CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FLETCHER, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Foreman at the Works of
Messieurs William Collier and Company, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirtieth day of March, in the sixth year of Her reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Fletcher, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Fletcher, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said James Fletcher, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said James Fletcher,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately

page_text: after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Fletcher, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):-
My Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Spinning Cotton and
other Fibrous Substances apply solely to those machines now commonly em-
ployed for the purposes of spinning, and called or known by the name of
"Self-acting Mules," and consist,
66
Firstly, in the application of a novel and peculiar construction of apparatus,
designed for the purpose of effecting or producing the requisite variable motion
of the spindle carriage during the operation of "going in," that is, its return
towards the front or drawing rollers after the stretch has been performed.
Secondly, in a novel and particular combination and arrangement of
mechanism, for the purpose of effecting the gradually varying speed of the
spindles during the process. of." winding on ;" and,
Thirdly, in the novel application of the principle of connecting the "copping"
and "winding-on" motion, so that the one shall controul and regulate the
other, although the particular mechanical arrangements for effecting this pur-
pose may be somewhat altered from the method here shewn for effecting such
novel application and principle of connecting these operations in self-acting
mules."
In order that these several improvements in the "self-acting mule," and
the application thereof, may be perfectly explained, and that my Invention
may be rendered intelligible to the practical spinner or mechanic conversant
with such machinery, I have attached to these Presents a Sheet of Drawings
representing several views of an improved self-acting mule, as arranged and
constructed to be worked in connection with my present improvements; and
that the improved parts and arrangements of the mechanism (intended to be
herein claimed by virtue of the said Letters Patent), may be distinctly shewn,
such parts of mechanism are represented as shaded with color; and as the
other known parts of the mule are only here represented to shew the respective
application of my improvements, those parts are drawn in outline only. The
general movements of the whole, however, must be slightly described in
their respective order, that my improved apparatus or motions' may be clearly
shewn.
In the Drawing attached, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the mule

page_text: headstock, the spindle carriage being necessarily shewn in section. Fig. 2
an end elevation of the headstock, and Fig. 3. a plan or top view of the head-
stock, shewing its situation between the two sets of drawing rollers and spindle
carriages; and Fig. 4 an elevation of the front end of the headstock.
In order to describe intelligibly the various evolutions. of the machinery; I
will take each motion in regular succession, which will be well understood by
the practical spinner. The revolution of the front or drawing rollers is pro-
duced by means of the fast pulley 1 on the driving shaft, and the change
wheel 2, which act through the intermediate wheel 3, upon the wheels 4 and 5,
gearing in the wheel 6, upon the front roller shaft. The change wheel 2 regu-
lates the amount of twist given to the yarn during the coming out of the carriage.
The rotation of the spindles is effected by the twist pulley on the driving
shaft, the band of which passing round the carrier pulleys 8, 9 and the twist
pulley 10, mounted in the spindle carriage, gives motion to the mitre wheels
11 and 12, thence to the band pulley 13, which drives the spindles. In
tracing the further progress of this band, it will be observed to pass over the
pulley 14 at the front end of the headstock, and then returning to the opposite
end, passes round the pulley 15 on the "taking-out" and "taking-in" shaft 16,
and complete its course at the twist pulley 7. The coming out of the spindle
carriage is effected by means of the same fast' pulley. 1 on the driving shaft;
the change wheel 2, intermediate wheel 3, and the wheels 4 and 5, acting
upon the spur wheel a, the shaft of which" (17) carries the pinion 6, (see
Fig. 1.) which gearing with the large wheel:c, causes the taking out and
taking in band to be wound and unwound upon. the pulley d, which is. fast to
the side of the wheel c, and therefore revolves with it. At the end of the
stretch the action between the pinion b and the wheel ċ ceases by means of the.
catch box a being thrown out of gear, and the carriage is then at rest.
the same time that this catch box a' is thrown out of gear, a projecting portion
of the carriage, as it completes the stretch, strikes against the stop or finger b',
which draws out the sliding bar 62, and shifts another catch box 63, so as to
stop the further rotation of the front or drawing rollers, and thus hold the
filament of cotton between them and the spindles. When the carriage has
arrived at the end of each stretch and the requisite amount of twist has been
communicated to the yarn, the twist wheel c¹ will have completed one entre
revolution, and the finger c, releasing the catch c³, will allow the driving strap
to be removed from the fast pulley 1 to the loose pulley h, which is effected by
the force of the spring v acting on the strap lever w. The several parts are
then in a position for "backing off." It will be generally understood by those
acquainted with such spinning machinery, that the terın "backing off" implies
At

