Improvements in Self-acting Mules.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 31st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1897
Improvements in Self-acting Mules.
We, THOMAS HENRY RUSHTON, of Kay Street Works, Bolton, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and WALTER HAMER Junior, of New Mills,
Astley Bridge, near Bolton aforesaid, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in self acting mules.
As is well understood the yarn is now delivered from the rollers at the same
rate as the speed of the travel of the carriage and as the carriage moves in a
horizontal plane it follows that the points of the spindles move also in a horizontal
plane so that the yarn drawn through the delivery rollers is at an angle to the
spindles varying as the distance from the spindles to the rollers changes during
the outward run of the carriage. That is to say, the angle is more acute when the
carriage is near to the rollers than it is when the carriage is further away and this
change in the angle of the yarn from the nip of the rollers to the tip of the spindle
during the outward run of the carriage results in the delivery of an excess of yarn
and consequently in the formation of snarls.
To overcome this defect is the object of our invention and we accomplish this
object by imparting an increased speed to the carriage at the beginning and for a
short distance on the outward run.
This may be carried out in many ways:-For example, we mount upon the back
shaft a wheel gearing directly or by carriers into a wheel which is combined with
a hollow cam or equivalent. To the roller catch box wheel and ordinary first
carrier wheel driving the back shaft we gear a pair of additional carrier wheels
mounted in suitable levers or links forming a swing, one end of one lever or link
being actuated by the cam and so governing the swing.
In operation the front roller catch box wheel driving the back shaft and the
back shaft driving the cam, a radial movement is imparted by means of the levers
or links to the two swing wheels geared into the catch box wheel and ordinary
first carrier wheel-which now becomes the third carrier wheel in the train-and
it is by the radial movement of the two additional carrier wheels in conjunction
with the circumferential speed that the carriage is driven quicker at the com-
mencement of the draw or stretch. When the carriage is making its inward run
the back shaft drives the cam in the reverse direction thus bringing the swing and
wheels to their proper positions ready for the next draw or stretch.
Other means may be employed to give the swing and wheels the desired move-
ment such as a bracket fixed upon the carriage with a suitable cam surface or an
arrangement of inclines and levers or slides working in conjunction with a lever
connected with swing levers or links and the levers may be slotted or otherwise
provided with means for regulating the gain of speed.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1896.
H. B BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Sel-acting Mules.
We, THOMAS HENRY RUSHTON, of Kay Street Works, Bolton, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and WALTER HAMER Junior, of New Mills,
Astley Bridge, near Bolton aforesaid, Manager, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in self acting mules.
As is well understood the yarn is now delivered from the rollers at the same
rate as the speed of the travel of the carriage and as the carriage moves in a
horizontal plane it follows that the points of the spindles move also in a horizontal
plane so that the yarn drawn through the delivery rollers is at an angle to the
spindles varying as the distance from the spindles to the rollers changes during
the outward run of the carriage. That is to say, the angle is more acute when the
carriage is near to the rollers than it is when the carriage is further away and this
change in the angle of the yarn from the nip of the rollers to the tip of the spindle
during, the outward run of the carriage results in the delivery of an excess of yarn
and consequently in the formation of snarls.
To overcome this defect is the object of our invention and we accomplish this
object by imparting an increased speed to the carriage at the beginning and for a
short distance on the outward run.
This may be carried out in many ways:-For example, as shown on the accom-
panying drawing, we mount upon the back shaft a a wheel b gearing directly as
shown or by carriers into a wheel c' which is combined with a hollow cam e or
equivalent mounted loosely on a shaft d. To the roller catch box wheel e and
ordinary first carrier wheel driving the back shaft a through the wheels gh we
gear a pair of additional carrier wheels j k mounted in suitable levers or links m
forming a swing, one end m³ of one lever or link being actuated by the hollow
cam c and so governing the swing.
In operation the frout roller catch box wheel e driving the back shaft a through
the gears j, k, f, g, h and i, and the back shaft driving the came by the wheels b
and c radial movements are imparted by means of the cam c and levers or links m
to the two swing wheels ik geared respectively into the catch box wheel e and
ordinary first carrier wheel which now becomes the third carrier wheel in the
train and it is by this radial movement of the two additional carrier wheels j k
in conjunction with their circumferential speed that the carriage is driven quicker
at the commencement of the draw or stretch. When the carriage is making
its inward run the back shaft a drives the cam c in the reverse direction thus
bringing the swing m and wheels j k to their proper positions ready for the next
draw or stretch.
Other means may be employed to give the swing and wheels j k the desired
movement such as a bracket fixed upon the carriage with a suitable cam surface or
an arrangement of inclines and levers or slides working in conjunction with a lever
connected with swing levers or links and the levers may be slotted or otherwise
provided with means for regulating the gain of speed.
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. Imparting an increased speed to the carriage of a self acting mule for a short
distance at the commencement of the outward run by the mechanism herein specified

page_text: or by equivalent mechanism in order to avoid the delivery of an excess of yarn and
the consequent formation of snarls.
2. The combination with the back shaft a, gear b, roller catch box wheel e,
carrier f, and gears g, h, i, of the combined wheel c' and cam c driven from the
back shaft, and the carrier wheels j k carried in the swing m which is actuated
and governed by said cam all substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth.
Dated this 30th day of December 1896.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.