose on the shaft but com-
municate the power by a disc fixed on the shaft, the two parts of the catch box are
held together by the spring b³, the object of this catch box is to slip when any
undue resistance is given to the carriage during the outward run, and thus to
prevent injury or accidents.
On the back shaft is a tube with two arms b and 6, the arm is acted upon
by the cam 2, on the cam shaft i, as before described, and the arm 65, by lifting the
swing frame be, disconnects the gearing for drawing out the carriage, and at the
same time the arm 65, acting on the double lever 67, opens the clutch box c², and.
disconnects the drawing roller gearing.
At the front of the headstock is the lever m, which is connected by the rod m¹
to the elbow lever m³, which puts the backing-off cone a' into and out of gear.
Near the end of the rod m¹ is the slide m³, and to the end of the scroll shaft dis
suspended the catch d', the object of which is to hold the drawing-up cone or clutch
box out of gear until the backing-off is completed. When the backing-off is com-
pleted the lever m² unlatches the latch d', and allows the cone or clutch fork d² to
drop on to the flat end of the plate m³, where it remains until the fallers are locked;
when the rod m' returns to its original position, the recess in the slide m³, allows
the fork d to put the drawing-up motion into gear. One end of the recess in the
slide m is provided with an incline, which when the attendant acts on the lever m,
raises the fork d³, and stops the carriage. At the inward run of the carriage the
finger is acted upon by the bearing of the tin drum f, or by a bracket in the
carriage which moves the lever k, and lifts the swivel arm j, to make the second
change of the cam shaft, to regear the carriage and the drawing rollers, and to move
the drawing strap on to the fast pulley a¹.
When the carriage arrives at the end of its inward run the incline on the end of
the lever, see Fig. 2, is depressed by the bowl e¹, connected to the carriage square,
the latch d' then slips under the fork lever d², and holds the drawing-up cone or
clutch out of gear until the next backing-off' takes place.
When the carriage arrives out the upper end of the lever c² comes against the
upper end of the lever m, and moves the rod m' in the direction of the arrow to
charge the backing-off spring m³, and the recoiling spring m³. When the faller is
being locked in the usual manner the lower end of the lever e comes under the
regulating screw in the holding out catch m", so that when the faller is locked, the
carriage is released before the drawing-up cone or clutch box can be geared.
The catch lever m' holds the lever m in position and is only used to release the
lever m, to act as a stop motion during the inward run of the carriage.
On sheet 2 Fig. 11 represents our improved arrangement of machinery applicable
to self-acting mules for coiling the yarn on the spindles and uncoiling it without
snarling or straining. In this view e is the carriage square; g, the spindles; f, the
tin roller shaft which is provided with the usual ratchet wheel and friction clip and
with the scroll f1, to which the backing-off' chain f is attached; about one foot of
this chain is flat and the other part is of ordinary links; the chain passes around the
pulley n, connected to the lever 8, carried by the slide n³, which is supported in

page_text: brackets fixed to the carriage square, and then the end of the chain is secured to
the segment o¹, on the faller shaft o. The backing-off chain is kept tight by the
spring p, connected to the chain p¹, which passes over the guide pulley p², which is
fastened to a tail on the faller segment o¹. The faller shafts are connected to the
finger q, fixed on the shaft in the carriage square; to this shaft is also fixed a second
finger q', which acts on the step plate r, cast to the segment 1, which gives motion
to a catch wheel for working the screw in the quadrant. The finger q regulates
the winding on. The finger q acts on the lever 8, which is also made with steps
and determines the speed at which the faller rises. The fingers q, q', are connected
to the faller or fallers by the chain q².
The mode of operation is as follows:-In backing-off the chain f¹ commences at
the small end of the scroll f¹, and as the scroll revolves the flat end of the chain is
coiled around the scroll and gradually increases its diameter. When the carriage
arrives near the roller beam, the tension of the yarn regulates the position of the
counterfaller, which varies the position of the fingers q and q¹, when the slide bar
n is reversed as usual, the finger q comes sooner or later in contact with the steps
in the lever s, which lowers the guide pulley n, more or less to alter the position of
the scroll f¹, thereby regulating the speed at which the fallers rise. The finger q
acts in a similar manner on the step plate r, to regulate the winding. The parts
remain in the same position until the backing-off is finished.
Fig. 12 represents a modification of the machinery shewn in Fig. 11; in this
arrangement the parts marked e, f, ƒ¹, f, g, n, n¹, o, o¹, p, p, and p², are similar to
those before described in this arrangement; the pulley is supported in the upper
end of the lever s¹, the fulcrum stud of which is fixed in the slide n'; 83 is a finger
working loose on the stud of the pulley n; and 83 is an adjustable stop fixed to the
floor.
The mode of operation is as follows:-When the carriage arrives near the roller
beam the slide n₁ is reversed as usual, unlocking the faller leg 8, which puts the
backing-off catch into gear and raises the faller at a positive speed. During the
reversing of the slide the pulley n remains nearly stationary, the chain f2 being
kept tight by the spring p, holds the finger s in contact with the bracket e, and
the lever & works freely on its fulcrum stud. As the carriage is finishing its
stretch the lower end of the lever s¹ comes in contact with the stop 83, thus drawing
the finger s away from the bracket e², and it remains away from the bracket until
the backing-off is finished. At the return of the slide n' the finger s² again comes
in contact with the bracket e².
Fig. 13 represents another modification of this part of our Invention; in this
arrangement the slide n' is provided with the step plate n², and the finger tis
hinged on the knocking-off stud t¹, carried by the weighted lever t², the fulcrum
stud of which is fixed to the slide n¹. The finger is connected with the faller
or fallers by the chain t³. As the carriage approaches the roller beam the tension
of the yarn regulates the position of the finger t, and as the slide n' reverses the step
plate comes sooner or later in contact with the finger t, thereby unlocking the
faller leg sooner or later.
Fig. 14 represents another modification of our Invention. In this arrangement,
the curved plate u is suspended to the faller segment o¹. The stud u¹ is fixed to
the framing. Before the carriage completes its outward run the front edge of the
plate u comes in contact with the stud u', thereby deflecting and consequently
tightening the backing-off chain f. During the backing-off the shape of the curved
plate u brings the faller wire down on to the yarn at the spindle point; the faller
wire then follows the coil on the spindle till the backing-off is complete.
We wish to observe that the various arrangements of machinery shewn in
Figs. 12, 13, and 14 may be used in combination with each other or separately as
shewn.
On Sheet 3 Figs. 15 and 16 represent our improved machinery for controlling
the rising of the copping faller after the yarn is wound on the cop to prevent
snarls. e is the carriage; g, the spindles; o, the copping faller shaft; and of the