page_text: the uncoiling of the same portion of yarn wound upon the upper part of the
spindle, which is effected by the rising of the faller at the end of each
stretch. The manner in which this is accomplished is as follows:-The
loose strap pulley h has attached to it the bevil pinion i, which gears into the
bevil wheel on the top of the inclined shaft 18. On the bottom of this shaft
is the bevil pinion 1, gearing with the wheel m, which revolves loose on the
taking out and taking-in shaft 16. At the same time that the strap is moved
from the fast to the loose pulley, the conical friction pulley 15 (also loose on
the taking out and taking-in shaft) is brought in contact with the internal
conical surface of the bevil wheel m, by means of the levers d and d², which
are acted upon by the spring at the same time that the lever w is acted
upon, both levers being fast on the same shaft so as gradually to retard the
motion of the twist pulley 7; and when this is effected the friction of the two
surfaces causes the pulley 15 to revolve in the opposite direction to what it did
during the operation of spinning, and as this immediately affects the motion of
the spindles, it causes them to revolve in the reverse direction during the
process of backing off. While twisting, the speed at which the pulley 10 revolves
produces a centrifugal force which instantly throws off the catches from the
ratchet wheel 19; but as the speed diminishes for "backing off," the catches
immediately resume their position on the ratchet wheel 19, and as the pulley
10 revolves in the reverse direction during the time of "backing off," it carries
with it the ratchet wheel 19 and cam y. During the process of "backing
off" the chain n is wound on the cam y, which is fixed upon the rachet
wheel, and which runs loose upon the shaft at the bottom of the carriage,
and passes round a carrier pulley o up to the arm p on the faller shaft, and
pulls down the faller into the position required for winding on.
At the
same time the segment e¹ on the faller shaft passes under the top part of the
crank lever e², and prevents the action of the spring e³ until the proper amount
of "backing off" is completed. The small stud e* then falls into a recess upon
a segment which sets the crank lever e² at liberty, thereby allowing the spring
es to act, and by means of rod e to put the catch box on the wheel 14 into
gear, and also to shift the bevil pinion from the wheel m to the wheel g on
the taking-out and taking-in shaft. The spur pinion r, being also fast on the
taking-out and taking-in shaft, gives motion to the spur wheels, on whose
shaft is an excentric elliptical spur wheel t, working into another excentric
elliptical spur wheel u, which is attached to the taking-out and taking-in
pulley d; and by means of these elliptical wheels t and u, the requisite varying
speed is communicated to the carriage during the "going in," and which con-
stitutes the first feature of the novelty of my said Invention. It may be

page_text: remarked that the pulley d, and consequently the whole of the taking-out and
taking-in band, might be entirely dispensed with, and the spur wheel c be
allowed to work in a horizontal rack attached to the carriage, thereby producing
a precisely similar motion to what has been described, whether for coming
out or going in of the carriage.
The very important movements of winding on and guiding the faller wire, and
which constitute the second and third features of novelty in my Invention, have
now to be explained. Previous to this, however, it may be well to make a few
remarks in explanation of the essential points which require particular attention.
The length of yarn spun during each stretch of the carriage is uniform, but
has to be wound upon the spindles in such a manner as to form what is tech-
nically termed a "cop;" and as it varies in form and diameter, the revolution
of the spindles, and theaction of the faller wire must be regulated accordingly.
This depends upon the shaper plates A, A, and copping rail A2 acting through
the lever A³ upon the upright rod B¹, connected to the faller shaft B², thus
regulating the action of the faller wire, which varies in its position after each
stretch, so as to produce the laying on the successive layers of yarn in the form,
first, of a cop bottom; after this the successive layers of yarn are continued
of a uniform character until the cop is completed. In consequence of the suc-
cessive layers of yarn, it will be obvious that the diameter of the cop will vary
after each stretch, and as the length of yarn to be wound on is constantly the
same, a proportionately varying motion must be communicated to the spindles.
This important action is effected in this improved mule by the following novel'
arrangement of mechanism :-It has been previously explained that when the
spring was allowed to act, it brought the catch box on the pulley 14 into gear
with that upon the pulley B. The object of this is to effect the rotation of
the spindles through the medium of the spur wheel C gearing in the carriage
rail, and as it has a bevil pinion B³ placed upon it, gives motion to the bevil
wheel D, that to the pulley A, and thence to the spindles, in the manner
already explained under the head of "Rotation of Spindles." At the com-
mencement of the cop bottom the long horizontal lever H (which moves upon
its fulcrum attached to the flooring), is parrallel to the carriage rail D', and
remains in that position during the first stretch. There is another lever H',
the fulcrum of which is attached to the back part of the carriage, and carries
on its opposite end two small pulleys G. There is also a band C', which is fast
at one end to a small lug H2, attached to the under part of the carriage, and
then passing round one of the small pulleys just described, goes over the swivel
pulley K' on to the scroll F. During the first stretch the long horizontal lever
H, lying as just mentioned, that is, parallel to the carriage rail D', no varying

