IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING OR DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Muir Hetherington, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, and Robert Walker Pitfield, of Bolton,
in the said County, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING OR DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 11th January 1868, and dated the 15th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Muir Hetherington
and Robert Walker Pitfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 15th July 1867.
We, JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, and ROBERT WALKER PITFIELD, of Bolton, in the said County,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING OR DOUBLING COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
Our first improvement relates to carding engines in which the flats are
periodically turned over for the purpose of being stripped, and consists in a
method of effecting that object whereby we are enabled to strip such flats
more frequently at the back than at the front of the machine, and is an
improvement upon that arrangement for which Letters Patent were granted

page_text: to me, John Muir Hetherington, bearing date Jan. 9th, 1867, No. 62. In
the Specification of that Patent I described the triggers for actuating the flats
as mounted at varying distances apart upon a toothed segment which moved
forward and backward.
According to my present Invention I mount the said triggers upon a ratchet
toothed wheel which performs entire revolutions and cause some of them to
project more than others from the said wheel, they therefore revolve in two
planes, and the part which acts upon the flats for turning them over is moved
by a cam or incline into the one or the other of these planes according to the
intervals at which the flats are to be stripped. Flats so turned over we
propose to grind while they are in the machine by means of any ordinary
grinding apparatus.
Another improvement relates to that construction of carding engine in
which a series of flats is mounted upon a chain or band, and consists in
adapting to one flat a strip which overlaps an adjacent flat for the purpose of
covering the space between them.
Another part of our Invention relates to the mule, and especially to that
description known as the hand mule, but with certain modifications applicable
also to the self-acting mule.
or
Firstly, as regards the winding-on and backing-off we propose to employ
two driving straps in conjunction with a loose pulley pullies, the said straps
to be shifted by rods applied to the headstock arranged so that their adjust-
ments come all on one side.
Secondly, we propose to stop the spindles by means of a tappet on the
twist shaft, which tappet acts direct upon and presses down the band of the
brake.
Thirdly, for the change motions caused by the running in and out of the
carriage we take the weight required for effecting such changes from the
carriage and transfer it to the "long drawing-out back shaft." For this
purpose we cause a series of rods or levers which are displaced by the said
carriage to be restored to their positions by gearing driven from the said back
shaft.
Fourthly, our Invention refers to the brake which the carriage puts on
when running in. The roller which acts on this brake is attached to a lever
on the carriage, and we render it adjustable so that the attendant may regulate
its action, and we apply a counterbalance weight to the incline upon which
the said roller runs.
The improvements above mentioned we propose to combine and to render
the mule "self-acting," for which purpose we adapt the usual quadrant or

page_text: radial arm; but we also propose to employ for this purpose, and for mules
generally, a novel arrangement which consists in mounting a radial arm upon
a fixed centre and imparting the necessary vibratory motion by means of a
connecting rod which is jointed to the carriage, and by which means the said
radial arm is caused to vibrate upon its centre of motion and retard or deliver
the winding-on band or chain, as is well understood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Muir Hetherington and Robert Walker Pitfield in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MUIR HETHERINGTON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
and ROBERT WALKER PITFIELD, of Bolton, in the said County, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign;
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Muir Hetherington and Robert Walker Pitfield, Her special license
that we, the said John Muir Hetherington and Robert Walker Pitfield, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Muir Hetherington and Robert Walker Pitfield, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING
AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition,
(amongst others) that we, the said John Muir Hetherington and Robert
Walker Pitfield, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals (or
under the hand and seal of one of us) 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 Robert Walker Pitfield, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (and accompanying Drawings), that is to say :-
Our first improvement relates to carding engines in which the flats are
periodically turned over for the purpose of being stripped, and consists in a
method of effecting that object whereby we are enabled to strip such flats
more frequently at the back than at the front of the machine, and is an
improvement upon that arrangement for which Letters Patent were granted to
the said John Muir Hetherington, bearing date January Ninth, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven, Number 62. In the Specification of that
Patent the triggers for actuating the flats were described as mounted at
varying distances apart upon a toothed segment which moved forward and
backward.
