IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF- ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Moore, of Clayton le Moors, in the.
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-
ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 29th April 1873, and dated the 31st October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Moore at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the
31st October 1872.
I, THOMAS MOORE, of Clayton le Moors, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SELF ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS.
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in improved modes of giving positive
motion to the cam shaft and cam.
In one arrangement I form at one side of the step or pedestal
carrying one end of the cam shaft at the back of the headstock a boss.
or collar on which works loose a chain pulley geared to a toothed
chain carrying a weight, and the hollow or recess of the pulley has
in it one or more ratchet. teeth or projections. To the cam shaft
>

page_text: is keyed with a nut at the end of the shaft a boss or collar having
a projecting bracket to which is jointed a catch or ratchet which
can come in contact with the ratchet tooth or teeth, or ride over it
or them, and below the chain wheel on a stud fixed to the headstock
there is a grooved pulley for guiding the chain, and to keep the chain
in the groove of the pulley when it is slack there is a segmental cap
fixed to the stud. To a bracket bolted to the headstock is jointed
an arm or lever extending downwards, and having connected to it
the opposite end of the toothed chain which encircles the chain pulley
and carries the weight, and to the square of the carriage is fixed a
bracket carrying a bowl which can come in contact with the arm or
lever and be released from it, and on one of the steps or bearings of the
cam shaft there is an ear or bracket carrying a T catch, under which
there is a wheel with four recesses keyed on the cam shaft.
The operation of this arrangement is as follows:-When the carriage
is going out the bowl, upon it moves the arm or lever and raises the
weight, the chain pulley turning loose on the cam shaft, and as the
bowl advances it passes the arm or lever and the weight is at the top
when the carriage is out, and as the arm or lever is free it falls to the
perpendicular and slackens the chain, and when the carriage is full out
the cam shaft is liberated, and the cam makes a half or quarter revo-
lution as required by the falling of the weight. As the carriage goes in
the bowl passes the arm or lever in a reverse direction, and when the
cam shaft is liberated the weight causes a tooth on the chain pulley
to turn the cam shaft and cam a quarter or half a revolution, and when
the carriage is again moved out the weight is raised ready for the next
operation.
I modify this arrangement when required by substituting for the
chain pulley working on a stationary collar a loose pulley on the cam
shaft, having in its hollow part four catches which can catch into or
ride upon the teeth of a ratchet wheel fixed to the cam shaft, and work
the pulley by two bands fastened to it, the end of one band being
attached to the weight, and one end of the other band to the arm
or lever which is moved by the bowl on the carriage, and one band
is half round the pulley and the other one and a half times round.
In another arrangement for raising the weight I place under the
carriage a stationary rail having upon it a slide, and catch the chain
or band holding on a stud at one side of the slide, and the catch

page_text: on a stud at the other side, and to the bottom of the square of the
carriage at the back is bolted a bracket having a slot and stud. When
the carriage is in the weight is down, the stud on the bracket having
passed the catch on the slide, but as the carriage is going out the stud
seizes the catch and raises the weight to the top, the catch unlocking
itself from the stud when the carriage is out by coming in contact with
a stud on the standard, so as to slacken the chain to allow the next fall
of the weight to give the next quarter or half a revolution to the cam
shaft and cam.
In another arrangement for raising the weight I place under the back
shaft and roller beam in those mules in which they work positively with
the carriage an arm or lever, one end working on a stud fixed to a
stationary bracket, and its other end connected to the chain or band,
and to the back shaft I fix a tappet having a stud or bowl. As the
carriage is moving out the tappet revolves, the bowl upon it pressing
down the lever and raising the weight as much as it was before lowered,
and the same effect takes place when the carriage is going in.
My next improvement relates to the fallers, and consists in an
improved arrangement for holding and relieving the under faller. To
the under faller shaft I fasten a finger carrying at its outer end
a stud and bowl, and bolt to the top of the ordinary monkey-tail
lever an arm having at its top end a curve below the bowl. When
the carriage is out the bottom of the monkey-tail lever is in contact
with the stud of the ordinary long lever, and the under faller rod is
held or supported by the curved end of the arm being in contact with
the bowl, but when the top faller gets down the long lever drops and
allows the bottom of the monkey-tail lever to pass the stud and move
the curved end from under the bowl to relieve the under faller, which
rises the moment the long lever drops.

page_text: .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Moore, Her
special license that I, the said Thomas Moore, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Moore,
my executors, administrators, 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 SELF-ACTING MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others, that I, the said Thomas Moore, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 Thomas Moore, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Figures on the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked
thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists, first, in improved modes of giving positive
motion to the cam shaft of self-acting mules, and on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings one arrangement for this purpose is represented in
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, in which Fig. 1 is an end view at one side
of the headstock of the mule, provided with one arrangement of my
improvements; and Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are views of detached parts.
I form at one side of the step or pedestal a carrying one end of the
cam shaft at the back of the headstock a boss or collar c on which
works loose a rope pulley d having fastened to its periphery. two
ropes e, f, the end of the rope ƒ being attached to the weight g, and

