IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MULES AND LIKE MACHINES FOR ROVING, SLUBBING, SPINNING, TWISTING, AND DOUBLING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPEIFICATION left by Charles Preston, George Dania,
William Houghton, and Reuben Bottomley at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 5th January 1867.
We, CHARLES PRESTON, Machinist, GEORGE DANIA, Machinist, WILLIAM
HOUGHTON, Manager, and REUBEN BOTTOMLEY, Cotton Spinner, all of Rochdale,
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MULES AND LIKE MACHINES FOR ROVING,
SLUBBING, SPINNING, TWISTING, AND DOUBLING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
The first part of our Invention relates to an arrangement of mechanism
for giving the movements to the "cam shaft" of mules and like machines, and
consists in the use of a ratchet wheel which is made constantly to rotate on
the axis of the cam shaft, and in arranging a "pawl" or "click" to be
carried by or jointed upon a part from or in connection with the cam shaft,
the pawl being pressed towards the teeth of the ratchet by a spring, so that
when one of the stops is withdrawn a pin or projection from the pawl or click
will be released and the pawl will be forced into the teeth of the ratchet, which
will thus carry the pawl and cam shaft round with it until one of the stops
comes in contact with the projection from the pawl, which will then be lifted
from the teeth of the ratchet and the movement of the cam shaft will be

page_text: arrested at the same time; this releasing and lifting of the pawl or click takes
place once for each movement of the cam shaft.
The second part of our Invention relates to an arrangement and combination
of mechanism for stopping and starting the rollers, or opening and closing the
jaws or slides by or through which the material to be spun is delivered, and
is applicable more particularly to mules for "slubbing" wool where the
material is only delivered during part of the "stretch." The rollers are
actuated by a clutch box and a lever (and the slides or jaws by a similar
arrangement), which clutch is put into gear by an incline spring upon the
carriage when it runs in, and the clutch is pulled out of gear by a spring.
When the clutch is put into gear it latches, and this latch is released at any
required part of the stretch by a stud, which can be fixed and adjusted at any
part of a toothed wheel which has some of its teeth removed, so that at one
part the pinion which drives it can rotate without giving it motion; this
wheel is arranged to make one revolution for each stretch, but it may
complete one revolution before the end of each stretch, and to cause the
toothed wheel to start at the same point at the beginning of each stretch a
stop is arranged which is actuated in connection with the clutch lever; this
stop will arrest the rotation of the wheel when the spaced part of it comes
opposite the pinion, and will release it when the clutch is put into gear, so
that a weight upon the wheel will cause it to turn and enter into gear with
the pinion driving it.
Another arrangement for accomplishing the object of the second part of
our Invention consists in employing a shaft placed in the headstock in the
line of the "stretch" one end of this shaft has a latching hook upon it, which
will hold the clutch or slides in gear till the shaft is slightly rotated to release
the actuating lever; this is done by an incline upon the carriage which comes
against an arm upon the shaft; by adjusting this arm upon the shaft at a
greater or less distance from the roller beam or the slides, the delivery of
material will be of greater or less extent accordingly.
The third part of our Invention relates to an arrangement and combination
of mechanism for giving increased speed to the mule after the stretch bas
commenced; this is done by means of a counter driving shaft and by belts or
by gearing. The belt guides are actuated by a long lever weighted at one
When the carriage is in the weighted end of the lever is lifted and is
held up by a latch; this latch is released when the increased speed is to come
on by a rod or bar placed parallel with the lever, which is jointed with the
latch at one end and with a radial arm at the other end, which arm is jointed
to a bracket secured to the floor or framing. The said rod or bar is thus
end.

page_text: arranged to move like one edge of a parallel ruler, and upon it an adjustable
projection or collar is placed at any required position, nearer to or further
from the roller beam according to the time at which the quick speed is to
begin. This adjustable projection or collar is acted upon by a pawl hinged
to the carriage so that it catches upon the projection or collar when the
carriage is going out, and as the rod or bar moves endways it descends at
the same time and becomes released from the pawl, but not before the weighted
lever is unlatched by the movement of the bar or rod. The pawl upon the
carriage is free to lift as the carriage moves in, so as to pass over the collar
or projection upon the rod or bar without acting upon it.
Another method of accomplishing this part of our Invention is by mounting
the fulcrum of the weighted lever upon a radius rod, and slotting the end of
the lever, or otherwise connecting it to the belt guides so that it will be
permitted to move endways, and in placing the adjustable collar or projection
upon one end of the lever and another projection at the opposite end of it.
The weighted end of the lever is held up by a stud in its end which latches
upon a bracket. When the carriage goes out the pawl hinged to it comes
against the projection upon the lever and moves it endways until the stud in
its end is pushed off the sustaining catch or bracket, when the weighted end
of the lever will descend and actuate the belt guide. When the carriage
goes in the lever will be lifted and the carriage will come against the other
stop to move the lever back, and thus bring the stud in its weighted end
again over the bracket.