According to our present Invention we mount the said triggers upon a
ratchet toothed wheel which performs entire revolutions and cause some of
them to project more than others from the said wheel, they therefore revolve
in two planes, and the part which acts upon the flats for turning them over
is moved by a cam or incline into the one or other of these planes. Flats so
turned over may be ground while they are in the machine by means of any
ordinary grinding apparatus.
Another improvement relates to that construction of carding engine in
which a series of flats is mounted upon an endless chain or band, and consists
in adapting to one flat a strip which overlaps an adjacent flat for the purpose
of covering the space between them.
Another part of our Invention relates to the mule, and especially to that
description known as the hand mule, but applicable also to self-acting
mules.
Firstly, we propose to employ two driving straps in conjunction with a
loose pulley or pullies, the said straps being shifted by rods applied to the
headstock and arranged so that their adjustments are all on one side.
Secondly, in order to stop the spindles we use a tappet on the twist shaft,
which tappet acts direct upon and presses down the band of the brake.
Thirdly, we transfer the weight required for effecting the changes from the
carriage to the back shaft.
Fourthly, our Invention relates to an adjustable brake which the carriage
puts on when running in.
Our first improvement in carding engines is shewn at Figs. 1 and 2, in
which a is the axis of the carding cylinder, on which is mounted loosely the
radial arm 6 for carrying the apparatus by which the flats are caused to be
turned when they are required to be stripped. This radial arm is moved

page_text: k
from one side to the other by the gearing shewn in the Drawing, the mangle
rack for changing the direction of the vibration being at C, but this arrange-
ment does not form any part of our Invention. Upon the boss of the radial
arm 6 is an elongation d which when the said arm vibrates backward arrives
in contact with the tail end of a lover e mounted so as to turn upon a centre f
carried by a bracket g, which lever carries a catch taking into the teeth of a
ratchet wheel mounted loosely upon the axis a. The said bracket also
carries a detaiuing click i forced forward by a spring so as to keep the ratchet
wheel h in any position to which it may have been driven. On the inward
face of the ratchet wheel h are a series of inclines or triggers j, j*, they being
so arranged as alternately to project to different distances from the face of
their wheel, thus in Fig. 2 the trigger j projects a certain distance, and that
shewn at only half the distance. Upon the radial arm d is mounted a
sliding bolt & composed of two parts for the purpose of adjustment by means
of a set screw 1. The upper part of this bolt carries an incline m, which
when thrust upward completes a channel n by which the flats are turned over,
the said flats being mounted on hinges o and provided with levers p, the ends
of which pass along the grooves n, as is already known. The lower end of
the bolt k carries a latch 9 turning upon a centre carried by an arm r, which
is provided with a bent part s extending into the groove of a stationary cam or
incline 1, t*. The double arm r, s, is capable of turning upon a centre u
carried a plate upon the bolt k, and is drawn forward against the incline t, *,
by a spring v. The stationary cam or incline has two faces t, t*, the latter
being nearer to the triggers j than the former, and when the cam * passes
from the one incline to the other it will carry the latch q into the plane of the
triggers j, j*, or of both of them; the back part of the carding engine is at A,
and the part of the incline extends from t¹ to t². The operation is as
follows, premising that the position of the triggers j, j*, are regulated so as
to effect the turning over of the flats at any desired periods, and that the object
now to be accomplished is to turn over those at the back part of the machine
twice as frequently as those at the front:-Motion being communicated to the
radial arm 6 by the gearing shewn the part d of the said arm will arrive in
