Improvements in Band-tightening Apparatus for Spinning Mules.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Band-tightening Apparatus for Spinning Mules.
I JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON of the Vulcan Works, Pollard Street, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:
My Invention relates to the arrangements for tightening the Scroll Bands of
Spinning Mules. In ordinary practice the two ends of the bands have been separately
attached to the carriage and means for taking up the slack have been provided at the
points of attachment.
In my invention the two bands are tightened simultaneously by acting upon one
device. The band extends in one piece from one scroll to the other and passes partly
around two sector pullies which are mounted to rock in brackets secured to the
carriage. Between the said sector pullies the band forms a bight which is held by a
pulley which is mounted to revolve upon a stud or pin which is fixed to or upon a
carriage. The said carriage is fitted to slide in prepared ways and is held in position
by means of a screw which engages with a nut fixed to the carriage. By turning this
screw the carriage can be moved in one direction or the other. When it is desirable
to tighten the bands it is only necessary to turn the screw in the direction which will
draw the bight further away from the sector pullies. Each sector pulley is mounted
to have a restricted amount of freedom to turn upon its stud or pin so that the bands
can adjust themselves automatically as may be required to produce an uniformity of
tension. In place of the single pulley upon the sliding carriage I may provide more
than one pulley as for example I may mount a pulley at each end of the carriage the
bight of the band being passed in the first instance over the pulley which is nearest to
the sector pullies. When the band has been tightened to the extent permitted by the
limit of outward movement of the carriage the latter may be moved back and the bight
be passed over the second or further pulley. An advantage arising from the use of my
invention is that on the breakage of a band the spare length at the bight may permit
of the band being spliced or pieced at the point of breakage or if the breakage should
occur at or near the end which is attached to the scroll the worn part may be cut off
and the end of the band be re-attached.
Dated this 1st day of October 1889.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Band-tightening Apparatus for Spinning Mules.
I JOHN MUIR HETHERINGTON of the Vulcan Works, Pollard Street, Manchester in
the County of Lancaster Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawings:-
-
My Invention relates to the arrangements for tightening the Scroll Bands of
Spinning Mules. In ordinary practice the two ends of the bands have been separately
attached to the carriage and means for taking up the slack have been provided at the
points of attachment. In my invention the two bands are tightened simultaneously
by acting upon one device. The band extends in one piece from one scroll to the
other and passes partly around two sector pullies which are mounted to rock in
brackets secured to the carriage. Between the said sector pullies the band forins a
bight which is held by a pulley which is mounted to revolve upon a stud or pin which
DQ17

page_text: is fixed to or upon a carriage. The said carriage is fitted to slide in prepared ways
and is held in position by means of a screw which engages with a nut fixed to the
carriage. By turning this screw the carriage can be moved in one direction or the
other.
In order that the manner in which I have carried my Invention into practical effect
may be clearly understood I will describe such Invention more fully with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
In the said drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the scrolls and a part of the scroll shaft of
a mule and of the part of the mule carriage to which the scroll bands are attached. In
the said Fig. a a are the scrolls which draw in the carriage, b is a part of the scroll shaft
and c is a part of the carriage framework. Secured to such framework are two brackets d
and e. The bracket d is represented in elevation by Fig. 2 and the bracket e by Fig. 3.
Each bracket is formed with two cheeks through which passes a stud and in each
case a sector band pulley g is mounted upon the stud so that it can rock or turn
within limits stops upon one of the cheeks preventing each pulley from turning too far
in either direction. The bracket e is formed with a slide bed e¹ which is planed or
prepared to receive a carriage h which can be slid in either direction by turning a
screw i. Upon a stud fixed to the said carriage is mounted a grooved band pulley k.
The scroll band in the first instance consists of a single piece of rope which is
secured by one end to one of the scrolls and by the other end to the other scroll an
intermediate part being taken over the two sector pulleys and partly around the
pulley kas clearly indicated in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the band can be readily and
quickly tightened whenever desirable by turning the screw i both the lengths of band
which extend from the carriage to the scrolls being simultaneously tightened by the
one operation. As the two ends of the complete band are alone fixed to any part of
the machine the band is free to accomodate itself to any inequalities in the strain so
that the two lengths of the band marked will at all times have about the same
amount of tension the equality of tension of the two parts not being dependent upon
the skill or care of the operator who tightens the band. In place of the single
pulley upon the sliding carriage I may provide more than one pulley as for example
I may mount a pulley at each end of the carriage the bight of the band being passed
in the first instance over the pulley which is nearest to the sector pullies. Fig. 4
illustrates such a construction the sliding carriage being provided with two band
pulleys k k.
When the band has been tightened to the extent permitted by the limit
of outward movement of the carriage h the latter may be moved back and the bight
of the band be passed over the second or further pulley or otherwise the bight might
in the first instance be passed over the further pulley and be transferred to the nearer
pulley after being shortened through breakage and splicing. An advantage arising
from the use of my invention is that on the breakage of a band the spare length at the
bight may permit of the band being spliced or pieced at the point of breakage or if the
breakage should occur at or near the end which is attached to the scroll the worn part
may be cut off and the end of the band be re-attached.
The sector pulleys are employed simply in order that the carriage may be drawn up
as closely to the scrolls as is usual but I do not wish to confine myself to the use of
such sector pulleys as pulleys of small diameter might be used or other arrangements
might be made for dispensing with the necessity for the use of sector pulleys. Fig 5
illustrates a modification in the formation of the sector pulley having for its object to
still further reduce the rearward projection of the pulley. In this example the bracket
is formed with a turned half bearing m upon which the sector rocks a concentric rib
or groove upon the sector keeping the latter in place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1) The combination of parts substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings hereto."
2) As applied to a mule carriage the sliding carriage actuated by a screw carrying

page_text: a pulley over which is passed the bight of a rope or band which is attached by its ends
to the scrolls substantially as set forth and indicated.
3) As applied to a mule carriage the sector pulleys g g and the pulley & mounted
upon an adjustable carriage h in connection with the band' substantially as set forth
and indicated.
4) In the connection of the scrolls of a mule with the carriage attaching to the
scrolls the two ends of a band which is passed over carrier band pulleys and partly
around a pulley which is mounted upon a sliding carriage or part which can be acted
upon by a screw to tighten the band.
Dated this 28th day of June 1890
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.