page_text: yarn
motion can be given to the spindles, inasmuch as the wheel E is during that
time held fast by the band C¹ in connection with the horizontal lever H, and
the whole of the motion given by the wheel C and E is communicated to the
bevil wheel D, and the pulley A being fast on the boss of the wheel D
revolves with it, and thence by the band passing round the pulley B, which is
now in gear with the pulley 14 (by means of the catch box), causes the
spindles to revolve with the requisite speed during the laying on of the
on to the bare spindle. At the end of each succeeding stretch the catch acts
by means of a small incline D' upon a lever D³, in connection with the catch
of the ratchet wheel M, and taking a tooth each time the carriage comes out
causes the rod E' to turn a proportionate distance. At the opposite end of
this rod E is a spur pinion L, driving the intermediate wheel K, which works
into a horizontal rack I, placed transversely across the headstock, and having
a stud E2 at its other end, which bears against the heretofore described
horizontal lever H, and allows it gradually to assume an inclined position.
The degree of inclination is determined by the diameter of the cop which has
to be formed. This is regulated by the adjustable stud E³ fixed in the slot of
the guide plate F¹; the end of horizontal lever H bears upon this plate, and
the side of the same lever comes against the stud E³ when the proper diameter
of the cop is finished,and its further action is prevented. The ratchet wheel M,
the rod E¹, and the transverse rack I, continues to move until the cop is com-
pleted, leaving the horizontal lever H at rest. The gradual inclination which
this lever Hassumes during the formation of the cop bottom, suffers the band
C¹ to be taken up by the scroll F, and thereby diminishes the amount of action
in the bevil wheel D, and consequently produces that varying speed of the
spindles required during this process. It is important to remark that the
ratchet wheel M has to be changed according to the "counts" of yarn that are
required to be spun. Thus, if I were spinning 30s I should put on a wheel
with 30 teeth in it, and at the end of one entire revolution I should find that
that the horizontal lever H had inclined so as to give the varying motion to the
spindles, and also that the action of the copping rail A2, upon the faller F³,
would be such as to produce the cop in the necessary form, for it will be seen
that the screw cut upon the rod E', to which the ratchet wheel M is fixed,
works a nut F³, attached to the copping rail A2, and therefore moves it a
certain distance at the end of each stretch. Thus, the ratchet wheel M may
be said to be the regulator, both of the copping and winding-on motions.
Previous to commencing a fresh set of cops, this regulator M must be turned
by means of a handle in the reverse direction, and thus bring back the copping
rail A² and transverse rack I into their original positions; and as the stud E

page_text: bears against the side of the horizontal lever H, the action of the transverse
rack will cause that lever to become again parallel to the carriage rail D¹.
At the closing-in of the carriage the small spur segment G¹ comes into gear
with a similar one G2, fixed to the end of the long lever G³; a stud, I', in
the taking-out and taking-in wheel, comes at the same time in contact with a
small projecting arm 12 at the fulcrum end of the lever G³, and only allows the
faller F to rise at such speed as is necessary to prevent the thread, which is
thrown into the angular position during the winding-on process, from becoming
slack and producing snarls while rising into the straight portion required for
twisting. The carriage, when closing in, acts by means of a small incline
upon the long arm N; one end of which is fixed upon the same shaft - as the
strap guide w, and shifts the strap from the fast to the loose pulley, and at the
same time the catch C³ is brought by the movement of strap guide to lay hold of
the projecting piece on twist wheel carrier. In this position it continues until
the end of the succeeding stretch, when the twist wheel, having made an entire
revolution, it causes the fingers to release the catch, as before described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood that I claim as
my Invention these several improvements in the machines called "Self-acting
Mules," used for spinning cotton or other fibrous substances,-
Firstly, the application and use of elliptical and excentric spur wheels for
the purpose of effecting the required varying motion of the spindle.carriage
during the operation of going in.
Secondly, the peculiar combination and arrangement of the carriage-wheel
scroll and horizontal levers for effecting the gradually varying speed of the
spindles during the process of winding on ;" and,
Thirdly, the application of the principle of so connecting the copping and
winding-on motion that the one shall control and regulate the other. And I
claim the application of this principle without respect to the peculiar
mechanical arrangements employed, and which said improvements are herein
particularly set forth and described, and exhibited in the Drawing attached to
these Presents.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fletcher, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and forty-three.
JAMES (L.S.) FLETCHER.
JAMES (L.S.) FLETCHER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of Sep-
tember, in the seventh year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the
said James Fletcher came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery,
and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
Fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Thirtieth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-three.