page_text: counterfaller shaft, all of which are made as usual. To the copping faller shaft o
is fixed the lever o", to which is suspended the link o' and rack v, gearing into the
pinion which is attached to the friction pulley acting on the friction disc v³.
The lever У is acted upon by the incline y' fixed to the floor to press the friction
disc against the friction pulley v². The parts above enumerated are made in the
manner described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to the
within-named Benjamin Alfred Dobson in conjunction with James Macqueen, on
the 26th day of October 1876, Number 4,149. The friction pulley v² is moved
towards the centre of the disc in the following manner:-Before the counter-
faller has been lowered, the tappet w moves the lever suspended to the slotted
bracket in the direction of the arrow; an incline on the lever w¹ then moves the
elbow lever z to cause the catch a to take a tooth in the ratchet wheel z which is
fixed to the screw. The pinion and the friction pulley v² are loose on the nut
of the screw, and as the screw is turned round the pulley is moved gradually
towards the centre of the disc ', thereby reducing the speed of the copping faller
as it rises to wind the slack yarn on the blade of the spindle, thereby preventing
snarls while the cop is being formed.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention and described the manner of
performing the same, we declare that we claim,―
Firstly. The general combination and arrangement of the parts forming a self-
acting mule for spinning and doubling, as shewn and described in reference to
Sheet 1.
Secondly. The improved arrangement of gearing for driving the backing-off
friction cone by keys projecting from the boss of the cone taking into grooves in a
collar on the rim shaft, as shewn and described.
Thirdly. The mode of actuating the friction cone on the cam shaft and particu-
larly the bracket 2, and the swivel arm j with its friction bowls acting on the cams
with recesses is, as shewn and described.
Fourthly. The lever and parts acting in combination therewith for actuating
the swivel arm j by which the cam shaft is started.
Fifthly. Driving the drawing-up scroll shaft from the friction cone on the cam
shaft, as shown and described.
Sixthly. Placing the drawing roller clutch box on the side shaft instead of on
the drawing roller shaft as heretofore, and putting it in and out of gear in the
manner shewn and described.
Seventhly. The application of a slipping catch box to the back shaft to prevent
injury as the carriage is going out, as shown and described.
Eighthly. The lever m and parts acting in combination therewith for putting the
backing-off friction cone and the drawing-up scroll shaft into and out of gear, and
to stop the carriage during the inward run, as shewn and described.
Ninthly. The general combination and arrangements of machinery shewn in
Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14, for coiling and uncoiling the yarn on and off the spindles
without straining or snarling.
Tenthly. The peculiar shape of the backing-off scroll combined with the flat link
chain.
Eleventhly. The application of the chain p¹ passing over a pulley on the faller
segment and acted upon by a spring for tightening the backing-off chain.
Twelfthly. Regulating the rise of the faller by varying the position of the
backing-off scroll.
Thirteenthly. Governing the winding by the rise of the faller which is regu-
lated by the tension of the yarn actuating the fingers q and q¹.
Fourteenthly. The mode of supporting the pulley n, as shewn and described in
reference to Fig. 12.
Fifteenthly. Unlatching the faller according to the tension of the yarn, as shewn
and described in reference to Fig. 13.
Sixteenthly. The curved plate u for regulating the position of the faller wire, as
shewn and described in reference to Fig. 14.
And

page_text: Seventeenthly. Controlling the rising of the copping faller in proportion to the
taper of the blade of the spindle by the machinery, shewn and described in refer-
ence to Sheet 3, or by any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Benjamin Alfred Dobson, William Dobson,
and Robert Crompton Tonge, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Eighth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.