contact with the lever e, thereby causing the wheel to perform a portion of a
revolution through the medium of the driver e*, and the radial arm 6 on
returning will carry the latch 9 along an inclined trigger j; by these means
the bolt k will be thrust upward, and will by its end m complete the path n
for the reception of the end of a lever p, and thus the flat will be turned over as
is at present known; but according to our Invention it is desired to strip the
flats at the back of the machine more frequently than those at the front, and it is

page_text: obvious that if the latch q and triggers remained in the same relative
positions as those shewn at Fig. 2 this could not be accomplished, but the
next trigger which comes into operation will be a short one similar to that
seen at j, the latch q will be missed and the bolt k will not be raised, con-
sequently the inclined path n for the lever p will not be completed, and the
flat will remain unturned, when however the radial arm b is at the back of
the machine the parts will be caused by the spring v to bear against the
outward incline t* so as to cause the latch q to move in the plane of the short
triggers, which, as well the longer ones, will effect a turning over the flats,
and by these means that operation will be performed more frequently at the
back than at the front of the machine; the latch is drawn downward when it
has acted by a spring w. The spring serves in addition to the
purpose
above stated to prevent the latch q from falling over when the radial arm bas
passed the vertical line, and on the return motion of the said arm the latch
can give way when arriving in contact with the triggers; the flats having
thus been turned over may be ground by any suitable travelling grinding surface.
We have in the foregoing description alluded to triggers of two lengths only, but
it will be obvious that three or more lengths may be employed when the turning
of the flats is to be more frequently accomplished; also that the cam or incline
may be so formed as to select any desired flats for such more frequent turning.
Our next improvement in carding engines is shewn at Fig. 3, in which y
represent two flats, such as are used in machines known as Evan Leigh's, or in
others on the same principle of flats attached to bands or chains. Between the
flats we apply a flexible strip z attached to one and overlapping the other,
whereby the space between them is covered; this strip may be an extended
part of the clothing or a separate piece.
The second part of our Invention is shewn at Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,
in which Fig. 4 represents a partial view of a hand mule constructed according
to our improvements, inside elevation; Fig. 5 is also a side elevation, but of the
other side of the beadstock. The other Figs. represent detached views, which
will be referred to when the motions to which they belong are described.
The main shaft is shewn at 1, upon which are mounted the loose pulley 2 and
the two fast pullies 3, 4, driven by a strap 5 proceeding from a line shaft.
Upon the shaft 1 is also a fast pulley 6, on each side of which are loose
pullies 7, 8, provided with straps 9, 10, proceeding from the line shaft, one
of the side straps being open and the other crossed; it is these two straps and
their pullies which are used to assist the spinner in backing off and winding
on, and we will assume that the one marked 7 is for the former and that
marked 8 for the latter purpose. Upon the shaft 1 is a bevil wheel 10

page_text: taking into a pinion 11 on the rim shaft 12, which shaft also carries a worm
13 in gear with a worm wheel 14 on a short shaft 15, the other end of which
carries a spur pinion 16 driving through other pinions 17, 18, a wheel 19 upon
the twist shaft 20; on this twist shaft is a tappet 21, which at a fixed period
arrives in contact with the inclined end of a lever 22 turning upon a fixed
centre 23, and thereby lifts it. The lever 22 has a notch 24, which according
to the position shewn confines a stud 25 projecting from a lever 26 turning
upon a centre 27 which is carried by a fixed bracket. To the lever 26 is jointed
The axis of the lever 26
side thereof (see Fig. 5)
a rod 28 which carries a guide 29 for the strap 9.