page_text: the hollow or recess of the pulley has in it one or more ratchet teeth
or projections h, Figs. 2 and 3. To the cam shaft b is keyed a boss or
collar having a projecting bracket to which is jointed a catch
or ratchet which can come in contact with the ratchet'tooth h, or ride
over it and below the rope wheel d; on a stud m fixed to the headstock
there is a grooved pulley n, Figs. 1, 4, and 5, for guiding the rope e,
and to keep the rope in the groove of the pulley n when it is slack'
there is a segmental cap o, Figs. 1, 4, and 5, fixed to the stud m.
To the bracket p, Fig. 1, bolted to the headstock, is jointed an arm
or lever q extending downwards, and having on it a bowl over
which is passed the rope e having one end fastened to the periphery
of the pulley d, and the other end to a studs fixed to the headstock,
the rope e passing one and a half times round the pulley d, and the
rope f half round the pulley, and to the square of the carriage is fixed
a bracket t carrying a bowl u which can come in contact with the arm
or lever q and be released from it, and on one of the steps or bearings
of the cam shaft 6 there is an ear or bracket v carrying a T catch w,
Figs. 1 and 6, under which is keyed on the cam shaft a wheel x having'
four projections y, the object being to keep the cam shaft steady after
cach movement.
The operation of this arrangement is as follows:-When the carriage
is going out the bowl u upon it moves the arm or lever q and raises the
weight g, the rope pulley d turning loose on the collar c on the
pedestal a, and as the bowl advances it passes the arm or lever 9,
and the weight is at the top when the carriage is out, there being a
coiled spring on the boss of the arm or lever 9 for keeping the rope
at its proper tension, and when the carriage is full out the cam shaft
is liberated, and the cam makes a half or quarter revolution as required
by the falling of the weight, and when the weight is again raised the
spring keeps the rope at its proper tension, as before. As the carriage
goes in the bowl u passes the arm or lever q in a reverse direction, and
when the carriage is again moved out the weight is raised ready for the
next operation.
In another arrangement, shewn in Figs. 7 and 8, I employ a circle
of ratchet teeth a' cast in the interior of the loose rope pulley d on the
cam shaft b, and to the cam shaft I fix a large boss 6 having in it
four recesses containing ratchets c¹ of such length that only one at
a time can gear with the ratchet teeth a¹. The pulley d can be turned.

page_text: loose in one direction to raise the weight g, the teeth a¹ one after the
other raising the lower ratchet; but when the weight falls one of
the teeth a turns the boss b and cam shaft a quarter or half of a
revolution.
In the end view Fig. 9 at one side of the headstock, and in the
enlarged views Figs 10 and 11, I shew another arrangement for giving
positive motion to the cam shaft; I place under the carriage f¹ a
stationary rail g' having upon it a sliding block containing a vertical
sliding catch ¹ having on it a stud 1, and the rope e fixed to the rope
pulley d is held on a stud m¹ at one side of the sliding block h¹, there
being a spring n¹ for keeping the block steady and maintaining the rope
at its proper tension, and to the bottom of the square of the carriage
at the back is bolted a bracket n having a slot and stud o¹. When
the carriage is in the weight g is down, the stud o¹ having passed the
catch, but as the carriage is going out the stud o¹ seizes the catch
and moves the sliding block / so as to raise the weight to the top,
the catch unlocking itself from the stud o¹ when the carriage is out
by the stud on the catch ¹ coming in contact with and riding upon
a stationary finger 71, thereby lifting the catch above the stud and
slackening the rope e to allow the next fall of the weight to give the
next quarter or half a revolution to the cam shaft.
My next improvement, shewn in Fig. 12, relates to the fallers, and
consists in an improved arrangement for holding and relieving the
under faller. To the under faller shaft & I fasten a finger t¹ carrying
at its outer end a stud and bowl u¹, and bolt to the top of the ordinary
monkey-tail lever van arm w¹ having at its top end a curve r¹ below
the bowl. When the carriage is out the bottom of the monkey-tail
lever v¹ is in contact with the stud of the ordinary long lever, and the
under faller rod is held or supported by the curved end x¹ of the
arm w¹ being in contact with the bowl u³, but when the top faller gets
down the long lever drops and allows the bottom of the monkey-tail
lever to pass the stud in the ordinary manner, and move the curved
end from under the bowl to relieve the under faller, which rises the
moment the long lever drops.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said In-

page_text: doubling fibrous materials, I do not claim the weight of itself, as
unsuccessful attempts have before been made to use a weight for the
same purpose; but what I do claim is,―
First. The loose rope pulley working on a stationary boss formed on
one of the bearings of the cam shaft, and having in its interior the
various arrangements of ratchet teeth and projections or teeth, and the
connection of the pulley by one rope to a weight and by another rope
to a spring lever acted upon by a bowl on the carriage for the purpose
of raising the weight, which falls when liberated to give a half or
quarter revolution to the cam shaft.
Secondly. The employment below the carriage of a stationary rail
having on it a sliding block and catch, the block being connected by
a rope to a loose pulley connected by another rope to a weight, and also
the stud on the carriage for acting on the catch when the carriage is
going out, and the stationary finger for lifting the catch and slackening
the rope to allow the weight to fall, and the T catch for keeping the
parts steady.
And, thirdly. The attachment to the under faller shaft of a finger
carrying a stud and bowl, and also the connection to the top of the
monkey-tail lever of an arm with a curved end for the purpose of
holding and relieving the under faller as required, as all such improve-
ments are herein described and illustrated on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, the said Thomas Moore, hath hereunto set his
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Thomas Moore, in
the presence of
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
THOMAS MOORE. (L.S.)