IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPINDLES EMPLOYED IN MULES FOR SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gibson, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF SPINDLES EMPLOYED IN MULES FOR SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 16th October 1874, and dated the 20th August 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gibson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th August 1874.
I, WILLIAM GIBSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPINDLES EMPLOYED IN MULES FOR SPINNING COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists principally in constructing the spindle in two
parts, the lower part (to which the wharve is attached) being fitted with-
a socket, into which the upper part or skewer (on which the cop is
formed) fits accurately.

page_text: As at the present time almost all yarn is doubled this improvement is
of the very greatest importance, as the cop is doffed with the skewer,
and can be removed straight from the mule to the doubling frame
without the trouble of re-skewering. Thus the loss incurred by deformity,
stabbing, and "halching" at the "nose" of the cops is avoided and the t
use of paper tubes for the cop bottoms is dispensed with. Much unsound
yarn (resulting from the use of crooked skewers in the doubling frame
is also saved, as the skewer when emptied is removed again to the mule,
and therefore must be perfectly accurate.
It will be evident that in order to work continuously there must be 1
three or four skewers to each spindle, but as two can be made out of an
old fashioned spindle the cost will be comparatively small.
r
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Gibson in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 19th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GIBSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Gibson, Her special
license that I, the said William Gibson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Gibson, 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
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPINDLES EMPLOYED IN MULES FOR SPINNING COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Gibson, my executors or administrators, 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.

page_text: 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 William Gibson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, 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 (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists principally in constructing the spindle in two
parts, the lower part (to which the wharve is attached) fitted with a
socket into which the upper part or skewer (on which the cop is formed)
fits accurately.
As at the present time almost all yarn is doubled this improvement is
of the very greatest importance, as the cop is doffed with the skewer,
and can be removed straight from the mule to the doubling frame
without the trouble of re-skewering. Thus the loss incurred by deformity,
stabbing, and "halching" at the nose of the cop is avoided and the use
of paper tubes for the cop bottoms is dispensed with. Much unsound
yarn (resulting from the use of crooked skewers in the doubling frame)
is also saved, as the skewer when emptied is removed again to the mule,
and therefore must be perfectly accurate.
It will be evident that in order to work continuously there must be
three or four skewers to each spindle, but as two can be made out of an
old fashioned spindle the cost will be comparatively small.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, in order that
the same may be more clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a
Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with
figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing represents an external view of a bare
spindle made according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view (partly
drawn in section) of a spindle with a cop wound upon it; and Fig. 3
shows the two parts of the spindle detached.
It will be perceived that the spindle is made in two parts, the lower
or permanent part a, a, to which the wharve b, b, is fixed, and the upper
or movable part c, c, upon which the cop is wound. The upper end of

page_text: the lower or permanent part a, a, is made with a slightly conical recess
or socket, and the lower end of the upper or movable part c, c, is formed
slightly conical to correspond, and the two parts are ground or turned to
fit accurately, all the spindles being made to the same gauge, so that the
upper parts are interchangeable, and any one of them will fit accurately 5
into any or all of the lower parts.
As before described when the cop is wound the upper part c is
removed with it, and serves the purpose of the skewer ordinarily
employed, with this great advantage, that the cop is never removed
from the spindle, and as it therefore never requires re-skewering all 1
injury to and consequent waste of the yarn is prevented.
When the cops are intended for weaving the only alteration required
is to remove the tongue of the shuttle from the hinged tongue block,
and to form a conical recess in the latter to receive the conical end of the
skewer or upper part of the spindle c, c. The tongue block is also pro- 1
vided with a small spring or other equivalent, the end of which catches
into a groove d, d, made in the skewer for the purpose of preventing the
tongue or skewer from becoming loose in the shuttle.
The skewers or spindles may be made to taper all the way up if
desired, but I prefer to make them cylindrical at that part where the cop 2
is wound on, as shown in the Drawing, as the cops are then much less
likely to come off.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention the construction of mule spindles in two parts,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before more
particularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Gibson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in the a
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five