extends across the headstock, and is at the other
provided with a lever 30 which has a tendency to turn upon its centre by
means of a weighted arm 31; the lever 30 carries a loop, through which a
rod 32 passes, the other end of the said rod being jointed to a lever 33 turning
upon a fixed centre 34, and on the said rod 32 is a stop 35. At 36 is a set
screw carried by the framing to regulate the distance through which the
lever 30 may pass, as will hereafter be mentioned. The above-mentioned
lever 33 carries a stud 37 situate beneath an incline 38 upon a rod 39, the
other end of which is jointed to a lever 40 turning upon a fixed centre 41,
having a tendency to move thereon by means of a weight 42; but this motion
is restrained by a notch 43 in the rod 39 and which abuts against the end of
a slot formed in the guide 44; the rod 39 has also a projecting part 45
which arrives at times against at set screw 46. At 47 is another rod drawn
forward by a chain and weight 48, but held back in the position shewn by a
notch 49 similar to that shewn at 42, and abutting against the guide 44; this rod
has also a projecting part 50 to arrive in contact with a set screw 51. Upon
a short shaft 52 are fast-and-loose pullies 53 driven from the line shaft, the one
being capable of communicating motion to the back shaft 54 by means of the
wheel and pinion 55; the strap which drives the above-mentioned pullies passes
through a guide 56 which is carried by the above-mentioned rod 47; this rod
has also a lever 57 capable of turning upon a fixed centre 58 and carrying a roller
59, against which a cam 60 driven from the back shaft can act. At 61 is a bent
lever mounted on the centre 41 and turning over a stud projecting from a lever
62, 62*, mounted on a fixed centre 63. According to the position shewn in
the Drawings the carriage 64 is running out the strap 5, being on the fast
pulley and communicating motion to the back shaft (which acts in the usual
manner) by means of the train of gearing, shewn in the Drawing and marked
88, 91, the twist shaft 20 being also caused to revolve by the gearing above
described, supposing the carriage to have arrived at the end of the stretch
and omitting mention of the usual double speed motion the motive-power

page_text: assistance for backing off is effected as follows:-Presuming that the
strap 5 has been shifted on to the loose pulley 2 the revolution of the twist
shaft will have brought the tappet 21 against the incline on the lever 22,
which lever being turned upward on its centre 23 will move its notch from
the stud 25, thereby liberating the lever 26 to turn upon its centre 27,
which motion will be effected by the weight 31; this turning of the said lever
will, through the guide 29, shift the strap 9 from the loose pulley 7 on to the
fast pulley 6, and the shaft I will be turned in the proper direction for backing-
off. The extent to which the lever 26 can turn is determined by the arrival of
the lever 30 in contact with the set screw 36, and thus one of the adjustments
relating to this part of our Invention is accomplished. The backing-off having
been effected by the spinner as usual and assisted by the motive power he places
bis kuse against the board 65, and by turning on its centre brings a lever 66
to bear against a projection 67 on the rod 68, thus causing the lever 33 to
turn upon its centre 34, by which movement the rod 32 will be thrust
forward and its stud 35 will arrive in contact with the loop on the lever 30,
which together with the other lever 26 will be turned back into the position
shewn, and the strap 9 will be returned to its loose pulley. The motion of
the lever 33 will also by bringing its stud against the incline 38 lift the
rod 39 so as to liberate its notch from the guide 44, and the weight 42 will
therefore be at liberty to turn the lever 40 and consequently lever 40* upon
the same centre, and which being provided with a rod 70, which carries the
strap guide 71, the strap 10 will be shifted on to the fast pulley 6. Simul-
taneously with these movements the turning of the lever 33 will by means of
its incline raise the rod 47 so as to liberate its notch from the guide 44,
which rod will then be drawn forward by the weight 48 and will shift the
strap on to the fast pulley 53 in order to give the necessary motion to the
back shaft for assisting the spinner in drawing in, the amount of such
assistance as well as in the case of winding on being determined by the
arrival of projecting parts 45, 50, in contact with set screws 46, 51.
