Improvements in Self Acting Mules.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 18th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1898
Improvements in Self Acting Mules.
We, ROBERT CLEGG, Foreman, and JAMES CLEGG, Mule Erector, of Asa
Lees and Company Limited, of Soho Iron Works, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the driving mechanism of self acting
mules and the object of our improvements is to ensure an accurate and constant
amount of twist in the yarn being spun at all stages of the outward run of the
carriage notwithstanding the slipping of the rim band which takes place at every
stretch.
We accomplish this object by driving the usual changeable rim pinion secured
upon the rim shaft from the rim band which drives the tin roller shaft, by which
means any slip of the rim band causes the rim shaft and pinion and consequently the
mule carriage aud rollers to run proportionately slower.
A convenient mode of carrying out our invention is to mount a loose bush or
sleeve on the rim shaft to which sleeve the driving pulley is keyed and on which
the sliding half of the friction clutch is mounted loosely; on the outer end of this
sleeve is formed a flange to which is bolted the rim band pulley preferably with
two grooves; on the end of the rim shaft which projects through the rim band
pulley is secured a single grooved pulley; the rim band passes over all the three
grooves mentioned and gives motion to the tin roller shaft as usual.
It will thus be seen that as the driving pulley is keyed to the loose bush and so
drives the rim band pulley and as the rim band also runs over and drives the rim
pulley fast on the rim shaft that the speed of the latter is governed by the speed
of the rim band and the carriage and rollers which are driven by the change
pinion keyed on the rim shaft receive a motion controlled by the speed of the
rim band and subject to any variation of speed caused by the slipping of such
band.
Dated this 1et dore of Jule 1805
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants.
Improvements in self Acting Mules.
We, ROBERT CLEGG, Foreman, and James CLEGG, Mule Erector, both of
Asa Lees and Company Limited, of Soho Iron Works, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in the driving mechanism of self acting
mules, and the object of our improvements is to ensure an accurate and constant
amount of twist in the yarn being spun at all stages of the outward run of the
carriage notwithstanding the slipping of the rim band which takes place at every
stretch.

page_text: We accomplish this object by driving the usual changeable rim pinion secured
upon the rim shaft from the rim band which drives the tin roller shaft substantially
in the manner hereinafter described and as pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a diagramatic representation of part of a mule showing the rim shaft
and the carriage and the mechanism for driving the drawing rollers, carriage and
spindles from the rim band, and
Fig. 2 is a detail of the gearing for driving the drawing rollers from the rim
pinion.
On the rim shaft a is mounted a loose bush or sleeve b which is supported in
bearings c and on this sleeve b the following parts are mounted :-
:-
A loose pulley d, a fast or driving pulley e with a friction cone as usual, the
backing off wheel and a rim band pulley preferably with two grooves fixed on
the sleeve. The backing off wheel is made as usual with a hollow friction cone
to fit over the cone on the pulley e and is fitted to slide freely on the sleeve b. We
have shown only a single driving pulley e and one loose pulley d on the sleeve b
but it is obvious that these might be duplicated for double driving.
On one end of the rim shaft a is fixed the changeable rim pinion which drives
by the train of gears j, j, k, k', and clutch ', the drawing roller shaft m; on the
long boss of the clutch wheel 7 is fixed the pinion n from which motion is
transmitted by a train of gears n', n², n³, n', to the scroll o which by a band o¹
actuates the mule carriage p.
On the other end of the rim shaft a is fixed a changeable rim pulley / preferably
single grooved and the rim band 7 passes over all the three grooves in the rim
pulleys g and h and over the usual grooved carrier and tightening pulleys, and so
gives motion to the tin roller shaft s from which the spindles are driven by
bands u as usual.
In putting on the rim band pulley 7 we should start say from the groove on the
rim pulley down to the middle groove on the carrier pulley v, to the middle
groove on each of the following, the union pulley w, the tin roller shaft pulleys the
tightening pulley r and the carrier pulley y and back to the outside groove on the
pulley g, thence down to the inside groove on the pulley and the inside grooves
on the series of pulleys w, s, x, y, back to the inside groove on the rim pulley g
thence down to the outside groove on the pulley, and the outside grooves on the
pulleys w, s, x, y, back to the groove on the rim pulley h.
It will thus be seen that when the driving belt (not shown) is on the driving
pulley e which is keyed on the loose sleeve b, or in the case of double driving when
two driving belts are on two driving pulleys keyed on the sleeve b, the latter
revolves and with it the rim band pulley 7 which transmits motion by the rim
band to the tin roller shafts and so to the spindles t, and as the rim band 9 also
runs over the second rim or single grooved pulley / which is fast on the rim shaft a
the latter is rotated and with it the rim pinion i which transmits its motion through the
train of gearing to the drawing roller shaft m and to the scroll o, consequently
the speed of the rim shaft a is governed by the speed of the rim band 7, and the
drawing rollers and the carriage also receive a motion governed by the speed of
the rim band and therefore are, like the spindles t, subject to any variation of speed
caused by the slipping of the rim band or any other cause, which affects it.
It will be readily understood that various modifications and alterations in the
details may be made without departing from the essential feature of our invention
which consists in so arranging the driving mechanism as to make the driving of
the drawing rollers and the carriage secondary to and dependent upon the driving
of the spindles, that is to say, we make the spindles lead so that they cannot lag
behind but must start simultaneously with or if anything slightly before the drawing
rollers and carriage. It will therefore be obvious that this result could be
accomplished with a single grooved rim pulley g and a double or two separate
ropes instead of a treble rope q.
Again, instead of mounting the hollow sleeve on the rim shaft a two

page_text: independent shafts might be employed one shaft carrying the driving pulley or
pulleys, backing off wheel and rim pulley, and the other shaft carrying the rim
pinion and being driven either directly by or indirectly from the rim band.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Driving the drawing rollers and carriage continuously during the whole.
outward run of the carriage by or from the rim band and through the tin roller
shaft which drives the spindles without remoring the driving belt from one driving
pulley to another.
2. Arranging and combining the driving of the tin roller shaft and spindles and
the drawing rollers and carriage of a self acting mule by the rim band substantially
as described whereby the spindles will always lead and cannot lag behind but at
the commencement of the outward run must start simultaneously with or, if
anything, slightly before the drawing rollers and carriage.
3. The combination with the rim shaft, and a hollow sleeve mounted thereon and
carrying the driving pulley, of the rim band which is arranged to be driven.
throughout the whole of the outward run by the driving pulley on the sleeve, and
to transmit its motion through the tin roller shaft to the spindles, drawing rollers
and carriage substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.
4. The general arrangement and combination of parts embodying our improve--
ments in self acting mules substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 16th day of March 1896.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.