IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA- RATUS FOR SPINNING COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Threlfall and Robert
Walker Pitfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 28th December 1854.
We, RICHARD THRELFALL, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, and ROBERT WALKER PITFIELD, of the same Place, Mechanic,
do hereby declare the nature of the "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR SPINNING COTTON, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,'
follows:-
Our improvements apply to that class of spinning machines generally
known as "hand mules" and "self-acting mules," and consist in the adaptation
of a break, so constructed as to act when necessary (and at the will of the
spinner) upon the "back shaft" of such "mules." The advantages attained
by the adaptation of these improvements are, considerable gain of ease in
working to the spinner, the extension to a larger size of mules than at present
in general operation, the bringing up the spindle carriage much quicker than
usual, and thereby increasing the work done. These important advantages
are attained by the following operations of the break; first, in checking as
desired the heavy spindle carriage as it comes up; secondly, in avoiding all
collision as the carriage advances to the roller beam and stops, whereby the
wear and tear is considerably economised, and a great saving of oil effected,
as the spindles are not violently shaken (as at present) in their steps or

page_text: bearings. The break may be adjusted as to come into operation when the
carriage is within 2, 3, or 4 feet of the coming up of the carriage, or may be
adjusted at will, and thrown out immediately on the return of the carriage.
The action of the break is communicated from a bevil pinion on the assistant
drawing-up shaft. This pinion gears into a bevil wheel on the "back shaft,"
which extends along the entire length of the machine. Upon the "back
shaft," and not far from the before-mentioned bevil gear, a spur wheel is fixed;
this wheel gears into a carrier wheel beneath, which communicates motion to
the fast pully, above which the break is situated and acts; further on the "back
shaft" than the spur wheel before mentioned a pinion is secured, which, gearing
into another spur wheel beneath, imparts to it an alternate opposite revolving
motion. On the shaft of this last-mentioned spur wheel is a small projecting
tappet, capable of adjustment, which, in its alternate elevation and depression,
caused by the alternate reverse motions of the before-mentioned gearing, lifts
up a click or catch, which immediately releases a lever and weight, and brings
down the break, which acts upon the "back shaft," and checks the coming up
of the carriage; the lever being jointed, allows the tappet to resume its place
and become again ready for action; but as it will be speedily necessary to
throw off the break again, we employ on the advancing carriage a small
pendant lever and bowl, which, passing over an incline plane secured on one
end of a lever, depresses it, causing the other end to rise, lifts a vertical sliding
rod, secured to the weighted lever of the break, elevates it, and allows the
throwing-in motion to resume its place. We further adapt to the interior of
the pulley on which the break acts a "sun and planet," or "differential"
motion, acted upon by a worm and wheel, and driven by a connecting band
and pullies worked from the assistant drawing-up shaft ;" the effect of which is,
that should the break overcome the motion or impetus of the carriage, the
sun and planet motion will then complete the bringing up of the carriage..
Another method by which we propose to effect the same object, as before
described, is by placing on the assistant drawing-up shaft" an extra loose
pulley, which pully being so furnished with appropriate gear, that when it is
desired to put the break on as the carriage comes up, the strap by driving this
pulley shall cause the periphery of the pulley to revolve in a different direction
to its shaft by aid of the before-mentioned gearing, and thus make the strap
a break acting upon the "back shaft."