The winding-on rod is restored to the starting position when the carriage
is run in by the arrival of the faller shaft in contact with the lever 62*,
which by being thus turned upon its centre causes its upper end to act
against the bent arm 61. The drawing-in rod 47 is returned to its starting
position by the arrival of the cam 60 against the roller 59 on the lever 57, as
shewn in the Drawing. It has thus been seen how the adjustments for the
rods which shift the straps are all brought to one side of the headstock, and
they are therefore under the command of the spinner without the necessity
of his moving from one side to the other. The method by which we pro-

page_text: pose to stop the spindles is shewn at Fig. 4, and also at the detached view
Figure 6; a portion the framing is shewn at 80 ca rng a bracket 81,
within which is a sliding bracket 82, one part thereof extending beneath the
twist shaft 20 and carrying a projecting piece 83. To the upper part of the
sliding bracket 82 is attached one end of a strip of metal constituting a brake
for the pulley 84, and upon the twist shaft is cam 85 which at the desired
time arrives in contact with the part 83, thereby pressing down the sliding
bracket 82 and putting on the brake. When the cam has performed its
work the pulley is released from the break by a weighted lever 86 acting
against a pin projecting from the sliding bracket.
Our next improvement, that is to say, the transference of the weight for
the change motions from the carriage to the back shaft, is shewn at Figs. 4,
and also at the detached view Fig. 8, some of the parts shewn in the said
detached view not being repeated in Fig. 4 in order to avoid confusion, but
the several centres are marked with similar numbers of reference. In order to
describe this part of our Invention it will be necessary to point out the com-
munication between the driving shaft 1 and the back shaft 87, and also between
the said driving shaft and the rollers 97. Upon the shaft 1 is a toothed wheel
which communicates constant motion through the train 88 shewn to a wheel 89
loose upon a shaft 90, which shaft carries a bevil pinion 91%, taking into
another on the axis of the back shaft 87; on the shaft of the wheel 89 is also
another loose wheel 91 to which constant motion is imparted from the shaft 1
by means of the train 88, 92, but at a quicker speed than that of the wheel 89.
Between the two loose wheels 89, 91, is a clutch box 93 mounted on a
feather, and capable of being put into gear with either of two clutches on
the said wheels 89, 91, as will hereafter be described. On the shaft 94 is a
clutch 95 mounted so as to slide upon its shaft, and entering at proper
intervals into gear with a clutch 96 upon the axis of the wheel which drives
the rollers 97. The boss of the clutch 95 is embraced by a fork upon a
lever 94, which is mounted upon a centre 95* and connected below to a
rod 96, which is jointed at 97 to a rod 98, one end of this rod carries a
spring 99, the upper end of which is attached to a lever 100 capable of
turning loosely upon the centre 95*, and the other end of the rod 98 is
provided with a leg 101 having a notch 102, which according to the
position shewn rests upon a stud 103. To the lever 100 is jointed
a leg 104 provided with a notch 105, capable when drawn upward,
as hereafter to be described, of resting upon a stud 106, and at 107
is another leg jointed to the rod 98 and provided with a notch 108,
which may in like manner be caused to rest upon the stud 106. At

page_text: 109 is a weight jointed to the lever 100, and provided with a slot which
.embraces a pin projecting from the rod 98. At 110 is a tappet which is
driven by a toothed wheel upon the back shaft, and which is capable of
acting against a projection fixed to the lever 100. Upon the rod 98 is a
projecting pin 98*, which is connected to the sliding clutch 93. According
to the position shewn the carriage has just began to run out, being driven
through the medium of the wheel 91, which is now in gear with the clutch
When the carriage has run
box 93, such clutch box driving the bevil 91*.
out a certain distance the tappet 110 will arrive in contact with a projecting
part on the lever 100, which by being thus caused to turn upon its centre will
draw forward the upper end of the spring 99, and as the lower end thereof is
attached to the rod 98, which cannot move in consequence of its leg 101 being
kept up by the stud 103, the said spring 99 will be distended and become
charged with power, and at the same time the leg 104 will be lifted on to the
stud 106. A further motion of the carriage will now cause a projection
thereon to arrive in contact with a stud 112 affixed to a sliding rod 113, and
this stud by being drawn against the leg 101 will thrust its notch from the
stud 103, leaving the charged spring at liberty to turn the arm 98 on its
centre, and in consequence of such turning the clutch box 93 will be moved
from the clutch on the wheel 91 to that attached to the wheel 89. This
wheel will now therefore impart motion to the back shaft which had hitherto
been driven by the wheel 91, and as the gearing is arranged for that purpose
the carriage will run out at the usual slower speed. Simultaneously with the
above-mentioned movements, by which the speed of the carriage is lowered,
the knocking-off of the leg 101 will through the medium of the arms 98, 96,
cause the fork 94 to turn upon its centre, and thus the clutch 95 will be
removed from gear. Also the turning of the arm 98 will have lifted the
leg 107 above the stud 106, but not so as to rest upon it, as it is caused to
occupy a somewhat higher position, and to fall inward by a weight 114
thereon.
In the above-described movements the part 112 arrives in contact with a
narrow piece projecting from the leg 101, which narrow piece falls below the
part 112 when the leg is removed from the support of the stud 103, and the
sliding rod 113 is therefore at liberty to move beyond the said leg, and the
continued motion of the carriage brings a projection 115 against the leg 104
when the stretch has been completed. The leg 104 is thus drawn from its
supporting stud 106, and the weight 109 is at liberty to cause the arm 98 to
turn upon its centre and move the clutch box 93 from the clutch on the
wheel 89, and it would were it not prevented place the said clutch box again

page_text: into gear with the clutch on the wheel 91, but this is prevented by the leg
107, which as above stated occupies a position a little above the stud 106
against which it arrives and arrests the further motion of the arm 98, and
consequently the sliding of the clutch box, which will occupy a position
between and free of the two clutches, in consequence of which the motive
power will be removed from the back shaft, and the running out of the
carriage will be arrested. The backing off and winding on having been
accomplished the carriage in moving in arrives in contact with a rod 116
attached to the leg 107, whereby the said leg is caused to turn upon its centre
away from the stud 106, and the weight 109 restores the parts to the position
shewn in the Drawing, and ready for another stretch. The arrangement of brake
which the carriage puts on when running in is shewn at Figures 9 and 10.
At 120 is a bracket attached to the carriage and carrying a lever 121 capable
of turning upon a centre 122. The outward end of this lever moves in a
guide 123, and is jointed to a screw capable of being moved upward or
downward by a nut 124. To the other end of the lever 121 is jointed a bell
crank 125 weighted at one end and carrying a roller 126 at the other.
127 is a rail capable of turning on a centre 128, and provided with an incline
127. The other end of this rail has a rod 129 connected at top to the
brake 180, and the said rail 127 has a tendency to turn upon its centre 128
by means of a weight 131 mounted on a lever which carries at its other end a
pin 132 projecting beneath the rail. At 183 is a set screw situate above the
rail to determine its upward motion. When the carriage runs in the
roller 126 arrives in contact with and runs along the incline 127*, and in so
doing pulls down the rod 129, and puts on the brake as usual, the lever
which carries the roller 126 being prevented from turning on its centre by
the pin 134, but when the carriage runs out the said lever and its roller are
free to turn upward. The amount of force which the roller 126 shall exert
upon the rail 127 may be adjusted by turning the screw 124 so as to elevate
or depress it, and the liberation of the brake from the back shaft may be
regulated by the screw 133, as it constitutes a stop to the action of the
weighted lever 131.
At
We have not in the foregoing description, and in order to avoid confusion,
alluded to that motion of the mule known as the double speed, but will now
explain how it may be accomplished in conjunction with those motions already
described.
At 140, Fig. 4, is a sliding bar connected at one end to the strap guide 141
and at the other to a weighted chain 142. In this bar there are three

page_text: notches 143, 144, 145, corresponding to the three positions which the strap 5
is to occupy on the pullies 2, 3, 4. As seen in the Drawing the strap is on
the fast pulley 4, and the carriage is supposed to be going out, and the said
strap is retained in that position by a finger 146 situate in the notch 143.
This finger is carried by a lever 147 mounted on a centre 148, on which
there is another lever 149 provided at its end with an incline 150. Upon the
twist shaft 20 is a tappet 152 which is capable of acting against the incline
150, so as to turn the levers 147, 149, upon their centre, and upon the said
shaft is also a cam 151 which acts against a sliding rod 153, the upper end of
which is jointed to a weighted lever 154, 154*, turning upon a centre 155.
This lever is of bell crank form, and the part 154* thereof extends downward,
so as to be in the plane at certain times of a pin 156 extending from the
sliding bar 140. At 157 is an arm extending from the axis 155 of the
lever 154 (see the detached view, Fig. 7), and against a projection from this arm
is a finger 158. At 159 is a rod jointed at one end at one end to a lever 160
turning on a centre 161, and having an incline 162 on its end. According to
the position shewn the stop 146 is in the notch 143, and the strap 5 on the
pulley 4, the carriage being in the act of running out. At the time the
double speed is required to come into operation the cam 151 has rotated, so
as to have lifted the weighted arm 154, whereby the arm 154* turning on the
centre 155 will have moved forward out of the way of the pin 156 in order to
prepare for a sliding of the rod 140. Then a projection on the carriage
arriving in contact with the finger 158 will cause the levers 157, 147, to turn
upon their centre 148 and lift the stop 146 from the notch 143, the rod 140
being thus liberated will be drawn forward by the weight 142 until arrested
by the stop 146 passing into the notch 145, and thus the strap will be carried
on to the double speed pulley 3, Between the notches 143 and 144 is an
incline over which the stop 146 slides, so that it is sprung beyond the middle
notch 144 when the above-described motion of the rod 140 takes place. To
shift the driving strap on to the loose pulley 2 the cam 152 comes into
operation against the incline 150, whereby the lever 147 is turned, thus
removing the stop 146 from the notch 145, and then the weight 154 being
superior to 142 will through the arm 154* act against the pin 156, so as to
carry forward the rod 140 until its motion is arrested by the face 163 of the
incline, and the notch 144 then registers the position of the strap on the loose
pulley 2.
When the carriage is run in a roller 165 thereon arrives against
the incline 162, and causes a sliding of the rod 159, which through its
arm 166 acts against the arm 157, thus turning the lever 147 and

page_text: removing the stop from the notch 144, and then the weight 154 causes the
arm 154* again to act against the pin 156 and carry forward the rod 140 and
strap guide 141 into the position shewn in the Drawing.
Our Invention as above described has special reference to a hand mule,
but the several motions either wholly or in part may be adapted to a self-
acting mule; if the headstock be taken as shewn and described then a winding-
on motion and other parts may be added, as is well understood by competent
mechanics.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim as secured to us under the above in part recited
Letters Patent, and in reference to carding engines,-
Firstly, and for the purposes above set forth, causing the triggers to revolve
in two or more planes, and mounting the parts against which they act so that
they may be brought into any of those planes.
Secondly, in reference to those flats which are mounted upon endless chains
or bands we claim adapting a strip to one flat, which strip overlaps an
adjacent flat.
In reference to the mule we claim,-
Firstly, bringing the adjustments described to one side of the headstock.
Secondly, stopping the spindles by the direct action of a cam on the twist
shaft upon the band of the brake.
Thirdly, in reference to the change motions, taking the weight required
for effecting such changes from the carriage and transferring it to the back
shaft.
Fourthly, in reference to the brake which the carriage puts on when
running in we claim the adjustable roller mounted on a lever attached to the
carriage.
Lastly, we claim the general combination of parts above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Walker Pitfield, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight.
חמתתנד
ROBERT
WALKER FITFIELD. (L.S.)